09 John the Baptist: Forerunner to Follower (John 3:22-36)

Welcome back to the Wednesday in the Word podcast. I'm Krisan Marotta, and this is my podcast about what the Bible means and how we know. Today is the 9th in my series on the Gospel of John. We will be studying John chapter 3, verses 22 through 36. Thanks for listening. For those of you just joining us, let's review how we got to this place in the Gospel of John. This is a big picture study. We are tackling entire sections and chapters at a time, looking at the big themes and the overarching structure of the book. Part of my goal in this series is to show you how to put the pieces together. Sometimes we can get so focused on the details and outlining and marking up a passage that we forget to look up from those pieces and put them all together to see what picture is forming. I have argued that John's fundamental assertion in the Gospel is those who believe the testimony that Jesus is the Christ will receive eternal life, and that in this gospel John explores issues surrounding belief. So he's focusing on questions like why does it matter what we believe about Jesus? What reasons do we have to believe that Jesus is the Messiah? Why should we believe something we haven't seen for ourselves? Why do some people believe this message and others reject it? And he has been focusing on the importance of testimony and the necessity of being born again. Author John began his account with the testimony of John the Baptist. God told John the Baptist how to recognize the Messiah, and John the Baptist saw those signs take place when he baptized Jesus. Author John has introduced us to the signs Jesus performed that testified to the fact that he is the Messiah. He told us about how Jesus turned the water into wine at the wedding in Cana, and how when Jesus cleansed the temple, he hinted that he would be raised from the dead. John also explored the nature of belief and unbelief through the conversation Jesus had with Nicodemus. Now Author John returns to John the Baptist. John has more to teach us about Jesus. Let's read chapter three verses twenty-two to thirty-six. After this, Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing. John also was baptizing at Anon near Salem, because water was plentiful there and people were coming and being baptized, for John had not yet been put in prison. Now a discussion arose between some of John's disciples and a Jew over purification, and they came to John and said to him, Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness, look, he is baptizing and all are going to him. John answered, A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness that I said, I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him. The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice, therefore this joy of mine is now complete. He must increase, but I must decrease. He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all. He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this that God is true. For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. Several times in this gospel, Author John goes out of his way to point out that while John the Baptist is an important prophet from God, he is not the Messiah, he's not the main event. We saw in the first chapter, Author John recorded John the Baptist declaring he's not the Christ. Instead, Prophet John said he was the voice crying in the wilderness. Now we come to another place where John insists he is not the Christ. Yes, John the Baptist's testimony is important, but the person he testifies about is more important. Now why the repetition? Well, it seems likely that author John is responding to the thinking of the day when he wrote this gospel. Today I think we sometimes lose sight of how important a figure John the Baptist was. After approximately 400 years of silence, God spoke again through a genuine prophet. Prophet John had a large following who would not listen to any criticism of him. The Gospels tell us that John the Baptist was so popular the Pharisees were afraid to say anything bad about him for fear that the crowds would turn against them. Jesus himself puts John the Baptist at the pinnacle of all the prophets. And of all the prophets, John the Baptist was given the privilege of not only announcing the Messiah was coming, but seeing the Messiah face to face. Other prophets got a glimpse of the fact that a Messiah would come eventually. They got to announce one or two things about this servant who would come hundreds of years after their death, but John not only got to announce that the Messiah was coming, John got to serve alongside him. In Acts nineteen, we see that decades after John the Baptist's death, there were still disciples of John the Baptist who had not heard about Jesus yet. These people knew more about John the Baptist than they did about Jesus. If you read through the secular historians of the first century, they record more information about John the Baptist than they record about Jesus. From our point in history, it's easy for us to overlook John the Baptist and think, you know, he gets a couple of verses in the beginning of the Gospels, and then we move on to the important guy. But the historical evidence suggests that John the Baptist had a big following and was seen as a very significant person. Given