John 1:19-37

Do be seated. Turn if you will in John 1. It's very hot isn't it? If you feel you need to get up and wander around, get a bit of fresh, well it's not particularly fresh is it? But get a glass of water. Please don't, well you don't have to faint is what I'm saying.

And we're going to meet this evening at 6 o'clock and Sinclair Ferguson is preaching. He does pulpit supply around the place. I felt we needed to have him. So, you know, I know it's a big disappointment Ruben and I aren't on, but Sinclair will be preaching tonight.

I want us to look tonight, this morning, at John 1. And I'm aware that you need to exercise great discretion when you talk about your heroes. You can be guilty, can't you, of elevating a man or a woman. You can be guilty of talking too much about a particular person.

But it's good to have heroes. We were made to have heroes. Godly heroes, wholesome heroes, well chosen heroes. And once in a while it's good to talk about them and to commend them.

There's a man among others, one man probably who's had a profound shaping life, shaping influence on my life. He's now 98. I can see him probably kind of once a month. We talk about church life, we talk about preaching and various things.

I feel something more than respect for him. There's clearly that, but there's something more than respect. Something more than admiration. There's clearly admiration.

In as far as it's appropriate to stand in awe of a human being, that's what I feel about this old man.

And the amazing thing is, as I've known him over the last 30 years, is what he's done consistently is he has said to me,

Levy, stop thinking about yourself, which is a very, very good thing.

But he said to me, stop thinking about yourself and get into God's word and think about God.

Don't look at me, look at God.

And when I look at John 1, I think John the Apostle stands in awe of John the Baptist.

I think we can see that in the way that it's written.

Still, after all these years, after all the time that's passed,

in John chapter 1, 50 years later, John sits down to write his gospel.

John 1 · chapter mention

And in all those ensuing years, John knew sense, as he writes about this guy, John the Baptist, he knew,

he stands in awe of him.

It's very likely, I think, that John, the Apostle who wrote the gospel,

was one of John the Baptist's followers, disciples.

It's very likely that he is one of the two mentioned in verse 35.

John stands in awe of this man.

He's seen his strange appearance.

He's experienced his authority.

He's felt the weight of God's voice in this man.

And so his awe for John the Baptist, you can still sense it.

And it grows out of his first-hand experience of John the Baptist.

First, nothing could deter this man from his purpose.

John the Baptist already told us, isn't he, last week,

John the Apostle has told us what John the Baptist's role is.

Look at verse 6.

Back in verse 6, he says,

There was a man sent from God whose name was John.

He came as a witness to the light,

to bear witness about the light,

that all might believe through him.

He wasn't the light,

but he came to bear witness to the light.

Do you hear that?

There was a man called John who was sent from God.

And his purpose was to call witness,

to bear witness to someone else,

to call attention to someone else,

to point people's eyes and hearts to someone else.

And again, you see it in verse 15.

Have a look there.

John bore witness about him

and cried out,

This was he of whom I said,

he who comes after me ranks before me

because he was before me.

So listen up for a moment.

John's purpose

in writing about John's Baptist ministry

can be summarized in three words.

So when you start off as a preacher,

they say, put your sermon into one sentence.

All good sermons are put into one sentence.

Great sermons are put into three words.

All right?

Amazing sermons are put into one word.

I'm speaking ironically.

All right?

Three words.

Okay?

So children,

what are the three words?

Do you remember?

Not me,

him.

What are they?

Not me,

him.

There you go.

You've got the sermon.

Not me,

him.

Now,

because the sermon is so good,

you can put it into one word.

Him.

Somebody says to you,

what was the sermon about on Sunday morning?

Not me,

him.

Or him.

That's John's life,

John the Baptist.

And as we look at these verses,

we see all the ways in which John bears witness to Christ.

Not me,

him,

he says.

In verse 19,

this is the witness,

this is the testimony of John.

And we see all the different ways that John accomplished that.

Pointing to Christ.

And it begins with this interaction with the Jewish leaders.

The Jewish leaders,

they're very,

very important people in Jerusalem.

