Monday, November 4, 2024

John- So That You May Believe, Gospel of John Part 08, John 1:43-51, "Your Response to the Call"

 November 03, 2024

From The Series: John- So That You May Believe

Part # 08 “Your Response to the Call”

The Gospel of John 1:43-51

Mountain View Evangelical Missionary Church

Over the last seven weeks, we have examined these things together: In the beginning, the Word existed with God and was God, through whom all things were created. This Word brought life and light to humanity, shining in the darkness.

John the Baptist was sent to testify about this light, although he was not the light himself. The true light, which enlightens everyone, came into the world but was not recognized by the world. Despite this, those who received him were given the right to become children of God, born of God. The Word became flesh and lived among people, revealing God's glory and grace.

John the Baptist clarified his role when questioned by Jewish leaders, denying he was the Messiah, Elijah, or the Prophet. He identified himself as the “voice calling in the wilderness, preparing the way for the Lord”. John was baptizing with water but pointed to one who would baptize with the Holy Spirit.

John the Baptist recognized Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. John's disciples began to follow Jesus after he identified him as the Messiah. Andrew, one of the disciples, (who we deduced was the Apostle John from the eyewitness point-of-view that the account was written from). Andrew brought his brother Simon to Jesus, who renamed him Cephas (Peter).

It is so interesting to see how the author of this Gospel starts with the divine existence of Jesus Christ, “In the beginning,” and then skips over all of Jesus Christ's human beginnings, His birth, His early childhood, and His temptations in the wilderness. Instead, John, the author, jumps to the intersecting of God’s proclaimer in the Baptist, at the baptizing of Jesus of Nazareth, and the start of His earthly ministry.

Did you notice in verses 32 to 34 of this first chapter, that Jesus did not proclaim to any, who He was? Rather, Jesus relied on the testimonies of others to proclaim that He was “God’s Chosen One”. God the Father gave a proclamation to John the Baptist because He was the One who sent John.

This morning, we will see how after Jesus called Andrew and the Apostle John, Jesus then called Philip to follow him. Philip found Nathanael, and Philip proclaimed Jesus as the one foretold by Moses and the prophets. Nathanael, initially skeptical, recognized Jesus as the Son of God after Jesus revealed knowledge of him. Finally, Jesus promises Nathanael even greater revelations to come.

Let’s open our Bibles together and examine this final passage in the first chapter of the Gospel of John. Please open your Bible to John chapter one, beginning at verse 43 and ending at the end of the chapter.

If you did not bring your Bible this morning, you should find one underneath one of the chairs in the row in front of you. John Chapter One starting at verse 43 will be found on page 861 of the pew bible. If you do not have a bible at home, please take that bible with you as a gift from Mountain View Church. We feel that it is vitally important that you have easy access to God’s Word. And God’s Word says…

READ John 1:43-51

And God’s Word says… 43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.”

44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

46 “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked.

“Come and see,” said Philip.

47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”

48 “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.

Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”

49 Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”

50 Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” 51 He then added, “Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’ the Son of Man.”

I want to paint a bit of a mental picture for you this morning. I think that it is important to have an understanding of the culture of that time but also to understand the geography of that area where Jesus walked. We won’t all have the ability or desire to travel to Israel in person, so to help you understand what we are reading, let’s take a brief moment to look at some factors.

Returning to verse 43, 43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee.” We can see here from the chapter that so far, Jesus had been spending around three days in the region of Bethany across from the Jordan.




In ancient times, there were at least two towns in Israel named Bethany. Bethany translates as “house of dates,” so there may have been a Bethany wherever there was an orchard with date trees. One town named Bethany was where Lazarus and his two sisters lived. A small town or village located just outside the city of Jerusalem. This was the town where Jesus and the twelve disciples slept during the last week of Jesus’ ministry before He was crucified.

But, that is not the Bethany we are discussing here in the Gospel of John.

 

We are discussing a town known as Bethany beyond the Jordan. This Bethany is in the northern region of Israel and you can see that it was south of the Sea of Galilee. This Bethany is in the region known as Galilee.

  

     Looking at the two slides side-by-side you will notice a couple of things. The maps are arranged from North to South. The Jordan River flows from its source in the north. North of even the top of the map on your left. Do you have any idea what the source of the Jordan River is? One of the sources can be traced to Mount Hermon, the highest peak in Israel at over 9,000 feet and the mountain sits at the northernmost tip of Israel.  Mount Hermon probably was the site of our Lord’s transfiguration as recorded in the Synoptic Gospels (Matt. 17:1–9; Mark 9:2–9; Luke 9:28–37). They record that Jesus travelled with His disciples from Bethsaida, on the Sea of Galilee, to the area of Caesarea Philippi to the north and from there to a “high mountain.” There, in the presence of His disciples, Jesus was transfigured.[i] Mount Hermon also marks the most northern point of the territory that was given to the tribe of Manasseh.

Notice on the maps that the Jordan River runs down the Jordan Valley from the north into the Sea of Galilee and then continues south until it reaches the Dead Sea. The Jordan River is the major water source for the entire valley.

Back to the region of Galilee. At the time of Jesus, this region was an area of mixed people groups. Under Roman rule, Israel was divided into three primary provinces: Galilee in the north, Samaria in the center, and Judea in the south, where Jerusalem was located.

The following is from Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary, “Galilee was inhabited by a “mixed race” of Jews and heathen. The Canaanites continued to dominate Galilee for many years after Joshua’s invasion (Judg. 1:30–33; 4:2). It was historically known among the Jews as “Galilee of the Gentiles” (Is. 9:1; Matt. 4:15).

Galilee had such a mixed population that Solomon could unashamedly award Hiram, king of Tyre, 20 of its cities in payment for timber from Lebanon (1 Kin. 9:11) during the building of the Temple. After conquest by Tiglath–Pileser, king of Assyria (about 732 b.c.), Galilee was repopulated by a colony of heathen immigrants (2 Kin. 15:29; 17:24). Thus the Galilean accent and dialect were very distinct (Matt. 26:69, 73). For this and other reasons, the pure-blooded Jews of Judea, who were more orthodox in tradition, despised the Galileans (John 7:52). This explains Nathanael’s rather contemptuous  question, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”[1]

This reviling by the Judeans may help explain why the religious leaders rejected Jesus. The region's mixed ethnicity contributed to the heavy Galilean accent, which so easily identified Peter on the night that Jesus was under trial.

Scripture tells us that Peter, Andrew, and Philip were all from the town of Bethsaida. You can see Bethsaida on the Northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee. We will see in a couple of weeks that although Andrew and Peter were from Bethsaida, they shared a house with Peter’s Mother-In-Law in the town of Capernaum. Jesus used the city of Capernaum as the base of His ministry while He was in the region of Galilee. More on that in a couple of weeks.

From today’s passage, we learn that Jesus spent about three days in Bethany beyond the Jordan and then headed to the Town of Cana to attend a wedding. Looking at the map, we can see that it was quite a journey on foot. Walking from Bethany to Cana was a trip of about 55 kms. That is the equivalent of me walking from the Town of Didsbury, east on the 582 until I reach the #2 Highway, then proceeding north in the ditch until I reach the town of Innisfail. We will see next week that the trip will take about three days time.

