Look!

,

Believe

Look!

(John 1:29-34)

 

INTRODUCTION

“If you go over to Scotland, or anywhere there are lots of sheep, sooner or later you're going to see a very unusual sight. You'll see a little lamb running around the field, and you'll notice this lamb has what looks like an extra fleece tied around its back. In fact, you'll see there are little holes in the fleece for its four legs and usually a hole for its head. If you see a little lamb running around like that, that usually means its mother has died.

 

And without the protection and nourishment of a mother, any orphaned lamb will die. If you take the orphaned lamb and try to introduce it to another mother, the new mother will butt it away. She won't recognize the lamb's scent and will know the new baby is not one of her own lambs.

 

But thankfully, most flocks are large enough that there is a ewe that has recently lost a lamb. The shepherd will skin the dead lamb and make its fleece into a covering for the orphaned lamb, then he'll take the orphaned lamb to the mother whose baby just died. Now, when she sniffs the orphaned lamb, she will smell the fleece of her own lamb. Instead of butting the lamb away, she will accept it as one of her own.

 

In a similar way, we have become acceptable to God by being clothed with Christ.”

 

From Peter Grant's sermon, "In What Way Is Jesus Christ Different?"; submitted by Van Morris, Mount Washington, Kentucky

 

[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2006/march/5032706.html].

 

BODY

  • ME

    • Debt forgiveness

        • We’ve had some recent changes to several financial things in our lives

        • Judy started teaching this past Fall, which affected Levi’s CHIP health insurance level that we qualified for (there was a significant increase in our monthly responsibility for his health insurance)

        • While we were looking at how we were going to cover this increase, we had some debt forgiven that nearly covered the monthly cost of the increase in the health insurance coverage

        • Who says that God doesn’t care about every detail of our lives

        • We saw this as God’s way of “saving” us financially

 

  • WE

    • Debt forgiveness

        • Perhaps every one of us has experienced some kind of debt forgiveness in our lives

        • It doesn’t have to be a financial debt – it could also be an emotional debt

        • We all probably carry around guilt for something that we did or didn’t do

          • Most of us probably experience this guilt with God

            • We don’t have to carry around that guilt debt

            • 1 John 1:9, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

          • We may also experience guilt with another person

            • The same holds true with other people – we don’t have to carry around the guilt we are experiencing

            • We can and should go to that person, confess and seek their forgiveness

            • Too often we continue to carry the debt of guilt around, which affects our relationship with that person

        • We can be saved from the debt of guilt

 

The Israelites had been waiting for the Messiah to come, so they could be set free from Roman rule. ​​ They were looking for someone to save them. ​​ Unfortunately, they were looking for a political leader instead of a spiritual leader. ​​ As John the Baptist continues his testimony (the positive side of it) we see that he directs the people’s attention to someone he has been talking about in veiled terms. ​​ As Jesus enters the scene, John the Baptist wants us to know that . . .

BIG IDEA – Salvation is here.

 

This is not a financial or emotional salvation, but a spiritual salvation.

 

Let’s pray

 

  • GOD (John 1:29-34)

    • Salvation revealed to Israel (vv. 29-31)

        • The next day

          • John the evangelist is probably referring to the day after John the Baptist had responded to the delegation from Jerusalem (priests and Levites)

            • We are not told if this delegation is still present the next day

            • Some believe they had begun their return trip to Jerusalem

            • Nothing is mentioned in this passage about whether or not they were there

          • What we do know is that John the Baptist saw Jesus coming towards him and takes the opportunity to testify about who Jesus is and what His purpose on earth was

            • John isn’t commanding people to look at Jesus, but rather making an exclamation to draw their attention to Jesus

            • He wants them to see who Jesus is, because he is going to explain Jesus’ purpose on earth

        • Jesus’ purpose on earth

          • Lamb of God

            • This imagery would have been very familiar to the Jews who were following John the Baptist

              • The sacrificial system had been in place for hundreds of years

              • We are all familiar with the final plague in Egypt that allowed the Israelites to be set free from slavery

                • Death of the firstborn, both human and animal

                • The Israelites avoided that plague by sacrificing a perfect lamb and smearing the blood on the doorposts of their houses

                • The Israelites remembered their release from slavery every year by celebrating Passover, which included the sacrifice of a perfect lamb

              • What is perhaps less familiar to us is that two lambs were sacrificed every day at the temple (one in the morning and one in the evening)

                • This was done as a way to cleanse the Israelites

                • Hebrews 9:22, In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness

                • We saw God shedding blood after the fall of Adam and Eve, when He made coverings for their nakedness out of animal skins

              • “The first biblical mention of the Lamb appears in Genesis 22 when Abraham went to the altar to sacrifice his son Isaac. ​​ Leviticus 14 talks about lambs as a guilt offering. ​​ John came back to it in Revelation as a triumphal title for the conquering Lord.” ​​ [Gangel, Holman New Testament Commentary, John, 16]

            • The sacrificial system was designed as a way to cover over the sins of the Israelites, but it was not designed to take away their sins

          • Take away the sin of the world

            • John the Baptist is announcing and proclaiming that Jesus’ purpose in coming to earth was to be the perfect sacrifice that takes away the sin of the world

            • His sacrifice would not merely cover over their sins, but take them away

            • “But this Lamb is a special kind of lamb – one that ‘takes away [airōn] the sin of the world.” ​​ The theme of taking away sin is directly related to the Hebrew kpr, which involves ‘wiping away’ or getting rid of sin. ​​ Such ‘getting rid’ is not merely done by ‘covering’ it over and acting as though it were gone. ​​ The getting rid of sin in the Bible is done by the smearing of blood, the symbol of God’s ‘pardoning’ of humanity through death and the consequent ‘reconciliation of humanity with God.’” ​​ [Borchert, The New American Commentary, John 1-11, 135-36]

            • Hebrews 7:27-28, Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. ​​ For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.

          • PRINCIPLE – God provided Jesus as the final, perfect sacrifice for sin.

            • “In Genesis, as Abel brought a lamb for sacrifice we see a lamb offered for an individual. ​​ In Exodus, as each household sacrificed a lamb during Passover, we see a lamb offered for a family. ​​ In Leviticus, when the people of Israel were instructed to sacrifice a lamb, we see a lamb offered for a nation. ​​ In John, as the Baptist identifies Jesus as the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world, we see a Lamb who would be offered for the world.” ​​ [Courson, Jon Courson’s Application Commentary, New Testament, 440]

            • We are all born with a desire to go our own way as Isaiah tells us, We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way . . . ​​ (Isaiah 53:6a)

            • Just as God punished Adam and Eve when they sinned, by rebelling against Him, He has to punish us for our sin of rebellion against Him (Rom. 6:23)

            • God provided a substitute for us, someone to take our place when His punishment is poured out

            • Isaiah 53:4-7, Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. ​​ But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed . . . and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. ​​ He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

            • This whole passage is talking about Jesus and the reason why He came to earth

            • He is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world

            • “Testing the acoustics in the vast Agricultural Hall, Spurgeon shouted, ‘Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.’ A worker high in the rafters of the building heard this and became converted to Christ as a result.”

              "Charles Haddon Spurgeon," Christian History, no. 29.

              [              https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/1996/november/2121.html]

            • John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

            • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Recognize that Jesus took my punishment for sin when He died on the cross and believe in Him so I can have eternal life.

          • After John the Baptist proclaims who Jesus is, he explains that Jesus is eternal

        • Jesus’ preexistence

          • John is now explaining who he was talking about when he said in verse 15, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’

          • He is revealing to the people, who the person is that was already among them that they did not know (John 1:26)

          • The people can now see Jesus, face-to-face

          • Salvation is here!

          • Through this description, John is letting them know that Jesus is eternal, He is deity

            • As we learned at the beginning of this book, Jesus is God – God and Jesus are one

            • Although Jesus’ ministry was starting after John’s, Jesus’ ministry would far exceed John’s

            • John was pointing people to Jesus

            • “If some of Jesus’ first disciples had earlier followed John the Baptist, we must suppose that something encouraged them to abandon their old master at the peak of his influence, in order to follow a still unknown preacher from Galilee. ​​ The best reason is the obvious one: ​​ they changed their allegiance precisely because it was the Baptist himself who pointed Jesus out as the one who was coming to fulfil the promise of Scripture.” ​​ [Carson, The Pillar New Testament Commentary, The Gospel According to John, 148]

          • John then answers the question about why he came baptizing

        • John’s reason for baptizing

          • When John says that he did not know him (Jesus), it doesn’t mean that he had never met Jesus

            • John and Jesus were relatives, so he obviously knew who Jesus was (son of Mary and Joseph, brother of James, etc.)

            • It was that he did not know him as the Coming One, the Messiah

            • This was revealed to him through a revelation of God that we will see in vv. 32-33

          • John then gives the reason why he was baptizing

            • We know from v. 23 that John explained who he was by stating that he was making straight the way for the Lord

            • He was preparing people to meet the Messiah

            • His baptizing was a way to prepare people to receive the Messiah

            • His entire role as the Baptist was to reveal Jesus to Israel

        • PRINCIPLE – God’s desire is for Jesus to be revealed to all humanity.

          • The Great Commission is Jesus’ final words to His disciples before He ascends to heaven

          • Read Matthew 28:16-20

          • The Great Commission is given to us as followers of Jesus Christ – these are our marching orders until Jesus returns

          • Just as John’s ministry of baptism was designed to reveal Jesus to the Israelites, our various ministries within the church and outside the church, should be designed to reveal Jesus to all of humanity

          • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Make sure that the ministry I’m involved with at church, or outside the church, helps to reveal Jesus to those I’m ministering to.

        • John was able to reveal Jesus to Israel, because He had already been revealed to him

    • Jesus revealed to John (vv. 32-34)

        • John’s baptism of Jesus

          • John’s Gospel does not have Jesus’ baptism recorded, except for this reference to it

          • It is recorded in the other three Gospels

            • Matthew 3:13-17

            • Mark 1:9-11

            • Luke 3:21-22

          • John saw the Spirit of God descend from heaven in the form of a dove and remain on Jesus

            • The important word in this sentence is “remain”

            • “The appearance of the Spirit was common in the Old Testament, but it appeared mainly among designated leaders (such as a king, judge, or prophet) and remained only for the duration of their God-appointed work. ​​ John the Baptist’s comment is telling: ​​ The Spirit descended and remained on him. ​​ This is a permanent anointing; this is an anointing unlike anything witnessed before in Judaism; this is the messianic anointing.” ​​ [Burge, The NIV Application Commentary, John, 74]

            • So, the Spirit never left Jesus – they are together now in heaven

          • This anointing of Jesus was a fulfillment of a revelation given to John the Baptist

        • God’s revelation of Jesus

          • As John began his ministry of baptism, I’m certain he was probably watching and waiting for the fulfillment of the revelation God had given him

          • God had told him that the sign of the Messiah would be the Spirit coming down and remaining on a specific person

            • As John met certain individuals who appeared very godly, perhaps he wondered if the Spirit would descend and remain on them after he baptized them

            • When they came up out of the water, he probably said to himself, “Well, that’s not the Messiah.”

            • Then, finally one day, Jesus comes and John knows, even before he baptizes Jesus, that something is different about Him

            • He tries to deter Jesus, but Jesus reassures him that this baptism must be done to fulfill all righteousness (Matt. 3:15)

          • Finally, we see John’s testimony about who Jesus is

        • John’s testimony about Jesus

          • “I have seen” and “I testify” are in the perfect tense

          • It is a settled conviction for John

          • He believes it will all his heart and mind

          • Jesus is the Son of God

            • Most commentators mention that there is strong evidence through ancient manuscripts that John probably wrote “Chosen One of God” instead of “Son of God”

            • This would parallel Isaiah’s words

            • Isaiah 42:1, “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations.”

            • Both of these names for Jesus are valid

          • We don’t have to guess what John the Baptist thinks about Jesus and who He is, he tells us directly – he testifies!

    • This ends the second day of John the Baptist’s ministry as explained by John the evangelist (next week we’ll see the third day)

 

  • YOU

    • Salvation is here and it is for everyone

        • You can have eternal life when you believe in Jesus

        • He is the Chosen One of God, the perfect Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world

 

  • WE

    • The Gospel of Jesus Christ is a message of hope that is for the whole world

        • John was revealing Jesus to everyone he came in contact with, through his ministry of baptism

        • Each one of us is called and commissioned to the do same thing with everyone we come in contact with

 

CONCLUSION

“Why can't God just forgive the debt of sin? If our Creator was truly generous, couldn't he just move on without repayment? Live and let live? Here's the problem: someone always eats the cost of sin. As a simple example, let's say your neighbor crashes his car through your fence. When you discover the shambles, you forgive him: ‘Don't worry about the fence! All is forgiven.’ But forgiving your neighbor doesn't do away with the bill or dissolve the damage; it means you eat the cost.

 

Now consider a more complex example. During the U.S. housing crisis, shoddy banking practices, fat-cat executives, and corporate corruption threw a sledgehammer into the global economy. Now, imagine Jesus is installed in the aftermath as the new CEO of one of the massive corporations guilty for the crisis. The old CEO is out the door; a new boss is in town. Jesus is personally innocent: he wasn't behind the wheel when the ship got steered into the rocks. But there's still a huge debt. Bank of America alone owed people $17 billion.

 

Someone has to pay the costs. Here's what actually happened: in the aftermath of the housing crisis, the banks were deemed "too big to fail," and the government forgave the debt, covering the most expensive bailout of human history. Though the banking industry had caused massive damage, the debt was forgiven. But the debt didn't go away. Someone else covered it—in this case, the American people. Someone always eats the cost.

 

At the Cross, God was eating the cost of our sin. Why can't God just forgive the debt? This is what is happening at the Cross: God is just(ly) forgiving the debt—by personally covering the cost. I misspoke earlier when I said the White House gave Wall Street the most expensive bailout of human history. Actually, the most expensive bailout was when the Father established his incarnate Son as the new CEO of a corrupt corporation called Humanity Inc. and together, in the power of their Spirit, they took upon themselves the most outrageous debt-forgiveness plan the world has ever known.”

Joshua Ryan Butler, The Pursuing God (Thomas Nelson, 2016), page 100.

 

[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2017/march/3031317.html].

9

 

/by

The Humble Messenger

,

Believe

The Humble Messenger

(John 1:19-28)

 

INTRODUCTION

Psychologist Milton Rokeach wrote a book called The Three Christs of Ypsilanti. He described his attempts to treat three patients at a psychiatric hospital in Ypsilanti, Michigan, who suffered from delusions of grandeur. Each believed he was unique among humankind; he had been called to save the world; he was the messiah. They displayed full-blown cases of grandiosity, in its pure form.

 

Rokeach found it difficult to break through, to help the patients accept the truth about their identity. So he decided to put the three into a little community to see if rubbing against people who also claimed to be the messiah might dent their delusion—a kind of messianic, 12-step recovery group.

 

This led to some interesting conversations. One would claim, "I'm the messiah, the Son of God. I was sent here to save the earth."

 

"How do you know?" Rokeach would ask.

 

"God told me."

 

One of the other patients would counter, "I never told you any such thing."

 

Every once in a while, one got a glimmer of reality—never deep or for long, so deeply ingrained was the messiah complex. But what progress Rokeach made was pretty much made by putting them together.

 

John Ortberg, "Leader's Insight: Curing Grandiosity (Part Two)," LeadershipJournal.net (1-29-07)

[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2007/may/2050707.html].

 

Most of us don’t struggle with a God/Messiah complex, but we can sometimes think too highly of ourselves.

 

BODY

  • ME

    • Working for others

        • We see in Colossians 3:18-25, rules for Christian households

        • Colossians 3:22-24, Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. ​​ Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. ​​ It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

        • When I work for others, I try to do my very best

          • I worked for two ministries prior to becoming a pastor

          • While working with those ministries, I always tried to do my best to make my boss look good

          • I never felt like I needed praise or acknowledgement for working hard, because I found joy in making my boss look good

          • I also knew that I wasn’t really serving my boss, but the Lord

          • That perspective changes everything in the work environment

        • It was never about me, but rather about the Lord and my boss

 

  • WE

    • Recognizing who we are serving

        • There are times in our work environment when we really enjoy working for our boss

        • There are other times when we wish our boss was someone else

        • During the difficult times, we have to remember that we are really working for the Lord and not for men

        • We have to come to the realization that it’s not about us, but about the Lord

 

John the evangelist continues to share about John the Baptist. ​​ In John 1:19-34 we see the testimony of John the Baptist. ​​ He first expresses his testimony in a negative way (vv. 19-28) and then shares it in a positive way (vv. 29-34). ​​ We will be looking at the negative way today. ​​ Now this negative testimony is not bad, but rather it’s John the Baptist denying the assumptions of the religious leaders from Jerusalem. ​​ John the Baptist was letting them know that his testimony was not about him, but someone else. ​​ He wants us to understand that . . .

 

BIG IDEA – Our testimony is not about me, but about He (Jesus).