They've sent a delegation to investigate what is going up on in Galilee.

There's this great buzz.

There's this great stir.

There's a man eating honey and locusts,

dressed in camel skin.

The people are going wild for him.

He lives in the wilderness.

They go out to him and he baptizes them.

John is the phenomenon of his day.

His ministry has caused a great stir.

His preaching has had an impact on people's lives.

Years,

after years and years and decades and centuries of silence,

God is now speaking.

Once again,

there's a prophetic voice that was being heard in Israel.

And so now they come.

You can imagine the film crews are there, aren't they?

The TV are there.

The radio are there.

It's disturbing the religious authorities.

They're troubled.

They're bothered by this outlier and John's independence.

Here is this rogue Levite preacher

with no real theological education,

attracting all this attention,

and people follow him.

And the religious establishment,

it's a big problem to them.

Because even though he was clearly unorthodox in his manner,

there's something unmistakable of God about him.

He's unorthodox in his manner and in his preaching,

and yet there's something unmistakably of God about him.

There's a power and authority in his words.

And so here they come.

They come thinking,

who does he think he is?

Presenting himself as the Messiah.

So they come from Jerusalem.

And despite the success of John the Baptist's ministry,

he is totally unaffected by his success.

He knows that compared to the effects of the ministry

of the one who is to come,

the effects of his ministry are like nothing.

He knows who the one is to come,

and he knows what the one who is coming will accomplish.

And so the delegation arrived,

the TV crews, they're all there,

and look at the interaction.

It's brilliant.

Verse 20,

the first reporter says,

who are you?

Everyone's talking about you.

They puff him up a little bit.

Verse 20,

he confessed and did not deny,

but confessed,

here it is,

I am not the Christ.

Verse 21,

they asked him,

what then,

are you Elijah?

Another reporter has a go,

and says,

well,

are you Elijah?

You know the prophet from long ago.

Is it you?

He said,

I'm not.

Third reporter,

getting slightly nervous,

says,

well,

are you the prophet?

And he answered,

no.

So they said,

well,

who are you?

We need to give an answer to those who sent us.

What do you say about yourself?

The director in the year piece is saying,

keep going,

ask for more.

And he says,

I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness,

make straight the way of the Lord,

as the prophet Isaiah said.

And we'll cut back to the studio on that point.

Jesus is the great I am,

isn't it?

It's been said that John is the great I am not.

I am not.

No.

Who are you?

John says,

listen to me,

I'm a voice.

I'm a voice of one crying in the wilderness.

I'm just an announcer.

I'm just the warm-up guy.

And that's all I am.

So don't inquire about me.

There's nothing here for you to discover.

There's nothing more you're going to find out about me.

It's not important.

Just listen.

Just listen to what I'm saying.

I'm just a voice.

Listen to what John says in verse 25.

He says there,

doesn't he?

They asked him,

then why are you baptizing

if you are neither the Christ,

nor Elijah,

nor the prophet?

And John answered them,

I baptize with water.

But among you stands one

you do not know.

You don't even know him.

even he who comes after me,

the strap of whose sandal

I am not worthy to untie.

These things took place in Bethany

across the Jordan

where John was baptizing.

The next day,

he saw Jesus coming towards him

and he says,

behold,

stop what you're doing.

Shut up and look.

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've seen

and I've borne witness

that this is the Son of God.

Look at all the ways

that John bears witness

and points to Jesus.

His preaching

prepares the way

for Christ's preaching.

His baptism

prepares the way

for a far greater baptism

that Christ will bring.

His theological description

exalts and magnifies Christ.

His direct references

called people's attention

to what he was doing.

Look there, he says.

There he is.

Look at him.

He's the one.

And then very deliberately

he takes his own disciples,

his own followers

and he says to them,

this is remarkable,

he says,

you don't want to follow me.

Don't waste your time

following me.

Follow him.

It's an amazing,

flabbergasting pattern

for Christian leaders, isn't it?

Don't follow me.

Don't lean on me.

Don't waste your time

following me.

Follow him.