So, that was a bit of a mental picture that I wanted to paint for you to help you understand the context of what we have been studying for the past several weeks. We see in verse 43 that after finding Philip, Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” After being found by Jesus, Philip pulls an “Andrew” and goes out to find someone to share this new-found knowledge with, and Philip goes to Nathanael.

What is Philip’s technique? He uses Scripture to justify his actions. Philip tells Nathanael that he has “found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—“. Notice the technique that Philip uses. Philip is not telling Nathanael about his feelings or personal experience. Philip tells Nathanael that he has found the man that fulfills the prophecies. What does this mean for you?

You may be thinking, “What the heck Pastor? Last week you told me I didn't need to be a biblical scholar before I share the Gospel with someone.” That is true, I did say that. What else did I say last week? I said, “If we are followers of Christ, we should be disciples of Christ. If we are disciples, we should be students of Christ. So, if we are students, we should have some level of biblical knowledge. We should also have confidence in what the Bible has to say. I am always amazed when I talk with Christians, how many people fail to believe in the inspired, inerrancy of the Bible. Or, people who pick and choose what books of the Bible are true and which books are myths. It is no coincidence that the parts that are myths to these people are the parts that place the most conviction on them or the parts that require the greatest change in their lives.

This is exactly what Philip exhibited. He was knowledgeable enough about the scriptures to know what Moses and the prophets had to say about the coming Messiah. Philip was knowledgeable enough to recognize those traits in Jesus, even though Jesus came from the backwater region of Galilee. Nathanael's response shows that he did not think the same way Philip did.

Can you hear the disbelieve in Nathanael’s question that was practically spit out of his mouth? “Nazareth! Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” What was the difference between the two men’s reactions? Nathanael hadn’t yet had a personal encounter with Jesus! That’s why Philip responds with “Come and see”.

The same is true for us friends and our family and friends. Until they have a personal encounter with Jesus, it is all theoretical knowledge, it's all head knowledge, and there’s no heart knowledge yet. I tried reading the Bible for years, I watched the guys on TV who begged me to accept Jesus, who told me to pray a prayer and I would be saved. I can’t tell you how many Sunday mornings I prayed that prayer all to no effect.

You see, I wanted it in my mind, but my heart was not yet moved, because I had not had that personal encounter with Jesus yet. For me, it became personal, when I was sitting in a small church with about 25 other people and for the first time I heard, I mean I really heard about what Jesus had done for me. I think all the previous times I had heard, I always thought the Jesus was paying someone else’s sins, not mine. I don’t think I realized how bad a person I truly was until that Good Friday Service.

I mean, compared to other people I knew, family members even, I wasn’t that bad a person. It wasn’t until I realized that, compared to God’s standards, I was a wicked sinner in need of a Saviour. That was the turning point for me. That’s when I realized that Jesus knew who I truly was, and He still died for me. Jesus knew how far short I had fallen, how much I had stumbled, and He still loved me enough to choose me.

I had never experienced that level of unconditional love before. Then I learned about His love and mercy for me and other sinners. Jesus did not require that I change my life before He reconciled me to the Father. The changes came after I was in this restored relationship. He replaced my heart of stone with a heart of flesh. He covered me with His righteousness. All that Jesus required from me was obedience to His teachings and to share His story and love with others.

I think sometimes, we get the wrong ideas about the Bible. Too often we see this book simply as a book of rules, a book of do’s and don’ts that must be followed to earn the love of God. That’s not the case at all. The Bible is God’s way of revealing Himself to us. It is His way of introducing us to this all-knowing, all-powerful Creator who desires a personal relationship with each of us. This is something that He desires, but He is not willing to compromise His character to attain the relationship.

Instead, God the Father devised a plan with His Son, who is also God, together they devised a plan to reconcile us fallen creatures back into a right relationship with our Creator. A plan so simple, yet so all-encompassing that only a supernatural being could conceive of such a plan. God is loving, but God is also Holy and Just. He cannot compromise His character for the sake of mankind.

We disobeyed this Mighty God, and an appeasement must be made. A sacrifice must be offered to this God to show that His created beings understand the seriousness of our transgressions. God established the pattern of sacrifice right at the very beginning as recorded in the first revealed Book of the Bible.

In Genesis chapter 3, after God forced the first man and first woman to admit that they had disobeyed Him and man tried pathetically to hide their sin with fig leaves, what did God do? Genesis 3:21 says, 21 The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.” Think about this for a minute, the only way to get skins is to kill an animal, skin it, and dress the hide to make clothes from it.

Was this fact or fiction? Which would have the greater impact on mankind? That this event actually happened and we were forced to acknowledge that an innocent animal actually had to be killed in order to pay for our ancestor’s sin. Or, that this is simply a myth or legend written down so that we could understand the seriousness our actions have on the collective tribe?

The concept of reality, or myth? Which has the greater impact on your soul? Let me ask you this, are you living your life as if you believe the Bible is true and trustworthy? Or, do you believe that the Bible is a book of myths and legends and since the stories are mere representations of man’s activities over the centuries, I am free to pick and choose what myths I live my life by? Are you an all-in type of disciple of Jesus, or do you dip your toes in the pool of Christianity from time to time without being fully immersed because it might wreck your lifestyle? Being all-in for Jesus can be messy and you might lose some friends. Some people might get upset with you. But really, why would you expect anything different, they killed our Master, why should you be spared? The world hates Jesus!

So, Jesus knows who you truly are when He saves you, but that doesn’t mean He expects you to remain as you were when He found you. Jesus says in John’s Gospel, “If you love me, you will obey my commands”. As we progress through the Gospel of John we will encounter two pericopes where Jesus tells a person to “stop sinning” or “Go now and leave your life of sin”. The first was after Jesus healed the man, and the second account was when Jesus rescued a woman from a crowd who were prepared to stone her to death. Many false teachers out there claim that no change in you is required because God is love and He accepts you as you are. This is true pre-salvation, but the Bible is clear that we are to see evidence of a change in your life post-salvation. One of the passages refers to seeing the fruit of change in your life.

The change in you happens when you trust Jesus. So, let me ask you, “Do you trust Jesus?” Real change cannot happen in your life unless you truly trust Jesus! I think that is what we saw in Nathanael when he had his personal encounter with Jesus. After Jesus proclaimed that he recognized that there was no deceit in Nathanael and that Jesus saw where Nathanael was before Philip called him, that was enough information for Nathanael to place his trust in Jesus. We see a major shift in Nathanael’s attitude from when he first asked Philip, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”

We should answer Nathanael's question: "Yes, something good has come out of Nazareth!”.   A Wonderful Counselor came out of Nazareth. A Friend to all Humanity came out of Nazareth. The King of Kings came out of Nazareth. Finally, the Savior of the World came out of Nazareth. Are not all those things good? What a contribution to the world the little town of Nazareth has made. You can visit Nazareth today in Israel. It is still in the same spot, about 25 km southeast of the Sea of Galilee.

