If you will, open your Bible
to John chapter 1. You know, John the Baptist was
the last of the Old Testament prophets. Scripture says that God hath,
in divers manners and ways, spoken to our fathers by the prophets.
He hath in these last days spoken to us by son." Well, those prophets
began back in Genesis, and the last one of the Old Testament
prophets was John the Baptist. And the scripture says concerning
him and them, to Christ gave all the prophets witness. That's
their message, to Christ. They bore witness that through
his name, whosoever believeth in him should receive remission
of sins. John was the last one of a line
of Old Testament prophets. Malachi, turn a minute to Malachi
chapter 3. Isaiah bore witness to John and
his ministry, and then here in Malachi chapter 3 verse 1, John the Baptist is mentioned
here, he's the messenger. Behold, Malachi 3 verse 1, Behold,
I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before
me, before Christ. And the Lord, the Messiah, the
Christ, whom you seek, shall suddenly come to his temple.
Even the messenger of the covenant whom you delight in, behold,
he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts." And this is John the
Baptist that Malachi is talking about. I'll send my messenger
before Christ comes. Now in the first chapter of John,
our text this morning, John bore a vital and powerful witness
to the personal work of our Lord Jesus Christ. And I want to look
at it, just the six things here that John said about the Savior,
our Lord Jesus Christ, that are very powerful and very profound. First of all, in verse 15, John
bare witness of him and cried, saying, This was he of whom I
spake. He that cometh after me is preferred
before me, because he was before me. What's he talking about there?
This is the witness that John bore concerning Christ. He said,
He that cometh after me. What does that mean? Well, Jesus
Christ was born six months after John was born. John the Baptist
was conceived by Zacharias. his father in the womb of Elizabeth,
his mother, and she was a cousin of Mary. And Mary, six months
later, was found with child of the Holy Ghost. So John was born
first. So John says, he that came after
me, six months later, is preferred before me because he was before
me. He not only, John says, was before
me, he was before all things. That's right. His goings forth,
Micah said, his goings forth are from old, from everlasting
and everlasting. That's who our Savior is. He
who came after me is preferred before me because he was before
me. And here in Proverbs 8, verse 23, our Lord, listen to this,
I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the
earth was. When there were no depths, I
was brought forth. Before the mountains were settled,
I was brought forth. So that's what John's saying
here, that's his witness. He that came after me in the
flesh, born of Mavis, cousin of Lisbon, he is preferred before
me because he is from everlasting. He was before me, before you,
before all things. Then in verse, if you will, look
at verse 23. They said here in verse 22, they
said, then said they unto him, Who are you? Who are you? That we may give an answer to
them that sin us. What do you say of yourself?
And he said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness.
This is my message. Make straight the way of the
Lord. Make straight a path for our
God. Who is this to whom John is bearing
witness? The Lord, the Lord God. You know when Saul of Tarsus
was smitten of God on the road to Damascus by a light brighter
than the sun and he was blinded and fell from his horse in the
dust and looking up with sightless eyes into that bright awesome
light he cried Who art thou, Lord? Who art thou, Lord? Who are you? Who is this God? This light brighter than the
sun, this awesome holy one, who is it? And here came the answer,
I'm Jesus of Nazareth, that's who I am. This is the Father, yeah I know,
but the Father and the Son are one. The scripture says there
are three that by record are hidden. the Son and the Holy Ghost, and
I and my Father are one. Under us a child is born, under
us a son is given, and the government shall be on his shoulders, and
his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the
Everlasting Father. and the Prince of Peace. Who
are you? I'm Jesus of Nazareth whom thou
persecuted. God was manifested in the flesh
and seen of the angels and preached to the Gentiles and believed
on in the world and received up in the glory. That's who we're
talking about. John said that's who he is. He's
the Lord. You call me Lord, you say well,
so I am. or thirdly, verse 25. And they asked him, saying unto
him, Why do you baptize, if ye be not the Christ, and if ye
be not Elias, and if ye be not that prophet? And John answered,
I baptize with water, but there standeth one among you whom ye
do not know. And he it is, whose coming is
before me, whose coming after me is preferred before me, whose
shoes latched I am not even worthy to unloose." Who's this talking
now? John the Baptist, the messenger
of God, the one sent of God from back in Isaiah's day to prophesy. John the Baptist, who of Christ,
who of John Christ himself said, there's no man born of woman
greater than John the Baptist. But John says this about Christ.
