The Witness To The Revelation Of Jesus Christ

Jesus the Son Of Man,God's Mediator:The Witness of Jesus Himself;  John 1:50-51


John 1:50-51:(1:50-51) Introduction: Jesus bore witness to Himself.He clearly declared who He is.
   ⁵⁰Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these.
   ⁵¹And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.


1.The response of Jesus to Nathanael(see vv 46-49).
2.Jesus is the revelation of God:the One who reveals greater things(v50).
3.Jesus is the mediator:the One who opens the doors to Heaven(v51).
4.Jesus is the Son of Man:the pattern,the perfect representative of man (v51).

[1] (1:50)Nathanael:Nathanael's experience with Jesus(v44-49) was the background for what Jesus said in this passage.
[2] (1:50) Jesus Christ,Revelation of God:Jesus Christ is the revelation of God,the One who reveals greater things.
****Note two points:
A)It was belief in Jesus that brought greater things into Nathanael's life.Nathanael believed Jesus therefore,he could expect to receive greater things,to receive more and more from God.
Matthew 17:20:   ²⁰And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
Mark 9:23:   ²³Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
John 10:10:
   ¹⁰The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
Ephesians 3:17-19:
   ¹⁷That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
   ¹⁸May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
   ¹⁹And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
B) It is Jesus Himself who is the revelation of God; therefore,it is Jesus who reveals the "greater things" of life.
     1) Jesus is the embodiment of revelation.
John 1:¹In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
   ²The same was in the beginning with God.
John 14:⁶Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Colossians 2:⁹For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
  2) Jesus Christ is the communicator of revelation.
John 1:¹In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
   ²The same was in the beginning with God.
   ³All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
   ⁴In him was life; and the life was the light of men
John 14  ⁹Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?  ¹⁰Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
    3) Jesus Christ is the liberator of revelation.
John 8:³¹Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; ³²And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
John 10:¹⁰The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

[3] (1:51) Jesus Christ ,Mediator: Jesus Christ is the mediator between God and man.This is seen in the picture Jesus painted by the words," ye shall see Heaven open,and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.(v51).
Thought 1.
Man can approach God and enter heaven through Christ (Jn14:6). the gulf of loneliness and the alienation which man knows have been bridged.
2) man has access to God only through Jesus(John 14:6)
3) man can have constant communication with God.
[4] (1-51) Jesus Christ,Son Of Man. Jesus is the Son of Man.this does not mean that Jesus was born of a man.It means that  He is more than what an ordinary man is, more than a son of some man.Jesus is what every man ought to be,the Son of man Himslf.
a) Jesus Christ is the Ideal Man: the perfect man,the pattern ,the embodiment of everything a man ought to be.Jesus is the perfect picture of a man.everything God wants a man to be is seen perfectly in Jesus Christ.
b) Jesus Christ is the Ideal Servant of man.The term Ideal servant stresses Jesus' symphathy for the poor, the broken-hearted,the captives, the blind,the brusied,the outcasts and the bereaved.Jesus is the model, the pattern of concern and caring.He served other people like every man should serve other people.
 Matthew 8:²⁰And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
Matthew 9:⁶But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.
Matthew 20:²⁸Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
Matthew 24:²⁷For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Mark 8:³⁸Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

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The Witness To The Revelation of Jesus Christ

Jesus the Son of God, The King of Israel: The Witness of Nathanael, 1:46-49

   ⁴⁶And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.
   ⁴⁷Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!
   ⁴⁸Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.
   ⁴⁹Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.

Introduction:Nathanael's confrontaion with Jesus was dramatic.Nathanael was a man of prejudice and strong feelings,yet he knew despair and hopeless;therefore,he was difficult to lead to Christ.However, despite all, his freind Phillip persisted and refused to give up in witnessing to him.As a result, Nathanael was won to Christ.