And then,

John,

very deliberately,

doesn't he,

encourages the transfer

of their allegiance

to Jesus.

And so in all those ways,

John bore witness to Christ.

Not me,

him.

Three words.

Not me,

him.

That's my life's mission.

And so these verses

in chapter one,

they sell out

several different ways,

don't they?

That John spells out

the supremacy

of the Lord Jesus.

These verses

really emphasize

how John went

about doing it.

How faithfully

John was.

But the real question

that we need to get to

this morning

is the why.

Why did John do this?

Why was John

willing to call

all attention

to the Lord Jesus?

What is it about

the Christ

that makes it

so important to John

that he is

resolutely

refusing to be

deterred from his mission?

Why is he

pointing to Christ?

There's three things.

Number one,

I think this.

John the Baptist

knew the identity

of Jesus.

John the Baptist

knew the identity

of Jesus.

He knew who Jesus was.

John comprehended.

He had grasped

something of the

majestic

divine identity

of Jesus.

Look at verse 30.

It's a remarkable verse.

He says,

after me

comes a man

who ranks before me

because he was

before me.

You got that?

After me,

comes a man

who ranks before me.

He's more important

than I am

because he was

before me.

Now,

I don't know how familiar

you are with your Bible,

but do you remember

they were related

to one another?

John the Baptist

and the Lord Jesus.

John's mother,

Elizabeth,

is Jesus' mother,

Mary's cousin.

I think I've got that right.

Elizabeth and Mary

were cousins,

the two mothers.

And so,

John and Jesus

are related.

And in human terms

of chronology,

the human chronology

when you read

the other Gospels

is that John

is older than Jesus.

By about six months

we probably think.

And yet,

he says,

can you see it?

Verse 30,

he was before me.

So that,

so what in the world

is John saying?

He's saying to Jesus,

I know who you are.

I know who you are.

What has John understood?

John has understood

chapter 1,

verse 1,

in the beginning

was the Word

and the Word

was with God

and the Word

was God.

And he was

in the beginning

with God.

And he understood

that that Word

had become flesh

and there,

his cousin,

Jesus is the

incarnate Word.

He points to

an ordinary looking

Jewish carpenter

in his late 20s

and he says,

I'm not unworthy

to untie the straps

of that guy's sandals.

And they say to him,

isn't he your cousin?

And he said,

yeah.

And he is the Word.

And he is God.

That's why he says

in verse 34,

can you see there?

And I have seen

and borne witness

that this is

the Son of God.

This is the Word made flesh,

very God,

a very God,

one with the Father,

identical in essence

with the Father

in whom the fullness

of God now dwells

in bodily form.

And so the first reason

why John points to Jesus

is because John the Baptist

understands who he is,

that he is the Word

made flesh

and that he is

from the beginning.

Here's the second reason

why John points to Jesus.

Because Jesus is the one

in whom there is

complete forgiveness of sin.

Jesus is the one

in whom there is

complete forgiveness

of sin.

Look very slowly

and very carefully

at verse 29.

The next day,

John saw Jesus

coming towards him

and said,

Behold,

the Lamb of God

who takes away

the sin of the world.

And when John uses

that language,

that image,

that metaphor,

the Lamb of God,

there are images,

background images,

there are flashbacks

to the Old Testament.

And as some people

would no doubt

have thought back

to Genesis 22

and the story of Abraham

about the sacrifice

of his son

on the mountain

and God stops him

and says,

Look behind you

and God provides

a lamb.

Some of them

would have been

thinking of that.

Many of them

would have been

thinking of Isaiah 53

where the prophet says

there's going to be

a lamb who's going

to bear the sins

of many

who will suffer

on our behalf.

But I think

most of the people

who heard that

would have been

thinking,

because they celebrated

it every year,

they would have been

thinking of the Passover

lamb.

They would have been

thinking about that

sacrifice for covering,

a sacrifice for atoning,

a sacrifice for forgiveness.

And with that meaning

in their minds

that God had rescued

them through the blood

of a lamb,

John now points

to Jesus

and he says,

Behold the Lamb of God

who takes away

the sin of the world.

