Bearing Witness
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John the Baptist
John the Baptist
John the Baptist is not John the apostle, but he has the same purpose (Jn1:7; Jn20:30-31) and today we are looking at in this section of the prologue the bearing witness of the light.
6 There came a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.
Now that is John the Baptist, more to follow on that, but John the Apostle had the same purpose
30 Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.
So, John the Apostle now introduces us to John the Baptizer (Jn1:6-8)
This is not the light, but testifies of the Light (Jn1:8; 19-20)
Testifies, bears witness with purpose, so that you may believe (Jn1:7)
John the apostle, and John the baptizer are not the only ones bearing witness. There were those before (forerunners) and those since. This evening we will look at
The forerunners of Christ bear witness
The Father bears witness
The followers bear witness
Forerunners bear witness
Forerunners bear witness
The prophets and John the Baptizer bear witness of the light, let’s glean together and see what the light reveals to us.
Old Testament prophets (1Pt1:10-11)
10 As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, 11 seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.
What did the prophets do (v.10-11)?
Foretold of His suffering (Isa7:14, 9:6-7, 53:4-6)
The Prophet Isaiah said in isa7:14 “14 “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.”
This is the child given Isa9:6-7 “6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.”
This is the One Isaiah said would be the suffering servant
4 Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. 6 All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.
What was the suffering noted in (vv.4-6)?
Bore our griefs and sorrows.
He was stricken, smitten, afflicted, pierced, crushed, chastened, scourged
Jesus Himself reminded his disciples (Lk24:25-27; 24:44-47)
Jesus on the road to Emmaus reminded the disciples of this truth of the suffering.
25 And He said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 26 “Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?”
27 Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.
What was the significance of Jesus statement in (v.26)?
That it was necessary that He suffered all the things we read in Isa53.
Then, I have to turn to a little further in Luke at another very significant statement made by Christ
44 Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”
In (v.44) what is the significance of the statement made?
That the words spoken must be fulfilled. Jesus is the fulfillment this was no longer a prophesy, it was fulfilled in the suffering and resurrection of Christ.
45 Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
(transition) Now from the Old Testament Prophets and the words of Jesus reminding his disciples, we get to the forerunner, John the Baptizer.
The Forerunner: John the Baptizer
John the Baptizer as foretold by Isaiah (Isa40:3)
3 A voice is calling, “Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.
Identified by Matthew, Mark and Luke (Mt3:1-3; Mk1:1-4 and Lk3:1-6)
The synoptic gospels all speak of the forerunner, John, let me give you just one of them, you can look up the others.
1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “Behold, I send My messenger ahead of You, Who will prepare Your way;
3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight.’ ” 4 John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
John (Apostle) speaks of how John the Baptizer bore witness of Jesus
As the Lamb of God (Jn1:29)
When Jesus came as John was Baptizing he commented in Jn1:29 “29 The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
As the Son of God (Jn1:34)
34 “I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.”
(Transition) - So the prophets and John the baptizer bore witness of Jesus prior to His ministry. Now that brings us to during the course of His ministry another witness.
The Father of Christ
The Father of Christ
So, the prophets, John the baptizer, reminded to the disciples, now from the heavenly that bears witness.
Bore witness through the signs (Jn5:36-37, 10:25, 37-38)
36 “But the testimony which I have is greater than the testimony of John; for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish—the very works that I do—testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me. 37 “And the Father who sent Me, He has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time nor seen His form.
Who are the witnesses you see in (vv.36-37)?
Testimony of Jesus, the testimony of John the baptizer, and then the Father (v.37). bore witness through the works (signs) given to do.
Jn10:25 “25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me.”
And then check out a few verses later, in fact turn there please.
37 “If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; 38 but if I do them, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.”
Whose works does Jesus do according to (v.37)?
What is the purpose of the works to be believed in (v.38)?
Bore witness through His voice (Mt3:16-17; Mt17:5; Jn12:27-30)
I have to be honest, I had an ah-ha moment in prepping for this, you know two of the times God spoke, but there is actually three.
His voice at Jesus baptism (Mt3:16-17)
His voice at Jesus transfiguration (Mt17:5)
but now the third time in the final week of Jesus earthly life
27 “Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. 28 “Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came out of heaven: “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.”
29 So the crowd of people who stood by and heard it were saying that it had thundered; others were saying, “An angel has spoken to Him.” 30 Jesus answered and said, “This voice has not come for My sake, but for your sakes.
Bore witness through raising Jesus (Rom1:3-4; Act17:30-31)
3 concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, 4 who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord,
How was Jesus declared the Son of God (v.4)?
30 “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, 31 because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.”
What was the proof of the appointment as judge according to (v.31)?
God raising Jesus from the dead!
The Father bore witness of the Son through the signs, through the words and through the appointment here is a bonus scripture to consider
40 “God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He become visible, 41 not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God, that is, to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead.
42 “And He ordered us to preach to the people, and solemnly to testify that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead. 43 “Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.”
What is the results of the witnesses bearing witness of Jesus (v.43)?
That by belief in Him you receive forgiveness of sins.
(Transition) this leads to our next witnesses, the followers of Christ
The Followers bear witness
The Followers bear witness
The forerunners, the Father, the works, all bear witness but yet there is more. We now get to the followers.
The apostles bear witness (Jn15:27; Act1:8, 5:30-32)
Consider what John said Jn15:27 “27 and you will testify also, because you have been with Me from the beginning.”
And Jesus instructions after His resurrection Act1:8 “8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.””
They were special witnesses, now consider this
30 “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross. 31 “He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. 32 “And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.”
The verifiable (empirical) evidence bears witness (1Jn1:1-2; 2Pt1:16-18; 1Cor4:9-13)
(note; for last few minutes, time for a bible marathon)
1jn1:1-2 “1 What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life— 2 and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us—”
Now join me and lets look at
16 For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 17 For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased”—
18 and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.
Now consider, because they bore witness they suffered, were willing to suffer for Christ
9 For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men condemned to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. 10 We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are prudent in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we are without honor.
11 To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless; 12 and we toil, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure;
13 when we are slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now.
Their unity bears witness (Jn17:20-23)
have someone read this
20 “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.
21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 “The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one;
23 I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.
The transformed lives bear witness (2Cor3:18, 4:6)
2cor3:18 “18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”
6 For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
(expand on the light shining out briefly)
The proclamation of the word bears witness (1Pt2:9-10)
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
YOU ARE so YOU CAN!
Bear witness of the light through your transformed life
Bear witness of the light by the proclaiming of the Word
Bear witness by walking as children of light (Ref: Eph5:8)
(Prayer) (Exit)