[1] (1:46) Nathanael, Prejudice,Witnessing: Nathanael's experience.Note three facts.
    a) It was Nathanael's close friend Phillip who shared the good news with him(jn.1:45). He had the
privilege of hearing the gospel from someone who cared for him very deeply.He was so loved by Phillip that he was the first one with whom Phillip shared the most important experience of his life.
    b) Nathanael was a man gripped by despair and predjudice.
        1) The despair is seen in his response to phillip.He rejected Phillip's testimony and did it in a negative,skeptical,reactionary spirit:"Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?" He struck out at  what Phillip had said.He questioned it;he would not accept it nor believe it. There was a sense of hopelessness,of despair and skepticism in his question.
Thought 1 So many voices in the world  promise the path to life and fulfilment and joy and satisfaction.
However their claims are soon discovered to be false,and they still leave the human heart empty and wondering.
Job 10¹My soul is weary of my life; I will leave my complaint upon myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.Psalm 31:10:¹⁰For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing: my strength faileth because of mine iniquity, and my bones are consumed.
Jeremiah 2:25: ²⁵Withhold thy foot from being unshod, and thy throat from thirst: but thou saidst, There is no hope: no; for I have loved strangers, and after them will I go.
1 Thessalonians 4:13:¹³But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
Ephesians 2:12:¹²That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

2) The prejudice of Nathanael is seen in his slur against Jesus because Jesus was from Nazareth. Nathanael was apparently a crowd-follower.He had allowed himself to be influenced by the world's foolish prejudices.Prejudice is a great failing;it disregards the wrong within oneself and with one's own place.It overlooks personal wrongs, shortcomings,weaknesses, and error.

   c) Nathanael was still invited to follow Jesus.His sin, despair,and prejudice did not discourage or keep Phillip from inviting his friend and neighbor to "come and see" Jesus.Note also, Phillip did not argue with Nathanael.He simply confronted him with Jesus.

Thought 2. Note three trhings.
1) No matter what the sin is, we must still go and invite men to "come and see" Jesus. Because phillip went to  his dear friend,Nathanael did come to Jesus,despite his despair and prejudice.
2)Think what Nathanael would have missed if he would had let his prejudices keep him from Jesus, or allowed his wallowing in despair keep him from coming to Jesus.
3)The way to lead a man to Christ is not by argument,but by confronting him with Christ.
Acts 4:20:²⁰For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.
Titus 2:15:¹⁵These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.
Psalm 66:16:¹⁶Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.
[2] (1:47-48) Guilelessness-Jesus Christ,Knowledge-Sin, Exposed: Nathanael's confrontation. Two very significant things happened in Nathanael's confrontation with Jesus.
a) Jesus knew Nathanael,his beliefs and character.

    1) Jesus knew his beliefs. This is seen in Jesus calling Nathanael an "Israelite indeed."He believed the promises of God.He tried to live up to the covenant name, the standard God had set for Israel,and he was looking for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of the Messiah.

Christ knows the beliefs of all men,that upon which the man has set his heart.He knows both the good and bad beliefs,both the godly and the evil thoughts of the human heart.
John 2:25:²⁵And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.

1 John 3:20:²⁰For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
Jeremiah 17:10:¹⁰I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

    2) Jesus knew Nathanael's Character.He was a man without guile.This means he did not deceive, bait, or mislead people.He did not hide what he thought; he said what he thought and acted what he felt. He was straight forward,open and honest, not deceptive or hypocritical.This trait was shown to Phillip as he did not hide his true thoughts.

Many people deceive,bait and mislead others.Few are straight forward, open and honest,free of deception and hypocrisy.

  b) Jesus knew Nathanael's innermost being,all things about him.Jesus knows everything about every man.Nothing escapes His watchful eye,not even a single thought.This offers great hope to all who will cast themselves upon Christ.Christ can help them by meeting their needs and giving them purpose and direction.This is also a great warning to those who goes merrily on their way,thinking his sins is hid and he will not be judged.

(Luke 12:2:)²For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.(Jeremiah 2:22:)²²For though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord GOD.(Hosea 7:2:)²And they consider not in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness: now their own doings have beset them about; they are before my face.

[3] (1:49) Confession-Decision:Nathanael's conviction,He confessed that Jesus was the Rabbi(Prophet), the son of God, the King of Israel. Note two things
   a) How readily Nathanael confessed Jesus as his Lord.
   b) How clearly Nathanael grasped who Jesus was.
*********** Don't let the actions of a non-believer keep you from sharing the good news of salvation with him..................................