 

Let’s pray

 

  • GOD (John 1:19-28)

    • Three Assumptions (vv. 19-21)

        • The questioners

          • John the Baptist had obviously gotten the attention of the religious leaders, which is why they sent a delegation to question him

            • They were the religious leaders for the people of Israel, but now a large number of their people were following John and being baptized by him

            • They needed to know why

            • “The very fact that emissaries from the Jerusalem authorities show up on John’s doorstep serves as a show of power and as a signal that the authorities will not tolerate in the long run a ministry that runs counter to their own purposes.” ​​ [Köstenberger, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, John, 59]

          • The Jews of Jerusalem sent a group to question John the Baptist

            • This was probably the Sanhedrin

            • Jon Courson likens them to our Supreme Court [Jon Courson’s Application Commentary, New Testament, 439]

            • They were the highest religious ruling group in Judaism

          • Priests and Levites

            • The priests were responsible for serving in the Temple

            • The Levites were responsible for assisting the priests in their service

            • Both groups handled the ritual purification that took place in the Temple, so they would be the best candidates to question John about his practice of baptizing individuals

        • The priests and Levites came to John to ask him who he was

          • Because John was baptizing individuals, the religious leaders had a preconceived idea of what time period was approaching – the eschaton (end times)

          • Since they thought they knew what time period was approaching, it narrowed their view of who John might be

          • So, they had three assumptions, based on their study of Scripture and understanding of end times

            • 1st assumption – the Christ

              • Now, John the evangelist doesn’t record the actual question that the priests and Levites ask

              • But, from John the Baptist’s answer we know the question was whether or not he was the Christ

                • The Greek word for Christ means “anointed One”

                • The Hebrew word for Messiah means “anointed One”

                • So, we see that the religious leaders are asking John the Baptist if he is the promised Messiah, their deliverer

                • In the 1st Century there was great expectation and anticipation of the Messiah’s arrival

                • Jesus’ miraculous birth, the announcement of the angel to the shepherds, the shepherds testimony, and the Wiseman’s appearance a couple of years later, helped to feed this expectation and anticipation of the coming Messiah

                • It wouldn’t have been out of place for the priests and Levites to ask this question of John

              • We see John the Baptist’s response

                • He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely

                  • Within Christianity, when we hear the word “confess” we normally think about confessing our sins, but that is not the intent of John’s confession here

                  • “‘Confessed’ does not refer to confession of sins but to maintaining one’s allegiance to Jesus Christ in the face of hostile interrogation, and this is what John is doing here implicitly.” ​​ [Michaels, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, The Gospel of John, 96]

                  • We can learn a lot from John’s example here

                  • When faced with those who deny the deity of Christ, the existence of God, the validity of Scripture, etc., we have to maintain our allegiance to Jesus and confess Him to the world

                  • PRINCIPLE – We should never fail to confess Christ.

                  • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Speak up and confess my allegiance to Christ when others question and deny Jesus as Lord.

                • He told them that he was not the Christ, the Messiah

                • He wasn’t about to claim this name for himself

              • Our testimony is not about me, but about He (Jesus)

              • After John denies being the Christ, they move on to the next end time figure

            • 2nd assumption – Elijah

              • If he was not the Christ, then perhaps he was Elijah

              • This tells us that the religious leaders knew prophecy

                • Malachi 3:1, “See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. ​​ Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty.

                • Malachi 4:5-6, “See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. ​​ He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.”

                • The religious leaders were taking the words of the prophet Malachi, literally – Elijah would return in person

                  • They held to this belief because they knew the history about Elijah from the Scriptures

                  • They had learned that Elijah never died, but was taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire (2 Kings 2:11)

                  • So, when they read Malachi’s prophecy about Elijah preparing the way for the Lord, they understood it in a literal sense

                • Jesus explained that John the Baptist fulfilled the prophecy concerning Elijah

                  • Matthew 11:12-14, From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. ​​ For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. ​​ And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come.

                  • Matthew 17:10-13, The disciples asked him, “Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?” ​​ Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. ​​ But I tell, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. ​​ In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” ​​ Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.

                • An angel prophesied to Zechariah (John’s father) about him prior to his birth

                  • The angel was telling Zechariah all that his son would accomplish

                  • Luke 1:17, “And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous – to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

                • John certainly fulfilled the prophecies from Malachi and the angel of the Lord – he was making the way ready for the Messiah

              • Perhaps John the Baptist even resembled Elijah

                • Mark 1:6, John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.

                • 2 Kings 1:8, They replied, “He was a man with a garment of hair and with a leather belt around his waist.” ​​ The king said, “That was Elijah the Tishbite.”

                • So, John’s wardrobe resembled that of Elijah

                • It wouldn’t have been a stretch for the religious leaders to make this connection and then misunderstand and misinterpret prophecy

              • John foils their second assumption, by telling them that he is not Elijah

            • 3rd assumption – the Prophet

              • This assumption is again steeped in Jewish history and the promise of Moses found in Deuteronomy 18:15-19

              • Deuteronomy 18:15, 18-19, The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. ​​ You must listen to him . . . I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him. ​​ If anyone does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call him to account.

              • John’s answer to their third assumption is, “No.”

              • He was not the Prophet that Moses promised

        • Perhaps the priests and the Levites were baffled at this point, because John denied all three of their assumptions about who he was

    • Who are you? (vv. 22-23)

        • The priests and Levites know they can’t return empty handed to the Sanhedrin (Jews of Jerusalem)

          • They finally ask John to explain to them who he was

          • Have you ever struggled with remembering someone’s name when you’re trying to tell another person who you saw?

            • The other person starts throwing out names and you have to say “No” to everyone of their guesses

            • The person’s name you’re trying to think of is right on the tip of your brain, but having to respond “No” to the guesses distracts you from pulling the person’s name out of your brain

            • That can be so frustrating

            • I wonder if John the Baptist was getting exasperated with the priests and Levites

            • Perhaps he was thinking, “just let me tell you who I am!”

          • I find it fascinating, but not surprising, that John uses the words of the prophet Isaiah to answer their final question

        • John quotes the prophet Isaiah

          • Remember, the religious leader’s assumptions were all based on Old Testament prophecies about the Christ, Elijah, and the Prophet

          • John hits them with more Old Testament prophecy, which they probably already knew

            • John is not the Christ, but is rather a voice

              • The messenger is not as important as the message

              • “Though Jesus is the Word, the Baptist is ‘a voice’ directing his audience to Jesus.” ​​ [Köstenberger, 62]

              • Our testimony is not about me, but about He (Jesus)

              • PRINCIPLE – Disciples of Christ should always point people to Jesus.

                • Our personal testimony is the most powerful tool we have in sharing the Gospel, because no one can deny what happened to us

                • Now, in sharing our testimony we have to be careful that it doesn’t become about us

                • Greg Laurie in his book Tell Someone gives some great guidelines about sharing our testimony, especially concerning our past life of sin and rebellion against God

                  • Don’t glorify or exaggerate your past [pg. 85]

                  • Don’t boast about your work, boast in His [pg. 86]

                  • It’s not about you; it’s about Him! [pg. 87]

                  • “Our story is the bridge, not the destination. ​​ The point of sharing your story is so you can tell His story: ​​ His love for humanity, His death on the cross, and His resurrection from the dead.” ​​ [pg. 87]

              • We are simply the voice, the messenger, pointing people to Jesus

              • What we see next is a change in location of punctuation from the words of the prophet in the book of Isaiah to the words of John the Baptist in the Gospel of John

            • Straight paths

              • In the desert

                • Isaiah 40:3, A voice on one calling: ​​ “In the desert prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.”

                • The Israelites were being released from captivity during Isaiah’s day

                • They would be returning to the Promised Land

                • “In the original context, the Old Testament prophet is calling for a (metaphorical) improvement in the road system of the desert to the east, a levelling of hills and valleys and a straightening of the curves, to accommodate the return of the covenant people from exile.” ​​ [Carson, Pillar New Testament Commentary, The Gospel According to John, 144]

              • In our lives

                • Here in the Gospel of John, we see that John the Baptist is the voice in the desert

                • His message, as the voice, is to make straight the way for the Lord

                • “‘Make the Lord’s path straight’ conveys the image of ‘preparing a roadway by clearing away the obstacles’ (Morris 1995: ​​ 121). ​​ The task of witnessing to Jesus today is similar: ​​ clearing away obstacles that may keep people from coming to Jesus, the most glaring being their sin and need of repentance.” ​​ [Köstenberger, 62-63]

                • “We might liken it to constructing an interstate highway or autobahn for Christ in our lives.” ​​ [Borchert, The New American Commentary, John 1-11, 131]

            • John the Baptist was calling people to repentance and pointing them to Jesus Christ

        • Even after John explains who he is, the priests and Levites are still stuck on the fact that he is not the Christ, Elijah, or the Prophet

    • Authority questioned (vv. 24-28)

        • Some Pharisees question John about why he is baptizing

          • If he’s not one of the eschatological figures they assumed him to be, then why is he baptizing people?

          • Baptism in the 1st Century was not a foreign concept

            • It was considered a form of ritual cleansing or purification

            • In the Jewish cultural it was reserved for Gentiles who converted to Judaism

            • Baptism was a way for Gentiles to be prepared for the final judgement, therefore, the Jews thinking John was the Christ, Elijah, or the Prophet

            • The Jews obviously didn’t need to be baptized, because they were God’s chosen people (a misconception)

            • So, when John begins baptizing fellow Jews, it obviously creates a red flag in the religious leader’s minds

            • They need answers!

          • We see John’s response

        • John’s response

          • He baptizes with water

            • “Water baptism for John’s disciples was a ritual act of cleansing demonstrating repentance and anticipation of the Messiah.” ​​ [Gangel, Holman New Testament Commentary, John, 14]

            • What they didn’t realize is that Jesus was already there

            • I’m getting ahead of myself, we’ll talk about that next week

          • We see the humility of John

            • What the religious leaders are really saying to John the Baptist, in this final question is, “Who do you think you are and by whose authority are you baptizing, our fellow Jews?”

            • John could have thrown down his credentials at that point, but he doesn’t

            • “If I had been John, I would have probably said something like, ‘I’ll tell you who I am: ​​ I’m the last of the Old Testament prophets. ​​ My birth was declared to my father by an angel. ​​ The Holy Spirit empowered me for this mission when I was still in the womb. ​​ The Son of God called me the greatest man ever to walk the face of the earth [Matt 11:11]. ​​ That’s who I am! ​​ Who are you?’” ​​ [Carter and Wredberg, Christ-Centered Exposition: ​​ Exalting Jesus in John, 30]

            • But John knows that his role is to become less, so that Jesus might become greater (John 3:30)

            • PRINCIPLE – Followers of Jesus should be characterized by humility.

              • John says that he is not even worthy to untie the leather straps that hold Jesus’ sandals on

                • In the 1st Century, the disciples of a Rabbi were to obediently do anything that was asked of them, except washing their feet

                • This task was reserved for the servant or slave (the lowest position in the culture)

                • John’s humility places him below a servant or slave

                • He again points to Jesus as the One who comes after him – the Messiah

              • Our testimony is not about me, but about He (Jesus).

                • Think for a moment about your testimony

                • Would you say that it is more about the glorification of your past and boasting about the things you’ve sacrificed?

                • Are there changes you need to make when sharing your testimony, so that your story is simply the bridge to telling God’s story of salvation through Jesus Christ?

                • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Review my testimony to make sure that it focuses more on Jesus and less on me.

                • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Take time this week to write out my testimony, so I’m ready to share it with my family, friends, and coworkers.

          • John the evangelist shares one more important note

        • Geographical note

          • The location of where John was baptizing disciples for Jesus was in Bethany on the other side of the Jordan

          • This distinguishes it from Bethany in Judea where Lazarus, Mary, and Martha lived (that location was near Jerusalem on the other side of the Mount of Olives

          • The actual location is lost to us, perhaps because it was not a highly populated area in Galilee

 

  • YOU

    • We should never fail to confess Christ

    • We should be characterized by humility when sharing our testimony

 

  • WE

    • People need us to confess Christ, because the world’s message seems to drown out the message of the Gospel

    • We need to get our story out of the way, so God’s story can be seen clearly

 

CONCLUSION

"If you work hard, good things will happen . . . to someone else."

 

So goes the motto of the All-Joes Team. Each year USA Today honors overlooked and often unappreciated football players by naming them to what the newspaper calls its All-Joes Team. Now in its tenth year, the All-Joes award celebrates men who sacrifice their egos for the good of their team.

 

For all their hard work, these grunts receive little glory. "You have to know your role," says William Henderson, fullback for Green Bay's Ahman Green. "I'm there to create a cavity for Ahman to get through and to protect the quarterback from bodily harm." Guess who gets the accolades when Green runs for 1000 yards? "People don't respect the position," says Henderson.

 

But teammates notice. Fullback Mack Strong blocks for Seattle's Ricky Watters, and Watters depends on him. "Mack does all the dirty work in the run game. He does everything. I mean, if the goal posts fell, I wouldn't be surprised to see him go over there and hold them up."

 

As a result of being named to the All-Joe team, some players have gone on to further glory. Previous All-Joes have made it to the Pro Bowl, including Washington defensive end Marco Coleman, New York Jets receiver Wayne Chrebet, and Seattle offensive tackle Walter Jones.

 

We as Christians need to work for someone else's glory too. Our role is to diminish so that Jesus may increase. If we make this our goal, Jesus will make sure our efforts won't go unnoticed.

 

Steve Gertz, Wheaton, Illinois; source: Larry Weisman, "All-Joes honor fullbacks for dirty job well done," USA Today (12-16-02)

 

[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2002/january/13476.html].

11

 

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I’ve Been There, And I’ll Always Be There For You

Believe

I’ve Been There, And I’ll Always Be There For You

(John 1:14-18)

 

INTRODUCTION

Learning different languages.

 

BODY

 

BIG IDEA – Our God wants to know and be known by us.

 

QUESTION – Why would God become one of us?

 

  • GOD (John 1:14-18)

    • Experience (v. 14)

        • God’s experience of humanity

          • John 4:6-7; 11:33, 35

          • Exodus 25:8-9; 40:34

        • Humanity’s experience of God

    • Example (vv. 15-17)

        • Of how to navigate this life He gave us

    • Explanation

        • Of God and His character

        • Who is He?

          • What matters to Him?

          • Galatians 3:13-14

 

CONCLUSION

God became man, so He could die for us. ​​ As deity He couldn’t die. ​​ As a human He could die for us.

2

 

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We’ll Leave The Light On For You

,

Believe

We’ll Leave The Light On For You.

(John 1:6-13)

 

INTRODUCTION

Motel 6 Radio Ads (stop after “‘Recycled Words’ 30 sec.” at 2:14)

 

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cVRMGEL5GY&t=198s].

 

BODY

  • ME

    • Always pray and not give up

        • During my devotions on Thursday God used Luke 18:1-8 to encourage me about praying and continuing to pray about several items

        • Luke 18:1, Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.

        • I don’t know about you, but there can be times in my life when I stop praying about certain things because it seems as though God is not answering

        • I had two prayer requests just like that and through my devotions, I have started praying for those two requests again

        • I also added some additional requests to my list of things that I need to continue to pray about

        • One of those prayer requests was for salvation for a particular individual

 

  • WE

    • Praying for salvation for family and friends

        • Are there individuals in your sphere of influence (family, friends, or coworkers) that you used to pray for about salvation, but you’ve stopped?

        • I want to encourage you to begin praying for them again

        • It’s important that we pray and not give up

 

John introduces us to his first witness concerning the Light (Jesus). ​​ This individual was not the light, but testified about the light. ​​ He did his job very well. ​​ He never gave up telling others about the Light. ​​ What John wants us to do is follow the example of this first witness. ​​ He wants us to . . .

 

BIG IDEA – Leave the Light on for the lost.

 

Let’s pray

 

  • GOD (John 1:6-13)

    • The Witness (vv. 6-9)

        • The witness identified (v. 6)

          • John, the evangelist, summarizes John the Baptist’s life in one sentence

          • Luke gives a more thorough description of John the Baptist’s birth and ministry in Luke 1

            • John’s conception is miraculous

            • His name means “the Lord is gracious”

            • John the Baptist was a relative of Jesus

            • We know he was to be set apart, before he was even born

          • We see that the message that John the Baptist was bringing was not something he made up on his own

            • His message came from God, because he came from God

            • “John did not design the message; he was sent on a mission by God to deliver it.” ​​ [Carter and Wredberg, Christ-Centered Exposition: ​​ Exalting Jesus in John, 16]

            • “The phrase ‘sent from God’ is reminiscent of the OT description of a prophet whose role was to function as a spokesperson for God (e.g., 2 Chron. 24:19; 25:15; Jer. 7:25; 25:4; 28:9; 35:15; 44:4; Ezek. 2:3).” ​​ [Köstenberger, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, John, 32]

              • We shouldn’t dismiss or marginalize the significance of that idea too quickly

              • Remember that from the end of the Old Testament (Malachi) to the beginning of the New Testament was a 400 year period when the Israelites did not hear from God

              • Now, as John the Baptist arrives on the scene we see a phrase that was used for God’s prophets in the OT being used once again

              • John the Baptist is God’s messenger, His witness, His spokesperson

          • Once John, the evangelist, identifies the witness, he immediately explains what his purpose and goal was

        • The purpose and goal of the witness (v. 7-8)

          • Purpose – to testify about the light

            • John the Baptist was not the light, but he was a witness to the light

            • A witness does not direct attention to themselves, but rather tells what they know and have heard about a situation or person

            • “When the sun is shining in all its beauty, who are the ones unconscious of the fact? ​​ Who need to be told it is shining? ​​ The blind! ​​ How tragic, then, when we read that God sent John to ‘bear witness of the light.’ ​​ How pathetic that there should be any need for this! ​​ How solemn the statement that men have to be told ‘the light’ is now in their midst. ​​ What a revelation of man’s fallen condition. (John, 26) ​​ [A. W. Pink cited by Carter and Wredberg, 16]

            • God had given John wisdom about Himself and the Messiah, so he could tell what he heard and knew

            • John was simply pointing others to Jesus

            • We’ll see this in John 1:35 when we get there

          • Goal – so that all men might believe

            • His purpose was to be a witness that testified about the light

            • The goal of his witness and testimony was that, through him, all men might believe

              • When it mentions men here it’s in a general sense, meaning men and women (all of humanity)

              • Here is the first use of the word “believe” in John’s Gospel

              • John the Baptist is directing his disciples, and all others who are listening to him, to believe that Jesus is the Messiah

              • What John the Baptist wants is not just head knowledge about Jesus, but an “active, relational trust in Jesus Christ.” ​​ [Köstenberger, 34]

              • We’ll see how he expresses this in the coming weeks

          • PRINCIPLE – God’s desire for His people is that they witness about Jesus.

