Wonderful singing. Well, turn with me in your Bibles to John chapter 1. John chapter 1. We have finished the prologue or the introduction of John’s gospel. The first 18 verses we’ve come through. It’s been six or eight weeks now. And today we begin with John’s first witness. We’ll cover all the way through verse 34. And yes, I think we can do that. We’ve taken our time coming through and maybe done maybe one verse at a time or maybe a few more than that, but we’re going to cover a bigger section.

So I think we can handle it, but maybe we’ll just go to like the Puritans and just preach for two or three hours this morning, right? No? Well, who asked you anyways? Well, this morning we do begin John’s first witness to who Jesus is. And if you remember, I’ve said it several times and I’ll continue to do so, what John’s purpose for this gospel is. And he tells us specifically. John 20, verse 31, he says, these things have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing You may have life in His name. That’s why He wrote every single thing that is in this gospel.

So, as we read through and study through the gospel, everything is serving the purpose of proving who Jesus Christ is. He’s going to give us several witnesses. It’s like he’s presenting his case in a court of law and presenting his evidence and calling witnesses before the judge to see who it is that this man named Jesus really was. The first witness that John the apostle calls is John the Baptist. John the Baptist was introduced to us a few times already in the prologue. He was mentioned in verse 6 of chapter 1 here, and he was mentioned in verse 15 again. But in those sections, the author here, John, kept right on moving with his point. He didn’t really give us a lot of information as to who John is.

So as we pick up here in verse 19. John the Baptist is an adult. He’s already started his ministry. He’s about 30 years old. And John picks right up with John the Baptist’s ministry in the wilderness. So who is this guy that John mentions here? This is the witness of John in verse 19. Well, who’s John? Who is the one? He’s already mentioned a couple of times, but this one that we will focus in on here this morning. Well, John, the author, doesn’t give us as much information as other gospels do. Matthew, Mark, and Luke mention more about John the Baptist, what he said and what he did. In fact, Luke gives us a whole account of his conception and his birth and all the things leading up.

So for an introduction this morning, we’ll take a little bit of a profile of who John the Baptist is and what we know from the other gospels up to this point where John picks up. Well, we know in Luke chapter 1, right in the beginning, verse 7, his mother was Elizabeth, and his father was Zechariah, and it says they were both advanced in years. John was the result of a miraculous conception. His parents were not able to have children. They were too old, and yet God worked a miracle, and Elizabeth became pregnant. And while Zacharias, the father of John, was fulfilling his duty as a priest in the temple, he was visited by an angel, Gabriel. And Gabriel suddenly appears to him and brings him this surprising news that his wife, Elizabeth, was going to be pregnant and was going to have a son. Zacharias was terrified that he was speaking to an angel.

But then when he heard the news, we see in verse 18 of Luke 1 that he began to doubt. He began to question what the angel was saying and was doubting that this was actually going to take place. So because of his doubt, Zacharias was silenced. He wasn’t able to speak again until the birth of his son. And then we pick up in Luke that in the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, so she’s pretty far along here, you can obviously tell that she’s quite pregnant, her cousin Mary comes. Mary comes and she was pregnant with Jesus. And Mary comes and visits her. And previously, Gabriel had told that John would be filled with the Holy Spirit in his mother’s womb. That’s in chapter one, verse 15. And to show that that was true, as Mary comes into the house where Elizabeth was, the baby in Elizabeth’s womb leaped for joy at the sound of the mother of Jesus.

And then, later on, after John is born, and they name John in obedience to Gabriel’s command, we pick up at the end of chapter one of Luke, that Zechariah’s mouth was opened. Because he obediently named his son what the angel said, his tongue was loosed, verse 64 says, and he began to speak blessing God. And then listen to what happened after Zacharias suddenly receives his voice back at the birth of this child. Luke 1, verses 65 and 66 say this. And fear came on all those living around them. And all these matters were being talked about in all the hill country of Judea. And all who heard these things put them in their hearts, saying, what then will this child be? For the hand of the Lord was indeed with him.” That’s how John the Baptist came onto the scene. There was something special about this kid. Everybody knew it. Something different was going on with this guy. And then after his remarkable entry into this world, Luke chapter 1 verse 80 simply says, the child continued to grow and became strong in spirit, and he lived in the desolate regions until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

So you have the story of his birth, and then that’s what we’re left with. This one, this John, this child goes and grows up and lives in the desolate regions until the time of his public appearance. Well, when we look at another gospel, the gospel of Mark, Mark picks up where Luke leaves off with John, at the public appearance of John to Israel. We read it earlier in the first part of our service, but in Mark, chapter 1, verse 4, he picks up and says, John the Baptist appeared. in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sin. So he’d gone to live in the desolate regions, basically unheard of until his public appearance, and here we see he appears in Israel.

