The Story of Jesus - The Baptist's Faith and Message
Introduction
Many years ago, a blind woman named Fanny Crosby wanted to see something and so she wrote…
Tell me the story of Jesus,
Write on my heart every word.
Tell me the story most precious,
Sweetest that ever was heard.
This morning, we are continuing to deal with this marvelous story of Jesus, the account of His life and ministry. After dealing with the events surrounding His birth, we then went to Matthew chapter 3 and looked at the baptism of Jesus and what we called His Inauguration. We looked at Matthew chapter 4 to consider the story of Jesus and His Temptation. Chronologically, John 1:19-36 takes place after Matthew chapter 4, and as we look at this passage in John 1 this morning, I want to talk about the Baptist’s Faith And Message.
For nearly a millennia our Baptist forefathers have felt the need to pen down confessions or statements of faith, declaring what they believed about things like the scriptures, Jesus, baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
One of the earliest Baptistic statements was the Waldenses Confession Of Faith of 1120. In later years there was the First London Baptist Confession Of Faith of 1646, the Standard Confession of 1660, and the Second London Confession of 1677. Even here in North Carolina, there was the Sandy Creek Confession of 1758.
In more modern times, the Southern Baptist Convention has issued what has been called the “Baptist Faith and Message.” This statement of faith, based on the New Hampshire Baptist Confession Of Faith of 1833, was originally issued in 1925 under the leadership of E. Y. Mullins of Kentucky, and subsequent revisions were issued in 1963 and 2000.
But the original Baptist Faith And Message predates the 1925 version. It even predates the Waldenses Confession of 1120. The original Baptist’s Faith And Message was issued around 29 or 30 AD. We’re considering John the Baptist’s Faith And Message, and as we do let’s…
I. Notice What John Believed (vs. 19-27)
A. We See His Confession vs. 20-21
1. There Was An Acknowledgement Of Truth he confessed
confessed – Greek 3670. homologeo, from a compilation of the base of G3674 and G3056; to assent, i.e. covenant, acknowledge.
2. There Was An Adherence To Truth denied not
denied – Greek 720. arneomai, to contradict, i.e. disavow, reject, abnegate.
Negative statement of same thing in Johannine fashion … He did not contradict or refuse to say who he was.
(From Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament)
B. We See His Claim vs. 22-23
1. He Defined His Ministry
(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.
It is not difficult to give our estimate of other men… John had summed up other people; what about his estimate of himself! (David Davies from The Biblical Illustrator)
Cf. (Matthew 3:7) But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
wilderness – Greek 2048. eremos, means lonesome, i.e. (by implication) waste: --desert, desolate, solitary,.
2. He Declared His Message
(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.
(Isaiah 40:3) The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
C. We See His Christ vs. 26-27
1. John Said He’s A Stranger To You
(John 1:26) John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;
If you meet a stranger on the Jericho road, that’s Him.
2. John Said He’s Superior To Me
(John 1:27) He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.
preferred – means that Jesus was generated or that He came before John. Biologically, John was six months older than Jesus, but Jesus was older. John said, “He was before me, and He’s better than me.”
II. Notice Who John Beheld (vs. 28-30, 34-36)
A. There Is The Look Of Focus vs. 29 seeth
1. He Was Focused In The Look – He Was Seeing
(John 1:29) The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
According to Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament, this word “seeth” denotes the physical act of seeing … “the single” look. “The perception indicated … is more outward; the perception of sense as distinguished from mental discernment. A look told the Baptist that the Mightier One had come.”
He saw Jesus and he didn’t even have to think about it. He knew that Jesus was the Lamb of God.
2. He Was Focused On The Lamb – He Was Saying
(John 1:29) The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
behold – Greek 2396. ide, used as an interjection to denote surprise; lo!: -- lo, see.
The imperative in the singular number, though the “company” of his followers is addressed.
(From Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament)
This indicates that he wanted each of his followers to behold Jesus individually.
As Helen H. Lemmel wrote…
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.
B. There Is The Look Of Faith vs. 29-30, 34
1. He Believed To The Extent That He Became Jesus’ Representative
(John 1:30) This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.
According to Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament, this phrase “of whom” means “ ‘concerning whom;’ but the proper reading is ‘on behalf of whom’.”
2. He Believed To The Extent That He Bare Jesus’ Record
(John 1:34) And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.
bare record – Greek 3140. martureo, means to be a witness, to testify.
He became a witness to the fact that Jesus is the Son of God.
C. There Is The Look Of Fixation vs. 35-36
(John 1:36) And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!
The word “seeth” in verse 29 is the Greek word blepo, which means, “to look at.” But the word “looking” in verse 36 is the Greek word emblepo, which is the same word except that a prefix has been added to it. The prefix “en-,” denotes a fixed position so that the Greek word (1689) emblepo means “to look on, to observe fixedly, or to discern clearly.” It is rendered elsewhere in the New Testament as “behold, gaze up, look upon, or see.”
John could have said, “I can’t take my eyes off of Him.”
1. John Discerned Jesus Clearly
Again, one meaning of this term “looking” is “to discern clearly.” Sometimes you see something once just in a glance, but when you gaze at it for a while you discover that it looks different than what you first thought. This wasn’t the case with John seeing Jesus.
2. John Declared Jesus Consistently
(John 1:36) And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!
Even after close scrutiny, John’s testimony of Jesus remained the same.
III. Notice Why John Baptized (vs. 25, 31-33)
In a word, because belief dictates behavior, but also…
A. Because Of His Expectation vs. 31 manifest
1. There Was A Specific Omission Concerning His Coming
(John 1:31) And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.
John was not personally acquainted with Jesus. Though they were remotely related to each other, yet it seems that they had had heretofore no personal acquaintance. (Barnes’ Notes)
There seems to have been as much speculation about who Messiah would be in that day as there is about when the Lord will come in our day. But John said, “It’s not me, and I didn’t know who it would be.”
2. There Was A Substantial Observation Concerning His Coming
(John 1:31) And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.
manifest – Greek 5319. phaneroo, to render apparent, or appear.
John was doing what he did because he believed that Messiah was coming.
B. Because Of His Experience vs. 32
1. John Had A Visit
(John 1:32) And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.
saw – Greek 2300. theaomai, means to look closely at, i.e. (by implication) to perceive (lit. or fig.); by extension it means to visit.
2. John Had A Vision
(John 1:33) And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.
C. Because Of His Employment vs. 33 sent
(John 1:33) And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.
sent – means that he was dispatched on this mission.
1. He Was Sent With God’s Authority
Teachers who come forward by God's command and with his authority are said to be (or to have been) sent by God.
(From Thayer’s Greek Lexicon)
2. He Was Sent With God’s Accompaniment
God was with John for He “said unto” him in verse 33.
Conclusion
From 1869 to 1902, Joseph Parker was the renowned pastor of the City Temple in London, England. But in his early ministry Joseph Parker had pastored a church in Banbury, England.
Several years ago, I stood in front of Parker’s old church in Banbury. It is no longer in use. There was trash and broken glass laying all around the old building. The windows and doors have been boarded up, and there is painted graffiti on the boards and exterior walls.
On one boarded section covering a window was painted these words, “I believe in nothing, but it’s my nothing.”
I want to tell you this morning, John the Baptist believed in something. In fact beyond that, he believed in Someone. And that Someone was Jesus. Do you believe in Him today?