            • Have you turned off the Light of the Gospel in your life?

              • Perhaps you’ve given up on that family member, friend, or coworker

              • Maybe you’ve never shared your testimony with anyone before, which means you’ve never turned on the Light of the Gospel – your family, friends, and coworkers may not even know you are a Christian

              • Whether you’ve turned off the Light of the Gospel in your life or never turned it on, today is the day to turn on the Light of the Gospel and leave it on for the lost

            • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Be a witness for Jesus Christ on a daily basis.

          • There is a transition that takes place between verse 8 and verse 9, from talking about the witness to talking about the light

        • The light was coming (v. 9)

          • The true light

            • “True” means, “real” or “genuine” ​​ [Carson, The Pillar New Testament Commentary: ​​ The Gospel According to John, 122]

            • I’m reminded of the movie The Truman Show starring Jim Carrey

              • He’s an insurance salesman who lives in what seems to be a perfect community

              • Everything runs like clockwork

              • He eventually realizes that his whole life is actually a reality TV show

              • The producers are controlling everything that happens in his life, including the sunrise and sunset

              • The sky is not real, but actually projections

              • The sun and moon are not real, but rather computer generated

              • He’s not experiencing true light, but manufactured light

            • What sets Christianity apart from all other religions and cults is what they believe about Jesus Christ (who He was and is, and what He came to earth to accomplish)

              • All other religions and cults will paint Jesus as a good teacher, a wise rabbi, another prophet, etc.

              • They are simply pointing to an imitation and not the real Light

              • John 8:12, When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. ​​ Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

              • While John the Baptist is pointing to Jesus, Jesus is pointing to God

            • Jesus, as the Light, is available to every person

              • Jesus is God’s perfect plan to deal with humanity’s sin (we’ll unwrap this in verses 12 and 13)

              • Everyone is invited to follow Him

              • No one is excluded from the invitation

              • As we’ll see, though, not everyone accepts the invitation

            • John explains next that Jesus’ coming was foretold

          • Was coming into the world

            • The way this verse has been translated leads us to understand that Jesus’ coming was foretold

            • We see, throughout the Old Testament, that many of the prophets foretold Jesus’ coming

        • John, the evangelist, doesn’t waste time, but skims over the 400 years of silence from the Old Testament to the New Testament and states that Jesus was in the world

    • The Light (vv. 10-13)

        • Not recognized by the world (v. 10)

          • In the world

            • What the Gospel writer is expressing here is that Jesus didn’t just pop in to the world for a quick visit

            • He became flesh and made His dwelling among humanity (John 1:14)

            • Jesus lived on the earth for 33 years, before He gave His life on the cross for all of humanity’s sin

          • Creator of the world

            • He created the world together with God

            • The world that is being referred to here are human beings and not vegetation, water, wind, animals, etc.

            • “In other words, Jesus came into this world, and all of creation acknowledged Him. ​​ The winds obeyed Him. ​​ The water supported Him. ​​ The rocks were ready to cry out to Him. ​​ But there was one segment of creation that received Him not: ​​ man.” ​​ [Courson, Jon Courson’s Application Commentary, New Testament, 437]

          • Rejection of God and Jesus

            • What we see is the sinful nature at work

            • The Greek word for “recognize” is better translated as “know”

              • In our culture we define “know” as head knowledge – facts, statistics, etc.

              • In the Greek, the word actually means “more than intellectual knowledge, but rather ‘to be in right relation’” ​​ [Rogers & Rogers, The New Linguistic and Exegetical Key to the Greek New Testament, 176]

            • We don’t want to be in a right relationship with God as our Creator, but rather we want to rebel against Him and go our own way (we willfully turn away from God)

            • Carter and Wredberg explain it well [Carter and Wredberg, 16]

              • “Jesus made our eyes, yet we refused to see his glory.”

              • “Jesus made our ears, yet we refused to listen to his words.”

              • “Jesus made our heads, yet we refused to bow before him.”

          • “Christmas is not about the living God coming to tell us everything's alright. John's gospel isn't about Jesus speaking the truth and everyone saying: ‘Of course! Why didn't we realize it before?’ It is about God shining his clear, bright torch into the darkness of our world, our lives, our hearts, our imaginations—and the darkness not comprehending it. It's about God, God as a little child, speaking words of truth, and nobody knowing what he's talking about.”

            N. T. Wright, "What Is This Word?" ChristianityToday.com             (12-21-06).

            [https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2007/november/christmasabouthumanity.html]

          • John takes it a step further and narrows the focus to a specific people group

        • Not received by the Jews (v. 11)

          • His own

            • This is a reference to the Jewish nation

            • They were God’s chosen people, with the responsibility of showing all other nations what being in a relationship with God was supposed to look like

            • We see through the prophets that the Israelites had been at this for quite a while

              • Isaiah 65:2-3, All day long I have held out my hands to an obstinate people, who walk in ways not good, pursuing their own imaginations – a people who continually provoke me to my very face, offering sacrifices in gardens and burning incense on altars of brick.

              • Jeremiah 7:25-26, From the time your forefathers left Egypt until now, day after day, again and again I sent you my servants the prophets. ​​ But they did not listen to me or pay attention. ​​ They were stiff-necked and did more evil than their forefathers.

            • Paul was passionate about the Gospel of Jesus Christ

              • As he began his ministry, we initially find him going to the synagogues first to share the Gospel with his own people, the Jews

              • When they kicked him out of the synagogue, he would begin teaching the Gentiles

              • He desperately tried to reach the Jews with the Gospel, and yet, suffered heartache when rejected

              • Romans 9:1-4a, I speak the truth in Christ – I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit – I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. ​​ For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, the people of Israel.

              • We should have that same conviction about our own people

            • The Jews did not receive Jesus as their Messiah

          • They didn’t receive Him

            • Easter has just passed and we know from Holy Week that Jesus was rejected by the Jews

            • The religious leaders stirred the people up to demand that Pilot release Barabbas instead of Jesus

            • We also know that the religious leaders encouraged the people to cry out, “Crucify Him! ​​ Crucify Him!”

          • While most Jews rejected Jesus as the Messiah, we know that some received Him (Nicodemus & Joseph of Arimathea), which is what John explains in verses 12-13

        • God’s initiative (vv. 12-13)

          • All

            • This takes us back to verse 9 where Jesus, as the Light, is available for every person

            • Everyone is given the same opportunity to receive and believe in the name of Jesus Christ

            • It’s a personal decision that each person has to make individually

            • When we receive Jesus and believe in His name we are saying several things

              • I am a sinner, I know I’ve done wrong things (Rom. 3:23; 6:23)

              • I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sins, was buried, and came alive again in 3 days to take my punishment for sin (1 Cor. 15:3-4)

              • I repent of my sins, turn to Jesus as the master of my life

            • When we genuinely communicate those things to God, He promises us that we have the right to become His children

            • PRINCIPLE – God will allow anyone to be His child when they receive Jesus and believe in His name.

          • Children of God

            • Perhaps you are ready to make that decision today

              • You may be ready to receive Jesus and believe in His name

              • It’s not unusual for people to make an intellectual decision without a genuine desire to be in a right relationship with God – maybe you’re ready for the decision to move from your head to your heart

              • Today may be the day that you claim the right to become a child of God

              • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Receive Jesus and believe in His name, so I can become a child of God.

            • If we are children of God then one day we will live with Him where He’s at – Heaven!

          • Born of God

            • “We can only be saved through the direct intervention of God.” ​​ [Carter and Wredberg, 18]

            • As human beings we try gain God’s acceptance in three ways

              • Heritage or race (natural descent)

                • “Descent” in the Greek is literally “bloods”

                • It’s the idea of a bloodline or family line

                • This was something that the Jews thought would get them into heaven and a right relationship with God

                • If they descended from Abraham, then they were good, no worries

                • Sometimes we look at our heritage and see godly parents, grandparents, and great grandparents and can think that we are good with God – Christianity is my heritage

                • Some have even thought that because there were pastors in their family line that they somehow were “in” with God without making a personal decision to receive Jesus and believe in His name

              • Sincerity or human comparisons (human decision)

                • This certainly has the idea of passion between a husband and wife in coming together to procreate

                • “The phrase ‘of human decision’ renders the literal ‘will of flesh,’ whereby ‘flesh’ does not denote what is sinful (as it does so often in Paul’s writings), but merely relates to what is natural as opposed to what is supernatural.” ​​ [Köstenberger, 40]

              • Effort or human calculations (husband’s will)

                • This refers to the OT implication of male headship/leadership in the home

                • More specifically about men taking the lead in sexual intercourse, resulting in procreation

            • All three of those ways will not result in a person being in a right relationship with God

              • God is the One who took the initiative in providing salvation through His Son, Jesus

              • Through Jesus death, burial, and resurrection, He made a way for us to become His child

 

  • YOU

    • Leave the Light on for the lost

        • If you’ve turned the Light of the Gospel off in your life, it’s time to turn it back on

        • If you’ve never turned the Light of the Gospel on in your life, it’s time to turn it on

    • Children of God

        • You can turn on the Light of the Gospel in your life for the first time today by receiving Jesus and believing in His name

        • One of the first steps for a new Christian is to tell others what Jesus has done for them – that’s being a witness

 

  • WE

    • We are called to be witnesses about Jesus Christ to those in our sphere of influence who are lost

    • Jesus commanded His disciples and us to Pursue, Grow, and Multiply Disciples

CONCLUSION

“Patrick Henry once said, ‘The most cherished possession I wish I could leave you is my faith in Jesus Christ, for with Him and nothing else you can be happy, but without Him and with all else, you’ll never be happy’ (cited in Detzler, p. 39).” ​​ [Gangel, Holman New Testament Commentary, John, 13].

 

While we cannot leave our faith with our family, friends, and coworkers, we can certainly leave the Light of the Gospel on for them. ​​ We can share the Light of the world with them.

10

 

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Believe

, ,

Believe

Believe

(John 1:1-5)

 

INTRODUCTION

“Many years ago, a doting groom penned a love letter to his bride. Stationed at a California military base thousands of miles away from his wife, James Bracy's link to the lovely woman waiting for him to come home were their love letters.

 

But this letter didn't get delivered. Somehow it was lost, lodged between two walls in Fort Ord's mailroom in San Francisco. The letter was lost in the shadows, with its romantic affections of a youthful marriage, sealed with a kiss.

 

A half century later, James and Sallie Bracy had just finished celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary and were relaxing in the living room when ‘Once in a While,’ their song, began to play on the radio. Sallie remembered affectionately the 1950s song and how she used to get calls and letters from the man who owned her heart. They joked together knowing there would be no letter or phone call this time because James was at her side.

 

Meanwhile, a construction crew was dismantling the old post office at Fort Ord, and they discovered a long-forgotten letter from a young army corporal. The crew turned the letter over to Bob Spadoni, the postmaster in nearby Monterey. Spadoni began the process of delivering that letter, tracking down the Bracys through post office records and phone books.

 

Just a few days after hearing their song, the letter, dated January 28, 1955, was delivered to Sallie Bracy. The letter sent her heart aflutter, tears welled, and she again became a love-struck 22-year-old. ‘It meant a lot to me then,’ said Sallie. ‘It means even more now.’

 

Many years ago God wrote his love letter to us. It's waiting to be delivered, to be opened at just the right time. It meant a lot then, and it means even more now.”

 

Drew Zahn, assistant editor, Leadership Journal; source: "After 46 years lost in post office, love letter finally arrives," Jefferson City News Tribune (4-25-01)

 

[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2001/july/13144.html].

BODY

  • ME

    • Separated over the summer

        • Judy and I met in college our freshman year

        • I lived in Alabama and she lived in Ohio, so when summer hit, we knew we were going to be apart

        • That first summer we wrote letters to each

        • I can’t remember if we started it the first summer or the second summer apart

          • In addition to writing letters we also made cassette tape recordings

          • We would talk about all kinds of things and of course express our love for each other

          • After listening to each other’s recording, we would start our message right after the ending of the previous message

          • We still have those recordings stored somewhere

          • We also have the letters we sent to each other

        • Those are precious letters and memories for us

    • Salvation

        • Judy and I have both understood and accepted God’s love letter to us

        • We know the truths of the Gospel and have opened our lives to allow Jesus to come in

        • We love to read and reread God’s Word – we also love to study His Word

 

  • WE

    • Love Letters

        • Perhaps you have love letters stored away some where

        • Maybe it’s not love letters, but certain items that you cherish because they came from your spouse when you were dating

    • Salvation

        • Our prayer is that you cherish God’s Word at least with the same measure, but hopefully even more than those items from your spouse

        • We hope that your desire is to read and study God’s Word (His love letter to you)

 

When people ask me where they should begin to read the Bible, I inevitably point them to the Gospel of John. ​​ The reason I do this is because it gives a great overview of Jesus and who He was and is. ​​ John does something that none of the other Gospel writers do. ​​ He throws down an important theological truth that His readers need to embrace in order to understand the rest of his gospel. ​​ John wants everyone to know and understand that . . .

 

BIG IDEA – God and Jesus are One! ​​ (Jesus is God!)

 

Let’s pray

 

  • GOD (John 1:1-5)

    • Background

        • Author

          • There seems to be a lot of discussion about who the author is, but most believe it was John the apostle of Jesus Christ

            • He was the son of Zebedee and the brother of James

            • Together, James and John were known as the “Sons of Thunder”

          • John was writing to both new Christians and non-Christians

            • He wrote to Jews and Gentiles

            • This is important, because the other Gospel writers seemed to be writing to specific groups

            • “Matthew wrote with his fellow Jews in mind . . . Mark wrote for the busy Romans . . . Luke wrote his Gospel for the Greeks.” ​​ [Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, 284]

        • Date written

          • A.D. 85-90

          • John was writing after the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, but before his exile to Patmos

        • Structure of the Gospel of John

          • Prologue (John 1:1-18)

          • The Book of Signs (John 1-12)

            • John the Baptist (1:19-51)

            • The Institutions of Judaism (2:1-4:54)

            • The Festivals of Judaism (5:1-10:39)

            • Lazarus & Jesus’ Anointing (11:1-12:8)

            • Jesus’ Final Plea in Jerusalem (12:9-50)

          • The Book of Glory (John 13-20)

            • Footwashing (13:1-32)

            • Jesus’ Farewell Discourse (13:31-16:33)

            • Jesus’ Final Prayer (17)

            • The Passion Story (18-20)

          • Epilogue (John 21)

        • Purpose/Theme

          • John does us a favor and tells us exactly why he wrote his Gospel

          • John 20:30-31, Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. ​​ But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

          • Theme for the Gospel of John is BELIEVE!

            • The word “believe” is found 58 times in John’s Gospel (NIV translation)

            • The thing that John wants us to believe is that God and Jesus are One! ​​ That Jesus is God!

            • That belief sets the stage for the rest of the Gospel and the Bible as a whole

            • My prayer is that through the study of John, we will come to understand and believe, without a shadow of doubt, that Jesus is God!

        • John immediately begins to establish that truth as he opens his Gospel message

    • Who is Jesus? (vv. 1-3)

        • PRINCIPLE/TRUTH – Jesus is eternal

          • In the beginning

            • When you hear the words, “in the beginning,” what comes to mind?

              • The very first verse of the Bible in Genesis 1:1 usually comes to mind

              • Genesis 1:1, In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

              • It’s not by chance that John is connecting his Gospel to creation

            • “Each of the four Gospels begins, appropriately enough, with a reference to some kind of beginning. ​​ Mark’s heading is ‘Beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ’ (Mk 1:1). ​​ Matthew opens with ‘an account of the origin of Jesus Christ’ (Mt 1:1). ​​ Luke acknowledges the traditions of ‘those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word’ (Lk 1:2). ​​ John’s ‘beginning’ (archē) is the earliest of all, for the vocabulary of John’s preamble is decisively shaped by the opening verses of Genesis.” ​​ [Michaels, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, 46]

            • I like how D. A. Carson puts it in the words of John, “Mark has told you about the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry; I want to show you that the starting point of the gospel can be traced farther back than that, before the beginning of the entire universe.” ​​ [Carson, The Pillar New Testament Commentary, The Gospel According to John, 114]

          • From this we understand and know that Jesus is eternal – He has always been and will always be

          • Word

            • The Word is Jesus

              • Notice that each time “Word” is used it is capitalized

              • That’s a reference to a person, which is Jesus Christ

            • Was the Word

              • This speaks of Jesus’ preexistence

              • Rev. 22:13, I am the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

              • Some religions of the world try to marginalize and minimize the truth that Jesus is eternal, by saying that He was the first created being, a good man, a wise rabbi, or another prophet from God

                • What that does is strip Jesus of His divinity and deity, therefore He cannot be our Savior

                • This opens the door to universalism (all roads lead to heaven, we all worship the same God, everyone will eventually be saved) and syncretism (combining different forms of belief or practice, taking the “best practices or beliefs” of every religion and molding it into one)

              • John is laying the foundation for the truth that Jesus is God, and removing any doubt that Jesus is anything but eternal

              • So, it stands to reason that if Jesus was around at the beginning, He was either with God or is God

              • What we see next is John insisting on both and not one or the other

        • PRINCIPLE/TRUTH – Jesus is God

          • We continue then with the concept of Jesus being the Word

            • Word was with God

              • John takes it a step further by saying that Jesus was with God

              • A literal translation of the Greek would be, the Word was toward God

                • It is the idea of active face-to-face relationship [Köstenberger, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, John, 27 and Gangel, Holman New Testament Commentary, John, 9]

                • It is not something passive

                • They are working together as companions in the creative process

                  • Another understanding of the Greek word for “with” is accompaniment

                  • We’re familiar with that word when it comes to music

                  • The person playing the piano while someone else is singing is called an accompanist (coming alongside, working together, in an active relationship with the singer)

              • John explains that Jesus was in an active relationship with God at the very beginning of time, but we also know, from Scripture, that Jesus is God

            • Word was God

              • Some religions of the world misuse the original Greek to try to say that it should be translated as, the Word was a god

                • I don’t want us to get bogged down with the nuisances of ancient Greek

                • Just understand that those who have translated it as, the Word was God, have done so correctly

              • God and Jesus are One! ​​ (Jesus is God!)