Think about the state of Israel at this point. They had been waiting for 400 years since the last prophet to hear anything from God. God had really been silent. and allowed Israel to wait for the one that he had promised. And so, as John comes on the scene, his preaching causes quite a stir. You see in Matthew chapter three, verse five, that large crowds would come from Jerusalem and Judea and all the surrounding region of the Jordan to hear his message. And his message, as we see in Matthew three, is repent. Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” John was preaching repentance. Not only that, he was baptizing those who repented as a sign of their spiritual cleansing, as a sign of their new life. We see this in Mark chapter 1 verse 5, we read that earlier. And then in John, in chapter 3 of John, John will pick up again with John the Baptist. He says in John 3, 23, John was also baptizing in Anon near Salim because there was much water there and people were coming and being baptized.

So that’s what we see with this John, the witness of John that were introduced here in verse 19. He wasn’t really wealthy. He wasn’t well-dressed, he wasn’t a figure who you would assume would be very popular, and yet the crowds were coming to him. In fact, Matthew chapter 3 verse 4 says he was dressed in a way that would not draw anybody. It says John himself had a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. But don’t let appearances fool you. Jesus himself told us John was the greatest man who ever lived. You see that in Matthew 11. Verse 11, Jesus says, truly I say to you, among those born of women, there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist. That’s who this man is that we will be introduced to today. He was a great man. He was a preacher of the truth, and he was killed for it.

We learn in the other Gospels as well that John, because of his confrontation of Herod for his sin, that first he was imprisoned and then later on, because of the request of the woman who he was committing adultery with, John was killed. John was beheaded in prison. That is John the Baptist. He came as a witness. to bear witness about the light, so that all might believe through him.” That’s John chapter 1 verse 7, which we covered a few weeks ago. And in our passage here today, the apostle John gives us examples of John’s witness, John’s ministry in preparing the way for Jesus Christ. The events recorded here in this section were really the peak of John the Baptist’s ministry. It really wasn’t long after this that John was killed. John died before Jesus did. John didn’t live as long as Jesus did.

We’ll cover here, there’s this section 19 through verse really 37 is three consecutive days that happened. Because as the text tells us, and on the next day, and on the next day. We’ll cover the first two days in our passage this morning. But in this passage, we see three elements of John’s witness. Three elements of his witness to who Jesus was. We’ll see, number one, the purpose of John. The purpose why John was here, and that’s in verses 19 to 23. Then we’ll see the baptism of John, what John was doing out there in the wilderness, verses 24 to 28. And then thirdly, we’ll see the testimony of John, what John himself said and bore witness to about Jesus.

So I’ll read our passage this morning. It’s John chapter one, verses 19 through 34. This is the word of the Lord. And this is the witness of John, when the Jews sent to him priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, who are you? And he confessed, and he did not deny, but he confessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, what then? Are you Elijah? And he said, I am not. Are you the prophet? And he answered, no. Therefore they said to him, who are you? So that we may give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself? And he said, I am a voice of one crying in the wilderness. Make straight the way of the Lord. As Isaiah the prophet said. Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. And they asked him and said to him, why then are you baptizing if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet? John answered them, saying, I baptize with water, but among you stands one whom you do not know. This one is he who comes after me, of whom I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandal. These things took place in Bethany, beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing. On the next day, he saw Jesus coming to him, and he said, Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, after me comes the man who has been ahead of me, for he existed before me. I did not know him, but so that he might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing with water. And John bore witness saying, I have beheld the spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and he abided on him. and I did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, the one upon whom you see the Spirit descending and abiding on him, this is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. And I myself have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”

First we see here, starting in verse 19, the purpose of John. What was John’s purpose? What was he doing here? Well, that’s what the priests and Levites go to find out. They were sent from the Jews. Verse 19 says, when the Jews went to see him, the priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, who are you? And it begins here with, this is the witness of John. This introduces this entire section. And all of this is John’s testimony, the evidence presented in order to prove who Jesus Christ is. And it says, the Jews sent to him these priests and Levites. Now, the Jews could mean any Israelite. The Jews does sometimes refer to all Israel, but here it specifically refers to the leaders of the Jews. And later on, we’ll see specifically the Pharisees.

