(This message may be used as an individual sermon or as part of the series.)
JOHN 1:19-34 – HAVE WE MISSED THE POINT?
LIFE OF CHRIST #7 of 61
When was the last time you went next door to tell someone about Jesus?
When the last time you risked rejection or shame to tell someone about Jesus?
When was the last time you made a sacrifice to share your faith in Christ?
Have we missed the point that faith in Christ is the only way to true joy and fulfillment in this life?
Have we missed the point that nobody goes to Heaven without believing on the Lord Jesus Christ?
Have we missed the point that is our responsibility to tell others about the Lord Jesus Christ?
John 10:10, John 14:6, Mark 16:15
John the Baptist did not miss the point.
John the Baptist knew what it was to direct people to the Lord Jesus.
In John 1:19-34 John teaches us the point that evangelism, or directing people to Jesus, should be at the top of our priority list. In fact John shows us how not to miss the point! We will not miss the point if we understand 3 things that John understood.
UNDERSTAND WHO YOU ARE
I think a lot of times we do not do what we should do as Christians because we do not understand who we are as Christians.
Vs. 19 – As we mentioned previously, John the Baptist had a tremendous impact on Israel, Perhaps baptizing as many as 300,000 people. If anybody could have had an ego, it was John.
There are places in the Gospel of John that the word, “Jews” is used to refer to the religious leadership in Jerusalem. Because of the impact of John the Baptist’s ministry as a fact-finding group was sent out to John.
John’s ministry was not officially sanctioned by the religious leaders, so they wanted to know who he was.
Vs. 20 – It is important to note that John the Baptist knew who he was. It is also important that we know who we are if we are going to be effective witnesses for the Lord Jesus.
John, in knowing who he was, knew who he wasn’t!
First of all, he knew that he wasn’t the Christ, or Israel’s Messiah. He made it very clear that he was the long awaited savior that was promised to Israel.
Vs. 21 – If John wasn’t the Christ, they wanted to know, then was he Elias or Elijah? The return of Elijah was promised in Malachi 4:5-6.
But John the Baptist denied that He was Elijah.
John was also asked about being “that prophet” that was promised by Moses in Deuteronomy 18:15.
Again John denied being that prophet.
John knew who he wasn’t.
He knew that relatively speaking, he was nothing compared to the one he was preceding. The world did not revolve around John the Baptist. The world revolved around the coming Messiah.
John spoke of the coming Messiah and not himself, because John was dead to himself. To John the Baptist, John the Baptist was not important!
One of the reasons why we miss the point of the importance of Evangelism is because we think of ourselves and not of our Savior.
We think of ourselves and not the need of others to know the Lord Jesus.
We have so much going on in our lives and the lives of our children, that we fail to think of telling others about Christ.
We need to be able to say with the Apostle Paul in Galatians 6:14, But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.
Listen to your own conversation and how much you talk about yourself. The more you talk about yourself, the less you will talk about the Lord Jesus. The less you talk about yourself, the less you will talk about Jesus.
John 7:18 – He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.
John knew who he wasn’t. Do you understand that the world does not revolve around you and your interests?
John understood this. That’s why he knew who he was.
John 1:23 – He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.
John wasn’t the Messiah.
John wasn’t Elijah.
John wasn’t that prophet.
John was the voice. In the wilderness of Israel’s rebellion and sin, he was calling for people to make straight paths in to their hearts for Jesus to come.
John knew who he was. John knew he was the voice.
You need to know who you are. You need to know that you are the voice crying out in today’s post modern culture to a people who need to make straight paths in their hearts and receive Jesus as their Savior.
Jesus has recruited you to be a voice. Acts 1:8, 2Corinthians 5:18, 1 Peter 3:15
John knew who he wasn’t, thus knowing who he was.
John knew he was the voice.
Don’t miss the point. You too are a voice for the Lord Jesus Christ.
UNDERSTAND WHO YOU SERVE
John understood 3 things about the Lord Jesus that you need to understand so you don’t miss the point.
- YOU SERVE JESUS WHO IS SUPERIOR
Vs. 27 – In the culture of the day, a disciple would do all the things that a servant would do except unloose the sandals of his master’s feet. This was the lowest task that a servant did.
John understood that Jesus was preferred before Him.
John understood that Jesus must always come first.
John understood how unworthy he was even to serve the Lord Jesus in the humblest way.
Do you understand that Jesus was preferred before you?
Do you understand that Jesus always comes first?
Do you understand that you are not worthy to do anything for the Lord Jesus because you are a sinner and he is not?
- YOU SERVE JESUS WHO IS SAVIOR
Vs. 29 – John is saying, “Here He is the solution to the world’s sin problem!”
John calls Jesus, “the lamb of God”.
The Jewish people were familiar with lambs and other animals being sacrificed for sin.
These sacrifices were like “promissory notes”.
They covered sin until God’s true sacrifice for sin showed up.
Jesus is and was the only true sacrifice for sin.
He only, as the sinless Son of God, could pay for our sins.
There is no other solution to the sin problem. There doesn’t need to be! Hebrews 9:12, Hebrews 9:28
There is only one way to Heaven.
Jesus died for your sins, was buried, and rose again.
The one that trusts in Jesus Christ as Savior is the one who is going to Heaven. John 3:36
- YOU SERVE JESUS WHO IS THE SON OF GOD
Vss. 30 – In identifying Jesus, John says that this is the one preferred before him because he was before Him. John is referring to the preexistence and eternality of the Lord Jesus as God the Son.
Jesus said of Himself in John 8:58: …Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
Vss. 31-33 – At the Baptism of Jesus, John saw the Holy Spirit descending upon Jesus like a dove and abiding on Him. This is the one who God had promised would baptize people with God’s Holy Spirit. Only God can baptize with the Holy Spirit.
Today, every person who truly believes in Christ is baptized with the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:13
Vs. 34 – John concludes, “THIS IS THE SON OF GOD!”
If you are going to get the point that speaking for the Lord Jesus Christ is important, you need to understand who you serve.
UNDERSTAND WHAT TO SAY
John knew what to say to direct people to Jesus.
And besides being afraid to speak about the Lord Jesus in the first place, I think the second biggest problem is our not knowing what to say.
John knew what to say.
- He told them what happened to Himself. He told of his own experiences concerning the Lord Jesus.
- He told people to get ready because Jesus is coming.
- He told them to look to the Lamb of God that takes away their sin.
So lets follow John’s example.
- Tell people what happened to you.
Tell them of your own conviction of sin and need of a Savior.
Tell them how Jesus has changed your life.
Tell them of the assurance you have for Heaven, always directing them to the Lord Jesus.
- Tell them to get ready.
They do not know when they will die.
They do not know when Jesus may return.
- Tell them to look to the Lamb of God who died for their sins.
Tell them to believe on the Lord Jesus and be forgiven or saved!
Have you missed the point?
Are you so caught up in everything else that you have neglected sharing your Savior with others?
To get the point:
UNDERSTAND WHO YOU ARE
UNDERSTAND WHO YOU SERVE
UNDERSTAND WHAT TO SAY