1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:03,440 Take your Bible and turn with me to John chapter 1 and we will 2 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:07,400 continue to look at the legacy of of John the Baptist. 3 00:00:08,600 --> 00:00:15,280 John's legacy lasted has lasted for over 2000 years and the 4 00:00:15,280 --> 00:00:19,520 legacy that he leaves behind is the the life that he lived 5 00:00:19,520 --> 00:00:22,600 before the people that he ministered to. 6 00:00:23,160 --> 00:00:26,800 You can't leave behind that which you don't live before. 7 00:00:27,120 --> 00:00:31,720 And so he is leaving behind a legacy that is summed up in 3 8 00:00:31,720 --> 00:00:36,760 words. Word #1 is presentation, word #2 9 00:00:36,760 --> 00:00:40,760 is preparation, and word #3 is proclamation. 10 00:00:41,280 --> 00:00:45,240 And we spent the last two weeks looking at word #1 for John Kane 11 00:00:45,240 --> 00:00:49,360 to present the preeminence of the light. 12 00:00:49,960 --> 00:00:54,720 We showed you how he did that and why he did that. 13 00:00:55,120 --> 00:01:00,360 That's in verses 6-7 and eight, as well as verse #15 of John 14 00:01:00,360 --> 00:01:04,800 chapter 1. John chapter 5, verse #35 tells 15 00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:12,440 us that John came to testify to the truth and that he was a lamp 16 00:01:12,480 --> 00:01:18,120 that was burning bright. He was a a lamp that was shining 17 00:01:18,120 --> 00:01:22,600 bright and there was something about John that was on fire for 18 00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:26,520 the Lord that was able to illuminate all those round about 19 00:01:26,520 --> 00:01:28,160 him. Because if you're going to leave 20 00:01:28,160 --> 00:01:32,480 a legacy, then you do it because you present the preeminence of 21 00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:36,800 the light in your life. We are the lights of the world. 22 00:01:36,920 --> 00:01:41,320 We are the salt of the earth and we are to present to others the 23 00:01:41,320 --> 00:01:44,320 beauty and splendor of the light of Christ. 24 00:01:45,160 --> 00:01:46,920 And John said, I'm not the light. 25 00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:49,200 I just come to testify about the light. 26 00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:53,480 That's what I do. And six different times in John 27 00:01:53,480 --> 00:01:56,440 chapter one, it talks about the fact that he came to be a 28 00:01:56,440 --> 00:01:59,280 witness. He came to testify, He came to 29 00:01:59,280 --> 00:02:04,280 make sure that people knew who the Messiah was. 30 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:08,280 You see, if you want to leave a lasting legacy, it's all 31 00:02:08,280 --> 00:02:11,160 centered around the Christ. It's all centered around the 32 00:02:11,160 --> 00:02:13,760 Messiah. If if you want it to be an 33 00:02:13,920 --> 00:02:18,680 eternal legacy, a lasting legacy, it must be focused on 34 00:02:18,680 --> 00:02:27,240 the Christ and not on yourself. And so John was, was prepared to 35 00:02:27,240 --> 00:02:30,360 do that. And so he came to present the 36 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:36,160 preeminence of the light. That was the last two weeks. 37 00:02:37,440 --> 00:02:43,440 Today we will see how we came to prepare the pathway of the Lord, 38 00:02:44,760 --> 00:02:49,840 and then we'll see how He became to proclaim the Person of the 39 00:02:49,840 --> 00:02:54,280 Lamb. You got your Bible verse #19 let 40 00:02:54,280 --> 00:02:57,600 me set it in your heart and mind this morning down through verse 41 00:02:57,600 --> 00:03:01,840 #34 It's more important than that. 42 00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:06,960 We read the Word of God then that I explain the word of God, 43 00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:10,000 right? My explanation is a far 44 00:03:10,640 --> 00:03:15,000 secondary importance as compared to just the reading of the text, 45 00:03:15,840 --> 00:03:20,680 says the verse #19 This is the testimony of John when the Jews 46 00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:24,200 sent to him priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who 47 00:03:24,200 --> 00:03:27,360 are you? And he confessed and did not 48 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:29,840 deny, but confessed. I am not the Christ. 49 00:03:30,880 --> 00:03:32,680 They asked him, What then? Are you Elijah? 50 00:03:33,880 --> 00:03:37,000 He said, I am not. Are you the prophet? 51 00:03:38,040 --> 00:03:42,720 And he answered no, But they said to him, Who are you? 52 00:03:43,680 --> 00:03:47,120 So we may give an answer to those who sent us. 53 00:03:47,800 --> 00:03:55,080 What do you say about yourself? He said, I am a voice of one 54 00:03:55,080 --> 00:03:58,520 crying in the wilderness. Make straight the way of the 55 00:03:58,520 --> 00:04:01,160 Lord, as Isaiah the prophet said. 56 00:04:02,760 --> 00:04:05,240 Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. 57 00:04:06,160 --> 00:04:09,680 They asked him, and said to him, Why then are you baptizing, if 58 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:12,080 you are not the Christ or Elijah, nor the prophet? 59 00:04:13,120 --> 00:04:17,120 John answered them, saying, I baptize in water, but among you 60 00:04:17,120 --> 00:04:23,040 stands one whom you do not know. It is he who comes after me, the 61 00:04:23,040 --> 00:04:26,000 thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie. 62 00:04:27,120 --> 00:04:30,040 These things took place in Bethany, beyond the Jordan, 63 00:04:30,880 --> 00:04:35,720 where John was baptizing. The next day he he saw Jesus 64 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:41,000 coming to him and said, Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away 65 00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:46,560 the sin of the world. This is he on behalf of whom I 66 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:51,440 said, After me comes a man who is mightier than higher in rank 67 00:04:51,440 --> 00:04:53,680 than I, for he existed before me. 68 00:04:54,400 --> 00:04:58,640 I do not recognize him, but so that he might be manifested to 69 00:04:58,640 --> 00:05:02,920 Israel. I came baptizing in water, John 70 00:05:02,920 --> 00:05:08,400 testified, saying, I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove 71 00:05:08,920 --> 00:05:11,640 out of heaven, and He remained upon him. 72 00:05:12,560 --> 00:05:16,840 I did not recognize him, but he who sent me to baptize in water 73 00:05:16,840 --> 00:05:21,840 said to me, He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and 74 00:05:21,840 --> 00:05:27,560 remaining upon him, this is the one who baptizes in the Holy 75 00:05:27,560 --> 00:05:32,240 Spirit. I myself have seen and have 76 00:05:32,240 --> 00:05:37,760 testified that this is the Son of God. 77 00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:43,800 These verses sum up for us the the legacy of John the Baptist. 78 00:05:45,320 --> 00:05:50,080 Not only did he present the preeminence of the light, but he 79 00:05:50,080 --> 00:05:55,840 was the one who prepared the pathway for the Lord. 80 00:05:57,520 --> 00:06:03,000 So think about the context. The Bible says in John chapter 2 81 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:05,520 verse #13 that the Passover was near. 82 00:06:07,360 --> 00:06:09,560 I'm not sure you understand the implications of that. 83 00:06:11,320 --> 00:06:16,240 Jerusalem has a population of around 350,000 people during the 84 00:06:16,240 --> 00:06:21,120 time of Christ, but during Passover it would swell 85 00:06:22,360 --> 00:06:28,920 somewhere between 2 1/2 to 5 million people. 