John 1:6

Introduction

God

John 1:6 “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.”

Reading v.6 demonstrates there was nothing exceptional about John outside of God. He was simply an ordinary man with an ordinary name. Who makes v.6 come to life by having the words jump off the page is God.

God gave John the Baptist value and purpose.

Value - Genesis 2:7 “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” Man was formed from dust. A particle that has little value or worth. What gave this man formed from dust life and value was the breath of God. God’s breath made man a living soul.

This is a beautiful picture of salvation. Our sinful nature have caused us to be dead in our trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1 “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;”). As a spiritually dead person we possessed no value with God.

In addition to being spiritually dead, we had other disabilities that caused us to be of no value before God like being spiritually blind (2 Corinthians 4:4 “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”).

A pastor pointed out that we were “utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all good, and wholly inclined to all evil.” Not only were we inclined to do all evil but we were enemies of God: Romans 8:6–7 “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.”

And, we could not understand God: 1 Corinthians 2:14 “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” Therefore, even of we wanted to, which we did not, we could not discern truth from error no matter how hard we tried.

We were the worthless formed dust that could not fulfill good! We needed to breath of God to bring life to our dead spirit. Jesus explained the breath of God in terms of the Holy Spirit, like wind, blowing on us, causing us to be born again and to have new life!

John 3:7–8 “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”

Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:1 that the Spirit made us alive who were dead in our trespasses and sins.

Why would the Holy Spirit make an unworthy and worthless person alive? The answer is Jesus Christ. Jesus gives us value.

Paul wrote in Ephesians 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:”

Without Jesus sacrificial death there is no love coming from God:

1 John 4:10 “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

God never saved us because He loved our sinning. He saved us becasue He loved His Son.

All our spiritual blessings are in Christ Ephesians 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:”

We live through Jesus Christ: 1 John 4:9 “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.”

We are being conformed to Jesus: Romans 8:29 “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”

And, one day, we will be like Jesus: 1 John 3:2 “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”

John the Baptist had value because of the One he came to testify about.

Purpose - John 1:6 “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.”

God sent John. John the Baptist was a man on a mission. His mission was to testify about of the Light: John 1:7 “The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.” John was sent to testify of the very light that people hate! Whether John’s or our mission, will not be loved by the world. The world loves hospitals, medical clinics, food pantries, and free clothing but our mission is not those items. They are a means to an end. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the end.

Purpose gives life meaning. In a Forbes magazine they highlighted the importance purpose gives people: “Purpose is a belief that your life matters and that you make a difference.”