The Pharisees are the ones who send these priests and Levites out to John. And these Jews did not like anything that would upset business as usual. They did not like anything that would cut in on what they had going on. They were hostile to anything that would threaten their own positions and their own practices. So they here come to John, and you can see they’re very hostile in their approach to him. They’re not coming out friendly. They’re not coming out to submit to what John has to say. They’re really coming out to put an end to what’s going on here. And John, the author, has already alluded to this hostility. We should not be surprised that this is how they react.

If you remember back in verse 11, it says, he, Jesus, came to what was his own, and those who were his own did not receive him. The Jewish leaders, these ones that sent the priests and Levites, they should have been expecting that the Messiah would come. They should have been looking for him. But instead they’re threatened by him. They don’t like what they’ve been hearing, that there’s some guy out in the wilderness drawing away some of their followers. So they come to John and they want to know, who are you? Who are you anyways? Good question. John answers, verse 20. He confessed and he did not deny, but he confessed, I am not the Christ. You see the double mention of his confession here, he’s just emphasizing. John the Baptist emphasizing, I am not the Christ. John was not the Christ and he never claimed to be. But they knew and he knew that there was a Christ coming. And as we saw the different reactions to the Christ that was coming, we see them both here. John would accept him. John knew the Christ was coming. He was waiting for him. He was eager to see the Christ. But they would reject him. They were not eager to see this one that was coming.

So they continue in verse 21. They asked him, what then? So if you’re not the Christ, what then? Are you Elijah? He said, no, I’m not. Are you the prophet? He answered, no. The Jews expected Elijah himself to return bodily just before the Messiah returned to establish his earthly kingdom. So they knew their scriptures. They expect Elijah to come. And even today, many Jewish people leave an empty seat at the table at their Passover meal because they expect Elijah to come before the Messiah. And John’s appearance was very similar to Elijah. You can see why they ask. As I read earlier, in Mark 1, we read that John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist. Well, about Elijah in 2 Kings we read, 2 Kings 1.8, that Elijah was a hairy man with a leather girdle girded about his loins. So appearances, he’s pretty similar. You can see why, well, are you Elijah? Maybe you’re Elijah. But the answer to the question is, no, I’m not. John says he is not Elijah.

He was not, at least not in the literal sense. He’s not literally Elijah, come back, reincarnate. He was not Elijah, return to earth from heaven, where he was taken in a whirlwind. And yet, there was a sense in which John was Elijah, as Jesus explained to his disciples. In Matthew 17, verses 10 to 13, it says this, and his disciples asked him, saying, why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first? This is exactly what the disciples are talking about, what the Jews here are asking. They expect, they teach, Elijah in the flesh is coming back first, so there’s no Messiah until you see Elijah. And the disciples asked him, why do they say this? And he, Jesus, answered and said, Elijah is coming and will restore all things. But I say to you, Elijah already came. And they did not recognize him, but they did to him whatever they wished. So also the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands. And this is the important part. Then the disciples understood that he had spoken to them about John the Baptist. Jesus says, Elijah did come and they killed him.

John was not actually Elijah reincarnated, but he was like Elijah. He was an Elijah-like figure. So no, he’s not literally Elijah. But then they asked, are you the prophet? Not are you a prophet? Because if they were asking, are you a prophet? He would say yes. Because John the Baptist was the last of the Old Testament prophets. Jesus had not come yet, not to his public ministry. And so, as a prophet, John is still prophesying in the Old Testament time period. But when they ask, are you the prophet? He says, no. He is not the prophet. And the one they’re talking about is the one that Moses foretold.

There will be one coming like Moses. You see that in Deuteronomy 18. But Moses predicted that one like him would come. Someone who would come and bring them God’s grace. As we talked about last week, the law came through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. But apparently here you see the Jews expecting the Christ and expecting a prophet like Moses, they expect two different figures. They expect two different people to fulfill those roles. But we know from what we read in the New Testament, from what we are told, that Jesus is both the Messiah, the Christ, and the prophet Moses told us about, the one who was coming. But again, you see the Jews have some confusion here. So they ask John these questions and he says, no, he’s not the Christ. No, he’s not Elijah. And no, he’s not the prophet.

So now they seem a bit fed up with John’s answers. They’re a little impatient here. They seem exasperated and they say, in verse 22 of John 1, they said to him, well, who are you? So that we may give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself? Listen, we’ve been sent by some important people, and we need to give an answer, as if that’s supposed to influence John’s answer. What do you say about yourself? You’re none of the things we thought you were, so who on earth are you? Verse 23, he says, I am a voice of one crying in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord, as Isaiah the prophet said. John’s reply was definitely not what they were expecting.

They’re expecting to find a guy out there trying to cut in on their business, to steal some of their influence and their power. But John says, he’s just a voice. He’s just a voice crying in the wilderness. One commenter, Leon Morris says this, the point of the quotation is that it gives no prominence to the preacher whatsoever. He is not an important person like the prophet or the Messiah. He is no more than a voice. He is a voice but with one thing to say, make straight the way of the Lord. John’s response here, it’s a humble confession. that he’s not the one they ought to be looking for. But it’s also a rebuke to them. These Old Testament experts, these teachers of the Jews, these leaders of the Old Testament faith. He says, Isaiah told you I was coming. He quotes Isaiah. As Isaiah the prophet said, I’m that voice crying in the wilderness. Where do you find me? I’m out in the wilderness, crying out. Make straight the way of the Lord.” That prophecy comes from Isaiah 40 verse 3, and it speaks of, that section in Isaiah speaks of the coming glory of the kingdom of God, that the kingdom is coming, and yet there needs to be some preparation for it.

So with that quote of Isaiah. John answers the Jew’s question and shifts the focus off of himself already. I’m merely a voice and I’m here to tell you about the one that’s coming and to prepare your hearts to be ready for the one that’s coming. Make straight the way of the Lord. That was a challenge to the nation of Israel, to those who heard John preaching. Prepare your hearts for the Messiah.” So John emphasizes Christ in his answer. He emphasizes that he is not the one that they ought to be paying attention to. They are looking for the Christ. That is John’s purpose. John’s purpose was to make straight the way of the Lord. Next we see the baptism of John. Because it wasn’t just that John was crying out, it wasn’t just what John was preaching, it was what John was doing.

You see in verses 24 to 28, now, they had been sent from the Pharisees, and they asked him, saying, why then are you baptizing? If you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet, and John answered them, saying, I baptize with water, but among you stands one whom you do not know. This one is he who comes after me, of whom I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandal. These things took place in Bethany, beyond the Jordan, where John was baptized. We see a few things here in this section. At first, they challenge him with, who are you? What right do you have to be doing this? Who do you think you are drawing all these crowds out here? And it wasn’t just what he was saying, why then are you baptizing if you’re not the Christ or Elijah or the prophet?

It’s an interesting question because Christ, Elijah, and the prophet, who is also Christ, they didn’t baptize anyone. So it’s interesting why they ask, well, why then are you baptizing? It’s pretty clear they’re confused on what he’s even doing out here. And John’s answer is, I baptize with water, but, and he points to Christ. His baptism is meant to point you to Christ. We see here it’s the Pharisees that send these questioners. And by his own admission, John is not one of the figures they think he is.

So what exactly is John doing out here? They want to know what this baptism is. What are you doing baptizing? What are you baptizing people for? This is really the beginning of what we see all through the New Testament. As I mentioned, the gospel of John here really just summarizes and doesn’t give us a lot of detail as to the life and ministry of John the Baptist. But the other gospels do give us a lot of information as to what it was that John was doing.

So what was this baptism of John? What does that even mean? What is John doing? Again, we go to the Gospel of Mark. It gives us a good detailed description of what was happening there in the wilderness. Again, and I read earlier verses four and five of Mark 1, John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the region of Judea was going out to him and all the people of Jerusalem and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River confessing their sins.

