John 1:30-34 I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God

"This is He of whom I said, 'After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.'  I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.  And John bore witness, saying, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him.  I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'  And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God."

 

"This is He of whom I said, 'After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.' I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water."  John the Baptist immediately assured his disciples and those who had come to be baptized, that Jesus - the Lamb of God - was not a new and unanticipated figure; but was that same person whom John had already spoken of as the greater One, who would follow only chronologically.

 

I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.  Now John offers the fundamental answer to the question, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"  Everything about John's baptism was designed to point men to the future work of Christ.  We have discussed previously the Baptist's call to a heartfelt repentance and the symbolic washing of the body - representative of the cleansing of the conscience, soul, and spirit which Jesus would accomplish through the blood of His cross.  But John would now impart to his hearers a direct word from the Lord, given specifically to identify the Christ; and this sign was reserved for the moment when Christ Himself would be baptized by John.

 

And John bore witness, saying, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'"

 

For the sake of contrast, let us consider how the Spirit descended upon Jesus' disciples after He had ascended to the right hand of the Father.  And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.  Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. - Acts 2:2,3  It is common among converts to Christianity for their first encounter with the Holy Spirit to be one of conviction; as the refining fire which condemns sin in the flesh purifies the the sin-infected soul.  This is a necessary action in preparation for the reception of God's perfect peace and joy and love, which then find a suitable heart in which to abide.

 

Yet John saw the Spirit descend upon Jesus as a dove, the symbol of peace.  The Spirit was not a new revelation to Jesus.  Because Jesus was one with the Father and the Spirit from the beginning, the peace of God had always abided with Him.  And no cleansing action was necessary because Jesus was without sin; as Peter affirms, " . . you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." - 1st Peter 1:18,19

 

Also, the Spirit remained upon Jesus; once again, in contrast with the Disciples.  The Book of Acts describes how the Apostles and deacons would gather together and pray to be filled, and re-filled, with the Holy Spirit.  Luke's account of the early Church records how Peter and others would be filled with the Spirit in order to speak boldly and to work miracles.  But the Spirit remained upon Jesus for the entirety of His earthly ministry.

 

"And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God."

 

Inherent within the act of water baptism which John was sent to perform was a pre-ordained sign by which John would recognize the Messiah.  God had spoken to John in advance so that there could be no doubt involved in this proclamation; the most profound act of his prophetic calling.  John had been chosen, prepared, and instructed, in order to give his solemn certification that Jesus was indeed the true and only Christ, the Son of God.

 

After following Jesus for three years and then witnessing the resurrection with their own eyes, the Apostles addressed the people of Jerusalem re-affirming the Baptist's certification of Christ, and offering a new baptism unto eternal life:

 

"Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know - Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. . . "

 

" . . This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.  "For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself:

 

The Lord said to my Lord,
'Sit at My right hand,
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.'

 

"Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."

 

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?"

Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." - Excerpts from the second chapter of Acts

 

John 1:29 Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"

 

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him  The importance of this notation might be overlooked as superfluous information.  We must, however, remember that John was a disciple of John the Baptist and shared in the events of daily life.  John might have expanded this comment about the next day in an oral conversation as follows:  "Just yesterday three different groups of inquirers from the priests, the Levites, and the Pharisees, all came to inquire whether John held himself out to be the Prophet or the Christ.  And can you believe it?  The very next day!  The Christ, Himself came to Bethabara - the long awaited Hope of Israel came by, the very - next - day!"

 

John the Baptist had spent most of the day before proclaiming, by divine knowledge, that the Christ had indeed come.  And the next day there He was!  Right there in Bethabara.  But isn't this just the way God works in the lives of His people?  How often the Lord directs the thoughts on our minds, or leads us into discussion with others, about something special that He is about to do.  And how much more does God magnify His presence in our lives when we have left all to follow Him - like John, the disciple of the Baptist; and soon to be the disciple of Christ.  This little "coincidence" might have gone unrecorded, but it was evidently a precious jewel to John.  A personal treasure that has been faithfully shared through this gospel.

