WE ARE STUDYING THE FOUR GOSPELS MATTHEW, MARK, LUKE AND JOHN TO KNOW THE LORD AND SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST. TO KNOW HIM IS TO LOVE HIM.
Our Savior had lived on the earth for thirty years and had worked no miracle. There was the hiding of His power. He had been subject unto His parents and had lived in obscurity. Now He has broken through the obscurity and He begins His public ministry in Judea by working a miracle at;
Then He;
We see that He;
He then tells us how to get saved;
Today we will learn how ;
John the Baptist Exalts Christ.
John 3.22-36
Frederick Brotherton Meyer, a contemporary and friend of D. L. Moody and A. C. Dixon, was a Baptist pastor and evangelist in England involved in ministry and inner city mission work on both sides of the Atlantic presents it to us this way;
JOHN SHOWS THE GREATNESS OF HUMILITY
It is expressly stated in Joh_4:2 that Jesus baptized through His disciples. This controversy arose with a Jew, who was comparing the respective baptisms of John and the Lord. Perhaps he stirred John’s followers with jealousy as he contrasted the crowds that gathered round the new teacher with the waning popularity of the old. But the Baptist had no sense of being aggrieved. His answer is one of the noblest ever made by human lips: “My work has been definitely assigned to me. It has been enough for me to fulfill it. The rapture of the Bridegroom and His success in wooing hearts is not for me. It is enough to behold His joy. He must increase, and I must decrease, but I sorrow not. Indeed, my joy is filled to the brim because of His success.”
What a blessing it would be if we could enshrine in our hearts this immortal maxim: A man can receive nothing except it have been given him from heaven! What we have is God’s gift; let us hold it reverently. What another person has is God’s gift to him; we have no right to find fault with His dealings with another of His servants. Our orbits are distinct; all we have to do is to shine our brightest where He has placed us, confident that He knows best.
We thank William MacDonald (1917-2007) who, for more than forty years, written directly about the key issues of Christianity. Leaving a promising business career as an employed investment analyst with First National Bank of Boston “at the foot of the Cross”, he had travelled worldwide, proclaiming the unsearchable riches of Christ for the Believer’s Bible Commentary.
The Ministry of John the Baptist in Judea (3:22-36)
3:22 The first portion of this chapter described the Lord Jesus’ witness in the city of Jerusalem. From this verse to the end of the chapter, John describes Christ’s ministry in Judea, where doubtless He continued to proclaim the good news of salvation. As men came to the light, they were baptized. It would appear from this verse that Jesus Himself did the baptizing, but we learn in Joh_4:2 that it was done by His disciples.
3:23 The John referred to in this verse is John the Baptist. He was still preaching his message of repentance in the region of Judea and baptizing those Jews who were willing to repent in preparation for the coming of the Messiah. John also was baptizing in Aenon … because there was much water there. This does not prove conclusively that he baptized by immersion, but it certainly implies as much. If he baptized by sprinkling or pouring, there would have been no necessity of having much water.
3:24 This verse is given in explanation of John’s continued ministry and of the continued response of devout Jews to it. In the near future, John would be thrown into prison and beheaded for his faithful testimony. But in the meantime, he was still diligently carrying out his commission.
3:25 It is clear from this verse that some of John’s disciples became engaged in a dispute with the Jews about purification. What does this mean? Purification here probably refers to baptism. The argument was whether the baptism of John was better than that of Jesus. Which baptism had the greater power? Which was of greater value? Perhaps some of John’s disciples unwisely contended that no baptism could be better than that of their master. Perhaps the Pharisees tried to make John’s disciples jealous of Jesus and His current popularity.
3:26 They came to John for a decision. They seemed to be saying to him, “If your baptism is the better, why is it that so many men are leaving you and going to Jesus?” (The expression “He who was with you beyond the Jordan” refers to Christ.) John bore witness to the Lord Jesus, and as a result of this witness, many of John’s own disciples left him and began to follow Jesus. John 3, 4
3:27 If John’s reply was referring to the Lord Jesus, it means that any success the Savior received was an indication of God’s approval on Him. If John was referring to himself, he was saying that he had never pretended to be anyone great or important. He had never claimed that his baptism was superior to that of Jesus. He simply said here that he did not have anything but what he had received from heaven. That is true of all of us, and there is no reason in the world why we should be proud or seek to build up ourselves in men’s esteem.
3:28 John reminded his disciples that he had pointed out time and again that he was not the Christ, but was simply sent to prepare the way for the Messiah. Why should they argue over him? Why should they seek to form a party around him? He was not the important one, but was simply trying to point men to the Lord Jesus.
