What is Your Identity?

John 1:19-28

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Intro- A wife went with her friend to the police station to report that her husband was missing!

* When the policeman asked for a description, she said, “He’s 6 foot 2, has deep blue eyes, dark wavy hair, athletic build, well-groomed and sharply dressed, weighs 185 pounds, He’s soft-spoken, well-mannered and loves the children.”

* The friend spoke up and said .......“But your husband is fat, 5 foot 3, rude, smokes cigars, bald, has a big mouth, never bathes,

dresses sloppy, his teeth is rotten and he is terribly mean to your children.”

* The wife replied, “Yes, but who wants that one back?”

All of us have an idenity of some kind. I have a drivers license that shows who i am. But tonight we are going to take a look at our identity, which is deeper than just our looks.

John 1:19–28 “And 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.” So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.” (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) They asked him, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.”

Pray

V.19 Gives a quick peak of the context of where we are what is about to happen and who the conversation is with.

The Jews sent priests and Levites. What is a Levite?

Priests were the human intermediaries between man and God, and officiated at religious ceremonies.

Luke 1:8–9 “Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense.”

Levites assisted the priests, and the theological authorities in Israel to determine right and wrong for their purposes.

So the Jews sent these priests and Levites, to ask of who John is.

The “who are you?” shows the pure confusion they had toward John. We can look towards John answer to see who they thought he might be.

V.20 Look at how John replied before he answered. He confessed, did not deny, but confessed… Wut?

John knew who the priests and Levites were, and why they were coming to ask him who he was. It wasn’t just some random people trying to get to know the guy casually. It was a planned type of interrogation to figure out who he was.

So John went and took the approach to shut down if he was the Christ that is prophesied about in

Isaiah 9:6 “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Or Isaiah 53.

So we see once again that John is not the Christ. We saw this in

John 1:15 “(John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’ ”)”

John 1:6–9 “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.”

V.21 The priests then ask if he is Elijah, Why would they ask that? They kind of looked alike

Matthew 3:4 “Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.”

2 Kings 1:8 “They answered him, “He wore a garment of hair, with a belt of leather about his waist.” And he said, “It is Elijah the Tishbite.””

They also were prophets of God who preached openly against those people who were supposed to be teachers of God, that they need to repent of their sin.

They then ask him in verse 21, are you the Prophet?

Look at the spelling of the word Prophet, what stands out. It is capitalized, showing what? They are asking in a sense the same question of being the Christ.

Deuteronomy 18:15 ““The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen—”

Deuteronomy 18:18 “I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.”

These 2 verses are showing that The Prophet will be the Christ. So, once again these priests get told no he is not those people.

Have you all ever tried to question a child? Potentially show video from Instagram.

Point 1- Our Identity is to be in Jesus.

Identity- The individual personality, values, and a character of a person.

I got this story online . San Diego Chicken, With the Padres and such.

You probably know Ted Giannoulas even if you’ve never heard his name. He has been the San Diego Chicken for 30 years. He originated the character as a college student, but Ted is getting older. At age 50, being the Chicken has been his life and his whole identity. His face is never photographed unless he is in costume. No one knows the real Ted. He has no family. At first, he loved his alter ego. "I discovered an untapped personality in that suit," he said. "It was like, now I have freedom. Now I’m no longer Ted." But there is a price to pay. Dave Raymond, who for years wore the costume of the Philly Phanatic, said, "[Giannoulas] was the first and the funniest, and I have nothing but respect for him. But if you’re not careful, you can lose yourself in that suit." Ted himself says, "I have plenty of Chicken stories. I’m afraid I don’t have any Ted stories."

Many people live life being someone God didn’t create them to be. They lose themselves in other things instead of finding their identity in Christ.

Ted found his identity in being the chicken mascot.

What are some things we put our identity in?

Sports

Someone will always be better

Relationships- desire to be in one, or the one you might be in.

The person in the relationship will at some point let you down

Gender Identity

God made you who you, he did not make a mistake.

How many people like us. If we are the cool kid or not. What people think of us.

