John 3:31-36

http://biblehub.com/parallelgospels/Johns_Freedom_from_Jealousy_about_Jesus.htm

It is very important to know who we are.  It is even more important to know who Jesus is.  John the Baptist has a clear understanding of both of these truths.  He understands who he is and what God has called him to do but he also understands very clearly who Jesus is and what Jesus has come to do.  All ministry should focus on exalting the Lord Jesus Christ.  Unfortunately, there are many ministries that begin to grow that start to focus on men.  Some of John’s followers are concerned about the number of people who are starting to follow Jesus and the impact that this might have on John’s ministry.  John makes it crystal clear that his ministry is to make people followers of Jesus.  Christ must always have the preeminence in our lives an over our work.  John gives three clear reasons as to why people should become followers of Jesus.

JESUS REIGNS OVER THE EARTH: Jesus is from heaven.  He came down from heaven to earth but His rightful place is in heaven which is over the earth.  John makes it clear that he is from the earth and that he is only able to speak from the level of the earth.  Jesus, on the other hand, is from above.  Heaven is above earth, not just in a physical sense but in and authoritative sense.  Since Jesus is from heaven He reigns over the earth.  Jesus has been given authority over the earth so all of us who are from earth, like John, are under His authority.  Jesus rules and reigns over us and the entire world.  Clearly, it makes perfect sense for men to follow Jesus as ruler instead of following a fellow man.  We are all servants of the King and should never be concerned about our popularity or the size of our following.  We are called to focus our attentions on Jesus and help others to focus their affections on Jesus.  Satan’s fall from heaven came because he wanted to have his own kingdom.  Unfortunately, men today continue to be tempted in the same way.  We have a natural tendency to build our own little kingdoms instead of advancing the kingdom of our Lord Jesus.  We must never forget that Jesus is King and He reigns over the earth. 

JESUS REVEALS GOD TO MAN: Jesus is an eye witness of who God is.  Jesus has seen and heard God and gives testimony as to exactly what He has seen and heard.  Jesus is the revelation of God.  The message of Jesus is true and authoritative.  Jesus reveals God to us in words that are given to Him directly by the Holy Spirit.  The problem is that the majority of men have rejected His revelation.  The few who do believe His message attest to the fact that they believe in Him.  Every person must decide what they believe to be true.  We all order our lives according to our belief of the truth.  What seems true to one person may not seem true to another person.  This reality has led to an explosion of relativity in today’s culture.  Everyone thinks that they have the right to determine what is true and what is false in their lives.  However, this is just another result of man’s confusion over who is king.  We don’t get to decide what is true because we are not the creators of this world.  Truth is always truth no matter if anyone believes it.  Jesus is the Son of God.  He is from heaven and has complete intimacy with God the Father.  Jesus has the Spirit of God indwelling Him.  Jesus has come to reveal God to us.  His revelation is absolutely perfect and absolutely true even in nobody believes it. 

JESUS RESCUES MAN FROM SIN: The identity of Jesus and the revelation of God are of utmost and vital importance.  What we believe about Jesus and what He has revealed determines our eternal destiny.  All men are born into sin and are therefore under the wrath of God.  Those who believe in Jesus and what He has revealed to us are given eternal life.  These truths are literally matters of life and death; eternal life and death.  The reason Jesus came to earth was to reveal God to us so that He could rescue us from sin and the wrath of God.  Our disobedience has brought us all under the condemnation of God.  God loves us so much that He sent Jesus to take the punishment of our sin.  God loves Jesus so much that He has forgiven all of the sin of those who believe in Jesus.  None of us has the ability to forgive sin but God has promised to forgive the sins of those who recognize Jesus as the Son of God and believe that His sacrifice on the cross is the only way to be saved from sin.  John knows that he has no power to rescue from sin so he point people to Jesus because He does have that power.  Man’s greatest problem is sin.  Man’s greatest need is forgiveness.  Jesus came to this earth to rescue us from sin and grant us forgiveness through faith in Him.  We either believe that or we don’t; but whether we believe it or not does not make it any more or less true.  If we believe, Jesus gives us eternal life.  If we reject this truth we remain under God’s wrath.


APPLICATION: Recognize Jesus as the Ruler of this world and the Ruler of our lives.  Don’t try to build some sort of a parallel kingdom that tries to compete with the King.  Recognize the authority of the revelation of Jesus as being absolute truth.  Seek to know Jesus so we can know God.  Believe in Jesus as the Son of God and our Savior from sin.  Trust in Jesus alone to rescue us from the wrath of God.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Isaiah 54:1-17

Hope is a wonderful blessing from God, without which we would be vulnerable to all kinds of destructive tendencies in our lives.  Today’s society is marked by depression, anger, fear, anxiety and self-righteousness, in large part, because of the sense of hopelessness that prevails in our culture.  Isaiah writes to a people who are about to be taken into captivity because of their sin.  God knows that they will feel rejected, threatened and hopeless so He reveals His future plans for the nation in order to give them hope in the midst of the coming trial.  Hope is the expectation of good based upon the promises of God.  Many times when our lives are marked by the sins mentioned above it is because we have forgotten or failed to focus upon the promises of God’s Word. THE PROMISE OF GOD: From the very first day that God revealed His plan for the nation of Israel, He promised numerous descendants.  God chose Abraham, not because he was more righteous than any of the other people of his
Read more

1 Timothy 1:3-7

As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not   to teach any different doctrine,   nor   to devote themselves to myths and endless   genealogies, which promote   speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith.    The aim of our charge is love   that issues from a pure heart and   a good conscience and   a sincere faith.    Certain persons, by   swerving from these, have wandered away into   vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law,   without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.   There will always be false teachers that come into the church attempting to distract people from the truth and destroy people’s faith.  When this happens, it is the job of spiritually mature leaders to confront these false teachers and correct their teachings.  However, it is important that this correction be accomplished with the right motives and methods. 
Read more

1 Timothy 2:11-15

Let a woman learn quietly   with all submissiveness.    I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.    For Adam was formed first,   then Eve;   and Adam was not deceived, but   the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.    Yet she will be saved through   childbearing—if they continue in   faith and love and holiness, with self-control. There is certainly controversy and confusion about this passage in many churches today.  The idea of a distinction between men and women and their roles in the family and church certainly goes against the flow of many cultures around the world.  Some would argue that the literal and plain teaching of this passage is no longer applicable to today’s culture.  However, it is always dangerous to discard biblical teaching or try to interpret Scripture based on the cultures in which we live.  Certainly, the Spirit who inspired this text was aware of the many changes that would occur in future cul
Read more