3:29 The Lord Jesus Christ was the bridegroom. John the Baptist was merely the friend of the bridegroom, the “best man.” The bride does not belong to the friend of the bridegroom, but rather to the bridegroom himself. Therefore, it was fitting that the people follow Jesus rather than John. The bride was used here to refer in a general way to all who would become disciples of the Lord Jesus. In the OT, Israel was spoken of as the wife of Jehovah. Later on in the NT, those who are members of Christ’s church are described under the figure of a bride. But here in John’s Gospel, the word was used in a general sense to include those who left John the Baptist when the Messiah appeared. It did not mean either Israel or the church. John was not unhappy to lose followers. It was his great joy to listen to the bridegroom’s voice. He was satisfied that Jesus receive all the attention. His joy was fulfilled when Christ was praised and honored by men.
3:30 The entire object of John’s ministry is summarized in this verse. He labored ceaselessly to point men and women to the Lord, and to make them realize His true worth. In doing this, John realized that he must keep himself in the background. For a servant of Christ to seek to attract attention to himself is really a form of disloyalty.
Note the three “musts” in this chapter: for the Sinner (Joh_3:7); for the Savior (Joh_3:14); and for the Saint (3:30).
3:31 Jesus is the One who comes from above and is above all. This statement was designed to show His heavenly origin and supreme position. To prove his own inferiority, John the Baptist said that he himself was of the earth and was earthly and speaks of the earth. This simply meant that, as to his birth, he was born a man of human parents. He had not heavenly rank and could not speak with the same authority as the Son of God. He was inferior to the Lord Jesus because He who comes from above is above all. Christ is the supreme Sovereign of the universe. It is only proper, therefore, that men should follow Him rather than His messenger.
3:32 But when the Lord Jesus spoke, He spoke with authority. He told men what He had seen and heard. There was no possibility of error or deceit. Yet strange to say, no one receives His testimony. The expression no one is not to be taken in an absolute sense. There are individuals who accept the words of the Lord Jesus. However, John was looking at mankind in general and simply stating that the Savior’s teachings were rejected by the majority. Jesus was the One who came down from heaven, but comparatively few were willing to listen to Him.
3:33 Verse 33 describes the few who did accept the words of the Lord as being the very words of God. By their acceptance, they certified that God is true. So it is today. When people accept the message of the gospel, they take sides with God against themselves and against the rest of mankind. They realize that if God has said something, it must be true. Notice how clearly verse 33 teaches the deity of Christ. It says that whoever believes the testimony of Christ acknowledges that God is true. This is just another way of saying that the testimony of Christ is the testimony of God, and to receive the one is to receive the other also.
3:34 Jesus was the One God has sent. He spoke the words of God. To support this statement, John stated that God does not give the Spirit by measure. Christ was anointed by the Holy Spirit of God in a way that was not true of any other person. Others have been conscious of the help of the Holy Spirit in their ministry, but no one else ever had such a Spirit-filled ministry as the Son of God. The prophets received a partial revelation from God but “the Spirit revealed in and by Christ the very wisdom, the very heart of God to man with all its infinitude of love.”
3:35 This is one of the seven times in John’s Gospel where we are told that the Father loves the Son. Here that love is manifested in giving Him control over all things. Among these things over which the Savior has complete charge are the destinies of men, as explained in verse 36.
3:36 God has given Christ the power to grant everlasting life to all who believe on Him. This is one of the clearest verses in all the Bible on how a person can be saved. It is simply by believing in the Son. As we read this verse, we should realize that God is speaking. He is making a promise that can never be broken. He says, clearly and distinctly, that anyone who believes in His Son has everlasting life. To accept this promise is not a leap in the dark. It is simply believing what could not possibly be false. Those who do not obey the Son of God shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on them already. From this verse we learn that our eternal destiny depends on what we do with the Son of God. If we receive Him, God gives us eternal life as a free gift. If we reject Him, we will never enjoy everlasting life, and not only so, but God’s wrath already hangs over us, ready to fall at any moment.
Notice that there is nothing in this verse about keeping the law, obeying the Golden Rule, going to church, doing the best we can, or working our way to heaven.
Note!
To love our Lord is to follow his will, and His will is that we obey his Commandments because He has written it on our hearts.
Jesus Himself has said very clearly;
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:17-20
Amen!
Please pray the Holy Spirit-The Paraclete will use these sermons and studies to bring many to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Tell someone today how much you Love Jesus Christ!
https://www.facebook.com/Quo-Vadis-Christian-Community-108732264228457
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2990184431096138
https://www.facebook.com/Phil.schutte18
Please ad yourself to our Messenger group to receive notification and chat to other members of the group. You may however wish to disable notification and look at post when you have the time.
https://www.facebook.com/messages/t
If you want a Bible please contact:
You may also want to join Creation Ministries International.