The Witness to the Revelation of Jesus Christ

 Jesus the One Prophesied:The Witness of Philip, 1:43-45

 ⁴³The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me.
 ⁴⁴Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.
 ⁴⁵Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.
Introduction:Philip's discovery and witness of Jesus Christ was unmistakable.Jesus was the One prophesied in scripture: He was the promised Messiah.

[1] (1:43-45) Salvation-Discipleship-Jesus Christ,Seeking Man:Philip's experience involved three signifacant points.
   a. Jesus Himself went forth and sought Philip,Philip was not seeking Jesus.The initiative came from Jesus entirely.Jesus made a move to find and save Philip and to enlist Philip in His mission.
  1) Jesus traveled a long distance to find Philip.Galilee was a long distance away, and note the stated purpose for Jesus going to Galilee was to find Philip.This is a picture of how far Christ will go to reach a soul.To reach a man ,Christ will go any distance..........
    . to any sin,no matter how terrible or awful.He will prick and prick at the mind and heart of a person.
    . to any place,no matter how hidden or shameful He will send a thought or memory or person of righteousness to remind and warn a person.
    . to any condition,no matter how hopeless or helpless.He will see that the message of hope and help crosses a person's path.
    . to any person,no matter how shameful or guilty.He will see that a person hears the word of salvation if he repents; and hears the word of judgment if he does not repent.
Christ will go any distance to reach people.He will go any place,to any condition,to any person.He will see that every person has some chance of turning to God.The word of delieverance can come from any number of people or sources.Christ seeks every person and will g any distance to reach them, no matter the difficulty.
*** Every person must heed the seeking of Christ when they feel Him seeking them.The person must respond immediately,for God spirit does not always strive with man.We must respond when we feel
the pull of the Lord on our hearts other wise the feeling leaves.
*** Every believer should be willing to go any distance to reach people,no matter how far or how deeply depraved the person may be.To many whom Jesus died for are considered "untouchable": the alcoholic, drug addict,immoral,poor,prisoner,lowly and diseased.
2) Jesus is seen fulfilling His misson in seeking and saving Philip.He came into the world for the purpose of seeking and saving that which was lost. Jesus Himself called Philip,He called Philip to follow Him.Philip was called by Jesus because.....
  1. he had done something about the longing and aching for delieverance within his soul.( the statement in vs.45 suggest they were seeking salvation)
  2. he had sought the fellowship of those who were seeking for God"s salvation.
  3. he had placed himself where the message would reach him when it came.

[2] (1:45) Witnessing:Philip's first concern was to reach his friend Nathanael.Philip "findeth" Nathanael.Jesus had challenged Philip to follow Him,to become just like Him,and Philip did.He went out and did exactly what Jesus had done to him.Jesus sought and found Him.Now following the example of his Lord,He went out and found his friend Nathanael.Philip became a personal soul-winner just like his Lord.
[3] (1:45) Conviction-Decision:Philip's conviction- the one prophesied was Jesus Christ."We have found Him,of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets,did write,Jesus of Nazareth,the son of Joseph." Note four points.1) Philip was extremely joyful."We have found him".There was jubilation,excitement and rejoicing beating in the chest of Philip. Jesus had met the needs of his craving heart(we should all rejoice when we find the Lord).2)God's eternal plan for man and his world is recorded in scripture.It is there for man's direction. 3)Philip and Nathanael knew the scripture.They were familar with the prophesis of the promised Messiah. 4) Jesus of Nazareth was definitely identified as the Messiah.

Footnote: There is nothing that will keep Christ from seeking out to save that which is lost, but we each must make the conscience desicion as to follow Him. It has to be one of commitment and of obedience. We should also look to lead our family and friends to the salvation of the Lord with great rejoicing when we have found Him.He is worthy..........

The Witnesses To The Revelation of Jesus Christ

  Jesus the Messiah, the Christ:The Witness Of Andrew, 1:35-42

 ³⁵Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;
   ³⁶And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!
   ³⁷And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.
   ³⁸Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou?
   ³⁹He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour.
   ⁴⁰One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.
   ⁴¹He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.
   ⁴²And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.
Introduction: Here we have Andrew's discovery of Jesus.He discovered Jesus was the Messiah,the Christ.

