Back in John's gospel, chapter
1, my text will be primarily taken
from verse 10. These wonderful words, and what
I mean by that is they're just full of wonder, full of wonder. John has told us something about
who this is. prior to verse 10, who he is, what was done by him. And then he makes this amazing
statement, that one who was in the beginning with God, who himself
was God, who created everything, there's not anything made that
he didn't make. Then in verse 10, John identifies
him and tells us, he was in the world. He was in the world. It's been a while. Been a while
since I was in high school, Lester. Been a few years. But if I recall,
we were taught that there were seven wonders of the world. And
I can't tell you what those seven wonders are. I might name a couple,
but I don't recall what the seven wonders are. But I know this,
I know this. That which John speaks of here
in verse 10, that's the greatest wonder in this world of life.
The greatest wonder that this world, I was going to say, ever
saw, but we're told that he came unto his own and his own received
him not. He was in the world and the world
was made by him and the world knew him not. Nevertheless, this
is the greatest wonder, though they knew it not, that was in
the world. There's no comparison to this. Those other seven things, whatever
they might be, whatever they are, they pale into insignificance
compared to this great wonder. He was in the world. Because his being in the world,
like those other things, his being here has eternal consequences. There's eternal consequences
from His coming into this world. That is why He came, what He
did, who He was, and what He accomplished. Now that's Bible
language, what He accomplished. Preachers speak about Him making
an attempt and trying. The Bible never speaks that way.
It says very encouragingly to those who have an interest in
such things, he obtained eternal redemption for us. When he came
into this world, he came on a mission. He came on a purpose. He said,
I've come to do thy will, O my God. And there's no two ways
about it. Either he did, either he successfully
did what he came to do, or he didn't. Either he succeeded or
he failed. It was all up to him. The success of it is not dependent
upon anybody outside of himself. Nothing can be added to it. Nothing
can be taken from it. Either he was successful accomplished
his purpose, obtained redemption, or he didn't. He was in the world
with that mission. And as I say, those other wonders,
I don't feel one bit sorry that I've forgotten what they were.
God give me grace never to get over the wonder of this. He was in the world. Look at what John the Baptist
says concerning this one, this one unique individual. He's the God-man, the man-God. There's none other like him.
He alone could come on this mission. He alone could be entrusted by
God the Father with the salvation of all His people. He alone could
accomplish such a feat. He's the God-man. He, as God,
satisfies God. He, as man, becomes our high
priest. Both those things of this one
unique individual are necessary to the salvation of His people. Look what John says in verse
15, that is, John the Baptist. John bear witness of Him. Of
Him. What did John preach about? Him. What did John point people to?
Him. What did John say his mission
was? To speak about the point people
to him. What did John say his mission
would be after he appeared on the scene? That is the Lamb of
God. John said he must increase. and
I must decrease. I would that every preacher before
they stood in this place in any pulpit to preach in the name
of God would have those words burned every time upon their
heart, especially this heart. He must increase and I must decrease. What does it matter if anybody
ever remembers my name? What does it matter? Oh, he must
increase. If I can be just like that pole
upon which Moses carried the brazen serpent and simply cry
out as God enables me, look and live. Sinner, look and live. Sinner, look. There's life for
a look at the crucified one. And if God would be pleased,
I'll open blinded eyes. Oh, what more could this sinner
ask for, Louie? Just to be a messenger of that
one who alone can save His people from their sins. This was John's
mission and he knew it very well. Listen to what he says in verse
15. John bare witness of Him and
cried saying, This was He of whom I speak. This is Him. Oh my soul. This is Him. He that
cometh after me is preferred before me, for he was before
me. And of his fullness have we all
received, and grace for grace. Verse 19. And this is the record
of John. When the Jews sent priests and
Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, who art thou? There was
some speculation, some wonder, some talk. Could this be the
Messiah? Could John be the Messiah? Could
he be that one? Could he be that one that the
Old Testament's prophets talked about, that told us that should
come? And John said, we'll put a stop
to that talk right now. He says in verse 20, and he confessed,
and denied not, but confessed, I am not the Christ. It's not me. Look down at verse
27. This is still the Baptist testimony.
He it is who coming after me, and he uses that expression again,
is preferred before me. Is preferred before me. It means
he ranks higher than I. He ranks higher than I. He's
preferred before me whose shoes latch it. I am not worthy to
unloose. Verse 29. The next day, John
seeth Jesus coming unto him and saith, Behold the Lamb of God. What a privilege, the forerunner
of Christ. Behold, the Lamb of God, which
taketh away the sin of the world. John says, that's not me. That's not me. That's him. He's the Lamb of God. He's that
one, not I, not I, but it's Him. He's that one that was pictured
by every Passover lamb. He's that one that was pictured
in every morning and evening sacrifice. He's the fulfillment
of every type. He's the substance of every shadow. Behold Him, not me. Don't look at me, John said.
