Sermon Tone Analysis

HE > me

JOHN, the Book, the Man – Part 7

March 4, 2007    Dr.

Rick Isbell

 

 

*John 3: 22-36*

* *

The Word of God is powerful when you

-          Read it

-          Sing it

-          Pray it

-          Quote it

-          Meditate on it

 

You never know how God is going to use His Word in your life…

 

You may be like the little old lady who was at home and she heard a burglar coming through the door so she called 911,  then jumped to her feet and as he enter the room she began to shout at him:  Acts 2:38… Acts 2:38… (“Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of your sin”)… as she just repeatedly shouted ‘Acts 2:38’, the burglar simply sat down in the floor with his hands on his head and waited for the cops to arrive.

When they did, they asked him why he surrendered so easily.

He said, “Because the old broad kept yelling that she had an axe and two .38s!”

* *

Today’s passage is certainly a powerful one that I pray will penetrate your heart and mine

-          It contains a foundational principle that will set the stage for your entire Christian walk with the Lord.

* *

*John 3:*

/22// After this, Jesus and His disciples went to the Judean countryside, where He spent time with them and baptized.

23  John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water there.

People were coming and being baptized, 24 since John had not yet been thrown into prison./

* *

*3:22-24 * For a short time the ministry of *John *the Baptist overlapped Jesus’ ministry.

-          *The Judean countryside *must have been alive with the teaching of both these great preachers of repentance and God’s kingdom.

-          Both John and *Jesus *had *disciples, *large crowds followed both of them, and

-          both *baptized.

*

-          The site of *Aenon near Salim *is likely about midway between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea

-          John states here that, *This was before John was put in prison* (24)

-          This statement shows once again how this Gospel, the fourth one, supplements the other three Synoptic Gospels.

-          It implies that readers knew about John’s imprisonment from reading the other Gospels or from common church tradition.

/ /

/25// Then a dispute arose between John’s disciples and a Jew about purification.

/

/ /

*3:25 * The zealous *disciples *of John the Baptist found themselves at a disadvantage in *an argument.

*

-          *A certain Jew *asked why he should join *John’s *group.

-          He argued about *purification *or ceremonial washing.*

*

-          There were already Pharisaic washings in place, why should Jews follow another washing, John’s baptism?

-          Besides, the group following Jesus was larger (v.

26).

/ /

/26// So they came to John and told him, “Rabbi the One you testified about, and who was with you across the Jordan, is baptizing—and everyone is flocking to Him.” /

/ /

*3:26 * John’s disciples may have been angry and jealous.

-          Their group, their church used to be the top dogs

-          Biggest one in town but now people were going over to hear Jesus more than John

-          Maybe this Jewish leader thought that if he could get the two groups to war against themselves, then the problem of this Jesus movement would take care of itself and self-destruct

/ /

/27// John responded, “No one can receive a single thing unless it’s given to him from heaven./

/ /

*3:27  *John’s greatness is revealed in his reply.

-          He said, *A man can receive only what is given him from heaven.

*

-          God is sovereign in bestowing His blessings on one’s ministry.

-          If Jesus’ movement was expanding, then it must have been in the will of God. 

/ 28 You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but I’ve been sent ahead of Him.’ 29 He who has the bride is the groom.

But the groom’s friend, who stands by and listens for him, rejoices greatly at the groom’s voice.

So this joy of mine is complete.

30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”

/

/ /

*3:28 * John reminded his disciples that they were forgetting part of his teaching.

-          He had clearly taught that he was *not the *promised Messiah *but *was only *sent ahead *by God to do a work of preparation for the Messiah

*3:29-30.*

In Jesus’ growing influence, John found his own *joy *fulfilled.

-          He illustrated this for his disciples by referring to a custom at Near Eastern weddings.

-          *The friend *of *the bridegroom *was only an assistant, not the main participant in the marriage.

-          The assistant acted on behalf of *the bridegroom *and made the preliminary arrangements for the ceremony.

-          But his *joy *came when he heard the bridegroom coming for his bride.

-          John the Baptist’s work was to prepare for the arrival of Christ, the “Groom.”

-          John baptized only with water, not with the Spirit.

-          Therefore Jesus *must increase *and John *must decrease.

*

-          That was the divine order and John the Baptist recognized it

-          And willingly, with *joy *accepted Jesus’ growing popularity as God’s plan.

/ /

/31// The One who comes from above is above all.

The one who is from the earth is earthly and speaks in earthly terms.

The One who comes from heaven is above all.

/

/ /

*3:31 * Here John the author~/disciple developed the theme about the supremacy of Jesus, which John the Baptist spoke of to his followers

-          Since Jesus has come from heaven, His words surpass those of any religious teacher.

-          Each human teacher is limited by his earthly boundaries (he *is from the earth *and* is* *from the earthly*).

-          But *the */Logos /*from heaven is above all*

-          He is preeminent

/ /

/32// He testifies to what He has seen and heard, yet no one accepts His testimony./

/ /

*3:32 * Jesus is speaking from His knowledge and vision of Heaven and His understanding of the Father

-          Yet in spite of this clear reliable witness, mankind as a whole has rejected His message

/ /

/ 33 The one who has accepted His testimony has affirmed that God is true.

/

* *

*3:33  *So obviously, the message of Jesus has not been universally rejected, has it?

-          When someone receives the message of Christ into their lives and lets it change them, they are giving their proclamation that *God is truthful *

-          The reverse of that would be to reject this testimony of Jesus, which is to call God a liar, which blasphemy and you suffer the consequences of that act.

/ /

/34// For God sent Him, and He speaks God’s words, since He gives the Spirit without measure.

/

/ /

*3:34.*

Jesus gives the perfect truth of God as He *speaks the words of God, *

-          because He has the full endowment of the Holy Spirit, *the Spirit without measure.

*

-          The Old Testament prophets had the Spirit only for limited times and for limited purposes.

-          Jesus represents the very Spirit, Himself

-          *For God sent Him*… John says here… he also refers to that same thought 38 more times in this Gospel.

-         John wanted to absolutely, without question or pause, to affirm Jesus’ deity and heavenly origin,

/ /

/35// The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hands.

/

/ /

*3:35.*

The relationship between *the Son *and *the Father *is one of loving intimacy and complete confidence.

-         The Son has all the authority to accomplish the Father’s purposes

/ /

/36// The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who refuses to believe in the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him.

/

\\ *3:36 * Man has only two options:

-          *Believe in the Son *or

-          *Refuse to believe in the Son *

-          Refusing to trust in the Son of God is willful disobedience to the clear message of God and therefore according to John, *the wrath of God remains on *you.

-           “Wrath,” God’s necessary, righteous reaction against evil,

-          *remains *(/menei/) on the unbeliever.

o   It* *means that this wrath is future, but it also exists now.

o   Endless sin and endless disobedience will result in endless punishment

 

If you have never turned your trust from yourself, to God, then I hope you will resolve that before you leave this place today.

-          Later in this service I will give you the opportunity to come down here and tell me that you want to give your life to Christ and get out of God’s wrath and into His grace and mercy.

-          We can help you with that today.

…………………………………………..

 

I want all of us to memorize a verse from this passage today… it is real easy…

It was probably John the Baptist’s greatest statement recorded in the Bible: