Sermon Tone Analysis

Last week we left off in our study of John’s gospel with v. 18

And we asked ourselves this question, “what is John really claiming about Jesus?”.

What does it mean that Jesus’ expressly stated purpose is to declare unto us God? Jesus goes beyond just saying that He wanted to tell us about God.

He claims to show us God.

If someone came to your home and said that they had a message for you from God, you might laugh and not take that person seriously.

If he came, however, and claimed that he was going to show you God, you might become concerned for his mental health.

If he were serious, you might ask him to prove that he was close enough to God to be able to show you what God was like.

The problem we face here is what kind of “evidence” are we willing to accept as proof?

As we read further in John, this problem will confront us repeatedly.

Are you willing to accept factual evidence for belief?

God wants us to have a well-thought-out faith (not blind faith).

A well-thought-out faith must be the deciding factor.

Major Premise of our study?

If God wants every person to have a well-thought-out faith, how do we go about producing that in the lives of our unsaved friends?

These two verses should be transformative in our thinking about evangelism.

It is not my own opinion that is living and active and sharp- it is the Bible.

The Holy Spirit uses the Word of God to pierce soul and spirit, and joints and marrow, and it is the Word of God that is able to judge the thoughts and intents of the heart.

If Hebrews 4:12 is accurate, then what should my goal in evangelism be: should it be to give my friends my own opinion about the Bible, or should it be to give them the actual Word of God?

Now what happens when we combine the truths that we learn in Hebrews 4:12-13 with John 20:30-31?

If it is the Word of God that is the judge of the thoughts and intents of the heart, and if the expressly stated purpose of the Gospel of John is so that people might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, then how should that change the way we think about evangelism?

Remember our question?

If God wants every person to have a well-thought-out faith, how do we go about producing that in the lives of our unsaved friends?

What if we invite unsaved people to read the book of John with us.

From beginning to end, we take the entire book of John in its context, and we lead people to their own understanding of Scripture.

Do you think that might produce in them a well-thought-out faith?

Do you think the Holy Spirit could use this kind of method to produce genuine faith in Jesus?

How would we go about doing that?

We should probably think carefully about how we would read the Gospel of John with an unsaved friend.

What if we studied the Gospel of John with that lens?

Remember we don’t want to give them our opinion of what we think the Bible says, we want them to come to their own conclusions.

That means we CANNOT tell them what we think the text says, instead we must be prepared to ask them all kinds of questions to lead them to their own understanding.

What kinds of questions should we ask them?

Let’s think about that together.

I.

The testimony of John the Baptist concerning himself (John 1:19-28)

Remember the immediate context:

What is John really claiming about Jesus?

What does it mean that Jesus’ expressly stated purpose is to declare unto us God? Jesus goes beyond just saying that He wanted to tell us about God.

He claims to show us God.

Are you willing to accept factual evidence for belief?

What factual evidence is being offered in v. 19?

It is the record of the testimony of John the Baptist- this is the first evidence offered to help us believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that Jesus is able to show us or declare to us God.

What question did the priests and the Levites ask John the Baptist?

Who are you?

Why did the religious leaders- specifically the Pharisees (see v. 24), want to know who John the Baptist was?

This is the major question that is answered through v. 28

How did John answer their question in v. 20?

John specifically stated that he was not the Christ, or he was not the Messiah.

Why does John repeat himself in this verse?

He confessed, and denied not, but confessed- isn’t that just saying the same thing three times in a row?

He repeated himself because this was very important for the Pharisees to understand, John wanted to make himself perfectly clear without any possibility of confusion- he was NOT the Messiah.

Was that a sufficient answer for the religious leaders?

Are you Elijah?

No

Are you the Prophet?

No

Then tell us, who are you, we have to give an answer to those who sent us to you- who are you?

Again, we are confronted with the major question of this paragraph- Why did the Pharisees want to know who John the Baptist was?

What answer did John the Baptist give?

John said, “I am a voice of one crying in the wilderness.”

What is the purpose of a voice?

To make yourself heard, to make other people understand something, to make them hear what you have to say.

What was the message of John’s voice?

Make straight the way of the Lord.

Who is Isaiah?

An OT prophet.

So, if John the Baptist is claiming that he is the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah, who’s voice is John claiming to represent?

God’s voice.

John is claiming to be a voice or a witness of God.

Remember what vv.

6-7 said about John the Baptist?

Did John’s answer satisfy the religious leaders?

No- what else did the Pharisees what to know about John’s ministry?

They wanted to know why he was baptizing hundreds of people.

If John the Baptist was not the Messiah or Elijah or the prophet, then why was he baptizing people?

Why did the Pharisees care if John was baptizing people?

It was a threat to their position of power and authority.

The Pharisees believed that they represented God and that they represented the only way to know God.

John’s ministry was threatening because it challenged their position of authority and power.

He had begun to baptize hundreds of people; simultaneously, he rejected the leadership of the Pharisees.

John had not gone through the proper channels (i.e., Pharisee Bible School).

He did not have the appropriate religious credentials to represent God.

Yet what purpose did John give for baptizing people?

In v. 25 the religious leaders ask him the question, “why are you baptizing people?”

What is John’s answer to this question?

John is baptizing people because there is one among you whom you do not know.

Who is the one that they do not know?

The one that you do not know is he who comes after me, but He is preferred before me.

And this One is so great that I am not worthy to even untie his shoes.

How great does a person have to be to believe that you are not worthy enough to touch their shoes?

Imagine if you and I have never met, you walk up to me and you hold out your hand in greeting.

I stop and say, “I can’t shake your hand.”

And you ask, “Why not?”

And I say, “I am not even worthy enough to tie your shoe.”

What would you think of me?

Is there any man on earth that you can think of who is worthy of such a statement?

What does this tell you about who John believed this person to be?

The Main Ideas:

The religious leaders are angry at John the Baptist because he is claiming to be able to represent God, but in their eyes John the Baptist does not have the appropriate religious credentials.

How does a man receive God’s authority?