If you stop with me, then you won't see Christ. Look away from
me. Look to the one to whom I point. I point away from myself and
I point to Him. Behold Him. If you only see me,
you'll not find salvation. If you stop at me, you'll not
be brought to God. Because I'm not the mediator
between God and man. He is. Look at Him. He's the Lamb of God. In Him
dwelleth all fullness. He's the sacrifice. Look to Him. He ranks higher than I. Is it any wonder that John would
make a statement like that? He ranks higher than I. He was
preferred before me because not of John. Although it was said
concerning John to his father Zacharias, when Elizabeth in
her old age was found to be with child, the angel Gabriel told
Zacharias, your son shall be the forerunner of Christ. He'll
go beforehand. He shall be great in the sight
of the Lord, Lonnie. Oh, but when the angel appeared
to Joseph, he said something much greater concerning that
one which was in the womb of Mary. He said concerning this
one that John would afterwards point to, Behold, Joseph, call
his name Jesus. Not John, but Jesus shall save
his people from their sins. Behold, he was in the world. No one else can do that. No one
else can accomplish that feat because only of him was it written. Did the prophet say, or prophesy
rather, you need not turn there but just let me read it to you.
Another familiar passage. But unto that one that John pointed
to was it written concerning unto us a child is born, unto
us a son is given, the eternal everlasting son. and the government
shall be upon his shoulder. He's not going to share his rule
with anybody else. Oh no, this is a theocracy. He rules. And upon his shoulder
and his name, his name, I emphasize his, his name shall be called
Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God. Are you telling me that that
one, is the prophet telling us that that one that comes forth
in that stable, in that stable with the stench of cattle, in
that stable that night, that night in Bethlehem, if you walked
by that night and looked in on that scene after the birth of
this one, you know what you would see? You wouldn't see someone
with the halo over his head. You wouldn't see that. You would
look and you would see someone that looked just like any other
little Jewish baby boy. But here's the glory. Here's
the wonder. That one is the mighty God. He was in the world. That one
who created all things, that one who by the might, the sovereignty
of his majestic will simply willed it all into existence, he was
in the world. The greatest wonder in the world,
is it not? And the prophet said, he shall
be called Wonderful Counselor, the mighty God. Wait a minute. You talking about that baby? You're saying that little dark-skinned
Jewish baby infant relying on and depending upon for its nourishment
on the breast of its mother? You're telling me that's God
Almighty? You're saying He created everything
and that everything that exists was created by Him? You're telling
me that Isaiah was talking about Him when he said He's the mighty
God? He's the everlasting Father?
He's the Prince of Peace? That's Him? You see what I say? their greatest wonder in the
world. Is it any wonder that Paul wrote to Timothy and said,
Timothy, without controversy, we're not going to have a meeting
about this, Timothy. We're not going to consult with
the Sanhedrin. We already know what they think,
blind leaders of the blind. Timothy, without controversy. whether anybody else believes
it or not. Without controversy, great is
the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh. He was believed on in the world
and received up into glory. Timothy, isn't that wonderful? He was in the world. Only of him, as the prophet said,
could he be called wonderful. Wonderful as to who he is. He's God. He's God, Joe. He's God. If I remember correctly,
the Mormons say that he was just a God. And they hope, they hope
by their works to be a deified being one day like him, it'll
never happen. It'll never happen. No, no. Only of him is it written and
true, he shall be called wonderful as to who he is, his glorious
person. He's in the class all by himself,
Lester. Nobody else compares to him.
