Sermon Tone Analysis

Who is Jesus?: Come and See

Key Passage(s): John 1:19-51 Audience/Occasion: Connect Church (8/14/22) Purpose: I am preaching this message to invite people to come and see Jesus for themselves and invite others to come and see too.

Big Idea: Come and see!… Creative Element(s): Props: Connect Card, Communion Resources: Thoughts for next time:

30 min.

A couple of people (church family) complimented me on it being a good message Looked down at my notes less often—felt more present in the moment and connected better with the audience—reviewed my notes 3x instead of the typical 2x on Sunday morning

INTRODUCTION

Hey Connect, my name is Chris, and I’m one of the pastors on our team.

I’m so glad you’re with us today as we continue “Who is Jesus?”

I don’t know about you, but I am definitely an anticipator!

As a kid, Christmas could not come fast enough!…

As a teenager, I could not wait for high school graduation and to go off to college!…

As a young adult, I could not wait to be married!…

Then I couldn’t wait for the birth of our first daughter!…

Then our second daughter!…

Then our third daughter!…

:) Yes, I am out numbered 4 to 1 at home—so please pray for me…

(Raise hand) Anyone else here an anticipator?…

Maybe you’re anticipating graduation, marriage, a vacation, having a baby, an empty nest, grandkids, healing from an injury or illness, retirement, or something else…

Throughout the ages, anticipation has been a defining characteristic of God’s people…

As the Israelites wandered around the desert for 40 years, they anticipated the Promise Land.

And for centuries, the Israelites anticipated the coming messiah:

The prophecies and promises of who this messiah would be and the freedom he would bring made them long for this messiah all the more as they were in exile in Babylon.

Then the deafening silence of God for 400 years left them wondering, “When will be messiah finally come?!”…

Over that time, Rome rose to power, conquering many nations—including Israel—so not only was God seemingly silent, his people were also oppressed by a global superpower.

To say the level of anticipation for said messiah was high is an understatement!

They weren’t just anticipating the messiah; they were DESPERATE for the messiah, and left no rock unturned looking for him… It’s here that the Apostle John picks up his account of Jesus… If you have a Bible with you, please turn with me to John 1:19-51 to follow along.

If you need a Bible or place to jot down notes, check out our Connect Church app.

We’re in this series, “Who is Jesus?”, because there is not a more important—yet controversial—question for us to answer…

Born in 3 or 4 BC, the son of a carpenter started a grassroots movement that is now the largest world religion… Who is Jesus?

Some curse his name, others praise his name… Who is Jesus?

The thousands of historical records on his life make it impossible to deny his existence, but what is his identity?…

Who is Jesus?…

To answer this question, we’re going through the Gospel of John because John knew Jesus personally.

And he recorded many of the signs Jesus performed so “that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31).

Last time, we learned that Jesus is God, and belief in Jesus is the way to God.

And Jesus is so much more as we’ll see today… But first let’s pray and ask Jesus to reveal himself to us through his Word…

PRAY

Before Jesus walked onto the scene, Jesus’ cousin—John the Baptist—was there, and people were starting to wonder if HE was the long awaited messiah…

The Apostle John recorded how it went down and John’s response—picking up in John 1:19-28…

BODY

John 1:19-28

19 Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was.

20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.”

21 They asked him, “Then who are you?

Are you Elijah?”

He said, “I am not.”

“Are you the Prophet?”

He answered, “No.” 22 Finally they said, “Who are you?

Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us.

What do you say about yourself?”

23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’

” 24 Now the Pharisees who had been sent 25 questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 “I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know.

27 He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”

28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

John was something else!…

Elsewhere in Scripture, we’re told he live in the desert where he ate locust and honey.

:) Being an eccentric dude, John would have fit in great in Boulder!…

Just kidding, no offense to our friends in Boulder… A certain kind of crazy with some charisma, and John drew a crowd.

He often posted up by the Jordan River, where he would teach, call people to repent of their sins, and baptize them.

Traditionally, Gentiles—a.k.a those who were not Jewish—would be baptized when they converted to Judaism.

But John was calling ALL to repentance and even baptizing Jews—treating them like pagans… It’s no wonder people wanted to come and see John!… It’s no wonder the religious leaders wanted to know know, “Who is this guy?” “Is he the messiah?!”…

So they asked him, “Who are you?”

“Elijah?” “A prophet?”… V. 23, “John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’

”

John wasn’t the messiah, we was the forerunner—the great anticipator—of the messiah.

John’s identity was directly connected to his revealing of the messiah’s identity.

John’s audience wanted to make it about him, but he was about something greater—someONE greater…

As a pastor in the age of celebrity preachers, I want to be like John…

Though people might gather to hear me teach, I want them to leave not in awe of me but in awe of him!…

John knew his place as evidenced by his response to those who wanted to know who HE was—v.

27…

“He [that is the messiah] is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”

Jewish tradition taught that disciples must follow and serve their rabbi, their teacher, in every way—EXCEPT for the menial task of removing his shoes, that was the job of only a slave… So charismatic, crowd forming John essentially says, “I’m not even worthy to be a slave—let alone a disciple—of the messiah.”

What a humble posture even as others wanted to lift him up…

John got it… It’s not “Come and see me!”…

It’s "Look at him!”… as we see next in vv.

29-34… John 1:29-34

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

30 This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”

32 Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him.

33 And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’

34 I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.” Anticipating the birth of a baby is something else…

With many big changes in life, we know when it’s going to happen—we know when we’ll close on the house, when the new job starts, etc.

But with when it comes to having a baby… you know it’s going to change everything, you’re anticipating it, you’re planning for it, but you have NO IDEA when it’s going to happen!…

When Amanda was pregnant with our oldest, Hannah, Amanda had a baby shower, we got the nursery ready, we had our bags packed for the hospital, I had my phone on me at all times anxiously awaiting the call that it’s go time, and our friends and family were anticipating her birth with us!…

And then we waited… And then Amanda’s due date came and went… And then our friends and family asked, “Still pregnant?”

:) “Still pregnant.”…

And we waited… And they asked…

And we waited… And they asked… It got to the point that we didn’t want to go to church on Sunday because we were annoyed with all the people asking, “Is she here yet?”…

It was not until 13 DAYS after her due date when Hannah was finally born.

And when she was born I wanted ALL our family and friends to meet her!

Many came over to do just that in the days and weeks that followed.

:) And if I was with them and Hannah wasn’t with me, you better believe I was that dad whipping out my phone to show them a picture!…

When you’ve been anticipating something and it FINALLY HAPPENS, you want everyone to know!

“You’ve got to meet my wife!”… “Let me show you this picture of my grandkid!”…

Imagine, the urge to share that John must have felt after he had waited his whole life and his people had waited for the messiah for generations upon generations upon generations…

That’s why when John saw Jesus coming toward him, he yelled, “LOOK, THE LAMB OF GOD, who takes away the sin of the world!” (V.

29b).

This tile “Lamb of God” alluded to the passover lamb the Israelites sacrificed and thus were sparred when God freed them from slavery in Egypt.

By calling Jesus the “Lamb of God,” John foreshadowed Jesus’ sacrificial death for our sins—offering us freedom.

John says in v. 34, “I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”

John's like, “Don’t come and see me; come and see HIM!”