Ottavio Vannini - The Baptist, Jesus (left), Andrew, & John

 

"Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! "  Not only did the prophetic Baptist know Christ when he saw Him; he also understood the mission of Christ's first coming.  Even after Jesus' own disciples had been with Him for three years, they still did not realize that Jesus would have to suffer and die as a sacrifice for our sins.   The crowds who followed Jesus also expected their Messiah had come to rule the kingdom of Israel; and the whole world.  They were ready to crown Him by force after He had multiplied the loaves and fishes.

 

But John the Baptist knew from the beginning that Jesus would lay down His life for His sheep.  The writer of Hebrews explains the two distinct earthly ministries of Jesus as follows: And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many.  To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation. - Hebrews 9:27,28  (This salvation apart from sin is the glorification in bodily form of those who have already been saved from their sins through faith in Christ.)

 

The first ministry of Christ was clearly established through the prophet Isaiah over 700 years before Jesus was born.  Isaiah described Christ's general mission as the vicarious sacrifice for the sins of all mankind.  But he also submits particular details about the circumstances in which Christ: would enter the world in humility, would appear as any other man, would be considered a fool, would be rejected, would suffer - being scourged and bruised, would be the peace-offering for every wayward soul, would give up His life for the sins of others, would not speak dishonestly nor conquer by force, would not speak up to escape the unjust judgment of men, would be designated a burial among the wicked - but would instead be buried in an honorable tomb, would not remain dead, but would rise to receive the fruit of His labor.

 

Isaiah 53

Who has believed our report?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,
And as a root out of dry ground.
He has no form or comeliness;
And when we see Him,
There is no beauty that we should desire Him.
He is despised and rejected by men,
A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.
But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He opened not His mouth;
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
So He opened not His mouth.
He was taken from prison and from judgment,
And who will declare His generation?
For He was cut off from the land of the living;
For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.
And they made His grave with the wicked
But with the rich at His death,
Because He had done no violence,
Nor was any deceit in His mouth.

Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him;
He has put Him to grief.
When You make His soul an offering for sin,
He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days,
And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.
He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied.
By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many,
For He shall bear their iniquities.
Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great,
And He shall divide the spoil with the strong,
Because He poured out His soul unto death,
And He was numbered with the transgressors,
And He bore the sin of many,
And made intercession for the transgressors.

 

The whole sacrificial system of the Old Testament from Abel's sacrifice until the destruction of Herod's Temple all foreshadowed Jesus' sacrifice of Himself on the cross.  In fact the Law declares that without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin.  This might seem harsh, but all sins are ultimately sins against God, and bear the same consequences as the sin of Adam - "you shall surely die."
 

The sacrifice of an animal's life recognized the true cost of sin, and satisfied the requirements under the old covenant.  But the sacrifice of God's beloved Son has made atonement for all sin, and has also provided new life, eternal life, to all who believe.  As the Apostle John stated in his first letter; And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. - 1st John 2:2

 

Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.  Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. - Hebrews 10:20-23

John 1:24-28 There stands One among you whom you do not know

Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees.  And they asked him, saying, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"  John answered them, saying, "I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know.  It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose."  These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

 

Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees.  "Now those who were sent" does not refer to the those who were sent by the priests and Levites, discussed in the verses 19 through 23.  But another group accompanied those who had been sent from the Temple authorities; and these were sent be the Pharisees.  The question of John's authority to perform the religious act of baptism was in keeping with the independent philosophy of the Pharisees.

 

The Pharisees originated as a separatist group after the Maccabean Revolt of the second century B.C.  The name "Pharisee" comes from the Hebrew word "Parash", to separate.  The "Perushim" consisted of a pious group of Jews (perhaps related to the Hasidic order of purists) who judged the post-Maccabean leadership of Israel to be too Hellenistic, and too centered on the Temple services.

 

The Pharisees sought to distance themselves from the Grecian culture that had infected the Jewish lifestyle with pagan and humanistic practices.  The priesthood became enjoined with the Grecianized government of Israel; and a Jewish leadership rose up with a taste for the refinements of life associated with the Greek and Roman cultures.  As a result, a new affluent class of religious leadership, known as the Sadducees, took control of the priesthood.

