John 1, 6 through verse 8. Here's the word of the Lord. There was a man sent from God
whose name was John. The same came for a witness,
to bear witness of the light that all men through him might
believe. He was not that light, but was
sent to bear witness of that light. Now jumping to verse 19,
and this is the record of John when the Jews sent priests and
Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who are you? And he confessed,
and he denied not, but confessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, what then?
Are thou Elijah? And he said, I am not. Are thou
that prophet? And he answered, No. Then said
they unto him, Who are you, that we may give an answer to them
that sin us? What sayest thou of thyself? And he said, I am the voice of
one crying in the wilderness. Make straight the way of the
Lord, as saith the prophet Isaiah. And they which were sent were
of the Pharisees. And they asked him, and said
unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ,
nor Elijah, neither that prophet? John answered and said, saying,
I baptize with water, But there comes one among you whom you
know not. He it is who coming among me,
who coming after me, is preferred before me, whose shoe latches
I am not worthy to unloose. These things were done in Bethabara,
beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing. Now, we look first
of all at the Gospel of John and the early part of it. John
opens his Gospel, as you are well aware, in a different way
than the other authors of the gospel do, in that John says
nothing of the birth, of the infancy, or of the youth, or
even of the incarnate of our blessed Lord. For these things
have already been well documented by the other three gospels. And it is the opinion of not
a few commentators that John wrote his gospel later than the
others when heresy concerning the person of Christ had already
sprung up. and that John focused on the
deity of the Lord. We see something else about the
Gospel of John that is unique in light of the other, and that
is that John, the author of the Gospel of John, was fond of referring
to our Lord as the Lamb, the Lamb, the Lamb of God. The Word
of God is how John so often refers unto our Lord. The Logos, which is translated
in ways like saying, or things, or communication, or talk, or
account. And I think it was in Garden
Clark that I read that he preferred the word logic when referring
to Christ as being the Word. John calls the Lord's Christ
the Word, the Logos. And here in John chapter 1, in
verse 1, He does so again down in verse 14, the Word was made
flesh and dwelt among us. John does so again in his first
epistle, and you will find it in 1 John chapter 1 and verse
1, the Word of life, chapter 5 and verse 7, and you'll find
it again in Revelation chapter 19, and verse 3. And so, the Word of God is how
they refer to the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, in the opening of
his gospel, John declares four things about the Word of God. We look at them quickly and go
on our way. Number one, the Word was in the
beginning. This is equal, I think, to saying
eternally and before time, from everlasting, predating time or
creation. The Word was in the beginning. Then the second thing that we
noted is that the Word was with God and as David Brown put it
in his commentary, was associated with him in a mutual fellowship. The Word was associated with
God in a mutual fellowship. There are two very small words
here that we might notice that might be profitable unto us. A, notice the word was. The word
was with God. And the word was God could convey
the thought of the subject are of an immutable and a timeless
existence. The word was with God. And then the third thing that
we notice is that the word not only was, that is, he existed,
was in being, but the word was with God, and the word with God,
meaning presence, or the communion of one with the other, says the
word. With. It means a most intimate,
and it means a most divine sort of relationship one under the
other. Was God and was with God. Now the third thing that we noted,
the word was God. Not only was he in the beginning
with God, but he was and is very God. Distinct in personality,
but not in essence or in being. one in essence with the Father
and the Spirit, a common sharer of the divine nature or of the
divine essence. George Hutchinson said, I take
the word God without the article to refer to the divine nature
or the Godhead. For in that divine essence are
three divine persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. All of them are takers of the
divine essence. Now, we do not mean three gods,
but three persons in the Godhead, Father, Son, and Spirit, who
are one in divinity, one in power, and one in will and purpose,
and such like. And then the fourth thing that
we noted in the second verse, where John sums it all up again
under one heading, saying the same, the Word was in the beginning
with God. Now John, having beyond question,
declared both eternality and the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ,
of the one that he calls Word. Then notice in verse three through
verse five, he gives some evidences of his divinity. And notice here,
