Jesus- The Light Of The World Series

INTRODUCTION

• SLIDE #1

• Have you ever tried to navigate in the dark? How would you like to drive at night with no lights? Imagine a world were cars did not have lights. The roads would be VERY dangerous at night wouldn’t they?

• Imagine living in darkness, living in a dark world where there was no light. That would be depressing.

• As we saw last week, Jesus is the light of the world! We need to understand there are some serious implications that spring forth from that fact.

• The coming of Jesus was predicted through prophecy hundreds of years before He came.

• There was much anticipation at the time of the coming of our Lord. There were those who knew the coming of the Messiah was nearing. Many were ready for the light to come!

• Last week we examined some things about Jesus that makes Him special, today we are going to build on that thought.

• The light was coming; let look at what John has to say together this morning.

• SLIDE #2

• John 1:6-8(ESV) 6There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

• Let us begin by looking at the one who paved the way for the Light to come.

• SLIDE #3

SERMON

I. Preparing the way- The ministry of John The Baptist. (6-8)

• It is interesting that as John speaks of Jesus, he introduces us to John the Baptist.

• In the Gospel of John, John does not call himself by name in the gospel, he refers to himself as the “disciple whom Jesus loved”, the “disciple”. Or “ the other disciple”.

• There were two important people by the name of John connected to Jesus life, the writer of this gospel and John the Baptist.

• We also should take note that John the Baptist was send by God, literally an apostle of God.

• He was the prophesied forerunner of Jesus (Isa 40:3-4; Mal 3:1; 4:5).

• John had a divine purpose from God and he knew it.

• John was the last of the Old Testament Prophets.

• He had a three-fold ministry for the most part.

• SLIDE #4

A. Bear witness to the Light.

• John began his prophetic ministry in A.D. 25—the 15th year of Tiberias Caesar (Lk 3:1).

• John was sent to identify the light!

• John was to tell others what he saw, heard and experienced concerning the coming light.

• He was the forerunner who was to prepare people for the long awaited coming of the Messiah!

• Next John was called…

• SLIDE #5

B. To lead people to the Light.

• He was to prepare the minds and hearts of the people to receive Christ.

• He was to lead the people in repentance.

• The message for many of his sermons was repent for the kingdom of God was at hand.

• When you examine John’s message in the other Gospels, you will see that John focused his preaching on twin ideas: (1) the promised King of Old Testament prophecy was about to appear, and (2) His coming demanded a moral renewal.

• John rebuked sin in ruler and common man alike. His tongue lashed the religious. “You brood of vipers!” he cried scornfully. “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance” (Luke 3:7-8) John’s job was to help people prepare for the coming messiah!

• John did not pull any punches and that eventually cost him his head!

• John was to help people to believe in the coming Messiah through his message.

• John understood the scope of his ministry.

• SLIDE #6

C. To step aside when the Light came.

• John was called to point people to Jesus, not to bask in the limelight himself.

• DO you realize that John NEVER performed a miracle?

• All John did was preach and baptize. John even baptized Jesus!

• John led a great revival.

• SLIDE #7

• Matthew 3:5-6(ESV) 5Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, 6and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

• So forceful was his preaching that many took him to be the reincarnation of Elijah, Jeremiah or another prophet (Mt 16:14). Jesus says that he was the greatest person ever born of a woman (Mt 11:11).

• John was the first prophet in over 400 years, in Luke 3:15 people were asking him if he was the Christ.

• John knew he was called to prepare the way for the Lord!