The Witness and the Lamb: Jesus Revealed through John
The Gospel of John • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Bible Passage: John 1:19–34
19 And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”
20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.”
21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.”
22 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?”
23 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.”
24 (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.)
25 They asked him, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
26 John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know,
27 even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.”
28 These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’
31 I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.”
32 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him.
33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’
34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”
Summary: In John 1:19–34, the narrative highlights John the Baptist’s role as a witness, detailing his testimony concerning Jesus. It reflects the importance of recognizing Jesus not only as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world but also as the fulfillment of God’s promises. John's recognition of Jesus serves as a profound reminder of the necessity for all to discern and embrace the truth about who Jesus is.
Application: This passage aids Christians in understanding the importance of sharing their faith and witnessing about who Jesus is in their lives. For those who may feel uncertain about their beliefs, this scripture encourages them to seek clarity and understanding while also inviting them to engage in conversations about Jesus to foster a deeper relationship with Him and others.
Teaching: The sermon teaches that anyone can be a witness for Christ when they humbly acknowledge the truth of His identity and purpose. It encourages believers to testify about their experiences with Jesus and inspires them to invite others to discover the truth of the Gospel, reiterating the essential role of testimony in faith.
How this passage could point to Christ: This passage connects to the overarching biblical narrative by establishing John the Baptist’s role in introducing Jesus as the Messiah. His declaration of Jesus as the Lamb of God links the prophetic traditions of Israel with their fulfillment in Christ, enhancing the understanding of Jesus’s purpose within the broader context of salvation history.
Big Idea: Our testimony about Christ has the power to transform lives when we recognize Him as our Savior and share His story with boldness and authenticity.
Recommended Study: As you prepare for this sermon, consider the implications of John the Baptist’s testimony in the context of first-century Jewish expectations of the Messiah. Using Logos, delve into the historical background of John the Baptist's role and examine various Jewish texts that speak of the coming Messiah. Additionally, explore how the early church used testimonies about Jesus to spread the Gospel, which could provide relevant applications for modern-day witnessing.
1. Recognize Your Role
1. Recognize Your Role
19 And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”
20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.”
21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.”
22 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?”
23 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.”
After this short summary John gets into the details
John because with JTB testimony
This begins with him being questioned
Levites and Priests question Him
remember they are worried at the possible claims of him being the Messiah
Priests were aware and fighting a battle against the Messiah
The Jews were intrigued and as we know concerned about the new king they were hearing of
This title raised great concern to leaders and priests
So in this they simply ask John who he is
John’s reply is quick I am not the Christ!
John quickly states I am not the Christ
I am not the Messiah
This leaves confusion amongst the people
if you are not the Messiah who are you
Are you Elijah
Priests expected Elijah to come back and lead so they were curious if this was him or just another prophet
To which JTB replies no I am not these either
After all of this the Levites and Priests dont want to leave empty handed
thus asking JTB who he is
I love this part as JTB claims his Identity in Service to Christ
He is simply the messenger crying to the world
make straight the way of the Lord
John tells them i am not the one whom you seek
instead I am the one preparing the way
i am the messenger to tell Him to the world
I am informing the world about the coming Savior
Sound Familiar?
John knew his purpose in life
John recognized his role in the spiritual realm
John knew He was to preach Jesus to the world
and his identity was nothing in comparison
he was merely the messenger
2. Pronounce His Preeminence
2. Pronounce His Preeminence
24 (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.)
25 They asked him, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
26 John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know,
27 even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.”
28 These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
Next JTB explanation goes to Christ’s preeminence
Pronouncing Christ’s superiority
The leaders ask why are you baptizing
John explains that yet again he is the messenger
for one whom they do not know
In fact John eludes to the fact that the Messiah is on earth
as he says he is standing among them
Then John gets to the meat
the one who comes after
I am not even worthy to untie His sandal
John recognizes that the lowest form of man at the time
was his feet
they were nasty
dirt filled
smelly
disgusting parts of the body
and John speaking of himself in comparison
says I am not even worthy of untying His sandal
Even the lowest part of the body John wasn’t worthy to approach
here we see that in His role John shows humility
and to top it off ensures that the world recognizes Jesus as the one of authority
Our lives must be the same
Everything John spoke of was oriented around Jesus
The Supremacy of Jesus
should cause us to live with a sense of mission and urgency
3. Declare the Deliverer
3. Declare the Deliverer
29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
Lastly John describes the Messiah
John gives a chilling explanation of Jesus
starting with the next day
JTb sees Jesus coming towards Him
and in this He shouts “Behold, the Lamb of God
In this decree stands a loud proclamation
The fulfillment of prophecy
the atonement of sins
These words declare all there is needed to know about the nature of Christ
we can find this by looking at the lambs role in Exodus and Leviticus
5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats,
6 and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight.
11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.
We see that the lamb was a rescuer at the time of passover
the lamb provided safety
to those that covered their doorsteps with its blood
it gets deeper than that
if we go to leviticus
we see God’s declaration about the cleansing power of blood
Our Savior’s blood would be poured out
Paul would even call Him our passover lamb
as Jesus the Lamb of God
died at the time of passover as well
You see declaring the Savior means knowing the details
knowing the facts
knowing the meaning behind the Sacrifice that must be made
Jesus was and is a lamb without blemish
30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’
31 I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.”
32 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him.
33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’
34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”
John moves on to how he knows this is the Messiah
recognizing what God had told Him
The dove descended on Jesus which told Him who the Messiah was
And to that John bears witness
You see all of this happened from the beginning of time
John had a first love in his life
His role was fulfilled because He prioritized his first love
his first love was Jesus
We as believers must be proclaiming like John the coming of a Savior
except the next time He comes it will be the end of time
We as beleivers need to recognize in this world
that above all and in all
our first love even above family and friends
above our possessions
above our pets
above our church building
above our finances
anove anything on this earth
our first love lives within us
our first love is Jesus
When we can resonate with that we will recognize and fill the role we are called to fill
John loved and sought after Jesus to the point where he was seeking Him out
We are called to do the same
We know the end is coming and we can often over focus on the details of that end and trying to guess how its going to happen
the reality is we don’t know but what we do know is we have a Savior the rest of the world needs for themselves
Who is your first love and are you serving Him appropriately?
Who is your first love and are you serving Him appropriately?
Salvation Message
