Testimony to Live For

Testimony to Live For

John 1:14-34

 

Illus. Living to tell…

 

Last week, we began our study of the book of John in John chapter one. The book was written by John the Apostle, and in the first 14 verses, John introduces us to Jesus as the Word who was in the beginning, Who was with God, and Who was, is, and will forever be, God. We studied the Scriptures that describe Jesus as creator and sustainer of all things, as the light that came to the dark world and would give the light of life to all who believe. John details out Jesus’ divinity as fully God, and as we continue this morning, he will continue by telling us that Jesus was also fully man in human flesh. 

We covered verses 1 to 13 last week, which serve as the first part of the introduction to the book. And the introduction continues in verses 14 to 18. The things written of will be further defined as we study through the book. In verse 15, we are pointed to the testimony of another John that we looked at briefly last week, John the Baptist.

 

John 1:6-7, A man came, one sent from God, and his name was John. He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.

 

Throughout the writings of John the Apostle, the words “testimony” and “testify” are used nearly 100 times. John the Apostle found one’s testimony and willingness to testify to be something worth living for. To testify is to bear witness, to not hold back what one has seen, heard, or experienced, to give a report. In studying the first 13 verses of the book of John last week, we did so with the understanding that he had a testimony of his own. He met Jesus as a young man, walked with Him, followed Him, knew Him, believed in Him, and from the time He met Jesus until the end of his life, he testified of Jesus Christ as he had a testimony to live for!

This morning, we will look at another testimony, the testimony of John the Baptist. John was on Earth for a specific reason, to testify of Jesus Christ, and it was this testimony that marked his life. John had a testimony to live for, and this morning, I want to study his testimony. Specifically, what he knew to be true, what he did with what he knew, and what he pointed others to!

 

Read: John 1:14-23

 

After making sure there is an understanding of Jesus’ eternal deity, John draws our attention to His humanity before turning to the testimony of John the Baptist. These are important steps for us personally. We must understand who Jesus is, and when we do, base our testimony on who He is not just personally, but for all eternity. As we follow the text this morning, we will look at these things, specifically, the importance of getting settled on Jesus’ status, giving Him glory in our story, and our commission to guide others to Him in every situation.

 

1. Get Settled on The Status of the Son

 

• Throughout the book of John there will be seven different witnesses that the Apostle John “calls on” to give testimony of the life, deity, and humanity of Jesus Christ.

 

• It is all tied to the purpose of this book that he defined in John 20:31.

 

John 20:31, These 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.

 

• The witnesses John calls will be those who believed, but he starts by directing our attention to whom we are believing in when we believe in Jesus Christ.

 

• Last week, in the introduction, we studied the meaning of “the Word” in verse one.

 

John 1:1, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

 

Illus. The meaning of “The Word.”

John 1:14, And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and we saw His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

 

• The Logos, was not only a reference to God in ancient writings, “the Logos” became flesh as God in reality.

 

• One of the earliest heresies that began to infiltrate the early church was from a philosophy that began to challenge and infiltrate the early church called Gnosticism.

 

• Gnostics believed that salvation came through secret knowledge for a select few, and that the material world was inherently evil.

 

• Many Gnostics began to believe and teach that Jesus’ physical body was an illusion (Docetism). They asserted that He seemed to be human was wasn’t.

 

Illus. Stories.

 

• John’s writing ensure we don’t fall for anything other than the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us!

 

• Jesus was, is, and will forever be God. And the Word became flesh. The word “became” does not mean he ceased to be what He was, is, and will forever be, rather, the Bible says He took on flesh.

 

Philippians 2:6-8, … although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

 

• The word “emptied” carries the idea of being made into something.

 

• When we think of being emptied, we typically think of something being taken away, or removed. When your gas tank is empty, all the gas is gone.

 

• Philippians 2 gives us a different picture, however. Paul wrote that Jesus emptied Himself by taking of the form of a bond-servant, being made in the likeness of men.

 

• Jesus didn’t empty Himself by subtraction, rather, He did this by addition, adding humanity to His deity.

 

• Jesus was fully God and fully man. He set aside certain rights or privileges willingly, to make the way for humanity.

 

Philippians 2:6, Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage…

 

Genesis 1:1, In the beginning God….

 

John 1:1, In the beginning was the Word…

 

• Last week we understood that to deny Jesus’ deity is a heresy and something certain religions believe. This week, we see that to deny Jesus’ humanity is also a heresy that some believe.

 

2 John 1:7, Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.

 

Illus. Examples.

 

Luke 24:39, Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.

