Eyewitnesses of the Messiah
John 1: 19-51
Introduction
Last week we began a study of the gospel of John. John was the son of Zebedee and one of Jesus' disciples, and wrote the Gospel of John probably between 80-100 AD. The purpose of John’s writing is stated in Chapter 20 verse 31, “but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.” (John 20:31 NKJV) It is a very evangelistic account of Jesus' life that provides us with evidence that Jesus is the unique Messiah and Son of God, so that we might believe in him and have spiritual life through him.
Last week we learned that John begins his gospel with a summary of his conclusions about Jesus, and then records historical examples from the life of Jesus to validate his conclusions. We call this summary the prologue of John; It is perhaps the greatest bit of Christian theology in the whole New Testament.
Having begun with his conclusions about Jesus, John now begins to present the evidence for these conclusions. He calls his first six witnesses, beginning with the testimony of John the Baptist.
John the Baptist's Testimony
Read vs 19-28, “Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ." And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" And he answered, "No." Then they said to him, "Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?" He said: "I am 'THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS: "MAKE STRAIGHT THE WAY OF THE LORD," ' as the prophet Isaiah said." Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees. And they asked him, saying, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?" John answered them, saying, "I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know. It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose." These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.” (Joh 1:19-28 NKJV)
John the Baptist was a tremendously popular figure among 1st-century Jews.
He had a huge following, not only in Palestine while he was alive, but also decades later among Jews far from his homeland. In Acts 18:24it says, “Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John.(Act 18:24-25 NKJV)
Acts 19:1-4 says, “And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" So they said to him, "We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit." And he said to them, "Into what then were you baptized?" So they said, "Into John's baptism." Then Paul said, "John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus."(Act 19:1-4 NKJV)
Many believed that John the Baptist was the Messiah, but John expressly denied it.
Verse 20 says, “Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ." (Joh 1:19-20 NKJV)
Instead, John identified himself as the one who was sent to prepare the way for the Messiah through his preaching and baptizing. In verse 22-28 it says, “Then they said to him, "Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?" He said: "I am 'THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS: "MAKE STRAIGHT THE WAY OF THE LORD," ' as the prophet Isaiah said." Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees. And they asked him, saying, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?" John answered them, saying, "I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know. It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose." These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing. (Joh 1:22-28 NKJV)
It was during the inter-testamental period (the time between the Old Testament and New Testament) that Jews began baptizing Gentiles who wanted to convert to Judaism.It was a symbolic way of teaching them they needed to be cleansed from their sins before they were qualified to become part of God's family. Obviously they were right. However, the problem was that many Jews believed that because they physically descended from Abraham, they were automatically included in God's family. In fact, some Jews believed that Abraham was stationed at the gate to hell so that if any Jew was mistakenly sent in that direction, he would bring him to heaven where he belonged.
Of course, John the Baptist rejected this view.He believed that the Messiah was coming to save the world beginning with the Jews. This was the primary significance of his ministry. According to John, the good news was that the Messiah’s coming was imminent (it could take place at any moment).
But the Jewish people were not ready for the coming of the Messiah because of their sins. That’s why John insisted that Jews also had to be baptized. They had to acknowledge that they were just as unqualified as the Gentiles and that they needed God's forgiveness just as much as anyone else in order to belong to God's family. According to John the Baptist they needed to adopt an attitude of humility and submit to being baptized to acknowledge their obedience to God in order to be prepared for the coming of the Messiah.
John was preaching this message and baptizing Jews and Gentiles when he looked up and saw Jesus coming. Read vs 29-34, “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, 'After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.' I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water." And John bore witness, saying, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God." (Joh 1:29-34 NKJV)
As the final Old Testament prophet, God gave John the Baptist two great privileges:
1)First, John had the privilege of anointing the Messiah.
In the Old Testament, when God selected kings, He sent a prophet to anoint them with oil (like Samuel did with Saul & David). The word "Messiah" means "anointed one". The Messiah was God's chosen king. As the final Old Testament prophet, John anointed God's ultimate King by baptizing him. God hadn't even revealed to Johnwho the Messiah was, but He had told him it would be the one he would baptize and upon whom God's Spirit would descend and remain.
2)Secondly, John declared that Jesus would fulfill the Old Testament sacrificial system.
The purpose of the sacrificial system had been to teach that all people (even Jews) were sinful, and that the penalty for sin was death. Only God in his mercy would one day provide a blameless Substitute to die in our place once and for all. So, what the animal sacrifices had only foreshadowed, Jesus had come to fulfill.
(animal sacrifices were a picture of Jesus sacrifice for us.) That’s why John called him "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (vs 29).It is also why Jesus insisted on being baptized by John even though he was sinless. Jesus presented himself for Baptism as the One who had come to identify and bear the sins of God's people as the sacrificial lamb.
John the Baptist's ministry demonstrates the perfect continuity between the Old and New Testaments.He is the bridge between the period of promise and the period of fulfillment. Having completed his mission, he now hands the baton to Jesus and urges his followers to follow Jesus; which is why in John 3:30 John says, “He must increase, but I mustdecrease.”
In the remaining verses of chapter 1, we see the ministry and influence of Jesus begin to expand. The Apostle John tells us how five men (one of whom is himself) came to believe in Jesus as the Messiah and how about one year later, Jesus chose them to be his disciples/apostles. While the details are unique to their call, this passage contains insights that help us to understand how Jesus influences people.