 [1] (1:35-37) Andrew:there was his experience,his experience was simple,somewhat like that of many of us who come to the knowledge of Christ.Andrew stood where preaching was(vs.35) John had been holding his campaign around the Jordan.Andrew,who had an ache for the word of God,had become interested in what was happening and had attended the meetings,and at some poit became a follower of this preacher of righteousness.The point to see is that Andrew hungered for righteousness;therefore, he availed himself of the opportunity to hear preaching.He "stood" right in the midst of preaching.He was there to hear the Messiah proclaimed.Andrew "heard him (the preacher) speak." He was listening to the message,not allowing his mind to ramble elsewhere.He was alert and awake; therefore,when the announcement of the Messiah came, he was ready.Note also the message:"Behold the lamb of God".It was the message of the Messiah's sacrificial death.Andrew then followed Jesus.The word followed (ekolouthesan) is in the greek aorist tense,meaning a once and for all act.Andrew was turning to Jesus, ready to make a commitment to him.He wanted to become a disciple of Jesus.

These same 3 steps must be taken by each of us:
  1) We must stand where the word,Christ himself is preached.Hunger and thirst for the word.
  2) We must hear the word; the announcement,the lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world
  3) We must follow Jesus.

[2] (1:38-39) Andrew seeking Christ, Invitation:There was Andrew's critical hour.This is the most graphic picture;it shows the great eagerness of Jesus to reach men.Jesus longs for men to come to him, and He longs to reach out to help them in their coming.Note: Jesus was walking some distance away and Andrew and his friends were following behind Jesus.Jesus did three things that shows His great eagerness.(1) Jesus turned to face them.This is a clear showing of His open arms,His willingness, and His eagerness for them to join Him.(2) He asked a basic question "what seek ye", they asked where He lived,they wanted to join Him in the quiet of His home.They wanted Him to meet the crying need of their hearts and to do such in the quiet confines of His dwelling.(3) Jesus extended the invitation: He said "come and see".The invitation was immediate,they were invited to Jesus while they sensed their need.

[3] (1:39-40) Decision:there was Andrew's great decision.He came and saw and remained with Jesus. Andrew came to Jesus,he accepted the invitation.Andrew and his friends took Jesus at His word" Ye shall see",this word was a promise that if they followed Him they would see and learn the truth of life. They received of Him and He met their needs.

[4] (1:41) Witnessing-Family:Andrews first concern was his brother Peter.As quickly as he could, as soon as he met Jesus for himself,Andrew rushed to find and tell his brother Peter.There was conviction "We have found the Messiah",Andrew was a great witness, he was always seen bringing someone to Jesus(John 6:8,-12:22).

[5] (1:42) Bearing fruit:Andrew's witness bore fruit,Simon was reached for Jesus and reaped. Andrew saw his brother Simon come to Jesus.We too, who have come to know Christ as our personal savior, should also bring our families that they too might be reaped of the Lord.Let ur life also bear fruit and fruit that will last. 

The Witness To The Revelation of Jesus Christ

Jesus the Lamb of God,the Son of God:The Third Witness of John the Baptist,1:29-34

  ²⁹The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
   ³⁰This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.
   ³¹And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.
   ³²And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.
   ³³And 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.
   ³⁴And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.

Introduction:
John's witness about Jesus Christ is one of the greatest witnesses ever given by man.John was unmistakable in his proclamation of the Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 4:18-19).

(1:29) Jesus Christ,Lamb of God:Jesus Christ  is the Lamb of God.The Lamb is a picture of Christ our passover who was sacrificed for us."For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us"1cor.5:7

Historically; the passover refers back to when God delievered Israel from Egyptian bondage. As  prepared to execute judgment,the faithful,those who believed God are instructed to slay a pure lamb and sprinkle its blood over the door post of their homes.The blood would serve as a sign and God would allow the death angel to passover that house.