 

• If Jesus is not fully God, then we do not have a sinless Savior who sacrificed His life for the sins of the world.

 

• If Jesus is not fully man, then He could not represent us by dying on the cross, shedding His blood on the Cross.

 

Hebrews 2:14, Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, so that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil.

 

Hebrews 2:17, Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brothers so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

 

• John wanted to make sure these things were clear, when you believe in Jesus, you are believing in God. When people saw Jesus, they were seeing God in the flesh. When we read about Jesus, when we learn about Him, we must get settled on His status.

 

Colossians 2:9, In Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form.

 

John 1:14, And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and we saw His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

 

• Jesus was God in the flesh. In John 14:9 He said if you have seen me you have seen the Father.

 

•  “The only Son from the Father,” is elsewhere translated, “as of the only begotten Son from the Father.”

 

• The words “only begotten,” have led some to claim that Jesus is created. But the word there, “monogenes,” does not imply Jesus was created by God and therefore not eternal.

 

• But the term does not refer to a person’s origin, but is a reference to that person being, “unique, or “one of a kind.”

 

• The same word was used to describe Isaac, the son of Abraham in the book of Hebrews.

 

Hebrews 11:17, By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and the one who had received the promises was offering up his only son.

 

• Isaac wasn’t the only son of Abraham, he had another named Ishmael.

 

• Isaac, however, was the son of covenant promises to Abraham, he was unique, and distinguished from all others.

 

• Jesus is unique, one of a kind in relationship to the Father. He is eternal, God in the flesh, and the one through whom God’s promise of salvation would come.

 

Illus. Same Nature.

 

Illus. One of One.

 

• This is the foundational to our testimony personally. Not just who we think He might be, but who He is actually.

 

• John knew this, and as he points us to the testimony of John the Baptist, it is clear that he was settled on the status of the Son, there was no confusion or miscalculation.

 

John 1:15-18, John testified about Him and called out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who is coming after me has proved to be my superior, because He existed before me.’” For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time; God the only Son, who is in the arms of the Father, He has explained Him.

 

• John “testified,” there is that word, which mean to bear witness, to affirm what has been seen or heard, he did not hold back.

 

• He gave his testimony, it is what he lived for, he had gotten settled on the status of the Son, and gave Him glory.

 

1. Give Him the Glory in Your Story

 

• The testimony of John the Baptist is tied to his story and the circumstances surround John the Baptist and his story are shared in the Scriptures.

 

• We are first introduced to John the Baptist in Luke chapter 1. His father was a priest named Zechariah, and his mother’s name was Elizabeth.

 

• It was later in their lives when the Lord used the angel Gabriel to speak to Zechariah when he was performing his priestly service before the Lord.

 

• He was chosen to burn incense in the temple which was a once in a lifetime opportunity and it was there that the angel spoke to him.

 

Luke 1:13-17, But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall [l]name him John. You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice over his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while still in his mother’s womb. 16 And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. And it is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers back to their children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

 

• There were prophesies of a coming Messiah, but the word came to Zechariah after 400 years of prophetic silence.

 

• There was expectation of the coming Messiah, but the last prophetic words that came before the 400 years of prophetic silence, were important to understand.

Malachi 3:1, Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me.

• The angel Gabriel in the announcement quoted Malachi 4:5-6, declaring John the Baptist to be the promised forerunner of the Messiah who would prepare the way and, turn many back to the Lord and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous to prepare people for the Lord.

 

• This was the testimony of John the Baptist. He was brought forth to give God glory by preparing the way for Jesus.

 

• John testified that Jesus was his superior. He testified that Jesus existed before him. That is significant because Jesus was born about six months after John. We know this because Jesus’ mother Mary went to be with Elizabeth after she was told news that she would bear and birth Jesus and it was in Elizabeth’s sixth month. Elizabeth was the cousin of Mary.

 

Illus. Can you see it?

 

• John says of Jesus, “He was before me, He’s supreme, He existed before me.”

 

• John was alive to bring God glory, to prepare the way for Jesus. To testify of Him continually. People would come to him thinking that he was something, but he gave God the glory, that was his testimony.

 

John 1:19-28

• This was John testimony, when John was asked “Who are you?” he responded, “I am not the Christ.”

 

• The are thinking, surely, you are somebody… “Are you Elijah?” he responded, “I am not.”

 

• Are you the prophet? He replied, “no.” “Well, who are you?”

 

• “I am not the Messiah.” The asked the question because they likely thought John might be or may have been claiming to be their Messiah, their Christ.

