Sermon Tone Analysis

PP: As Christians, our primary purpose in this life is to make much of Jesus.

Introduction:

Have you ever made an impulse buy because of someone’s testimony of how great a product is?

As Christians, our primary purpose in this life is to make much of Jesus.

Body:

John 3:22–24 (ESV) — 22 After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing.

23 John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized 24 (for John had not yet been put in prison).

“After this...”

Jesus’ interaction with Nicodemus during the Passover festival in Jerusalem

“Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside”

Map

In verse 24, we will read that John and his disciples were baptizing up at “Aenon near Salim”

At one point I pictured Jesus and john just down river from each other a couple hundred yards, but this map helps us see that there was still some distance between the two.

“and he remained there with them and was baptizing”

What is the deal with this baptism?

John 4:2 tells us that Jesus wasn’t actually baptizing but his disciples were

There is some evidence that certain Jewish communities practiced baptism as a way of bringing Gentiles into the faith

The members of the Qumran community would practice daily baptisms as a way to keep themselves ceremonially clean and ready for the Messiah

But the most logical connection for what John was doing and what Jesus was doing seems to be found in the New Covenant expectations prophesied about in Ezekiel and Jeremiah

Ezekiel 36:22-28 (3 Slides)

Ezekiel 36:25 (ESV) — 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you.

Repentance

Ezekiel 36:27

Matthew 3:2 John saying “Repent”

Matthew 4:17 Jesus saying “Repent”

So these baptisms were potentially signifying that the inauguration of the NC was at hand.

It is also probable that these baptisms served to inaugurate the individual into the cohort of disciples of either John or Jesus.

Identification

“John was also baptizing at Aenon near Salim”

As we’ll find out, this is the introduction of our plot conflict in our passage, but here John (our author) was simply making note that John and Jesus were both in the wilderness doing the same things for the same reasons

“John had not yet been put in prison.”

Signifying John’s (author) awareness that the synoptic gospels all pick up the start of Jesus’ earthly ministry after these events, after John the Baptist had already been imprisoned (Mark 1:14)

Like-minded ministry partners are a good thing to have especially in an increasingly darkening culture like the one we find ourselves facing.

It’s a comfort to know you’re not the only one, that you’re not the only voice calling for people to come to Jesus.

God has designed the bride of Christ to consist of individual congregations scattered throughout the world who all work together toward the goal of seeing the Great Commission fulfilled.

Let’s allow this picture of John and Jesus laboring together in the Judean wilderness for a common purpose, remind us that we should be praying for the Lord to multiply those who will do the same with us today.

P1: Pray for the Multiplication of Like-Minded Ministry Partners (vv. 22-24)

There are many different ways for us to think about this (SLIDES)

The individual ministries we are a part of in our local churches

The pastoral teams that shepherd our local churches

The believers in our communities that attend other local churches

The pastors who shepherd those other local churches

The believers and pastors in our region

The believers and pastors in our state

The believers and pastors in our nation

The believers and pastors in our world

We should be praying regularly for the Lord to multiply like-minded, doctrinally-sound, followers of Jesus who will join us in accomplishing the common goal we all share of seeing the world reached for Christ.

Philippians 1:27-2:2 (2 Slides)

This is a unity we need more of across the landscape of the evangelical church today.

PR sent me a link published by Ligonier ministries on the current state of theology in our nation (SLIDES):

The Bible is significant but not literally true

2014: 41% agree

2016: 44% agree

2018: 47% agree

2020: 48% agree

2022: 53% agree

Gender identity is a matter of choice

2016-2020: 38% agree

2022: 42% agree

The Bible’s condemnation of homosexuality doesn’t apply today

2016: 42% agree

2018: 44% agree

2020: 40% agree

2022: 46% agree

God accepts the worship of all religions including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam

2016: 48% “evangelicals” agree

2018: 51% “evangelicals” agree

2020: 42% “evangelicals” agree

2022: 56% “evangelicals agree

Jesus was a great teacher, but he was not God

2020: 30% “evangelicals” agree

2022: 43% “evangelicals” agree

Do these numbers resonate with you as to why we must be praying for the Lord to multiply like-minded ministry partners in this nation?

God

Bible

Gospel

In our text we had the disciples of John baptizing up the river from the disciples of Jesus, but they were all pulling the ship in the same direction.

We need to look around our community here in southern California and give thanks to God for churches who are pulling in the same direction while we also pray that he would raise up more like-minded pastors and congregations to join us in seeking to accomplish the task at hand.

END P1

John 3:25–30 (ESV) — 25 Now a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a Jew over purification.

26 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.”

27 John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given 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 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.

30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”

“Now a discussion arose”

This was more than a casual conversation; the word meant “debate” or “argument”

This argument broke out between the disciples of John and a Jew

“over purification”

Ceremonial cleansing

Mark 1:44 (ESV) — 44 and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.”

This individual had taken offense at the manner in which John was going about his baptism, and he was there to let them know

“And they came to John and said to him...

The connection between this debate and what follows isn’t immediately clear from the text.

One commentator suggested the possibility that this Jew had been up where Jesus was baptizing and brought news of his activity and the crowds coming to him to John’s disciples while they were engaged in this debate.

Perhaps.

“Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan”

The one you baptized