these are things that were done by the Word prior to His incarnation
and manifestation in the flesh. Not only was He with God and
was He God, but He was active in that period before His incarnation. Again, we'll notice them quickly
and move on to our subject. Notice in the third verse, for
example, attributed to Him creation. All things created by Him. All things were made by Him. All things became. All things
were made to exist. All things were brought into
being and given their existence by the Word of God, the Lord
Jesus Christ, the everlasting Son. It may surprise some to
see John attribute creation unto the Lord Jesus. Paul does so
in Colossians 1, 16 and 17. We see it again in the book of
Hebrews chapter 1 and verses 2 and 3 that he created all things. And not to labor the point, but
Christianity cannot peacefully coexist with any form of evolution. It is altogether impossible. It cannot exist with evolution
without denying the word of God. Not Darwinian evolution and not
theistic evolution that has been espoused by some in the church. If I might use the words of Robert
L. Dabney, On another subject, he
said, and I'm quoting, this teaching of evolution must be regarded
as simply infidel. It cannot be upheld without attacking
the inspiration and the authority of scripture, unquote. Any form
of evolution that is relative unto it. But then look again
at verse four. He is the fountain of life. Not only has he created all things
that are inanimate, but he is the life source of all of his
creatures, and especially the human. In that, in Him is life
and breath and all things. And here, be sure that we don't
miss the truth that He has life in Himself. He is life. He is self-existent. You'll find that in John 5 and
verse 26. In that God, the Godhead, has
their life in themselves. They did not receive it from
any other. But then again, look at verse
5. This always, this verse, always
overwhelms my peanut brain. But most commentators take it
to be applied unto fallen humanity. That in spite of all of the manifold
ways that the life of truth and the evidence of God is sent among
them, they are not able to perceive it. They are not able to take
it in. The most of them Did not like
to retain God in their knowledge Romans 1 and verse 28 the world
by its wisdom Knew not God says Paul and when time had confirmed
the fact that the natural man Receives not the things of the
Spirit of God God then sent forth his son he spoke unto us in his
son and He sent the son to reveal the father. And John tells us
that the eternal son became incarnate and he dwelt among and he manifested
his glory among the people of the earth. But then John, the
author of this gospel, here in writing the record of the incarnation
and the actual manifestation of the word among men in flesh. Now in verse 6. that we read
in the beginning will introduce unto us the one who will be the
forerunner and the herald and will go before the Lord to prepare
the way for his coming manifestation and revelation among men in the
flesh. In verse 6, there was a man sent
from God whose name was John. Let us be clear here, this John
is not the author of the gospel that bears his name. The author
of the gospel is the Apostle John who had been a fisherman
by his trade until the Lord called him in Matthew chapter 4 verse
21 and verse 22. And this John was one of the
inner circle and was particularly close unto the Lord and was a
witness to the mighty works of the Lord and his hands handled
him of the word of life. While the John in verse 6 is
the man known in scripture as John the Baptist, an unusual
and a unique man to say the least, raised up by God in a special
way and in a special time for a purpose in regard to the manifestation
of the Word of God when made flesh. Now, as John tells us
nothing of the birth and the nativity of the God-man, so neither
does he tell us of the uniqueness and of the circumstances surrounding
the birth, breeding, and preparation of John the Baptist for his ministry. John doesn't, but Luke does. And in chapter 1 of the Gospel
of Luke, John's parents are named in that place. In fact, there's
a rather long record of the birth and such like of John. His father
was Zacharias, and his mother was Elizabeth. And it tells us
in verse 7 that his father and mother, that's Zacharias and
Elizabeth, were quote, well stricken in age or years, unquote. And they not only were older,
but they were childish, for Elizabeth was a barren woman. Like other
famous women in the family of our Lord, Sarah, Genesis 11 and
verse 30, Rachel in Genesis chapter 30 and verse 1, and Hannah In
1 Samuel chapter 1, Elizabeth was barren, was infertile, had
no children. Now, Zacharias was a priest,
and he served in the temple. And we're told that the lot had
fallen upon Zacharias. that he was to be in attendance
in the temple at this particular time that the angel appeared
unto him. While the people were praying
outside of the temple, Luke 1.10 and 1.21, while Zacharias was
in the temple and busy about his priestly work, the angel
Gabriel came and appeared unto him Luke 1 and verse 11 through
verse 20. And this greatly troubled the
old priest as he saw such a manifestation. But the angel brought happy news. He says thy prayers are are answered."