          • “Jesus shares his nature and being with God – ‘the Word was God.’ ​​ He is of the same character and quality as God (v. 1). ​​ Everything that can be said about God can be said about Jesus Christ.” ​​ [Carter, Wredberg, Christ-Centered Exposition: ​​ Exalting Jesus in John, 11]

          • We see then this simple statement in verse 2 that Jesus was with God in the beginning

            • It’s really a restatement of what John has just said

            • Jesus is God and therefore He is eternal and preexistent

          • Kenneth Gangel shares this story – “During the years I pastored my first church, my wife spent some time each week tutoring a young girl who had fallen behind in her reading at school. ​​ Since Linda was from a Christian family, part of the reading centered in Bible story books. ​​ One day Linda asked a penetrating question about the pictures she found in those books: ​​ ‘How do I tell the difference between Jesus and God? ​​ They both look alike to me.’ ​​ The artists, of course, had included all pictures of Jesus since God the Father is Spirit and cannot be shown by anything but symbols such as light or sound. ​​ But Linda had learned that Jesus was God, so she kept looking for pictures of both of them throughout her books. ​​ A natural mistake, and one which reinforces John’s point throughout this book and especially the early verses of this first chapter.” ​​ [Gangel, 8]

          • Linda understood that God and Jesus are One! ​​ (Jesus is God!)

          • We see a third principle then as John continues to explain who Jesus is

        • PRINCIPLE/TRUTH – Jesus is Creator

          • “Divine being gives way to divine action, starting with the creation of the world.” ​​ [Michaels, 51]

          • First, John states this truth in a positive way

            • The “him” refers back to the “Word,” meaning Jesus

            • What John is saying is that through the preexistent Jesus, all things were made

            • He then strengthens this truth by restating it in a negative way

          • Then he restates the truth in a negative way

            • When John says that without Jesus nothing was made, we know he’s not referring to Himself and God, because they have always been

            • He is referring to the universe and everything in our world

              • All we have to do is look at the Genesis account of creation to see all that God and Jesus created in this world

              • It includes the water, sky, land, vegetation, animals, and human beings

              • They continue their creative activities as new human beings are born

            • There is a change in the verb tense from the beginning of verse 3 to the end of verse 3

              • We see the verb tense change from were made to was made

              • D. A. Carson says this signals a change “from the act of creation to the state of creation.” ​​ [Carson, 118]

              • Wiersbe clarifies the transition to the state of creation by sharing that, “was made,” is in the perfect tense, which identifies it as a completed action [Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, New Testament, Vol. 1, 284]

              • The initial creation of the world is a completed action

          • We see other Biblical writers expressing Jesus’ involvement in creation

            • Colossians 1:16-17, For by him all things were created: ​​ things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. ​​ He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

            • Hebrews 1:1-2, In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.

            • Revelation 3:14, “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ​​ These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation.”

        • We’ve discovered the truths of who Jesus is (eternal, God, and creator), now John shares the truth of why He came

    • Why Jesus came? (vv. 4-5)

        • “What are the essentials for human life? ​​ There are at least four: ​​ light (if the sun went out, everything would die), air, water, and food.” ​​ [Wiersbe, 285]

          • Scripture shows us that Jesus is all four of those

          • John 8:12, When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. ​​ Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

          • Through the Holy Spirit we have the “breath of life” and the Water of life

            • John 3:8, “The wind blows wherever it pleases. ​​ You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. ​​ So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

            • John 20:22, And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

            • John 4:10, 13-14, Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” . . . Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. ​​ Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.

          • John 6:35, Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. ​​ He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.

        • Life

          • The opposite of life is death

            • When someone dies there is a separation that takes place – a separating of the soul from the body

            • “If physical death is the separation of the soul from the body, then spiritual death is a separation of the soul from God.” ​​ [Carter/Wredberg, 12]

              • This is what Paul means when he says, for the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23)

              • What we earn or deserve for our sinful nature is to be eternally separated from God

              • This is serious, because we are all born with a “want-to” to sin (Rom. 3:23) – no one is exempt from being born a sinner

            • Those who live apart from Jesus Christ are spiritually dead

              • Ephesians 2:1-3, As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. ​​ All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. ​​ Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.

              • If we die while living apart from Jesus Christ, then our eternal home will be hell – eternal separation from God

            • That’s not the will of God for humanity

              • He loves us with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3)

              • His desire is that everyone repents of their sins and turns to Him for salvation

              • 2 Peter 3:8-10, But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: ​​ With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. ​​ The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. ​​ He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

              • Matthew 18:14, In the same way our Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.

            • God’s plan to deal with our sin

              • God sent Jesus from heaven to earth to be the perfect sacrifice for sin (Rom. 5:8)

              • Jesus willingly died on the cross to take our punishment for sin

              • This was all foretold by the prophets of old as Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4

            • While all of us will experience the separation of our soul from our body (unless Jesus returns before we die), none of us has to experience the separation of our soul from God

          • How can we experience spiritual life?

            • Jesus explained it to Martha after Lazarus’s death

            • John 11:25, Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. ​​ He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. ​​ Do you believe this?”

            • You need to ask yourself that question today

              • Do you believe that Jesus is the resurrection and the life?

              • Do you believe that Jesus offers you eternal life?

              • Do you believe that, through Jesus’ perfect sacrifice on the cross, you will not experience the separation of your soul from God?

              • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Believe that Jesus is the resurrection and the life and receive God’s gift of eternal life.

          • The life that Jesus offers us is what gives us hope

        • Light

          • Prior to Jesus’ arrival on earth we see the prophet Isaiah’s words, The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned (Isaiah 9:2)

          • Darkness and light are not opposites, rather darkness is simply the absence of light

          • As we saw in John 8:12, Jesus is the Light of the world

          • John uses light as another way to explain salvation

          • “Light” is in the present tense

            • It means that it’s a continual action

            • It can be translated as, And the light keeps on shining in the darkness . . .

            • This brings continued hope for us as followers of Jesus

            • It’s not too late for our family and friends, because Jesus light is continuing to shine in their darkness

            • He has not given up on them, but continues to offer salvation to anyone who believes that He is the resurrection and the life

          • The verb translated “understood” can also be translated as “overcome”

            • Burge explains the double meaning this way, “to grasp with the mind and so to comprehend; and to grasp with the hand and so to overcome or destroy.” ​​ [Burge, The NIV Application Commentary, John, 56]

            • John is saying that the darkness could not comprehend or overcome the light

            • While “light” was in the present tense meaning a continual action, “overcome” is in a tense that means a completed action

            • “The darkness has done everything is could: ​​ it schemed and plotted, but it ran out of ideas.” ​​ [Carter/Wredberg, 14]

            • 2 Timothy 1:9b-10, This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

 

  • YOU

    • Embrace the truth

        • John explains a foundational theological truth that we need to embrace in order to understand the rest of his Gospel

        • God and Jesus are One! ​​ (Jesus is God!)

          • We have seen today that Jesus is eternal – He was with God at the beginning

          • We have also learned that Jesus is God

          • Finally, we saw that Jesus is also creator

        • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Embrace the truth that God and Jesus are One!

    • Believe in Jesus

        • We also learned why Jesus came to earth

        • It was to drive out the darkness of sin that Satan had covered the earth with

        • He came to bring us life and light

 

  • WE

    • Our responsibility as followers of Jesus Christ is to share the truth about God and Jesus being One and the hope found in Jesus as Life and Light

    • That is our mission as the church: ​​ Pursue, Grow, and Multiple Disciples for Jesus Christ

CONCLUSION

“An atheist and a Christian were engaged in an intense public debate. On the blackboard behind the podium the atheist printed in large capital letters, ‘GOD IS NOWHERE.’ When the Christian rose to offer his rebuttal, he rubbed out the W at the beginning of where and added that letter to the preceding word no. Then the statement read, ‘GOD IS NOW HERE.’”

 

Vernon Grounds, Radical Commitment. Christianity Today, Vol. 30, no. 7.

 

[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/1996/june/163.html].

12

 

/by

Same Power

,

Easter 2019

Same Power

(Matthew 28:1-10)

 

INTRODUCTION

“Nelson Mandela, who opposed the South African apartheid regime and was imprisoned for almost 3 decades, knew the power of words. He is often quoted today, but while in prison his words could not be quoted for fear of repercussion. A decade after his release he said: ‘It is never my custom to use words lightly. If 27 years in prison have done anything to us, it was to use the silence of solitude to make us understand how precious words are, and how real speech is in its impact on the way people live and die.’

 

King Solomon, author of most of the Old Testament book of Proverbs, wrote often about the power of words. He said, ‘Death and life are in the power of the tongue’ (Prov. 18:21). Words have the potential to produce positive or negative consequences (v. 20). They have the power to give life through encouragement and honesty or to crush and kill through lies and gossip.”

 

By Marvin Williams, Our Daily Bread, August 26, 2015

 

[https://odb.org/2015/08/26/the-power-of-words-2/]

 

BODY

  • ME

    • Hurting Judy with my words

        • We let our guard down when we’re at home, especially when it comes to our words

        • I know in my own life that I have said things in the past that have hurt Judy

        • It may have been the content of the what I said, but also the tone with which I’ve said it

        • I don’t intend to hurt her with my words, but it happens

    • Hurting my boys with my words

        • I’ve done the same with my boys

        • One thing I’ve learned recently is that I need to communicate with my boys in the same way they’re communicating with me

          • If they’re expressing feelings or emotions, I need to respond with feelings or emotions

          • If they’re sharing facts, I need to respond with facts

          • What normally happens is that I respond with facts, when they’ve communicating with feelings or emotions

          • I’m still learning how to do this, because it’s new to me

        • An example

          • Levi was expressing frustration with his cell phone, because it wasn’t working properly

          • He was telling me that he needed a new(er) phone

          • He was expressing his feelings of frustration about not having a phone that was working correctly

          • What I heard was, “I need a new phone!” and my response was factual, “We can’t afford to get you a new phone.”

          • My response should have addressed the feelings of frustration he was having instead of telling him, “just the facts”

          • I should have said, “I understand how frustrating it can be when something doesn’t work properly.”

 

  • WE

    • Letting our guard down at home

        • Every one of us has probably said things to our family members that we regret

        • We let our guard down at home and we don’t watch what we say

        • We may say things in the heat of the moment that show our true feelings, that we would not normally say out loud

    • Guarding our tongue

        • It happens to all of us, we sometimes don’t guard our tongue, but allow it to say things that are hurtful

        • Gossip is something that is so easy to do, because we “feel better” after we share something about someone else

        • Unfortunately, our words have the power to crush and ruin those around us

    • The great thing is that, as followers of Jesus Christ, we have the power within us to guard our tongue and use it to encourage and build others up, because of the Holy Spirit

 

I want us to look at how God and Jesus Christ used the power of their words to do some pretty incredible things throughout history. ​​ The greatest display of God’s power is what we’re celebrating today. ​​ We will see today that the same power, God used to raise Jesus from the dead, lives in us. ​​ Our big idea today is that . . .

 

BIG IDEA – God’s power lives within us.

 

Let’s pray

 

  • GOD (Matthew 28:1-10)

    • Background

        • I want us to walk through Scripture for just a moment and remember how powerful God and Jesus’ Words were

        • Creation

          • And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light (Genesis 1:3)

          • And God said, “Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water.” (Genesis 1:6)

          • And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” ​​ And it was so . . . Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: ​​ seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” ​​ And it was so. (Genesis 1:9, 11)

          • And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth.” ​​ And it was so. ​​ (Genesis 1:14-15)

          • And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky.” ​​ (Genesis 1:20)

          • And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: ​​ livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind.” ​​ And it was so . . . Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” ​​ (Genesis 1:24, 26)

        • Exodus

          • Then say “The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to say to you: ​​ Let my people go, so that they may worship me in the desert. ​​ But until now you have not listened. ​​ This is what the Lord says: ​​ By this you will know that I am the Lord: ​​ With the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will be changed into blood. ​​ The fish in the Nile will die, and the river will stink; the Egyptians will not be able to drink its water.” ​​ (Exodus 7:16-18)

          • Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: ​​ Let my people go, so that they may worship me. ​​ If you refuse to let them god, I will plague your whole country with frogs. ​​ The Nile will teem with frogs. ​​ They will come up into your palace and your bedroom and onto your bed, into the houses of your officials and on hour people, and into your ovens and kneading troughs. ​​ The frogs will go up on you and your people and all your officials.’” ​​ (Exodus 8:1-4)

          • Then the Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning and confront Pharaoh as he goes to the water and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: ​​ Let my people go, so that they may worship me. ​​ If you do not let my people go, I will send swarms of flies on you and your officials, on your people and into your houses. ​​ The houses of the Egyptians will be full of flies, and even the ground where they are. ​​ But on that day I will deal differently with the land of Goshen, where my people live; no swarms of flies will be there, so that you will know that I, the Lord, am in this land. ​​ I will make a distinction between my people and our people. ​​ This miraculous sign will occur tomorrow.’” ​​ (Exodus 8:20-23)

          • Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: ​​ ‘Let my people go, so that they may worship me.’ ​​ If you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them back, the hand of the Lord will bring a terrible plague on your livestock in the field – on your horses and donkeys and camels and on your cattle and sheep and goats. ​​ But the Lord will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and that of Egypt, so that no animal belonging to the Israelites will die.’” ​​ (Exodus 9:1-4)

          • Then the Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning, confront Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: ​​ Let my people go, so that they may worship me, or this time I will send the full force of my plagues against you and against your officials and your people, so you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth . . . Therefore, at this time tomorrow I will send the worst hailstorm that has ever fallen on Egypt, from the day it was founded till now.’” ​​ (Exodus 9:13-14, 18)

          • So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, “This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: ​​ ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? ​​ Let my people go, so that they may worship me. ​​ If you refuse to let them go, I will bring locusts into your country tomorrow. ​​ They will cover the face of the ground so that it cannot be seen. ​​ They will devour what little you have left after the hail, including every tree that is growing in your fields. ​​ They will fill your houses and those of all your officials and all the Egyptians – something neither your fathers nor your forefathers have ever seen from the day they settled in this land till now.’” ​​ (Exodus 10:3-6)

          • So Moses said, “This is what the Lord says: ​​ ‘About midnight I will go throughout Egypt. ​​ Every firstborn son in Egypt will die, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sits on the throne, to the firstborn of the cattle as well. ​​ There will be loud wailing throughout Egypt – worse than there has ever been or ever will be again. ​​ But among the Israelites not a dog will bark at any man or animal.’ ​​ Then you will know that the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel. ​​ All these officials of yours will come to me, bowing down before me and saying, ‘Go, you and all the people who follow you!’ ​​ After that I will leave.” ​​ Then Moses, hot with anger left Pharaoh. ​​ (Exodus 11:4-8)

        • Jesus

          • Jesus’ first miracle

            • The Gospel of John is the only Gospel that records Jesus’ first miracle

            • We know that Jesus and His disciples are at a wedding at Cana in Galilee

            • His mother is also in attendance and tells Jesus that they have run out of wine

            • “Dear woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. ​​ “My time has not yet come.” ​​ His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” ​​ Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim. ​​ Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” . . . He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him. ​​ (John 2:4-8, 11b)

            • We know that when they took the sample of the water to the master that it had been turned into the best wine

            • Jesus simply spoke the words and told the servants what to do – there was power in His words

          • Jesus casting out demons with a word

            • When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. ​​ This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: ​​ “He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases.” ​​ (Matthew 8:16-17)

            • Jesus had just crossed the Sea of Galilee and entered the region of the Gerasenes, when He was approached by a demon-possessed man. ​​ The demon, whose name was Legion, begged Jesus not to torture them or drive them out of the area. ​​ The Gospel of Mark tells us, For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you evil spirit!” ​​ (Mark 5:8). ​​ The demons were granted their request to be sent among a herd of about two thousand pigs, which then ran into the sea and drowned

            • A Greek woman from Syrian Phoenicia heard that Jesus had arrived in the vicinity of Tyre and she went to Him to beg Him to drive the demon out of her daughter. ​​ After Jesus uses the situation to teach this woman what was right, He said, “For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.” ​​ She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone. ​​ (Mark 7:29-30)

          • Jesus healing with a word

            • Roman Centurion (Matthew 8:5-13)

              • When Jesus entered Capernaum, a Centurion asked for His help concerning his servant was paralyzed and in terrible suffering

              • Jesus told him that He would come and heal his servant, but the Centurion tells Him to just say the word

              • Jesus explained to the crowd the incredible faith that the Centurion demonstrated

              • Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! ​​ It will be done just as you believed it would.” ​​ And his servant was healed at that very hour. ​​ (Matt. 8:13)

            • Government officials son (John 4:46-54)

              • Jesus had returned to Cana of Galilee and when a royal official heard about it, he came to Jesus to ask Him to heal his son

              • The royal official wanted Jesus to come with him to Capernaum to heal his son, but Jesus had a different plan

              • Jesus replied, “You may go. ​​ Your son will live.” ​​ The man took Jesus at his word and departed. ​​ (John 4:50)

              • When the official talked with his servants on the road, they all realized that his son was healed at the exact time that Jesus said the word

            • Paralyzed man (Luke 5:17-26)

              • A paralyzed man had some very great friends

              • They brought him on a mat to Jesus, but had to lower him through the roof, because it was so crowded

              • When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” ​​ (Luke 5:20)

              • This didn’t sit well with the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who were present

              • Which is easier: ​​ to say, “Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? ​​ But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins . . .” He said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up take your mat and go home.” ​​ Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. ​​ (Luke 5:23-26a)

          • Jesus during His passion

            • Garden of Gethsemane and Mount of Olives

              • After the last supper, Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray with His disciples

              • During that time, Judas brings a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and Pharisees

              • Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?” ​​ “Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. ​​ “I am he,” Jesus said. . . . When Jesus said, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. ​​ Again he asked them, “Who is it you want?” ​​ And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” ​​ “I told you that I am he,” Jesus answered. ​​ (John 18:4-8a)

              • We see the power of Jesus’ words at His arrest

            • Jesus on the cross

              • As Jesus is hanging on the cross, He cries out to God saying, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” ​​ (Matt. 27:46b)

              • He is offered a drink of wine vinegar

              • He then says in a loud voice, “It is finished.” ​​ (John 19:30)

              • At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. ​​ The earth shook and the rocks split. ​​ The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. ​​ They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people. ​​ (Matt. 27:51-53)

              • There was power in Jesus’ final words on the cross

        • All of this leads us to the culmination, the climax, of God’s power

    • Jesus is alive! (Matthew 28:1-10)

        • “One sleepy Sunday afternoon when my son was five-years-old, we drove past a cemetery together. Noticing a large pile of dirt beside a newly excavated grave, he pointed and said: "Look, Dad, one got out!" I laughed, but now, every time I pass a graveyard, I'm reminded of the One who got out.”

