FBC Sunrise Beach
The Witness and the Lamb
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  • Bible Passage: John 1:19–34
    John 1:19–34 ESV
    19 And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22 So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.” 24 (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) 25 They asked him, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, 27 even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” 28 These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing. 29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”
    Summary: In John 1:19–34, the narrative highlights John the Baptist’s role as a witness, detailing his testimony concerning Jesus. It reflects the importance of recognizing Jesus not only as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world but also as the fulfillment of God’s promises. John's recognition of Jesus serves as a profound reminder of the necessity for all to discern and embrace the truth about who Jesus is.
    Application: This passage aids Christians in understanding the importance of sharing their faith and witnessing about who Jesus is in their lives. For those who may feel uncertain about their beliefs, this scripture encourages them to seek clarity and understanding while also inviting them to engage in conversations about Jesus to foster a deeper relationship with Him and others.
    Teaching: The sermon teaches that anyone can be a witness for Christ when they humbly acknowledge the truth of His identity and purpose. It encourages believers to testify about their experiences with Jesus and inspires them to invite others to discover the truth of the Gospel, reiterating the essential role of testimony in faith.
    How this passage could point to Christ: This passage connects to the overarching biblical narrative by establishing John the Baptist’s role in introducing Jesus as the Messiah. His declaration of Jesus as the Lamb of God links the prophetic traditions of Israel with their fulfillment in Christ, enhancing the understanding of Jesus’s purpose within the broader context of salvation history.
    Big Idea: Our testimony about Christ has the power to transform lives when we recognize Him as our Savior and share His story with boldness and authenticity.
    Recommended Study: As you prepare for this sermon, consider the implications of John the Baptist’s testimony in the context of first-century Jewish expectations of the Messiah. Using Logos, delve into the historical background of John the Baptist's role and examine various Jewish texts that speak of the coming Messiah. Additionally, explore how the early church used testimonies about Jesus to spread the Gospel, which could provide relevant applications for modern-day witnessing.

    1. Recognize Your Role

    John 1:19–23 ESV
    19 And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22 So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”
    After this short summary John gets into the details
    John because with JTB testimony
    This begins with him being questioned
    Levites and Priests question Him
    remember they are worried at the possible claims of him being the Messiah
    Priests were aware and fighting a battle against the Messiah
    The Jews were intrigued and as we know concerned about the new king they were hearing of
    This title raised great concern to leaders and priests
    So in this they simply ask John who he is
    John’s reply is quick I am not the Christ!
    John quickly states I am not the Christ
    I am not the Messiah
    This leaves confusion amongst the people
    if you are not the Messiah who are you
    Are you Elijah
    Priests expected Elijah to come back and lead so they were curious if this was him or just another prophet
    To which JTB replies no I am not these either
    After all of this the Levites and Priests dont want to leave empty handed
    thus asking JTB who he is
    I love this part as JTB claims his Identity in Service to Christ
    He is simply the messenger crying to the world
    make straight the way of the Lord
    John tells them i am not the one whom you seek
    instead I am the one preparing the way
    i am the messenger to tell Him to the world
    I am informing the world about the coming Savior
    Sound Familiar?
    John knew his purpose in life
    John recognized his role in the spiritual realm
    John knew He was to preach Jesus to the world
    and his identity was nothing in comparison
    he was merely the messenger

    2. Pronounce His Preeminence

    John 1:24–28 ESV
    24 (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) 25 They asked him, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, 27 even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” 28 These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
    Next JTB explanation goes to Christ’s preeminence
    Pronouncing Christ’s superiority
    The leaders ask why are you baptizing
    John explains that yet again he is the messenger
    for one whom they do not know
    In fact John eludes to the fact that the Messiah is on earth
    as he says he is standing among them
    Then John gets to the meat
    the one who comes after
    I am not even worthy to untie His sandal
    John recognizes that the lowest form of man at the time
    was his feet
    they were nasty
    dirt filled
    smelly
    disgusting parts of the body
    and John speaking of himself in comparison
    says I am not even worthy of untying His sandal
    Even the lowest part of the body John wasn’t worthy to approach
    here we see that in His role John shows humility
    and to top it off ensures that the world recognizes Jesus as the one of authority
    Our lives must be the same
    Everything John spoke of was oriented around Jesus
    The Supremacy of Jesus
    should cause us to live with a sense of mission and urgency

    3. Declare the Deliverer

    John 1:29 ESV
    29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
    Lastly John describes the Messiah
    John gives a chilling explanation of Jesus
    starting with the next day
    JTb sees Jesus coming towards Him
    and in this He shouts “Behold, the Lamb of God
    In this decree stands a loud proclamation
    The fulfillment of prophecy
    the atonement of sins
    These words declare all there is needed to know about the nature of Christ
    we can find this by looking at the lambs role in Exodus and Leviticus
    Exodus 12:5–6 ESV
    5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats, 6 and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight.
    Leviticus 17:11 ESV
    11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.
    We see that the lamb was a rescuer at the time of passover
    the lamb provided safety
    to those that covered their doorsteps with its blood
    it gets deeper than that
    if we go to leviticus
    we see God’s declaration about the cleansing power of blood
    Our Savior’s blood would be poured out
    Paul would even call Him our passover lamb
    as Jesus the Lamb of God
    died at the time of passover as well
    You see declaring the Savior means knowing the details
    knowing the facts
    knowing the meaning behind the Sacrifice that must be made
    Jesus was and is a lamb without blemish
    John 1:30–34 ESV
    30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”
    John moves on to how he knows this is the Messiah
    recognizing what God had told Him
    The dove descended on Jesus which told Him who the Messiah was
    And to that John bears witness
    You see all of this happened from the beginning of time
    John had a first love in his life
    His role was fulfilled because He prioritized his first love
    his first love was Jesus
    We as believers must be proclaiming like John the coming of a Savior
    except the next time He comes it will be the end of time
    We as beleivers need to recognize in this world
    that above all and in all
    our first love even above family and friends
    above our possessions
    above our pets
    above our church building
    above our finances
    anove anything on this earth
    our first love lives within us
    our first love is Jesus
    When we can resonate with that we will recognize and fill the role we are called to fill
    John loved and sought after Jesus to the point where he was seeking Him out
    We are called to do the same
    We know the end is coming and we can often over focus on the details of that end and trying to guess how its going to happen
    the reality is we don’t know but what we do know is we have a Savior the rest of the world needs for themselves

    Who is your first love and are you serving Him appropriately?

    Salvation Message

      • John 1:19–34CSB

      • John 1:19–23CSB

      • John 1:24–28CSB

      • John 1:29CSB

      • Exodus 12:5–6CSB

      • Leviticus 17:11CSB

      • John 1:30–34CSB

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