CONVERSATION WITH NICODEMUS (Part III) – John 3:14-18

THE ILLUSTRATION OF THE SERPENT ON THE POLE

INTRODUCTION:

The conversation with Nicodemus is still underway and the Lord Jesus has much more to say. In verses 8-13 of chapter 3, Jesus used the illustration of the wind in order to help explain the mystery of being born from above. We can’t see the wind itself but we can see its effects and its results, and they can be very powerful. Jesus was reminding Nicodemus of Ezekiel’s prophesies, and the way the Spirit of God was going to work in the lives of His people to change their hearts and fill them with His Spirit. It was going to be a miraculous event with powerful and amazing results. As I mentioned in my last message, there was a price to be paid in order for this to happen. In the next part of their conversation, the Lord Jesus uses a familiar illustration in order to communicate to Nicodemus the means by which one can be born again.

I..THE OLD TESTAMENT EVENT (verse 14a)

Jesus now says to Nicodemus, “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness”. This was a very familiar event and Nicodemus knew it very well. Jesus is referring to the book of Numbers, chapter 21, and verses 4-9. Verses 4 and 5 give us the background leading up to the event: “Then they set out from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom, and the people became impatient because of the journey. And the people spoke against God and Moses, ‘Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in this wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this miserable food.’ “

Complain, complain! That’s all these people have done since they crossed the Red Sea! Now they are blaming God and Moses for the food, the water, and the delays. Their needs have been taken care of, but it seems like there is always something to complain about and someone to blame when the focus of their attention is on themselves. The Hebrew people are sinning against God by their attitude and actions. God has been patient with their complaints but now it has gotten out of hand. It was time for Him to do something about it, and God deals with them in a very unusual way.

Numbers 21:6 describes the punishment that God metes out to the people for their sin. “And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people so that many people of Israel died.” There are a number of poisonous snakes in that area, and I think it will be helpful to know which variety of snakes is doing the biting. You’ll understand when I’m through. Of all the snakes, researchers believe that there is one particular variety that best fits the criteria and sequence of events that are given in verses 6-9. G.S. Cansdale, in his article in the Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible entitled SERPENT (FIERY SERPENT), (Vol. 5. pp.356-358), describes the various serpents which live in the wilderness area mentioned in Numbers 21 and cited again in John 3:14, seeking to determine which of them were the “fiery serpents”. He, and others mentioned in his article, believe that the most-probable candidate is the “carpet or saw-scaled viper”. It proliferates (has many babies), so much so that many nearby countries have put a bounty on them. It is the only viper in that area that can move quickly over sand and rock.

It’s venom is hemolytic. affecting the blood by breaking the small blood-vessels, and the victim eventually bleeds to death within about four days. The victims often start feeling better after two or three days and assume that all is well, when in actuality they are very close to death. The effects of this venom are irreversible (except by a miracle from God). The slow-acting venom gave Moses time to cast the bronze serpent and tell everyone what they needed to do to be saved from certain death before it happened. As you can see from the description, these snakes could well be the ones used by God to punish His people.

Numbers 21:9 says, “And Moses made the bronze serpent and set it on the standard (as God commanded him), and it came about that if a serpent bit any man, when he looked to the bronze serpent, he lived.” It was a time of decision. Moses had made the bronze serpent, and put it on a standard ( a pole with another pole attached horizontally near the top) for the purpose of holding a banner. In this particular case it was holding the bonze serpent, and it was raised high enough so that everyone could easily see it. Each person had to decide whether or not he was going to look at the serpent on the standard when bitten. His life depended on it; it was his only hope. But, knowing the pride and stubbornness of the people of Israel, there were probably some who thought, “That’s ridiculous! How is looking at that snake going to make any difference? I’m feeling better now anyway. I can take care of myself!” That decision cost those people their lives.

II. THE NEW TESTAMENT ILLUSTRATION (verse 14b)

Now the Lord Jesus compares that illustration to Himself and His mission on earth when He says: “even so must the Son of Man be lifted up”. So the snake on the pole represents Jesus, not Satan. It was made of bronze, which was often used in the Old Testament to represent judgment. The pole or standard on which the bronze serpent was affixed represented the cross of Calvary.

The Lord Jesus was telling Nicodemus that, as the serpent in the wilderness provided physical healing from the deadly poison of the snakes, in a similar way He was going to provide spiritual healing and new life to the souls of people who believe in Him. Jesus said that He would be “lifted up”. The Greek word translated “lifted up” (hypsos) means “to exalt”. How could Jesus be exalted while He is hanging naked, bleeding, and humiliated on the cross? What glory was there in that horrible situation? His enemies and His executioners didn’t realize it, but by lifting Him up on the cross to die before their eyes, they were fulfilling prophesies and enabling the Lord Jesus to fulfill the Father’s purpose. Jesus had laid aside His glory to come to this earth and die and pay the price for the sins of the world. Only then could His resurrection and ascension back to heaven be fulfilled. As Philippians 2:8-9 says, “becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on the name which is above every name”. Being raised up on that cross was the first step of His exaltation, “that He might draw all men to Himself” (John 12:33).

III. THE PROPER RESPONSE AND THE RESULT (verse 15)

Is the Lord Jesus Christ being exalted in your life? He can’t be truly exalted in your life if He isn’t present in your life. Pastor and author Warren Wiersbe shares an insight and then gives a remarkable, true illustration of Christ’s exaltation in a person through His death on the cross. “The whole world has been bitten by sin, and ‘the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). God sent His Son to die, not only for Israel, but for a whole world. How is a person born from above? How is he saved from eternal perishing? By believing on Jesus Christ; by looking to Him in faith.”

On January 6, 1850, a snowstorm almost crippled the city of Colchester, England; and a teenage boy was unable to get to the church he usually attended. So he made his way to a nearby Primitive Methodist chapel, where an ill-prepared layman was substituting for the absent preacher. His text was Isaiah 45:22 – “Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth.” For many months this teenager had been miserable, and under deep conviction; but though he had been reared in a church (both his father and grandfather were preachers), he did not have the assurance of salvation.

The unprepared substitute minister did not have much to say so he kept repeating the text. “A man need not go to college in order to look,” he shouted. “Anyone can look — a child can look!” About this time, he saw the visitor sitting to one side, and pointing to him and said, “Young man, you look very miserable. Young man, look to Jesus Christ!” The young man did look by faith, and that was how the great preacher, Charles Haddon Spurgeon was converted. (Warren Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, pp. 296-297)

The people on the hill of Golgotha that day couldn’t help but see Jesus because He was lifted up above them on a cross (Matthew 27:33ff). For three hours He hung there in the sight of all, suffering and dying. We know that at least one person looked to Jesus in faith that day – a thief on a cross dying next to Him. That thief said, “. . . we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong . . . Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!” And Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:40-43).
In this thief’s eyes, Jesus was exalted there on that cross. He recognized that Jesus was a king, and he asked to be a member of His kingdom. Jesus told him that he now had something wonderful to look forward to. He also had Someone wonderful to exalt and enjoy forever in the kingdom of heaven.