I'm not sure

how fully aware

John the Baptist

was of the implications

of what he was saying.

I think John the Baptist

speaks here

more than he realises.

But 50 years later

when the apostle John

is writing this gospel,

reflecting on these words

of John the Baptist

right back at the beginning,

he's seen

the sinless life,

he's seen the sacrificial

death of Christ,

he's experienced

in his own soul

the purifying effects

of the death of Jesus.

And as he sits

and writes and records,

you can just imagine

John the apostle,

can't you,

with his pen in his hand

recounting that moment

when John the Baptist

said those words?

Recounting the gospel

in all its fullness

of the sinless life

and the substitutionary

death of Jesus.

John the Baptist

points to Jesus

because in him

this morning,

right now,

there is complete

forgiveness of sin.

It's so simple,

isn't it,

that Jesus came

to take away

our sin

and our rebellion

and your guilt.

Look again

at verse 29,

just notice

that word

away.

He's taking it away.

the Lamb of God,

behold,

look at him,

think on him,

observe him,

the Lamb of God

who takes away

the sin of the world.

Listen to these words

from Bruce Mill,

he's a great preacher

in Canada,

a Scottish guy,

listen closely to this

because I suspect

that maybe,

you may be sitting here

this morning

and you need to hear

these words.

It's what Bruce Mill

says,

he says,

few aspects

of the gospel

need greater

or more frequent

affirmation

than this one.

How many people

struggle for survival

beneath crushing

burdens of guilt

but Christ,

the Lamb of God,

really has

borne it all

for us.

He says to us today,

son,

daughter,

your sins

are forgiven,

your sins,

your sinful

deeds,

I will remember

no more.

Behold the Lamb

of God.

Not me,

him.

John points us

to Jesus

because in him

and only in him

is found

complete forgiveness

for our sins.

One more reason

John points us

to Jesus

is because

in Jesus

there's new life.

in Jesus

you can be

born again

into new life.

John points us

to Jesus

because he

is life.

Look at verse

31.

I myself

did not

know him

but for this

purpose

I came

baptizing

with water

that he

might be

revealed to

Israel.

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

that is

he who

baptizes

with

the Holy

Spirit.

Why is

John

using

baptism

language?

And it is

because baptism

is pointing

you to something.

It is an

initiatory

experience.

Baptism

speaks to

you of

being brought

into something

new.

It points

us to new

life.

That new

life can

only be

found in

the Lord

Jesus Christ.

That is

what it

says to

Lily.

It says

to Lily

her baptism

speaks to

her and

it speaks

to you

by saying

new

life,

the washing

of your

sin can

only be

found in

Christ and

new life

in the

Holy Spirit

can only

be found

in Christ.

It is one

thing isn't

it to have

your sins

forgiven.

But if

all it is

that your

sins are

forgiven,

all that

does is

bring you

up to

zero.

You've

been in

the hole

and now

you've

been brought

out of

the hole.

You're

just at

zero.

But Jesus

came not

just to

forgive your

sins.

Listen to

this children

and young

people.

Jesus came

not just

to forgive

your sins,

he came

to give

you new

life.

New

life in

God's

Spirit.

And so

Jesus came

not just

to forgive

but to

give new

life and

he baptises

with the

Holy Spirit.

The language

of baptising

with the

Holy Spirit

it is the

language of

new

spiritual

life.

So you

think of

Adam in

the Garden

of Eden

and God

breathed

into him

his Spirit

and gave

him life.

C.S. Lewis

he picks it

up doesn't

he with

Aslan.

Aslan

breathes on

the stony

figures.

Do you

remember?

And they

come to

life.

And so

Christ

breathes

the Holy

Spirit.

He gives

the Holy

Spirit.

He causes

us to be

born again

into new

spiritual

life.

Just look at

chapter 3

in verse 3

flick over

as we

finish.

Jesus

answered

Nicodemus

this kind

of religious

man

religious

leader

truly truly

I say

to you

unless one

is born

again

he cannot

see the

kingdom

of God.