Nobody else. What is it? Majestic sweetness
sets enthroned upon the Savior's brow, His head with radiant glories
crowned, His lips with grace forflow. No mortal can with Him
compare among the sons of men, Fairer is He than all the fair
who feel the heavenly train. Oh, no wonder John said, look
away, look away, look away from me, look away from self, look
away, look away to Him. Behold the Lamb of God. If you ever see Him, if you ever
see Him, it's proof that your eyes have been opened. If you
see Him, You're saved. If you see him, it's proof that
you're one of his chosen, one for whom he shed his blood. Oh,
behold the Lamb of God. John says that he was in glory. Did you note that in the reading
of these verses, the first few verses? John tells us this blessed wonder
in verse 10 that he was in the world. But John said, before
that, he was in glory. He was in glory. In the beginning,
before time, before creation, before an angel, before a man,
before that time we read of in Genesis 1 and 1, in the beginning
God created. Before that, there was God and
God's Son. He was in the beginning with
God. In Proverbs it says, he was daily
the delight of God. He was as one with him. What
did Paul say in Philippians 3? Though he were God and thought
it not robbery to be equal with God. It wasn't something that
he was stealing. It's not something he didn't
have a right to. He said, if you've seen me, you've
seen the Father. Yes, He Himself was God, John
says, in the bosom of the Father. Always, always. And the Word
was God. In short, John is telling us,
He is God Almighty. Before all that was made by Him
was made, He dwelt alone in sovereign, absolute, Majesty. Louis, you're looking a little
puzzled at me. I'm puzzled too. I can't get
a hold of that. You talk about a senior moment. Oh, when we're in heaven with
him forever. Eternity won't exhaust the wonder,
the greatness, the majesty of His person. Even now, even now
the angels rest, we're told in Revelation 4, I think it is,
they rest neither day nor night, but cry continually, holy, holy,
Holy, just as they did in Isaiah's time, when he saw that same one
that John wrote about, high and lifted up, and the angels cried,
holy, holy, holy is the Lord God of Israel. Oh yes, he was
in the world. What a marvel. What a marvel. The word spoken of in verses
1 and 2 was made flesh. He became. He became what he
never was. He became what he never was and
would never cease to be. He became, we're told in Hebrews
2, because the children, his brethren, those he came to redeem,
because they were flesh and blood, he likewise took part of the
same. He didn't take hold of the seed
of Abraham, or the nature of angels rather, but he took hold
of the seed singular of Abraham. He became what he never was before,
man. Man. He took into union with
his Godhood, his everlasting Godhood. He took into union with
that the nature of man. What a mystery. What a wonder.
He became what he never was. And he will never cease to be
that. He will always be the God-man. The God-man. representing us
before the throne of his father in glory, effectually interceding,
pleading the merits, the effectual worth and merit of his sacrifice
on the behalf of his people. That's why the writer says he's
able. Well, you say, yes. If he's who
you say he is, Larry, he's able to do whatever he wants to do.
Exactly. And this is what he wants to
do. He's able to save to the uttermost all that come unto
God by Him. Mary, that holy thing which shall
be formed in thee shall be called the Son of God. Holy. Holy. Not by the Church of Rome's standards. holy water, holy father, everything's
holy, holy, holy, a bunch of nonsense. No, this holy thing,
born in the womb of the virgin, is holy by God's standards, not
man's. Holy by God's requirements, holy
as God Almighty, and He brings in He merits an everlasting righteousness
for his people before the holy God. That makes me feel warm
just saying it, doesn't it you? That day makes me feel good just
thinking about it. Wrapped up, wrapped up. in the righteousness, the perfect,
absolute, complete, everlasting satisfaction, righteousness of
the Lord Jesus Christ. Mmm, that feels good. That feels
good. I believe I can walk through
this world with that. I believe I can stand before
a holy God with that. I think I can rest down in the
midst of tribulation and trial with peace in my heart knowing
I'm wrapped up in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Is it any wonder,
again, that the apostle said, in that day, in that day, that
day, that he said in another place, God's not worshipped with
these things, with the works of men's hands. The everlasting
God has no need of this. But Paul said, I'll tell you
this, he has appointed a day. There's a day appointed in which
he shall judge the world in righteousness, perfect, absolute righteousness. He won't accept our best. He
wants perfection. He demands perfection. And Paul
says he will judge the world by that standard, by the man
whom he has appointed, Christ Jesus. In view of that day, when
all the world, the religious world, with all the fluff, all
the nonsense, me and Joe talked a little about this, this afternoon. All the just man-made show. Just worthless, Christless religion. Paul says God's appointed it
a day when He's going to judge that and all men in that day. And Paul, as we said this morning,
lived with that day in view. He lived with that day in view.
That's why he could say, all these things, they're light afflictions. I'm going home very soon forever. I'm going to see him in glory
forever. These things I hardly take notice
of, he said, in light of that. But he said, God has appointed
a day in which he shall judge the world by that man whom he
hath appointed, Jesus Christ the Lord. And Paul said, in that
day. I've often thought about that
day. The Bible speaks much about it,
the certainty of it. Christ said, in that day, all
men will be ushered before God. And he said, many will stand
before me in that day and say, Lord, we cast out demons. There's many who claim to do
that today, don't they? We've worked miracles. And we
did all these things in your name. Not Buddha, not Mohammed,
but in your name, Lord Jesus. And he'll say, then, then, my
son. I can't imagine the horror that
must grip their hearts when then they hear him say, depart from
me, I never knew you. The only criteria for entrance
into glory are being cast out forever into outer darkness.
