John 1:19-51
Contrasts characterize the Gospel of John. John presents two alternatives: Light or darkness, Truth or falsehood, Life, or death. Some words that we encounter repeatedly are Truth and witness, testify, bear witness, and record. The fourth Gospel uses these words 47 times. The other three Gospels combined use them twenty times. The book of Acts, 29 times. These words come from a word that we get the word martyr. The martyrs were early (and present-day) Christians who laid down their lives for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
We read the word witness last week when we talked about John the Baptist. The fourth Gospel, like the Synoptics, has the ministry of John the Baptist preceding and preparing the way for the Lord. In verse 7, we read that John "came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe." John's witness pointed the eyewitnesses who would become the early disciples and apostles to Jesus. In verse 15, we read again of John bearing witness of Jesus, and crying out, "This was He of Whom I spake, He that comes after me is preferred before me: for he was before me..."
As we begin looking at our text tonight, we are again met with "this is the record of John."
The Gospel of John uses a literary device called inclusio. Here we find John the Baptist's witness about Jesus beginning the book and then at the end of the book, we read about the writer of the Gospel:
John 20:30-31 KJV
"And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name."
John 21:24 NKJV
"This is the disciple who testifies of these things, and wrote these things; and we know that his testimony is true. And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen."
A declaration of testimony brackets the words and ministry of Jesus in the Fourth Gospel. A testimony is "a formal written or spoken statement, especially one given in a court of law." it is "evidence or proof provided by the existence or appearance of something." The purpose of a testimony is to convince hearers of the validity of something or someone.
So, the author of the fourth Gospel says that the testimonies of the preaching of John the Baptist and the Beloved Disciple should be convincing evidence of the Gospel. One testimony in the past, at the time of the writing, and one present testimony, both of which would live on in written form. The Gospel of John is a book of testimony, a record, for all to see.
"At the beginning of John's Gospel, the first two disciples of Jesus are initially unnamed, but one is soon revealed as Andrew (1:35-42). At the end of John's Gospel, two unnamed disciples go night fishing with Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, and the two sons of Zebedee, whose names John and James are never cited in the Gospel, either (21:1-9)." (https://bible.org/seriespage/11-eyewitness-testimony-johns-gospel)
The point is that the fourth Gospel is based on eyewitness testimony. He is saying, this is what we saw and heard. This is what we experienced.
"John uses God's heavenly lawsuit motif in Isaiah 40-55. God calls the Servant of the LORD and his own people Israel, as witnesses. In John, this trial takes place against everyone who doubts the deity of his Son, who is vindicated. Jesus plays the witnessing role in place of the Servant of the LORD, and Jesus' followers take the role of Israel. The decisive verdict against the world is delivered on the cross. In the first phase of the heavenly trial in John, God calls on seven witnesses, a number that is significant in John (note the seven miraculous signs: 2:1-11, 4:43-54, 5:1-15, 6:1-14, 6:16-21, 9:1-41, 11:1-44). The witnesses appear, in this order: John (1:7, etc.); Jesus himself (3:11, etc.); the Samaritan woman (4:39); God the Father himself (5:32); Jesus' works or signs (5:36); the Scriptures (5:39); and the crowd who testifies about Jesus' raising Lazarus (12:17). In the second phase of the heavenly trial in John, after the resurrection and ascension and beyond John's narrative (story), then the Paraclete (the Holy Spirit) and the disciples go out to testify about Christ's nature and works (15:26-27). To incorporate all of the witnesses, the Beloved Disciple wrote his Gospel. So now Jesus' testimony about himself, coupled with his Father's testimony about his Son (8:12-18), and Jesus' other supporting witnesses can live on in John's Gospel until Jesus' Second Coming (21:22-25)."
(https://bible.org/seriespage/11-eyewitness-testimony-johns-gospel)
Let's look at John's testimony and its effect.
John 1:19-28
The phrase "the Jews" refers to the Jewish leaders in the Gospel of John. They are continually antagonistic to the Lord in the Gospel, and it begins with antagonism towards John. They had a developed idea about the last days. This is why they asked John if he was:
1) The Christ--the anointed king who would restore the kingdom to Israel.
2) Elijah--the prophet Malachi, the last of the writing prophets, wrote that Elijah would return before the Messiah came. At Passover seders today, our Jewish friends set an extra plate and glass of wine out for Elijah in hopes that he will return.