IV. THE MOTIVE AND PURPOSE OF GOD (verses 16-18)

John 3:16 is one of the most well-known, and one of the most beloved verses in all the Bible. Jesus says to Nicodemus, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” By saying those words, Jesus is stretching Nicodemus’ present understanding of the scope of God’s love way beyond it’s limits. “God loves the world, not just His ‘chosen people’?” “What did those sinners and idolators do to deserve that?” The world didn’t deserve God’s love anymore than he did. God’s love was a gift, and it came wrapped up in the Person of His “only begotten Son”. the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the only hope, the only antidote, the only alternative for sinful mankind. Otherwise we are all perishing. II Thessalonians 1:9 gives a good description of the word “perishing”: “And these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.” It doesn’t get any worse than that!

Years ago, two young parents were faced with a life-or-death decision: either allow the doctor to give their baby an experimental drug or their baby would be dead by morning because of a 109 degree temperature caused by a sudden ailment. Of course they gave that permission or I wouldn’t be here today to tell you about it! When we look at the very best of human love, we can gain a bit of a glimpse of God’s love. The following is one example of the very best of human love:

In his book, Written In Blood, Robert Coleman tells the story of a little boy whose sister needed a blood transfusion. The doctor explained that she had the same disease that the boy had recovered from two years earlier. Her only hope for recovery was a transfusion from someone who had previously conquered the disease. Since the two children had the same rare blood type, the boy was the ideal donor.

“Would you give your blood to Mary?”, the doctor asked. Johnny hesitated. His lower lip started to tremble. Then he smiled and said, “Sure, for my sister.” Soon the two children were wheeled into the hospital room–Mary, pale and thin; Johnny, robust and healthy. Neither spoke, but when their eyes met, Johnny grinned. As the nurse inserted the needle into his arm, Johnny’s smile faded. He watched the blood flow through the tube. With the ordeal almost over, his voice, slightly shaky, broke the silence. “Doctor, when do I die?”

Only then did the doctor realize why Johnny had hesitated, why his lip had trembled when he agreed to donate his blood. He thought that giving his blood to his sister meant giving up his own life. In that brief moment, he’d made his great decision. Johnny, fortunately, didn’t have to die to save his sister. Each of us, however, has a condition more serious than Mary’s, and it required Jesus to give not just His blood but His life. (Thomas Lindberg)

Below is a brief description of the greatness of this verse: John 3:16

“God”–The greatest Lover.
“So loved”–The greatest degree.
“The world”–The greatest company.
“That He gave”–The greatest act.
“His only begotten Son”–The greatest Gift.
“That whosoever”–The greatest opportunity.
“Believeth”–The greatest simplicity.
“In Him”–The greatest attraction.
“Should not perish”–The greatest promise.
“But”–The greatest difference.
“Have”–the greatest certainty
“Everlasting life”–the greatest possession.

How great is our God! I hope that reading the words to John 3:16 from that perspective will give you a fresh realization and appreciation for what God did for us and why He did it. You may want to copy those words and place them in a place where you will see them often, as I am going to do.

Martin Luther referred to John 3:16 as “The Miniature Bible” because it contains the essence of the Gospel in “a nutshell”. During World War II, it was the custom for any household that had given a son in the service to place a star in the window in the middle of a white banner. A gold star, however, indicated that the son of the house had already given his life’s blood in support of his country’s cause. Sir Harry Lauder related a touching story in regard to this custom. He said that one night a man was walking down a certain avenue in New York City accompanied by his five-year-old son. The little fellow was greatly interested in the brightly lighted windows of the houses and wanted to know why some of the houses had a star in the window. The father explained that those houses had given a son to the war. The child would clap his hands as he saw another star in the window and would cry out, “Look, daddy, there’s another family who gave a son for his country! And look, there’s another! And another! And look, there’s one with two stars!”

At last they came to an empty lot, and a break in the row of houses. Through the gap could be seen the evening star shining brightly in the sky. The little lad caught his breath, “Oh, daddy”, he cried, “look! God must have given HIS Son for He has hung a star in the window of heaven!” (Our Daily Bread, 9/6/1960)

How true are that little boy’s words! As we look at the brightest star in the sky tonight, may we be reminded that the Lord Jesus Christ gave his life for our sins; and as we count the other stars in the heavens, may we be reminded of all the believers who are shining for Him, both on earth and in heaven. There are more than we can count. I hope you are one of them, shining brightly for Him today and every day (Matthew 5:16).

Jesus has just described to Nicodemus how He was going to die and the reasons for His death. In three short years, I believe that Nicodemus would be standing at a distance together with the other Pharisees and Leaders, watching Jesus die, and he would be realizing the fulfillment of Jesus’ words to Him. He could not help but think about the serpent on the pole and put the two events together.

Verses 17 and 18 are sometimes overlooked because of the greatness and popularity of John 3:16. But these two verses amplify the mystery and the eternal consequences of Christ’s death on the cross. Verse 17 begins with the words, “For God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world.” This is a mystery to me because, logically and realistically, God should have sent His Son into this world to judge us and condemn all of us to hell. That’s what we all deserve because we’ve all sinned against a holy and perfect God. But God wasn’t acting logically; He was acting emotionally. Love is a powerful emotion and God’s love is perfect and unconditional. That’s why the rest of verse 17 says, “but that the world should be saved through Him”. Notice the word “should“. God has expressed His desire and provided the way. There is no reason why we shouldn’t repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, turning our lives over to His control. There are no “good reasons”. There are only excuses. If you haven’t done so, what is your excuse? You’re making the biggest mistake in your life, you’re passing up the greatest opportunity of your life, and you’re missing the greatest joy in life if you don’t respond to His great love. The Lord Jesus is not just saying these words to Nicodemus, but to each of us as well.

I personally believe that the Lord Jesus Christ was the greatest preacher and teacher who ever lived on this planet. There is much to learn by studying how He communicated with people. I’m sure that Nicodemus had never been in a conversation quite like this one before! Jesus had made some shocking statements to Nicodemus, given illustrations, asked questions, corrected misconceptions, and made comparisons. In verse 18 the Lord Jesus ends this illustration of the serpent on the pole with another principle of preaching and teaching: REPETITION. He says in verse 18, “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe in Him is judged already. because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” Jesus is saying basically the same thing to Nicodemus, but this time His purpose is to establish blame or fault. The Lord Jesus did not come to this earth to judge, but to save and remove judgment by taking that judgment for sin upon Himself. Therefore those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ are not judged because it has already been taken care of through His death on the cross. However, those who refuse to believe, those who reject God’s gift are “judged already” because they have made the call; they have made their choice in view of the consequences, and by so doing they are judging and condemning themselves at that moment. They have no one to blame but themselves. To not believe in His name is to not confess Him as Lord.

