Gospel of John wk 4

The Way of the Lord wk 4

This morning we are continuing our way through the Gospel of John and will be looking at John chapter 1 verses 19-28.

The first week we seen that Jesus was the Word, and that He has always been that He was not created, but that He was here with God the Father when everything was created.

Two weeks ago we seen that John the Baptist was sent to be the witness of the True Light, which we know is Jesus, as the Apostle John tells us about, and Jesus even tells us later in the Gospel of John that He is the True Light.

Then last week we seen that Jesus became flesh and dwelt among us, and because Jesus came to earth we have been given grace and truth. .

This morning we are going to see more about John the Baptist, and how he was sent to make the way for the Lord.

The title I have given this message is The Way of the Lord.

Isaiah had even prophesied about 700 years before John the Baptist that he would be the voice in the wilderness crying out to make way for the Lord.

Therefore, we are going to look at The Way of the Lord that John the Baptist was talking about in the wilderness, 2,000 years ago.

John 1:19–28 NASB95

19 This is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent to him priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 And he confessed and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21 They asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” And he said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22 Then they said to him, “Who are you, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said, “I am a voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.” 24 Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. 25 They asked him, and said to him, “Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 John answered them saying, “I baptize in water, but among you stands One whom you do not know. 27 “It is He who comes after me, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” 28 These things took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

Pray

In our text here, the overall purpose is to lead the reader to believe that Jesus is the Christ with the clear goal that transformation of life might follow.

I. Who are You?

John 1:19–23 NASB95

19 This is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent to him priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 And he confessed and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21 They asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” And he said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22 Then they said to him, “Who are you, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said, “I am a voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.”

This group comes to John the Baptist as he is out in the wilderness preaching and baptizing people and want to know “Who are You?

He immediately says, I am not the Christ!

Now they did not ask if he was the Christ, they asked who are you?

Then they ask are you Elijah, are you one of the prophets?

But John the Baptist continues to answer no. To their question.

They just want to know who he is, but John the Baptist is not really giving them a straight forward answer.

They again are like who are you, we need to tell those who sent us out here something.

So he says, and he is stating from Isaiah 40:3 - I am a voice of one crying in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord.

Still not telling the Jews his name, see for John the Baptist who he was did not matter, but what he was about, his calling, why he was sent is what matter.

What I would consider my life verse comes from John the Baptist when his disciples were getting upset because people that had been coming to hear him preach started to leave to go hear Jesus preach, he tells his disciples in John 3:30

John 3:30 NASB95

30 “He must increase, but I must decrease.

I generally say it backwards, I must decrease, so that He can increase.

See John the Baptist new it was not about him, he knew it was all about Jesus, and we must understand the same thing.

II. You do not Know!

John 1:24–26 NASB95

24 Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. 25 They asked him, and said to him, “Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 John answered them saying, “I baptize in water, but among you stands One whom you do not know.

Here we see that the group of Jews were sent by the Pharisees, these were the Jewish party that were strict on the Mosaic Law.

The Pharisees wanted to know why John the Baptist was baptizing people if he was not the Christ, Elijah, or one of the Prophets!

John the Baptist then states I baptize with water, but there is one among you that you do not know.

Jesus was in the crowd and the people did not know Him, did not realize that He was special, that He was the Messiah.

Now this is before Jesus did any miracles or anything special, but no one but John has spotted Him.

You know when I read that, God spoke to me, as born-again-believers, we have the Holy Spirit which is the Spirit of Jesus, living with in us, does people recognize that.

Do other believers that do not know us, recognize the spirit in us.

List to what John the Baptist mother says when Mary the mother of Jesus enters her house.

Luke 1:39–45 NASB95

39 Now at this time Mary arose and went in a hurry to the hill country, to a city of Judah, 40 and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 And she cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 “And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me? 44 “For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy. 45 “And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.”

See when I read verse 26 of our text it got me thinking.

John 1:26 NASB95

26 John answered them saying, “I baptize in water, but among you stands One whom you do not know.

Shouldn’t the Spirit in us, recognize the Spirit in other believers, shouldn’t the Spirit in us, which we seen a couple of weeks ago testify to the true light to those that are lost.

III. Preferred Before Me!

John 1:27–28 NASB95

27 “It is He who comes after me, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” 28 These things took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

Here John the Baptist states he is not worthy to untie the sandals of Jesus.

He is recognizing the deity of Jesus but also the Lordship of Jesus.

John the Baptist role was proclamation, and he did not attempt to stand towering over anyone but humbled himself as an unworthy slave.

John the Baptist stating that he was unworthy to untie Jesus’ sandals is saying that he is not worthy to the most menial or degrading task of a slave, for God’s anointed one.

As we see that John the Baptist made sure that the attention was never focused on him, but that it was always pointed to Jesus, we also must make sure that it is always about Jesus.

Our life is to be about bringing glory and honor to Jesus Christ, so that others may come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

It is never about me, but always about Jesus, and the way that He is leading and directing.

And we must remember His ways are not our ways.

We must never allow pride, fear, or others to get in the way of the Lord, when He leads we must follow.

And if He is leading today will you follow Him into a personal relationship for salvation, will you come to receive Him as Lord and Savior of your life.