          Phil Callaway, from the April 16 entry of Men of Integrity (March/April 2006)

          [          https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2009/april/1040609.html]

        • The empty tomb (vv. 1-7)

          • “Jesus’ resurrection had already occurred, notwithstanding the massive stone barrier (v. 6). ​​ The resurrection itself is never described anywhere in Scripture, presumably because no one ever saw Jesus leave the tomb.” ​​ [Blomberg, New American Commentary, Matthew, 427]

            • It’s likely that Jesus left the tomb prior to the stone being rolled away, as we’ll see in a moment, but we don’t know how far in advance it happened

            • We can be sure that it was not the night before, because He said, prior to His death, that He would raise up the temple again in 3 days – referring to His resurrection

            • Since Jesus’ resurrection is not described in Scripture, we can only speculate about how it took place

              • I would like to think that God simply said, “Jesus, it’s time to rise!”

              • That idea meshes well with what we’ve seen throughout Scripture about God’s power through the spoken word

            • So, by the time the women go to the tomb, it’s already empty

          • Women went to the tomb

            • The Sabbath was sacred for the Jews, which meant that nothing could be done during the Sabbath

            • While they may have finished purchasing the necessary spices after sunset on Saturday, they waited until just before sunrise on Sunday to go to the tomb

            • Most of us wouldn’t blame them for waiting until sunrise, because most people have a fear of cemeteries, especially after dark

            • At the earliest opportunity we see two women, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, headed to the tomb

            • Some of the other Gospel writers include other women in the group

            • There is a discussion between the women about who is going to roll the stone away, so they can complete the embalming process (Mark 16:3), but we see that they don’t have to worry about that

          • Angel rolls the stone away

            • A violent earthquake

              • Matthew’s account tells us that a violent earthquake happens when the angel of the Lord comes down from heaven and rolls the stone away

                • It could have been an aftershock from the earthquake that happened when Jesus died

                • “While not uncommon in this region, this second earthquake surrounds the supreme supernatural event, the resurrection of Jesus. ​​ A. T. Robertson quotes Cornelius à Lapide as saying, ‘The earth, which trembled with sorrow at the Death of Christ as it were leaped for joy at His Resurrection.’” ​​ [Wilkins, The NIV Application Commentary, Matthew, 937]

                • It seems clear that the earthquake was a result of the angel coming down from heaven and rolling the stone back from the entrance to the tomb

                • We see that, with the word “for,” used after the mention of there being a violent earthquake

                • The “for” means that this is the reason why the violent earthquake happened

              • Rolling this enormous stone away from the entrance of the tomb was nothing for the angel of the Lord, so he just sits on top of it and waits for the women to arrive

            • Appearance of the angel

              • The appearance of the angel should not come as a surprise to us, especially after our study in Revelation and how the New Jerusalem will not need a light source, because the glory of God is all the light that is needed

              • This angel has been in the presence of God’s glory, so his appearance is like lightning and his clothes are as white as snow, representing purity

              • The glory of God reflecting from this angel is obviously too much for the guards who were standing watch at the tomb

                • The purity of God reflected in His angel strikes fear into the guards

                • Their fear was so real that they shook and became like dead men

                • “The ones assigned to guard the dead themselves appear dead while the dead one has been made alive.” ​​ [Donald Hagner cited by Wilkins, 938]

                • We know that eventually the guards regain their composure and report what they saw to the Pharisees and religious leaders, who coach them concerning what to say

            • It appears as though the angel does not speak to the guards, but he does speak to the women when they arrive

          • The women encounter the angel

            • He tells them not be afraid, which is probably why they did not end up like the guards – shaking in fear and becoming paralyzed

            • They’re at the right tomb

              • Have you ever driven somewhere that you’ve only been to once or twice and when you arrive, you begin to second guess whether or not you’re at the right place?

              • There is no question that the women have arrived at the right tomb, because the angel tells them that he knows they are looking for Jesus who was crucified

            • Jesus has risen

              • He is not in the tomb, because He did exactly what He told them He would do – He kept His promise

              • He had shared, on multiple occasions, with the Twelve and the other disciples, who followed Him, that He would be crucified, buried, and come alive again in 3 days

              • “‘Come and see the place’ verifies that this is the correct tomb and correct location within the tomb, thus stressing that he really is alive.” ​​ [Blomberg, 427]

              • It also helps the women, and us, understand that Jesus’ resurrection was not only spiritual, but also physical – His physical body was not there

            • The angel gives them instructions

              • The women are the first witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection – they have a responsibility as witnesses

              • The same is true when you and I witness an accident or some other crime – we have a responsibility as witnesses to tell what we saw and heard

              • The women were given the responsibility of sharing the incredible news of Jesus’ resurrection with His disciples

              • They were told what to tell the disciples – “He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. ​​ There you will see him.”

              • Because of the amount of time the disciples had spent with Jesus in Galilee, they probably knew right where to go – it would have been a spot where they had spent a lot of time with Jesus

            • The angel had completed his task

          • The women immediately began their task

        • Jesus appears to the women (vv. 8-10)

          • The women had two emotions running through their bodies

            • They were afraid, probably because they had never encountered an angel before

            • They were filled with joy, because Jesus was alive

            • While they were trying to deal with these opposing emotions, Jesus meets them on the path

          • Their response to seeing Jesus

            • Jesus basically says, “Hello!”

            • They obviously recognized Him immediately, because they bowed down to worship at His feet

            • This is the correct posture to have when confronted by the King of kings and Lord of lords

          • Jesus comforts them and reiterates the angels instructions

            • Knowing that the women were afraid after encountering the angel, Jesus tells them not to be afraid

            • He gives them the same instructions that the angel had given the – “Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

            • He calls the disciples His brothers, which could simply mean that they are now part of the family of God through Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection – God’s redemptive plan for humanity had been completed

 

  • YOU

    • Followers of Jesus Christ

        • We’ve seen today that God is all-powerful (omnipotent)

        • He has the power to simply use words to do the miraculous

        • As followers of Jesus Christ, we have the same power living in us, through the Holy Spirit of God

        • It’s the same power that allowed Jesus to come alive again

        • Life’s difficulties

          • Financial, emotional, physical, mental, spiritual

          • God is able to help you through every one of those

          • Read Ephesians 3:14-21

        • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Recognize that as a follower of Jesus Christ, I have the power of the Holy Spirit living in me to overcome any difficulties in life.

    • Those seeking a relationship with Christ

        • If you’ve never pursued a relationship with Jesus Christ, then you don’t have the power of the Holy Spirit living in you, but you can change that today

        • Jesus died on the cross to take your punishment for sin

          • We’re all born with the same condition – sin (Rom. 3:23)

          • God is holy (perfect), so He has to punish sin (Rom. 6:23a)

          • God is also loving, so He made a plan to deal with our sin (Rom. 5:8)

          • Romans 10:9-10, 13, That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ​​ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. . . . for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

        • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe that God used His incredible power to raise Him from the dead to take my punishment for sin so I can be saved.

 

  • WE

 

CONCLUSION

We’re going to close this morning with the song “Arise My Love” written by NewSong and performed by The Akins.

 

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHzpzy9orZk]

10

 

/by

Coming Soon

, , ,

Jesus Unveiled

Coming Soon

(Revelation 22:6-21)

 

INTRODUCTION

“In April of 2008, I had to drive to Fort Wayne, Indiana, for work, so I went to Enterprise to rent a car. They gave me a big, brand-new, comfy Chrysler 300 to drive—and I loved it! In fact, I enjoyed feeling large and in charge so much that I blew right past the first tollbooth. You see, I'm not used to stopping for tollbooths, because I have an I-PASS in my own car—a little device that signals I've already prepaid my tolls.

 

After passing the first tollbooth, I thought about it: Oh! This car doesn't have an I-PASS! But just as I started to worry about it, I thought, This car belongs to the rental-car company—not me. So they're probably responsible for any tolls. That must be what your rental money goes toward covering.

 

When I got on 294, I drove past another toll, thinking, Even if I am responsible for the tolls, there's only a few tolls between here and Indiana—maybe $4 round trip. I'm sure there's some threshold where they don't even bother sending you a bill for the tolls. I mean, it wouldn't be worth their time to send me a bill for only $4. Nothing's going to happen!

 

After I returned home from my business trip, a month or two went by. Nothing happened—and I knew nothing ever would. But then, in October, I received a piece of mail that read: "Notice of Toll Violation."

 

I was right, to a degree. The Tollway Authority wouldn't bother sending me a bill for my measly $3.90 in tolls. But when you add in a $20 fine for every one of the 5 tollbooths I drove past, they did bother sending me a bill for $103.90!

 

I about had a heart attack. They had me dead to rights. They had a photo of my rental-car's license plate. They even knew the exact lane number I was in. The fact that months had gone by and nothing had happened didn't mean that nothing was ever going to happen.

 

In a passage concerning the return of Christ, Peter says: Get a clue, people! Just because the Lord hasn't come back yet, don't think for a minute that he won't! The Lord isn't being slow about his promise, as some people think. No—he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.”

 

Kevin Miller, executive vice president, Christianity Today International

[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2008/december/3122208.html].

 

BODY

  • ME

    • Hunting license

        • If I want to get a doe tag for the hunting season I have to prepare ahead of time

        • Last year hunting license went on sale June 18, 2018

        • I’m not normally thinking about hunting in the middle of summer, but I have to prepare in the summer so I can get a doe tag in the unit I’d like

    • Blood work

        • In order to go to the doctor for my biannual checkup I have to prepare in advance

        • They want me to get blood work done a week before my appointment

        • I went on Thursday to have my blood drawn in preparation for my appointment

 

  • WE

    • Taxes

        • Some of us have been preparing to pay our taxes on Monday

        • Those of us who own our own businesses have to make quarterly tax payments, so we don’t have a huge tax bill in April

        • If we don’t make quarterly payments, then we have to put money aside each month in order to have it available to pay taxes at the end of the year

    • Vehicle inspection

        • We have to prepare to have our vehicles inspected, especially if it doesn’t pass inspection and needs to have work done on it

        • We can’t wait until the inspection has expired to have it inspected, otherwise we could be without a vehicle

As John finishes writing his letter to the seven churches, it is mentioned three times that Jesus is coming soon. ​​ For John, he wanted the readers of his letter to realize that Jesus could come back at any moment and they needed to live in that anticipation every day. ​​ If they failed to live with the anticipation of Jesus’ imminent return, then they may not be prepared for His return. ​​ John wants us to understand that . . .

 

BIG IDEA – Jesus’ return is near, so be prepared.

 

We will see in these final verses how we can and should prepare for Jesus’ return.

 

Let’s pray

 

  • GOD (Revelation 22:6-21)

    • Osborne provides an excellent outline for Revelation 22:6-21, so I’ll be using his five main points as the headings for five points this morning [Osborne, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, Revelation, 780-98]

    • Authenticating the Book (vv. 6-7)

        • The angel repeats the same words as the Lord, found in Revelation 21:5, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

          • The angel and the Lord were both referring to the entire book of Revelation and not just the preceding vision or the following content

          • PRINCIPLE – God’s promises are “trustworthy and true” and He will fulfill them.

            • These two terms are attributes of God

            • He is completely trustworthy

              • He never fails us

              • He never says one thing and does another

              • He never over promises

              • He always keep His promises

            • He is always true

              • He never says anything that is false

              • He never lies

              • He doesn’t try to hide the truth

            • What we have seen and studied in Revelation will happen (we may not know when, but we can trust the Lord to fulfill His promises and His prophecy)

            • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Acknowledge that God is trustworthy and true through my adoration of Him.

              • Adoration is the first part of prayer in the acrostic A.C.T.S.

              • Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication

              • It is praying back to God, His perfect character traits

          • How the prophecy of Revelation was communicated

            • John shared this at the beginning of the Revelation and restates it differently here

            • Revelation 1:1, The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. ​​ He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testifies to everything he saw – that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.

            • John says here that it came from the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets

              • Is the Holy Spirit being referenced here or is it the spirit of the prophets?

              • “As for the debate about whether πνεμάτων (pneumatōn) refers to the Holy Spirit or to the prophets themselves, one cannot do better than Swete (1911: 303), who says it means ‘the natural faculties of the Prophets, raised and quickened by the Holy Spirit.’ ​​ Fee (1987: 696) puts it another way: ​​ it refers to ‘‘the prophetic Spirit’ by which each of them speaks through his or her own spirit.’’” ​​ [Osborne, 780-81]

              • It is how we refer to the authors of the Bible who were inspired by the Holy Spirit of God to write down what we find in the Bible today

              • 2 Peter 1:21, For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

            • It was sent through the Lord’s angel and given to the servants of the Lord

              • Servants obviously refers to the prophets and the Apostle John

              • It also refers, on a broader scope, to all believers, especially since the word “servant” is used throughout Revelation referring to believers

            • It all focuses on what must soon take place

              • We could take quite a bit of time unpacking this idea

              • It has been over two-thousand years since Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection and John’s writing of Revelation

              • How could John’s statement about the events of the apocalypse coming soon be valid for us today?

              • 2 Peter 3:8-9, But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: ​​ With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. ​​ The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. ​​ He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

              • God’s timing is perfect and what may seem a long time to us is a short time in the scope of salvation history

          • What we must do as followers of Jesus Christ is wait patiently for our infinite God to fulfill His perfect plan – we can do this because He is trustworthy and true

        • Jesus speaks

          • Jesus then reiterates the angel’s words by saying that He is coming soon – His return is imminent

          • Jesus speaks a blessing over those who keep the words of the prophecy in this book

            • The Greek form of the word “keep” helps us to understand that it is a continual, ongoing observance and not a onetime event [Patterson, The New American Commentary, Revelation, 379-380]

            • Dennis Johnson explains it well, Scripture is not a passive cadaver, waiting for curious medical students to dissect it in their quest for information. ​​ It is a living, double-edged sword that proceeds from the mouth of the triumphant Son of Man and pierces the thoughts and intents of our hearts. ​​ It is a hammer that shatters, a seed that grows, rainfall that never returns to its Giver without accomplishing the mission on which he sent it. ​​ Scripture has a job to do in us. ​​ (Triumph of the Lamb, 334) ​​ [Johnson cited by Akin, Christ-Centered Exposition: ​​ Exalting Jesus in Revelation, 351]

        • The prophecy that has been written in Revelation has come from God and Jesus Christ and so it is authentic – we can trust in it and know that it is true

        • 1st – this is the first thing we need to do to prepare for Jesus’ return – continually keep the words of the prophecy found in Revelation

    • Angel’s Commands (vv. 8-11)

        • First command [Worship God and Jesus only] (vv. 8-9)

          • John identifies himself as the one who heard and saw all of the things written in Revelation

          • His reaction to this overwhelming revelation is to fall down and worship

            • His reaction is correct – to worship!

              • John just heard Jesus say that He is coming soon

              • He also heard Jesus speak a blessing over those who continually keep the words of the prophecy found in Revelation

              • Perhaps he simply got caught up in the words of Jesus and forgot that it was an angel in front of him and not Jesus

                • This is not the first time he has done this and been rebuked for doing it

                • Revelation 19:9-10, Then the angel said to me, “Write: ​​ ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’” ​​ And he added, “These are the true words of God.” ​​ At this I fell at his feet to worship him. ​​ But he said to me, “Do not do it! ​​ I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. ​​ Worship God! ​​ For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of the prophecy.”