You will mess up. Someone

How much of a moral person we are. “Well i didn’t lie today”

The 10 commandments

Video games- Hobbies

They come and go

School

This is one of my biggest struggles right now. I have recently spent more time

Someone will always be smarter

Achievements

Story of Tom Brady. Interview on 60 minutes. He has just won 3 super bowls. The highest achievement you can reach in football. There has to be more than this.

Looks

Social media shows there is someone who is going to be more in shape, more good looking so forth.

If you are basing who you are in any of those factors it will always lead to brokenness and will never give you fulfillment.

Here is what scripture says about what our identity should be based on. Remember scripture is objectively truth. It does not waver, does not change. It is the living acting Word of God.

John 1:12 “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,”

Children of the Father

Ephesians 1:4–5 “even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,”

Chosen. Predestined and adopted children

Romans 15:7 “Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.”

We are welcomed by the God of the universe

Colossians 2:9–10 “For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.”

We have fullness from the Spirit in us.

1 Corinthians 6:17 “But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.”

We are in one Spirit because of the Lord in us

Romans 6:6 “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.”

If you are in Christ we can overcome sin

Genesis 1:27 “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”

We are made in God’s image.

Jeremiah 1:5 ““Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.””

We are known intimately by the Father

1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

We are chosen by God

1 Corinthians 6:19–20 “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”

We have been bought.

What is the contingency of all of these truths? Do you have a personal relationship with the Father? Look back at John 1:12 “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,”

We have the ability to become a child of God

Do you have a relationship with Jesus?

John knew his identity, his identity was in the son and the Holy Spirit living in him. He had a purpose, his purpose is the same as us.

Looking back at the text, we see the priests and Levites kind of get fed up with John. WHO ARE YOU?

Prepare the way for Jesus. V.23-28

John’s response comes from the prophecy in Isaiah V.23.

Isaiah 40:3 “A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”

Saving Jewish Exiles Isaiah was.

Exalting Jesus in John John’s Identity (John 1:19–28)

The context of Isaiah 40 is the return of Jewish exiles. Because of the sin of his people, God sent Babylon to destroy Judah and to take the people captive. But in Isaiah 40 he is promising to deliver them from their slavery. This voice is crying that a road needs to be made for the exiles to return home. Steep grades needed to be leveled. Potholes needed to be filled. Everything is to be made smooth because God is going to deliver his people. This voice is in essence crying, “Prepare yourself for God’s salvation.”

Think about the wilderness. You have to clear a path. Imagine if we did not have roadways.

estimated walk time is 1,015 hours. A little over 42 days.

41 Hours to drive from LA to New York.

It takes about 6 hours to fly.

Exalting Jesus in John John’s Identity (John 1:19–28)

John’s role, as the voice, was to prepare God’s people for the salvation that would come through Jesus Christ. John called people to repent, turn from their sin, and believe on Jesus as their Savior.

They then ask, why he baptizes. John replies, Matthew gives more detail of his response

Matthew 3:11 ““I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

The end of that verse i want to address. Why do we need salvation.

Malachi 3:2 “But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap.”

No one can endure the punishment we deserve for our sin. We deserve eternal separation from God.

But that is not the end of the story. John 3:16 ““For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Water baptism is just a symbolic showing of ones faith in Jesus.

We are not worthy in our own strength power, so forth.

He is perfect, we are not. He is all glory, we are not.

In your own heart. What are some roadblocks you might have?

Go back to identity.

If you are not a follower of Jesus, what is stopping you?

If you are, is their anything stopping you from continuing to grow?

Idols

phone

social media

looks

relationship

school

sports

so forth.

What are some roadblocks of others. How can you help clear paths?

We are able to look towards Jesus and see how he prepared people to believe in Him. He loved so well.

John 3:16 ““For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Do you love others like Jesus?

Are you imitating Christ with your actions to others?

Ephesians 5:1–2 “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

Are you being serious about the Great Commission?

Matthew 28:18–20 “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.””

Takeaways

Jesus has a purpose and plan for you. If you are following Jesus

Examine your own heart to seek out your identity.

Small Group Questions

What is your identity in? - If it is in anything other than Jesus

What are some of the truths we know about our identity in Jesus? - Look through the verses we talked about.

How are you preparing the way for Jesus? - In your own heart, in the heart of others.