86 00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:32,080 Why? Because there had to be a 87 00:06:32,080 --> 00:06:40,640 sacrifice, and 1 lamb could be sacrificed for a minimum of 10 88 00:06:40,640 --> 00:06:46,320 people, a maximum of 20. Now you have to think that if 89 00:06:46,320 --> 00:06:51,200 you're coming to Passover and you live far away, it's a long 90 00:06:51,200 --> 00:06:53,880 journey. It's not that you can get in 91 00:06:53,880 --> 00:06:56,200 your car and drive there in a day or two. 92 00:06:56,200 --> 00:07:01,640 No, you are walking from a a long way away to be at Passover. 93 00:07:03,360 --> 00:07:07,000 And so you're going to leave early to make your journey. 94 00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:09,600 You're not going to get there at the last minute. 95 00:07:09,600 --> 00:07:12,240 You're going to get there to prepare everything for Passover, 96 00:07:12,240 --> 00:07:16,200 and that's going to last you 7 days. 97 00:07:17,120 --> 00:07:20,000 Well, after Passover is a feast of first fruits. 98 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:22,280 And then shortly after that comes Pentecost. 99 00:07:22,280 --> 00:07:25,000 And if you you've traveled a long way, you're not going to 100 00:07:25,000 --> 00:07:28,160 necessarily go back and come back again because you don't 101 00:07:28,160 --> 00:07:31,720 have the time to do all that. That's just too much work, too 102 00:07:31,720 --> 00:07:35,000 much traveling. They're doing this on foot. 103 00:07:36,640 --> 00:07:39,880 And so people are coming and they are staying in Jerusalem 104 00:07:40,240 --> 00:07:45,640 for a long periods of time. And so as they're there, they 105 00:07:45,640 --> 00:07:47,480 are wondering, what are we going to do? 106 00:07:47,480 --> 00:07:49,400 And someone comes along and says, well, you know, let me 107 00:07:49,400 --> 00:07:51,160 tell you something. I know that the mall isn't open 108 00:07:51,160 --> 00:07:54,520 today, but you can go down to the to the Jordan because 109 00:07:54,520 --> 00:07:58,280 there's a guy down there in, in camel skin tied around with a 110 00:07:58,280 --> 00:08:02,480 leather belt who's telling people to get right with God. 111 00:08:03,960 --> 00:08:05,880 And you need to go down and see what that's all about. 112 00:08:07,680 --> 00:08:10,520 And so they did all kinds of people. 113 00:08:12,640 --> 00:08:16,360 Matthew's account tells us that there were tax collectors, there 114 00:08:16,360 --> 00:08:19,280 were soldiers, there were the common people. 115 00:08:20,560 --> 00:08:23,520 Luke tells us there were Pharisees, or, excuse me, magic 116 00:08:23,520 --> 00:08:26,360 tells us there were Pharisees and Sadducees. 117 00:08:27,600 --> 00:08:31,120 We also know from this text that there are Levites and priests. 118 00:08:32,480 --> 00:08:36,280 Mark tells us that all in Jerusalem and all from the 119 00:08:36,280 --> 00:08:40,520 country of Judea were making their way down to the Jordan 120 00:08:40,520 --> 00:08:43,679 where John was baptizing. That doesn't mean every single 121 00:08:43,679 --> 00:08:47,520 person, but it talks about a majority of people who are 122 00:08:47,520 --> 00:08:52,080 making their way down to the Jordan River to see what was 123 00:08:52,080 --> 00:08:57,240 happening with this man who is proclaiming that the Kingdom of 124 00:08:57,240 --> 00:09:02,440 heaven was was near and he was baptizing down in the Jordan 125 00:09:02,440 --> 00:09:05,600 River. Now if you're going to go down 126 00:09:05,600 --> 00:09:08,080 there, it's it's 1300 feet below sea level. 127 00:09:08,080 --> 00:09:11,560 So you're going to travel down from Jerusalem to Bethany beyond 128 00:09:11,560 --> 00:09:13,440 the Jordan, which is about 30 miles. 129 00:09:13,440 --> 00:09:15,400 It's going to take you 2 days to get down there. 130 00:09:16,560 --> 00:09:18,080 And they say, look, if you're going to go down there, you're 131 00:09:18,080 --> 00:09:20,680 going to get baptized. Make sure that you realize you 132 00:09:20,680 --> 00:09:24,360 take a change of clothes because once you get down there, get 133 00:09:24,360 --> 00:09:25,960 baptized, you're going to be pretty dirty. 134 00:09:26,600 --> 00:09:33,920 Now I have baptized in this location in Jordan, and this is 135 00:09:33,920 --> 00:09:38,160 a place that where the water is like chocolate milk. 136 00:09:39,200 --> 00:09:43,640 It's pretty nasty, but we had shower facilities so when we 137 00:09:43,640 --> 00:09:46,920 were all done, we could shower. There were no shower facilities 138 00:09:46,920 --> 00:09:49,920 for the people in those days, so they didn't have to take a 139 00:09:49,920 --> 00:09:54,840 change of clothes to journey back up to Jerusalem. 140 00:09:54,840 --> 00:10:00,920 Once again, this was not an easy journey, but scores of people 141 00:10:00,920 --> 00:10:03,640 going down by the thousands, they were going down there. 142 00:10:05,320 --> 00:10:08,400 And so they're going to send a delegation down to the Jordan. 143 00:10:08,560 --> 00:10:11,640 That is the Pharisees are, it says in verse 26 that the 144 00:10:11,640 --> 00:10:15,800 Pharisees sent a delegation, a group of Levi's and priests sent 145 00:10:15,800 --> 00:10:20,000 them down to the Jordan to see who this guy is, what is 146 00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:23,400 happening down in the Jordan today. 147 00:10:23,480 --> 00:10:27,280 Everybody would be there with cell phones, videotaping all 148 00:10:27,280 --> 00:10:30,720 that was taking place, taking snapshots with John, baptizing, 149 00:10:30,880 --> 00:10:33,680 posting on their social media so everybody could see what was 150 00:10:33,680 --> 00:10:35,960 happening. And, and if John was alive and 151 00:10:35,960 --> 00:10:38,640 that was happening, he would say he would Nix that. 152 00:10:39,240 --> 00:10:42,960 He never signed, no cell phones, no video take any place here 153 00:10:43,040 --> 00:10:44,320 because John wasn't that kind of guy. 154 00:10:44,320 --> 00:10:48,840 He didn't want any recognition. He wouldn't let people take 155 00:10:48,840 --> 00:10:52,880 selfies with him. He wouldn't do that because John 156 00:10:52,880 --> 00:10:56,960 was just a voice. That's all he was. 157 00:10:57,840 --> 00:11:01,600 I've got to decrease. He must increase. 158 00:11:02,640 --> 00:11:05,960 No videos of the baptisms, no pictures on social media. 159 00:11:05,960 --> 00:11:08,200 We're not doing this here. It's not about that, see? 160 00:11:08,920 --> 00:11:10,840 We don't understand that because that's what we're all about. 161 00:11:10,840 --> 00:11:14,880 See, We don't get that. But John, no, he was different. 162 00:11:15,200 --> 00:11:16,640 Why? Because he was a protester. 163 00:11:17,640 --> 00:11:20,000 He protested the religiosity of the day. 164 00:11:20,680 --> 00:11:24,240 He protested the hypocrisy of the day, he protested the 165 00:11:24,240 --> 00:11:28,720 falsity of each and every day of the religious establishment. 166 00:11:30,640 --> 00:11:36,400 And so they sent this delegation down to the Jordan to figure out 167 00:11:37,720 --> 00:11:40,800 what's going on, who this guy is. 168 00:11:42,320 --> 00:11:47,440 Now, I've told you before, and I do believe this, they knew John 169 00:11:47,440 --> 00:11:50,160 the Baptist, they knew John. They grew up together. 170 00:11:51,200 --> 00:11:56,440 They were Levites and priests. His mother was from a line of 171 00:11:56,440 --> 00:11:59,480 the priesthood. His father was a priest. 172 00:12:00,400 --> 00:12:02,320 And so they would grow up together in the streets of 173 00:12:02,320 --> 00:12:06,000 Jerusalem. They play whatever games they 174 00:12:06,000 --> 00:12:08,920 played in those days together. They'd run around together. 175 00:12:09,440 --> 00:12:13,720 They knew John. So when they come down to the 176 00:12:13,720 --> 00:12:16,120 Jordan River, the question is not who are you? 177 00:12:16,120 --> 00:12:17,920 As if they don't know. The question is, who in the 178 00:12:17,920 --> 00:12:21,040 world do you think you are? Do you think you're the Christ? 