 

"Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"  The Pharisees distinguished themselves by their adherence to the laws of Moses and their acceptance of the Books of the Prophets.  The Sadducees questioned the religious authority of the Pharisees.  And the Pharisees also questioned the spiritual authority of the Sadducees.  So it was quite expected that they would also question John's spiritual authority to perform baptism.

 

John answered them, saying, "I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know. It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose."   Notice that John made no defense of his own authority.  Instead, John directed their attention to the One who would shortly become a much greater concern to them.  However, John did, in essence, prove his own spiritual authority by proclaiming that, as a prophet, God had revealed to him that the Messiah was already present among men.  John's credentials were established by the fact that God had entrusted to him, rather than the Pharisees, with the knowledge that they would soon see their Redeemer standing on the earth.  John exposed their own lack of authority by their ignorance of the One, "whom you do not know."

 

These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.  Please recall from our previous study that the Apostle John was present with John the Baptist there at the Jordon.  The gospel writer was there, standing on the banks of the river, when these examiners were sent from Jerusalem to interrogate The Baptist.  The religious leaders knew that God was doing a great work because everyone was going out into the desert to be baptized.  They certainly must have known in their hearts that their own religious ideals and efforts were about to be challenged.

 

Do you know the One whose sandals John was unworthy to loose?  John's gospel is written in such a way that the reader might come to his own Jordon; asking, "Who is this Jesus?"  Why have people been seeking, and finding, and worshipping Him for the last 2,000 years?  He is the Lord!  And God has promised, "Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.  And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart." - Jeremiah 29:12,13

 

Bethabara (house of the ford) shown on ancient tile map, Medaba, Jordan

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madaba_Map

 

John 1:19-23 Now this is the testimony of John

Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?"  He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ."  And they asked him, "What then?  Are you Elijah?"  He said, "I am not."  "Are you the Prophet?"  And he answered, "No."

Then they said to him, "Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us?  What do you say about yourself?"  He said: "I am The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Make straight the way of the Lord,'" as the prophet Isaiah said."

 

"I am not the Christ"

 

The emissaries of the priests did not ask specifically if John held himself out to be the Christ.  And yet his first response, "I am not the Christ", indicates that John fully anticipated the foremost matter to be settled was whether or not John the Baptist was the Messiah.  And indeed, about this time several leaders rose up and claimed to be the Christ.  Gamaliel mentioned two of these impostors in the fifth chapter of Acts.

 

For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody. A number of men, about four hundred, joined him.  He was slain, and all who obeyed him were scattered and came to nothing.  After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census, and drew away many people after him.

 

But in fact, the Messiah was expected to appear around the time of John's ministry.  Jewish Rabbinical tradition calculated the timing of Christ's arrival based upon the Genesis account of creation.  Below: we draw once again from the extensive research of Risto Santala.

 

[ THE SPIRIT OF THE MESSIAH IN THE CREATION ACCOUNT

Genesis begins with the creation of heaven and earth: the earth was without form, and void. Even in this description the Talmudic Sages scented the beginning of the plan of salvation for humanity:

"The tradition of Elijah teaches that the world is to exist for six thousand years; In the first two thousand desolation; in the next two thousand the Torah will flourish and the next two thousand are the days of the Messiah but on account of our sins, which were great, things turned out as they did." - Sanhedrin 97a.

It was essential to this traditional expectation that the sovereignty of the Torah -- the Law of Moses -- would last 2000 years, the same as that of the Messianic period. In the same far-ranging discussion from which the above citation is taken we find, in explanation, that:

"The seventh millennium will be war, and at the close of the millennium the Son of David will come".

In the discussion which follows mention is made of "The war of Gog and Magog and the remaining period will be the Messianic era, whilst the Holy One, blessed be he, will restore his world only when the seventh millennium is over." - Sanhedrin 97b.