So we see here, this was a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. This tells us something about who was being baptized. So if we’re trying to understand what baptism is according to John, first we need to understand who are the subjects of baptism? Who is it that’s being baptized? Well, we see those who are repenting. for the forgiveness of sins. And the end of verse five there says, they were being baptized and confessing their sins. So who is it being baptized? Those who confess, are forgiven, and repent of their sins. These are believers. This is a believer’s baptism. Those who come and hear John, believe what he says, repent and confess their sins, And then they’re baptized.

So the subjects of this baptism are believers. And it’s the same throughout the New Testament. It’s all through the book of Acts. In fact, you won’t find anyone in scripture who was baptized without believing first. That’s what it always points to. Those who come, hear the gospel, believe, confess their sins, repent of their sins, and the next step is baptism. So those are who are being baptized. That’s the subjects of baptism.

Next, what does this baptism tell us about what’s actually happening, the mode of baptism? What’s John doing to them? Well, first, The word baptize. You know the word baptize is actually a Greek word? And when you say baptize or baptism, you’re speaking Greek, because that is literally a Greek word. And from a Greek dictionary, I’ll read to you what the description of the word baptize is. It is to plunge, dip, wash, or baptize. It’s, that’s the description of the verb, the action of baptism. It is that of submerging or immersing something. And that’s literally what that word means.

Okay, well enough, but sometimes words can mean different things as they develop, so are there any clues in the text as to exactly what’s happening when people are being baptized? Well, let’s keep reading in Mark. Mark 1, verse 5. Again, all the region of Judea was going out to him and all the people of Jerusalem, and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River. Going out to the Jordan River. The Jordan River is a pretty big river. It’s pretty deep. And they were being baptized in the Jordan. It’s interesting too, when you’re trying to figure out exactly what’s going on, what it doesn’t say. It doesn’t say they were being baptized alongside or beside the Jordan River, or they were using water from the Jordan River to baptize. It says they were being baptized in the Jordan River. They were being plunged into the water and brought back up.

But is there any other proof as to what John was doing? Well, let’s look at the baptism of Jesus. What does the baptism of Jesus tell us about John’s baptism? Keep reading in Mark chapter 1 verses 9 and 10. Now it happened that in those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And immediately coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opening and the spirit descending like a dove upon him. They went into the Jordan River, he was baptized, and coming up out of the water, that’s when the Holy Spirit descended upon him. It’s showing us a picture of what’s going on here. He literally was immersed into the water, and immediately when he was coming back up out of the water, the Holy Spirit descended.

And not only that, some additional proof to what’s going on in John’s baptism, Go back to John and flip over to John 3. I read this verse earlier in the introduction. John 3 verse 23, and John also was baptizing in Anon near Salim. Why? Why did he go that far out there? Because there was much water there and people were coming out and being baptized. They had to find a place that had much water. Much water for what? Enough water to immerse people in it. Back to our question, what was the mode of John’s baptism? He was immersing people in the river. John was immersing believers into the Jordan River.

That is why we, as Baptists, believe that we should baptize believers in water, just like we did last Sunday morning. Those who believe and want to profess their faith by taking the waters of baptism. That’s what baptism is. That’s in the Bible. Whenever you read about baptism, this is what it’s talking about. It’s people who have believed and are immersed in water. So, with all that said, an important question comes up. What do we as Baptists think of those who believe different than we do? Because there are people who believe that baptism is something different. There are people here this morning who believe that baptism is something different.

So what do we believe about those who are sprinkled as infants, or paedo-baptism, as you call it? I think what Presbyterians and other paedo-baptists do with infants, I think it’s a beautiful ceremony that sets apart and dedicates the children of believers. It marks them out as children of God’s people, and it’s a charge to the parents to raise their children in the care and the admonition of the Lord. It dedicates that baby to Christ, and it serves as a reminder to the parents of what their job is. They are stewards of God’s children that He has given them. I just don’t think it’s baptism.

I think it’s a beautiful thing. I really do. It’s a beautiful ceremony, but it’s not what we see in the Bible when we read about baptism. I think we’re talking about two different things when we use the same language. And that is why we as a church, we have and we will continue to ask those who have been baptized in a different manner than what we believe baptism is to be baptized before they join the church. When you want to come identify with this church, and identify with what we believe, we are a church of baptized believers. And what we believe baptism biblically is, is important.