Evidently, Zacharias had prayed for an offspring and a child. And the good news is this, his
wife would bear a son, his name would be called John, he would
be great in the sight of the Lord, He would not drink intoxicating
liquor. He would be filled with the Spirit
of God even from the womb. And he would turn many in Israel
unto the Lord. And he would act in the spirit
and the power of the prophet Elijah as a reformer and would
prepare the way before the Lord. Now, this overwhelmed Zacharias,
and he would know how will such a thing come to pass, being both
old and his wife, well stricken and up in years, my wife well
stricken in years, who, as was Sarah, first barren, and then
it ceased to be with her after the manner of women. For they
reasoned from the circumstances, and by natural sense, and not
from the supernatural circumstances. Gabriel answers the man, listen,
I am sent from the presence of God to tell you these things. and tell Zacharias that he would
be smitten with a dead tongue for his unbelief. Until these
things were fulfilled, Zacharias would not be able to speak. And
it was so. He spoke not a word from that
time for many months later. But his punishment was also a
sign for he spoke not another word until John was brought and
was brought to his circumcision in Luke 1 and verse 64. And all
that heard and saw these things were saying among themselves
and were asking in Luke 1 and verse 66, what manner of child
shall this be? Such unusual manifestation must
be an omen that this was a unique child, different in many respects
from other children. destined for something out of
the ordinary. And indeed, we read in the end
of verse 66 of Luke chapter 1, and the hand of the Lord was
with him, unquote. Now, we fast forward to the time
when John begins his public ministry among men in the desert. You have a record of it, Matthew
3 and verse 1. You have it in Mark 1, verses
1 through 4, and you have it in Luke chapter 3 and verse 1
and 2. We'll harmonize all of these
to get a fuller record of the ministry of John. Now, John's
appearance in regard to his outward sight was, to say the least,
unusual. Matthew 3 and verse 4, and the
same John had his raiment of camel's hair and a leather girdle
about his loins and his meat was locusts and wild honey, unquote. You have it again in Mark chapter
1 and verse 6. Now, remember, as to the clothing
of John, something that is relevant to John's ministry, I think. In that, in 2 Kings 1, verse
7 and verse 8, what sort of man, what manner of man was Elijah? We read there in verse 8. He
is a hairy man and girt with a girdle of leather about his
loins. There's a passage in Zechariah
chapter 13 and verse 4 that this was a common point in the prophets
of old to be dressed in such a manner. These were some points
here that are connected to him and unto John, such as the promise
in Malachi chapter 4 and verse 5 and 6. I will send you Elijah
the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day
of the Lord, who will turn the hearts of the fathers unto the
children and vice versa. which the angel Gabriel foretold
of John in Luke chapter 1, 16 and 17, that he would go before
the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts
of the children to make ready a people prepared for the coming
of the Lord. And the Lord Jesus told his disciples
in Matthew 17, 10 through 13. that the prophecy of the coming
of Elijah was fulfilled in John. Verse 12, Elias is come already. Verse 13, and the disciples understood
that he spoke unto them of John the Baptist. How? He came in
the spirit and the power of Elijah. Now, turn with me, if you want
to, to Matthew chapter 11, and I want to read a rather lengthy
portion here from the Lord, Matthew 11, and beginning in verse 8
and reading through verse 15. John, or rather the Lord, says
unto them who heard him speak about John, verse 8, What went
ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they that wear soft clothing
are in king's houses. But what went you out for to
see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and more
than a prophet. For this is he of whom it is
written, Behold, I will send my messenger before thy face,
which shall prepare thy way before thee. Verily I say unto you,
among them that are born of women, There hath not risen a greater
than John the Baptist, notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom
of heaven is greater than he. And from the days of John the
Baptist until now, the kingdom of God suffereth violent, and
the violent take it by force. for all the prophets and the
law prophesied until John and if ye will receive it this is
Elijah which was to come the words of our Lord now in that
the Lord fully validated the ministry of his forerunner calling
him a prophet above all prophets for they That is, the old prophets
of old foretold the coming of Messiah from afar off. But John was the one nearest
unto him, the Messiah. And as in Isaiah chapter 40 verse
3, Malachi chapter 3 and verse 2, he saw Messiah in the flesh. He put his hands upon Messiah
and he baptized him in water. And he made the declaration,
here is the Lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the world. The one who was a voice in the
wilderness, crying, opening the way for the appearance of Messiah. You may remember back in the
book of Genesis chapter 41 and verse 43 when Joseph had been
exalted to prime minister over Israel, that when he went out
among the people, one went before Joseph in his chariot, and he
cried before him to prepare the way for the people to receive
him, and cried before Joseph, who was coming, bow the knee,
bow the knee. Some say the words mean give
attention. Others say it means tender father. Tender father is coming among
us. The point being that there were
one that went before Joseph as who was the viceroy of Pharaoh
and spoke in the authority the king of Egypt and I think it
was a custom in those time you see it again in Esther chapter
6 and in verse 9 So Messiah had a herald to prepare the way for
him to appear among men and to be received and recognized among
them as for his public coming in the public. Now, to the dress
of John again. We add another component, and
that is he was, as Spurgeon put it, rough and stern like Elijah,
unquote. And I think that's the point.