that historical context, it seems likely that Author John wants to make sure that we know that Prophet John is not the main event. That historical context also makes John the Baptist's testimony that Jesus is the Messiah that much more significant. Okay, let's walk through this passage. Let's go back to 22 through 24. After this, Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside and he remained there with them and was baptizing. John also was baptizing at Anon near Salem because water was plentiful there and people were coming and being baptized. And then in parentheses, for John had not yet been put in prison. We get the historical setting here. Jesus has left Jerusalem and headed north into the unpopulated regions of Judea. John is at Anon near Salem, which is on the Jordan River in the northern part, almost up to Galilee. Jesus is probably also near the Jordan River, north of Jerusalem and south of Galilee. The geography here is a little hard to pin down. There's some dispute about where Anon is. Not sure if I'm pronouncing that right. But it must have been well known at the time. The name literally means abounding in springs, which makes it sound like the perfect place to have baptisms if it was indeed abounding in springs. Then we get the scene John wants to set up. This is 25 and 26. Now a discussion arose between some of John's disciples and a Jew over purification, and they came to John and said to him, Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness, look, he's baptizing and all are going to him. Notice again that author John takes pains to record them as saying, The one to whom you bore witness. The disciples of John the Baptist know that Prophet John has identified Jesus as the Messiah. He's the one to whom John bore witness. John is not the main event. Even so, the disciples of John the Baptist are jealous because Jesus and his disciples are drawing larger crowds. We're not told the nature of the debate between Prophet John's disciples and the Jew here. It's something about baptism. In the next chapter in 4-2, John will tell us that Jesus himself didn't baptize anyone, only his disciples baptized people. Given that, they might be arguing about whether it's better to be baptized by a prophet, because John the Baptist is clearly a prophet, or to be baptized by one of the random disciples of Jesus. Or they might be challenging the value of this kind of baptism as having no basis in Scripture or something like that. Whatever the debate was about, John's disciples take notice of the fact that the disciples of Jesus are baptizing more people than John and his disciples, and that ruffles their feathers. After all, John's a prophet. He came first. They could argue that Jesus owes his success to John's testimony. Jesus would still be no one from nowhere except the great prophet John the Baptist, singled him out and named him as the Messiah. And now this fellow Jesus is invading their turf by baptizing more people than they are. They bring their complaints to Prophet John to see what he's going to do about this. And John answers in three hundred twenty seven and twenty eight. John answered, A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness that I said, I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him. This statement in three hundred twenty seven has always struck me. A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. We could spend a lot of time on that. John is saying everything that we have in this life is a gift from God. Whatever role we play in his grand plan for the kingdom of heaven, it all comes from God. We will get nothing more and we will get nothing less. In this life we will get what God wants us to have, no more, no less. There's no point in demanding someone else's spotlight or someone else's gift. There's no point in running away from the role God has given us. God is going to give us exactly what he wants us to have, and we can trust him that it's the best. If we really embrace that truth, I think that can give us a lot of confidence, courage, and contentment. We've already seen Jesus display this kind of confidence and courage when he was talking to the authorities after cleansing the temple. He didn't excuse or justify his actions to them, he didn't explain his cryptic comments about rebuilding the temple in three days, and he didn't worry about their anger or their actions, because he knew he was walking in the plans and purposes of God. Nothing could befall him that God did not allow or ordain, and therefore he could speak boldly, freely, and courageously. Now here with Prophet John we see that same confidence and that same contentment, but not only contentment, joy. So what if we're standing in the shadow of someone else's spotlight? If that's what God wants for us, that's the best place for us to be. We can be confident and secure that we're on the path God planned specifically for us. Complaining to God isn't going to change anything, grumbling about how unfair God is being is not going to help. Demanding we get a larger share of the spotlight is inappropriate, and coveting what someone else has is just plain sin. Of course Jesus is drawing larger crowds. He's the Messiah. He's the one this is all about. John says, You yourselves heard me say I am not the Christ I was sent before him. I am doing