 

This so-called "Elijah Tradition", which represents the understanding of the majority of the Sages, brings to mind the mainstream Christian teaching of the Last Days and the Millennial Kingdom. When six millennia have passed, there will follow, according to some, a thousand-year Sabbath, shabaton. This could be the "Messianic era" after which the "world" will be renewed. 1985 AD is equivalent to the year 5745 in the Jewish calendar, which means that the Messiah ought to have come already. ] - http://www.ristosantala.com/rsla/OT/index.html

 

Indeed, the Messiah ought to have come just over 2,000 years prior to the current Hebrew Calendar date, when adjusted for missing years during the Babylonian captivity.  So according to the Jewish traditions held at the time of Christ, those days were precisely when the Christ was expected.  In light of this research we understand why John's first response was to give assurance that he was not the Christ.  (We should also note that according to this same 7,000 year scheme, the millennium is drawing near!)

 

"What then? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not."  The Book of Malachi instructs that Elijah would come just before the Messiah.  Jesus also affirmed that Elijah would come first.  Coming down from the mount of transfiguration Jesus told His disciples to keep what they had seen to themselves until after He had risen from the dead.  (Remember that Peter had also just made his proclamation that Jesus was "the Christ, the Son of the living God.)  At this point the disciples asked Jesus, "Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"  Then He answered and told them, “Indeed, Elijah is coming first and restores all things. And how is it written concerning the Son of Man, that He must suffer many things and be treated with contempt?  But I say to you that Elijah has also come, and they did to him whatever they wished, as it is written of him.” - Mark 9:11-13  Jesus said this referring to John the Baptist.

 

"Are you the Prophet?" And he answered, "No."  See commentary on John 1:18 addressing The Prophet from Deuteronomy chapter 18.

 

"I am The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Make straight the way of the Lord,'" as the prophet Isaiah said."  John declared that his ministry of repentance and baptism fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah Chapter 40.

 

"Comfort, yes, comfort My people!"
Says your God.
"Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her,
That her warfare is ended,
That her iniquity is pardoned;
For she has received from the Lord’s hand
Double for all her sins."

The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
"Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make straight in the desert
A highway for our God.

Every valley shall be exalted
And every mountain and hill brought low;
The crooked places shall be made straight
And the rough places smooth;

The glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
And all flesh shall see it together;
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken." - Isaiah 40:1-5

 

This call from the wilderness was given to prepare the hearts of the people for the revelation of Christ.

 

Her warfare is ended.  The way of perfect peace with God would be accomplished by Jesus.  But John's call to repentance provided an opportunity for those who truly sought peace to humble themselves before God by acknowledging their sins.  Those who seek the perfect peace that Jesus offers must also come to Him in humility.

 

Her iniquity is pardoned.  The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross: His death, and His blood was the propitiation that would take away our sins.  But the outward cleansing of John's water baptism represented the true regeneration of the mind, the soul, and the spirit that would come through new life in the risen Savior.

 

Prepare the way of the Lord.  For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. - 1st John 3:8b  A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness. - Hebrews 1:8b,9a  Those who seek and follow God must be prepared to walk in paths of righteousness.  The people came to John and asked him, "What must I do?"  John the Baptist instructed them in practical ways so they might do what was right in the sight of God.  And so Paul instructs in Titus 2:11-14:

 

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.

 

The glory of the Lord shall be revealed.  Jesus did not promote His own glory, but the Father glorified Himself along with the Son.  Jesus prayed on the night before His crucifixion; "Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him.  And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.  I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.  And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was." - John 17:1b-5

 

The revelation of the Lord, when all flesh shall see it together, will light up the sky from east to west; when Jesus returns in His glory.  But on that sacred night nearly 2,000 years ago, only a few lowly shepherds were present to behold the spectacle of the Lord's humble appearance.

 

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

"Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"

 

 

John 1:18 No one has seen God at any time

No one has seen God at any time.  The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

 

No one has seen God at any time.  The Bible states emphatically that it is impossible for mortal man to see God.  Paul wrote in 1st Timothy 6:14-16 that we are incapable of beholding the Son of God in His glory "until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing, which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen."  This is also why Paul insists that we must be changed; "that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God", and "this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality." - 1st Corinthians 15,50,53

 

In our mortal state we may only look upon God through visions.  Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and John all had such visions, and even in these visions the appearance of God's glory was so overwhelming that they fell on their faces.  They became as dead; without the strength to speak, to move, or even to breath unless the Lord had strengthened them to endure - so that He might use these close encounters for His divine purposes.