John was rough and stern like Elijah. He was made much in the
mold of the Old Testament prophet Elijah. Consider, if you will,
in Matthew the third, as many went out to hear them. They came
from Jerusalem, from Judea, from the land of Jordan. Why did they
come? Why did so many come out into
the wilderness to hear John? Was it curiosity? Who is this
man that we hear about from Judah, from Jordan? Was it a new thing
and they therefore would hear? Was it a novelty and therefore
they would not miss it? Or was it the expectation of
a Messiah that had long been prophesied? In John 1, 19-28,
the Jews in Jerusalem dispatch priests and Levites to ask John
concerning his person and his authority. Who are you? Why are
you baptizing, even as we read? But let's go back to the point. that John was rough and stern
like the Old Testament prophet Elijah. Let me give you a couple
of examples of that. A, in Matthew chapter 3 and verse
7 and following. When John saw many of the Pharisees
and the Sadducees present themselves as a candidate for his baptism
at his hand, he called them a generation of vipers. He urged them to repent
and warned them of the wrath to come at the hands of the one
who was to follow after John. That is, Messiah. Such statements
as in Matthew 3 and verse 7. Who has warned you to flee from
the wrath to come? And as Gil wrote, not the wrath
of hell or eternal destruction, quote, but the temporal calamity
and destruction, the wrath in a little time to come on that
nation for their rejection of Messiah, unquote. But look again,
Matthew 3 and verse 9. They are not to think that their
Abrahamic ancestry would save them. For God, he said, is able
to raise up children unto Abraham of these stones laying about. Then look at verse 10, what John
said unto them. Already the axe is laid at the
root of the trees, not bringing forth fruit. Then look at verse
12, what John said, the husbandman was ready, standing at the door. to separate the shaft from the
wheat. Of course, he's speaking of Messiah. But then be a second example
that John came and was stern and rough like Elijah. His rebuke of Herod for Herod's
adulterous relationship with his brother's wife. Matthew 14
and 3. Mark 6, 17 and 18. John had told the wicked king
Herod and his illicit lover, it is not lawful for you to have
your brother's wife. You know, in old time, preachers
used to rebuke the iniquity of the king, of the leader, and
such like. But this got John tossed into
prison. It eventually was the thing that
led unto his death when the Jezebel-like Herodias asked that John be beheaded
as a favor unto her. Thus John's ministry was not
a long one, but one of the most important in all of the scripture,
especially as it stands in relationship unto Christ. Let's notice another
thing about the ministry of John, and this time I'm turning to
the Gospel of Luke, chapter 3, that I might read verse 1 and
verse 2 in our hearing. It fixes things in their proper
perspective. Now watch all these dates. Now
in the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar Pontius Pilate
being governor of Judea and Herod being the Tetrarch of Galilee
and his brother Philip, Tetrarch of Attura, and of the region
of Trinitis, and Licinius, the Tetrarch of Abilene, and Annas
and Caiaphas, being the high priest, the word of God came
unto John, the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. Now keep these
things in mind. Luke, is the only gospel to record
these facts for our learning. There are two points here that
are to be made, and let's look at them. Number one, this gives
the reference point for the ministry of John the Baptist, if you will. The historical setting is put
in place here. It was when these men mentioned
were in office, both civil and ecclesiastical. When John was
sent from God, and remember what Herod had sought to do to the
infant Jesus, and he had John killed. And then, too, Pilate,
Herod, Caiaphas dealt personally with the Lord Jesus Christ. He
came before each one of them personally. Now, they were all
wicked. They were all corrupt. They were
all blind and ignorant of spiritual matters. But then, secondly,
the other thing in verse 2. And Annas and Caiaphas, being
the high priest in Jerusalem, the word of God came to John
in the wilderness. Remember Luke 1 and verse 80,
that John grew wax strong in the spirit and was in the desert
until the time of his showing unto Israel. Now the choice of
God to declare his son, was not the chief officer of Judaism,
the high priest, not at all, nor was it to be made in and
at the temple, but through a rough-dressed man out in the desert, just as
the apostles. were fishermen and tax collectors
and common men before they were called to be apostle. John lived
an obscure life until the time was come, and we know that he
was about 30 years of age when he began his ministry. He was
all along being prepared, being made ready for his ministry. Some say in Luke 1 and verse
80, that the tense is in the Greek, he kept growing and became