              • Our reaction to hearing that Jesus is coming soon and that He will bless those who continually keep His words, should be to fall down and worship

            • Whom John falls down in front of to worship is not correct

              • As he did before, John falls down at the feet of the wrong person

              • The result is the same – he is instructed not to do it!

              • Fellow servants

                • The angel does exactly what he should have done – point John to God and Jesus

                • He reminds John that he is simply a fellow servant

                • In fact, the angel, John, the prophets, and everyone who keeps the words of this book (all believers) are servants of God and Jesus

                • We saw last week that we will not be sitting around on clouds doing nothing, but we will be worshiping God and serving Him perfectly for all eternity

            • PRINCIPLE – God and Jesus alone are worthy of worship!

              • Exodus 20:3, “You shall have no other gods before me.”

              • “Historian Joseph Loconte notes that many people today are still obsessed with angels, particularly angelic beings who seem tailor-made to meet our every need. Dr. Loconte writes:

                Take, for example, Angels 1O1: An Introduction to Connecting, Working, and Healing with the Angels, written by metaphysician Doreen Virtue. We are informed that, in contrast to the ideas of sin and guilt in some religious traditions, angels love every person unconditionally. They help everyone who calls on them, regardless of their religious faith or lack of it. ‘They look past the surface and see the godliness within all of us,’ she writes. ‘So angels aren't judgmental, and they only bring love into our lives. You're safe with the angels, and you can totally trust them.’

                [Angels] make no demands on us; rather, they wait to be summoned to help us overcome every difficulty. [Virtue claims], ‘You never have to be afraid that the angels would ever ask you to do anything that would make you feel afraid.’

                With her appearances on CNN, Oprah, and The View, Virtue's message—shared by many other authors in the field—clearly has a large audience. ‘I've discovered that the quickest and most efficient route to happiness is through connecting with the angels,’ she writes. ‘So whether you need help with your health, career, love life, family, or any other area, the angels can help you.’ Yes, even your sex life can be improved with a little angelic assistance, whatever that might mean.

                Joseph Loconte, The Searchers (Thomas Nelson, 2012), pp. 98-99

                [                https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2012/july/4071612.html]

              • We know from scripture that angels are ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation (Hebrews 1:14)

              • Akin expresses it beautifully when he says, “to take a good thing (like an angel) and turn it into a god thing is to make it into a bad thing (an idol).” ​​ [Akin, 351]

              • Tim Keller says, “Worship is pulling our affections off our idols and putting them on God.” ​​ [https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/1997/june/2441.html]

              • 2nd – the second thing we need to do to prepare for Jesus’ return is to make sure that we are worshiping God and Jesus only

              • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Sacrifice any idols that have taken the place of God and Jesus in my life.

                • These could be good things (hobbies, sports, etc)

                • Have they become god things in your life (have they taken the place of prayer, studying God’s Word, attending church and Bible studies, etc.)

          • The first command of the angel was to worship God and Jesus only

        • Second command [Do not seal up these prophecies] (v. 10)

          • It’s pretty straight forward, don’t seal up the words of the prophecy of this book

            • The revelation of Jesus Christ to His servants is something that God wants us to know

            • It is not to be sealed and hidden

            • All the way back in Revelation 1:1 the Greek word for revelation is apokalypsis which is where we get our English word Apocalypse (it literally means “unsealing” or “unveiling”)

            • That has been our theme for the entire book of Revelation – Jesus Unveiled

            • By the time John wrote down the revelation of Jesus, it no longer needed to be sealed or veiled, because the time was near

          • This was not always the case

            • There was a time when God wanted and needed certain visions to be sealed

            • Daniel 12:4, 9-10, But you, Daniel, close up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. ​​ Many will go here and there to increase knowledge . . . He replied, “Go your way, Daniel, because the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end. ​​ Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. ​​ None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand.

          • Daniel’s words express what the angel’s third command was

        • Third command [Choose right or wrong] (v. 11)

          • This command is a warning to those who are unsaved

            • Only God knows the time of Jesus’ second return

            • We are told in scripture that His second coming will be like a thief in the night (Rev. 16:15; Matt. 24:43; 1 Thess. 5:2, 4; 2 Pet. 3:10)

            • This sudden second coming will not allow time for people, whether righteous or evil, to make a change

            • Our character has been set by a lifetime of habitual action, whether righteous or evil [Mounce, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, Revelation, 406]

          • This command is also an encouragement to those who are doing what is right and living holy lives (they are to continue with those actions and behaviors)

        • 3rd – the third way we can and should prepare for Jesus’ return is to choose right instead of wrong, because we never know when He will return.

        • The final major section of this passage has some additional sayings (some attribute them all to Jesus, while others attribute some to Jesus and some to John)

    • Additional Sayings (vv. 12-19)

        • Jesus (vv. 12-16)

          • Jesus is coming with His reward (vv. 12-13)

            • Jesus says the same words as He did in verse 7, “Behold, I am coming soon!”

            • He explains that He is coming with His reward

              • When we think about a reward it is something positive, right?

              • We find someone’s wallet and returned it to them with everything inside and they give us some of the money

              • Bounty hunters track down criminals and are rewarded with money

              • When Jesus is talking about coming with His reward it is both positive and negative

              • He will reward everyone, righteous and evil, based on what they have done

                • If they have been doing wrong and vile things, they will be rewarded a certain way

                • If they have been doing right and holy things, they will be rewarded differently

                • We will see in verses 14 and 15 what part of those rewards will be

              • PRINCIPLE – God will judge everyone for the deeds performed in this life.

                • We know from both the Old Testament and the New Testament that God’s desire is for everyone to take care of the poor, the widow, and the orphan (He is aware of their circumstances and knows whether or not we are helping to meet their needs)

                • We also know from Matthew 25:31-46 that if we feed the hungry and thirsty, invite the stranger in, clothe those who need clothes, look after the sick, and visit the prisoner, that we are serving the Lord through this

                  • Those who do these things will be rewarded with entrance into God’s kingdom

                  • Those who do not do these things will be rewarded with eternal fire in hell

                • Jesus also commanded us to share the Gospel with those around us

                • We need to be aware of the deeds we are doing on earth, or not doing

                • Serving the Lord by serving others and sharing the Gospel is outward evidence of a transformed life

              • 4th – the fourth way we can prepare for Jesus’ return is to make sure we are doing what He has called us to do here on earth.

            • Jesus is able to judge our deeds accurately, because He is eternal

              • That is one of His many attributes and it is expressed here in Rev. 22:13 in three ways

                • Alpha and Omega

                • First and the Last

                • Beginning and the End

                • Jesus and God have been there throughout our entire lives and have seen, heard, and know every action, word, and thought

              • Scripture speaks about the fact that God and Jesus will judge human beings based on what they have done

                • Jeremiah 17:10, “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.”

                • Romans 2:6-8, God “will give to each person according to what he has done.” To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. ​​ But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.

            • “The reward will be spiritual blessedness to the righteous but judgment for those who are evil.” ​​ [Mounce, 407]

          • Jesus’ blessing and warning (vv. 14-15)

            • Reward for the righteous

              • This is the seventh and final beatitude in Revelation

              • Wash their robes

                • The form of the Greek word for “wash” is important (it is a participle in the present tense)

                • This represents a continual action and not a one-time act

                • It can be translated as “those who keep on washing their robes” ​​ [Easley, Holman New Testament Commentary, Revelation, 420]

                • It means that the followers of Jesus Christ confess their sins regularly

                  • All of us realize that while we are followers of Jesus Christ, we are still tempted and sometimes give in to those temptations, which requires our agreement with God that we have failed

                  • 1 John 1:9, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

                  • Confession should be a part of our regular prayer time with the Lord

                • Those who continually strive to be in a right relationship with God and Jesus, through confession of sin, are given the right to the tree of life

              • Right to the tree of life

                • Sometimes we like to demand our rights, without fulfilling our responsibilities

                • We know that eternal life is by God’s grace, through faith in Jesus Christ, but we see here that it is not without the human responsibility of confession of sin

                • A daily “righting of the ship,” so to speak

                • Keeping a short list with God

              • Going through the gates into the city is another way of expressing the right to the tree of life, which gives us free and unhindered access to the presence of God

              • That is not the case with those who have rejected God and Jesus Christ

            • Reward for the evil

              • Their reward is to be separated from God for eternity, which is expressed as being outside (it is referring to being outside the great city, the New Jerusalem)

              • John lists six types of evildoers who are excluded from the great city [Easley, 421]

                • Dogs – term used for various impure persons (male prostitutes, those with a distorted view of the Gospel)

                • Practice magic arts – “sorcerers,” use of witchcraft, spells, and drugs to extend personal power and pleasure

                • Sexually immoral – “fornicators,” those who violate the sacredness of marriage

                • Murderers

                • Idolaters – worshiping anything in place of God

                • Everyone who loves and practices falsehood – they are devoid of truth

              • ​​ This is obviously not an exhaustive list, but representative of the kinds of evildoers who will be rewarded with eternal separation from God

            • Every person has the choice to decide whether or not to be among those inside the city or outside the city – the choice is ours

          • Jesus’ testimony (v. 16)

            • Jesus again identifies Himself as the One who originated the revelation

            • He then gave it to His angel, who in turn gave it to John so that he could communicate it with the churches

            • Jesus uses a two-fold description of Himself that may seem complicated, but is not

            • “As the Root of David, he is the One from whom David himself came and to whom David owes his existence and purpose. ​​ As the offspring of David, Jesus became a man in the incarnation and was born to the line of David as promised by the prophets.” ​​ [Patterson, 383]

            • He also refers to Himself as the bright Morning Star

              • This is a word of hope for all believers

              • The dark night of tribulation is almost over

              • The morning star is an indication that night is almost over

              • God’s final fulfillment for eternity is almost here

              • Numbers 24:17, “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. ​​ A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel.

          • There seems to be a transition in speakers from Jesus to John

        • John (vv. 17-19)

          • Passing on the message to “come” (v. 17)

            • It seems as though John may be passing on information from other sources

            • Akin sees verse 17 as “a fourfold invitation to all persons of the world to come and be saved.” ​​ [Akin, 354]

              • The Holy Spirit invites them to come

              • The church (bride) says come [The Great Commission]

              • Anyone who hears the Gospel and responds to it should extend the invitation to others

              • The person who is thirsty is invited to come

                • Isaiah 55:1, “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! ​​ Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.

                • John 7:37, On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.”

            • Whoever wishes is invited to come and take the free gift of the water of life

            • PRINCIPLE – God continues to offer His salvation to the very end.

              • John is concluding his letter to the churches, so what we see communicated here is not another vision of the end times

              • It is John encouraging the readers of his letter, which includes us, to come to Jesus Christ for salvation

                • The Holy Spirit is the One who prompts us, in our spirit, to respond to the Gospel

                • The body of Christ (the church) has been commissioned to share the Gospel with those around them

                • Anyone who has heard the Gospel and responded is encouraged to share the Gospel with others

              • It’s not too late

                • Admit, Believe, Choose

                • Revelation 3:20, Here I am! ​​ I stand at the door and knock. ​​ If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

                • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Open the door of my life to Jesus Christ, so I can be in a right relationship with God and spend eternity in heaven.

            • After John passes on the message about coming to God and Jesus Christ, he warns his readers about tampering with the prophecy he has shared

          • Warning about tampering with the prophecy (vv. 18-19)

            • The warning is for everyone who hears the words of the prophecy in Revelation (believers and unbelievers)

            • Adding to or taking away

              • The punishment, from God, for anyone who adds to the words of the prophecy is that He will add the plagues described in Revelation to them

                • I’m reminded of two examples in Scripture where an individual said or did more than God had instructed

                • Read Genesis 2:16-17; 3:2-3

                • Read Numbers 20:6-12

              • If someone takes away any of the meaning that God has intended through His prophecy then He will take away their share in the tree of life and the holy city

            • The warning is for those who do this willfully and not out of ignorance or lack of understanding

            • “Nobody fully understands the Bible or can explain everything in it; and those of us who teach the Word sometimes have to change our interpretations as we grow in knowledge. ​​ God sees the heart, and He can separate ignorance from impudence and immaturity from rebellion.” ​​ [Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, New Testament, Vol. 2, 624-25]

        • After sharing Jesus’ sayings and sayings from others, John closes the book with some final words

    • Final Words (v. 20-21)

        • Plea for Christ’s Return

          • John reminds us once more that Jesus has testified to the words written in the book – it is His revelation and He is coming soon

          • John says a quick prayer of agreement with Jesus – Amen. ​​ Come, Lord Jesus

          • My prayer is that we can all say those words with John (have the congregation recite those words in unison)

        • Concluding Benediction

          • John then closes with a benediction

          • It’s the grace of God through Jesus Christ that allows us to enter the great city, enjoy face-to-face fellowship with God, eat the fruit of the tree of life, and drink from the river of the water of life

          • We can agree with John – Amen!

 

  • YOU

 

  • WE

 

CONCLUSION

We’ve had quite the journey through the book of Revelation. ​​ We have seen throughout this journey that Jesus has been unveiled. ​​ He is the King of kings and Lord of lords. ​​ He will return one day, very soon, and take us home to be with Him. ​​ He has been preparing a place for those who have believed on Him. ​​ We must prepare for His return. ​​ We saw four ways to do that today.

13

 

/by

Beyond Belief

,

Jesus Unveiled

Beyond Belief

(Revelation 22:1-5)

 

INTRODUCTION

“In April 2012 Time magazine ran a cover story titled ‘Heaven Can't Wait: Why rethinking the hereafter could make the world a better place.’ In the next issue, Time printed a letter to the editor from Marc Herbert from Walnut Creek, California, who wrote:

 

Your story [about heaven] says that 85 percent of Americans believe in heaven. That's incredible. They think of heaven as quiet and peaceful, with no need to do anything. [That] sounds pretty dull to me. What do you do with all of that free time? And it goes on forever and ever!

 

Time, "Mail: Rethinking Heaven" (4-30-12)

 

[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2012/may/5052112.html].

 

This is certainly some people’s view of what heaven is going to be like. ​​ It will be everyone just sitting around with nothing to do FOREVER AND EVER! ​​ That sounds pretty dull.

 

BODY

  • ME

    • Making the most of every opportunity

        • I take my vehicles to the dealership to be inspected, to have the oil changed, and to have other maintenance done on them

        • Because I have to go to either Mechanicsburg or Hanover, I always take something with me to do

        • It’s normally a bag full of commentaries that I’ll spend time reading while I wait for the maintenance on my vehicle to be completed

        • I don’t want to waste time or lose time while I’m there, so I prepare ahead of time

    • Visions of heaven

        • Some people’s idea of heaven is that we will be worshiping God and singing songs continually

        • That sounds pretty exciting to me, because I love to sing and to worship God

 

  • WE

    • Continual worship

        • For some of us the idea of singing songs and worshiping God continually gets us excited, because we love to sing

        • Others of us may hear that vision of heaven and cringe, because we don’t like to sing or think that we can’t sing

        • That vision of heaven is not appealing

    • Continual rest

        • Perhaps the idea of sitting around with no need to do anything is very appealing

        • Most, if not all of us, work hard every day

        • Even those of us who have retired realize that we’re busier now than when we were working

 

As we study Revelation 22:1-5 today, we’re going to see what it will be like when we are with God and Jesus for eternity. ​​ Fortunately, we will be in a perfected body and the effects of sin will no longer plague us. ​​ We won’t worry about whether or not we can sing or if we’ll get bored just sitting around with nothing to do. ​​ John helps us to understand that . . .

 

BIG IDEA – Eternity with God is greater than we can imagine.

 

Let’s pray

  • GOD (Revelation 22:1-5)

    • John had just received a broad view of the New Jerusalem with all of its dimensions and materials along with four items that will not be in the New Jerusalem, because of the presence of God and Jesus. ​​ Now the angel gives him a view of some of the things that will be in the New Jerusalem

    • Nourished By God (vv. 1-2)

        • River of the water of life

          • The first thing the angel shows John is the river of the water of life

            • This is reminiscent of the Garden of Eden, A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters (Genesis 2:10)

            • Three of the prophets of Israel foresaw this incredible river at three different times surrounding the Israelites exile [Wilcock, The Bible Speaks Today, The Message of Revelation, 211]

              • Before the exile – “In that day the mountains will drip new wine, and the hills will flow with milk; all the ravines of Judah will run with water. ​​ A fountain will flow out of the Lord’s house and will water the valley of acacias (Joel 3:18)

              • During the exile – read Ezekiel 47:1-9

              • After the exile – On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half to the eastern sea and half to the western sea, in summer and in winter (Zechariah 14:8)

            • When Jesus was speaking to the woman at the well in Sychar, He told her this, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. ​​ Indeed, the water I give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life (John 4:13-14)

              • What we see in Revelation 22:1 is essentially the fulfillment of what Jesus said to the woman

              • It’s the eternal benefit of those who are followers of Jesus Christ

          • It is described here as being clear as crystal

            • Have you ever swam in a lake, river, or the ocean where you can see forever?

              • I used to go snorkeling in the ocean when we lived in Florida and I always enjoyed seeing the fire coral (bright orange or red) and the different fish

              • When Judy and I went to Hawaii, years ago, we rented snorkel equipment at Hanauma Bay (show the pictures of Hanauma Bay) – I was able to swim behind a sea turtle and with all kinds of tropical fish

              • Some of the streams around this area in PA are clear enough that you can see the trout floating in them – which can be frustrating when they won’t bite on any of the tackle you have

            • There are some lakes here in the United States and in other countries that boast crystal clear waters (show pictures of the lakes)

            • I can only imagine what this river of the water of life will look like – it will be perfectly clear – nothing will obstruct our view – it will be perfectly pure

          • The source of this perfect river

            • We see that the source of the river of the water of life is the throne of God and of the Lamb

              • It’s not that God and Jesus are both sitting on the throne in a physical sense

              • “Once more God and the Lamb are juxtaposed (side-by-side), continuing the major Christological theme of the unity of God and Christ as deity.” ​​ [Osborne, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, Revelation, 769-770]

              • It’s the idea that God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit are three in one – what we call the trinity

            • “The river, flowing as it does from God’s throne, can only portray that eternal life is entirely due to God’s gracious gift.” ​​ [Easley, Holman New Testament Commentary, Revelation, 414]

              • We cannot work our way to heaven and to the river of the water of life

              • It is a free gift of God that requires our repentance from sin and turning to Him as Lord of our lives

              • Ephesians 2:8-9, For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.