While Nicodemus is still reeling from the impact of Jesus’ words to him, the Lord Jesus gives one final illustration and exhortation: the contrast between light and darkness. We will study that illustration in the next message. I hope that the words of Jesus so far have given each of us some things to think about and put into practice in our own lives.

CONSTRUCTION SITE:

Welcome! This is a completed construction site. If you are new to this blog site, my purpose, as I study a passage of Scripture, is to place it on the site a section at a time as I complete it so that you can see the progress and study along with me if you would like to do so. I call it a work-in-progress. May God teach us all patience as we learn to accept the events in our lives, and diligence to make the most of our situations by His all-sufficient grace.

CONVERSATION WITH NICODEMUS, PART II – John 3:8-13

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THE ILLUSTRATION OF THE WIND

Has the wind ever caught your attention? Was it the sound of it, the suddenness of it, the power of it, the things being carried along by it, the refreshment it gave, or some other aspect that caused you to observe it’s workings and be fascinated by it? Were there times when it caused fear and apprehension because of its power and unpredictability. I have personally experienced a tornado and a typhoon. The memories of those two experiences are still fresh in my mind, and come back into focus whenever the wind gives me another reminder. In that little town in Iowa, no one could deny, the next morning, that there was a tornado in their town the night before. It took weeks to clean up the mess and months to repair the damages. On the island of Okinawa, Japan, no one could deny that a typhoon had struck the island. We heard the winds, saw the water from the ocean coming across the island, and witnessed the damage that occurred in its wake. Both experiences left unforgettable reminders on the landscape and in our minds.

The wind has often been the subject for poets, songwriters, movie producers, and photographers. The wind has been used to express feelings of exhilaration (“the wind in my sails”, “the wind at my back”), of frustration and hopelessness (“try and catch the wind’), of sudden and irreversible loss (“gone with the wind”), or the experience of being drunk and out-of-control (“three sheets to the wind”). In each case the wind is depicted as something that is outside our control and can have an effect upon us.

TRANSITION:

The Lord Jesus has been having a discussion with Nicodemus on the subject of being “born again” or “born from above”. Nicodemus is not getting the picture, and it is not an easy concept to grasp. So Jesus is about to give him an illustration that will use physical realities to help explain spiritual realities. That’s where we left off in the previous sermon (John 3:1-7). The Lord Jesus said to him in verse 7, “Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again’.”

I. THE ILLUSTRATION (verse 8)

The Lord Jesus and Nicodemus may have been sitting in the courtyard talking, and an evening breeze may have been blowing. This would make the illustration not only appropriate but timely. Jesus says to him in verse 8, “The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” He’s telling Nicodemus that being born again, “born of the Spirit”, is much like the wind. One cannot control it. Like the work of the Holy Spirit in a person’s life, it is invisible but powerful. You can’t see it taking place but you can see and feel the effects and results. The Greek word that the apostle John uses for both “wind” and “Spirit” is the word pneuma. They are the same word and they work in the same way. But Jesus was speaking to Nicodemus in Hebrew (Aramaic), and the word He used was ruach, which also means both wind and Spirit. So there is nothing lost in translation!

II. THE REPLY (verse 9)

In reply to Jesus, Nicodemus says in verse 9, “How can these things be?” He’s giving Jesus an abbreviated version of what he said before. This time I think that Nicodemus is getting the message but he doesn’t want to put the pieces together. Because of Jesus’ response to follow, I think that Old Testament Scriptures dealing with this subject are popping into the mind of Nicodemus and he’s trying to set them aside rather than deal with them. Just as he is unwilling to admit that Jesus is the Messiah, addressing Him as a “Teacher from God”, so also he is not willing to consider those verses in his mind as being addressed to him personally and conclude that the Messiah is the One who is speaking to him right now. What are those verses that have come to his mind? For one, Ecclesiastes 11:5 says, “You do not know the path of the wind , , , so you don’t know the activity of God who makes all things.” It’s almost as if Jesus was quoting from this passage of Scripture – the words of Jesus and Solomon are so closely-related. Psalm 51:10 says, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” David expresses his need to become a new person with a new heart and spirit from God.

The words of the prophet Ezekiel should have immediately come to the mind of Nicodemus. God tells Ezekiel in Ezekiel 11:19, “And I shall give them one heart, and shall put a new spirit within them”. By using the word “them”, God is addressing, not only the nation of Israel, but also the individual members of that nation. Ezekiel 36:26-27 is probably the clearest Old Testament reference of them all. It says, “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you will be careful to observe my ordinances.” This prophesy points out that before there can be a change on the outside, there must first be a new heart and spirit given by God to each person, and immediately the Spirit of God will indwell and empower His people.

When you’ve heard or seen something amazing or startling, have you ever used the phrase, “That really blew me away”? The Free Dictionary defines the phrase in these words: “to affect someone intensely in mind and emotion.” When I’ve used the phrase, it was my way of expressing a joyful amazement, a happy surprise and excitement about a new revelation. Why wasn’t Nicodemus “blown away” as a result of the things he just learned? Why isn’t he showing appreciation and asking questions, wanting to know more about Jesus and His teachings?

III. JESUS’ REACTION AND RESPONSE (verses 10-13)

In response to the “ignorance” of Nicodemus, Jesus chides him with these words: “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not understand these things?” Every teacher, every Jew was familiar with the words of Ezekiel 37: The Vision of the Valley of Dry Bones. Every Jew was looking forward to the fulfillment of that prophesy. The wind, the Word of God, the Spirit of God, rebirth, the breath of God, and the kingdom of God are all included in this passage of Scripture. “Ignorance was no excuse” for Nicodemus. To rephrase His words, Jesus is saying, “Nicodemus, how can you not know these things? There is no excuse!”

In verse 11, Jesus says “truly, truly, I say to you.” The King James version uses the original Greek words: “Amen, amen”. That’s what it says in the Greek text. He uses those words 25 times in John’s Gospel. When we say an oath in court, we say “I swear to God” or “as God is my witness”. By saying the words “Truly, truly, I say to you”, Jesus is swearing to them on His own authority. Only Jesus could use those words to attest to the truth of what He was saying. He didn’t have to swear to anyone higher than Himself because there was no one higher than Himself. Therefore, every time He used those words, He was declaring Himself to be God. The apostle John doesn’t tell us any reaction from Nicodemus when Jesus said those words.

