Gospel of John #2 B

John is discussing the discourse between Nicodemus and Jesus in chapter 3 of John. He explains that John wrote a parenthetical statement in verse 13, emphasizing that no one has gone up to heaven except the Son of Man who came down from heaven. He then connects this to Moses being the only human being to have seen God face-to-face. John also mentions that no one has seen God the Father except the begotten Son. He then transitions to the witness of John the Baptist and the questions asked by the Jews about his identity. John clarifies that John the Baptist is not Elijah or the prophet mentioned in Deuteronomy 18. He quotes Isaiah 40 to demonstrate that John knew his role as the voice crying in the wilderness, preparing the way for the Lord. John concludes by mentioning that there will be another Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the Lord. Chapter 3 and verse 13. And here is something that in the discourse about Nicodemus and Jesus talking which we will get into and when we get to chapter 3 we'll do an in-depth study into the Greek words concerning begotten, born, and all the thing about born again. I think we'll find it very interesting. Notice verse 13. This should really be a parenthetical statement that John has written in here. And no one has gone up into the heaven except he who came down out of heaven, the Son of Man who is in heaven. Now John wrote that because no one has come down from heaven except the Son of Man. And no one has gone up to heaven except the Son of Man. So that's why he said except the Son of Man who is in heaven. Because at the time he was writing this Christ was where? In heaven. Though he put that right in the middle of the dissertation between Nicodemus and Jesus about being born again. Now that's why when we go back to Exodus 34, why Moses becomes to that point, to the time of Christ, Moses was the most important human being to have walked the face of the earth in one respect. One respect. We'll see that. Exodus 34. Now we know that no one has seen God the Father. Now every account except right here in Exodus 34 and Exodus 33. First of all we'll go to Exodus 33 and then over to Exodus 34. Every account of seeing God the Father or God except in this one place was in vision. It was in vision. Moses was the only human being to have ever seen God eyeball to person. He didn't see him eye to eye. But he was the only one ever with his own eyes to literally see God. That's why he's the most important human being until Christ that ever existed. Because no one has ever done that. No one has ever seen God. And here we find in Exodus 33. Exodus 33 and let's begin here in verse 17. And the Lord son of Moses, I will do this thing also that you have spoken. For you have found grace in my sight. What do you know? There's grace back here even having to do with Moses. How about that? And I know you by name. And he, that is Moses, said I beseech you show me your glory. And he said, that is God, I will make all my goodness pass before you and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. And he said, you cannot see my face for there shall no man see me and live. So no human being can see God and live. That is face-to-face. Why? Because of the power and the righteousness of God. Men as sinners cannot exist in the presence of God. That's why God's grace is so fantastic that he looks through all of that and brings us to his level. And that is absolutely fantastic, isn't it? You cannot see my face for there shall no man see me and live. And then you know the rest of it. He said, well you get in a little crevice over here and you can see my backside. And this is exactly what happened. Chapter 34 now and verse 5. And the Lord descended in a cloud and stood with him there and proclaimed the name of the Lord. And the Lord passed by before him and proclaimed, the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth. Now if you want to know just a little bit about the truth of the politics of the world, every nation that blesses us is blessed. Every nation that curses us is cursed. And you can see that is an absolute truism. It just works that way. Notice what he says here. Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty. Or that is just give license to the guilty to continue sinning. Visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and upon the children's children unto the third and fourth generation. And Moses made haste and bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped. I guess so. You know, whenever you read a verse like that, it's always good maybe to ask the question, I wonder what Moses felt like at that time. I mean, you know, you have your own emotions, your own feelings. I wonder what he felt like at that time when he saw God and heard that and saw the backside of God. Actually, eyeball to back and God was right there and said these things and he bowed down, put his face on the ground. I wonder what was going through his head. I wonder how he felt inside. Must have really been quite an experience, huh? Must have really been so. Alright, now let's go back to John. Go back to John, the first chapter. Verse 18, no one has seen God at any time, only the begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father he declared to him. And this is the witness of John. This is very important. I will cover a little bit more of this when we get to chapter 6 or 7. I haven't decided when I will cover this, but there is a special sermon that I will bring to cover this. So the Jews from Jerusalem, they sent priests and Levites. Just a minute, let me read it here in the English. There is a record of the Jews. When the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem. Now why would they send priests and Levites to go see John? Did you ever ask that question? Let's look at it this way. In your neighborhood, if there was something suspicious going on, you would call the police, correct? Find out what's going on. They sent priests and Levites that they might ask him, who are you? Now why would they want to go down and ask John who he was? Let's find out here. And he confessed, and denied not, and confessed, I am not the Christ. That's quite a statement, isn't it? I am not the Christ. Why would he say that? Because they were looking for Christ. Remember the events that happened at the birth of John? Remember the events that happened at the birth of Christ and shortly thereafter? Remember what happened when Jesus went at 12 to the temple? Now verse 21, they ask him, what then? Who are you then? Are you Elijah? Now why would they ask him if he's Elijah? Let's go back to Malachi, the fourth chapter. Shows they were reading the scriptures, right? Remember when Herod called the Levites and he said, where did it say that