 

Moses knew God to the extant that any mortal man might know Him.  It was said that he spoke with God face-to-face. Yet this must have been said to indicate how clearly God and Moses communicated.  The New Testament indicates that God was speaking to Moses through angels.  We do not know whether these appearances of God took the form of The Angel of God, often associated with the Lord Himself.  Or whether these meetings were actual pre-incarnate manifestations of the Son, also known as a Christophany.  But the Bible makes it clear that Moses had not seen God in His glory because of the following account of his request, and God's reply.

Moses asked God, “Please, show me Your glory.”  Then He[God] said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.”  But He said, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.”  And the Lord said, “Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock.  So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by.  Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen.” - Exodus 33:18-23

 

God did reveal Himself to Moses on Mount Sinai by allowing him to see His divine attributes.

 

Now the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord.  And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.” - Exodus 34:5-7

 

God spoke to Jeremiah affirming these same divine characteristics, saying; But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the Lord. - Jeremiah 9:24

 

But God knew from the beginning that man in his fallen sinful state would not be able to endure His presence.  There on Mount Sinai when God descended, the people begged for a mediator.  They were terrified by God's glory, saying, "Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God, nor let me see this great fire anymore, lest I die."  And the Lord said to me[Moses]: "What they have spoken is good.  I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him.  And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him." - Deuteronomy 18:16-19

 

The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.  Jesus is that Mediator who was to come.  That's why Jesus said those who rejected His words would also be cut off from God.  He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him - the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. - John 12:48

 

The Greek word for "declared" is exegesis.  It is used in the Greek Septuagint in 1st Chronicles 16:23,24: Sing to the Lord, all the earth; proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.  Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples.  And in Acts 15:12  Then all the multitude kept silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul declaring how many miracles and wonders God had worked through them among the Gentiles.

 

Jesus said, "I and My Father are one." - John 10:30   He is the image of the invisible God - Colossians 1:15a.  Because Jesus is in the bosom of the Father, He was (and is) able to declare God to man as never before; as Hebrews 1:1,2a says: God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son.

 

But Jesus assured us that He did not come into the world to condemn it, but to save it.  The little children came to Him trusting the gentleness of His touch.  But even mature Christians can shrink back from the intensity of walking in the presence of God.  Some cease from fellowship.  Others use substances to numb them, so that they might just drift through life with the hope that all will be well when they die.  Yes, our God is a consuming fire.  But don't fall into doubt about the love that God has for those who have loved His Son.

 

For you have not come to the mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words, so that those who heard it begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore.  (For they could not endure what was commanded: "And if so much as a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned or shot with an arrow."  And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, "I am exceedingly afraid and trembling.")

 

But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. - Hebrews 12:18-24

 

Let the message of the cross wash away every trace of fear.  Because . . . God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.  For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.  And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. - Romans 5:8-11

 

Jesus has come declaring the Father, and His declaration is love and peace and grace and truth!

John 1:17 Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

 

For the law was given through Moses.  Until the time of Christ the canonical Old Testament writings consisted of the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms.  Most of the Psalms were composed by David and Asaph.  Seventeen different prophets are identified as the source of the prophetic books.  But all of the laws in the five books written by Moses are ascribed to Him.

 

As a preface to our examination of the difference between the law and grace, we should recognize the authority of Christ, our fountainhead of grace.  The late Risto Santala spent much of his life in Israel studying the ancient Hebraic writings.  The Rabbinical Fathers attest to the fact that Christ would indeed augment the words of Moses.  The following excerpts may be accessed at http://www.ristosantala.com on the page titled "THE MESSIAH AS THE SECOND MOSES"

 

[The Midrash literature on Moses speaks of the 'First' and the 'Last' Saviours. Midrash Rabbah on Ecclesiastes relates how R. Berechiah said in the name of R. Yits .hak, who lived before the year 300 AD, that:

"Just as there was a First Saviour so there will be a Last. Just as it is said of the First Saviour (Ex. 4:20) that 'He took his wife and sons and put them on a donkey', so it is said of the Last Saviour that 'He is lowly and riding on a donkey'(Zech. 9:9). As the First Saviour provided manna (Ex. 16), as it is written, 'Behold I will pour out bread from heaven upon you,' so will the Last Saviour, as it is written (Ps. 72:16), 'Let corn abound throughout the land'. Just as the First Saviour opened a fountain, so the Last Saviour will provide water, as it is written (Joel 3:18), 'A fountain will flow out of the LORD'S house'."]- Midrash Qoheleth Rabbati 1. 

