Do be seated. Turn if you will in John 1. It's very hot isn't it? If you feel you need to get up and wander around, get a bit of fresh, well it's not particularly fresh is it? But get a glass of water. Please don't, well you don't have to faint is what I'm saying.
And we're going to meet this evening at 6 o'clock and Sinclair Ferguson is preaching. He does pulpit supply around the place. I felt we needed to have him. So, you know, I know it's a big disappointment Ruben and I aren't on, but Sinclair will be preaching tonight.
I want us to look tonight, this morning, at John 1. And I'm aware that you need to exercise great discretion when you talk about your heroes. You can be guilty, can't you, of elevating a man or a woman. You can be guilty of talking too much about a particular person.
But it's good to have heroes. We were made to have heroes. Godly heroes, wholesome heroes, well chosen heroes. And once in a while it's good to talk about them and to commend them.
There's a man among others, one man probably who's had a profound shaping life, shaping influence on my life. He's now 98. I can see him probably kind of once a month. We talk about church life, we talk about preaching and various things.
I feel something more than respect for him. There's clearly that, but there's something more than respect. Something more than admiration. There's clearly admiration.
In as far as it's appropriate to stand in awe of a human being, that's what I feel about this old man.
And the amazing thing is, as I've known him over the last 30 years, is what he's done consistently is he has said to me,
Levy, stop thinking about yourself, which is a very, very good thing.
But he said to me, stop thinking about yourself and get into God's word and think about God.
Don't look at me, look at God.
And when I look at John 1, I think John the Apostle stands in awe of John the Baptist.
I think we can see that in the way that it's written.
Still, after all these years, after all the time that's passed,
in John chapter 1, 50 years later, John sits down to write his gospel.
And in all those ensuing years, John knew sense, as he writes about this guy, John the Baptist, he knew,
he stands in awe of him.
It's very likely, I think, that John, the Apostle who wrote the gospel,
was one of John the Baptist's followers, disciples.
It's very likely that he is one of the two mentioned in verse 35.
John stands in awe of this man.
He's seen his strange appearance.
He's experienced his authority.
He's felt the weight of God's voice in this man.
And so his awe for John the Baptist, you can still sense it.
And it grows out of his first-hand experience of John the Baptist.
First, nothing could deter this man from his purpose.
John the Baptist already told us, isn't he, last week,
John the Apostle has told us what John the Baptist's role is.
Look at verse 6.
Back in verse 6, he says,
There was a man sent from God whose name was John.
He came as a witness to the light,
to bear witness about the light,
that all might believe through him.
He wasn't the light,
but he came to bear witness to the light.
Do you hear that?
There was a man called John who was sent from God.
And his purpose was to call witness,
to bear witness to someone else,
to call attention to someone else,
to point people's eyes and hearts to someone else.
And again, you see it in verse 15.
Have a look there.
John bore witness about him
and cried out,
This was he of whom I said,
he who comes after me ranks before me
because he was before me.
So listen up for a moment.
John's purpose
in writing about John's Baptist ministry
can be summarized in three words.
So when you start off as a preacher,
they say, put your sermon into one sentence.
All good sermons are put into one sentence.
Great sermons are put into three words.
All right?
Amazing sermons are put into one word.
I'm speaking ironically.
All right?
Three words.
Okay?
So children,
what are the three words?
Do you remember?
Not me,
him.
What are they?
Not me,
him.
There you go.
You've got the sermon.
Not me,
him.
Now,
because the sermon is so good,
you can put it into one word.
Him.
Somebody says to you,
what was the sermon about on Sunday morning?
Not me,
him.
Or him.
That's John's life,
John the Baptist.
And as we look at these verses,
we see all the ways in which John bears witness to Christ.
Not me,
him,
he says.
In verse 19,
this is the witness,
this is the testimony of John.
And we see all the different ways that John accomplished that.
Pointing to Christ.
And it begins with this interaction with the Jewish leaders.
The Jewish leaders,
they're very,
very important people in Jerusalem.
They've sent a delegation to investigate what is going up on in Galilee.
There's this great buzz.
There's this great stir.
There's a man eating honey and locusts,
dressed in camel skin.