179 00:12:21,320 --> 00:12:25,600 You think you're the Messiah? Do you think you're do you think 180 00:12:25,600 --> 00:12:29,440 you're Elijah? Do you think that you're the 181 00:12:29,440 --> 00:12:30,760 prophet? The prophet that's from 182 00:12:30,760 --> 00:12:35,640 Deuteronomy 18 where Moses said that there will come a prophet 183 00:12:35,640 --> 00:12:38,320 who is greater than him and you should listen to him. 184 00:12:38,480 --> 00:12:41,520 That's the prophet of Deuteronomy 18A prophecy about 185 00:12:41,520 --> 00:12:44,640 the coming Messiah. Are you Elijah? 186 00:12:44,720 --> 00:12:47,040 Because they all knew about the coming of Elijah. 187 00:12:47,360 --> 00:12:50,280 They knew in Malachi chapter 3 verse #1 that there would be a 188 00:12:50,280 --> 00:12:53,280 forerunner to the Messiah. They knew in Malachi chapter 4 189 00:12:53,320 --> 00:12:55,880 that Elijah was going to come before the great and terrible 190 00:12:55,880 --> 00:12:59,400 day of the Lord. They knew that, and they also 191 00:12:59,400 --> 00:13:01,080 knew that. I mean, that's why it passed 192 00:13:01,080 --> 00:13:02,400 over. They had this empty chair for 193 00:13:02,400 --> 00:13:05,200 Elijah, and they send the young one out to go see if Elijah's 194 00:13:05,200 --> 00:13:06,920 there. Because if Elijah's there, that 195 00:13:06,920 --> 00:13:09,360 means the great and terrible day of the Lord is there. 196 00:13:09,520 --> 00:13:12,680 They do that at every Passover. So you know about Elijah? 197 00:13:12,760 --> 00:13:14,320 Now? John did come in the spirit and 198 00:13:14,320 --> 00:13:17,320 power of Elijah, but he wasn't Elijah. 199 00:13:18,560 --> 00:13:21,160 So are you the Crichton? I'm not the I'm not the Messiah. 200 00:13:22,600 --> 00:13:25,240 Are you Elijah? Do you think you're Elijah? 201 00:13:26,080 --> 00:13:30,240 I'm not Elijah. Well, are you the prophet then? 202 00:13:30,760 --> 00:13:35,760 Is that who you think you are? No, I'm not the prophet. 203 00:13:36,680 --> 00:13:41,440 I'm not that one, but see, John's account of the situation 204 00:13:41,440 --> 00:13:43,640 is a little different than Matthew's account situation. 205 00:13:45,200 --> 00:13:49,560 We read John's account. John is describing John the 206 00:13:49,560 --> 00:13:55,080 Baptist as somebody who's pretty amiable, pretty kind, pretty 207 00:13:55,080 --> 00:13:58,800 nice. But when you read Matthew's 208 00:13:58,800 --> 00:14:01,480 account, it's a little different. 209 00:14:01,480 --> 00:14:09,480 It says this Matthew chapter 3 verse #7 But we saw many of the 210 00:14:09,480 --> 00:14:13,600 Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism. 211 00:14:14,640 --> 00:14:17,560 He says to them, many of the Pharisees and Sadducees. 212 00:14:18,240 --> 00:14:22,560 Now Please remember that Luke's account tells us that the people 213 00:14:22,640 --> 00:14:25,280 were living in a state of expectation. 214 00:14:25,840 --> 00:14:30,520 What were they expecting? Well, here's this, this guy down 215 00:14:30,520 --> 00:14:34,800 by the Jordan River saying that the king is coming, the Kingdom 216 00:14:34,800 --> 00:14:37,280 of heaven is at hand. You need to repent and be 217 00:14:37,280 --> 00:14:40,520 baptized for the remission of sins because the Kingdom of 218 00:14:40,520 --> 00:14:42,920 heaven is at hand. And so people are thinking the 219 00:14:42,920 --> 00:14:46,800 Kingdom of heaven is coming, no, that that must mean the Messiah 220 00:14:46,800 --> 00:14:53,640 is coming and he is the expected. 1 Psalm 118 and in 221 00:14:53,640 --> 00:14:55,960 Psalm 40. And they lived in the state of 222 00:14:55,960 --> 00:14:59,840 expectation of the coming one. So Luke tells us that they were 223 00:14:59,840 --> 00:15:03,080 all in the state of expectation. There had not been a prophet in 224 00:15:03,080 --> 00:15:09,600 Israel in 400 years, 400 years. And now all of a sudden, scores 225 00:15:09,600 --> 00:15:13,280 of people are going down to the Jordan River to hear this 226 00:15:13,280 --> 00:15:17,600 prophet talk about the king and his coming Kingdom. 227 00:15:18,840 --> 00:15:23,480 So now they're in the state of expectation thinking, well, if 228 00:15:23,480 --> 00:15:27,840 the king is coming, he must be be right around the corner. 229 00:15:28,800 --> 00:15:32,760 So let's go down and get prepared for the arrival of the 230 00:15:32,760 --> 00:15:37,440 Messiah. So now come these Pharisees and 231 00:15:37,440 --> 00:15:39,560 Sadducees. They're coming down. 232 00:15:39,560 --> 00:15:42,880 They've already sent a, a group of Levites and priests down 233 00:15:42,880 --> 00:15:44,960 there. Here come the Pharisees and the 234 00:15:45,120 --> 00:15:49,920 the Sadducees, the the religious elites, the ritualistic people, 235 00:15:50,720 --> 00:15:54,000 the ones who who Christ condemned over and over again 236 00:15:54,000 --> 00:15:56,880 because what they did, they thought would be highly esteemed 237 00:15:56,880 --> 00:16:02,160 before men, but that just was an abomination to God because they 238 00:16:02,160 --> 00:16:07,400 would use their tradition to trump truth and they would 239 00:16:07,800 --> 00:16:10,520 elevate their tradition over the truth of God. 240 00:16:10,520 --> 00:16:12,720 That's why Jesus said in Matthew 5 that we're discussing on 241 00:16:12,720 --> 00:16:14,640 Wednesday nights. You, you have heard that it was 242 00:16:14,640 --> 00:16:17,680 said by the rabbis of old. This is what the tradition tells 243 00:16:17,680 --> 00:16:19,920 you. But I say unto you, this is the 244 00:16:19,920 --> 00:16:22,280 truth of the law of the, of the gospel. 245 00:16:22,360 --> 00:16:25,200 This is the truth that I wanted to convey to you so that you 246 00:16:25,200 --> 00:16:29,480 know the truth and you can set aside your traditions. 247 00:16:30,520 --> 00:16:34,600 You need to know the truth. So the Pharisees and Sadducees 248 00:16:34,600 --> 00:16:37,400 come down. It says this. 249 00:16:39,160 --> 00:16:44,120 He said to them, you brood of Vipers, you pack of snakes, who 250 00:16:44,120 --> 00:16:46,120 warned you to flee from the wrath to come. 251 00:16:46,120 --> 00:16:48,520 This is how Matthew presents them, right? 252 00:16:50,160 --> 00:16:51,920 They they, they want to say, who are you are? 253 00:16:52,160 --> 00:16:56,480 Who do you think you are? He says, you pack of snakes 254 00:16:57,720 --> 00:17:00,920 today They would say, well, you know, you shouldn't talk to 255 00:17:00,920 --> 00:17:03,800 people that way, John. You know, you can be sued for 256 00:17:03,800 --> 00:17:06,640 that. People would want to take you to 257 00:17:06,640 --> 00:17:09,760 court because you called them names, you know, and today 258 00:17:09,760 --> 00:17:12,440 people are so sensitive anyway and they'd be taken to court 259 00:17:12,440 --> 00:17:15,079 over all kinds of things. But John didn't care about that 260 00:17:15,079 --> 00:17:17,440 stuff. John want to call out the 261 00:17:17,440 --> 00:17:19,319 religiosity. He wanted to call out their 262 00:17:19,319 --> 00:17:21,280 hypocrisy. He wanted to call out the 263 00:17:21,280 --> 00:17:24,440 falsity of the religion and all that the tradition stood for. 264 00:17:24,520 --> 00:17:26,400 And they that's why he was a protester. 265 00:17:27,000 --> 00:17:29,760 See, he was a priest. That they're coming down and 266 00:17:29,760 --> 00:17:33,280 saying, John, what are you? What are you wearing camel skin 267 00:17:33,280 --> 00:17:36,280 for? You should be in priest clothes. 268 00:17:36,760 --> 00:17:39,680 You should be up in the temple with us. 269 00:17:39,800 --> 00:17:42,240 What are you doing down here? Do you think you're Elijah? 270 00:17:42,360 --> 00:17:44,920 You think you're the Christ? Do you think you're the prophet? 271 00:17:45,200 --> 00:17:49,080 Who in the world do you think you are wearing? 