He's preferred before me and I'm not worthy to stoop down
and unloose his shoes. He is superior to me. He's superior to Moses. He's
superior to the priest. He's superior to the angel. I'm
not worthy to unloose his shoes. Turn to Philippians. Philippians chapter 2. Listen
to this. Philippians chapter 2. He is
preferred before me. He is superior to me. He has
all preeminence. I'm not worthy to bow at his
feet. And here in Philippians 2, listen,
verse 6. Who thought it not robbery to
be equal with God? Who thought it not robbery to
be equal with God? No, he's in the form of God.
But he made himself of no reputation, and took upon himself the form
of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men, and being
found in fashion as a man. Christ humbled himself and became
obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Therefore
God hath highly exalted him. This is what John is saying.
God hath highly exalted him and given him a name, preferred above
all, preeminent to all, superior to all. God hath given him a
name which is above every name that the name of Jesus, every
nation bowed in heaven in earth and under the earth, and every
tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory
of God." When John stood in the waters
of the Jordan and baptized the master, the heavens opened And the Spirit
of God came down upon him, and then a voice from heaven said,
This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Preferred
above all, superior to all, with all preeminence, this is my Son.
And then the second time, when the three disciples were with
our Lord on the Mount of Transfiguration, The heavens again opened, and
a voice from heaven said, This is my son. You listen to him. You hear him. That's John's witness. Who is he? He's superior to all. He's before all. He has all preeminence. All right, the fourth witness,
verse 30. And this is he. This is he, verse 30. This is
he. Let's look at verse 29. Then the next day John, seeing
Jesus coming, said, Behold, the Lamb of God that taketh away
the sin of the world. This is he, of whom I said, After
me cometh a man which is preferred before me, for he was before
me, and I knew him not. But that he should be made manifest
to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. And John
bare witness, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven
like a dove, and it abode upon him. What did John say about
him? Number one, he is preferred before
me, he is the Lord, he is superior, he has all permanence. and he
is all holiness. The Spirit of God came down upon
Christ and abode upon him. Turn to John 3, the third chapter
of John, and connect this with verse 34 and 35. John 3, verse
34. For he whom the Father hath sent speaketh the words of God. For God giveth not the Spirit
by measure unto him. What's that saying? That is,
when we preach, the Spirit of God anoints us, the Spirit of
God gives us words to say and thoughts to think and a gospel
to preach. The Spirit of God inspires us
to be filled with the Holy Spirit. But none of us are totally filled
with the Spirit. None of us, the Spirit of God
abides upon us in a constant manner. Not like Christ. The
Spirit abode upon him. He's perfect holiness. He's perfection. He is the Spirit
of God. That's right. The holiness of
God, the Spirit of God, is called in the scripture, the Spirit
of Jesus Christ. That's who he is. The Spirit
of God abode upon him. He is the righteousness of God.
He himself embodied is the righteousness of God. In him dwelleth all the
fullness of the Godhead bodily. That can't be said of any other
human being. Turn to Jeremiah. Jeremiah chapter
23. Listen to this. The Spirit of
God abode upon him. The Spirit of God is not given
to him by measure. It's in totality, completeness. Look at Jeremiah chapter 23,
listen to this. Verse 5, Behold, the day is come,
saith the Lord, I raise up unto David a righteous branch. A king
shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice
in the earth. And in his day, Judah shall be
saved, and Israel shall dwell safely. This is his name whereby
he shall be called. He is the Lord, our holiness,
our righteousness, all things. He's the Lord. He has the crown
rights. If you go back to my text in
John 1, I read this verse 32, but now
look at verse 33. He said, I saw the Spirit of
God descending from heaven like a dove. The Spirit of God rested
upon him, abode upon him, abode with him, in him. And I didn't
know him. But he that sent me to baptize,
the same said unto me, Unto whom thou shalt see the Spirit of
God descending, and remaineth on him, the same as he which
has the crown rights, which baptizes with the Holy Ghost. which gives
life, which quickens whom he will. He baptized with the Holy
Ghost. He quickens whom he will. He
has the crown of life. That's what the old preachers
used to talk about. He has the crown of life. The
Father raises the dead, even so the Son quickens whom he will. He is life. He gives us life,
and the way, the truth, and the life. See, that's the crown rites. All right, number five. Look
at verse 34 down, the next verse. John said, And I saw, and by
record, this is the Son of God. But picture, there are many sons
of God. You're absolutely right. There are many sons of God. I'll
show you that in Hebrews 2. the book of Hebrews, chapter
2. There are many, many sons of God. There are many sons of
God. Hebrews, chapter 2. I'm a son
of God. You're a son of God. Every believer
is a son of God. You're now children of God by
faith in Christ Jesus. But here, listen to Hebrews 2,
verse 10. For it became him for whom are
all things. and by whom are all things, in
bringing many sons, many sons unto glory, to make the captain
of their salvation perfect through suffering. For both he that sanctified
and they who are sanctified are of one, are all of one, for which
he is not ashamed to call them his brothers." He's a son of
God, I'm a son of God, you're a son of God, everybody is a
son of God, which is only one. eternal, omnipotent, immutable,
perfect Son of God. And that's the Lord Jesus Christ.