The people are going wild for him.
He lives in the wilderness.
They go out to him and he baptizes them.
John is the phenomenon of his day.
His ministry has caused a great stir.
His preaching has had an impact on people's lives.
Years,
after years and years and decades and centuries of silence,
God is now speaking.
Once again,
there's a prophetic voice that was being heard in Israel.
And so now they come.
You can imagine the film crews are there, aren't they?
The TV are there.
The radio are there.
It's disturbing the religious authorities.
They're troubled.
They're bothered by this outlier and John's independence.
Here is this rogue Levite preacher
with no real theological education,
attracting all this attention,
and people follow him.
And the religious establishment,
it's a big problem to them.
Because even though he was clearly unorthodox in his manner,
there's something unmistakable of God about him.
He's unorthodox in his manner and in his preaching,
and yet there's something unmistakably of God about him.
There's a power and authority in his words.
And so here they come.
They come thinking,
who does he think he is?
Presenting himself as the Messiah.
So they come from Jerusalem.
And despite the success of John the Baptist's ministry,
he is totally unaffected by his success.
He knows that compared to the effects of the ministry
of the one who is to come,
the effects of his ministry are like nothing.
He knows who the one is to come,
and he knows what the one who is coming will accomplish.
And so the delegation arrived,
the TV crews, they're all there,
and look at the interaction.
It's brilliant.
Verse 20,
the first reporter says,
who are you?
Everyone's talking about you.
They puff him up a little bit.
Verse 20,
he confessed and did not deny,
but confessed,
here it is,
I am not the Christ.
Verse 21,
they asked him,
what then,
are you Elijah?
Another reporter has a go,
and says,
well,
are you Elijah?
You know the prophet from long ago.
Is it you?
He said,
I'm not.
Third reporter,
getting slightly nervous,
says,
well,
are you the prophet?
And he answered,
no.
So they said,
well,
who are you?
We need to give an answer to those who sent us.
What do you say about yourself?
The director in the year piece is saying,
keep going,
ask for more.
And he says,
I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness,
make straight the way of the Lord,
as the prophet Isaiah said.
And we'll cut back to the studio on that point.
Jesus is the great I am,
isn't it?
It's been said that John is the great I am not.
I am not.
No.
Who are you?
John says,
listen to me,
I'm a voice.
I'm a voice of one crying in the wilderness.
I'm just an announcer.
I'm just the warm-up guy.
And that's all I am.
So don't inquire about me.
There's nothing here for you to discover.
There's nothing more you're going to find out about me.
It's not important.
Just listen.
Just listen to what I'm saying.
I'm just a voice.
Listen to what John says in verse 25.
He says there,
doesn't he?
They asked him,
then why are you baptizing
if you are neither the Christ,
nor Elijah,
nor the prophet?
And John answered them,
I baptize with water.
But among you stands one
you do not know.
You don't even know him.
even he who comes after me,
the strap of whose sandal
I am not worthy to untie.
These things took place in Bethany
across the Jordan
where John was baptizing.
The next day,
he saw Jesus coming towards him
and he says,
behold,
stop what you're doing.
Shut up and look.
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 ranks before me
because he was before me.
I myself did not know him,
but for this purpose
I came baptizing with water
that he might be revealed to Israel.
And John bore witness.
I saw the Spirit
descend from heaven like a dove
and it remained on him.
I myself did not know him,
but he who sent me to baptize with water
said to me,
he on whom you see the Spirit
descend and remain,
this is he who baptizes
with the Holy Spirit.
And I've seen
and I've borne witness
that this is the Son of God.
Look at all the ways
that John bears witness
and points to Jesus.
His preaching
prepares the way
for Christ's preaching.
His baptism
prepares the way
for a far greater baptism
that Christ will bring.
His theological description
exalts and magnifies Christ.
His direct references
called people's attention
to what he was doing.
Look there, he says.
There he is.
Look at him.
He's the one.
And then very deliberately
he takes his own disciples,
his own followers
and he says to them,
this is remarkable,
he says,
you don't want to follow me.
Don't waste your time
following me.
Follow him.
It's an amazing,
flabbergasting pattern
for Christian leaders, isn't it?
Don't follow me.