The only difference will be that which grace hath made. And that's
why Paul said, in that day, in that day, when God ushers all
mankind into his holy presence, When I hear multitudes, or rather
multitudes here, God himself condemning them to an eternal
damnation, Paul says, in that day, I want to be found in him. Oh, how precious he appeared
to me. When my eyes were first opened
to behold him, and I saw him, and fell before him, and said,
Lord, if you will, you can make me clean, and he reached forth
and touched me, and said, I will, be thou clean. How precious did
his grace appear then. Oh, but how much precious will
he appear in that day, in that day of judgment, when I stand
except in the beloved." Oh, with his holy garments on. This is
not an exaggeration. It's a hymn, but it's scriptural. We don't want to sing any others,
do we? We don't want to sing those so-called songs that honor
man or mother or something, but the God-man. And the hymn writer
said concerning the God-man, with his holy garments on. as
holy as God's own Son. Doesn't that feel good? Oh, doesn't
that feel good? He was in the world, the greatest
wonder. You try to explain that, one
writer said, and you lose your reason. But you deny that fact,
and you'll lose your soul. It's just too great. It's too
big for me. It's too big for this preacher.
All we can do is just bow down, adore, and sing hallelujah. What a savior. When you go through
those doors tonight, when you leave here, and you step out
into God's creation, and feel the breeze on your cheeks, or
look up and see the stars if they're visible, or the clouds
as they roll by. And then recall what John says,
nothing was made without Him. Everything that was made, was
made by Him. That He, He, oh what a demonstration
of His greatness, simply wielded into existence. Think about that
as you look out and then consider this. He that did that, he that
did that was in the world. He was here, Joe. He was here. God Almighty came here in the
form of man and took upon himself flesh of our flesh and bone of
our bones. It was necessary. Oh yes, the
atonement was necessary. It was necessary that he who
knew no sin be made sin. But in order to be made sin,
he must first be made flesh. The incarnation was a means to
atonement. And as our great sacrifice, as
we sang about a moment ago, God, lest I forget, lest I forget
Gethsemane, lest I forget thine agony, lest I forget the great
sacrifice you made for this sinner, take me often back to that place. Oh, where I see him who loved
me and gave himself for me. Oh, what, just briefly, What
if he had not been in the world? What if he had not been in the
world? You remember what the world was
when he came into it? There were 400 years from the
writing of Malachi, the last prophet, the prophecy, until
Christ came on the scene. 400 years at last. They refer
to it as the silent years. God didn't speak. until John
came. Those 400 silent years, you know
what happened. You know what man did? He didn't
cease to be religious. To the point when Christ, the
Lamb of God, the God-man, the scribes spent their days studying
and making copies, very tediously, of the Old Testament scriptures. with scrolls. They make copies of Isaiah 53. They make copies
of all the prophecies, Old Testament scriptures. And they were all
about him. They were everyone about him.
And when he came on the scene, the only one that perfectly fulfilled
every prophecy, they could only apply to one individual, and
it was him. When he appeared on the scene,
they said, we don't know him. We don't want him. He's an imposter.
We'll not have this man rule over us. That's what happened.
And if he hadn't come into this world, that's where we would
all be, brothers and sisters in Christ. We would be yet abiding
in darkness. Well, we might be religious.
Without him, you have your popes and your priests and your purgatory.
Without him, you still have your Baptists and decisions and altered
calls. You have religion, but no salvation. You'd have your so-called free
will, but no free grace. We would stay in darkness until
we were cast out. Thank God that he was in the
world. When the fullness of the time
was come, God sent forth his son. Oh, behold him. Behold him. God sent forth his son, made
of a woman, made under the law, to do what? To redeem them that
were under the law. And because you are sons, God
has sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts, crying,
Abba, Father. Oh yes, he was in the world,
and we're told The world knew him not. And it still doesn't. It still doesn't. He came into
his own, and his own received him not. And we're all in that
boat. We're no different. We're in
the same pedigree. No matter whose family tree you
care to shake, yours, mine, or anybody else's, fallen Adam's
going to come out. We trace our roots back to him
and we're told in scripture, in Adam all die. There were no
exceptions, no survivors. There's one of those so-called
reality shows, programs on TV I think, well I'm sure it is,
I guess it's still on. Survivor, survivor, no survivors. In Adam all die. And Christ said, because of that
spiritual death, ye will not come to me. You'll do everything
else, but ye will not come to me. You remember when he spoke
that to the Pharisees? He said, you search the spirits.
