John Points to Jesus

Introduction

recap of where we have been

thanks to Sunday school leadership: Edna, Gloria, Jordan, Robinson

Thanks for a great week of revival

John points to Jesus- How does our life reflect the goodness of CHrist?

Who or what are you pointing to?

All of us, whether we know it or not, are pointing to someone or something!

yes, even in this pandemic, we are pointing people down a path.

The NFL draft just concluded, whether or not you are a fan , you are forced to encounter NFL fans all the time.

Banners and flags on cars, posts on social media, reactions on which team drafted particular players. As a fan, you use your platform to point to something.

In the crazy and complicated world of politics, we see people using their platform to support a party or candidate. . . or even speak ill of a candidate. Or to justify the craziness of a candidate . Our platforms are pointing somewhere.

Kevin Durant shows us this in his 2014 MVP speech; He has the world’s attention to talk about how great he is and how he deserves; yet he gives honor to his mother. He talks about the sacrifice his mother made to get him to where he is at; then he gives us the quote that resounds even 6 years later: “you’re the real MVP”!!

Taking attention off himself and bestowing that honor to someone else.

Our text covers this to a greater reality; John the front runner for Jesus understands his position and the some total his which is to Point to Jesus. No matter your vocation, we are to glorify God with our lives and make Him known to the world.

Missional Application

Because we have experienced the goodness of Jesus, we find joy in pointing others not to ourselves or to our accomplishments but to the soul-satisfying, self-giving Savior.

Jesus is the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29-34)

John 1:29–34 ESV

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 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.’ And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”

The people to whom John was preaching were very familiar with the role that sheep played in the temporary atonement for their sin. With every sacrifice, the people were reminded that the punishment for sin is death (Rom. 6:23). Each family unit was required to offer sacrifices to atone for their sin (see Lev. 1–7). But each payment was temporary, and the sacrifices had to be made over and over again (Heb. 10:1-4), that is, until Jesus’ sacrifice.

Whereas the Old Testament sacrifices were temporary and incomplete, Jesus was the perfect Lamb of God who bore, in His death, the totality of the penalty of sin, offering a permanent solution to the punishment for and reality of sin (see Heb. 10:1-4,11-14). As a result, we no longer have to offer regular sacrifices to atone for our sins. Jesus took care of all of it on our behalf. This gift of the gospel is one that we could never earn or deserve, and yet, we have the privilege of receiving it by faith in Jesus.

Temporary atonement and eternal Atonemnent-

can imagine how tiresome it would be to daily gather items to make sacrifices for sin?

The best illustration i can think of is what the quarantine has caused many of us to do. Cooking all of our meals and washing dishes and taking out the trash

I have a full house: my two boys are eating me out of a house and home; my daughter is trying to follow suit. We find ourselves cooking pre-breakfast, breakfast, mid-morning sacks, pre-lunch, lunch, blending smoothies before we go outside to play. . then to make sandwiches to hold them over until dinner. . WOW!!!

in between all of this having to wash dishes over and over again is way more than i anticipated.

sacrifice after sacrifice only temporary

Jesus provides eternal atonement

Jesus takes away the penalty of sin and the power of sin

Death is the penalty - the wages of sin is death

Power of sin- sin does not ultimately control us, we overcome through Christ. NOT sinless perfection. . however, we are in control. God provides a way of escape.

1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

The songwriter said it best: Must jesus bear the cross alone and all the world go free

How deep the father’s love for us. . do some lyircs

Jesus is the Groom who prompts great rejoicing in His friends (John 3:25-30).

John 3:25–30 ESV

Now a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a Jew over purification. And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.” John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. He must increase, but I must decrease.”

I love John’s disciples, they are what you call ride or die. They are like: we don’t like what’s going on. You did all the work, you been preaching and baptizing. . you even baptized Him. . . why is everyone flocking to Jesus.

John knew that he didn’t have the power to bring ultimate joy and satisfaction to people; he couldn’t save people from their sin; but he could point to the One who can. As with John the Baptist, the same holds true for us: When we recognize who Jesus is, it gives us clarity about our identity and our role in His story.

we must make much of CHrist

Ph 2- christ humilty

Jesus is the Son who gives eternal life to those who believe (John 3:31-36)

John 3:31–36 ESV

He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all. He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

While it’s tempting for us to think about the issue of eternal judgment in hell as if it were gray, it is not. To be fair, there are many issues we encounter in life that are gray, fuzzy, and unclear, but the fate of those who reject Jesus throughout the entirety of their lives is not one of them.

The eternal life we receive through Christ is an abundant life, both here in this life and in the one to come (John 10:10). But the opposite is true for those without Christ. Unbelievers will receive the fullness of God’s wrath against sin in eternal judgment, and that forever in hell, which is described as a lake of fire and the second death (Rev. 20:10-15).

Application: We do not serve a God who withholds from His children. When we are in Christ, we get all the blessings promised to the Son because we are in Him. God has given all things into Jesus’ hands, and when we are in Christ, we get access to these things as well. We have to be careful not to think about abundant eternal life in earthly terms. Following Christ doesn’t exempt us from hardships in this life. The abundant life we receive through Christ is so much greater than anything the world could offer, and it can’t be measured through earthly standards. Life through Christ means we get God Himself—He is the true source and prize of the abundant life we desire.