I don’t mean to come down harshly on Nicodemus for his answers. I think he wants to know the truth, but he’s trying to get an explanation for things that can’t be understood completely. That’s why Jesus is using illustrations to give him a basis for comparison. If Nicodemus did not want to know the truth, he would have left in anger after Jesus’s first statement. The fact that Jesus is continuing to give illustrations says to me that He wants to continue to expose Nicodemus to truth for as long as he is willing to listen. The Holy Spirit will bring clarity and conviction in His time.

After swearing an oath to Nicodemus, Jesus says, “We speak that which we know, and bear witness of that which we have seen; and you do not receive our witness.” Why does the Lord Jesus use plural pronouns and adjectives in this statement? Is He referring to the Trinity, He and John the Baptist, He and His disciples, He and other teachers, He and the prophets, or He and all those born of the Spirit? Is Jesus being rhetorical or generalizing? Could there be a reason other than these? That’s a lot to choose from! It’s hard to say for certain. Looking at the immediate context of His words, I personally think that Jesus is including Himself with the prophets who came before Him (including John the Baptist). My second opinion is that He might be including His disciples. Those are only opinions. In any case the focus of Jesus is on the rejection of the witnesses and their testimony (Himself included). We’ll find in verse 32 that the prophet John the Baptist echoes those words of Jesus when he says, “What He (Jesus) has seen and heard, of that He bears witness; and no man receives His witness.” He is identifying his witness with that of Jesus.

In verse 12 Jesus gets to the point behind His illustration. “If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how shall you believe if I tell you heavenly things?” Jesus is not rebuking Nicodemus here; He’s proving His point. Jesus is saying, in essence,, “I’ve shared with you the illustration of the wind, which you can see, hear and feel, but can’t explain. If you have to accept the workings of the wind by faith, since you can’t explain its source or how it happens, but can experience the results, how much more is this true of spiritual realities. You also have to accept them by faith in the promises of God’s Word, and by faith in the Person who is explaining them to you.” I would also add the words, “Do you see what I’m saying? Is that making more sense to you”? Nicodemus knows that Jesus is being respectful, and is trying to help him realize the need for faith. There are many things in this world that we cannot understand, but we accept them by faith because we cannot deny the results.

Jesus concludes His illustration of the wind in verse 13 by saying,
“And no one has ascended into heaven but He who descended from heaven, even the Son of Man.” I wondered, “why does it say ascended into heaven first, and then descended from heaven? Didn’t Jesus “descend from heaven” first, at his conception and birth, then “ascend into heaven” later, after His death and resurrection. The literal Greek text will help us to understand the meaning. The translation of the Greek text word-by-word says: And no man has gone up into heaven except the (one) out of heaven having come down, the Son of man.” It is true that no man (no human soul) had yet gone to heaven. No human soul could go to heaven until the Lord Jesus satisfied the wrath of the Father by dying on the cross for sin, and then rising from the dead. The Scriptures speak of a place of waiting for the righteous, sometimes called “Abraham’s bosom. It was a place of contentment, but not yet the joy of being in the presence of God.

I also think that Jesus had another reason for saying those words in the order that He said them: “ascended . . . descended”. He’s referencing Proverbs 30:4, a proverb written by Agur, and one that, I’m sure, Nicodemus was familiar with. After saying those words, Agur gives an awesome illustration about God, His Son, and the wind. He says, “Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has wrapped the waters in His garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name or His son’s name? Surely you know!

“Gathered the wind in His fists” – that description really blows me away! Try to imagine that! We may not be able to catch the wind, but God can! In fact, He doesn’t have to catch it because it has already been gathered in His fists! What a description of God’s greatness, power and sovereignty! If you want to put yourself in an attitude of worship and focus your thoughts on God, that’s a good verse to bring to mind. Then Agur ends his proverb with the words “Surely you know!”. You should know, Nicodemus; you’re sitting right next to Him! The Son’s name is JESUS!

Jesus concludes this illustration of the wind by referring to Himself as the “Son of Man”, a title that was given to the Messiah by the prophets Ezekiel and Daniel. Every time Jesus uses that term to refer to Himself, He is declaring that He is the Messiah.

Bob Dillan wrote a song in 1962, which was released as a single in 1963. Many singers have sung that song, and the Trio of Peter, Paul, and Mary made the song very popular. In 1994 the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. In 2004 it was ranked on Rollin’ Stone Magazine’s list of the top 500 songs of all time. As you probably already know, the name of that song is “Blowin’ in the Wind’ If you would like to hear that song, type “blowin’ in the wind” on your web browser. Many questions are asked and many social issues are faced and the conclusion given after each one is: “The answer is blowin’ in the wind.” In other words, there doesn’t seem to be any answer.

With all due respect for the author and singers of that beautiful song, the answer isn’t “blowin’ in the wind”. That’s the illustration. The answer is “BEING BORN-AGAIN”. If that’s the answer, then what’s the question? Actually, there are many questions that are answered by those words of Jesus. Here are just a few questions that can be answered by being “born again”, “born from above”:
How can I find peace of mind? How can I be delivered from my fear of death? Where can I find purpose and meaning to life? How can I be delivered from my addictions? Where can I find unconditional love? What’s the solution to hatred and wars? How can I escape from my fatalistic attitude toward life? How can I be sure I’m going to heaven? How can I keep from going to hell? How can I break away from my conformity to this world? How can I ever forgive myself for the things that I have done? What can be done about this emptiness I feel inside?

If none of those questions relate to you, maybe there are other questions you might want to add to that list. Whatever the case, the Lord Jesus wants to make things new for you. He wants to change you into a new person if you will let Him do so. The conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus isn’t over. There are other illustrations that He is going to use to make that decision clearer for Nicodemus and for you. I hope you will come back to see the picture more clearly. The best is yet to come. There was a price that had to be paid in order to make that new birth possible, and Jesus will pay it all.

If you are a born-again Christian, as I am, let’s remind ourselves of what it was like in our lives before that wonderful day, and pray for others around us who are experiencing the emptiness and frustration with life that we once faced. Let’s ask the Lord Jesus to make us more like Him – loving and caring for everyone who came His way, and communicating the truth in love.

CONSTRUCTION SITE:

Thank you for visiting and I hope you’ll come back to visit other completed construction sites I have a complete series of messages on Philippians, James, Jonah, as well as other assorted messages.

HE KNOWS THE REAL THING – John 2:23-25

Bible sermon, Gospel of John, John 2, John's Gospel, New Testament sermon

Having been a boy scout for several years, I can still remember most of the Scout Law. There are twelve character qualities given in the Scout Law: A scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent. I wondered why it started with “trustworthy”. I guessed that, in case you forgot all the others, you would still remember that one! It worked because I did remember that one and most of the others as well!