Be sure to access Risto's webpage to learn how he derives the following conclusion. 

[We have seen that in the light of the old Jewish literature the Messiah is to be a "Second Moses" and the "Last Saviour"; he will be called by the name "Lord"; grace and truth will be united in him; he will be conceived by the Holy Spirit; he will speak and act in the name of God, and that will be his distinguishing "sign"; in this way he will show himself to be Moses "redivivus". All of these features apply to Jesus.] - Emphasis added

but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.  God gave us both the law and grace, therefore, both are good and beneficial.  Jesus countered the accusation that He had come to abolish the law by responding; Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.  For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. - Matthew 5:17,18

 

The law was given for the necessary purpose of maintaining order in the midst of a fallen world.  But the law also confronts imperfect man with a perfect standard which reveals to us our inner defect caused by the corruption of sin.  We are convicted by our inability to live up to God's standard, leaving us with an unsolvable delemma as to how we might withstand the judgment of a holy God.  The Apostle Paul said it is this predicament that points us to grace as the only solution.

 

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.  Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. - Romans 3:19,20

 

In Galatians 3:21-25, Paul explains that law and grace are not in opposition to one another.  Is the law then against the promises of God?  Certainly not!  For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law.  But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.  But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed.  Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.  But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.

 

You see, the corruption of sin has stained every man with the defect of inner corruption; a stain which can only be removed by living a perfect life in obedience to every law of God - a life that no one but Jesus has lived.  But God has made a way that the stain might be removed through the sacrifice of His Son on the cross.

 

"Come now, and let us reason together,"
Says the Lord,
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool." - Isaiah 1:18

 

And even though this divine salvation from sin is supernatural, it is not beyond reason.  For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off.  It is not in heaven, that you should say, 'Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?'  Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, 'Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?'  But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it. - Deuteronomy 30:11-14

 

So how might we understand the mechanics of salvation?  Some have used the acronym for grace: God's Riches At Christ's Expense.  Others have called it "The Great Exchange, as described in 2nd Corinthians 5:21; For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.  This gift of grace bestowed upon those who believe in Christ is the complete forgiveness of sins, and the appropriation of God's righteousness - it is the righteousness of God imparted as a gift upon those who are incapable of righteousness on their own.  It cannot be earned.  It can only be accepted.  It is not based on our personal merit.  It's based on the perfect sacrifice which Jesus offered for us on the cross.

 

For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.  But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. - Titus 3:3-7

 

But why does John say that truth came through Jesus?  Jesus often began His statements; "Truly, truly, I say to you. . ."  Jesus spoke with authority from the full knowledge of the Godhead.  And Jesus is the true and only way to be reconciled to the Father.  Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

 

But the life of God, eternal life, is honest life.  It is a whole and wholesome life that is complete in Christ.  It is true life that sets men free to be who they were created to be.  How broken is man in his fallen state!  How he is held back by his insecurity, by his circumstances, by mistakes and misfortunes.  But all the while he attempts to hide his inner dissatisfaction as he searches within and without for his own identity; only to be more and more disenchanted with the imperfection of his fallen state.

 

But Jesus came to give us life, abundant life; true life, as life was meant to be - free from the corruption of guilt, of sin, and even of the fear of death.  The New Covenant is the covenant of grace and truth.  It has been said that this gospel is so simple that it might be stated in four words; "Christ died for me."

 

Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.  For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?  And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. - Hebrews 9:12-15

 

If Christ did all of the work, is there anything left for us to do?  Yes; believe it!  How can you indicate that you understand that the only way to obtain righteousness is through Christ - and that you are placing your faith Him?  Consider confessing what you believe to God and to others.