the job God asked me to do, and that job is not to be the Messiah. As a prophet, John is walking the path God has for him. As the Messiah, Jesus is walking the path God has for him. How foolish is it to resent each other? The Messiah's success is a cause for rejoicing, not resentment. Now I think we Bible teachers fall prey to that temptation all the time. It's so easy to start looking around and say, ooh, that person's flock is bigger than my flock, or that person sells more books than I do. We can go on and on comparing ourselves. And it's not just us Bible teachers. We all do this. We start measuring who's got the better marriage, who's got the more well-behaved kids, who has more financial security, who's had it easier, who's had it harder. We start comparing ourselves to others, measuring ourselves by their success, and then we grow resentful. And that's coveting. That is wanting and craving something God has given to someone else. Or the flip side, we compare ourselves to others and decide, hey, we look pretty good, and then we can get prideful or arrogant about the success that God has given us. I'm not sure which is worse, coveting or pride, but either one is silly. We have what we have because God has given it to us, and we are stewards of it, whether it's large, small, what we want, what we expected, or not. If we have success, the glory goes to God. If we count ourselves as failures, then we're doubting and questioning the wisdom of God's plans. We need to wait and see what he's doing. In the end, we are to trust God that this is the path he wants us on right now. Now John goes on to explain this. This is 329. The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. Therefore, this joy of mine is now complete. This is a simple but really powerful analogy. Think about the purpose of the best man at a wedding. The best man has a specific role to do. He helps the groom get ready, he holds the rings until they're needed, he bears witness to the event, he gives a toast, but at the end of the day there's one thing he does not do. The best man does not leave the wedding with the bride. That is not his place, that's not his job. Of course the best man rejoices that the wedding day has finally arrived. He does everything he can to ensure the groom's happiness and a successful, joyful day. When he hears the groom say I do, he doesn't grumble that he should have had the bride because he did all this work in making the wedding happen. He doesn't resent the groom because the groom is at the center of all the photographs. He rejoices. This is what he came for. This is why he agreed to be the best man in the first place. All his preparations led to this moment when the couple says, I do. He wants the best for his friend, the groom. He knows his job is to support the groom and help him succeed. And I think that should be our attitude in the church. If we see another ministry flourishing, our response should be, yay team! We're all on the same side. We are all servants of the same king. We are all working together to advance the same kingdom. If God graciously shines the light of success on someone else, we can rejoice and be glad like the bridal party and the guests at a wedding. Furthering the kingdom of God is what it's all about. At the end of the day, it ought to be more important to us that the gospel is being proclaimed than that we ourselves are the ones proclaiming it. God will give us exactly what he wants us to have when he wants us to have it. Sometimes that will be success, and sometimes that will be failure, or what we think of as failure. Sometimes we will stand in the spotlight, and sometimes we will stand in the shadows. Sometimes he'll give us the lead role, and sometimes we'll be the supporting cast. But whatever it is, we rejoice that God's kingdom is being advanced. But Prophet John is not finished, this is three hundred thirty. He must increase, but I must decrease. John the Baptist seems to know that his work is almost done, and in fact these are the last recorded words we have of him before he goes into prison. As the friend of the bridegroom, he helped ask for the hand of the bride, arrange the details of the wedding feast, oversaw the reception and celebration. He's done that. The wedding is here. His cup of joy now overflows because everyone can hear the voice of the bridegroom instead of his own voice. John the Baptist was the voice that called out, prepare the way of the Lord. Now the Lord is here, his work is almost over, his role in announcing the Messiah and calling for repentance is almost complete. Now Author John is going to reflect on this little event. This is thirty one through thirty three. He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all. He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this that God is true. Essentially, I think what he's saying here is earthly messengers are limited. Even though they are entrusted with a divine message, earthly messengers don't know everything. Prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, they were given glimpses into the coming Messiah, but they never saw him in person. They never heard him teach. They weren't told the full story of his first coming, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. They had limitations, they were of earth. God did not reveal his