John Series Part 2 Series

Jesus the Light of the World: The Special Witness of John the Baptist, 1:6–8

(1:6–8) Introduction: there was one person who was a very special witness to Christ, John the Baptist. John’s sole purpose on earth was to witness and to bear testimony to the Light of the world. His purpose stands as a dynamic example for every believer. The purpose of the believer is to bear the same witness as John: Jesus Christ is the Light of the world.

1. John was a man sent from God (v.6).

2. John was a man sent on a very special mission (v.7).

3. John was a great man, but he was not the Light (v.8).

1 (1:6) John the Baptist—Commission: a man sent from God. Note three points.

a. The man “was a man” and only a man. A strong contrast is being made between what had been said about Christ and what is now being said about John.

? Christ “was in the beginning”; He was “with God” and He “was God” (Jn. 1:1–2).

? John “was a man” who had come into existence at birth, just as all men have the beginning of their existence at birth. John was the son of a man, whereas Jesus Christ was the only begotten Son of God (Jn. 3:16). John was not a divine being, not even an angel. He was a mere man.

“What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him?” (Jb. 7:17).

“What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?” (Ps. 8:4).

“Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is he [God] that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in” (Is. 40:21–22).

“John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven” (Jn. 3:27).

b. The man, however, was “sent from God”; and he was sent on a very special mission. Two facts show this.

1) The word sent .

2) The phrase from God (para Theou) means from beside God. John was not only sent by God, He was sent from the very side and heart of God. He was only a man, but a man of high calling and mission, of enormous responsibility and accountability. He was a man sent by God, not by man.

Thought 1. Note three significant points. The servant and messenger of God …

• is not sent forth by men, but by God. He is sent forth as the ambassador of God

• is sent forth from God, from the very side and heart of God

• is a man of high calling and mission, of enormous responsibility and accountability

“Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you” (Jn. 15:16).

“And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God” (2 Co. 5:18–20).

“Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life” (2 Co. 3:5–6).

“Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; but have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God” (2 Co. 4:1–2).

“Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power” (Ep. 3:7).

“And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry” (1 Ti. 1:12).

“[The gospel] whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles” (2 Ti. 1:11).

“But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: that no flesh should glory in his presence” (1 Co. 1:27–29).