 

 For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, "The man who does those things shall live by them."  But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down from above) or, “‘Who will descend into the abyss?'" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).  But what does it say?  "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame." - Romans 10:5-11

John 1:16 Of His fullness we have all received

 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.

In order to appreciate the complete idea being expressed by verse sixteen we must consider the preface to grace and truth given in verse fourteen.  And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

And of His fullness we have all received  We understand from verse fourteen that it is the fullness of Christ's grace and truth which we have all received.  But what is this grace?

In simple terms, divine grace is the gift of God's favor, including all of God's benefits bestowed upon the objects of His favor.  God's general grace toward mankind gives us each a measure of faith which is sufficient for us to believe in Jesus.  But through Christ's grace we receive the love of God as His dear children; fully pleasing to Him because the Son is fully pleasing to the Father.  As the Father spoke during Jesus' baptism and later during His transfiguration; This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.  In John chapter fifteen Jesus tells the Disciples, for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God.

But doesn't God love everyone?  Yes, He is compassionate.  But we have already observed in verse twelve of Chapter One that the right to be adopted into the family of God as His children only comes by receiving and trusting in Christ.  We are accepted and loved as children - if we are accepted through His beloved Son.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. - Ephesians 1:3-6

When John states "we" all have received of the fullness of Christ's grace he is including all who have received Christ.  The gift of grace is available to all; as the scriptures say, "All who call on the name of the Lord will be saved."  Jesus died for the sins of the whole world.  But to receive the fullness of grace each soul must be humbly drawn to the source of this grace and submit to the Lord Jesus Christ.

But even the desire to seek Christ, and the faith to believe, are gifts of God's grace.  And lest we suppose that only the worthy are drawn to Jesus  the Apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 2:1-9:

And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

 

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.  For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Paul goes so far as to stress his own lack of merit in his letter to Timothy, stating, This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. - 1st Timothy 1:15

Paul's confession did not mean, however,  that he continued to be the chief of sinners after his salvation.  He makes this clear in the Book of Romans.

What shall we say then?  Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?  Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?  Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?  Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. - Romans 6:1-4

and grace for grace.  This is one of the most marvelous phrases in the Bible.  The Greek is stated in a somewhat poetic fashion that supports several wonderful English interpretations.  It is often translated grace upon grace.  The expanded literal translation of the Greek words yields; for the sake of grace replacing grace.  The imagery might be depicted as a river of grace, ever replenished from a boundless source of grace.

But the result of this ever-replacing grace in the life of the objects of God's special favor could be conveyed by using the illustration of the game of chess.  As each move is made in a chess match, the opponent must recalculate a new strategy based on the changing positions of the pieces on the board.  Now imagine playing chess with a super-computer that is able to instantly respond to your every move.  Then consider what the game might be like if the other player was not your opponent, but instead, was doing everything possible to help you win the game.

The reality of God's grace is that He knew every choice we would make in our lives - the good and the bad - before He even created us.  His ever-replacing grace has us covered, even when we blow it 'big time'.  This doesn't mean that He won't allow testing or chastening in our lives.  But we do know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.  For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.  Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. - Romans 8:28-30

Isn't He Wonderful!  Take a moment to worship Him for His goodness.  And if you haven't yet put your trust in Jesus so that you might be forgiven of all of your sins and know that your name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life, please pray that God would impress the truth of His love upon your heart so that you might be drawn to the One who is full of grace and truth.

John 1:15 He who comes after me is preferred before me

John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.'"

The Apostle John inserts this parenthetical reference to John the Baptist between the 14th, and the 16th and 17th verses; right in the middle of his dialog of the fullness of the grace and truth of Jesus.  So we will also postpone our discussion of grace and truth in order to explain why The Baptist's testimony might merit such a mention in the midst of Christ's attributes.  This will provide an opportunity to discuss the background of both Johns.

Besides being a witness to the ministry of Jesus, the Apostle John is the only New Testament writer who was also a disciple of John the Baptist.  This Apostle is therefore compelled to offer his own first hand observations of John the Baptist in order to supplement the three synoptic gospels.

Jesus did come after John in both his birth and his ministry.  Luke's gospel tells us that in the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy the angel Gabriel was sent to announce to the virgin Mary that she would bear the Son of God.  This places the birth of Jesus at least six months after the birth of Elizabeth's child, John the Baptist.