Don't lean on me.
Don't waste your time
following me.
Follow him.
And then,
John,
very deliberately,
doesn't he,
encourages the transfer
of their allegiance
to Jesus.
And so in all those ways,
John bore witness to Christ.
Not me,
him.
Three words.
Not me,
him.
That's my life's mission.
And so these verses
in chapter one,
they sell out
several different ways,
don't they?
That John spells out
the supremacy
of the Lord Jesus.
These verses
really emphasize
how John went
about doing it.
How faithfully
John was.
But the real question
that we need to get to
this morning
is the why.
Why did John do this?
Why was John
willing to call
all attention
to the Lord Jesus?
What is it about
the Christ
that makes it
so important to John
that he is
resolutely
refusing to be
deterred from his mission?
Why is he
pointing to Christ?
There's three things.
Number one,
I think this.
John the Baptist
knew the identity
of Jesus.
John the Baptist
knew the identity
of Jesus.
He knew who Jesus was.
John comprehended.
He had grasped
something of the
majestic
divine identity
of Jesus.
Look at verse 30.
It's a remarkable verse.
He says,
after me
comes a man
who ranks before me
because he was
before me.
You got that?
After me,
comes a man
who ranks before me.
He's more important
than I am
because he was
before me.
Now,
I don't know how familiar
you are with your Bible,
but do you remember
they were related
to one another?
John the Baptist
and the Lord Jesus.
John's mother,
Elizabeth,
is Jesus' mother,
Mary's cousin.
I think I've got that right.
Elizabeth and Mary
were cousins,
the two mothers.
And so,
John and Jesus
are related.
And in human terms
of chronology,
the human chronology
when you read
the other Gospels
is that John
is older than Jesus.
By about six months
we probably think.
And yet,
he says,
can you see it?
Verse 30,
he was before me.
So that,
so what in the world
is John saying?
He's saying to Jesus,
I know who you are.
What has John understood?
John has understood
chapter 1,
verse 1,
in the beginning
was the Word
and the Word
was with God
and the Word
was God.
And he was
in the beginning
with God.
And he understood
that that Word
had become flesh
and there,
his cousin,
Jesus is the
incarnate Word.
He points to
an ordinary looking
Jewish carpenter
in his late 20s
and he says,
I'm not unworthy
to untie the straps
of that guy's sandals.
And they say to him,
isn't he your cousin?
And he said,
yeah.
And he is the Word.
And he is God.
That's why he says
in verse 34,
can you see there?
And I have seen
and borne witness
that this is
the Son of God.
This is the Word made flesh,
very God,
a very God,
one with the Father,
identical in essence
with the Father
in whom the fullness
of God now dwells
in bodily form.
And so the first reason
why John points to Jesus
is because John the Baptist
understands who he is,
that he is the Word
made flesh
and that he is
from the beginning.
Here's the second reason
why John points to Jesus.
Because Jesus is the one
in whom there is
complete forgiveness of sin.
Jesus is the one
in whom there is
complete forgiveness
of sin.
Look very slowly
and very carefully
at verse 29.
The next day,
John saw Jesus
coming towards him
and said,
Behold,
the Lamb of God
who takes away
the sin of the world.
And when John uses
that language,
that image,
that metaphor,
the Lamb of God,
there are images,
background images,
there are flashbacks
to the Old Testament.
And as some people
would no doubt
have thought back
to Genesis 22
and the story of Abraham
about the sacrifice
of his son
on the mountain
and God stops him
and says,
Look behind you
and God provides
a lamb.
Some of them
would have been
thinking of that.
Many of them
would have been
thinking of Isaiah 53
where the prophet says
there's going to be
a lamb who's going
to bear the sins
of many
who will suffer
on our behalf.
But I think
most of the people
who heard that
would have been
thinking,
because they celebrated
it every year,
they would have been
thinking of the Passover
lamb.
They would have been
thinking about that
sacrifice for covering,
a sacrifice for atoning,
a sacrifice for forgiveness.
And with that meaning
in their minds
that God had rescued
them through the blood
of a lamb,
John now points
to Jesus
and he says,
Behold the Lamb of God
who takes away
the sin of the world.