testimony to them the way he has revealed himself to the Messiah. By contrast, he who comes from above is above all, and I think he's referring to the Messiah, who we know to be Jesus there. He who comes from above is the Messiah, and we know that Messiah is Jesus Christ. He came from heaven as the Son of God. He had full knowledge of the divine plan. The previous prophets compared to Jesus are like the difference between speaking to an audience through an interpreter and speaking to an audience in their native language. As the divine Messiah, Jesus was free from the limitations that the other prophets and messengers of God had. As Messiah, he can tell us everything we need to know about how to receive eternal life. He can testify about what he has seen and heard from God the Father. He can tell us from firsthand experience. He's not speaking from visions and dreams God has given him. He is speaking from the knowledge of talking to God face to face. He testifies to what he has seen and heard. Now the author of Hebrews makes the same point. This is Hebrews chapter one verses one through five. Long ago at many times and in many ways God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he is spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purifications for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. For to which of the angels did God ever say, You are my son, today I have begotten you. Or again I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. The testimony of Jesus is not a dream or a vision. The testimony of Jesus is not repeating a message from an angel who visited him. The testimony of Jesus is not even the result only of a spirit-inspired study of the scriptures. Jesus knows because he speaks to God. God talks to him directly. He is from heaven, he is the Son of Man and the Son of God. He testifies to what he has seen and heard from God as the second person of the Trinity. The testimony of the Son is superior to the testimony of the prophets and the angels. The Son, Jesus, the Messiah, testified to us. In a way the other prophets could not, and even so no one believed him. They rejected his testimony. Even though the testimony of the Messiah is absolutely dependable, despite that, he was rejected. When he says, whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this that God is true, that image is like notarizing a signature. The official seal of the witness confirms the document is legal and authentic. Jesus is God's perfect witness. His words are the words of God. Those who embrace and believe the witness of Jesus are embracing truth from God. He concludes 34 through 36. For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. God pours out his spirit on all his messengers, giving them the words he wants them to say. The messengers God sends utter his words, but most messengers of God know only in part. They know the piece of the puzzle God has chosen to give them, but the Son is different. The Son was conceived by the Holy Spirit. At his baptism, the Spirit descended on him and remained. The Father has given all things into his hand. The Son knows in full, the Son has the authority to speak for God and to act for God. All of this has been given to the Messiah. And then John makes this concluding point whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, and whoever rejects the Son will experience the wrath of God. That's the point of this gospel. That's why John is writing all this down, and that's why this testimony is so important. What you believe about Jesus has eternal consequences. We've seen the testimony of the prophet John the Baptist. We've seen the apostles believe because of John's testimony and the miracles Jesus performed. We've seen Jesus perform miracles. We've seen him act with the authority of God by cleansing the temple. We've seen him speak to Nicodemus about the necessity of being born again. And now we have further testimony from John the Baptist that Jesus is the Messiah and this is all the way it's supposed to go. The evidence is mounting, and it's important that we believe it. Once again, Author John reminds us why all this testimony is important. John the Baptist was a great prophet, but he's not the main event. He testified the Messiah would come and he identified the Messiah as Jesus. It's important that we believe the testimony of Jesus and about Jesus because Jesus is the one who can offer us eternal life. You've been listening to the Wednesday in the Word podcast. My mission is to explain not only what a passage means, but how we figure it out. The blog version of this podcast is on the link below this episode, or you can also find it at wednesdayintheword.com slash john 9. If you've been blessed by this podcast, please support the show by following this podcast on your favorite podcast app. Also, leave a positive rating or review wherever you listen. But most importantly, tell a friend what you learned. And if you can, tell them where you learned it. Our theme music is graciously provided by my friend and favorite musician Reggie Coates. You can find his music and his CDs on heartfeltmusic.org. To find out more or listen to all the episodes in this series, please visit wednesdayintheword.com. Thanks for joining me today. I'm Krisan Marotta, and I'll see you next week at Wednesday in the Word.