3) The Prophet--Moses prophesied that God would raise up a prophet like Him, and the people were required to hear him. This prophet never arose.
His answer to each question was, "No."
But, he did find himself in the Scriptures. And so should you. You should ask God in prayer where you are in the Scriptures. God has a present purpose for you in the world. You are not here by accident. John the Baptist was chosen to do what he was elected to do. You may not have the ministry of John the Baptist, but God does have something specifically for you.
Mark Twain quipped, "The two greatest days of a person's life are the day they are born, and the day they find out why."
John knew what he was supposed to do and be. This speaks to the vital role of parents, both biological parents and those who serve as spiritual parents to new Christians. The book of Proverbs admonishes, "Train up a child in the way they should go, and when they are old, they will not depart from it." Spiritual formation does not just happen. Sunday School, family devotion, modeling what we want to see, and graciously teaching. John was filled with the Holy Ghost from his mother's womb. We can be certain that Zacharias and Elizabeth continually told him the story about his miraculous conception and the prophecies that had been given. It shaped who he became, and he knew who he was.
So when they asked him, he quoted a Scripture:
Isaiah 40:3
The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
The Scripture was initially written about preparing a way for Judah to return from Babylonian captivity. But, it also had a long-range meaning that applied to John. He was preparing the way for a greater deliverance from a greater captivity, the captivity to sin. Later the Jewish authorities will say that they are born free and have never been in bondage to any man. When in fact, they had been slaves in Egypt, captives of Babylon, dominated by the Persians, Greeks, and the Romans. They were still not "free." It is with this background that the Lord Jesus told them that they would know the Truth and the Truth would make them free. You can never be free if you forget.
Psalm 78:42 KJV
They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy.
Don't forget where you came from!
The Pharisees asked John why he was baptizing if he was not the Christ or Elijah. They saw baptism as an eschatological symbol. It was a new birth. They were repenting and turning from their old ways of life. John does what he always does; he points the way to Jesus. He says that his ministry, compared to that of Jesus, is less than the lowest service that could be done in a household. He said he was not even worthy to wash the feet of Jesus. It was more than mere religion. John was calling the people to turn their hearts to God genuinely. He contrasts his baptism with that of the Baptism that Jesus would give--the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.
The Baptism of the Spirit is connected to Jesus being the Lamb of God, which takes away the sins of the world. He points to the Lamb of God. In the Revelation, this will be the consistent title for Jesus. The Baptist is also pointing towards Jesus' upcoming death that will atone for the sins of the world. Jesus died on Passover, and like the Passover lamb, not one of His Bones was broken. This is the most blatant atonement statement in the Gospels. The idea is that Jesus is a Jewish sin offering. He is the Lamb. He was before John the Baptist in this sense. The Lamb was slain from the foundation of the world, and the glory that Jesus will speak of was foreordained before all things. John the Baptist and John the Beloved were both testifying to something older than time. God's plan is so intricate and so detailed that nothing can stop it, and it involves a Lamb from beginning to the end. In the ages to come, there will be one witting on the throne who is both Lord God and the Lamb! When I read the revelation, the most intriguing thing to me is the songs of praise. They are songs that glorify the Lamb of God for His redemptive blood. They are sung by every tribe, language, people, and nation! Jesus did not give His Life only for the Jews; He gave His Life for the world! And in the kingdom of God (what John saw in the heavens) are everyone worshipping together. The church should look like that on the earth.
Azuza.
G. T. Haywood.
Early 20th-century Oneness Pentecostals worshipped together. It looked like heaven. Oh, if we could behold the Lamb of God! We need a fresh baptism of the Spirit!
The way that John recognized Jesus was during Jesus's baptism when he saw the Spirit descending and remaining. John the Beloved picks up on this in the Revelation, where he shows Jesus as the Lamb that proceeds from the throne of God having seven horns and seven eyes, the seven Spirits of God. This represents the fullness of the Divine Spirit dwelling continually in Christ (Col 2:9). The Baptist said this is the One who Baptizes with the Holy Ghost! John's ministry was characterized by this message. The Holy Ghost was about to be poured out, which signaled the last days. Joel said, "It shall come to pass in the last days that I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh." John connected this outpouring to Jesus being the Son of God. The Son of God has to do with Him being God's anointed. God promised David that He would raise up his seed to sit upon the throne of David. Isaiah 11. The One Who bears the Spirit of the LORD.
