What was Jesus’ Purpose?
John 1:6-13
Introduction
- The gospel of John screams of the faith that we should have in Christ
-- It is the clearest example of living life FOR the one who redeemed you and I
-- He also knew the Jewish culture, and his writing is evangelistic in purpose
- If we can learn to love like Jesus’, we can bring others to Him
-- We won’t bring a friend to something we do not like
-- We must learn to love Christ like John demonstrates first
-- But before we can love others, we must know Who it is that we must love
- Read John 1:6-13
- Pray
∆ Point 1 – What was John’s function?
- Our study now introduces another word to this awesome story (v6)
-- We’ve already seen and introduce “life” and “light”, and now we have witness
-- In order to clearly see Jesus, we have to understand the testimony of others
- What John does though is introduce his function, not who he really is (v7)
-- Make no mistake, this introduction is of John the Baptist (not disciple John)
- John’s focus is on why he came, and more importantly, who sent him
-- IMP: A witness is someone who testifies to what they have seen (v8)
-- The Greek word here is “martus”; from which we get our word … martyr
- You and I have the same capability: to testify to what has happened to us
-- It’s no different than a witness called into court to repeat what happened
-- John the Baptist is a witness of Christ; to testify of what will be
- John reports that John the Baptist was sent; literally, commissioned to go
-- It is from the same base that we get the mission of a disciple: One who is sent
-- John uses this word frequently to demonstrate the intent of the witness
- APP: John’s description is clear: JTB was sent; to provide witness to Christ
-- Just as a martyr is willing to die; JTB is giving all he has to testify
- Our application is very similar: As witnesses, we are called to go as well
-- The Great Commission is not just for some, but for ALL who follow Christ
- TRANS:
∆ Point 2 – Jesus is rejected
- John the Baptist is not the light of the world, he is a testifier of it (v9)
-- John is willing to do whatever he can to ensure that we understand this
- Have you ever noticed the spectacular imagery involved in a sunset?
-- Is there really anything else that is man-made that can compare with it?
-- Sure we have movie effects and computer animation, but does it compare?
-- The light of God, is truly incomparable to anything we have on Earth
- By coming into the world, Jesus would bring us the true light of God
-- By being sent, Jesus’ arrival would bring to us what we all lacked
-- APP: It is the missing piece of the puzzle that our hearts yearn for
- Jesus would be presented to the world as the redeemer of all
-- And in his testimony John the Baptist would proclaim its arrival
- However (v10), even though He would be in the world He’d be rejected
-- Even though He is the Creator, the world would deny His existence
-- John’s proclamation is to teach incarnation, creation, and rejection
-- APP: It is our own depravity that rejects who Jesus really is
- Even though Jesus had come to what was already His (v11); He’s rejected!
-- Imagine this: You come home, and your own home rejects you
-- Your key doesn’t work; occupants inside don’t know you; and you’re shut out
-- Even though you hold the deed to everything inside, you’re not allowed inside
- This is the same visual interpretation that John gives us in this verse
-- IMP: It is all His, and even in that, He is not accepted into its place as owner
- Isaiah 53:3, “He was despised and rejected by mankind …”
-- Jesus, who truly was the Creator of it all, is shut out by His own creation
- It is a dramatic picture that as Christians, we MUST reconcile in our hearts
-- It is YOU AND I who shut Him out, and reject Him even today
-- John does not mince words, and we cannot afford to any longer as well
-- Challenge: Do we live because we live for Him, or for ourselves?
- TRANS: But notice, there is an incredible word in v12 … “Yet”
∆ Point 3 – We have an escape
- Right at the onset of his gospel, John gives us a way out; an escape
-- Imagine if the greatest novels gave the ending away in the first sentence
-- John, even before the book really gets rolling, provides us HOPE
- As with all things, we have a choice to make about how we will respond
-- To all who believe, to all who receive, He gave us the right to become …
-- We could only be given a right by someone with the authority to do so
- Romans 8:17-19, “And if children, then heirs - heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.”
- We, even in our sin, could be become those who are a child of God
-- Look at the phrase use in v13 … see its importance and how its used
• Not born of natural descent – no fertilized embryo (biology lesson)
• Not born of human decision – no one decided that they’d have us
• Not born of a husband’s will – this refers to lineage and sustainment
• But … born of God – something that only God could decide to grant us
- If we won’t get this into our hearts today, we can never be effective for Him
-- It is not by ourselves that we are born into the Kingdom – but by His
-- Because of what Christ has done, we are given the right to be God’s children
- 1 Peter 2:10 says, “Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”
- We were once alone, without hope and without even a lineage to claim
-- And now, because of Christ, we are able to surrender and receive a right to God
-- John writes about JTB testimony so matter of fact … it’s incredible
- TRANS: We will give into JTB later, but I want us to consider something …
-- I often wonder how JTB must’ve marveled at the mission he was given
-- I wonder if knowing the One he would proclaim, would be his own cousin
-- That his cousin would provide him life and a right to be a son of God
∆ Big Idea
- John writes (testifies) to the One he knows; to the One he saw in the flesh
-- He provides us with an eye witness account of what Jesus was like
-- And even in that, the world will still reject (v10) and turn Him away
- Our question tonight in this series is really very simple:
-- It is the same one that Peter was asked … “Who do you say Jesus is?”
-- IMP: He cannot be Lord of your life if you are still in driver’s seat
- If we are going to learn to love others FOR Him, we must see who He is
-- We must understand that He too was rejected, ridiculed, and ostracized
-- He also was denied by His own creation – but He still came and died for it
- It becomes a matter of more than faith, but real (everyday) life application
-- Will we surrender to Him fully, or continue to hold onto our “stuff”
- Pray
