That You Might Believe – “The Witness”

  Welcome to our study of the book of John…. We will be covering John 1:6-13…
   I. THE PROPHET SPEAKS AGAIN!
      (From Malachi to John the baptizer, a period of some 400 years has passed. The silence of ‘prophetic speaking’ should not assume the absence of Divine work. God has not nor will He ever retire or take a ‘Sabbatical’. The prophecy of Daniel 2 is being fulfilled, the Romans are in power, Israel hates them, and longs for a special someone to come and free them from their rule, and restore once more, the former glory of Israel. What Israel hopes for will not happen,because God’s plan is greater. It will take the form of a witness named John, who will ‘prepare the way’ for the Savior named Jesus.  
   John 1:6-8 says, “There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7  He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8  He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.”
   John lived, and preached in the wilderness, knowing all along, that he would be eclipsed by the Promised One. He, unlike many, had no problem with ‘playing second fiddle’, His ministry, although great, and although he immersed many, would ‘decrease’ while that of the Messiah would ‘increase’. Of course this is how it should be since John was not the Christ. Note what John says, “He (John the baptizer) did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.” 21 They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.” 22  Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’ ” (John 1:20-23).Preparing the way for the Messiah, meant he would be preparing the hearts of those who would repent and be immersed, for the coming kingdom (rule) of the Messiah. These were to the rulership of this Messiah. John’s was but a preamble for something, Someone greater. 
   Later we find remnants of John’s work in Acts 19:1-4 “While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples
2  and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?” John’s baptism,” they replied. 4 Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5  On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.” )
   JOHN’S WITNESS:
   1. John was “NOT the Light”, but came to bear witness of the Light”.(John 1:8).
   2. John readily admitted that he was not the Christ, (John 1:20)
   3. John had fewer disciples than Jesus, (John 4:1).
   4. John was a prophet of God, but Jesus was the miracle worker, of which he spoke (John 10:41-42).
    OTHER WITNESSES
   1. The FATHER: John 8:18.
   2. JESUS: John 8:14, 18.
   3. JESUS’ WORKS (MIRACLES): John 6:30; John 10:25; John 14:11; John 15:24.:
   4. The (OLD TESTAMENT) SCRIPTURES: John 5:39, 46; John 1:45.
   5. The DISCIPLES John 15:27; John 19:35; John 21:24; I John 1:1-2.
   6. The HOLY SPIRIT: John 15:26; I John 5:6
   JESUS GIVES ‘LIGHT’ TO EVERY MAN (ALL MANKIND). (vs. 9)
   “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:4-5).”The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world” (John 1:9). Truly marvelous verses about Jesus with whom, there are NO DOUBTS, NO DISPARE, NO DARKNESS OF DEATH, and true victory OVER SIN.
    “UNRECOGNIZED” “He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11  He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him” (John 1:10-11). Notice what Paul says in Romans 1:16-17, 21-25.
How can the world NOT SEE the greatness of God? Yet it is to be expected. They ‘hated’ Him, and they will hate all who follow Him. Let us….
    “LOOK OUTWARD” – Planets, ‘keep to their appointed course’. Tides of the oceans, ‘keep their appointed times’. Then you have seed time and harvest time. Spring, summer, fall and winter, all follow as planned. That there is a  Supreme Scientist, a Designer, is proclaimed to all mankind through Creation. Mankind may not know the True God, or His plan, or the Messiah through creation, but they know there is SOMEONE. 
   “LOOK UPWARD” – The stars are as many as the sands on the shore, and more. Astronomy shows that there is a Controller of it all. Consider Psalm 139 and Psalm 19.
   “LOOK INWARD” At the amazing make up of man and woman. Even without a ‘written law’ man still has a knowledge of what’s right and wrong, (Romans 2:14-15). Yet there is still within mankind, an emptiness, and a ‘hole’ which none can fill but a relationship with the Creator (Ephesians 2:5-11; Psalm 23).
   “CHILDREN OF GOD” – “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13  children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.14  the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:12-14).
   This is the desire, plan, goal of God… to ‘redeem’, by back, all who would come to Him through His Son, Jesus. He offers grace in Jesus Christ, to all who will come.. 
   John 6:44-45; John 5:39-40; John 3:3-7, 16; John 20:30-31; Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:37-39. 

   Next: “THE WORD BECAME FLESH”

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