Look at verse 49. Nathanael's realization of who Jesus is results in an amazing confession: “You are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.” These are both Messianic titles being applied to Jesus by Nathanael. This is a major confession of faith by Him towards a man that he just met. Do you think this realization was from God, a supernatural event in Nathanael’s life? Or, do you think that he reached this conclusion on his own after having met Jesus just a few minutes earlier?

I think this is evidence of God’s work in Nathanael’s life. Apart from God’s work in his heart, wouldn’t this be seen as a rash and impulsive remark from Nathanael? I would question his ability to judge someone just from the few short interactions recorded in Scripture. Even Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree.” But what a sign of Nathanael's faith. He had the faith to believe that Jesus was the fulfillment of the prophecies based on just a few words from Jesus.

If you do not have the faith of Nathanael, what is holding you back? What hurdle must you get over before you are willing to place your faith in Jesus? Are you waiting for a sign? Are you waiting for an answered prayer first? Are you wanting something specific from God before you place your faith in Jesus? Are you waiting for Him to remove some temptation or recurring sin in your life before you surrender to Him? If you are waiting for any of these things, I have some news for you, you are not surrendering to Jesus, you are negotiating with Him.

If you are waiting for God to fulfill something in your life before you place your faith in Him, you are not surrendering, you are negotiating. Let me repeat that: If you are waiting for God to fulfill something in your life before you place your faith in Him, you are not surrendering, you are negotiating. Romans 9:20 says, 20 But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God?” who are we to place demands on a Holy and Just God who is extending His Mercy towards us and we have the gall to place conditions on this unmerited favour from God? But who are you? I think one of the most damaging sins is the sin of pride. When we question God, we are repeating the original sin from the Garden. We are listening once again to the serpent when he whispers in our ears, “Did God really say…?” This one question from the serpent brought about the destruction of the perfect Created order. But this order collapsed for a reason. It was before even this collapse happened that the Trinity had formed a perfect plan in eternity past, so that the sacrifice required would bring Glory to the Son and to the Father, through the work of the Holy Spirit.

I want to follow up on this concept of Jesus knowing us, and us knowing Jesus. The Greek word for knowing in this passage is ginosko. The following is from Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary. Quote, “*ginosko* can also refer to a kind of mental assent- to know God and His will is to acknowledge the claim that He has on One's own life (and to agree with that claim). End Quote. First, we must acknowledge that God has a claim on our lives. As adopted children of God, we are now His and He is the Father and we owe Him our obedience.

 Continuing with Mounce, quote, “It is to take God's law and apply it to one's own life in experience/obedience (Rom 1:32). Paul utilizes a play on words in Rom 1 when he says that some "know" God's just judgment (1:32) but they do not wish to "know" God (1:28). That is to say that the heathen have a knowledge of God that makes no difference in their activity; they have an intellectual awareness of his existence and perhaps even a belief that he exists, but they do not have a personal or intimate knowledge of him and do not have faith in him (Rom 1:21-28).” End Quote. Do you see that difference, that personal level of knowledge that is required from us? When we ask people about Jesus, sometimes we will hear about their upbringing in a denomination, or they will brag about their church attendance or their charitable giving. These are all well and fine, but they are evidence of religion in someone’s life, it is not evidence of a personal relationship with Jesus. Jesus wants a relationship, not religion. Religion is why he condemned the Pharisees. Jesus wants a personal relationship with you. He requires a personal declaration of faith from you. He desires that you should be baptized for Him, you are making a public declaration of your relationship through baptism.

Finishing up the Mounce quote “John especially has a rich view of what it means to "know". When Jesus says he knows His sheep and He knows the Father, He is speaking of an intimate relationship that involves deep feelings of love (Jn 10:14-15). Such a relationship leads to obedience on our part (10:27). "Those who say, 'I know Him', but do not do what He commands are liars" (1Jn 2:4; cf. 3:6). Jesus defines eternal life as "knowing God and Jesus Christ", which involves both faith in Him and love for Him (Jn 17:3). By contrast, John makes it plain that the world "does not know" God (Jn 17:25; 1 Jn 3:1).” End quote.

We must never forget that the world “does not know” Jesus. That doesn’t mean we abandon them to the end. Rather it should spur us on all the more to share the love and Gospel message of Jesus Christ with them.

CONCLUSION

When Nathanael declared his faith in Jesus Christ, Jesus responded with this promise: “50 Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” Jesus made that promise to Nathanael, and through him, he made that promise to all of His followers. That is why we are to be life-long students of Jesus of Nazareth. “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Only the Saviour of the World.

In conclusion, I wish for you to think about this application this week regarding the point that Jesus knows you for who you truly are. Not just you, but Jesus knows everyone’s heart. If you find yourself in a challenging work environment where you feel overlooked, remind yourself that Jesus understands your struggles. The same is true if you are having a challenge at home. This week, set aside time to pray specifically for your colleagues or family members, especially those who may not appreciate your contributions. Take action by complimenting others genuinely. This can create a culture of acknowledgment, and as Jesus knows your worth, trust that He will eventually bring your efforts to light in ways that matter.

Let me close with this doxology:

24 “The Lord bless you and keep you;

25 may the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;

26 may the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace."

Go in peace, you are dismissed.

Please join us downstairs for coffee and treats.

 



[1] Ronald F. Youngblood, F. F. Bruce, and R. K. Harrison, Thomas Nelson Publishers, eds., Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1995).



[i] [i] Ronald F. Youngblood, F. F. Bruce, and R. K. Harrison, Thomas Nelson Publishers, eds., Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1995).

 

Monday, October 28, 2024

John- So That You May Believe, Gospel of John, Part 07 John 1:35-42, "Come Follow Me"

                                                                                                                       October 27th, 2024

From The Series: John- So That You May Believe

Part 07 Come, Follow Me.

The Gospel of John 1:35-42

Mountain View Evangelical Missionary Church

May I start with a question this morning? That was a question, but I’d like to start with a more meaningful question. Have you ever thought about the process God developed for your salvation? Or, do you think that God had anything to do with your salvation? Maybe, you haven’t given this topic any thought at all. I will tell you that I spend a lot of time thinking about this question because I feel that it affects how we live our lives and how we share the gospel.

I will confess that I do not fully understand exactly the process that God has chosen to implement. Think about this, God could have chosen that mankind should have to make a pilgrimage before we were to be saved. Imagine, if you will, if God had chosen to have each Christian make a trip to a far-off portion of the globe in order to prove our worthiness for salvation, or to prove our love for the Saviour.

Or, what if we had to ascend a set of steep stone steps on our knees in order to prove our level of commitment to following Jesus? Imagine having to spend a day and a night tied to a Wooden Roman Cross to show God how much we love Him. How many of those tests or trials would you be able to endure in the name of Jesus?

You may think that what I just listed were some crazy examples, but I can tell you that there are some manmade religions in the world that have their followers do these very things or something similar to them. Some religions expect you to perform at least one pilgrimage in your life as a way to show your devoutness and to garner favour with their God.