272 00:17:49,080 --> 00:17:51,240 The clothes you're wearing, saying the things you're saying, 273 00:17:51,240 --> 00:17:58,200 doing what you're doing? And so John says you're a pack 274 00:17:58,200 --> 00:18:01,960 of snakes. He says therefore bear fruit in 275 00:18:01,960 --> 00:18:05,440 keeping with repentance. In other words, demonstrate the 276 00:18:05,440 --> 00:18:06,440 fact that you're truly repentant. 277 00:18:06,440 --> 00:18:09,080 You want to come down and get baptized, show you're truly 278 00:18:09,080 --> 00:18:13,400 repentant. He says and do not suppose that 279 00:18:13,400 --> 00:18:17,360 you can say to yourselves we have Abraham for our father for 280 00:18:17,360 --> 00:18:21,160 I say to you that from these stones that could be referring 281 00:18:21,160 --> 00:18:24,560 to Gentiles because stones were helpless and hopeless and that's 282 00:18:24,560 --> 00:18:26,920 how they referred to the Gentiles anyway. 283 00:18:27,040 --> 00:18:30,600 He says from the helpless and hopeless God is able to raise up 284 00:18:30,600 --> 00:18:32,520 children. Abraham, you think you're a 285 00:18:32,520 --> 00:18:34,920 child of Abraham, but I because you're circumcised. 286 00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:36,560 Why? Because you were born a Jew. 287 00:18:36,640 --> 00:18:38,920 You think you're going to go to heaven because of your 288 00:18:38,920 --> 00:18:40,800 ethnicity. That's not the case. 289 00:18:41,920 --> 00:18:45,880 John says, he says the axe is already laid at the root of the 290 00:18:45,880 --> 00:18:47,760 trees. Therefore every tree that does 291 00:18:47,760 --> 00:18:51,720 not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 292 00:18:51,840 --> 00:18:54,920 If you are not willing to come and, and, and repent of your 293 00:18:54,920 --> 00:18:58,240 sins and bear fruit and keeping with repentance, you're going to 294 00:18:58,240 --> 00:19:00,080 be burned up. You're going to hell, you're not 295 00:19:00,080 --> 00:19:03,040 going to heaven. That's that's preaching. 296 00:19:04,320 --> 00:19:06,560 I said John the Baptist preach. You don't hear much of that 297 00:19:06,560 --> 00:19:08,880 today. And that's unfortunate. 298 00:19:08,880 --> 00:19:12,120 That's why we have so many, so many cotton candy Christians in 299 00:19:12,120 --> 00:19:14,680 the in the Pew. They can't stand strong for 300 00:19:14,680 --> 00:19:16,640 anything because they didn't have been taught anything. 301 00:19:17,400 --> 00:19:20,920 And here's John the Baptist truly preaching the truth 302 00:19:21,120 --> 00:19:25,960 because he's got to pave the pathway for the Lord. 303 00:19:27,360 --> 00:19:29,840 He's got to make sure they understand the right way to the 304 00:19:29,840 --> 00:19:35,280 Lord because they've been taught the wrong way all their lives. 305 00:19:37,520 --> 00:19:44,040 And so they say, who are you? He goes, I'm a voice. 306 00:19:45,760 --> 00:19:51,000 I, I'm just a voice crying in the wilderness. 307 00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:53,720 We told you before, it's not just a location, the wilderness. 308 00:19:53,720 --> 00:19:57,040 It's it's the, the condition of man's hearts. 309 00:19:58,880 --> 00:20:01,800 I'm a voice. Crying in the wilderness, 310 00:20:03,240 --> 00:20:09,240 preparing the way of the Lord again, taking two ways. 311 00:20:10,440 --> 00:20:13,720 One is because he needs to prepare the way to the Lord. 312 00:20:15,080 --> 00:20:16,800 Because people don't know how to get to the Lord. 313 00:20:18,040 --> 00:20:19,560 They think they do. They think it's all about 314 00:20:19,560 --> 00:20:20,840 rituals. They think it's all about 315 00:20:20,840 --> 00:20:22,480 ceremonies. They think it's all about the 316 00:20:22,480 --> 00:20:25,040 symbols they think about. It's all the things that they do 317 00:20:25,040 --> 00:20:26,840 on the outside or that they don't do. 318 00:20:27,960 --> 00:20:29,600 But see, we know that doesn't work. 319 00:20:29,880 --> 00:20:31,240 Just look at the rich young ruler. 320 00:20:31,720 --> 00:20:36,960 He comes to Christ. He says, what must I do to 321 00:20:36,960 --> 00:20:41,560 inherit eternal life? You see, when you when you have 322 00:20:41,560 --> 00:20:46,400 a works based system, you never have assurance of eternal life. 323 00:20:47,280 --> 00:20:53,360 You never have any ironclad clarity about what it means to 324 00:20:53,360 --> 00:20:55,720 be on your way to heaven. You don't have that. 325 00:20:56,720 --> 00:21:01,480 So here's the rich ruler who believes that he is a 326 00:21:01,480 --> 00:21:06,760 traditionalist who is keeping the traditions of Judaism, but 327 00:21:06,760 --> 00:21:08,800 he knows there's something missing in his life. 328 00:21:10,040 --> 00:21:14,480 So he goes to somebody who will, who will tell him or affirm that 329 00:21:14,480 --> 00:21:18,120 what he's doing is good enough. But Christ doesn't do that. 330 00:21:19,760 --> 00:21:24,560 Christ confronts him on his idolatry and he goes the way sad 331 00:21:25,440 --> 00:21:29,640 because he realizes that there's nothing he can control to get 332 00:21:29,640 --> 00:21:32,880 him into heaven. See, when you have a works based 333 00:21:32,880 --> 00:21:36,880 system, it's all about you. When you have Christianity, it's 334 00:21:36,880 --> 00:21:42,000 all about the Christ in his work and what he does in the life of 335 00:21:42,000 --> 00:21:47,000 the unregenerated person. And so John says, I'm, I'm here 336 00:21:47,000 --> 00:21:51,040 to, to clear out all the paraphernalia along the pathway 337 00:21:51,040 --> 00:21:53,280 to the Lord. So people have a clear path. 338 00:21:53,440 --> 00:21:56,200 They know where to go. There, there there is one name 339 00:21:56,200 --> 00:21:58,880 under heaven given among men whereby you must be saved. 340 00:21:59,200 --> 00:22:01,680 He is the way, the truth and the life. 341 00:22:01,720 --> 00:22:05,920 No one comes into the Father, but through the Christ there was 342 00:22:05,920 --> 00:22:09,240 1 mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. 343 00:22:09,880 --> 00:22:15,000 So here is John the Baptist preparing the way, the pathway 344 00:22:15,120 --> 00:22:18,880 to the Lord, so people will have a clear understanding of how to 345 00:22:18,880 --> 00:22:21,080 get to the Messiah. You see, that's a legacy that 346 00:22:21,080 --> 00:22:25,640 lasts that that's the legacy you need to leave behind. 347 00:22:27,640 --> 00:22:30,400 Do the people in your family, do the people closer to you know 348 00:22:30,480 --> 00:22:34,800 that the only pathway to heaven is through Jesus Christ? 349 00:22:35,960 --> 00:22:40,440 Do they know that the only pathway to glory is through the 350 00:22:40,440 --> 00:22:43,680 death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord? 351 00:22:45,240 --> 00:22:50,120 You see, our legacy lasts because not only do we present 352 00:22:50,560 --> 00:22:57,240 the preeminence of the light, but we prepare the pathway to 353 00:22:57,240 --> 00:23:00,400 the Lord. So people know what it means to 354 00:23:00,400 --> 00:23:04,880 truly be born again, to truly be saved from their sin. 355 00:23:05,320 --> 00:23:07,760 We erase the confusion from their minds. 356 00:23:07,760 --> 00:23:10,640 We show them exactly what it means to be born again. 357 00:23:11,600 --> 00:23:15,240 John says I'm a voice. I'm a voice crying in the 358 00:23:15,240 --> 00:23:18,000 wilderness. Prepare the way of the Lord. 359 00:23:18,840 --> 00:23:21,920 At the same time he's going to help people understand how it is 360 00:23:21,920 --> 00:23:25,200 they are to prepare their hearts, how to repent of their 361 00:23:25,200 --> 00:23:26,800 sins. And that's why in Matthew's 362 00:23:26,800 --> 00:23:30,720 account, he tells them what it means to to to repent and what 363 00:23:30,720 --> 00:23:33,680 repentance looks like. So you can bear bring forth 364 00:23:33,680 --> 00:23:38,120 fruit that bears the fact that you truly have been repentant. 