He wasn't saying, go do it. He said, you do do that. I know
that you do that already. You search the scriptures and
they testify of me. And you won't come to me that
you might have life. And if you don't come to me,
you'll perish in your sins. Thank God he didn't leave us
to ourself. He was in the world. Let me wrap this up. He's such
a savior as we need. Is he not? Is he not? Could we be cured from this fatal
disease within us without the touch of the great physician? Some of you did this. I did it.
I was told I could be cured by walking a mile. And I trotted
up that aisle so many times I lost count. I was told, well, say
the sinner's prayer. What's that? Well, I'll tell
you. Just repeat after me. It didn't give me no cure. Didn't
give me no cure. Get you a Bible and come to church. And I did that. My grandmother
said, get a haircut. So I did that. clean up your
act." And I did that. But I still had no peace in my
heart until by His sovereign grace He brought me to Himself
who alone is this Prince of Peace and has the authority to speak
peace to the heart of a needy sinner. Thank God He was in the
world. He was in the world. And I just
can't get over this. He came into the world for this
sinner. Father, I'm coming back to the glory
that I had with you before the world began. I left it to come
here to redeem my brethren, those you gave me. I finished the work
that you gave me to do. In my life I finished the work.
And then afterwards he would say upon the cross concerning
the work of redemption, it is finished, bless God. It's a done
deal. It's finished. What did Paul
say in Hebrews 9? Oh, isn't our Lord glorious? Isn't he glorious? See, see,
see? He enters one time into the holy
place and what takes place there, He obtains eternal redemption
for us. Glory to His name. Nothing else would do that. Nothing
else. Only He. Only He. What a Savior. Oh, come to the tomb of Lazarus.
Come to the tomb of Lazarus. Can His grieving Sisters, can
their tears raise their brother? No. What about the much people
that are with them? Can they do anything to raise
dead Lazarus? And the answer is, of course
not. Can anybody? Many people claim they can. Can
anybody? How about Buddha? Buddha, come
to the tomb, speak. Command him to come forth. What's
that? I don't hear anything. I don't
hear anything. Lazarus is not moving. What about
you, Mohammed? Why don't you come? They say
you're a mighty prophet. Call upon your so-called God.
Call upon Allah and see what happens. Nothing. Well, here's
a fellow coming with his collar turned around backwards and has
a dress and wants to be called father. Go figure that. What can you do, priest? Come
before the tomb of Lazarus with your beads and your mumbo-jumbo
and your Hail Mary and sprinkle the tomb with your so-called
holy water and see what happens. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. How about you, Baptist preacher?
You crier of man's free will. What will you do? Lazarus, if
you'll take the first step, do you hear that, Martha? Do you
hear that, Mary? Isn't that encouraging? If your
brother takes the first step, God'll do something for him.
No. Thank God, no. No. It'll never happen. It'll never
happen. Lazarus stays dead, and so would
Lester, and so would Louie, and so would Larry, And so would
every one of us, until King Jesus, that one who said, I'm the resurrection
and the life. Martha, your brother's gonna
rise again. Martha, he that lives and believes
in me shall never die. Do you believe this, Martha?
And he goes to the tomb, and he says, take away the stone.
He's about to raise Lazarus from the dead. Could he have not willed
the stone to roll away? Of course. Of course. But that's a picture of the use
of means. It pleased God by the foolishness
of preaching to save those that believe. The glorious gospel
of the blessed God is the means God uses to call out his elect. Therefore, it's imperative that
we become all things to all men, carrying this blessed message
that all men that hear by God's grace and believe shall be saved. But there's our mediator. There's the great shepherd. Is it wrong to try to visualize? Oh, but there he stands. And it says there were much people.
And there's Mary weeping, Martha weeping, and there's the much
people, and there's the Pharisee standing by. What's he going
to do? What's he going to do? And he says, Father, I know that
you hear me. You always hear me. I'm the mediator. You always hear me. It's not
for my sake, but for these that stand by that I say this, that
they may believe that you sent me." And that's all he said in
his prayer. And we're told after he had spoken
these words, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus. that was dead. He's not dead
anymore. You that were dead in sins had
he quickened. We've been raised together with
Jesus Christ. Lazarus, come forth! And here
he comes. Here he comes, Lester. He's still
bound with grave cloths, so he must have to shimmy out of the
tomb. And our Lord looks and says, Now, Lucie, Lucie, take
those grave clothes off of him. They're not fit for a living
man. Lucie, and let Him go. That's what grace does. That's
what grace does. That's what the grace personified
by Jesus Christ does. He was in the world. Glory to His name. God bless
you.