God decrees the ends and the means for our salvation. The One-True God has chosen a different method for His followers. A method so simple that it stands head and shoulders above the others when compared to the false religions of the world. A method that is not only described in the Bible once, but it is a method that is laid out in the Bible in a very obvious pattern. Obvious, if you know what to look for. Let us look together at the scriptures this morning and let’s see if we can determine what this divinely ordained method of salvation is.

We are once again in the Gospel of John this morning, we are still in the first chapter of this book, and today, we will be examining verses 35 to 42.

If you did not bring your Bible this morning, you should find one underneath one of the chairs in the row in front of you. The Gospel of John, chapter 1 will be found on page 860 of the pew bible. If you do not have a bible at home, please take that bible with you as a gift from Mountain View Church. We feel that it is vitally important that you have easy access to God’s Word. And God’s Word says…

READ JOHN 1:35-42

35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”

37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”

They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”

39 “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.”

So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.

40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus.

Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter).”

So, this morning, if I have completed my presentation well, I should show how these three points can be drawn from scripture. Now I admit that not all three points are present in just this passage from John. I always hated when a pastor would start in one passage and then move to another passage and spend most of his time in the new passage that morning. That always felt like a bait-and-switch to me, and we will, as usual, be spending time in other passages of the Bible this morning, but I will be doing that in an attempt to demonstrate to you what I see as an obvious pattern contained in scripture.

Pastor Paul’s Points:

1.       A disciple is a student.

2.       Jesus calls disciples.

3.       Discipleship is a process.

Look with me again at verse 35, in chapter 1 of John’s Gospel, 35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples.” We have seen in previous lessons that in the Gospel of John, the author never refers to himself by name. Whenever we see the name “John” in the Gospel of John, the author is referring either to John the Baptist, or John, the father of Peter. Peter is introduced to us in the last verse of this morning’s passage, verse 42.

So, we see in verse 35, that John the Baptist is here with at least two of his disciples. Maybe we should stop right here for a moment and define what a disciple is.

According to the Lexham Theological Dictionary, a disciple​ is a person who follows and adheres to the teachings of another. In other words, a student, pupil, or learner. In the New Testament, it is a term used for Jesus’ followers. The term disciples often references the smaller group of faithful followers known as “the Twelve”, or “The Twelve Apostles” but the word “disciple” also indicates a wider group of followers. In Luke chapter 10, we find mention of a group of 72 disciples who were chosen by Jesus and were given the task to go and heal and evangelize in His name. So we see the term disciple refers to more than just the twelve apostles.

Actually, if you are a follower of Jesus Christ, if you call yourself a Christian, you should also consider yourself to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. Being a Christian isn’t a one-and-done type of thing. Being a Christian is not just saying a prayer, getting dunked or sprinkled with some water, and then you are set for life. If you call yourself a Christian, you should consider yourself a disciple of Jesus Christ. We will see later that discipleship is a process. We will also see this process played out in the lives of the Twelve as we progress through the Gospel of John. You will be aware of this process if you have ever read any of the Gospels from start to finish. But, more of that in a few minutes.

Now that we know what a disciple is, a student, pupil, or learner, look with me back at verse 35 and let’s examine the significance of this word, “disciple”. 35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples.” The gospel writer is resuming his account of John the Baptist after John was questioned by the Pharisees and other Jewish leaders on the shore of the river Jordan in the region of Bethany. On the day previous to this account, we saw last time how Jesus proclaimed the “Lamb of God” and all that that meant on a theological level. We also saw the last time that Jesus was baptized but John the Gospel writer records very little detail of that event.

We do see that John the Baptist had garnered disciples of his own. Interestingly enough, there exists today a small group called the Mandeans, in parts of Iraq and Iran, who claim to descend from the original movement started by John the Baptist.

In biblical times, the Baptist’s actions of emerging from the wilderness and preaching to whoever he came across their need to repent and be baptized had earned him some followers who were interested to hear what else John may have to proclaim. We see in verse 40 that one of the disciples is named, 40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus.” Andrew is one of the four who make up the Inner circle of Jesus’ followers. Along with his more famous and impulsive brother Simon/Peter, there were also the brothers James and John the sons of Zebedee. These four men were the ones most closely associated with Jesus during His earthly ministry.

From a careful reading of scripture, we can determine that these four men, Andrew, Simon, James, and John were friends and business partners before they began following Jesus. This bond between the two sets of brothers even extended into spiritual matters. We can deduce from the eye-witness point-of-view that this passage is written, that the second disciple mentioned in verse 35, was the Gospel writer himself. It appears that Andrew and the Apostle John were disciples of John the Baptist, at least for a short period.

Perhaps the two men were already concerned with the search for the Messiah before they met Jesus. We saw two weeks ago, how the Jewish and religious leaders had asked John the Baptist if he was the messiah, which he freely confessed that he was not. The leaders may not have been the only ones who thought that John the Baptist had some connection to the deliverer of the Jewish people.

Whatever his reason for being there, the gospel writer records some of the interactions between the cousins John the Baptist and Jesus of Nazareth over the two days. On the second day, when Andrew and John hear the Baptizer proclaim, “Look, the Lamb of God” as Jesus was passing by, their curiosity was aroused enough that they began to trial behind Jesus.

Sensing He was being followed, Jesus turned and asked the two men a question, “What do you want?” This is such an interesting question. It is much more profound than just the surface-level question that is meant whenever we are faced with this question by someone. If you have done any reading of the Gospels, you will be familiar with the fact that Jesus had the divine ability to know a person’s heart whenever He met someone. This is a question that Jesus posed while all the while being fully aware of the answer already.

Jesus posed this question to Andrew and John, in the same manner in which God the Father posed the question to Adam in the Garden, “Where are you?” Of course, an omniscient God would know exactly where Adam and Eve were before He asked the question. The posing of the question to man by God was to reveal to man the answer.

The same is true of the question posed to Andrew and John. “What do you want?” Jesus was already aware of the answer to the question asked of them, the deeper more existential meaning behind the question. But the two men were not prepared to answer the deeper question at that time so they answered the deeper question with their innocuous question, “Rabbi, where are you staying?”

Jesus answers, “Come”. We see in the New Testament, that disciples do not seek out Jesus; rather, they answer when He calls them. The other three Gospel writers record the call this way:

Slide 6

"Come, follow me" (Mk 1:17), "Come, follow me" (Mt 4:19), and "they left everything and followed him," (Lk 5:10b-11). This leads us to our second point this morning: Jesus calls His disciples. It is God who does the calling. The Bible makes this very clear and the Bible establishes this pattern. Even among the Godhead, there is a choosing taking place. Luke 9:35 states that Jesus was chosen. 35 A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” This was God the Father proclaiming from the Heavens at the transfiguration of Jesus Christ. If you are not familiar with this account, Matthew, Mark, and Luke record an event near the end of Jesus’ ministry when He and His disciples were on their final trip to Jerusalem together, Jesus took Peter, James, and John to the top of Mount Hermon, where Jesus met with Elijah and Moses on top of the mountain and Jesus revealed some of His true Divine Nature in a dazzling display of light. At this display, the voice of the Father makes the declaration from Heaven that Jesus “is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to Him”.