            • The source of this great river is the throne of God and the Lamb, which then flows down the middle of the great street of the city

          • Where it is flowing

            • How this river flows down the middle of the street is not exactly explained

              • Does it split the street in half or does it flow beside the street?

              • Is there ground between the street and the river where the tree of life is growing?

              • We don’t really know for sure

              • What comes to mind for me is the River Walk in San Antonio, TX (show picture of the River Walk), because there are walkways on both sides of the river that cuts through the city

            • How it’s structured is of less importance than the fact that it is the river of the water of life beginning at the throne of the God and the Lamb

          • Along this river is growing the tree of life

        • Tree of life

          • This tree of life is on both sides of the river

            • Whether it is a single tree or an orchard of trees is not important

            • We don’t have to know definitively, because the principle or promise is more important

            • PROMISE – God will provide for His people eternally.

              • This is the fulfillment of God’s promise found in Revelation 2:7b, To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

              • Ezekiel spoke about fruit trees also, Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. ​​ Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. ​​ Every month they will bear, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. ​​ Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing (Ezekiel 47:12)

              • We see here that there will be variety of fruit with twelve different crops

                • Imagine for a moment that twelve of your favorite fruits will be available all the time

                • Apples, pears, peaches, apricots, figs, grapes, mangos, cherries, oranges, dates, bananas, and kiwi

              • We also see that there will never be a time when we will have to wait or go without, because it will yield its fruit every month

              • “Both the abundance and the variety of fruit are being emphasized. ​​ God’s provision is ever new and always more than adequate.” ​​ [Mounce, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, Revelation, 399]

              • Application

                • It’s always easier to claim the promises of God for the future

                • We certainly believe that God will provide for us in eternity, but do we claim that promise for ourselves today?

                • Do you believe that God’s provision is ever new and always more than adequate?

                • In a culture that constantly tells us that we “need” more and more things, it can be difficult to feel like God’s provision is ever new and always more than adequate

                • But we can trust that it is both new and adequate

                • God is all-knowing and sovereign, so He knows what’s best for us

                • He knows what we need and when we need

                • His timing is perfect (never early and never late)

                • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Claim the promise that God’s provision is always adequate and on time.

              • The fruit on the tree of life is diverse and never ending, but it’s leaves are also important

            • It leaves are for the healing of the nations

              • If all sickness and disease are not present in heaven, then why does John mention the leaves of the tree of life being for the healing of the nations?

              • It is symbolic of the fact that healing has already taken place both spiritually and physically through the death of Jesus Christ

              • “The meaning is that all will enjoy full, wholesome, robust health. ​​ Just as the death of Christ made possible the water of eternal life (spiritually), so his death also provides the leaves that completely remove all the consequences of sin forever (physically).” ​​ [Easley, 415]

              • Osborne reflects on the fact that the physical healing means that we will not be hungry or experience any kind of disease and that spiritually we will be in a right relationship with God [Osborne, 772]

        • That segues perfectly into the worship of God

    • Worship Of God (vv. 3-5a)

        • No longer any curse or night (vv. 3a, 5a)

          • The curse is reversed

            • What we see here is reversal of the Fall in Genesis 3:14, 17, So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, ‘Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! ​​ You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life.’” . . . To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat of it,’ ‘Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.’”

            • We see this predicted by the prophet Zechariah, “As you have been an object of cursing among the nations, O Judah and Israel, so will I save you, and you will be a blessing. ​​ Do not be afraid, but let your hands be strong.” ​​ (Zechariah 8:13)

          • The abolishment of night means that the effects of sin will no longer be around

            • We mentioned a couple of weeks ago that the glory of the presence of God and Jesus means that no light source will be needed

            • It will be perpetually day

            • The sun will not be needed

            • The light of a lamp will not be needed

            • God’s glory is all that will be needed to provide light in the New Jerusalem

          • With no night and a perfected body we won’t need to sleep, so what will we do with all the time on our hands?

        • Servants of God will serve Him (v. 3b)

          • We will certainly worship the Lord

            • We saw multiple times in Revelation that the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures and those surrounding the throne of God, worshiping Him

            • Read Revelation 4:8-11

            • Read Revelation 5:8-14

          • We will also serve Him

            • The Greek word for “serve” has a double meaning, both “service” and “worship” ​​ [Osborne, 773; Akin, Christ-Centered Exposition: ​​ Exalting Jesus In Revelation, 340; Easley, 415]

            • “As we seek to serve the Lord here on earth, we are constantly handicapped by sin and weakness; but all hindrances will be gone when we get to glory. ​​ Perfect service in a perfect environment!” ​​ [Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, New Testament, Vol. 2, 624]

          • Eternity will not be dull or boring, because we will worship and serve the Lord perfectly

          • Easley calls this “faultless active usefulness” [Easley, 416]

          • PRINCIPLE – We will serve and worship God perfectly in eternity.

            • Of course we don’t have to wait until we get to heaven to worship and serve the Lord

            • His desire is for us to worship and serve Him now, while we’re on earth

            • We won’t do it perfectly, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do it

            • How is your worship of God right now? ​​ (Where is your focus when you’re worshiping, either individually or corporately? ​​ Is it God or something else?)

            • How is your service for God been lately? ​​ (Have you been thinking that someone else will step up and serve? ​​ Perhaps God is calling you to step up.)

            • Are there any changes that God has been prompting you to make concerning your worship of Him and service for Him?

            • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Allow the Lord to make any necessary changes to my worship of Him or service for Him.

        • Right relationship with God (v. 4)

          • We will see God’s face

            • This will be something new for followers of Jesus Christ

              • God explained it to Moses when He said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” (Exodus 33:20)

              • Moses was allowed to see God’s back only

              • John 1:18, No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.

              • In our perfected bodies, we will be able to look upon the face of God and still live

            • “Now, in the new holy of holies, the entire priestly community will experience the greatest blessing of all: ​​ they will see the face of God. ​​ Moses was not allowed to see God’s face, but saw only his back (Exod. 33:20, 23; cf. John 1:18, 1 John 4:12), but God’s people have always longed to see the Lord (e.g., Pss. 11:7; 17:15; 27:4; Matt. 5:8; 1 John 3:2; Heb. 12:14). ​​ The old priestly blessing/prayer for the Lord to ‘make his face shine on you’ and ‘turn his face toward you’ (Num. 6:25-26) finds its ultimate fulfillment here. God’s people will also bear his ‘name,’ meaning they will belong to him, imitate his character, and live safely in his presence (see 2:17; 3:12; 7:3; 14:1).” ​​ [Scott Duvall cited by Akin, 341]

            • Easley sees this as the second blessing of eternity and calls it “immediate divine presence.” ​​ [Easley, 416]

          • We will be His

            • “In Exod. 28:36-38 Aaron wore a gold plate on the front of his turban and on his forehead inscribed with the words, ‘Holy to the Lord.’” ​​ [Osborne, 774]

            • We have already seen the sealing of believers with a mark on their forehead throughout Revelation

              • Rev. 3:12 – victorious saints will have the name of God, the name of New Jerusalem, and Jesus’ name written on their forehead

              • Rev. 7:3 – an angel is going to “seal the slave of our God on their foreheads”

              • Rev. 14:1 – the 144,00 have the name of God and Jesus written on their foreheads

            • The writing of God and Jesus’ name on believers foreheads is an indication of ownership

              • We are sensitive this kind of imagery, because of the history of slavery in our culture

              • So, to hear that we are owned by God can make some people cringe and pause

              • But this is a voluntary submission of ourselves to God and Jesus as our Lord

              • In ancient times, when a slave was given their freedom, they could voluntarily offer themselves as a bond servant to the owner of the household (this required the servant to have an awl punched through their ear to show everyone that they had voluntarily chosen to be a bond servant)

              • That is the imagery here for us as bond servants of God and Jesus Christ

              • Our voluntary submission to God and Jesus, as bond servants, guarantees our safety and protection

              • The curse of sin is gone

              • The effects of sin are gone (no more night)

        • Easley calls this the third blessing of eternity, “eternally guaranteed reward.” ​​ [Easley, 416]

        • Finally, we will reign with God

    • Reign With God (v. 5b)

        • This imagery has been spoken of throughout scripture

        • 2 Timothy 2:1-2a, Here is a trustworthy saying: ​​ If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him.

        • This is part of a believer’s hope for eternity

        • It is mentioned in Revelation also about the saints reigning with Christ during His thousand year reign (Rev. 20:4-6)

  • YOU

    • We can claim the promise that God’s provision is always adequate and on time

    • While our worship and service here on earth is flawed, we can and should ask the Lord to make any changes needed so that our focus is on worshiping and serving Him

  • WE

 

CONCLUSION

“His Italian mother named him after the gospel writer Mark in the hopes that he too would tell the gospel truth. But 13th Century Europeans found it impossible to believe Mark's tales of faraway lands. He claimed that, when he was only seventeen, he took an epic journey lasting a quarter of a century, taking him across the steppes of Russia, the rugged mountains of Afghanistan, the wastelands of Persia, and over the top of the world through the Himalayas. He was the first European to enter China. Through an amazing set of circumstances, he became a favorite of the most powerful ruler on planet earth, the Kublai Khan. Mark saw cities that made European capitals look like roadside villages. The Khan's palace dwarfed the largest castles and cathedrals in Europe. It was so massive that its banquet room alone could seat 6,000 diners at one time, each eating on a plate of pure gold.

 

Mark saw the world's first paper money and marveled at the explosive power of gunpowder. It would be the 18th Century before Europe would manufacture as much steel as China was producing in the year 1267. He became the first Italian to taste that Chinese culinary invention, pasta. As an officer of the Khan's court, he travelled to places no European would see for another 500 years.

 

After serving Kublai Khan for 17 years, Mark began his journey home to Venice, loaded down with gold, silk, and spices. When he arrived home, people dismissed his stories of a mythical place called China. His family priest rebuked him for spinning lies. At his deathbed, his family, friends, and priest begged him to recant his tales of China. But setting his jaw and gasping for breath, Mark spoke his final words, ‘I have not even told you half of what I saw.’

 

Though 13th Century Europeans rejected his stories as the tales of a liar or lunatic, history has proven the truthfulness behind the book he wrote about his adventures—The Travels of Marco Polo. 1300 years before Marco Polo wrote about China, another man, the Apostle John, went on an amazing journey to heaven itself. At times we jaded postmoderns shake our heads in disbelief at the Apostle John's vision and other biblical witnesses to the glory of heaven. But the biblical writers who describe heaven would declare to us, ‘I have not even told you half of what I saw. Heaven is more joyful, more glorious, and more beautiful than you could ever imagine.’ May their God-inspired testimonies and descriptions move us to long for God's gift to us in Christ—the glory of heaven.”

 

Dr. Robert Petterson, "All Things New: Our Eternal Home," sermon given at Covenant Presbyterian Church (11-8-09)

 

[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2011/february/5021411.html].

9

 

/by

God With US

,

Jesus Unveiled

God With Us

(Revelation 21:22-27)

 

INTRODUCTION

“For his first sermon in an elementary preaching class, Lawrence, an African student, chose a text describing the joys we'll share when Christ returns and ushers us to our heavenly home.

 

‘I've been in the United States for several months now,’ he began. ‘I've seen the great wealth that is here—the fine homes and cars and clothes. I've listened to many sermons in churches here, too. But I've yet to hear one sermon about heaven. Because everyone has so much in this country, no one preaches about heaven. People here don't seem to need it. In my country most people have very little, so we preach on heaven all the time. We know how much we need it.’”

 

Bryan Chapell, The Wonder of It All (Crossway, 1999); quoted in Men of Integrity (January/February 2001)

 

[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2001/october/13333.html]

 

Lawrence was not lamenting the fact that he didn’t have much, but rather he was rejoicing in what he will have in heaven. ​​ And yet, as we’ll see today, there are going to be some things that will not be in heaven.

 

BODY

  • ME

    • Doing without growing up

        • I remember when I was growing up, that we usually only used milk on our cereal, we didn’t drink glasses of milk very often

        • I also remember not having much soda or pop (depending on where you grew up) – we would have it occasionally when guests came for dinner (it was always a treat)

        • I’m sure there were other things I didn’t have growing up that other kids my age had

        • Things I had to do growing up that my children don’t have to do

          • I had to get up to change the channel on the television, because remotes weren’t invented yet

          • I had to go to the phone on the wall and use the rotary dial to make a phone call at a per-minute cost, because I didn’t have unlimited cell phone service

          • I had to go to the library and look through the Encyclopedia for information about anything, because I didn’t have the internet

          • I had to walk across the yard or down the street to see my friends and connect with them, because I didn’t have a cell phone or social media

        • I turned out just fine without glasses of milk, a lot of soda, my own Atari system, a remote control, the internet, and a cell phone (of course I have most of things today)

    • Doing without now

        • We are very blessed as a family – God has taken care of us in so many ways

        • While we don’t own a home or any property, God has provided through Idaville Church, a wonderful place for us to call home

        • We don’t have cable, satellite, or antenna television, and I don’t miss all the commercials and negative news articles

        • We don’t live around our parents or siblings, so we have to do without those close relationships that others enjoy on a more frequent basis

 

  • WE

    • Things we didn’t have growing up

        • Let’s all take a moment and remember the things we did without as children growing up – think about the conveniences that have been invented in your lifetime

        • I’m not having you do this today to make you feel sad or angry

        • My guess is that many of us have the things, today, that we didn’t have as children

    • Doing without now

        • Are there things we’re doing without today, even though we could very easily have them?

        • Are there things we have today that we could do without?

          • Seth just told me this week as they’ve been looking at a place to rent, that he and Emily are going BIG!

          • I didn’t know what that meant at first, but he said that they are considering not having internet at their next place, but only using an antenna for television

 

John’s vision of the new heaven and the new earth in Revelation 21:22-27 lists four things that will not be in the New Jerusalem. ​​ The reason these four things will not be there is because of God’s presence – God will be there and therefore these four things are not needed or present. ​​ So, John wants us to understand that . . .

 

BIG IDEA – God’s presence provides protection from impurities.

 

Let’s pray

 

  • GOD (Revelation 21:22-27)

    • God’s Presence (vv. 22-24)

        • No temple needed

          • This is a continuation of John’s vision concerning all of the dimensions, measurements, and materials used in the New Jerusalem

          • He has just described for his readers what is included in the New Jerusalem and now he is sharing with them what is not included or seen there

          • Biblical background concerning God’s presence with His people

            • Throughout Biblical history we see that God’s presence was found in the form of a cloud that covered a specific meeting place (this was for the Israelites)

              • Tent of Meeting – Read Exodus 33:7-11

              • Tabernacle – Read Exodus 40:34-38

              • Temple – Read 1 Kings 8:1-11

            • Ezekiel’s vision of the New Temple Area

              • In Ezekiel 40-46, the prophet explains in great detail the New Temple Area

              • His vision was obviously in the future and many believe it is talking about the New Jerusalem

              • While Ezekiel is outlining a New Temple, it does not contradict John’s vision, in Rev. 21:22, of there being no Temple

              • “For John there is no temple because symbol has given way to reality. ​​ The temple is replaced by ‘the Lord God Almighty, and the Lamb.’” ​​ [Mounce, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, Revelation, 395]

            • God’s presence will be with His people in a new way

              • Jesus explained this to the woman at the well

              • John 4:19-21, “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. ​​ Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” ​​ Jesus declared, “Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.”

              • Paul also expressed that the physical temple had been transformed into a spiritual temple found in the lives of every believer (2 Cor. 6:16; Eph. 2:21-22)

              • 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? ​​ If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.

          • ​​ “We must remember that the major religious feature of the temple was that God resided there. ​​ The entire Book of Ezekiel ends with the new name of the eschatological city, ‘the Lord is there’ (48:35). ​​ It was his Shekinah presence in the Holy of Holies that made the temple sacred. ​​ But now he physically resides among his people (Rev. 21:3), and the entire city has been made into a Holy of Holies.” ​​ [Osborne, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, Revelation, 759]

          • PRINCIPLE – God’s presence will be with His people eternally.

            • As followers of Jesus Christ we have the presence of God with us through the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit lives within us

              • We may not always feel like God is with us, but feelings can change so quickly

              • Many people go to church as a way to “be with God” and there’s nothing wrong with that (the church is certainly a scared place)

              • Matthew 28:18-20, Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ​​ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. ​​ And surely I am with you always to the very end of the age.”

              • Jesus promised to be with us as we fulfill the Great Commission

              • God has promised to be with us while we are here on earth

                • Joshua 1:9, “Have I not commanded you? ​​ Be strong and courageous. ​​ Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

                • Deuteronomy 31:6, “Be strong and courageous. ​​ Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

                • Psalm 23:4, Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me.

              • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Claim God’s promise that He will be with me here on earth and in eternity.

            • Just imagine some day when God will be with us both physically and spiritually – He will be the temple, we will be in His presence for eternity – we will be able to say “God is with us!”