That's right. And we read about him in Hebrews
1, back here, one page back where I just read, Hebrews 1. Listen
to this scripture. God who at sundry times and in
diverse manners spake in times past unto the fathers by the
prophets, hath in these last days spoken to us by his Son."
His Son, the only begotten Son of God. Here's a description
of him, that no other man can fill. His Son, whom he hath appointed
heir of all things, that's who he is. By whom he made the worlds,
that's who he is. There's three, who being the
brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person,
upholdeth all things by the word of his power." By his power,
the word of his power. Listen to this, when he had by
himself, through no work of ours, but through a work only which
he accomplished by himself, he purged our sins. And where is
he now? where no other son of Adam is
or was, he sat down on the right hand of God, expecting to his
enemies, he made his footstool. That's who he is. And then here's
the sixth and last witness. Go back to verse 29. John the Baptist said, he's God
eternal. He's God eternal. He said He's
the Lord of salvation. He's the Messiah. He's the Christ.
Thirdly, He's superior. He's sovereign. He has all preeminence
over all things. Fourthly, He's holy. He's the
holiness of God, the righteousness of God, the perfection of God.
That's who He is. He's the Son of God. But here,
in this verse of Scripture, is the message of the whole Bible. summed up into one verse. Listen.
The next day, verse 29, John, seeing Jesus coming to him, said,
Behold, the Lamb of God taketh away the sin of the world. Behold,
the Lamb of God taketh away the sin of the world. Brother David Adkins, years and
years ago, had an experience. He was not a religious person,
he was a profane person. But he got under conviction for
singing and wanting to know God. He didn't own a Bible, so he
bought him one. He bought a Bible. And he began to read it. And
he started over here in Genesis chapter 1. That's all he needed
to do, just start in Genesis chapter 1, reading the Bible.
And he read and he read and he read through Genesis and through
Leviticus, or Exodus and Leviticus. He came in to his wife and he
said, you know, this was his testimony. He said to his wife,
if a man is to come to God, If a man will be forgiven of his
sins, if a man will worship God, I found out one thing so far
reading this Bible, he's got to have a lamb. He's got to have
a lamb. If he's to come to God or know
God or be forgiven of God and worship, he's got to have a lamb.
And that's true. And he couldn't find the answer.
And he, I was preaching on television one Sunday morning. And I preached
on from John, this verse right here, John 1, 29, Behold the
Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. David was sitting in his living
room listening to that message. And he heard me announce my text,
Behold the Lamb of God. And he called his wife, and he
said, come in here, there's a man preaching on television that's
going to talk about the Lamb. So he listened. Tuesday morning
I was sitting over here in the office, 20 years ago I guess. He came walking in and he said,
I'm David Atkins. I said, Henry Mayhem. He said,
you're the preacher preached on the Lamb of God. I said, that's
right. He said, you're going to preach here Wednesday night?
I said, yes sir. He said, I'm going to come hear
you. And he came and he heard that message. Behold the Lamb
of God taketh away the sin of the world. David was right. If a man's going to know God,
he's got to have a lamb. If a man's going to come to God,
he's got to have a lamb. If a man's to have his sins forgiven, he's
got to have a lamb. If a man's going to worship God,
he's got to worship God in the lamb. That's right. He's right. Abel had a lamb. That's right. The two brothers, Cain and Abel,
they came and They were going to worship God. This was way
back then when they got out of the Garden of Eden. They had
Adam and Eve in between. Their sons were growing up. And
so they came to build their own altar. And Cain built an altar
and he brought the fruits of the field. He brought the things
that he had by his own hand had wrought to approach God. refused
his offer. But Abel came and brought a lamb,
and slew that lamb, saying to God, I believe God, I believe
I'm a sinner, I believe my sins are due God's judgment, and for
God to be justified, I've got to come to him through the blood
of the lamb. And there you see the lamb typified. God had respect
to Abel because he came to God through the blood of the Lamb.