We see that Jesus is chosen by the Father. In John chapter 6 we read, 70 Then Jesus replied, “Have I not chosen you, the Twelve?” Jesus admits through this question that He posed to His disciples, that it was He, Jesus who chose them. Jesus chose the Twelve, including “The Devil” Judas Iscariot as the rest of the verse proclaims.

Finally, we see that it is Jesus who chooses us. Ephesian 1:4 declares this truth. As a matter of fact, Ephesians declares that Jesus chose us before the foundations of the world were laid, before we were born, so that, His mercy on our lives would not be influenced at all by any of our actions, good or bad. Ephesians 1:4 says, For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.”

We can see from these three passages that a biblical pattern is emerging: God does the choosing. Jesus is chosen by the Father to come to Earth and do the Redemptive work on behalf of the Father for His chosen people. A work so significant that only the unique fully man, fully God person of Jesus Christ could pull it off.

What was this work? It was the redemptive work of reconciliation of God bringing His people back into a right relationship with Himself. We saw last week that the title of “Lamb of God” as applied to Jesus of Nazareth was no mere coincidence. We saw last week, that just as God provided the sacrificial Ram to Abraham in place of his son Isaac, God the Father provides the sacrificial Lamb in His Son to pay the penalty for all of the sins of His adoptive children.

What a marvellous gift this is friends! A gift so special and exceptional, that we have given it the name “Grace” to signify its uniqueness. All that is required from us to accept this unique gift of reconciliation is for us to confess with our mouths our sinfulness and believe in our hearts that Jesus was who He said He was, the very Son of God, and that He died for our sins and rose again after three days.

Confess with your mouth and believe in your heart and you shall be saved. This is a work of God. This is not just stated in Ephesians. Turn with me in your Bibles to the first chapter of the Book of 1 Corinthians starting at chapter 1. First Corinthians is a couple of books to your right in the Bible. After John, you will find the book of Acts, then Romans, then First Corinthians on page 923 of the Pew Bible.

Another word for chosen is the word “called”. Called is what we will see Paul using here in this letter when he is referring to those whom Jesus has chosen. Paul uses the word “called” to indicate a profound life-changing event on your life.

Look at 1 Corinthians 1, verse 1 and 2, Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,

To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours:”

Right from the start of this letter, the Apostle Paul states that his authority comes not from himself, but from the fact that he was called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God. Paul states unequivocally that his call came from God. I need to spend a minute here clarifying the two calls that are present in verse 2 lest you get the wrong idea.

“To those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people”. “Called” here in Greek is the word eiskeleo which means literally “to call in” or “to invite”. An action initiated by God. The second “call” in the verse, “all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”, this call is the Greek word epikaleo is a passive tense which indicates “to be called by a person’s name”; hence it is used of being declared to be dedicated to a person, as to the Lord”. In other words, the person indicated here has already accepted the call extended by the Lord and now considers themselves to be members of the family of God.

Paul then goes on to state that the church in Corinth, those sanctified in Jesus, and His holy people everywhere are all called by Jesus in the name of Jesus. Jump down to verse 4 which says, I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.” Grace is given by Christ. Grace is proof that you have been called. Grace is not extended to those whom God has not called. With Grace comes the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We are marked with the seal of the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of our inheritance.

Look with me at verse 9 in this chapter. God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” We see again that it is God who is doing the calling. God is initiating the work.

Jump down to verses 22 to 24 which states, 22 Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” Paul is telling us that along with the calling, we receive the power of God and the wisdom that comes with this power. The power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit. It is theis very power and wisdom which allows us to read and understand God’s Holy Word. It is this power and wisdom which guides us in our process of discipleship. The Spirit is our guide.

In verse 26, Paul encourages us to think back to who we were before we accepted Jesus. Paul tells us to do this so that we can realize and appreciate the differenc that the Holy Spirit has made in our lives. 26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.” Paul reminds us that is through the mercy of Jesus alone that we were chosen to be called “Children of God”.

In verses 27 to 29, Paul pounds this nail all the way in and then he does a nice little counter-sink of the nail by telling us the reason why God does the choosing. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him.”

BANG, God chose the foolish things, BANG, God chose the weak things, BANG, God chose the lowly things. Bang, Bang, Bang, God chose. That nail is pounded in, just as the nails were pounded into the flesh of our Lord and Saviour some two thousand years ago. The nail is then counter-sunk with the statement: “so that no one may boast before him”.

What a glorious God, what a glorious Savior, what an undeserved blessing for us all provided by the sovereign God of the Universe. All that is required from us is the humility to admit that we messed up and that we need rescuing. We made a mess of our lives, and we need guidance and wisdom from a loving Father in Heaven so that we may now live a life worthy of being called His children. Oh, what a glorious day and what a glorious plan. A plan so perfect, that it could only have been conceived by a divine mind.

Now that I have revealed the biblical plan for salvation, aren’t you glad that we don’t have to make a pilgrimage before we were to be saved, or make a trip to a far-off portion of the globe in order to prove our worthiness for salvation, or to prove our love for the Saviour?

Aren’t you glad that we don’t have to ascend a set of steep stone steps on our knees to prove our level of commitment to following Jesus? We don’t have to spend a day and a night tied to a Wooden Roman Cross to show God how much we love Him.

I have a bit of time before I address our final point this morning, so I would like to draw your attention to 2 Peter 3:9.

2 Peter 3:9 says the following, 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” This verse is often quoted as an objection to the statement that God only chooses some for salvation.

First, let’s look at the argument that God is “not wanting anyone” to perish. The Bible is clear that some will perish. In order for the Glory of God’s mercy to be exhibited, there must be some that perish! We must determine, through the context of the verse, who the “anyone” is that Peter is referring to. The is an antecedent is there in the verse. The “you” preceeding the “anyone” gives us the context. “He is patient with you, not wanting anyone” of you to perish. If we look at verse 8 we see another indicator of who Peter is speaking to. But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord, a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.” “Dear friends” is a term that believers often use with each other. But for concrete evidence of who Peter is referring to, we simply have to turn to the first verse of the first chapter to see to who the entire letter is addressed.

1To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours:” Peter is speaking to those who have received a faith as precious as his. In other words, Peter is speaking to those who were as he was, chosen by Jesus Christ. Those chosen by God are the ones that the Lord is desiring that none should perish. Peter is not referring to the whole world, the Lord through Peter is referring to those who are called in Christ.

The final point I wish to draw your attention to tonight is that discipleship is a process. Why don’t we define what discipleship is first? You can see a definition of discipleship in your bulletin this morning. Discipleship is the process of training people incrementally in some discipline or way of life. As Christians, we are called to be discipled in the way of Jesus. It is the life of Jesus that is to be our example of how we should live.

In John 14:15, just before Jesus promises the gift of the Holy Spirit to His followers, He gives them this warning, 15 “If you love me, keep my commands.” Jesus tells us that if we love Him, we will keep His commandments. We don’t have to just follow His commandments, we can also follow the life that Jesus modelled for us. We can model Jesus just as the Twelve modelled Jesus in their lives.