stronger in spirit. That is, he kept gaining strength. And this was in order to his
appearing unto Israel of the showing of him to them of his
manifestation to everything there is a time and there is a season
as we read in Ecclesiastes chapter 3 and verse 1. And when John
says or when Luke says, correction, that John was in the desert,
It does not require unto us to form a picture in our mind of
him as a hermit and a loner and such like. He may have attended
a synagogue, in likelihood did, even the feast in Jerusalem as
a Jew, even as the Lord did, before his manifestation in the
flesh. But when the time was come, the
word of God came unto John. Luke 3 and verse 2, a man sent
from God whose name was John. And he preached in the country
about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance. to Luke 1 and
verse 77 to give knowledge of salvation unto the people, which
Luke 11, 52 has been hidden from the priests and the Pharisees
and the scribes and taken away. John's message is there. Repent,
the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Luke 3, Matthew 3 and verse 2. The same thing the Lord said
in Matthew chapter 4 and verse 7 when he began preaching. Repent,
the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Now I want to raise a question
here. It could take a whole sermon on its own, but we'll just raise
it, look at it and move on. Was this an offer of an earthly
kingdom by the baptizer and by the Lord Jesus Christ? Did the Lord offer himself as
a king pending the Jews' acceptance of him? Would an earthly reign
have begun then and there if they owned him, recognized him,
and called him their king? Or was it postponed, as some
are teaching, when they rejected and crucified their Messiah? Some teach this. Now, for what
it is worth on that question, I agree with Gil and with others
that the time of the gospel is that which is meant here, when
the Lord is worshiped in spirit and in truth, a kingdom of heaven
is at hand, that Messiah in the flesh was about to appear and
set up a reign, his kingdom in the hearts of men and of women. Be that as it may, it's too lengthy
for us to consider here. John's ministry was to prepare
and to proclaim the way for the Lord of glory. to bear witness
to him who was the light of the world. He, John the Baptist,
was not that light, but was a witness of that light. And he was not
that Christ, but was a voice in the wilderness. His baptism
was typical of the one who would baptize them with the spirit
and with fire. John takes his place. as an humble
crier, saying, I'm not worthy to loose the shoes off of his
feet. Again, he must increase, I must
decrease, is the attitude of John. Could be, however, that
John's most famous and most remembered words are these. Behold the Lamb
of God that takes away the sin of the world. Pointing to, pointing
out the Lord as the Lamb of God, as the sin bearer, bearing the
one bearing sins like that one foreshadowed in the yearly atonement,
when their sins were put upon the head of a scapegoat. One Isaiah foretells in Isaiah
53, Behold, yet laid upon him the iniquity of us all, God's
Lamb without spot and without blemish, whose blood cleanses
away Every sin who is our Passover 1st Corinthians chapter 5 and
verse 7 behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the
world This lamb is not an animal. This lamb is the incarnate Son
of God who has assumed flesh and has dwelt among men Now John's
baptism was unto repentance as to means that they should believe
on the one that was to come and was without doubt by immersion
as to its manner baptizing where there was much water. Now, I
want to raise a question in your mind. It came into my mind in
studying, researching for this message. Are we surprised that
John the Baptist, so important an office, and after so long
a time, are we surprised that John was not a miracle worker? Does it surprise us that John
did not work many miracles as credentials of his office and
of his ministry? Would we expect that the one
who opens the way for Christ might be the greatest miracle
worker of all time? But it was not so. according
to God's good plan, perhaps to keep them from ascribing Messiahship
unto Him. But this is the same John, that
when he was yet in the womb, We read an account that he leaped
in the womb when Elizabeth and Mary came together and greeted
one another. Let's see, I believe six months
apart they were, something like that. And when they came together,
John leaped in the womb for joy, the scripture said. A preacher
friend I knew long, long years ago said that John was saying,
that's him, that's him, that's him, even in the womb full of
the Holy Spirit. John a prophet, John more than
a prophet, Matthew 11 and verse 9 to prepare the way for our
great Lord and Savior and he did and was used of God in that
capacity and then after a short ministry lost his life but served
the purpose of God for which he was raised up to open the
way for the Lord Jesus Christ to appear.