365 00:23:39,080 --> 00:23:42,520 This is what John does. He wants them to understand true 366 00:23:42,520 --> 00:23:45,680 repentance and what it looks like so there's no confusion in 367 00:23:45,680 --> 00:23:49,240 their minds. See, that's a legacy. 368 00:23:49,240 --> 00:23:53,920 And and he says as he quotes from Isaiah chapter 40, he tells 369 00:23:53,920 --> 00:23:58,400 them God's word is my authority. I'm going to share the word of 370 00:23:58,400 --> 00:24:00,520 God. That's what John does. 371 00:24:00,520 --> 00:24:04,320 That was his motivation. I'm just going to share what God 372 00:24:04,320 --> 00:24:07,720 has has taught me what what God's word has said to me, and 373 00:24:07,720 --> 00:24:12,240 how God has spoken to me that I might show you what God says. 374 00:24:13,080 --> 00:24:18,600 You see, the only lasting word that you will ever invest in, 375 00:24:18,600 --> 00:24:22,680 people are not your opinions and not what you think, because 376 00:24:22,680 --> 00:24:24,920 nobody cares about your opinion or what you think. 377 00:24:25,600 --> 00:24:29,400 It's the word of God that lasts. It's the truth of the Word of 378 00:24:29,400 --> 00:24:32,040 God. Give people the truth of the 379 00:24:32,040 --> 00:24:34,040 word of God. That's what John the Baptist 380 00:24:34,040 --> 00:24:37,480 did. I am preparing the way of the 381 00:24:37,480 --> 00:24:40,440 Lord. I am declaring to you what God 382 00:24:40,440 --> 00:24:43,760 has shown me, that you might know the truth about how to get 383 00:24:43,760 --> 00:24:46,560 to God. Because you see, they had been 384 00:24:46,560 --> 00:24:50,920 so confused. They thought that it was all 385 00:24:50,920 --> 00:24:57,640 about tradition, a works based system, that you do this or you 386 00:24:57,640 --> 00:25:01,320 don't do that and and you'll gain a standing with God. 387 00:25:02,240 --> 00:25:06,080 And that's why Christ condemned the religious establishment over 388 00:25:06,440 --> 00:25:10,400 and over and over again because they were leading people the 389 00:25:10,400 --> 00:25:14,360 wrong way. And people who are a part of a 390 00:25:14,360 --> 00:25:18,120 false religion and lead people the wrong way need to be 391 00:25:18,120 --> 00:25:21,680 confronted and condemned based on what they are doing. 392 00:25:22,960 --> 00:25:24,960 Why? Because they're leading people 393 00:25:24,960 --> 00:25:31,200 to hell, not to heaven, and Satan uses them in all kinds of 394 00:25:31,200 --> 00:25:35,720 ways to disguise the truth. There's a pathway. 395 00:25:36,040 --> 00:25:38,880 The road is narrow, Matthew 7 tells us. 396 00:25:39,600 --> 00:25:42,920 Very narrow. The gate is very small. 397 00:25:44,320 --> 00:25:49,520 Very small. And of the the smallness of the 398 00:25:49,520 --> 00:25:54,080 pathway and the smallness of the gate, of the few that find it, 399 00:25:54,280 --> 00:25:57,920 Luke tells us, even fewer ever ever get in. 400 00:25:59,800 --> 00:26:05,080 Few people are really ever truly saved. 401 00:26:05,120 --> 00:26:12,400 That's important to understand that the road is narrow, the 402 00:26:12,400 --> 00:26:15,520 gate is small, and few there be that find it. 403 00:26:16,520 --> 00:26:22,120 And the Luke tells us strive to enter because the few that find 404 00:26:22,120 --> 00:26:29,400 it, even fewer will ever enter the Kingdom of heaven. 405 00:26:30,520 --> 00:26:33,120 This is so important to understand this. 406 00:26:33,120 --> 00:26:38,880 And John is just trying to take care of all the clutter that 407 00:26:38,880 --> 00:26:43,560 people have been taught for years and tell them how to get 408 00:26:43,560 --> 00:26:46,360 right with God. So he did. 409 00:26:47,560 --> 00:26:51,840 He prepared the pathway to the Lord. 410 00:26:53,240 --> 00:26:57,960 As a parent, you prepare the pathway to the Lord for your 411 00:26:57,960 --> 00:27:00,960 children. Show them what's right, what's 412 00:27:00,960 --> 00:27:04,800 wrong, what the Bible says. You don't give them your 413 00:27:04,800 --> 00:27:06,000 opinion. You don't give them what you 414 00:27:06,000 --> 00:27:10,240 think. You tell them the truth to those 415 00:27:10,240 --> 00:27:14,960 of your unsaved friends there. There is so much confusion in 416 00:27:14,960 --> 00:27:18,920 Christianity Today about what it means to truly be born again, 417 00:27:18,920 --> 00:27:21,840 what it means to truly repent of your sin, what it means to give 418 00:27:21,840 --> 00:27:23,960 your life to Christ, what it means to be a follower of 419 00:27:23,960 --> 00:27:26,720 Christ, what it means to be a true child of the living King. 420 00:27:26,800 --> 00:27:29,680 What does that mean? Can you explain that to people? 421 00:27:29,680 --> 00:27:32,000 Can you prepare the way to the Lord for people? 422 00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:35,040 That's the that's the lasting legacy that matters. 423 00:27:36,480 --> 00:27:42,760 Nothing else really does because it's, it's eternal treasures. 424 00:27:44,720 --> 00:27:46,800 People's eternal lives are at stake. 425 00:27:48,800 --> 00:27:52,960 Their destiny with God or without God is at stake. 426 00:27:52,960 --> 00:27:55,080 You want to explain that to them? 427 00:27:55,080 --> 00:27:59,040 This is John's passion. Who are you? 428 00:27:59,520 --> 00:28:03,840 I'm just a voice, just a voice, you know? 429 00:28:03,840 --> 00:28:10,280 And I, I'm not even worthy to, to untie the, the sandals of the 430 00:28:10,280 --> 00:28:16,920 ones coming after me #3 not only did he present the pre eminence 431 00:28:16,920 --> 00:28:20,000 of the light, and no, not only did he, not only did he prepare 432 00:28:20,000 --> 00:28:23,520 the, the pathway to the Lord, but he was the one who 433 00:28:23,520 --> 00:28:28,520 proclaimed the person of the lamb. 434 00:28:30,000 --> 00:28:33,960 He proclaimed the person of the Lamb. 435 00:28:35,560 --> 00:28:39,280 Notice the text says this. Oh, John says, by the way, John, 436 00:28:39,280 --> 00:28:41,280 as I'm saying, I baptize in water. 437 00:28:42,000 --> 00:28:44,280 But among you stands one whom you do not know. 438 00:28:44,280 --> 00:28:46,960 Note that, and most commentators don't. 439 00:28:48,280 --> 00:28:54,160 Jesus is in the crowd. There's one among you that you 440 00:28:54,160 --> 00:28:57,000 do not know. Now Jesus has already been 441 00:28:57,000 --> 00:28:59,200 baptized by John. Jesus has already been in the 442 00:28:59,200 --> 00:29:01,760 Judean wilderness for 40 days, being tempted by the devil. 443 00:29:02,400 --> 00:29:06,120 Now he's back. He's among the thousands that 444 00:29:06,120 --> 00:29:11,200 are there around the Jordan River and John wants to know 445 00:29:11,200 --> 00:29:17,320 there's there's one among you that you do not know, but he is 446 00:29:17,320 --> 00:29:19,520 here. He is here. 447 00:29:20,600 --> 00:29:24,960 It is he who comes after me, the thong on of whose sandal I am 448 00:29:24,960 --> 00:29:33,560 not worthy to untie. And then the next day, the next 449 00:29:33,560 --> 00:29:41,080 day, verse 29, he saw Jesus coming to him and said, behold, 450 00:29:41,080 --> 00:29:47,200 the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. 451 00:29:48,400 --> 00:29:53,440 Now he's going to proclaim, He's going to proclaim the person of 452 00:29:53,440 --> 00:30:00,160 the Lamb. He sees Jesus and now he's going 453 00:30:00,160 --> 00:30:03,880 to point to the Messiah. He's going to identify the one 454 00:30:03,880 --> 00:30:08,080 they did not know that was in the crowd as the Lamb of God who 455 00:30:08,080 --> 00:30:15,320 takes away the sin, not the sins plural, but singular, the sin of 456 00:30:15,400 --> 00:30:17,280 the world. Why? 457 00:30:17,480 --> 00:30:20,680 Because there's something that separates you from your God, 458 00:30:21,000 --> 00:30:25,520 from the day you were born, conceived in, in sin, did your 459 00:30:25,520 --> 00:30:28,400 mother conceive you. You were born in sin. 460 00:30:28,400 --> 00:30:33,800 You were born separated from God and there is coming one who 461 00:30:33,800 --> 00:30:38,600 deals with that essence of sin, that that concept of sin, that 462 00:30:38,600 --> 00:30:41,600 one thing that keeps you from being reconciled to God. 463 00:30:41,720 --> 00:30:45,280 There is one who is coming. He is the Lamb of God and He's 464 00:30:45,280 --> 00:30:49,560 going to take away that one thing that's keeping you from 465 00:30:49,560 --> 00:30:52,080 having a relationship with a true and living God. 466 00:30:52,920 --> 00:30:54,760 Now they know about the sacrificial system because 467 00:30:54,760 --> 00:30:56,640 they're all involved in it. It's passed over season. 