“Trustworthy” – worthy of trust, dependable, believable, consistent, enduring. Over the last several years I’ve experienced the untrustworthiness of people more than at any other time in my life. It seems to me that the number of people who can be trusted is growing smaller, and that deceitfulness and hypocrisy are on the increase. I hope this observation is only true in my case. There has been the temptation to become paranoid and not trust anyone anymore. But that wouldn’t be right either. Greater care needs to be taken, and more research needs to be done on my part before trusting a person or making a decision. More prayer needs to precede decisions As the saying goes: “You can’t always judge a book by its cover.” Have you had similar experiences? Have there been times when you wished that you could read people’s minds and weigh their motives before you put your life, your health, your confidence, your money, your house, or your car in the hands of a doctor, lawyer, realtor, salesman, mechanic, “friend”, or relative, as the case may be. It’s often a step of faith, isn’t it?

TRANSITION:

The Lord Jesus teaches us a lesson about faith and trust in these last three verses of chapter 2. He had recently performed His first miracle when He changed the water into wine at the wedding feast at Cana. People were beginning to notice Him and ask questions about Him, and say good things about Him. Then He cleansed the Temple, and people are wondering, “Who gave Him the right to do that?” People were beginning to take sides for or against Him, and many were saying evil things about Him.

I. THE MIRACLES (verse 23)

It was the time to celebrate the Passover, the first Passover since the beginning of His public ministry. Verse 23 begins with the words: “Now while He was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast.” The celebration lasted for eight days and Jesus may have arrived early. Crowds of people were there from Judea, Galilee, and the surrounding areas in order to obey God’s command and remember God’s deliverance of His people Israel from their slavery in Egypt. The next section of the verse tells us what the Lord Jesus was doing during that period of time. “Many saw the miraculous signs He was doing.” Obviously, Jesus was performing many miracles while He was there – probably healing miracles. Now there was visual evidence and public testimonies of His power to heal. Jesus was getting the attention of everyone.

II. THE RESULT (verse 23b)

Verse 23 ends with the words “and trusted in His name”. These people were amazed at the miracles Jesus was performing, and having seen them up close, they came to the conclusion that He must be the Messiah or a prophet because nobody else could do such things. They were responding to His miracles in a positive way. Was their faith a saving faith, a life-changing faith? Is there any way that we can know for sure? Do these “believers” meet all the criteria? Remember that it is very early in the public ministry of Christ. This may be the first time they had ever met Jesus, and they may know nothing else about Him other than the fact that He performs miracles. Let’s see how Jesus responds to this news.

III. THE RESPONSE OF JESUS (verse 24a)

Verse 24 begins with these words, “Jesus did not commit Himself to them”.
The word translated “commit” in this verse is the same Greek word that is translated as “believe” in verse 23. J. Oswald Sanders, in his book, My Utmost for His Highest, has these words to say about verse 24: “Our Lord trusted no man; yet He was never suspicious, never bitter, never in despair about any man, because He put God first in His trust. . . . If I put trust in human beings first, I will end up despairing of everyone; I will become bitter because I have insisted on man being what no man can ever be – absolutely right. Never trust anything but the grace of God in yourself or in anyone else.”

IV. THE REASONS (verses 24b-25)

The apostle John gives the following reasons for Jesus’ response to those who “believed in Him”: “for He knew all men. He did not need man’s testimony about man, for He knew what was in a man.” Jesus was all-knowing. This was another one of the evidences of His deity. He knew what was in their hearts – the reasons and motives for their actions. He knew human nature. These people who had been reported to Him as having believed in Him were Jews who were attending the feast. The Lord Jesus realized that many of these same people who believed in Him at the start of His public ministry would later turn from Him and turn against Him. They were uncommitted and easily swayed by the Jewish leaders.

CONCLUSION:

As I have studied the Gospels, Jesus wasn’t calling people to believe in Him; He was calling them to follow Him – the full sense of the Greek word for “believe” (pisteuo). At the end of Jesus’ life, there were very few who were called His “followers”.

In this present age of internet websites and social media, the words “follow” and “follower” have a very precise meaning and application. If you like a particular site and would like to receive updates and notifications of new postings on that site, you simply click the button labeled “FOLLOW”. When you do so, you instantly become a “follower”. It’s as simple as that! The fact that you are here at this site may indicate that you might have a site of your own and have followers as well.

In this computer age, is it easy to become a follower of Christ? Has our computer technology made it easier? Well, yes and no. Yes, in the sense that there is easier access to Bible translations, Bible study materials, commentaries, sermons, etcetera. No, in the sense that the decision itself is a costly one, and the price hasn’t changed. A profession of faith is not enough. A profession of faith and baptism is not enough. I see no distinction being made in the Scriptures between a believer in Jesus Christ and a follower of Jesus Christ. In Acts 8:13, Simon the magician believed and was baptized. Later, in verses 18-19, Simon offers to pay money so that he also can lay hands on people and they could receive the Holy Spirit. He thought it was a magic trick! Peter says to Simon, in verse 21, “You have no part nor share in this ministry because your heart is not right with God . . . I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”

So how does one become a follower of Jesus Christ? The Lord Jesus answered that question Himself in Luke 9:23 when He said, “If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” Death to self and dedication to Christ on a daily basis.

Are you a follower of Jesus Christ? In John 10:27 Jesus says, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” The proof is in the following. At this time of the year crowds of people are standing in lines all over the world, waiting to return gifts they received for Christmas or exchanging them for another gift. Why not begin this year with the crowds of people who have decided to become followers of the Lord Jesus Christ by exchanging gifts with Him – your life in exchange for His? It’s the best gift exchange you will ever make, and you’ll experience the real joy of this season when you choose to follow Him. Now is the time.

If you are a genuine follower of Christ, why not set some spiritual goals for this year. Organize your day around Him by setting aside a place and time for fellowship with Him in His Word and in prayer. Follow a one-year Bible reading program to read the Bible in a year (approximately 20 minutes a day), put together a prayer list of people you want to pray for daily or weekly; possibly pick a passage of Scripture that you want to memorize this year. There are many potential goals that you can set. Just make sure you write them down and put the list in a place where you will see it often. It also helps to have another Christian with whom you can share accountability, and be of mutual encouragement to each other. May we be good stewards of what God has given us this year, growing in grace and in the knowledge of the Truth.

CONSTRUCTION SITE:

Welcome to another work-in-progress. Wishing you a happy New Year 2017. I do have two New Year’s messages in my posts somewhere if you would like to search for them. One is entitled “A New Year’s Commitment”, and was published in January of 2015. The other message was for New Year’s 2014. Let’s organize this day, this week, and this year around Him, and put it in writing so that we can see, and He can see, that we mean business.