As we read through the Gospel of John, or if you have read through any of the Gospels before this, you see that there is a pattern established for us discipleship is a process. Discipleship doesn’t happen overnight for us. Discipleship is a pattern of steady improvement in our lives causing a desire in us to become more like Jesus every day.

This often results in an increase in humility in our lives, and an increased sense of appreciation for what Jesus has done for us. Discipleship is a process that is best done with other Christians, usually in smaller groups. Groups such as a Bible study. The Bible study can be segregated by gender or done in a mixed group with other couples. Doing small groups with the same people over time allows for a sense of trust to be built up which usually results in more transparency and accountability happening in your life.

This transparency and accountability may result in life-changing actions. Take the life of Jill Dejewski for an example.

In 1997, Jill Dejewski decided to volunteer at a vacation Bible school in a mobile home community near her house in Minnesota. She never expected that week to turn into a lifelong commitment. As she worked in the area, she discovered that many of the families living in the community lived near or below the poverty line, and the heads of many of those households could not speak English. She recruited volunteers and set up programs to help the people of the community. Dejewski and her team now offer after-school homework help for kids, English language classes, food distribution, legal assistance, and summer camps for children.

During her frequent trips between the park and her two-story house, Jill was convicted that her family could serve the residents better if they moved in with them. So she and her husband sold their house and bought a mobile home through Craigslist. They no longer have a garage, attic, or basement, and despite a recent bout with frozen pipes, the family is glad they made the decision to move. Jill said, “We’re just building a better future here and we’re being obedient to what God’s called us to do.”[1]

I would encourage you to get connected with a small group and see what the Lord has in store for you. We are not meant to do life by ourselves.

CONCLUSION

After listening and reading all this information from this morning, you are probably sitting there thinking, “Whew, that lets me off the hook! If God chooses, I don’t have to do anything, or tell anyone anything about Jesus anymore!”

Not so fast! What else did we learn from this morning’s passage?  Look at what John 1:41 said, 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus.” The first thing that Andrew did after he sat with Jesus was go and find someone to tell about Jesus. Andrew chose the person he was probably closest to, his brother Peter.

This morning, we saw that God indeed chooses the ends, but he also chooses the means to spread the Gospel. The method God has chosen, quite frankly, baffles me, but Jesus chooses to use broken people to reach broken people. Friends, I stand before you this morning and confess that I was one of the more broken people, and I do not understand why Jesus has chosen to place me in this pulpit. I can only explain it as His Grace.

Except, as Paul said, “I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” My brokenness causes me to depend on Jesus all the more and ultimately brings Him the glory for the results.

We are all called to be Andrews. We have seen this morning that the results are up to God. That takes all the pressure off of us. All we are called to do is to share the Gospel with others. You don’t have to be a biblical scholar to share the Bible with others. Scripture tells us when we are presented with these opportunities, the Holy Spirit will provide us with the words to say. God is already at work in the hearts He has chosen. All you are responsible for is sharing the message of what Jesus has done for them and the love that Jesus has for them.

All you are required to do is plant the seeds of the Gospel in the lives of the people around you.

Doxology:

Let me close with this doxology:

24 “The Lord bless you and keep you;

25 may the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;

26 may the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace."

Go in peace, you are dismissed.

Pastor Paul’s Points:

1)  A Disciple is a student.

2) Jesus calls His disciples.

3) Discipleship is a process.

Questions to meditate on this week:

A) How is your discipling going?

B) Are you a student of the Lord Jesus Christ?

C) Are you being an Andrew?

Discipleship: The process of training people incrementally in some discipline or way of life.



[1] Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell, “Moving into the Neighborhood to Help,” in 300 Illustrations for Preachers, ed. Elliot Ritzema (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2015).

Monday, October 21, 2024

John: So That You May Believe, Gospel of John Part 06, John 1:29-34, The Lamb of God

                                                                                                                                     October 20th, 2024

From The Series: John- So That You May Believe

Part 06 The Lamb of God

The Gospel of John

John 1:29-34

Mountain View Evangelical Missionary Church

We are continuing our study of the Gospel of John this morning. Last time, we saw John the Baptist appear on the scene and John was confronted by some Pharisees who were sent to investigate what this man was doing in the wilderness calling people to repent and be baptized. We saw last time, how the Jewish understanding of baptism differed from our Christian understanding of baptism. For the Jews at the time of Jesus, water was used for ceremonial cleanliness except in the case of new converts to Judaism, when it was used as a ritual to initiate new believers into the Jewish religion.

In a way, this is a very similar use of baptism for the Catholic church. “It is a symbol of cleansing and new life, marking the initiation of a person into the Christian faith. Through Baptism, individuals are welcomed into the Christian community, becoming members of the Church and children of God.”[1] When I was 12 and had completed my catechism classes, I was baptized into the Catholic Church. I became a member of the church through my baptism.

Last week we saw how John the Baptist was a herald of the Lord. John went out among the people, in faith, ahead of the arrival of a king. A king whom he didn’t even know his name at the time. We are going to see this first meeting and examine what John was heralding.

This morning, we are going to see the Apostle John’s account of when Jesus met John the Baptist. The Apostle John does not record the details of Jesus' baptism as the writers of the Synoptic Gospels do. But John is the only Gospel writer to use the phrase “The Lamb of God” as a title for Jesus of Nazareth. That title and the theology behind the use of that phrase will be what we are going to concentrate on this morning.

We are going to look at why the term Lamb was used, what significance did that have, what atonement means and a couple of theories to explain that word, we will look at what reconciliation to God means and what is required for that to happen, and then finally, we will look at what should happen in the life of a believer after reconciliation.

But first, let’s get started by reading today’s passage to understand the context of this morning’s message. Please turn on your devices, or open your Bibles to John chapter 1, beginning at verse 29.

If you did not bring your Bible this morning, you should find one underneath one of the chairs in the row in front of you. John Chapter One will be found on page 860 of the pew bible. If you do not have a bible at home, please take that bible with you as a gift from Mountain View Church. We feel that it is vitally important that you have easy access to God’s Word. And God’s Word says…

READ JOHN 1:29-34

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”

32 Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33 And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”

Look with me back at verse 29 if you will, this is the verse from which we will draw the majority of this morning’s lesson. 29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” As I mentioned earlier, John is the only Gospel writer to use the term “Lamb of God” as a title for Jesus Christ. John uses it here in verse 29 and again in verse 36 of the first chapter. The description of Jesus as the Lamb of God belongs to the language of sacrifice which is no longer common currency today. We see lambs and sacrifice connected multiple times in the Bible, in both testaments.

One of the earliest uses of a lamb and sacrifice is recorded in Genesis 22:8. This is the record of when Abraham takes his son Isaac to Mount Moriah to be offered to Yahweh as a sacrifice. We read in Genesis 22 the following:

Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”

“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.

“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.

When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he replied.

12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”

13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

Some two thousand years later, another lamb, the Lamb of God would be sacrificed on the same Mount Moriah just outside a little city called Jerusalem, on a hill called Calvary. That’s right, Jerusalem was built on the same holy site where Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son Isaac in obedience to His God Yahweh. The amazing thing in both these instances, it was God who provided the sacrifice. This is a very important fact to keep in mind.

