Heaven's Courier

John 1:19-28

Sermon Title – Heaven’s Courier

Scripture Reading:

19 Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders[a] 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.’”[b]

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[c] 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.

The ministry of John the Baptist is presented by John the Evangelist.

Verses 1:18 tells us that the John Baptist ‘came as a witness to testify concerning that light’ (1:7); now the Evangelist fleshes out John’s testimony.

He focuses on the witness John the Baptist gave to the official delegations sent from Jerusalem.

Other Gospel writers make no mention of this official probing, but there is nothing intrinsically improbable in the account. Granted the wide influence the Baptist exerted (cf. Mt. 3:5, 7), it would have been irresponsible of the leaders if they had failed to check him out.

Believing is seeing, a message which begins with John the Baptist, now introduced as the key witness, the forerunner of the Messiah.

Jesus’ Manifestation to the Nation (John 1:19–28)

“To his own he came; yet his own people did not accept him.” The public revelation of the light brought a judgment, which separated believers who came to the light from the world and “the Jews” who preferred darkness to light.

You have very often heard, holy brethren, and you know well, that John the Baptist, in proportion as he was greater than those born of women, and was more humble in his acknowledgment of the Lord, obtained the grace of being the friend of the Bridegroom; zealous for the Bridegroom, not for himself; not seeking his own honor, but that of his Judge, whom as a herald he preceded.

Therefore, to the prophets who went before, it was granted to predict concerning Christ; but to this man, to point Him out with the finger. For as Christ was unknown by those who did not believe the prophets before He came, He remained unknown to them even when present. For He had come humbly and concealed from the first; the more concealed in proportion as He was more humble: but the people, despising in their pride the humility of God, crucified their Saviour, and made Him their condemner.

We he is purpose and was never distracted from it.

(i) Messiah (1:19–28)

In denying that he himself was the Messiah, John bore clear witness that the ‘anointed one’ was nonetheless a hidden presence among them (26). John’s identification of Jesus came at his baptism, when he saw the Spirit of God in dovelike form visibly descend upon Jesus and remain on him.

The remaining was important, in contrast to earlier comings of the Spirit in the Old Testament period which were essentially spasmodic and temporary. In verse 41 Andrew directly identifies Jesus as the Messiah, and Nathanael’s declaration in verse 49, ‘you are the King of Israel’, would carry similar implications. Referred to Jesus this title points to three things:

Authority. The Messiah is generally a kingly figure embodying God’s rule. The acclamation of Jesus as King will reappear throughout the gospel and find its surprising

climax at the cross. It is a title which confronts us with Jesus’ claim to reign over our lives as King and Lord and calls for our whole-hearted submission to him.

Enabling. The Holy Spirit energizes Jesus. Luke makes more of this, but it is certainly not absent from John here. Jesus has been affirmed in the prologue as an authentic human person (14), in a sense our model human. It is therefore most significant that his ministry was exercised in genuine dependence on the supernatural resources of the Holy Spirit. How much profounder our need of this anointing; ‘The servant is not greater than his master.’

Fulfilment. The Messiah was prophesied throughout the Old Testament era under a range of images. Jesus’ messiahship therefore both underwrites the divine authority of the Old Testament writings, and also proclaims the lordship of God over human history.

(ii) Lamb of God (1:29, 36)

What did John the Baptist mean in giving Jesus this title? Some argue that John had in mind the warrior lamb of first-century Jewish apocalyptic writing, a figure of immense strength, who in Revelation 5:6 (cf. 17:14) is an image of the Lord Jesus Christ. This would accord with John’s anticipation of the Messiah’s function as judge (Mt. 3:7–12). Even if this be conceded, it is difficult to believe that the sacrificial aspects of the ‘Lamb’ title would have been absent from John’s mind. We need to bear in mind the strong ethical note in his preaching, and his call for repentance followed by a rite of moral and spiritual import (baptism). As the gift of the Spirit through the Coming One and the fire of his judgment would both eclipse the Baptist’s own contribution, it is certainly in keeping with John’s message for him to have anticipated the messianic provision also of a more profound atonement for sin. Readers of the gospel with even a rudimentary knowledge of the Old Testament would have a number of pictures readily brought to mind: the lamb provided by God for Abraham (Gn. 22:8, 13); the Lamb of Isaiah 53 who was led to the slaughter for the sins of God’s people; and perhaps most likely of all, the Passover Lamb of Exodus 12, which will be important for John the evangelist as he unveils the cross.

We should note also the source of this Lamb; he is provided by God himself (Gn. 22:7f.). We are utterly unable to provide for our own atonement; it is a gift. We note too the significance of it; the Lamb will ‘take away’ sin. In this connection the imagery of the scapegoat is particularly evocative. The priest laid his hands on the head of the hapless victim transferring the guilt of the people to the animal, and then the creature was released in the wilderness to proclaim the removal of guilt. Few aspects of the gospel need greater, or more frequent, reaffirmation than this one. How many people struggle for survival beneath crushing burdens of guilt! But Christ, the Lamb of God, really has borne it all for us! He says to us today, ‘son [daughter], your sins are forgiven’ (Mk. 2:5). ‘Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more’ (Heb. 10:17). Finally there is the scope of the Lamb’s ministry, ‘The sins of the world.’ Without any exception, every kind of sin and evil is covered. There is no sin too heinous, no wickedness too terrible, no habitual failure too often repeated, that it cannot be ‘taken away’ by Christ, our heavenly Lamb.

Not all the blood of beasts

On Jewish altars slain,

Could give the guilty conscience peace

Or wash away its stain.

But Christ, the heavenly Lamb,

Takes all our sins away;

A sacrifice of nobler Name,

And richer blood, than they.

Believing, we rejoice

To see the curse remove;

We bless the Lamb with cheerful voice,

And sing His wondrous love.

Isaac Watts

Now we have the privilege and authority from the Lord to proclaim that “

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Jesus is the Christ! Believe in Him and live”

Have you ever said the wrong thing and not realized you did it? Today we will be talking about trusting God for the right words at the right time. But our following story is about someone who didn’t have the right words at a particular time