JESUS DEFENDS HIS AUTHORITY – John 2:18-22

Bible sermon, Christ, Gospel of John, John 2:18-25, New Testament sermon, Uncategorized

Are guarantees important to you? When you shop for an item to purchase, do you read the fine print in the contract and the guarantee forms? Maybe you can recall a time when you didn’t read all the fine print and wish you had. We all desire proof, not only that things live up to their claims, but also that people live up to the claims they make. The most fantastic claim that any person could possibly make would be the claim to be God. Jesus Christ wasn’t the first Person to make that claim, and there have been many others who have claimed it since then.

In the previous passage of Scripture, John 2:12-17, the Lord Jesus cleansed the temple. While doing so He declared: “Take these things away; stop making My Father’s house a house of merchandise.” By His actions and His words, the Lord Jesus was fulfilling an Old Testament prophesy and declaring Himself to be the Messiah, the Son of God. Now we see their response.

I. THE REACTION OF THE JEWISH LEADERS (verses 18)

In verse 18 the leaders of the Jews said to Jesus, “What sign do You show to us, seeing that You do these things.” They used that same expression at the end of Jesus’ ministry, in Matthew 21:23. They were angry, and probably shouted those words at Him. It may have sounded something like this: “Who do You think You are! Who gave You the right to do the things You just did.” They ask Him for a sign. I guess they felt they had the right to put Jesus to the test. After all, they considered themselves to be the guardians of the Jewish faith. I wonder whether or not they were trying to (incorrectly) apply God’s words to Moses in Deuteronomy 13:1-3. “If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or wonder comes true concerning which he spoke to you saying, ‘Let us go after other gods (whom you have not known) and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the prophet or dreamer of dreams; for the Lord your God is testing you to find out if you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.” But Jesus was not a prophet or a dreamer, He was God Himself!

The problem was that the Jewish people were always looking for signs and miracles. What Jesus says to them in reply is the greatest of all signs or miracles.

II. THE PREDICTION BY JESUS (verse 19)

Jesus’ answer to the Jews who were questioning Him was, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” It was a statement they misunderstood, but they would never forget it. Three years later they quoted it at Jesus’ trial, and even used it to mock Him while He was on the cross. The word translated “destroy” is a permissive imperative in the Greek. His listeners didn’t realize it, but Jesus was giving them permission to kill Him in order that He might pay the price for the sins of the world. This was a new insight for me.

There are two Greek words that were used when referring to the temple. The Lord Jesus chose to use the word “naos”, a word that could also be used to refer to the human body. Speaking of the temple, Jesus said “I will raise it up”. The Greek word used here, “egeiro”, literally means “to rouse from sleep”. It occurs 141 times in the New Testament, and 70 of those usages refer to the resurrection. Obviously, Jesus didn’t point to Himself or make any other kind of gesture to indicate clearly to them that He was referring to His body. I don’t think that Jesus wanted them to understand what He was saying. Even His own disciples didn’t understand the meaning of His statement until after His death and resurrection. Can you ever remember receiving the following response when you asked someone a question: “If I told you, you wouldn’t believe it!”? I think those words also apply to this situation.

Often during Jesus’ public ministry, the Jewish leaders asked Jesus to give them a sign. But He refused to do so, except for the sign of Jonah, which depicts death, burial, and resurrection. In Matthew 12:40 Jesus said, “For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”

C.S. Lewis popularized the argument that Jesus was either a liar or a lunatic, or the Lord. Watchman Nee also expresses this argument clearly in his book, Normal Christian Faith:
“A person who claims to be God must belong to one of three categories: First, if he claims to be God and yet in fact is not, he has to be a madman or a lunatic. Second, if he is neither God nor a lunatic, he has to be a liar, deceiving others by his lie. Third, if he is neither of these, he must be God. You can only choose one of these possibilities.”

III. THEIR MISUNDERSTANDING (verses 20-21)

Judging from their response to Jesus’ remark, the Jewish leaders must have thought that Jesus was a lunatic. Their answer to Jesus is: “It took forty years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” They thought He was talking about the temple in Jerusalem. Josephus, the Roman historian, said that about 18,000 workmen were employed in that task, and that the temple wasn’t finished until 64 A.D. They are saying to Jesus, “You’ve got to be crazy if you think you can rebuild that massive, ornate structure in just three days!” Little did they realize that Jesus was going to do something even more astounding. He was going to bring His own dead body back to life after three days in a tomb!

The originator of a new religion came to the great French diplomat, Talleyrand and complained that he could not make any converts. “What would you suggest I do?” he asked. “I should recommend”, said Talleyrand, “that you get yourself crucified, and then die, but be sure to rise again the third day.” I don’t think he took that advice! Talleyrand must have recognized that it is the resurrected, living Christ that holds Christianity together and draws people to it. As the apostle Paul said in I Corinthians 15:14 and 17, “And if Christ has not been raised then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain . . . . and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.”

IV. THE DISCIPLES’ RESPONSE (verse 22)

In verse 21, the apostle John affirms that Jesus was speaking of the temple of His body. But John did not know that at the time. He says in verse 22, “When therefore He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this (over three years earlier); and they believed the Scripture, and the word which Jesus had spoken.” They didn’t understand until they saw Him in His resurrected body three years later.

What is the “Scripture” that they believed? It must have been Psalm 16:10 because the apostle Peter quoted it at Pentecost (Acts 2:31), and the apostle Paul quoted it at Antioch; (Acts 13:35). Psalm 16:10 says, “For Thou wilt not abandon my soul to Sheol; neither wilt Thou allow Thy Holy One to undergo decay.” That “mysterious” verse had been solved and fulfilled.

A little boy once taught his Sunday School class a lesson about the resurrection of Christ that they understood immediately and would never forget. Little Philip, born with Down’s syndrome, attended a third-grade Sunday School class with several other eight-year-old boys and girls. Typical of that age, the children did not readily accept Philip with his differences, according to an article in Leadership magazine. But because of a creative teacher, they began to care about Philip and accept him as part of the group, though not fully.

The Sunday after Easter the teacher brought L’eggs pantyhose containers, the kind that look like large eggs. Each receiving one, the children were told to go outside on that lovely spring day, find some symbol for new life, and put it in the egg-like container. Back in the classroom they would share their new-life symbols, opening the containers one by one in surprise fashion. After running through the church property in wild confusion, the students returned to the classroom and placed the containers on the table. Surrounded by the children, the teacher began to open them one by one. After each one, whether a flower, butterfly, or leaf, the class would ooh and ahh.

Then one was opened, revealing nothing inside. The children exclaimed, “That’s stupid!” “That’s not fair!” “Somebody didn’t do their assignment!”

Philip spoke up, “That’s mine.”

“Philip, you don’t ever do things right!” the student retorted. “There’s nothing there!”

“I did so do it,” Philip insisted. “I did do it. It’s empty, the tomb is empty!”