I'm not sure
how fully aware
John the Baptist
was of the implications
of what he was saying.
I think John the Baptist
speaks here
more than he realises.
But 50 years later
when the apostle John
is writing this gospel,
reflecting on these words
of John the Baptist
right back at the beginning,
he's seen
the sinless life,
he's seen the sacrificial
death of Christ,
he's experienced
in his own soul
the purifying effects
of the death of Jesus.
And as he sits
and writes and records,
you can just imagine
John the apostle,
can't you,
with his pen in his hand
recounting that moment
when John the Baptist
said those words?
Recounting the gospel
in all its fullness
of the sinless life
and the substitutionary
death of Jesus.
John the Baptist
points to Jesus
because in him
this morning,
right now,
there is complete
forgiveness of sin.
It's so simple,
isn't it,
that Jesus came
to take away
our sin
and our rebellion
and your guilt.
Look again
at verse 29,
just notice
that word
away.
He's taking it away.
the Lamb of God,
behold,
look at him,
think on him,
observe him,
the Lamb of God
who takes away
the sin of the world.
Listen to these words
from Bruce Mill,
he's a great preacher
in Canada,
a Scottish guy,
listen closely to this
because I suspect
that maybe,
you may be sitting here
this morning
and you need to hear
these words.
It's what Bruce Mill
says,
he says,
few aspects
of the gospel
need greater
or more frequent
affirmation
than this one.
How many people
struggle for survival
beneath crushing
burdens of guilt
but Christ,
the Lamb of God,
really has
borne it all
for us.
He says to us today,
son,
daughter,
your sins
are forgiven,
your sins,
your sinful
deeds,
I will remember
no more.
Behold the Lamb
of God.
Not me,
him.
John points us
to Jesus
because in him
and only in him
is found
complete forgiveness
for our sins.
One more reason
John points us
to Jesus
is because
in Jesus
there's new life.
in Jesus
you can be
born again
into new life.
John points us
to Jesus
because he
is life.
Look at verse
31.
I myself
did not
know him
but for this
purpose
I came
baptizing
with water
that he
might be
revealed to
Israel.
John bore
witness,
I saw the spirit
descend from heaven
like a dove
and it remained
on him.
I myself
did not
know him
but he
who sent
me to
baptize
with water
said to me
he on whom
you see
the spirit
descend
and remain
that is
he who
baptizes
with
the Holy
Spirit.
Why is
John
using
baptism
language?
And it is
because baptism
is pointing
you to something.
It is an
initiatory
experience.
Baptism
speaks to
you of
being brought
into something
new.
It points
us to new
life.
That new
life can
only be
found in
the Lord
Jesus Christ.
That is
what it
says to
Lily.
It says
to Lily
her baptism
speaks to
her and
it speaks
to you
by saying
new
life,
the washing
of your
sin can
only be
found in
Christ and
new life
in the
Holy Spirit
can only
be found
in Christ.
It is one
thing isn't
it to have
your sins
forgiven.
But if
all it is
that your
sins are
forgiven,
all that
does is
bring you
up to
zero.
You've
been in
the hole
and now
you've
been brought
out of
the hole.
You're
just at
zero.
But Jesus
came not
just to
forgive your
sins.
Listen to
this children
and young
people.
Jesus came
not just
to forgive
your sins,
he came
to give
you new
life.
New
life in
God's
Spirit.
And so
Jesus came
not just
to forgive
but to
give new
life and
he baptises
with the
Holy Spirit.
The language
of baptising
with the
Holy Spirit
it is the
language of
new
spiritual
life.
So you
think of
Adam in
the Garden
of Eden
and God
breathed
into him
his Spirit
and gave
him life.
C.S. Lewis
he picks it
up doesn't
he with
Aslan.
Aslan
breathes on
the stony
figures.
Do you
remember?
And they
come to
life.
And so
Christ
breathes
the Holy
Spirit.
He gives
the Holy
Spirit.
He causes
us to be
born again
into new
spiritual
life.
Just look at
chapter 3
in verse 3
flick over
as we
finish.
Jesus
answered
Nicodemus
this kind
of religious
man
religious
leader
truly truly
I say
to you
unless one
is born
again
he cannot
see the
kingdom
of God.
