John's Baptism

I. EXORDIUM:

Do you have Heaven on your side?

II. AUDIENCE PROFILE:

Believers

III. OBJECTIVES:

To show GOD's for us and not against us.

IV. TEXT:

Mark 11:30 (The Message)

11:30 About the baptism of John—who authorized it: heaven or humans? Tell me."

V. THESIS:

GOD is backing us up.

VI. TITLE:

John's baptism

Study of Mark 11

VII. EXPLICATION:

A. Author: Mark, son of Mary of Jerusalem; referred to as John Mark

B. Date written: 58 B.C.

C. Purpose: To present JESUS of Nazareth as GOD's Suffering Servant, the Redeemer of the world

D. To whom written: Roman or Gentile Christians

E. Main Theme: CHRIST is the tireless servant of GOD and humanity.

F. Key word: Immediately

G. Key verse: Mark 10:45

Mark 10:45 (Amplified Bible)

10:45 For even the Son of Man came not to have service rendered to Him, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for (instead of) many.

VIII. MAIN BODY:

A. From Heaven

"About the baptism of John—who authorized it: heaven"

Heaven means:

1) the vaulted expanse of the sky with all things visible in it

1a) the universe, the world

1b) the aerial heavens or sky, the region where the clouds and the tempests gather, and where thunder and lightning are produced

1c) the sidereal or starry heavens

2) the region above the sidereal heavens, the seat of order of things eternal and consummately perfect where God dwells and other heavenly beings

3) the abode of GOD.

JESUS already knew the answer to this question, but it's a requirement of JESUS, if it's answered, then the scribes, chief priests and elders will know what they will do to JESUS at that time, but since these people only pleases other people and not GOD, they don't want to answer.

Mark 9:13 (Amplified Bible)

9:13 But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and [people] did to him whatever they desired, as it is written of him.

These people did not accept John's baptism as coming from Heaven but only from men, and even John knows them, so they rejected them.

John's baptism was instituted by Heaven.

Malachi 3:1 (The Message)

3:1 "Look! I'm sending my messenger on ahead to clear the way for me. Suddenly, out of the blue, the Leader you've been looking for will enter his Temple—yes, the Messenger of the Covenant, the one you've been waiting for. Look! He's on his way!" A Message from the mouth of God-of-the-Angel-Armies.

Matthew 11:11 (The Message)

11:11 "Let me tell you what's going on here: No one in history surpasses John the Baptizer; but in the kingdom he prepared you for, the lowliest person is ahead of him.

John, the Baptist, is an Old Testament prophet prophesying in the New Testament that's about it.

Luke 1:13-17 (The Message)

1:13 But the angel reassured him, "Don't fear, Zachariah. Your prayer has been heard. Elizabeth, your wife, will bear a son by you. You are to name him John.

1:14 You're going to leap like a gazelle for joy, and not only you—many will delight in his birth.

1:15 He'll achieve great stature with God. "He'll drink neither wine nor beer. He'll be filled with the Holy Spirit from the moment he leaves his mother's womb.

1:16 He will turn many sons and daughters of Israel back to their God.

1:17 He will herald God's arrival in the style and strength of Elijah, soften the hearts of parents to children, and kindle devout understanding among hardened skeptics—he'll get the people ready for God."

B. From humans

"or humans? Tell me."

If it's from human, it will fail.

Jeremiah 17:5 (Amplified Bible)

17:5 Thus says the Lord: Cursed [with great evil] is the strong man who trusts in and relies on frail man, making weak [human] flesh his arm, and whose mind and heart turn aside from the Lord.

Genesis 6:5 (Amplified Bible)

6:5 The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination and intention of all human thinking was only evil continually.

1 Corinthians 2:4-5 (The Message)

2:4 and so nothing I said could have impressed you or anyone else. But the Message came through anyway. God's Spirit and God's power did it,

2:5 which made it clear that your life of faith is a response to God's power, not to some fancy mental or emotional footwork by me or anyone else.

Even a bunch of men will fail you. The Spirit always wins and it's not a physical battle but a spiritual one.

2 Chronicles 32:8 (The Message)

32:8 He only has a bunch of mere men; we have our God to help us and fight for us!" Morale surged. Hezekiah's words put steel in their spines.

Ephesians 6:12 (Amplified Bible)

6:12 For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere.