Category: John the Baptist

Understanding or Trust?

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John 6:64-66 WEB

But there are some of you who don’t believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who didn’t believe, and who it was who would betray him. [65] He said, “For this cause have I said to you that no one can come to me, unless it is given to him by my Father.” [66] At this, many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

Have you ever regretted being a Christian? Has God ever asked you to do something you did not like? There are times our flesh rebels against the work of the Spirit in our lives. Giving up our lives is hard (Luke 14:27). If it were easy, there would be much more victory in the church (Jam 4:7). If people could serve God without submitting their will to him there would be many more Christians (Rom 1:28). When we come to Christ, there are times when what he asks us offends (Phi 1:9-11).

Offense is a blight in the church (Mat 11:6). The disciples who left Jesus in the above passage became offended by something they could not understand (John 13:7). In the preceding verses, Jesus told the disciples they had to eat his flesh. I believe eating Jesus means suffering in service to him (1 Pe 4:13). However, the disciples thought he was talking about actual cannibalism (John 6:54). They could not understand so they would not trust (John 6:60).

Obedience comes from two places, understanding, and trust (Pro 3:5). When we obey God because we trust him, we are protected from offense (James 5:16). However, if we demand God explain himself, we are going to become offended (John 14:5). God is kind and explains many things through his Holy Word and his Holy Spirit (Is 41:10). However, if we demand God give us understanding we are not in trust (John 6:52). When we trust God’s motives, we no longer demand to understand (Rom 4:5).

Lord Jesus, please teach me to trust you completely. Forgive me for demanding understanding as a prerequisite to obedience. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

#Lord #Jesus #Holy #Savior #Trust #Faith #Courage #Power #Strength #Hope

God’s Seal of Approval

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John 6:26-27 WEB

Jesus answered them, “Most certainly I tell you, you seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves, and were filled. [27] Don’t work for the food which perishes, but for the food which remains to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For God the Father has sealed him.”

How can we tell when God has sealed, or approved, someone for a task? How did God seal Jesus? God sealed Jesus through the testimony of John the Baptist and the miraculous signs which Jesus did. Signs and wonders accompanied Jesus. God used miracles as signs of Jesus’ task and calling.

Jesus was also blessed. He had decent clothes, or at the crucifixion, the soldiers would not have struggled to get his clothes. They were nice. Also, Jesus was from Nazareth, but he seems to have a house in Capernaum. Jesus stopped working when he went into ministry, how did he pay for these things? Jesus may have saved some money while he worked, but that would contradict part of his message. It seems likely people were supporting his ministry.

So, God used signs and wonders and ministry support to show approval, but there is another sign. The preaching of repentance also accompanies the one whom God approves. Both John the Baptist and Jesus preached repentance. Another, Paul the apostle, was always encouraging believers to turn from sin. Many of the biblical writers wrote about sin and repentance. Preaching repentance is a mark of the one sealed by God.

Lord Jesus, help me recognize and honor the ones you have sealed. Give me a discerning Spirit so I can recognize when you have set your approval on another. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

Wise yet Harmless

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John 4:1-3 WEB

Therefore when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John [2] (although Jesus himself didn’t baptize, but his disciples), [3] he left Judea, and departed into Galilee.

Jesus epitomized the scripture that says, “Behold, I send you out as sheep among wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” (Matthew 10:16 WEB) When he learned he had attracted the attention of the Pharisees he departed Judea and went to Galilee. In chapter 3 of John, John the Baptist pronounced Jesus as the way to heaven. John as much as declared Jesus the messiah. Jesus’ response to this was to pack up and leave the area.

Jesus understood the Pharisees hated him. While professing zeal for God, they demonstrated with their behaviors that they actually despised God. What they liked was the glory of standing before the people. Jesus was threatening their glory.

Have you ever heard a minister preaching compromise? Why would they do this? The exact demonstration of hatred for God may have changed, but the root cause of the sin is the same. Namely, a desire for people to glorify themselves rather than God. Preaching the untainted gospel has with it the risk of people rejecting the messenger.

Jesus was often scorned and rejected by those to whom he ministered, On the other hand, many were saved as well. This is important to notice. Jesus experienced both rejection and acceptance. He told his disciples to shake the dust from their feet when they were rejected. Literally, to pronounce condemnation on those who rejected their message.

Can you imagine a modern-day preacher declaring condemnation for rejection of the gospel? They would be heckled and counted as a hypocrite for such preaching. People still have little tolerance for the untainted message of the gospel. That message is that Christ alone saves those whom he will and rejects the disobedient. Telling people that Jesus will save them is not too hard. On the other hand, telling people they must be obedient to the whole Bible or face eternal torment is not accepted by most people.

People want salvation to be a democratic affair. As if we can choose which passages are relevant while declaring others irrelevant. Some of this has been caused by modern-day zealots. Ministers who teach a heartless gospel of condemnation drive the lost away from God. They preach to a mouth-foaming crowd that wants confirmation that they are better than everyone else. But the word of God does not counsel this. Rather, it says to be wise as a serpent but harmless as a dove.

As Christians, we have to learn to declare the truth from a place of love for the world. The Father desires the world to be saved (John 3:16). We can declare condemnation for the lost in love. We can plead with the lost to turn their hearts fully to the Father through the grace of Jesus Christ. We can demonstrate obedience thereby duplicating it in those who are new in the Lord.

Lord, please help me walk wisely while remaining harmless to those with whom I share the gospel. Please forgive me for being immature and heartless. I’m sorry for withholding love from the lost. Please forgive me. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

He Must Increase

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John 3:28-30 WEB

You yourselves testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before him.’ [29] He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. This, my joy, therefore is made full. [30] He must increase, but I must decrease.

As people were drawn to Christ, John the Baptist was able to stand aside. He was great at being second. It gave him joy to see the people go to Christ, the bridegroom, to receive forgiveness for their sins and be baptized. John understood the critical thing, that Jesus was meant to increase while he was meant to decrease. It’s hard to be famous for Christ and then have him move the anointing to another. Charismatic leaders can often go right on as if nothing had changed. They can use their natural social acumen to keep the attention focused on themselves when what they should be doing is rejoicing to hear the voice of those anointed by the Father. There are times when the Lord closes a door to one person and leaves it open for another. It is very hard to step aside and let another pass through. Jesus said that John was the greatest prophet ever born (Luke 7:28 WEB). John’s ability to decrease while Jesus increased was praiseworthy.

Lord Jesus, please help me refrain from drawing unnecessary attention to myself and instead help me point others to you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Suffering with Benefits

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John 3:22-24 WEB

After these things, Jesus came with his disciples into the land of Judea. He stayed there with them, and baptized. [23] John also was baptizing in Enon near Salim, because there was much water there. They came, and were baptized. [24] For John was not yet thrown into prison.   

John was not yet thrown into prison and Jesus was not yet crucified. So, they baptized. They served the Father’s will with humility and truth such that they both died horrific deaths. John was beheaded at the request of the daughter of an evil queen (Matthew 14:8-12 WEB). Jesus was crucified at the hands of the Roman government, at the request of the religious leaders in Jerusalem (John 19:15-18 WEB). Do you regularly see baptisms at your church? Do you ever see baptisms at your church? If people are regularly being saved and baptized, you probably have leadership that has experienced difficulties and has chosen not to draw back from obeying the Lord. On the other hand, if you have a group of leaders that is regularly bringing a message of wealth, health, and joy without the balancing message of suffering and pain in obedience, something is wrong. This group may have salvations, but the saved will probably fall away when the Father begins to discipline the new believer. Discipline will always come (Hebrews 12:7). The Father has an interest in growing people from the new birth in Christ to mature Christian walking and living the Christian life. The Father will convict of sin and will bring challenges to provoke change. He knows how to bend a twig. However, when a church only preaches the benefits of the kingdom and neglects to preach the obligations of the kingdom you will not see lasting fruit.  Attrition will be high. Being in obedience to the Father will bring great joy, with tribulation (1 Thessalonians 1:6 WEB.)

Lord Jesus, I want to follow your example. Please help me to be bold and willing to suffer when necessary for the gospel. Let my life bring lasting fruit. Help me to be bold unto suffering while I rejoice in all the goodness that comes from walking with you. Please make me a holy vessel. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Astonishing Belief

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John 2:11-12 WEB

This beginning of his signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him. [12] After this, he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, his brothers, and his disciples; and they stayed there a few days.