Nicodemus
said to
him
what do
you
want
about
how can
a man
be born
when he's
old
can he
enter a
second time
into his
mother's
temple
and be
born?
Jesus
answered
truly truly
I say
to you
unless one
is born
of water
that's the
natural
birth
and the
spirit
he cannot
enter the
kingdom
of God
that which
is born
of the
flesh
is flesh
and that
which is
born
of the
spirit
is spirit
God's
desire
from the
beginning
for us
to have
life
which we
have
forfeited
through our
rebellion
of saying
God I do
not want
you to be
in control
I am
in control
our rebellion
against Christ
and now
God offers
to us
in the
Lord Jesus
new life
Jesus
baptises
with the
spirit
he gives
life to
us by
his spirit
there is
life in
him
and he
gives
freely
to all
who will
turn to
him
and that's
why John
points to him
let me finish
it's really
hot isn't
it
let me
call your
attention
one last
time
to verses
34 and
35
chapter 1
verse 34
and 35
just look
at it
John says
I've seen
and have
borne witness
that this
is the
son of
God
the next
day
again
John was
standing with
two of his
disciples
and he
looked
at Jesus
as he
walked by
and said
behold
the
lamb
of God
the
two
disciples
heard him
say this
and they
followed
Jesus
just
imagine
the scene
for a
moment
he's
already
announced
very
broadly
very
publicly
behold
the
lamb
of
God
and now
it appears
that John
is standing
with two
of his
disciples
one of
them is
likely to
be the
guy who
has
actually
written
this
gospel
and
Jesus
walks
by
John
the
Baptist
just
turns to
them
his own
followers
and says
there he
is
behold
the
lamb
of
God
and look
what
happens
it's
an
amazing
thing
so
undramatic
verse 37
the two
disciples
heard him
say this
they
followed
Jesus
and clearly
John
as we're
going to
see again
and again
is writing
on two
levels
yes
the
disciples
physically
started
walking
after Jesus
but more
significantly
they're
taking
their first
steps
aren't
there
into
a
new
life
and that's
John's
purpose
that's
why
John
wrote
his
gospel
that's
why
we're
preaching
it
that
you
might
know
that
new
life
just
come
with me
sorry
I told
you it
was the
last
reference
but
that's
not
true
chapter
3
verse
25
as a
discussion
arose
between
some
of
John's
disciples
and
Jews
over
purification
and they
came to
John and
said to him
Rabbi
John the
Baptist
he was
with you
across the
Jordan
to whom
you bore
witness
look
he's
baptizing
people
and all
are going
after him
you're
losing
followers
John
answered
a person
cannot
receive
even
one
thing
unless
it's
given
to him
from
heaven
you
yourselves
bear me
witness
that I
said I'm
not the
Christ
but I've
been sent
before him
the one
who has
the bride
is the
bridegroom
the friend
of the
bridegroom
well he
stands
and he
hears
him
and he
rejoices
greatly
at the
bridegroom's
voice
therefore
this joy
of mine
is now
complete
why
he
must
increase
but I
must
decrease
not
me
him
and it
might be
really
tempting
and maybe
I've
preached
this
wrongly
this
morning
you
might
think
that my
message
is
be like
John
the
Baptist
and point
others
to Jesus
and that's
a very
good
message
but it
isn't
the
message
of
John
1
it
isn't
the
message
of
John
1
because
we
are
not
being
called
to
follow
John's
example
and point
others
to
Christ
that we
should
do
that
the
message
in
John
1
the
main
thing
here
is
follow
John's
eyes
and
follow
John's
finger
and
follow
John's
voice
the
reason
why God
had
John
the
apostle
write
this
was
not
so
that
you
should
follow
John
the
Baptist
but
so
that
you
would
hear
and
believe
the
truth
spoken
by
John
the
Baptist
and
follow
Christ
and that
we
would
know
Christ
and
we
would
know
forgiveness
of sins
in
Christ
and
new
life
in
spirit
that
we
would
have
life
in
him
and
we
follow
Christ
and
live
for
Christ
all
the
days
of
our
lives
and
live
to
his
glory
let's
pray