Nicodemus

said to

him

what do

you

want

about

how can

a man

be born

when he's

old

can he

enter a

second time

into his

mother's

temple

and be

born?

Jesus

answered

truly truly

I say

to you

unless one

is born

of water

that's the

natural

birth

and the

spirit

he cannot

enter the

kingdom

of God

that which

is born

of the

flesh

is flesh

and that

which is

born

of the

spirit

is spirit

God's

desire

from the

beginning

for us

to have

life

which we

have

forfeited

through our

rebellion

of saying

God I do

not want

you to be

in control

I am

in control

our rebellion

against Christ

and now

God offers

to us

in the

Lord Jesus

new life

Jesus

baptises

with the

spirit

he gives

life to

us by

his spirit

there is

life in

him

and he

gives

freely

to all

who will

turn to

him

and that's

why John

points to him

let me finish

it's really

hot isn't

it

let me

call your

attention

one last

time

to verses

34 and

35

chapter 1

verse 34

and 35

just look

at it

John says

I've seen

and have

borne witness

that this

is the

son of

God

the next

day

again

John was

standing with

two of his

disciples

and he

looked

at Jesus

as he

walked by

and said

behold

the

lamb

of God

the

two

disciples

heard him

say this

and they

followed

Jesus

just

imagine

the scene

for a

moment

he's

already

announced

very

broadly

very

publicly

behold

the

lamb

of

God

and now

it appears

that John

is standing

with two

of his

disciples

one of

them is

likely to

be the

guy who

has

actually

written

this

gospel

and

Jesus

walks

by

John

the

Baptist

just

turns to

them

his own

followers

and says

there he

is

behold

the

lamb

of

God

and look

what

happens

it's

an

amazing

thing

so

undramatic

verse 37

the two

disciples

heard him

say this

they

followed

Jesus

and clearly

John

as we're

going to

see again

and again

is writing

on two

levels

yes

the

disciples

physically

started

walking

after Jesus

but more

significantly

they're

taking

their first

steps

aren't

there

into

a

new

life

and that's

John's

purpose

that's

why

John

wrote

his

gospel

that's

why

we're

preaching

it

that

you

might

know

that

new

life

just

come

with me

sorry

I told

you it

was the

last

reference

but

that's

not

true

chapter

3

verse

25

as a

discussion

arose

between

some

of

John's

disciples

and

Jews

over

purification

and they

came to

John and

said to him

Rabbi

John the

Baptist

he was

with you

across the

Jordan

to whom

you bore

witness

look

he's

baptizing

people

and all

are going

after him

you're

losing

followers

John

answered

a person

cannot

receive

even

one

thing

unless

it's

given

to him

from

heaven

you

yourselves

bear me

witness

that I

said I'm

not the

Christ

but I've

been sent

before him

the one

who has

the bride

is the

bridegroom

the friend

of the

bridegroom

well he

stands

and he

hears

him

and he

rejoices

greatly

at the

bridegroom's

voice

therefore

this joy

of mine

is now

complete

why

he

must

increase

but I

must

decrease

not

me

him

and it

might be

really

tempting

and maybe

I've

preached

this

wrongly

this

morning

you

might

think

that my

message

is

be like

John

the

Baptist

and point

others

to Jesus

and that's

a very

good

message

but it

isn't

the

message

of

John

1

it

isn't

the

message

of

John

1

because

we

are

not

being

called

to

follow

John's

example

and point

others

to

Christ

that we

should

do

that

the

message

in

John

1

the

main

thing

here

is

follow

John's

eyes

and

follow

John's

finger

and

follow

John's

voice

the

reason

why God

had

John

the

apostle

write

this

was

not

so

that

you

should

follow

John

the

Baptist

but

so

that

you

would

hear

and

believe

the

truth

spoken

by

John

the

Baptist

and

follow

Christ

and that

we

would

know

Christ

and

we

would

know

forgiveness

of sins

in

Christ

and

new

life

in

spirit

that

we

would

have

life

in

him

and

we

follow

Christ

and

live

for

Christ

all

the

days

of

our

lives

and

live

to

his

glory

let's

pray