Symbolically; the passover pictured the coming of Jesus Christ as the savior.The Lamb without spot or blemish pictured His sinless life, and the blood sprinkled on the door post pictured his blood shed for the believer.It is a sign that the life and blood of the innocent Lamb has been substituted for the first born.It is the blood of the lamb that saves us.The blood was shed, the lamb was slained they we might have a right to the tree of life.

"ye know that ye were not redeemed with the corruptile things.........but with the precious blood of Christ,as of a lamb without blemish or spot"(1 peter 1:18-19).

(1:30-31) Jesus Christ,Preeminent: Jesus Christ is the Preeminent One,the One before all.John said Christ was before me,that is he existed before me.John did not know who the Messiah would be,only that the Messiah was to come.Note the strength of John's faith,he had never seen the Messiah yet he went about his mission of preaching and baptizing.He waited on God's word and God's word alone.

(1:32-33) Holy Spirit :Jesus Christ is the Messiah,the One upon whom the Holy Spirit of God remaind.The dove was a sacred bird to the Jews ,it symbolized peace and gentleness, of purity and innocence.The dove symbolized the spirit of God himself descending upon Christ.The dove identified Jesus as the Messiah and enduced him with the power of God.It is the person who receives the spirit of God that has the presence and care of God looking over his life.

(1:34) Jesus Christ ,Son of God:Jesus Christ is the Son of God(see John 1:1-2;10:30-33). Christ is the Son of God, not a Son of God He is the only Son;the only begotten Son;the only begotten Son who came from the bossom of God.

The Witness To The Revelation Of Jesus Christ

Jesus the Messiah,the Lord:The Witness of John the Baptist,1:19-28

¹⁹And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?
   ²⁰And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.
   ²¹And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.
   ²²Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?
   ²³He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.
   ²⁴And they which were sent were of the Pharisees.
   ²⁵And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?
   ²⁶John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;
   ²⁷He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.

   ²⁸These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.

  1*  (1:19) Introduction: The witness of John the Baptist is a dynamic example for every servant of God.John was questioned by the religionist who were very suspicious of him.These were fact finders sent from Jersalem,the headquarters of Jewish religion.

    Thought 1. Too often we are suspicious of and question those who seem different from us. Many times those who are serious about there walk with the Lord are often challenged by those who have there own agenda's.You will find the closer one gets to the Lord,the more opposition he is met with by others who claim the same faith.

2*(1:20-22) Minister,Humility: The messenger was a man who knew who he was.Others questioned who he was ,but not John.He knew God had sent him into the world with a specific ministry.He was from God,called and commissioned by God, therefore,He knew exactly who he was and what he was doing.John was not Elijah,John was not that prophet,Jeremiah or Isaiah.John was not the light ,but he was to bear witness to the light.

    Thought 1. The lesson is clear,The servants,minister,or layman of God must not,claim to be Christ or any other great prophet,pretent to be any other great man of God,seek recognition,assume some honor that don't belong to him,allow God's power upon his life and ministry to turn his head toward , pride, thinking more highly of himself than he ought to.

3* (1:23-24) Jesus Christ,Messiah-John the Baptist,Forerunner:The messenger was only a voice, only a forerunner for the Lord.Why was it necessary for the messiah to have a forerunner?Why did John have to run ahead of Christ crying "prepare,make straight the way of the Lord?"People needed their concept of the Messiah straightened out.

1)Few had ever seen "the seed" promised to Adam and Abraham as referring to the Messiah. They interpeted the seed as the nation Israel,as all circumcised Jews."We are Abraham's seed" as they told Christ.Few saw the Messiah as the seed in whom all the promises to Abraham were fulfilled. 

2)The Jews saw the Messiah primarily as the Son of David: David had liberated and led their nation to it's highest peak,so they saw the Messiah following in David's footsteps.One who was going to liberate them from their enemies and restore the nation to great glory.The Jews saw themselves as the subjects of the Messiah's salvation(Deliverance),and saw all other people (gentiles)as the subject of the Messiah's judgment.The people needed their religion straighten out,and John the forerunner had to begin cracking through the crust of these errors.Salvation was not a national thing,institutional thing,or even a religious thing,is was and is a personal matter, a spiritual matter of the heart and life.A man has to personally want forgiveness of sins and then repent and be baptized if he wished to be saved.This was and still is the message of the Messiah.