The methods Jesus uses also corrects a widespread misconception about Christianity.
- Jesus Invites Personal Investigation
The first thing we realize about Jesus ministry is that He invites personal investigation. You don’t have to accept what He says just because He says it. He welcomes your questions and investigation.
Read vs 35-40.“Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!" The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, "What do you seek?" They said to Him, "Rabbi" (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), "where are You staying?" He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour). One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.” (Joh 1:35-40 NKJV)
These two men (Andrew and John the author) had been followers of John the Baptist. John the Baptist is completely convinced that Jesus is the Messiah.Notice the titles he uses in verses 29 and 34,“Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.”
But Andrew and John are not so sure. At first they follow him tentatively, from a distance. When he asks them what they want, they call him "Rabbi" rather than one of the Messianic titles John used, and they ask him if they can talk. So Jesus invites them to investigate John’s claim.He has them over for the evening and responds to their many questions (whatever they were). As a result of their investigation, they become personally convinced that Jesus is the Messiah.
Andrew decides to find his brother and tell him about Jesus. Read vs41, “He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated, the Christ). (Joh 1:41 NKJV)
Some people think Christianity demands blind faith; and that you have to make aninstant commitment to Christ without any supporting evidence.But just the opposite is true. Jesus wants people who follow him to do so because they are convinced he is the truth.Jesus knows that solid faith requires evidence, which takes time to gather; so he invites personal investigation.
John never forgot this feature of his initial encounter with Jesus. Because of the way Jesus responded to his request for evidence, John wrote this gospel for others who need to investigate. In John20:31, he writes, “but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. (Joh 20:31 NKJV)
The early church consciously practiced this principle. In Acts17:2-4 it says, “Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, "This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ." And some of them were persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas.” (Act 17:2-4 NKJV)
Deciding to receive Christ, like any big decision, is aprocess.This is why I urge you to get involved in a Bible Study, where you can begin to understand the claims of Christ and the evidence for those claims without exposure.It is why at our house after church on Sundays we talk about the sermon and ask questions and discuss how these things relate to our world.This is why I urge you to quiz your Christian friends about the difference Christ has made in their lives.
- But we need to investigate with the proper attitude.
In Jn.7:17 Jesus issues this challenge when he says, "If anyone wills to do His (God’s) will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.”(Joh 7:17 NKJV)
We might have expected him to say the reverse: "If anyone finds out that my teaching comes from God, he will be willing to do God's will."Or in other words, “Give me enough evidence, and that will make me willing to follow Christ.” But Jesus says it doesn't work that way. The proper attitude is to be willing in advance, by faith, to do God's will.
It means you are able to say "If I see enough evidence that there is a real possibility that this is true, I am willing to ask Christ into my life."You don’t have to understand it all. You just have to understand enough to be willing to give it a try.
The truth is, you can do this with intellectual integrity even if you’re an agnostic or atheist.Lacking evidence is not really the problem.Thereal problem is accepting the fact that Jesus loves you and believes in you even if you say you don’t believe in Him.
Jesus accepts us just as we are, and focuses on what we can become. In vs42, Jesus is not nick-naming Simon "Rocky" (Peter). There are two items in this verse which make it clear that something much more profound is going on. The word "looked" is an intensive form of the verb which means to "look into" or to "gaze intently at" or to "consider." Jesus is gazing into and sizing up the very heart and character of Simon. And what did he see? That Simon was aptly named.
He was probably named after Simeon, one of the 12 sons of Jacob, who was known for his rash and impetuous nature (Gen.49:5-7).Simon's behavior certainly bore this out! So Jesus gazes into Simon's heart and says, "You certainly fit your name!" Imagine how Simon must have felt at that moment. He was spiritually hungry, he wanted to know God--but he was also unstable and unpredictable.
But Jesus did not say, "Come back when you're more stable--I can't deal with you the way you are now." Instead, he said "Yes, you are Simon, but you will become a Rock."Jesus sees Peter’s sins and shortcomings, and lets him know what he sees. But that's not his last word. He also sees what Peter can become through the power of God if he follows Christ.Peter believed Jesus--and Jesus made good on his promise.When Peter submitted to the control of God's Spirit he was a solid and stable leader of the early church.
Jesus wins people today the same way. He knows you completely as you sit here today. He knows all of your sins and character weaknesses--even ones you aren't yet aware of! If you follow him, he will point them out to you as you are able to bear it, and it will be embarrassing and painful sometimes.But Jesus will always accept you as you are and have a vision for what you can become by God's power.
The issue is not how perfect you are, but only how willing you are to cooperate with Christ’s transforming power. The message of Christianity is not: "Get yourself together before you come to Christ," but rather: "Come to Christ as you are and he will change your life!"
The third misconception—is not about Jesus, but rather about leading others to Jesus.
- Share What You Know With Who You Know
Most Christians think two ingredients are necessary to be effective in leading others to Christ. First, you need to be socially aggressive enough to relate comfortably to strangers. Second, you need to be biblically knowledgeable enough to answer virtually any question people ask. These are great qualities, but since most of us don't have them, we conclude God can't use us to reach others for Christ.