So often, we try to earn favour with God by thinking we must bring some sacrifice to Jesus before we are saved. Nothing could be further from the truth. We are not called to bring a sacrifice or make a sacrifice in our lives before we are saved. Four weeks ago we discovered, according to the Apostle John, there are two types of people in the world: Children of God and Children of the Devil. We are called to make a sacrifice… after… we become children of God through the proper living of our lives.

When it comes to our salvation, God provides the sacrifice for us just as He did for Abraham. God the Father spared Abraham’s son by providing a ram in the thicket, God the Father sacrificed His Son for your salvation. Jesus was the Lamb of God.

But Abraham and Genesis is not the only place in the Bible where a lamb and sacrifice is mentioned. The fifty-third chapter of the Book of Isaiah is a Messianic prophecy written some 700 years before the birth of Jesus and listen to what it says and tell me if Isaiah is referring to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

1 Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces, he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.

We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.”

Isaiah 53 ends with these words, 12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, n and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors.” Let me repeat, “For he bore the sins of the many and made intercession for the transgressors.” Who do you think the transgressors are? They are you and me, friends. He bore, Jesus bore, the sins of the many, our sins, He bore our sins, and He made intercession, and is still making intercession for us. Jesus is still interceding with the Father on our behalf.

Why is Jesus still interceding on our behalf? Well, first new believers are coming to Jesus every day around the world who need Jesus to plead with the Father on their behalf. Jesus asks the Father to forgive their past sins and not hold them against His new adopted children of God. Second, I don’t know about you, but I still need the interceding work of Jesus on my behalf every day because I am guilty of sinning. I no longer sin like I used to before I was saved, but, I do still sin. Thankfully not in the major ways I used to, but I am not sinless.

This is an important concept and it is possible to understand the biblical concept of guilt against God-whether in terms of disobedience to divine law or, at a more profound level, in terms of defying and wounding His love. The guilt of sin doesn’t just happen when we break one of the commandments, the guilt of sin for believers also happens when we wound God’s love by willfully continuing in a sin and disregarding our sinful behaviour because we live in God’s grace.

Feelings of guilt are a tool used by the Holy Spirit to gain and draw our attention towards our sinful actions. But the world hates the idea of guilt. I am noticing that people today are becoming extremely sensitive about any sort of correction in their lives. People hate being told no, or that they are wrong. Even in the court system today, people are quick to make excuses or rationalize away their bad choices instead of facing the consequences of their actions. The concept of guilt for offences committed remains, although in a diminished state. Among people, there is a tendency to confuse feelings of guilt with the objective state of guilt. We are in an objective state of guilt when we rebel against God. This state of guilt, the feelings of guilt, and with it there often comes a consciousness that guilt can be removed only by some act of restitution or evidence of penitence or payment of a penalty.

Let me repeat that, the concept of guilt for offences committed remains, although in a diminished state. Among people, there is a tendency to confuse feelings of guilt with the objective state of guilt. We are in an objective state of guilt when we rebel against God. This state of guilt, the feelings of guilt, and with it there often comes a consciousness that guilt can be removed only by some act of restitution or evidence of penitence or payment of a penalty. The consciousness that guilt can be removed only by some act of restitution or evidence of penitence or payment of a penalty is one of the most important works of the Holy Spirit. This awakening of our consciousness to our rebellious state against God is the work of Grace in our lives.

This leads us to our second point this morning, the act of atonement. Once we have become awakened to our sinful state and the need for change in our lives, we become aware that something must be done about our sins. This work is known as the atoning work of Christ. There are several theories as to how Jesus does this work in detail, but this morning we are going to only talk about the two most credible theories, in my opinion.

The first theory we will look at is the Governmental Theory.  One theology book describes the governmental theory this way, Quote, “In the governmental view, Jesus did not pay a penalty for human sin; instead, at the cross he made a display of God’s displeasure with sin”[2] end quote. In other words, while God did not have to punish anyone for the sins of the world, God did so in order to demonstrate His justice. In my mind, this theory does not adequately describe why Jesus had to suffer as He did on the way to the Cross.

In our adult Bible study, we are in the part of Mark’s Gospel where Jesus was put on trial and scourged. If you know anything about Roman scourging, or if you have seen the movie “The Passion of the Christ” then you will have an image of the brutality of such an act. Follow this by the agony of death on a Roman Cross and it seems that what Jesus endured was more than just a “display of God’s displeasure with sin”.

The second theory of atonement we will look at is the Penal Substitution Theory. Again from Lexham’s Survey of Theology. Quote, “Some studies have demonstrated that key elements of the penal substitution theory are evident in the early years of church history. The word “penal” refers to the divine penalty enacted at the cross. This penalty is more than payment for sin to God (though it is that); it is also the site at which God expended his wrath against human sin. God can be just and the justifier of the ungodly because Christ was our substitute on the cross: he paid sin’s penalty. By his sacrificial death, he cancelled the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. Our sin, in this view, is imputed to Christ, and his righteousness is imputed to us”[3] End quote.

It seems to me, that penal substitution is a more complete explanation for what Christ endured on the Cross for us. The Cross was not a demonstration, but rather a method of payment. John MacArthur explains imputation this way, “Imputation speaks of a legal reckoning. To impute guilt to someone is to assign guilt to that person’s account. Likewise, to impute righteousness is to reckon the person righteous. The guilt or righteousness thus imputed is a wholly objective reality; it exists totally apart from the person to whom it is imputed. In other words, a person to whom guilt is imputed is not thereby actually made guilty in the real sense. But he is accounted as guilty in a legal sense. It is a reckoning, not an actual remaking of the person’s character.

The guilt of sinners was imputed to Christ. He was not in any sense actually tainted with guilt. He was merely reckoned as guilty before the court of heaven, and the penalty of all that guilt was executed against Him. Sin was imputed, not imparted, to Him.

This is a remarkable statement: “[God] made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf.” It cannot mean that Christ became a sinner. It cannot mean that He committed any sin, that His character was defiled, or that He bore our sin in any sense other than by legal imputation.”[4]

This thought of imputation is summed up perfectly by the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:21, 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” There is a double imputation going on here at the cross, Jesus becomes our sin, and we become as righteous as He is. Not literally, as John MacArthur explained, but from a legal standpoint. Only in this way can God’s wrath be completely satisfied while not compromising God’s attribute of Justice. In this way, God can be Merciful towards sinners, while remaining Just and Holy.

This leads us to our third point this morning, “Reconciliation requires both sides”.

Reconciliation is possible only if there is a willingness on both sides to repair the relationship. This is done on God's side by his provision in the Lamb of God and the evidence of his willingness to forgive. On the human side provision is made by an appropriate offering and the willingness to engage with and submit to the Creator of the Universe. The wonder of the Gospel is that God himself provides the offering which humankind itself cannot provide. Just as God did for Abraham, The Father provides the sacrifice that is required from us to be reconciled to Him. The Lamb of God was His very own Son.