Luke also dates the beginning of John the Baptist's ministry as follows:

Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. - Luke 3:1,2

This information establishes the date of John's calling around 29 A.D.  This means that Jesus' baptism by John may have occurred within a year of the start of The Baptist's ministry in the desert.  Now sometime between the beginning of John's ministry and the beginning of Jesus' ministry, the would-be Apostles, John and Andrew, became disciples of John the Baptist.

 

Throughout John's gospel the writer either refers to himself as "the Disciple that Jesus loved," or simply mentions the presence of someone who remains unidentified.  Mark applies this same humility in his gospel when he refers to himself as the "certain young man" in the garden of Gethsemane who shed his outer garment and ran away naked.  John is "the other" "one of the two" in the following citation from John 1:35-40:

 

Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples.  And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!"  The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.  Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, "What do you seek?"  They said to Him, "Rabbi”"(which is to say, when translated, Teacher), "where are You staying?"  He said to them, "Come and see."  They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).  One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.

 

Now John and his brother James were the sons of Zebedee and Salome.  The Zebedee family and the family of Andrew and Peter lived in Bethsaida and were both engaged in the fishing business.  The gospels provide other information about John which should promt intriguing questions, such as: How did a these two sons in the fishing industry from Galilee of the Gentiles become so interested in piety that they sought the tutelage of the desert prophet?  And, why were the religious leaders of Jerusalem so well acquainted with the Apostle John that he was welcomed into the courtyard of the high priest on the night of Jesus' betrayal?

 

These questions might not be decisively resolved, but the answers might be found in the family relationships noted in scriptures, and by reasonable assumptions that are not directly stated in the gospels.

 

First of all, we are told that Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, was the wife of a priest who served in the Temple.  And Elizabeth was the cousin of Mary, the mother of Jesus.

 

The second relationship is inferred, and is presented concisely by missionary and Christian publisher, Jay Rogers, and may be located online at the link below.  Jay has color-coded the key elements of his argument.

[1. In the Gospel of Matthew, James and John are identified as the sons of Zebedee.
“And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father” (Matthew 4:21).

2. Standing among the women near the cross with Jesus’ mother Mary was the mother of Zebedee’s children as identified by the Gospel of Matthew.   “Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s children (Matthew 27:56).

3. Standing among the women near the cross with Jesus’ mother Mary was Salome as identified by the Gospel of Mark.  “There were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome“ (Mark 15:40).

4. Salome was Jesus’ mother’s sister as the apostle John himself states, about his own mother. Mark’s Gospel account refers to her by name. John’s Gospel account refers to her by her relationship to Mary.    “Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene” (John 19:25).

From Matthew’s account we know that James and John were the sons of Zebedee. By comparing Matthew and Mark we discover that Salome was the name of wife of Zebedee and the mother of James and John. From John we see that Salome was Mary’s sister.] - http://www.forerunner.com/blog/jesus-cousins-were-the-apostles-james-and-john

 

If we accept that Salome was the sister of Mary, and combine this with the fact that Elizabeth was Mary's cousin, we can easily see how Zechariah might have influenced the young man John in spiritual matters.  And how Zechariah could have introduced John to the family of the high priest in Jerusalem.  John then, with a heart inclined toward seeking God, could well have encouraged his fishing buddy, Andrew, to accompany him into the desert to hear yet another relative, John the Baptist, as he thundered his call to repentance from across the Jordan.
 

Jesus said that no Old Testament prophet was greater than John the Baptist.  And now we can perhaps understand why John the Apostle might have esteemed the words and the dignity of the Prophet by giving him such a prominent place in the introduce to his gospel.

 

"This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.'"    John was truly God's prophet.  He had knowledge which was imparted to him directly from God that he would be the forerunner of the Christ.  John realized, and fully accepted, that the One who would begin His human ministry after Him was John's own hope and salvation.  John never intended that his ministry of repentance and water baptism would outshine the glory of Jesus' ministry as "the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world."

 

And The Baptist also knew that the Son of God, who had come into the world after him, was the "I AM" who's days are without beginning or end.