   Thought 1. The same can be said of men today.Many need their concept of the Messiah straightened out.Some don't know Christ as the promised seed.Some think they are special and priviledged of God, blind to their sins and need for personal salvation.Many need to simply hear the plain truth about the Messiah and His purpose for dying on the cross.

   Thought 2. The mesenger of God is only a voice,only a forerunner for the Lord.He must speak up for the Lord,he must be a clear voice with a clear message.

4* (1:25-26) Baptism,John The Baptist,Baptism of: the mesenger was a baptizer.John as asked why he baptized.a) His baptism shocked the Jewish nation,for Jews were never baptized.Baptism was for non-Jewish persons who were converted to the Jewish faith.It was for all the uncleaned who needed to be cleaned to be acceptable to God,and the Jews felt they were  acceptable to God in any matter because they were of the seed of Abraham.The old testament prophets had cried to Israel to wash themselves and be cleansed of their filthiness.John used baptism to show that a man was turning from his sins and turning to God,seeking forgiveness of sins.

   Thought 1. Baptism is critical.the believer is to be baptized, but he is to be baptized because he is truly repenting and sincerely turning to God.

5* (1:27) Servant,Humility: The messenger of God was an unworthy servant.John proclaimed and confessed that Jesus was prefered before him,John said he wasn't worthy to even unloose the shoe latchet of Jesus sandals.The same confession of unworthiness must be made by every servant of God.

6* (1:28) John the Baptist , Minister :The messenger was a man who brought honor to a place. A servant of God who is faithful in his witness and ministry(like John) will bring honor to a place.In God's eyes a place is honored because believers are there(Genesis 18:16)

The Witness to the Revelation of Jesus Christ

Jesus the word made flesh:The third Witness of John the Apostle, 1:14-18

¹⁴And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
   ¹⁵John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.
   ¹⁶And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
   ¹⁷For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
   ¹⁸No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

Introduction: "The word was made flesh", God's Son,the Lord Jesus Christ,was made flesh and blood;He became man.No greater message could ever be proclaimed to man.

1)Christ became flesh (vs.14)
2) Proof 1: Christ dwelt visibly among us(vs.14)
3) Proof 2:John the Baptist bore witness of the superiority(vs.15)
4) Proof 3: men have received the fullness and grace of Christ (vs 16-17)
5) Proof 4: God has revealed Himself through Christ (vs.18)

Jesus Christ,Incarnation: Christ became flesh.The incarnation did take place.The Son of God was actually made flesh.He came to earth in the person of Jesus Christ. There is no doubt about John's meaning here.The word flesh(sarx) is the same word that Paul used to describe man' nature with all of it's weakness and tendency to sin.This is a staggering thought.Jesus is God,fully God,yet Jesus Christ is man, fully man.The word beheld(theasthai) means actually seeing with th ehuman eye.There is no room whatsoever for saying that God's becoming a man was merely a vision of some man's mind or imagination.John was saying that he and others actually saw the word made flesh.Jesus Christ was beyond question God Himself who became man,who partook of the very same flesh as all other men.

The flesh is corruptible
a)The flesh is tainted,debased,ruined,and depraved by sin.There is a seed of corruption within the human flesh.Christ became flesh to counteract the corruption of flesh.

The second proof is John the Baptist. He, too bore witness of the incarnation.
The third proof is the fullness and grace of Christ which was given to us.Genuine believers can testify to this.

The forth proof is Christ,God's Son.He alone has seen God.No man has seen God at anytime;However Jesus Christ is the only begotten of the Father,He comes from the very bossom of the Father,and He came to reveal and proclaim the Father.

Jesus is the Word of God made flesh,only the word of God can save man.By his spoken word we have faith,as faith comes by hearing.His written word is good for doctrine,reproof,correction and instruction in righteousness that the man of God might be thoughly furnished unto every good work.And Jesus His living word, our revelation as to th ewill and purpose of God.Even though he was wrapped in the flesh of man ,he was still God's word,and he died in the flesh that we might be able to live in the spirit.