So, baptism in the Bible is the immersion of a believer in water. It is a sign of our relationship with Christ. It signifies, as Colossians 2:12 says, that we have been buried with him in baptism in which you were also raised up with him through faith in the working of God who raised him from the dead. We believe that motion of going down in the water and coming back up signifies the burial and resurrection that we have in Christ. We have been buried and raised up with him. That is what the mode of baptism signifies. So again, baptism in the Bible is the immersion of believers in water. That’s what John was doing here.

So if you have not been baptized by immersion, or if you were not a believer when you were baptized, you can come and talk to us, and we would love to talk with you about that and get that taken care of.

So back to John chapter one here. When they asked John why he was doing this, why he was baptizing, why is it that you’re He, verses 25 and 26, they say, why are you baptizing if you’re not the Christ or Elijah or the prophet? John answered them, saying, I baptize with water, but among you stands one that you do not know. John redirects their question. They said, well, what gives you the right? Who do you think you are? And he says, yes, I’m baptizing, but there’s one among you that you don’t even know. There’s something more important going on here, guys.

John was simply there to point people to Jesus. His baptizing was another element of this witness to who Jesus was. And John says that this Christ was already among them and they hadn’t even seen Him yet. They did not know Him and they would not know Him. As verse 10 in chapter 1 here says, he was in the world and the world was made through him, but the world did not know him. Jesus was a Jew. The Jews were already hostile to him before they even knew who he was. And then John goes on to say in verse 27, this one is he who comes after me, of whom I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandal.

You see, John knew who he was, and he knew who Jesus was. Jesus said that John was the greatest man ever born, and John knew correctly that he was nothing in comparison to Jesus himself. John was not out trying to get attention or a following. He was there to point people to the real Messiah. He called people to repent of their sins and find forgiveness in Christ. That message is true for us today. So the second element of John’s witness here is the baptism of John. The baptism of John pointed people to who Jesus was. Lastly, the third element of John’s witness is the testimony of John, what John said. What does John himself confess about Jesus Christ?

Let’s pick up in verse 29. On the next day, he saw Jesus coming to him and said, behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, after me comes a man who has been ahead of me, for he existed before me. I did not know him. But so that he might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing with water. And John bore witness, saying, I have beheld the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and he abided on him, and I did not know him. But he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, the one upon whom you see the Spirit descending and abiding on him, this is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. And I myself have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”

John summarizes the baptism of Jesus here. This is the day Jesus comes to be baptized. And it’s the day after these Pharisees were there questioning who John was and what right do you have to baptize? This is why John came. This day is why John came, to baptize Jesus. It says there in verse 29, on the very next day, he saw Jesus, the one he’d been waiting for, coming to him. And it provokes a reaction in John. He cried out like John does. He cried out, behold. Everyone look. Don’t be coming to me. Don’t look at me. Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. This is the Lamb of God, the sacrificial Lamb, the one who would be sacrificed for sin, the final Passover Lamb. This is the Messiah. This is the one they’ve been waiting for.

And John makes it clear that he’d come to deal with sin. He’d come to take away sin. And sin is in the heart of every single person. Jeremiah 17, nine tells us, the heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately wicked or desperately sick. Who can know it? All men are sinful and incapable of paying God back for our sin. And he says he came to take away the sin of the world. It’s important to understand what that means there. It doesn’t mean that he took away everyone’s sin. People are still lost in their sin and there will be people who refuse Christ who will pay for their sin.

Here this word “world” refers to all people without distinction. Jesus didn’t just come for the Jews. He came for everybody in the world, every people group, everyone there is without distinction. There’s no national, racial or ethnic barriers here. Jesus is not just savior of the Jews. He’s the only savior for anybody in the world. This is actually an exclusive statement. Every person in the world, it doesn’t matter what religion you claim, your only Savior, the only Savior available to you is Jesus Christ. And Jesus’ sacrifice is able to save anybody in the world who comes to Him. But the salvation Jesus provides is effective only for those who believe in Him. You see that in John chapter 3. The verse that summarizes that section is verse 16, a well-known verse. I’m going back to 15 a little bit. Whoever believes will in Him have eternal life for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. Whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. The only way to receive the salvation that Jesus came to provide is by believing in him.

