Here Comes the Bridegroom
Notes
Transcript
ILLUST - Epitaphs
Me? My name is not important…Do you know Jesus?
Reminder why John wrote this Gospel
but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.
1) Contrasting John and Jesus
1) Contrasting John and Jesus
Follows the encounter with Nicodemus (maybe not chronologically, but theologically arranged)
Seems Jesus’ disciples were doing some baptizing, in a different spot than John and his.
CONTRAST
John is witness
Jesus is Light
John is a voice
Jesus is the Word
John baptizes with water
Jesus baptizes with the Spirit
Popularity contest? v. 26 issue
John is called ‘Rabbi’
Only here in this Gospel this title is used for other than Jesus
John’s disciples are concerned that people are going to Jesus
John: If you remember anything about me, remember that I pointed you to Jesus
BUT....”See, John, I think it’s fine that I follow you, that’s good enough”
John disagreed
Jesus (the one that matters) disagreed
Follow Jesus, how HE says to follow Him
“I’m a good person, I was baptized, etc.”
“I’m good with that”
God’s Word is not, so now what??
At some point you WILL come face to face with accepting the truth
People get more concerned with
Popularity and prestige
Their way of thinking - “I’m good”
People like teaching, until that teaching presents them with truth that they do not like - then they get defensive (John’s disciples)
2) The Bridegroom and the Friend
2) The Bridegroom and the Friend
One who is “sent” is not self-centered, but focused on the “sender”
Compare John with the Pharisees - both presented with the truth of Jesus
Pharisees - self-centered, concerned with loss of status
John - DEMANDED loss of status, to pass the glory and attention to Jesus
John had his role with this team
John gives a good illustration here, we miss this point:
Jewish wedding nuance
Celebrations lasted a week
The friend of the bridegroom
“The marriage is consummated!”
John invokes this image
The Messiah is here!
The bridegroom is here for His bride!
REM - John writes this decades after
It’s done! Celebrate!
Be part of the Bride!
The celebration is focused on the joining of the groom and the bride
ILLUST - makes no sense to some that Jesus is God - that the Creator God would stoop to our level
Married? Raise hand
Ladies whose husbands proposed to you?
Did he send someone else to do that?
Did he ask you in person?
Married and repeated vows?
Guys, when asked if you’d take her to be your wife, did you say “I will” or did you have someone else say it for you?
It is crucially important to understand that God came here, in person, in the Person of Jesus, and asked you to be part of the church
To ask you to marry Him, in essence (the Church is the bride of Christ)
“Follow Me,” He said
When Jesus was asked by the Father to take sinners to be part of the bride, He said “I will” - see Matt 26:42
He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, “My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done.”
I, we, speak of Him, point others to Him, it’s the task and the role He gave to us, to YOU.
I like to think I am important here, to speak, teach, and preach truth
But Jesus needs to be more important than me, most important of all
You are important to someone, to speak truth to them, but make Jesus the most important
ILLUST: Meeting important people - ice breaker
I should say I’d love to meet Jesus, but I already have, May 2002, and we are good friends
3) God is True to His Word
3) God is True to His Word
This passage ends - v 36 - a definitive statement
Salvation is Assured - to those who believe, who have trusted - PERSONALLY
Damnation is Assured - to those who do not obey (what is this disobedience?)
and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
No place for sin in the Good Kingdom
So everyone there has trusted in Christ, and is covered by His perfect righteousness
Note, I did NOT say ‘sinners” - sinners are the ones invited to be with Jesus - and all are sinners
No place in Hell for forgiven believers
Everyone there has rejected Christ, continued on the way to condemnation
They have been invited to be with Jesus, and they said no - see Rom 1:18
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
God’s Word is so amazingly consistent, pointing out two kinds of people
Saved and lost
Believers and rejecters (Until you believe in Christ, you are a rejecter)
If you have never trusted Christ, you have never obeyed God; this is the first commandment, love God, trust His Son
So, love God first, and foremost, trust that His Son Jesus came to pay for your sin penalty - surrender your life to Him
(VERY hard from most people, too self-focused)
Then go, be sent, as Jesus has sent you to tell the world about Him
John said: “Accept my witness”
You say: “Accept my witness”
More I think about it, if I did have a tombstone, I don’t want my name on it...all I’d want it to say is, “You’ve got to meet Jesus”