468 00:30:56,720 --> 00:31:00,040 They know about what the lambs coming in and being offered and 469 00:31:00,040 --> 00:31:02,200 sacrifices for. But they also know that the 470 00:31:02,200 --> 00:31:04,760 blood of bulls and goats can never take away the sin. 471 00:31:05,360 --> 00:31:07,800 It can only cover the sin of man. 472 00:31:09,160 --> 00:31:13,480 But they lived in anticipation and expectation of One who would 473 00:31:13,640 --> 00:31:16,680 cleanse them of all of their sin. 474 00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:23,360 That whole sacrificial system was set up by God to increase 475 00:31:23,360 --> 00:31:27,320 the anticipation and expectation of the people of God, knowing 476 00:31:27,320 --> 00:31:30,320 that there would be one who would come and remove them other 477 00:31:30,320 --> 00:31:32,040 sin. That's the promise of the new 478 00:31:32,040 --> 00:31:34,200 covenant. Remember what it says in in 479 00:31:34,200 --> 00:31:39,360 Ezekiel chapter 36 verse 25. Then I will sprinkle clean water 480 00:31:39,360 --> 00:31:42,400 upon you and you will be clean. I I will cleanse you from all 481 00:31:42,400 --> 00:31:44,920 your filthiness and from all your idols. 482 00:31:45,040 --> 00:31:48,520 Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit 483 00:31:48,520 --> 00:31:50,880 within you. I will remove the heart of stone 484 00:31:50,880 --> 00:31:54,720 from your flesh and give you a of flesh, and I will put my 485 00:31:54,720 --> 00:31:59,320 spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you 486 00:31:59,320 --> 00:32:01,680 will be careful to observe my ordinances. 487 00:32:02,200 --> 00:32:05,960 That's a new covenant promise. And that's what they were living 488 00:32:05,960 --> 00:32:09,080 in expectation for. That's what they were 489 00:32:09,080 --> 00:32:12,520 anticipating. And here comes John and says, 490 00:32:12,520 --> 00:32:14,720 look, and here's the Lamb of God. 491 00:32:14,720 --> 00:32:16,560 They, they, they know about the sacrificial system. 492 00:32:16,720 --> 00:32:18,600 The temple is built on Mount Moriah. 493 00:32:18,680 --> 00:32:22,120 They know about Genesis chapter 22 and the great substitute that 494 00:32:22,120 --> 00:32:25,320 the Messiah would bring, that Abraham called that place Yahweh 495 00:32:25,320 --> 00:32:26,880 Yuray. God will provide. 496 00:32:26,880 --> 00:32:29,440 What will God provide? He will provide a substitute so 497 00:32:29,440 --> 00:32:31,400 you can have your sins taken away. 498 00:32:32,480 --> 00:32:34,680 That that's why the temple is on Mount Moriah. 499 00:32:34,920 --> 00:32:39,000 That's why it's there, so people will always be reminded of the 500 00:32:39,000 --> 00:32:42,560 great substitutionary sacrifice of the one who would come and 501 00:32:42,560 --> 00:32:48,680 take away their sin. So incredibly important. 502 00:32:49,640 --> 00:32:54,720 What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus, 503 00:32:54,720 --> 00:32:58,200 says the songwriter First Peter 118 and 19. 504 00:32:58,400 --> 00:33:02,840 It's the precious blood as of a lamb that cleanses us from all 505 00:33:02,840 --> 00:33:07,800 of our sin. It's Jesus Christ alone and John 506 00:33:07,800 --> 00:33:10,040 is saying you are going through all these rituals, you're doing 507 00:33:10,040 --> 00:33:14,000 all these things, but I want to point to the one who's going to 508 00:33:14,600 --> 00:33:18,400 take away your sin. It's the Lamb of God. 509 00:33:20,920 --> 00:33:26,680 He came to take away the sin of the world. 510 00:33:28,720 --> 00:33:34,160 And then he says this. This is he on behalf of whom I 511 00:33:34,160 --> 00:33:40,480 said after me comes a man who has a higher rank than I, for he 512 00:33:41,760 --> 00:33:49,400 existed before me. He's going to describe the 513 00:33:49,400 --> 00:33:54,120 person of the Lamb as one who existed before him. 514 00:33:54,120 --> 00:33:59,440 And John is older than Jesus physically because Jesus was 515 00:33:59,440 --> 00:34:04,680 born six months after John. But he says he emphasizes the 516 00:34:04,680 --> 00:34:09,960 eternality of the sun. He emphasizes the pre existence 517 00:34:09,960 --> 00:34:13,000 of the sun. The same thing that John has 518 00:34:13,000 --> 00:34:16,840 already said in John one verse #1 in the beginning was the Word 519 00:34:17,000 --> 00:34:19,679 and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 520 00:34:20,719 --> 00:34:25,639 Speaking of the pre existence of God, the self existence of the 521 00:34:25,639 --> 00:34:29,679 Word as well as the coexistence of the Word with God. 522 00:34:31,199 --> 00:34:34,600 And so therefore John the Baptist is testifying to that 523 00:34:34,600 --> 00:34:40,000 which John has already spoken about by virtue of his testimony 524 00:34:41,719 --> 00:34:49,880 that the one coming after me, He existed before me even though I 525 00:34:49,880 --> 00:34:55,000 was born before him. He existed in the eternity past. 526 00:34:55,800 --> 00:35:00,000 Speaking of the eternality of the of the Son of God. 527 00:35:01,680 --> 00:35:03,240 Now this is interesting. This is what it says. 528 00:35:03,840 --> 00:35:06,880 He says I did not recognize him twice. 529 00:35:06,880 --> 00:35:10,480 It says that once in verse #31 I did not recognize him. 530 00:35:10,760 --> 00:35:12,920 Once in verse #33 I did not recognize you. 531 00:35:12,920 --> 00:35:18,120 How did John not recognize him? Did weren't they cousins? 532 00:35:19,680 --> 00:35:25,560 Yes, they were cousins. You know, Drew's family is here 533 00:35:25,560 --> 00:35:28,720 from from Indiana and, and all the cousins that haven't seen 534 00:35:28,720 --> 00:35:32,400 each other for over a year are greeting one another in in the 535 00:35:32,400 --> 00:35:34,160 parking lot because they're cousins. 536 00:35:35,480 --> 00:35:37,640 They, they, they know each other, right? 537 00:35:38,240 --> 00:35:40,600 And even though they might not see each other for a while, they 538 00:35:40,600 --> 00:35:42,800 by virtue of family know one another. 539 00:35:43,920 --> 00:35:47,960 Wait, wait. Here is here is John the 540 00:35:47,960 --> 00:35:55,040 Baptist, the son of Elizabeth. And Elizabeth and Mary are a 541 00:35:55,040 --> 00:35:57,360 part of the same family. They're cousins. 542 00:35:57,360 --> 00:35:59,800 They grew up together. They played together just like 543 00:35:59,800 --> 00:36:01,760 the priests and Levites. They knew John. 544 00:36:02,880 --> 00:36:05,880 John the Baptist knew Jesus. So what do you mean he didn't 545 00:36:05,880 --> 00:36:07,280 recognize him? Why did he say that twice? 546 00:36:07,440 --> 00:36:09,160 Didn't recognize him. Didn't recognize him? 547 00:36:09,480 --> 00:36:14,480 No. He knew him as Jesus, but he did 548 00:36:14,480 --> 00:36:18,880 not recognize him as Messiah. He did not recognize him as 549 00:36:18,880 --> 00:36:22,520 Lord. He did not recognize him as God 550 00:36:22,520 --> 00:36:27,280 in the flesh. See, he only recognized him as 551 00:36:27,400 --> 00:36:33,080 cousin Jesus that he grew up with and played with, but he did 552 00:36:33,080 --> 00:36:35,040 not recognize him. He didn't come to a full 553 00:36:35,040 --> 00:36:39,320 comprehension, a full recognition of the identity of 554 00:36:39,320 --> 00:36:44,480 the Messiah himself. How do we know that? 555 00:36:44,960 --> 00:36:47,680 Read on. It says I did not recognize him, 556 00:36:47,680 --> 00:36:50,760 but so that he might be manifested to Israel. 