Silence followed. From then on Philip became a full member of the class. He died not long afterward from an infection most normal children would have shrugged off. At the funeral this class of eight-year-olds marched up to the altar, not with flowers but with their Sunday School teacher, each to lay on his casket an empty pantyhose egg.

Like the empty pantyhose egg, the Lord Jesus used the picture of the temple (His body) to describe His violent death that would be followed by His glorious resurrection from the dead (the empty tomb). This is the second picture that John records in his Gospel. The first picture was that of the Lamb of God, the unblemished substitute who would be sacrificed to pay the price for our sins. There is also a third picture which John gives in chapter 3 of his Gospel.

CONCLUSION AND APPLICATION:

The Lord Jesus’ description of Himself as a “temple” brings to mind several images from the Old Testament. The tabernacle in the wilderness was just a tent until it was consecrated and the Spirit of God came and filled it. Then it became the Tabernacle of the Lord, and the Shekinah glory shone out from within. The people saw it and worshipped God who now dwelt there. The temple of Solomon was just a beautiful building until it was consecrated, and the Spirit of God filled it. Then it became a temple where people were drawn together to worship the Lord.

Just as Jesus described His body as a temple, our bodies are temples also. Who, or what. is being worshipped in your “temple” (your body, your life)? Who is being glorified in your body? It’s not enough to believe that Jesus Christ died for your sins. It’s not enough to believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God, God incarnate. Those things are important to believe, but believing those things to be true is not the formula for becoming a child of God. There is also the need for consecration: repenting of our sins and devoting our lives to Him. Is your body (your life) an outward testimony of forgiveness and joy because of the death of Christ for you? Is your body (life) an outward evidence of victory because of the risen Christ who reigns in you, and the Spirit of God who fills and controls you? As the apostle Paul said in I Corinthians 6:19-20. “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body.” Becoming a Christian is not a rental agreement or a lease. It is a permanent transfer of ownership of our lives to God our Creator. You couldn’t be in better hands, and the enjoyment never ends! I hope this is your experience. If not, I hope that you will make that choice and experience the wonderful, life-changing results very soon. You will be eternally glad if you do, or eternally sorry if you don’t. God wants you to be His, and the Lord Jesus paid the price to make that possible. If it is still unclear in your mind, please go to my “About page” where the Scriptures are given, or leave me a comment so that we can talk about this decision, and so that any questions might be answered.

CONSTRUCTION SITE: COMPLETED

JOHN THE BAPTIST’S TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST – John 1:29-34

Bible sermons, John 1:29-34

INTRODUCTION:

In the previous sermon, we studied John the Baptist’s description of himself in chapter one, verses 19-28. In order to understand the sequence of events in the next passage of Scripture, we need to realize that there is a gap of about six weeks before John’s statement about Jesus in verse 15. During this period of time, Jesus had been baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River. Afterward, He was led by the Spirit of God into the wilderness where He fasted for forty days and was tempted by the devil. The gospel writer John makes no mention of this. After Jesus overcame the devil and recuperated from His long fast, He returned to the Jordan River. Matthew 3:13-4:11 gives a clear description of these events without any breaks.

I. JOHN’S PROCLAMATION (verses 29-30)

On the day Jesus returned to the Jordan River, John the Baptist recognized Him at a distance. Literally, it says, “He caught his eye”. I take it to mean that John the Baptist was “keeping an eye out for Him”, looking expectantly for His return. I’m reminded of the parable of the prodigal son where the father saw his son returning when the son was still a long way off (Luke 15:20). He was looking expectantly also – for his son to return.

This is the Lord’s first appearance in the Gospel of John. John the Baptist points Him out in verse 29 saying, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” I visualize John the Baptist pointing his finger in the direction of Jesus as he said those words in a loud voice, and everyone within earshot turned their heads to look at Jesus. There seems to be very little doubt that Jesus chose this moment to be introduced to the nation of Israel by his forerunner as the “Lamb of God“. What a wonderful title! That statement was packed with meaning for his listeners and for us today. There are several things that would have come to the minds of his listeners when he said those words.

The feast of the Passover was approaching in just a few days (John 2:12,13). It was a time of remembering when God was preparing the Hebrew people in the Old Testament to flee from Egypt and from their slavery to Pharaoh (Exodus 12:1-14). Each Hebrew family was to kill an unblemished lamb and sprinkle its blood on the doorpost and lintel of their homes to protect them from the wrath of God and His final plague on Egypt. The Angel of Death was going to kill the firstborn of the families and the cattle of Egypt, but he would “pass over” and not enter the homes where the lamb’s blood was visible. They were saved from death by the blood of a lamb.

As John the Baptist introduced Jesus with the words, “Behold, the Lamb of God“, it’s very likely that the Jews who heard him could also hear the sounds of sheep, and could see flocks of sheep being led toward the city of Jerusalem in preparation for the Passover feast. These animals would be used as sacrifices during the feast, reminding them that salvation comes through the shedding of blood.

The title “Lamb of God” would also remind the Jews of the lambs that were sacrificed every day in the Temple as commanded by God in Exodus 29:38-41. Every morning and every evening a lamb was sacrificed on the altar as a burnt offering. In the next verse, verse 42, God says, “It shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations . . . “ It was to be part of their daily worship. So the sacrificial lambs were to be, not only a yearly reminder on the Feast of Passover, but a daily reminder, every morning and every evening, of the shedding of blood for the forgiveness of sin. These sacrificed lambs were looking ahead to Jesus, the only One who could take away sin.

There is one more description of the Lamb that is a prophetic description given by the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah. The prophet Jeremiah refers to himself as “a gentle lamb being led to the slaughter”. The prophet Isaiah uses similar words to refer to the suffering Messiah: “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, so He did not open His mouth” (Isaiah 53:7). Both of these passages of Scripture speak of the humility and gentleness of a lamb. In Matthew 11:29, the only place in the New Testament where Jesus describes His own character, He says, “Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart“. Hopefully, those thoughts came to the minds of his listeners also after John the Baptist said, “Behold the Lamb of God”.

Jesus is the Lamb of God who “takes away the sin of the world”. The Greek word translated “takes away” can also mean “takes up”. Jesus took away our sin by taking it upon Himself. This is what is described in Isaiah 53:4-5. “Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; , , , He was crushed for our iniquities . . . “

Years ago, in a small oriental town, several men were working on a scaffold high above the street. Suddenly one of them lost his footing and fell to the pavement below. Horrified, his companions quickly descended, expecting to find his body broken and mangled. To their surprise, they discovered that he was unhurt! At the exact moment of his fall, some sheep were passing through the street beneath him, and he landed on the back of one of the animals. There it lay, crushed and dead, but the man was saved. As he gazed upon that lifeless creature, he was heard to say, “It died for me!”