I know that I speak of sin and God’s wrath more than other preachers, but there are a couple of reasons for this. The first is that I feel that too many pastors fail to mention sin at all because it is something that makes us feel uncomfortable. I mentioned earlier that it seems that people today are becoming extremely sensitive about any sort of correction in their lives. People hate being told no, or that they are wrong. I think that is why many pastors are failing to mention sin or hell in their messages because people are getting upset at the reminders. Friend, let me ask you this, “If you are without sin, why would you need a Saviour? If there is no hell and everyone is going to heaven, why would you need a Saviour? If everyone was already saved, why would we need to preach the Gospel?”

I choose to mention sin and hell as often as I do because I do not want you to neglect your need for a Saviour. You can’t fix your relationship with God on your own, by your works or merit. That’s why you need a Saviour. That’s why you need Jesus. That’s why I need to remind you often of this, because the Bible describes us as sheep and sheep need a shepherd, and thankfully we all have a Master Shepherd in Jesus Christ.

We need a willingness to listen to the Holy Spirit, to accept the gift of Grace being offered to us. We need to bend our knees and bow our heads to acknowledge the terrible price that was paid for our redemption back to the Father. We need to honour the value of the gift of Grace by changing our lives in such a way that we conform to the ways of Jesus.

This brings us to our final point of the message before we partake of the Lord’s Supper. After reconciliation comes conformity. What do I mean by that?

After reconciliation comes conformity. As Christians, are we willing to live a life where we work in conjunction with the Holy Spirit to live a life conformed to Christ? A life where our outward aspects match our inward relationship to Jesus Christ. A relationship established through faith in the completed redeeming work of Jesus Christ. Not living a life based on works, but a life based on the idea of God conforming the believer to the likeness of Christ through the process of renewal and regeneration brought about by the Holy Spirit.

This conforming work in our lives is another important work of the Holy Spirit. I feel sometimes today’s believer takes the works of the Holy Spirit for granted. Too many churches today treat the Holy Spirit as some sort of mystical power that only shows up through speaking in tongues and laying on of hands for healing. The Spirit indwells us and therefore is with us every second of every day. The Spirit intercedes for us with the Son and the Father. The Spirit helps us to read and understand God’s Word and the Spirit speaks God’s truth into our lives. The Spirit also guides us and prompts us to live a holy life. A life becoming of one who calls themselves a Christian. Not a perfect life, but a life of steady improvement.

A life changed by God in you, not a life lived on a merry-go-round where you keep repeating the same mistakes time after time because you refuse to submit all of your life to Jesus Christ. A life conformed to Christ by Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit in your life. A life worthy of the sacrifice made by your Saviour. A life shaped by God, not by culture. A life lived guided by the Word of God, rather than by fashion, celebrities, government leaders, or popular opinion.

One way we allow God to shape our lives is through the regular observance of the Lord’s Supper.

THE LORD’S SUPPER

This is how we are called upon to observe and remember what Jesus did for His followers. It is the ordinance known as the Lord’s Supper. It is known as an ordinary means of Grace which carries with it the understanding that the observation and regular practice of the Lord’s Supper serves as a reminder of the sacrifice that Jesus did for us on the Cross, and we should reflect on that regularly and purposefully as a means of growing closer in our walk with Jesus.

Before we do, I just want to take a minute to remind us that this observance is reserved for believers only. Paul warns us in First Corinthians chapter eleven in verses 27 to 29. Paul wrote the following, “For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves.”

The unworthy manner is… if you are not a true Believer and follower of Jesus Christ.

Will you join me in a moment of prayer:

PRAY

Father, we thank you for this day. We thank you for who you are and what you have done for us. As Creator, you have determined how we should live and how we are to come to you. This plan was foreordained before the foundation of the world was laid. Through your word we learn the following things: your Son, Jesus Christ was chosen before the creation of the world but was revealed in these last times for our sake; that no man can redeem the life of another, no one can pay the ransom of another. We also learn that though Jesus was in very nature God, he did not consider equality with God something to be used to his advantage; rather he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death-even death on a cross! None, but your Son Jesus Christ could be a suitable sacrifice on our behalf. Only the fully man, fully God, could be the perfect and blameless, substitute that could take our place. We thank You for that perfect plan and the perfect obedience of Your Son. We ask that you use the Holy Spirit to prepare our hearts and minds as we observe this ordinance that you have instructed us to do in remembrance of you. We pray these things in the precious name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

I will now ask those giving out the elements to come forward and hand them out. While that is happening, I will ask that you wait until all the elements have been distributed and then I will lead us to partake together. While you are waiting, please use it as a time of reflection to ponder what the sacrifice of Jesus means to you.

WAIT FOR THE ELEMENTS TO BE PASSED OUT.

Back to First Corinthians for further instruction, Paul writes, “For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” This is not the actual body of Christ as some teach, but merely a representation of it. Let us partake together.

Paul continues, “In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” Again, this is not the actual blood of Christ as some teach, but merely a representation of it. Let us partake together.

CONCLUSION

For our conclusion this morning I would like to leave you with this quote by R. Kent Hughes from his commentary on the Gospel of John, “Christianity is a bloody religion—the blood of Christ cleanses us of all sin! This reality must be primary in our witness and in our thinking! Yes, Christ came to give abundant life. Yes, Christ worked miracles, and he can work miracles in our lives today. But these are benefits of the gospel, not the gospel itself. The gospel centers upon Christ as the sin-bearer—“the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” Most of us understand what John is saying. However, our salvation does not depend on our formulation of the doctrine of the Atonement, but on our experience of it! Is he our Lamb? Do we really believe he died for us? If we keep the wonder of the Atonement before us, we will be different people!

The Lamb is our eternal message. Abraham and Isaac prophesied his sacrifice. The Passover applied the principles of his sacrifice. Isaiah 53 personified his sacrifice. John 1 identified the sacrifice. And it is magnified in Revelation 5:9–14. The sacrificial death of Christ—this is the essence of our message.[5]

Doxology:

Let me close once again with this doxology:

24 “The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 may the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 may the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace."

Go in peace, you are dismissed.

Please join us downstairs for coffee and treats.

Pastor Paul’s Points:

1) The Lamb of God.

2) Theories of Atonement:

·        Governmental Theory

·        Penal Substitution

3) Reconciliation requires both sides.

4) After reconciliation comes conformity.

 

Questions to meditate on this week:

A)      Do you understand “Atonement”?

B)      Which theory of atonement speaks to you?

C)      Have you completed your part to be reconciled to God?



[1] https://parracatholic.org/celebrate/baptism/#:~:text=It%20is%20a%20symbol%20of,Church%20and%20children%20of%20God.

[2] Mark Olivero, “Theories of Atonement,” in Lexham Survey of Theology, ed. Mark Ward et al. (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2018).

 

[3] Ibid.

[4] John F. MacArthur, The Freedom and Power of Forgiveness, electronic ed. (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1998), 25.

[5] R. Kent Hughes, John: That You May Believe, Preaching the Word (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1999), 46.

John- So That You May Believe, Gospel of John Part 08, John 1:43-51, "Your Response to the Call"

  November 03, 2024 From The Series: John- So That You May Believe Part # 08 “Your Response to the Call” The Gospel of John 1:43-51 ...