557 00:36:50,960 --> 00:36:57,200 I came baptizing in water, John testified, saying, I have seen 558 00:36:57,200 --> 00:37:03,440 the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and he remained 559 00:37:03,440 --> 00:37:06,320 upon him. I did not recognize him, but he 560 00:37:06,560 --> 00:37:12,280 God, who sent me to baptize in water, said to me, He upon whom 561 00:37:12,280 --> 00:37:16,440 you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon him, this is 562 00:37:16,440 --> 00:37:19,960 the one who baptizes in the Holy Spirit. 563 00:37:21,040 --> 00:37:25,320 So John is saying, look, I didn't recognize him in terms of 564 00:37:25,320 --> 00:37:30,560 his full identity as the Messiah of Israel until God said to me, 565 00:37:30,640 --> 00:37:34,560 when you see, the Spirit of God descended upon him like a dove. 566 00:37:34,720 --> 00:37:38,000 The Spirit of God is not a dove. He's not a please. 567 00:37:38,120 --> 00:37:41,520 The Spirit of God is a person. He's not a dove. 568 00:37:41,520 --> 00:37:43,360 So take the dove off the back of your windshield. 569 00:37:44,360 --> 00:37:47,440 He is not a dove. He descended like a dove. 570 00:37:48,000 --> 00:37:51,400 The person of the Spirit of God descended like a dove upon upon 571 00:37:51,400 --> 00:37:54,040 Jesus and his baptism. And that's when the Lord said, 572 00:37:54,040 --> 00:37:57,080 Behold, this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. 573 00:37:57,080 --> 00:38:03,120 Listen to him. And God told John while he was 574 00:38:03,120 --> 00:38:05,480 in the woods, and as he said, look, when you see the Spirit of 575 00:38:05,480 --> 00:38:11,400 God descended upon this one. This is the Messiah and that 576 00:38:11,400 --> 00:38:15,040 Spirit will remain upon him. Remember in the Old Testament, 577 00:38:15,040 --> 00:38:17,960 the Spirit of God came upon different individuals to perform 578 00:38:17,960 --> 00:38:20,640 different tasks. That's why David after his sins 579 00:38:20,640 --> 00:38:24,080 said, do not take your Holy Spirit from me. 580 00:38:24,480 --> 00:38:26,800 Why did you say that? Because the Spirit of God came 581 00:38:26,800 --> 00:38:30,920 upon him to perform his kingly duties right in a special and 582 00:38:30,920 --> 00:38:34,320 unique way. But the mystery of the, of the, 583 00:38:35,280 --> 00:38:38,800 of the Old Testament revealed in the New Testament is that Christ 584 00:38:38,800 --> 00:38:41,960 in you, the hope of glory. And so the Spirit of God comes 585 00:38:41,960 --> 00:38:44,880 with, comes within you and envelops you. 586 00:38:45,600 --> 00:38:46,920 This is very important. Why? 587 00:38:47,120 --> 00:38:48,840 Because there's one who is coming. 588 00:38:48,840 --> 00:38:52,320 I baptize in water. He's going to baptize you with 589 00:38:52,320 --> 00:38:55,040 the Spirit. Now this is very, very important 590 00:38:55,280 --> 00:38:58,160 because you need to understand the baptism of the Spirit. 591 00:38:58,520 --> 00:39:01,840 It it's very confusing in a lot of Christian circles today. 592 00:39:02,120 --> 00:39:06,640 It need not be. It's very simply explained. 593 00:39:07,480 --> 00:39:11,320 There are 7 occasions and only seven in the New Testament that 594 00:39:11,320 --> 00:39:13,680 speak about the baptism of the Holy Spirit. 595 00:39:14,840 --> 00:39:16,800 Six of them all say the same thing. 596 00:39:17,360 --> 00:39:20,320 There's one that doesn't. That's First Corinthians 12/13. 597 00:39:20,560 --> 00:39:24,400 We are all baptized by 1 Spirit in the body of Christ. 598 00:39:25,800 --> 00:39:28,000 The one who does the baptizing is Christ. 599 00:39:29,160 --> 00:39:33,760 He baptizes you with His Spirit. The baptism of the Spirit is 600 00:39:33,760 --> 00:39:38,360 God's method by which He puts you into the body of Christ and 601 00:39:38,360 --> 00:39:40,160 seals you unto the day of redemption. 602 00:39:40,320 --> 00:39:42,200 That is the baptism of the Spirit. 603 00:39:42,400 --> 00:39:45,400 And oh, by the way, just in case you don't know this, everybody 604 00:39:45,400 --> 00:39:50,920 in the room is either going to be baptized by the Spirit by 605 00:39:50,960 --> 00:39:55,800 Jesus, or you will be baptized by fire by Jesus. 606 00:39:56,040 --> 00:39:58,760 So everybody in the room is going to receive a baptism from 607 00:39:58,920 --> 00:40:00,720 Jesus. How do we know that? 608 00:40:00,880 --> 00:40:03,320 Matthew chapter 3. Let me read it to you. 609 00:40:05,400 --> 00:40:06,480 It's getting hot in here, isn't it? 610 00:40:07,240 --> 00:40:09,400 Whoa man, it's getting hot in here. 611 00:40:10,240 --> 00:40:15,480 Anyway, Matthew chapter 3, Listen to what John says, verse 612 00:40:15,480 --> 00:40:17,640 11. As for me, I baptize you with 613 00:40:17,640 --> 00:40:21,320 water for repentance, but He was coming after me as mightier than 614 00:40:21,320 --> 00:40:23,720 I, and I am not fit to remove his sandals. 615 00:40:23,920 --> 00:40:28,720 He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 616 00:40:29,400 --> 00:40:34,040 Whoa, his women fork is in his hand and he will thoroughly 617 00:40:34,040 --> 00:40:37,840 clear the threshing floor and he will gather his wheat into the 618 00:40:37,840 --> 00:40:39,520 barn. Those are believers. 619 00:40:40,280 --> 00:40:43,880 But he will burn up the chaff. That's the unbeliever with 620 00:40:43,920 --> 00:40:48,480 unquenchable fire. So listen, everybody in the 621 00:40:48,480 --> 00:40:49,840 world is going to be baptized by Jesus. 622 00:40:49,840 --> 00:40:54,640 He's going to be baptized by the Spirit of God into the body of 623 00:40:54,640 --> 00:40:57,320 Christ. That is salvation or you'll be 624 00:40:57,320 --> 00:41:03,280 baptized by the Lord with fire in unquenchable fire and you 625 00:41:03,280 --> 00:41:06,120 will burn in hell forever. Those are your only two options. 626 00:41:06,920 --> 00:41:09,000 Only two. There's nothing in between. 627 00:41:10,120 --> 00:41:13,040 That's it. And John makes it very clear. 628 00:41:14,440 --> 00:41:16,640 John says I, I came to baptize in water. 629 00:41:17,200 --> 00:41:19,360 Why? Because the water symbolically, 630 00:41:19,360 --> 00:41:22,000 This is why the, the the Pharisees were so upset with 631 00:41:22,000 --> 00:41:23,800 John. What are you doing? 632 00:41:23,800 --> 00:41:27,800 Well, what authority do you have to baptize people? 633 00:41:28,240 --> 00:41:31,280 You're not the Christ, you're not Elijah, you're not the 634 00:41:31,280 --> 00:41:33,880 prophet. So John, tell us you're just a, 635 00:41:34,120 --> 00:41:38,400 a protester in a priestly line. Who's the prophet who thinks 636 00:41:38,400 --> 00:41:41,280 that he has authority to baptize people in water? 637 00:41:41,320 --> 00:41:45,440 Who gave you that authority? Who says that you have this 638 00:41:45,480 --> 00:41:49,200 authority to do this? Why would they say that? 639 00:41:50,720 --> 00:41:52,640 Because Jews were never baptized. 640 00:41:53,720 --> 00:41:55,760 These weren't only Gentiles were baptized. 641 00:41:56,800 --> 00:41:59,320 And that's when they wanted to convert to Judaism. 642 00:42:00,000 --> 00:42:03,640 So if I, I'm, I'm a Gentile and I want to convert to Judaism, 643 00:42:03,760 --> 00:42:05,920 number one, I'm going to go through the the art of 644 00:42:05,920 --> 00:42:09,800 circumcision and #2 I will, I will be baptized. 645 00:42:09,800 --> 00:42:13,720 Listen. And no Gentile proselyte was 646 00:42:13,720 --> 00:42:18,240 ever baptized by anyone. They baptized themselves. 647 00:42:18,520 --> 00:42:21,760 They went into a mikvah, which is a cleansing bath, and they 648 00:42:21,760 --> 00:42:23,720 would go in after having been circumcised. 649 00:42:23,840 --> 00:42:25,560 They would go down into the mikvah. 650 00:42:25,680 --> 00:42:27,520 They would go down into the water. 