the king of the Jews would be born? They said, well, the scripture says Bethlehem. They knew where to look. Why did they say, are you Elijah? Because it says here in verse 5 of Malachi 4, Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. So they were looking for that. Now later, Jesus tells us that John the Baptist was Elijah. But John didn't know that. Jesus told us that. Now back to first chapter of John. Are you Elijah? And he said, I am not. Notice the next question. Are you the prophet? Now in the Greek that is, ho prophetes. Are you the prophet? Now just suffice to say and I'll all key that sermon on it, which I will call the prophet. In Deuteronomy 18 and verse 15, there is a prophecy that Moses gave which said, a prophet like unto me shall the Lord raise up and him shall you hear. So John answered, no. Therefore they said to him, who are you that we can give an answer to those that sent us? So they had to come back and give an account. What do you say about yourself? And he said, I am a voice crying in the wilderness. Make straight the way of the Lord as said Isaiah the prophet. Let's go back to Isaiah 40 and read that. We read just a bit of that earlier. Let's go back to Isaiah 40 and just read that whole section. So John knew who he was. Now I don't know exactly how God spoke to John. But it was probably much like it was in the Old Testament. The word of the Lord came to such and such a prophet. It's interesting that it was that way, isn't it? Even though it was envisioned the word of the Lord came. And who is the word of the Lord? Christ. Isaiah 40 and verse 1. Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, says your God. Speak comfortably to Jerusalem and cry to her that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned, for she has received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins. The voice of him that cries in the wilderness, and this is what John was doing, prepare ye the way of the Lord. Make straight in the desert a highway for our God. And every mountain shall be exalted, every valley shall be exalted, every mountain and hill shall be made low, the crooked shall be made straight, the rough places plain. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it. And the voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is the flower of the field. We're going to see this a minute in Matthew the third chapter. What he likened would happen in relation to sin. The grass withers, the flower fades, because the spirit of the Lord blows upon it. Surely the people is grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God shall stand forever. And then it says, verse 9, and we'll finish it here, O Zion that brings good tidings, get you up into the high mountain, O Jerusalem that brings good tidings, lift up your voice with strength, lift it up, be not afraid, say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God. And that's exactly what John the Baptist was doing in preparing the way for Christ. Behold your God. Now this has a dual meaning, because there is an Elijah coming before the great and dreadful day of the Lord, and he is going to be doing the same thing. And when the Jews hear it this time, it's going to be quite a different reaction than it was that time. Now let's go to Matthew the third chapter. Matthew 3, and here again we find the same thing. Pharisees and Sadducees coming to the baptism of John. Let's begin here just in verse 1. And in those days came John the Baptist preaching in the wilderness of Judea, which is another word for Judah, saying, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, and make his path straight. And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair and leather girdle about his loins, and his food was locusts and wild honey, and then went out to him Jerusalem and all Judea, all the region round about Jordan. Now why do you think that they sent the priest and Levite Stoner? Because there were so many people going. They wanted to find out, well, what's going on? And they were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said to them, Oh, how sweet and nice of all you religious people to come. Let's have an ecumenical council here and sit down by the river and hold hands. No, he didn't say that. He wasn't very nice. He said, Oh, generation of vipers, a bunch of snakes in the grass, who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come. Bring therefore fruits, meat for repentance, and do not think to say within yourselves, We have Abraham for our father. For I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And now also the axe is laid at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which brings forth not good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. And the next two verses says here, verse 11, I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. But he that comes after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear. He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. The grass withers, the flower fades. Okay, same thing there. Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, gather his weed into his garner, and he will burn up the chap with unquenchable fire. That's a pretty heady message, isn't it? That's a pretty heady message. Well, I'm going to be anxious when the second John Baptist comes on the scene, to see what he's going to do. I think the more we get into the traumatic events at the end of the world, the more it's going to come as a shock and a surprise to the world. And I would not be too surprised to see that coincide with the rise of the Catholic Church. It's coming into its final phase, and then God is going to raise up Elijah to come and prepare the way. Okay, let's go back to the first chapter of John. Let's just finish up this quick section here on John the Baptist. Now, let's pick it up here in verse 24. And those who had been sent were from among the Pharisees, and they asked him and said to him, Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ? Which tells you what? They understood that when Christ came, there would be baptism, right? Otherwise, why even ask the question? Why do you baptize, then, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet? And John answered them, saying, I baptize with water, but in the midst of you one stands whom you know not, he it is who comes after me, who has precedence over me, of whom I am not worthy that I should loose a tong of his sandal. These things took place in Batharba, across the Jordan, where John was baptizing. Now, we'll go ahead and end it right here, and next time we'll pick it up in verse 29. I realize this is a little short because we had a little review on our Greek, but we're running a little over our time all together, so we'll go ahead and end it here.