The death of Christ was no accident. His crucifixion was part of God’s plan from all eternity. Revelation 13:8 says that Christ was “slain before the foundation of the world”. The first stanzas of the following two hymns declare how precious those words of John the Baptist are for us today.

Behold the Lamb, whose precious blood
Poured from His opened veins,
Had power to make our peace with God
And cleanse our deepest stains.
(Christopher Hall)

Now Behold the Lamb,
the Precious Lamb of God,
born into sin that I may live again,
the precious Lamb of God.
(Kirk Franklin)

It is said that the shortest sermon that Charles Haddon Spurgeon ever preached consisted of the recitation of those wonderful words in John 1:29. The great preacher had been commissioned to conduct special services in the Chrystal Palace in London, England. A day or two before he was to preach, he decided to test the acoustics of the building. Thinking the auditorium was empty, he cried out in a loud voice, “Behold, the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world”! A workman in one of the galleries, who knew nothing about what was being done, heard the words, and they came like a message from heaven to his soul. He was filled with conviction because of his sin. Putting down his tools, he went home, and there, after a time of spiritual struggle, found peace and eternal life by accepting the Lamb of God as his Savior and Lord. If Jesus Christ is not your Lord, and you are convicted of your sin, I hope that you will respond to those words in John 1:29 in the same life-changing way.

In verse 30, John the Baptist says that Jesus is not only “the Lamb of God”, but He is also God Himself. John was six months older than Jesus, but he says that Jesus “existed before me”. In other words, Jesus’ existence did not begin at birth. He always existed, and is therefore God.

II. JOHN’S PREVIOUS CONCERNS RESOLVED (verses 31-34

In my previous sermon, “John the Baptist’s Testimony About Himself”, I raised the following question: “Have you ever wondered when John the Baptist came to the realization of his calling in life?”. Verses 31-34 raise this question: Have you ever wondered when John the Baptist came to the realization that Jesus was the Messiah? In verse 31 John says, “And I did not recognize Him, but in order that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing in water.” John knew what he was supposed to do, but the text seems to indicate that he didn’t know the Person for whom he was doing it. Have you ever been given the responsibility of doing something for someone else, with clear instructions, but you didn’t know the recipient of your efforts? As you did the work, did you have a longing inside to know who that person was? I think we would all like to know those details if we could, wouldn’t we?

So when did John the Baptist come to the realization that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God? Obviously, he realized this fact after his baptism of Jesus, when the signs from heaven occurred, but could the realization have come earlier? In Matthew 3:13-14, as Jesus was coming toward him to be baptized, John tried to prevent Him saying, “I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?” It could be that John the Baptist had opportunities to observe Jesus before this encounter and was impressed by Jesus’ sinless life. Maybe that’s the reason he felt that Jesus didn’t need baptism, but should be the One who baptized him. Another possibility is that God gave John a flash of insight when he saw Jesus coming, and this insight was confirmed after His baptism. The Scriptures don’t say for sure, but I lean toward the second possibility myself. We do know from Scripture that Jesus did not fit the Jew’s concept of what the Messiah would look like. Jesus was not a handsome man. He was also a poor man, and wore the clothing of a poor person. To look at Him, no Jew would have thought that Jesus was the Messiah by His outward appearance alone.

In verse 32, John the Baptist describes what happened after Jesus’ baptism: “I have beheld the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He (the Spirit/dove) remained upon Him (Jesus).” He doesn’t mention the voice coming from heaven, probably because he is declaring the fulfillment of a statement he received from God. That statement is found in verse 33: “He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the one who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.”

When I was a little child I thought that the Holy Spirit actually was a dove because He was always depicted that way in the pictures I had seen. Is there a significance to the fact that the Holy Spirit chose to manifest Himself in the form of a dove? Henry Bosch shares some interesting facts in an Our Daily Bread devotional. Doves do not have a gall bladder, so there is no bitterness to them, only sweetness. The Scriptures associate a dove with gentleness and innocence (Matthew 10:16), and beauty (Psalm 68:13). The cooing of a dove has a calming effect. All of these descriptions also describe the Person and Work of the Holy Spirit. Bible commentator William Barclay adds that the dove was considered a sacred bird in Palestine. It was not hunted and it was not eaten. The Rabbis, referring to Genesis 1:2, used to say that the Spirit of God “moved and fluttered like a dove over the ancient chaos, breathing beauty and order into it.” The Jews of that day knew and loved the symbol of the dove as a picture of the Spirit of God. The dove and young pigeon were the only birds that could be used as an offering to God, according to Mosaic law (Leviticus 5:7; 12:8), and only the poor were allowed to use them. It brings to my mind that, only when we are poor in spirit, can we be filled with the Spirit of God. Only when we surrender our own control over our lives can the Holy Spirit take control.

When the dove remained on Jesus after his baptism by John, the words of God to John were fulfilled. Jesus is the One who “baptizes in the Holy Spirit”. What does that mean? There is no record that Jesus baptized anyone with water during His ministry on earth. The word “baptize” comes from the Greek word “baptizo” which also means “to identify with”. There are four “ingredients” to baptism: the baptizer, the one being baptized, the element into which the person is being baptized, and the purpose of the baptism. In John’s baptism, the baptizer was John the Baptist, the one being baptized was the Jew who had repented of his or her sins, and the purpose was to publicly declare their repentance in preparation for the Messiah’s arrival. In the baptism of believers in Jesus Christ, His apostles/disciples were the baptizers, the one being baptized was the person who repented and believed in Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, the element again was water, and the purpose was to obey God by publicly identifying with Christ and with the local body of believers. The mode of baptism was emersion symbolizing death and burial to one’s old way of life and resurrection to a new life as a new person in Christ. This public baptism was a one-time event. A genuine Christian need only be baptized once.

Following this same format, in the baptism of the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ is the Baptizer, the one being baptized is the one who has placed his faith in Jesus Christ, the element into which the person is being baptized is the Holy Spirit and the purpose is a personal identification with Jesus Christ and admittance into the universal body of believers (the “children of God”). This baptism also only occurs once at the moment of conversion. At that exact moment, the believer becomes a temple of the Holy Spirit. This is to be distinguished from the “fullness” of the Spirit, which is a moment-to-moment yielding to His control over our lives, resulting in the manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit. As J. Sidlow Baster aptly said about God’s ministry in our lives:

What God chooses, He cleanses.
What God cleanses, He molds.
What God molds, He fills.
What God fills, He uses.

In verse 34, John concludes this testimony of his by saying, “I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God.” That was what the voice from heaven said, and John has testified that he heard it and believed it. There is now no doubt in his mind that Jesus is the Son of God, and he declares it publicly.

CONSTRUCTION SITE: COMPLETED

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