651 00:42:27,560 --> 00:42:29,720 Why? Because they were symbolizing 652 00:42:29,720 --> 00:42:32,800 their cleansing from their idolatrous life, worshipping 653 00:42:32,800 --> 00:42:35,800 other gods, that they would serve the one true God, the God 654 00:42:35,800 --> 00:42:38,640 of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But nobody baptized them. 655 00:42:39,240 --> 00:42:41,400 They did that themselves. See. 656 00:42:42,480 --> 00:42:47,160 But here is John baptizing Jews, you know, like what authority do 657 00:42:47,160 --> 00:42:51,000 you have, John, to do this? Who do you think you are, 658 00:42:52,160 --> 00:42:56,400 especially as smelly as you are? And camel skin and then getting 659 00:42:56,400 --> 00:43:00,720 it wet on top of that. The stench would be horrendous. 660 00:43:01,560 --> 00:43:06,840 But thousands were coming. Thousands because he was 661 00:43:06,840 --> 00:43:10,480 proclaiming the Messiah, the Lamb of God who would take away 662 00:43:10,480 --> 00:43:14,480 the sin of the world. People are coming down in droves 663 00:43:14,480 --> 00:43:19,240 to hear this man, this, this wild protester in the in the 664 00:43:19,240 --> 00:43:24,080 wilderness proclaiming the gospel about the coming Messiah. 665 00:43:25,320 --> 00:43:28,320 John says I baptize you the water, but there's one coming. 666 00:43:28,320 --> 00:43:30,680 You see, John's baptism was symbolic. 667 00:43:30,720 --> 00:43:32,920 There's only one who baptizes the water. 668 00:43:32,960 --> 00:43:35,520 That's me. And there's only one who 669 00:43:35,520 --> 00:43:38,280 baptizes you with the Spirit of God, and that's the Messiah 670 00:43:38,280 --> 00:43:41,080 himself. Jesus is the one who does that. 671 00:43:42,480 --> 00:43:45,480 No one else does. And when you're regenerated and 672 00:43:45,480 --> 00:43:49,960 you're born again, the whole part and parcel to regeneration 673 00:43:50,040 --> 00:43:54,120 is that you are baptized by the Lord Jesus Christ or through 674 00:43:55,200 --> 00:43:58,080 through the Lord Jesus Christ by the Spirit of God into the body 675 00:43:58,080 --> 00:44:00,520 of Christ. You were immersed in his Spirit 676 00:44:01,080 --> 00:44:03,880 and you are born again. That's the baptism of the Spirit 677 00:44:03,880 --> 00:44:12,880 of God. Then John says in verse 34, I 678 00:44:12,880 --> 00:44:17,400 myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son 679 00:44:17,400 --> 00:44:21,880 of God. Wow, this is the Son of God. 680 00:44:23,640 --> 00:44:27,160 He's already listen, he's already testified to the light, 681 00:44:28,640 --> 00:44:30,320 He's already testified to the Lamb. 682 00:44:32,520 --> 00:44:36,320 He's already testified to the Liberator takes away your sin. 683 00:44:37,480 --> 00:44:45,280 Now he testifies to the Lord, he is the Son of God. 684 00:44:45,280 --> 00:44:47,880 The phrase used 10 times in John's Gospel. 685 00:44:48,440 --> 00:44:52,520 It's a theme of the Gospel, John 2031. 686 00:44:53,080 --> 00:44:55,600 These things are written that you may believe that Jesus is 687 00:44:55,600 --> 00:45:00,120 the Son of God, that he's the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of 688 00:45:00,520 --> 00:45:05,240 God. And John says, the one coming 689 00:45:05,240 --> 00:45:10,520 after me, who existed before me, he's the light of the world. 690 00:45:11,520 --> 00:45:17,200 He's the Lamb of God. He's the Liberator of man, the 691 00:45:17,200 --> 00:45:18,920 one who releases us from our sins. 692 00:45:18,920 --> 00:45:23,040 That's according to Revelation chapter one verse #5 He loves us 693 00:45:23,360 --> 00:45:27,920 and has liberated us or released us from our sins. 694 00:45:29,560 --> 00:45:35,560 And he is the Lord. This is the Son of God. 695 00:45:36,640 --> 00:45:41,080 This is John's legacy. He presented the preeminence of 696 00:45:41,080 --> 00:45:45,080 the light. He prepared the pathway to the 697 00:45:45,080 --> 00:45:50,480 Lord, and he proclaimed the person of the Lamb, the Son of 698 00:45:50,480 --> 00:45:53,200 God, the Liberator of man, the light of the world. 699 00:45:53,200 --> 00:45:56,680 This is his legacy that he has left. 700 00:45:57,400 --> 00:46:01,160 And you know what? We preach that same gospel, that 701 00:46:01,160 --> 00:46:06,480 same legacy over and over again. This legacy that's lasted for 702 00:46:06,480 --> 00:46:12,400 2000 years, it continues today because it was a God centered 703 00:46:12,400 --> 00:46:16,040 legacy. What legacy will you leave once 704 00:46:16,040 --> 00:46:19,840 you leave this planet? It'll be similar to that. 705 00:46:21,200 --> 00:46:25,360 I would trust that it is. And if you hear today, today, 706 00:46:25,360 --> 00:46:27,960 and you've never given your life to Christ, my friends, there's 707 00:46:27,960 --> 00:46:29,680 only one who can take away your sin. 708 00:46:30,520 --> 00:46:33,760 Only one. It's not by works of 709 00:46:33,760 --> 00:46:36,400 righteousness which you have done, it's by the washing of 710 00:46:36,400 --> 00:46:37,680 regeneration. It's by the renewed of the 711 00:46:37,680 --> 00:46:39,880 Spirit of God that one is born again. 712 00:46:40,120 --> 00:46:42,360 You cannot save yourself. You cannot earn your way to 713 00:46:42,360 --> 00:46:44,520 heaven. All the rituals, all the 714 00:46:44,520 --> 00:46:47,720 ceremonies, all the symbols, all the things that you think you 715 00:46:47,720 --> 00:46:49,840 can do to get you there will never be enough. 716 00:46:50,080 --> 00:46:51,920 The rich young ruler testified to that. 717 00:46:52,360 --> 00:46:55,400 What must I do? I need eternal life. 718 00:46:55,440 --> 00:46:58,200 And Christ said, sell all that you have and follow me. 719 00:46:58,680 --> 00:47:01,640 You have to stop being an idolater. 720 00:47:01,640 --> 00:47:06,320 You don't want to do that because he loved himself too 721 00:47:06,320 --> 00:47:09,800 much today. I just want to let you know that 722 00:47:09,800 --> 00:47:14,080 if you're here and you've never given your life to Christ, you 723 00:47:14,080 --> 00:47:17,680 need to come to Christ today. Today is the day of salvation, 724 00:47:17,680 --> 00:47:20,560 not tomorrow. Today's the day. 725 00:47:20,560 --> 00:47:22,760 Roger Flores is right down here to my right. 726 00:47:23,280 --> 00:47:26,400 He'll be glad to introduce you to Jesus Christ our Lord. 727 00:47:26,400 --> 00:47:30,880 Let's pray together. Father, we thank you for today. 728 00:47:33,040 --> 00:47:35,080 We thank you for the legacy of John the Baptist. 729 00:47:36,720 --> 00:47:38,360 Thank you for his testimony, his life. 730 00:47:39,600 --> 00:47:44,600 What a man, what a man. You said he was the greatest of 731 00:47:44,600 --> 00:47:49,640 all men ever born of a woman after that time, greater than 732 00:47:49,640 --> 00:47:56,200 David, Moses, Elijah, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Malachi, the list goes 733 00:47:56,200 --> 00:47:57,960 on and on and on. He was the greatest. 734 00:47:59,800 --> 00:48:02,240 And Father, he left a legacy behind for all of us to follow 735 00:48:03,760 --> 00:48:05,520 our prayers that that would be us. 736 00:48:06,520 --> 00:48:08,520 We would be just like John the Baptist. 737 00:48:09,800 --> 00:48:12,640 We'd be bold like John the Baptist, courageous like John 738 00:48:12,640 --> 00:48:14,760 the Baptist, committed like John the Baptist. 739 00:48:16,360 --> 00:48:20,760 That we would. We would present you as 740 00:48:20,760 --> 00:48:24,320 preeminent. That we'd shine forth the light 741 00:48:24,320 --> 00:48:26,800 of the glorious gospel of Christ, so others can see you 742 00:48:26,800 --> 00:48:30,520 and who you are. Oh Lord, if there's someone here 743 00:48:30,520 --> 00:48:32,720 today who does not know you, may today be the day of their 744 00:48:32,720 --> 00:48:37,200 salvation. May they not leave, not knowing 745 00:48:37,200 --> 00:48:42,920 the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world in Jesus 746 00:48:42,920 --> 00:48:44,080 name, Amen.