 

• John responded directly, “Just to be clear, I am not the Messiah.”

 

• So they asked him another question, “What then? Are you Elijah?” That question is an interesting one and they had reasons for asking it.

 

•  The first reason is likely the way he looked, acted and dressed. John had a bold way about him in his approach and attire.

 

Matthew 3:4, Now John himself had a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.

 

• John also had a fiery preaching style…

 

Matthew 3:2, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.

 

• Elijah had a fiery preaching style as well. Boldly declaring a drought in the land, and calling down fire from heaven challenging the false prophets. (1 Kings 17,18).

 

• In 2 Kings 1:8, we get a description of Elijah.

 

2 Kings 1:8, “He was a hairy man with a leather belt worn around his waist.”

 

• John the Baptist came wearing camel’s hair clothing with a leather belt around his waist. So, the people are wondering, “is this Elijah?” 

 

• This is not a surprising question because in the last two sentences of the last book of the Old Testament, Malachi, God said, “I will send my messenger, Elijah, before the great and terrible day of the Lord.“

 

• John said, “I am not Elijah.” “Are you Elijah?” “I’m not.”

 

• This is an interesting statement because in Matthew 11, Jesus said of John the Baptist, “This is Elijah who is to come.” So you got Jesus saying of John the Baptist, “That’s Elijah,” and you got John the Baptist saying, “I’m not Elijah.”

 

• Also, before John the Baptist was ever born, his father Zechariah, got the message from an angel saying, “You’re going to have a son named John and he will come in the spirit and in the power of Elijah.”

 

• So how do understand all of this?

 

Matthew 17:10-12, And His disciples asked Him, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” And He answered and said, “Elijah is coming and will restore all things; but I say to you that Elijah already came, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wanted. So also the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.”

 

• Elijah will come again, Jesus said, that’s future. That’s the great tribulation. But Elijah already came and was not recognized.

 

• John the Baptist came not as the person of Elijah but as the angel said in the spirit and power of Elijah.

 

• He was an Elijah-like forerunner of Christ. That is what his dad was told when his birth was announced.

 

• John was not denying that he had come in the spirit and power of Elijah, but rather, that he was Elijah himself.

 

• “Are you the Prophet?” What prophet? That is not defined, just “‘The Prophet,’ and he answered ‘No.'”

 

• While we don’t know which prophet they are referring to, there are some possibilities. There are some potential options…

 

• One is, in Deuteronomy 18, verse 15, Moses said, “The Lord God will send another Prophet like me, him shall you hear.” The disciples likely knew that meant the Messiah Himself, the Prophet who would be the Christ. But these Jewish leaders thought “the Prophet” was some other prophet who would come before the Messiah.

 

• So by this point, they’re just frustrated at John’s very short negative answer. “Are you the Messiah?” “No” “Elijah?” “Not it.” “The Prophet?” “Nope.”

 

• They don’t stop then, they dig in “Then ‘Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?’“

 

• “I am the voice.” I’m not the Word, He’s the Word. I’m just the voice of the Word. I’m the voice of one crying in the wilderness.

 

Isaiah 40:3, The voice of one calling out, “Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness; Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

 

Illus. He’s him.

 

• John said, I am not the Messiah, that is who is coming after me, as for me, I am not even worthy to untie the strap of His sandal.

 

Illus. Nobody.

 

John 1:16, For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.

 

• In Jesus, God came to earth in His fullness, John said, we saw his glory! And in verse 16, and of His fullness we have received grace upon grace.

 

Illus. Waves.

 

III.  Guide Others to Him in Every Situation

 

John 1:29-34

 

• Looking at Jesus, John said, “Behold, the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”

 

• It was the next day, and the picture I get is that John, in his life, was continually guiding and pointing people to Jesus Christ.

 

• He knew that Jesus was the perfect, sinless, spotless lamb, and that it was Him, and only Him, who could take away the sin of the world.

 

• “Behold..” John said. It means to see, to look, to direct your attention.

 

• John testified about Him, spoke about Him, taught about Him, lived for Him…and when He had the opportunity, he pointed people toward Him…Behold, look, that is Him!

 

Matthew 11:11, Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist! Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

 

• John was great, but we have the opportunity to be greater, why? Because we have seen the fulness of His work, we know the forgiveness of sin, Jesus’ finished work on the cross and resurrection. We have more that has been told to us, more testimony given to us, we have more to behold, more has been given, and so be great with what has been given, and guide others to Him in every situation.

 

John 20:31, These 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.

 

Matthew 28:18-20, And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

 

John 1:14-34