Jesus was approximately 30 years old when He publicly revealed His glory. That implies that He carried His anointing without telling anyone for a period. When He did finally reveal His glory the text scripture says it caused His disciples to believe. However, because His disciples were at the wedding, it appears they already believed. They had reason to believe based on the testimony of John the Baptist. Considering two of John’s disciples, Andrew, and Philip, went to follow Jesus, there is a clear argument that they believed before this miracle. So why does the text scripture say the first miracle caused them to believe? The disciples already believed based on the things they heard Jesus say and the testimony of John the Baptist. However, the miraculous sign gave them greater assurance of that belief. In other words, they believed more. It is unlikely the disciples saw great miracles every day. In modern times there are men and women of God that pray for miracles and see them come to pass. Still, they do not see miracles every time they pray. They persist in their faith and obedience and some of those times God intervenes in astonishing ways. Signs happen for everyone. The key is making a mental note, allowing your belief to deepen, and then during periods when things are normal, choosing to remain in that new level of belief.

Lord Jesus, please help me remain in belief. Answer my prayers Lord for that deepens my belief and delivers me from doubt. In Jesus’ name, amen.

The First Soul Winner

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John 1:39-42 WEB

He said to them, “Come, and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. It was about the tenth hour. [40] One of the two who heard John, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. [41] He first found his own brother, Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah!” (which is, being interpreted, Christ). [42] He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him, and said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is by interpretation, Peter).

I appreciate the story of Andrew. He was a Galilean which means that most rabbis would not be interested in having him as a disciple. This is because Galilee was the wrong area to be from if you wanted to pursue serving a rabbi. It was practically mandatory to be from Judea if you had aspirations to become a Pharisee. So, this passage starts by revealing John the Baptist had gone to Galilee to find some of his disciples.

More, though Jesus lived in Judea he went to John in Galilee to be baptized. Jesus went to the wrong place, to be baptized by the wrong person, to find the wrong disciples. And what did Andrew do when his teacher, John the Baptist, told him that Jesus was the Christ? He followed him. After Andrew saw where Jesus lived, he went straight out and brought his first soul to Christ. That means Peter was the first soul brought into the Kingdom by a believer. It also means Andrew was the first soul winner.

Lord Jesus, please bless me and help me bring others to you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Pointing to Jesus

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John 1:35-37 WEB

Again, the next day, John was standing with two of his disciples, [36] and he looked at Jesus as he walked, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” [37] The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.

John the Baptist showed his humility by pointing to Jesus. Pride often masquerades as humility. But pride is easy to discern. Pride wants attention, glory, and praise. Ministers struggling with pride draw the attention of the sheep to themselves rather than to Jesus.

Many ministers make themselves so visible the love of the sheep goes to them rather than Jesus. We have all seen the minister that says the most profound and amazing things. The chatter around them goes along the lines of “profound, amazing, brilliant.” You don’t hear much about Jesus from the sheep, rather, you hear about the minister.

Lord, please give me the grace to point others to you and to avoid drawing your glory to myself. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Law vs. Spirit

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John 1:22-25 WEB

They said therefore to him, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” [23] He said, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.” [24] The ones who had been sent were from the Pharisees. [25] They asked him, “Why then do you baptize, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?”

Pharisees are concerned with the rules. They are legalists. Pharisees went to John the Baptist and asked him who he was. They could recognize that he was anointed, but they could not discern his purpose. The Pharisees were more focused on being in control of John’s authority to act than they were interested in knowing what God was doing.

Pharisees had religious control of the region. John must have seemed like a threat to them. You can see in the passage how rude the Pharisees were to him. They demand he answer for himself. But, they had asked John a question only God could answer. Since Pharisees only got revelation from scriptures they walked away from John. They did not value that he was bringing people to repentance.  

Lord Jesus, please help me know the Bible and practice its teaching while I keep my inner ear tuned towards your voice. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen

Silently

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John 1:19-21 WEB

This is John’s testimony, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” [20] He declared, and didn’t deny, but he declared, “I am not the Christ.” [21] They asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” He answered, “No.”

Neither Jesus nor John the Baptist was in the habit of telling people what their spiritual inheritance and names were. It seems from the gospels that John the Baptist was Elijah who was to come before Christ. Also, John the Baptist seemed to know what his purpose was and what he was doing. He knew he was there to announce Christ. Still, if John the Baptist was Elijah, why didn’t he say so? Because he was not Elijah.

He was John. And John did not feel the need to justify himself. More, he had the wisdom not to expose himself. Jesus behaved in a similar manner. When asked if he was the Messiah Jesus would remain silent. At some point in his life, Jesus realized who he was and began to grow in the grace to carry his destiny. And that Grace gave him the humility to know who he was without having to tell anyone.

Lord Jesus, please give me the understanding I need to be as wise as a serpent but as gentle as a dove, just like you. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.