Isaiah 42:1
Behold My Servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.
Throughout the Gospel of John, we find the tension. On the one hand, Jesus will say that He can do nothing except what His Father shows Him or speaks to Him; on the other hand, He says that He and His Father are one. This reveals the genuine Humanity of Jesus! He is entirely God and fully Human! As to His Deity, He is the Everlasting Father. As to His Humanity, He is the Son of God, the Servant of the LORD. The Deity of the Father and the Humanity of the Son are inseparable. You cannot have one without the other!
John tells everyone about Jesus. So should we. In verse 35, John points two disciples to Jesus, telling them that He is the Lamb of God. This Lamb of God is a reminder of the Exodus. We saw Genesis at the beginning of the prologue, and here we see Exodus. Jesus is leading into a new Exodus a true deliverance! These disciples will become apostles later. One of the requirements for being one of the Twelve was that they had been with the others from the baptism of John (remember when they chose Matthias in Acts 1).
They immediately followed Jesus. They call Jesus Rabbi--Teacher. And they ask where He is living. They seem to desire a private consultation with Him. Jesus' question is relevant to each of us. He asks, "What do you want?" We live in a society that tells you, "you are what you think." What if that is not the case? What if we are not defined by "I think, therefore I am," but we are what we want--what we love. What do you want?
Our loves define us—the right ordering of loves. Jesus asks them what they are seeking. Because they begin the journey with Him and continue, they will know the Truth, and the Truth will set them free. In John 14, we read about Jesus telling them that the Spirit of Truth will lead and guide them into all Truth and bring to their remembrance all the things that He had told them. This is what we have in the Gospel of John.
Andrew. We need people who are like Andrew. His most significant ministry is just bringing people to Jesus! His message is come and see. We should be witnesses to Jesus! He brings Peter to Jesus. Jesus immediately changes Simon's name. Following Jesus will define you from beginning to end. It will reveal Truth. The truth about God, ourselves, and the world. The reason is that following Jesus is a journey into the Light. As we walk in the Light, the blood of the Lamb defines and defends us! And we are made free. We are victorious! We can go from being impetuous to stable as a rock, but we have to keep walking. Those with the most significant testimonies are those with the greatest tests! It is easy to run away every time we face difficulties. The beauty of the Lord is His redemptive character. He is continuously calling us to follow Him.
This is His message to Philip, Andrew, Peter, Nathaniel, and to us. "Follow Me!" It is a new Exodus. Moses gave the law, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. Moses's lamb saved from Egypt, but the Lamb of God saves from sin! And there is light in the dwelling of the Lord. His word is a light unto my path and a lamp unto my feet. As we go, we allow the Light to lead, but we are looking where we are going. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. We are journeying into God!!!
Nathaniel.
"An Israelite in whom there is no guile." Jesus knows how to speak to us. Don't put God in a box as you witness to others. Jesus reads Nathaniel's mail. He tells him about the longing of his heart. You are what you want! Whatever happened under the fig tree was significant enough that when Jesus addressed it, it made Nathaniel admit that Jesus was the Messiah. But, when we follow Jesus, we always get more than we had expected. You will see the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man. You will see greater things than these if you will follow me. He is referring to Jacob's vision of the ladder whose top reached the heavens. Jesus is the portal through which heaven comes to earth, and earth comes to heaven -- the Way, the Truth, the Life. He is also Yahweh, Who has come down the ladder to change us from children of flesh to children of God if we believe and receive the gift of God, born of water and the Spirit.
He is calling this evening for someone to follow Him wholeheartedly. Maybe you have been like Peter. He did not follow Jesus to the end of the Gospel of John. And so we find Jesus appearing to him and the other disciples in the last chapter just as he appeared here -- inclusio. Peter has decided to go back to fishing. When he sees that it is the Lord, he swims to him. His love compels him! When Jesus speaks to him, he gives him another opportunity. He asks about Peter's loves. Not his thinking, his loves. What do you want? Peter says that he does love the Lord three times (just as he denied Him three times). Then Peter asks about another disciple. The Lord's reply, "Don't worry about him. Follow Me!"
God has given you some things and opened some doors for you. Moved you forward in the Spirit. You haven't walked fully into them, and your eyes are on others. He is seeking to you tonight to get back on the path and just follow Him! Give Him your love!