But he did have respect under Cain. And then there was a man
called Abraham. And he was going to Mount Moriah
to worship God. And he was going to take his
son up there to offer him unto God as a sacrifice. That was
God's work and not his pleasure and his will and that, but anyway.
So Abraham and Isaac took the fire and took the wood and started
to the mountain. And young Isaac turned to his
father and he said, Father, here's the wood and here's the fire,
where's the lamb? A man can't worship God without
a lamb. He can't come to God without the blood of the lamb.
Where's the lamb? And his father said to his son,
God will provide himself the Lamb. And he did. And you see, Cain
said, I see the Lamb typified. And Abraham said, I see the Lamb
provided. God provided it. Man didn't provide
it. God provided the Lamb. God himself
is the Lamb. God himself provided the Lamb.
And God provided a Lamb for himself. God provided the lamb. Our lamb
is provided by God. And then Moses, Moses had to
have a lamb. He was going to leave the children
of Israel out of Egypt, out of bondage, 400 years in slavery. God said to him, get a lamb,
a lamb without spot or blemish, the first thing of the flock.
Slay the lamb, roast it with fire, take that blood, Put it
on the door. And I see the blood. I pass over
here. Abel had the lamb typified. Abraham had the lamb provided. Moses saw the lamb blood applied. Right here. Now, the blood is
applied. The blood's got to be applied.
It's the blood that maketh atonement for the soul. The blood was applied. Well, Isaiah 53 says, Isaiah chapter 53 declares under
us, to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? Who hath believed
our report? He shall grow up before God as
a tender plant, as a root out of dry ground, hath no form or
comeliness. He's a man. So we see the Lamb
personified. It's not a sheep lamb. It's not
a ram lamb. It's a human lamb. You see, the
lamb typified in Abel's sacrifice, provided by God, applied by Moses,
and personified. He was wounded for our transgression. Not it. He was bruised for our
iniquities. The chastisement of our peace
was upon him. By his stripes we are healed.
It's a man that God provided. It's a man. And then John the
Baptist here said he identified him. All those people around
there, you know, and Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, it just takes your breath away to think
about it. He walked out there. And old
John says, there he is. There's the lamb identified.
That's who he is. You got a lamb. There he is. He's a lamb of God. He's a lamb
of God that taketh away the sin of the world. That's who he is.
Don't know him, you don't know God. Don't have him, you don't
have God. Don't come to him, you can't
come to God. He's the only sacrifice for sin. That's Jesus Christ,
the Son of God. Who art thou, Lord? I'm Jesus
of Nazareth. There he is. He's identified. I've identified him now. John's
identified him. Every preacher that's got the
grace of God in his soul will identify that lamb for his congregation. Make him no bones about it. That's
right. Make him no Muslim or Arab or
Sikh or whatever. It's Jesus Christ, the Son of
God. You got what I'm saying? That's
who he is. That's the only lamb. And then
I see the Lamb crucified. That's right. And Moses lifted
up the serpent and the wilderness. Even so must the Son of God be
lifted up, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but
have everlasting life. For God so loved this world that
he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him
should not perish, but have everlasting life. That's the Lamb crucified. And Paul said this so clearly
over and over again. I've determined to know nothing
among you save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Crucified. Crucified. He's got to be a reproach. He's got to bear our sins. He's
got to pay our debt. He's got to pay the fullness
of God Almighty's justice on our behalf. Crucified! But thank
God He rose. He arose for our justification.
He arose and he ascended. He that descended, ascended to
the right hand of God. And there the Lamb, typified
by Abel, provided by God, applied by Moses,
personified in the person of Christ, identified by John the
Baptist, crucified of old is now glorified at the right hand
of God. Turn to Romans, Revelation, chapter
5. Here it is, Revelation 5, verse
6. And I beheld, and lo, in the
midst of the throne, and of the four beasts, in the midst of
the elders, stood a lamb, as it had been slain, having seven
horns, he's omnipotent, seven eyes, he's omniscient, seven
spirits, he's omnipresent, the Spirit of God sent forth unto
all the earth. And he came and took the book
out of the right hand of him that sat on the throne. And when
he had taken the book, the four beasts and the four and twenty
elders fell down before the lamb. having every one of them hearts
and golden vows full of odors, which are the prayers of the
saints, and they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take
the book, open the seals thereof, for thou wast slain, and hast
redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every kindred, tongue,
people, and nation, and hast made us kings made us and thy
God kings and priests, and we shall reign under her." That's
the Lamb.