Then we see here in John chapter one, John again stresses for the third time now, that Jesus is more important than he is. That John is merely subordinate to Jesus. He is just a servant to point people to Jesus. The word became flesh. He says in verse 30, this is he. This is he. This is the one. Everything I’ve been telling you guys about, this is him. This is he of whom I said, after me comes a man who has been ahead of me, for he existed before me.” John was created. John had a beginning. This is he who had no beginning. This is he who came before me.

We’ve spoken about the preexistence of Christ a lot in this prologue, and this is what John is telling them. This is the one who already was. And then John says, I did not know him, but so that he might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing with water. It was Jesus’ baptism that revealed to John who he was. This is an interesting quotation, because oftentimes we wonder about Jesus growing up Did people know who he was? John says he didn’t. He didn’t know him until he saw the Spirit descending on him like God told him. Can you imagine that realization? Oh, my cousin, Jesus, welcome. We’ll baptize you too. Boom, there’s the Spirit descending on him just like God said. This is Him. This is the Messiah.

He continues in verse 32, John bore witness again saying, I have beheld the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven and He abided on Him. This is the baptism of Jesus. We read in other passages in Matthew chapter three and other places that when Jesus was baptized coming up out of the water, the Spirit descended on Him. It was visible. John saw it. Apparently, he had already been told before by God, when this happens, John, be looking for one that when you baptize him, the spirit will descend. When you see that, that’s him. That’s the one. He continues in verse 33, and I did not know him. He says it again. I did not know.

I didn’t realize who Jesus was until, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, the one upon whom you see the spirit descending and abiding on him, this is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. I didn’t know him, but now John understood who Jesus truly was. It was divine revelation. First God spoke to him and told him it would happen, and then John saw it with his own eyes. Jesus is far greater than John, and it’s reinforced when John baptizes him. And then John gives us his conclusion. He describes for us what’s happened. God told him beforehand what would happen. He saw it happen, and this is what John makes of all these events that just happened. This is what John understands now.

Verse 34, and I myself have seen and have borne witness. Remember, this is John’s first witness in this gospel. It’s as if someone is on the stand, testifying in court. And he says, I myself have seen and I have borne witness. I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, that this is the Son of God. This is the Son of God. It’s the first time in this gospel that name is used, and we’ll see it a lot. But this is a fitting conclusion to this section.

Everything that we read about in John’s witness is summarized that Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus is God’s Son. We’re all children of God if we believe in Christ, but in a special way, in a way that he shares the same nature as the Father, Jesus is the Son of God. And John has a charge. for those who heard Him and those who read His words today. For each one of us, see Jesus for who He is. Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Behold, this is the only Savior you get. So if you do not know Christ, if you have not come to Christ for salvation, You need to come to Him today. You need to believe what God’s Word tells us, what John the Baptist was trying to tell everyone that could hear him.

This is the Christ, the Son of God, the one who came to take away the sin of the world. And just like John called the people in his day to do, we are called to repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Repent means to turn from your sins and turn to Christ. To confess that you are a sinner, and just like the people of John’s day, confess their sins. To repent means to realize that Jesus Christ is the Savior for the whole world. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from, there is one Savior, Jesus Christ. You believe that He lived and died in your place. And He took the punishment your sin deserved.

And just like we show in baptism, He was buried and He rose again. And now He is seated at the right hand of the Father, interceding for those who believe in Him. But He’s coming back. He is coming again and He will establish His kingdom and reign with His people. So if you have not yet come to Him, you need to come, confess your sins and believe. This is the good news of the kingdom. This is the gospel. The kingdom that John came to prepare the way for. Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. And by believing in him, you will have life in his name.

Let’s stand together and close in a word of prayer this morning. Our God in heaven, we praise you for what your word has to say to us, for what your word teaches us about who you are, about who Christ is. I pray, Lord, that each one here this morning will see that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Lord, I pray if there’s anyone here who has not yet come to you, that you would soften their hearts, that you would bring them to yourself. God, we are so humbled by your plan of salvation, by the way that you have brought together your people. And Lord, we just pray that we would glorify you in what you’re doing in our own life as we leave here today. We thank you for who you are and we pray this in Christ’s name. Amen.