Jealous of Jesus in Judea
Notes
Transcript
How would you feel if a friend received more recognition than you for something you both did?
Angry, upset, discouraged, jealous
Unfortunately, this too often happens in the christian community, the church. Inside the church we set up these artificial parameters in our service to the Lord and we don’t want others infringing on them. The reason why is personal jealousy. Though we say we are serving the Lord, too often we are serving our own egos.
If you were at the Sunday School breakfast this past week you would know what I’m talking about. Rusty gave a great lesson on how we need to help one another in the ministry. Serving God takes teamwork because individuals get tired and we need others to help hold us up, or vice versa.
This is where we are now in Jesus’ Journey to the Cross. After the Passover, Jesus and his disciples headed into the Judean countryside, preaching and baptizing those who repented of their sins. This is when the jealousy issue arises.
Text: John 3:22-30
22 After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized.
23 Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there. And they came and were baptized.
24 For John had not yet been thrown into prison.
25 Then there arose a dispute between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purification.
26 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified—behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!”
27 John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.
28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before Him.’
29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled.
30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
1. Crisis in the Countryside; 22-26
1. Crisis in the Countryside; 22-26
For a short time the ministry of John the Baptist overlapped Jesus’ ministry. There was a crusade taking place in the Judean countryside with Jesus and John preaching repentance and God’s kingdom. Both John and Jesus had disciples, large crowds followed both of them, and both baptized.
[v.25] A dispute about purification.
Purification was important to the Jews. It was considered necessary to keep oneself ceremonially clean if you were going to approach God or serve Him.
3 Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully.
John’s ministry was a transformational ministry bringing an end to the old an introducing the new. That is where the dispute arose between John’s disciples and some Jews.
[v.26] The disciples of John were jealous/envious of Jesus’ popularity and how John’s ministry seemed to be dwindling. No one liked change back then just like most don’t like change now and it became an issue.
1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ.
2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able;
3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?
4 For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal?
5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one?
6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.
7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.
8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.
9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building.
38 Now John answered Him, saying, “Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us.”
39 But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.
40 For he who is not against us is on our side.
We should never get upset if another church is growing. If we are not growing as a church, then the problem is with us not the church that is growing. Maybe we need to make some changes instead of complaining and grumbling!
2. Fulfill Your Role; 27-30
2. Fulfill Your Role; 27-30
John Baptist was a remarkable man and prophet who understood what serving God was all about. Serving God truly is all about change! The change in our lives that can effect change in the lives of others.
[v. 27-28] John had already said that he wasn’t the Christ. He knew what his role was in preparing the way of the Lord, a temporary role that would affect a permanent change in religion. And John was okay with that.
[v.27] John also knew that “true cleansing” in a man comes from the inside out, not the outside in. It couldn’t happen through rituals and washings, but only through repentance and purification of the heart. John knew that God had given him a role to play in His plan of salvation and he was fulfilling that role.
14 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.
15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.
6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them:
[v. 29] The bride, bridegroom and the best man; John knew that Jesus is the bridegroom to the bride, his church, John rejoiced that God called him to be the best man, who would stand up with the bridegroom. If we will think about our service to the Lord that way, we would realize that all who are called are important in the wedding party!
13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.
14 For in fact the body is not one member but many.
15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body?
16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body?
17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling?
18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased.
19 And if they were all one member, where would the body be?
20 But now indeed there are many members, yet one body.
21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”
22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary.
23 And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty,
24 but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it,
25 that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another.
[v.30] Each member of the body of Christ has a role to play, and each role is important. But the most important part of our faith is to make Christ magnified in our life and in the world!
Close;
Christ Be Magnified, Song by Cody Carnes ‧ 2020
I won't bow to idols, I'll stand strong and worship You
And if it puts me in the fire, I'll rejoice 'cause You're there too
I won't be formed by feelings, I hold fast to what is true
If the cross brings transformation then I'll be crucified with You
'Cause death is just the doorway into resurrection life
And if I join You in Your suffering, then I'll join You when You rise
And when You return in glory with all the angels and the saints
My heart will still be singing, my song will be the same
Oh! Christ be magnified
Let His praise arise
Christ be magnified in me
Oh! Christ be magnified
From the altar of my life
Christ be magnified in me
