All Glory to God the Father and to our Savior Jesus Christ
I thought, since this is the last Wednesday of the month, we should review what we have learned so far in this Book of John.
Chapter 1: The disciple that Jesus loved, introduces us to what I believe should give you a complete understanding of who Christ our Savior is. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him.” (John 1:1-3) Everything you need to know is right there in those verses.
Then we are introduced to John the Baptist, who was sent as a herald to the chosen one, and came preaching in the wilderness, found in Matthew 3:1. The word was made flesh and walked among us in John 1:14.
Christ then gathers his disciples and goes to a wedding in chapter 2. The wedding is where His mother looks upon her son and sees also her Savior. (John 2:3-5) Jesus changes the water into wine (John 2:7-9) and after that He and his disciples go to the temple for the Passover festival and He cleanses His Father’s house of commerce and corruption. (John 2:15-16) This action caused his disciples to believe (John 2:17) and the Jews to disbelieve at what He told them. (John 2:19-22)
Chapter 3, there came a man named Nicodemus, a ruler and teacher of the Jews, (John 3:1)who was told what he should have known, but found very hard to accept. (John 3:3)
And now we are at the point where we can finish out chapter 3. In my NASB bible, this part of the scripture is known as John the Baptist’s Last Testimony. Yes, John the baptist is still around, still baptizing people and telling them “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29) Which is curious, why this man whose whole life was foretold in Isaiah 40:3, which is 700 years before Jesus was born. John the Baptist’s job was to herald the coming of Christ. And He did that job in Matthew 3:13.
So what’s a prophet to the coming of the Lamb of God to do once he’s done his job? This is an important lesson to us all. He continued doing what the Holy Spirit called him to do. Preach the word, continue being an example to those that see you. (1 Peter 2:21) Convict those that need conviction, come alongside those that need it. Our calling to Christ is a lifelong endeavor. (Micah 6:8) We shall be tested and refined, (1 Peter 1:7) to be more Holy as our God is Holy. (Ephesians 1:4, 2 Timothy 1:9) John the Baptist still had use, just as we still have use, those of us old, or disabled, no longer in our prime. God uses weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9-10) so whatever we do in His name, with meekness and humility, true to His word and Law, that the unbelieving would know that it was God, not us that did this thing. This is all over the bible. Think of Noah, (Genesis 6) or Pharaoh and all the miracles performed to convince him to let Moses’ people go. (Exodus 4-12) Think of Paul, who had first persecuted the church, and ended up writing a lot of our New testament. He was said to be unimpressive in appearance, but was able to do signs and wonders (Romans 15:19) and convert many, many people. He is probably responsible for much of what we know of as Western Civilization. Not really him, but God using him. And God uses us too. (Matthew 28:19)
So John was still doing what he was born to do and still had disciples following him, as was the custom of that day. There came a dispute from John the Baptist’s disciples, pertaining to a certain Jew about purification. The Pharisees had instituted so many useless and petty rules over purification, washing hands, or do this when you do that, especially on the Sabbath, we see what happened in Matthew 12:1-2. John MacArthur put it this way, “Keeping the Sabbath was still a binding ceremonial duty for the Jews of Jesus’ day, but most of them had little idea of God’s original purpose for the day. Instead of being a day of rest, it had become a day of burden with thousands of man-made restrictions. Ironically it became harder to “rest” than to work the other six days.”
So it is no wonder that John the Baptist’s disciples had a question over purification with a certain Jew. We don’t know exactly what the question was, as the scripture does not say, but it brought up a larger issue and I think this is the whole reason for this part of the scripture. John the Baptist’s disciples I think were wondering why John was still baptizing people when He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified, He also is baptizing people and all the people are coming to Him. (John 3:26)
A little jealousy perhaps, feeling maybe that they were following the wrong guy. The scripture does not say that, in so many words, but you can read between the lines pretty plainly here. John sets them straight, he tells them that a person can receive not even one thing unless it has been given to him from heaven. (John 3:27)
I want you to ponder upon that. Not one thing can come to you, unless heaven is involved, not one. Look around you and see all that you have. Then think again how this came to you. Not by your hands or work, your status in life or paycheck. Your very life was given to you by God. (Job 33:4)
Now expand your thinking out and look at our country. We have been blessed greatly and have prospered, but no longer. We have, for the most part, kicked God out of our lives. What’s more, we’ve been smooth talked by the government, them telling us that they will take care of us, give us things, and look out for our best interests. We are in the un-envious position of that frog being boiled in water. We swallowed their smooth lies, and lies they were. The next thing you know, not many of us at all believe that God takes care of us, gives us our daily bread. (Matthew 6:11) Most of us, by our willingness to listen to the government, will and have done what the government has said for us to do. Who are we serving here, God or Man? I would ask you to ask that of yourself, and please be honest, for as we know, God will know the truth of it.
Getting back to our scripture, John the Baptist told his men, well, I’ll just let John speak for himself. “You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent ahead of Him.’ He who has the bride is the groom; but the friend of the groom, who stands and listens to him, rejoices greatly because of the groom’s voice. So this joy of mine has been made full. He must increase, but I must decrease.
He who comes from above is above all; the one who is only from the earth is of the earth and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. What He has seen and heard, of this He testifies; and no one accepts His testimony. The one who has accepted His testimony has certified that God is true. For He whom God sent speaks the words of God; for He does not give the Spirit sparingly. The Father loves the Son and has entrusted all things to His hand. The one who believes in the Son has eternal life; but the one who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” (John 3:28-36)
John’s joy has been made full, because Christ must increase and he must decrease. I have found in my life, all that I was, all that I was so proud of, must and has decreased. I still fight with my pride and self sufficiency. I have not often walked with humility, so I find I am way out of practice. But I rejoice in what He has removed from me and am very grateful that I can breathe, swallow and think. For what He wants me to do, that is sufficient. Consider yourself sufficient in your current condition, to do the Lord’s work.
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
2 Corinthians 12:9