          • With God’s presence in the city, there is no need for any source of light

        • No light source needed

          • God’s glory is all the light that’s needed

            • There will be no sun to light the day or moon to light the night

            • The prophet Isaiah predicted this, The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. ​​ Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end (Isaiah 60:19-20)

            • We see in scripture that those who were in the presence of God reflected His glory

              • Read Exodus 34:29-35

              • Matthew 17:1-3, After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. ​​ There he was transfigured before them. ​​ His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. ​​ Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

            • “If the light of God the Creator has dawned, of what use are the created lights, the sun and the moon? ​​ Of what good is their pitiful reflected light when he who is light itself (John 1:5) is present?” ​​ [Oswalt cited by Osborne, 761]

          • The Lamb is its lamp

            • John spoke, in his Gospel, about Jesus being the light

              • John 1:9, The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.

              • John 8:12, When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. ​​ Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

              • John 3:19, This is the verdict: ​​ Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.

            • Gospel

              • This is our human condition – we love darkness instead of light (sin instead of righteousness)

              • We are born that way from the time that Adam and Eve rebelled against God

              • God had a plan to deal with the darkness of sin in our lives – it was Jesus!

                • Jesus was born into this world without the human condition of sin

                • He lived a perfect life, without sin

                • Before Jesus came, God required the Israelites to sacrifice a perfect lamb, without blemish, as a way to cover over their sin (not to take it away)

                • Jesus was the perfect Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world

                • When He died on the cross, it was the perfect and final sacrifice that God required for sin

                • Jesus met and fulfilled God’s standard for us

              • John recorded Jesus’ words in his Gospel, Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life (John 8:12)

              • The light of life is eternal life

                • It means our names have been written in the Lamb’s book of life (that information is important, as we’ll see in verse 27)

                • That is the primary source for any human being that wants to experience living in God’s presence, both physically and spiritually, for eternity

                • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Follow Jesus, so I will never have to walk in darkness, but will be able to spend eternity in God’s presence.

          • Nations will walk in the light of God’s glory and the Lamb’s lamp

            • The prophet Isaiah spoke about God’s glory and the nations being attracted by it

            • Isaiah 60:1-5, “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. ​​ See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. ​​ Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. ​​ Lift up your eyes and look about you: ​​ All assemble and come to you; your sons come from afar, and your daughters are carried on the arm. ​​ Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come.”

            • The nations will bring their splendor into the New Jerusalem

              • The “nations” is simply a reference to the fact that the inhabitants of the New Jerusalem will be diverse in culture, language, background, etc.

              • Believers from every nation will be represented

              • The splendor that is mentioned here can also be defined as “glory”

              • Keener (The NIV Application Commentary, Revelation, 498) and Osborne (763) both emphasis that what the nations are bringing into the city is not literal wealth or riches, but rather the glory they had received on earth, and now they are offering it to God, whose glory is far greater still

        • God’s presence and His glory shining in the New Jerusalem means that we have His protection

    • God’s Protection (vv. 25-26)

        • No need for closed gates

          • The glow of city lights

            • How many of us are familiar with the glow of city lights on the horizon as we approach the city on the interstate

            • You know that there are multiple lights shining that produces the glow in the sky

            • In ancient times the cities were poorly lit, so there wasn’t the same type of glow in the sky that we see today

          • The need in ancient times to close the city gates

            • Since light sources were primarily torches and/or oil lamps in ancient times, the streets of the city would be dark

            • They would shut the city gates every night in order to provide protection for their citizens

            • Those who lived outside the city knew when the gates would close and they had to be outside the gates before they were shut, otherwise, they would be locked in for the night

          • Most crime happens under the veil of darkness

            • People, by nature, don’t want others to see the wrong things they’re doing, so they wait until it’s dark to do those certain things

            • On March 3, 2019 the introduction I shared for Revelation 20:11-15 was about Dennis Lee Curtis who, as a robber, had a “robber’s code” in his wallet when he was arrested. ​​ One of the codes he lived by was that he would only rob at night

            • John 3:19, This is the verdict: ​​ Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.

            • One example I’m reminded of, from Scripture, is Judas Iscariot when he left the last supper and then directed the Pharisees and the temple guards to arrest Jesus in the garden – this was done at night

          • No night

            • We see in the New Jerusalem that there will be no need to shut the gates on any day, because there will not be any night

            • God’s glory and the Lamb’s lamp will provide light continually

            • Evil will not have a time period where it will be able to function outside of God’s glorious light

        • PRINCIPLE – God will protect His people from evil, forever.

          • As we learned in Rev. 19 and 20, the beast, the false prophet, Hades, death, and Satan have all been thrown into the lake of burning sulfur – evil is gone

          • The idea that night is no longer here is another way of saying that evil is vanquished – it’s gone!

          • This principle is also an incredible promise for us as followers of Jesus Christ

          • Psalm 23:4, Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me.

            • The rod was a heavy stick used to fend off attacking animals – it was used to protect the sheep from being devoured

            • The staff is the one we think of today with the hook on the end – it was used to pull straying sheep back to the flock

            • God is protecting us from evil, even while we’re on earth

            • He is our Good Shepherd – He is protecting us from Satan and his minions and He is pulling us back into relationship with Him and other believers, when we stray

          • Perhaps you don’t feel like God is protecting you from evil or temptation

            • You feel like evil and temptation are always right there and you find yourself giving in

            • Paul encouraged the Corinthian believers with these words, No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. ​​ And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. ​​ But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it (1 Corinthians 10:13).

            • God always provides a way out, but we don’t always take it

            • “A very religious man was once caught in rising floodwaters. He climbed onto the roof of his house and trusted God to rescue him. A neighbour came by in a canoe and said, ‘The waters will soon be above your house. Hop in and we’ll paddle to safety.’

              ‘No thanks’ replied the religious man. ‘I’ve prayed to God and I’m sure he will save me.’

              A short time later the police came by in a boat. ‘The waters will soon be above your house. Hop in and we’ll take you to safety.’

              ‘No thanks’ replied the religious man. ‘I’ve prayed to God and I’m sure he will save me.’

              A little time later a rescue services helicopter hovered overhead, let down a rope ladder and said. ‘The waters will soon be above your house. Climb the ladder and we’ll fly you to safety.’

              ‘No thanks’ replied the religious man. ‘I’ve prayed to God and I’m sure he will save me.’

              All this time the floodwaters continued to rise, until soon they reached above the roof and the religious man drowned. When he arrived at heaven he demanded an audience with God. Ushered into God’s throne room he said, ‘Lord, why am I here in heaven? I prayed for you to save me, I trusted you to save me from that flood.’

              ‘Yes you did my child’ replied the Lord. ‘And I sent you a canoe, a boat and a helicopter. But you never got in.’

              [              https://storiesforpreaching.com/i-sent-you-a-rowboat/]

            • So God always provides, but we don’t always recognize it as His provision

        • Glory and Honor will be brought into the city

          • With the gates always open, there is unlimited access

          • There is no need to keep the “inhabitants of the earth” (the title given in Revelation to unbelievers/unrighteous) out, because they have been thrown into the lake of burning sulfur

          • Isaiah 60:11, Your gates will always stand open, they will never be shut, day or night, so that men may bring you the wealth of the nations – their kings led in triumphal procession.

          • The nations that are coming, and bringing their glory and honor, are those who are followers of Jesus Christ

          • “Verse 26 suggests that endlessly in heaven the saints will have opportunity to bring praise to God by offering up to him the best of our accomplishments.” ​​ [Easley, Holman New Testament Commentary, Revelation, 403]

          • This is a reminder that everything we have accomplished on earth is a result of God’s providential hand at work through us

        • With evil gone we see the final thing that will not be in the New Jerusalem – any kind of impurity

    • God’s Purity (v. 27)

        • Nothing impure

          • John notes two groups that would be considered impure, but this is not an exhaustive list

          • He is connecting several themes that he has already mentioned earlier in the letter

            • Those who have done what is shameful

              • Shameful could also be translated as “abominable”

              • It would then refer to those who sided with Babylon the Great, the Great Prostitute

              • John’s imagery in Revelation is that they committed spiritual adultery with her, meaning that they worshiped her instead of God – they gave in to every kind of shameful practice associated with the Great Prostitute

            • Those who have done what is deceitful

              • It’s individuals who have done things in a way that was not truthful, leading people down the wrong path

              • It also includes those who have spoken lies and through that have led people astray

            • While nothing or no one who is impure will be in the city, the city will be populated by those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life

          • Those who follow Jesus Christ will have the light of life and will spend eternity in the New Jerusalem where God’s presence will be experienced both physically and spiritually

        • PRINCIPLE – God’s eternal home will be completely pure.

          • I hope you’re looking forward to that

          • Spring is coming and those who garden are already thinking about their gardens

            • Last year, Sherl Shaffer gave me some great advice about how to keep the weeds under control in our garden (multiple layers of newspaper covered with a thick layer of mushroom soil mulch)

            • I was able to do that with 3 of the 6 raised beds we have, and it worked wonderfully

            • The other 3 beds had lots and lots of weeds

            • I would tell Judy and Pastor Marc that I was going to do some garden therapy

            • Having to worry about weeds in our gardens is a result of the fall of Adam and Eve

            • I can’t wait to be part of God’s eternal home that will be completely pure – no weeds!

 

  • YOU

    • God is with us

        • We all know that to be true when it comes to eternity, but we don’t always believe or feel that here on earth

        • He promises to never leave us or forsake us

        • Claim that promise for yourself today

    • God has given us the light of life through His Son Jesus

        • Jesus explained that we can have the light of life (eternal life) by following Him

        • If you’ve never made the decision to follow Jesus, I encourage you to do that today

        • You will experience God’s presence with you here on earth and in eternity someday

 

  • WE

    • How we react to hardships and difficulties shows the world what we truly believe about God – have we really claimed the promises that God is with us and that He will protect us from evil and temptation?

    • Our testimony through our actions and words could be what draws our family, friends, and coworkers toward a relationship with God – as they see the glory of God reflected in and through us, they will be drawn to it

 

CONCLUSION

“The sense that we will live forever somewhere has shaped every civilization in human history. Australian aborigines pictured Heaven as a distant island beyond the western horizon. The early Finns thought it was a distant island in the far away east. Mexicans, Peruvians, and Polynesians believed that they went to the sun or the moon after death. Native Americans believed that, in the afterlife, their spirits would hunt the spirits of buffalo.

 

The Gilgamesh epic, an ancient Babylonian legend, refers to a resting place of heroes and hints at a tree of life. In the pyramids of Egypt, the embalmed bodies had maps placed beside them as guides to the future world. The Romans believed that the righteous would picnic in the Elysian Fields, while their horses grazed nearby. Seneca, the Roman philosopher, said, ‘The day thou fearest as the last is the birthday of eternity.’

 

Although these depictions of the afterlife differ, the unifying testimony of the human heart throughout history is belief in life after death. Anthropological evidence suggests that every culture has a God-given, innate sense of the eternal—that this world is not all there is.”

 

Randy Alcorn, Heaven (Tyndale, 2004); submitted by Bill White, Paramount, California.

 

[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2006/december/6120406.html]

11

 

/by

Gold At The End Of The Rainbow

,

Revelation 21:9-21

Gold at the End of the Rainbow

 

Introduction:

Like many of you, I drive to work every day. And because this commute has become so routine to me, I tend not to think too much about it. My mind switches to autopilot as I make my way to work.

But the other day, during my daily commute, I realized suddenly just how amazing this activity, which I so often take for granted, really is. I sit comfortably in the front of this machine, and by simply adjusting the angle of my foot, propel myself at incredible speeds from one point to the next. Imagine how far this technology has come.

Could you imagine someone from 100 years ago suddenly finding themselves here today, looking at one of our vehicles? Wouldn’t they be amazed? Imagine the mingling feelings of confusion and wonder as they watch cars zipping by on the nearby road. Things have changed so much in just a hundred years!

 

As incredible as human progress has been, even just in recent centuries, it all pales in comparison to the drastic difference between what we know now and the New Jerusalem, which John describes in stunning detail in Revelation 21:9-21.

 

BIG IDEA: What God has in store for us, His people, is unbelievably beautiful.

 

In this passage, John is given a vision of the New Jerusalem, and he describes to us the structure of this city as well as the materials of which it’s made.

Today, we’re going to talk about the vision, the structure, and the materials, and what each of these reveals to us about God and His people.

 

  • VISION (v. 9-10)

    • Angel (v. 9)

      • “One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you…”

      • We see this same exact phrase used in Rev. 17:1, so clearly there is a connection.

      • The importance here lies in the difference between the two:

        • The angel in 17:1 shows John the prostitute, Babylon

        • The angel here in 21:9 shows John “the bride, the wife of the Lamb,” the New Jerusalem

    • Bride (v.9)

      • Clearly meant to be understood through contrast with the “Great prostitute, Babylon”

      • According to Mounce, “One is of the earth, symbolizing the unbridled passion of evil, and the other descends from Heaven, the epitome of all that is pure and beautiful.”

      • Some have questioned why the New Jerusalem is described as both “bride” and “wife.” The question they often raise is where exactly in the process is she? Have they been married already or not?

        • Mounce’s answer to this question is that the exact timing doesn’t matter as much as the meaning of each word.

        • ​​ “As bride, the church is pure and lovely…”

        • “As wife, she enjoys the intimacy of the Lamb.”

      • Reminds us of Ephesians 5:25, in which husbands are instructed to care for their wives in the same way that Christ cares for the Church (His bride).

      • We will discuss more about the bride as we dig deeper into the rest of the passage.

    • Mountain (v.10)

      • “And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high…”

      • Osborne notes that “mountains have always been important to Jewish religion, from Mount Sinai, where Moses was given the Ten Commandments (Exodus 19-20) to Mount Nebo, where he was shown the Promised Land (Deut. 34:1-4).”

      • There also seems to be a connection to Ezekiel 40:1-2, in which Ezekiel is given the vision of the new temple on a very high mountain.

      • According to Jewish tradition, the final eschatological city would be on a mountain (Mt. Zion). (Isaiah 2:2, 4:1-5) (Micah 4:1-2)

      • Some even believe the mountain in John’s vision here is Mt. Zion (though this is not explicitly stated nor definitively proven).

      • Based on these and other Biblical stories, mountains have a clear connection both to the revelation of hidden things and to God’s holy city. So it makes sense that God’s city is revealed to John while he is on a mountain.

  • STRUCTURE (v. 12-17)

    • Wall (v. 12)

      • “It had a great, high wall…”

      • The question which begs to be asked here is why would this holy city need walls? Surely not for defense, right? Evil has already been defeated, so against whom would these walls defend?

        • It could be that these walls are not necessarily for defense but rather to establish a sense of security, regardless of how necessary they might be.

        • Courson suggests that “the wall around the New Jerusalem speaks of safety and security.”

        • Akin agrees, calling it “a symbol of security and stability.”

      • Whether necessary for defense or not, these walls remind us of the security that we have in the Lord, our God.

    • Gates (v. 12)

      • “...with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates.”

      • Angels at the gates

        • These gates are commonly linked to the “watchmen on the walls” in Isaiah 62:6

        • Osborne notes that guards are unnecessary because evil is already gone, so he suggests that the angels could be linked to the angels of the churches in Revelation chapters 2 and 3.

          • This would represent God’s new relationship with His people.

          • If so, God might be showing that He fulfills His promises to His people.

          • These guards could also be, once again, portraying security in the Lord.

      • Names of 12 tribes

        • This draws a connection to the new temple in Ezekiel 48:30-35

          • In Ezekiel, each gate is named after a tribe.

          • Here we are simply told that the names of the tribes were on the gates.

        • Keener points out the common practice, even during John’s time, of inscribing the names of benefactors on the buildings which they funded.

          • Here in the New Jerusalem, however, these benefactors are not wealthy supporters, but rather “those whose lives provided foundations for God’s people.”

        • Courson explains the contribution of these “benefactors” in more depth: “As Gentiles, we were lost without the covenants, without any understanding of Yahweh before we were grafted into the olive tree of the faith (Romans 11:17). Thus, the names of the 12 tribes remind us that we are indebted to the people of Israel as we are to no other people.”

      • The position of the Gates (v.13)

        • “There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south, and three on the west.”

        • Osborne notes the similarity, again, to the temple in Ezekiel 48:30, which also has 12 gates, 3 on each side.

          • “These gates provide access to all ‘humankind,’ namely the ‘people’ (21:3) who have ‘overcome’ the world (21:7a) and so ‘inherited’ the city of God (21:7b)

          • 12 gates = plentiful access

          • 3 gates on each side = access from every direction (Revelation 7:9--”From every nation, tribe, people, and language…”)

        • Keener adds to our understanding of the 3 gates on each side: “Many Roman towns apparently had 3 gates providing entrance on one side, but New Jerusalem provides such access on all sides, implying that it welcomes people from all directions.”

    • Foundations (v.14)

      • “The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.”

      • This description reminds us of Ephesians 2:20, which tells us that the Church was “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets.”

        • Courson draws out the significance of this “foundation,” saying: “The names of the 12 apostles remind us that although we were originally granted access to an understanding of God through the gate of our Jewish heritage, our faith is founded on the message committed to the apostles: the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

      • It also seems worth noting that we have now seen in the New Jerusalem the names of both the tribes of Israel and the Apostles.

        • Mounce believes that “the juxtaposition of the twelve tribes and the twelve apostles shows the unity of ancient Israel and the New Testament church.”

        • “Thus,” adds Swindoll, “the city will be the dwelling place of the united people of God--Old and New Testament believers--whose salvation rests on the completed work of Jesus Christ.”

        • According to Wiersbe, by including both the tribes and Apostles, “John is simply assuring us that all of God’s believing people will be included in the city.”

      • In addition to this sense of inclusion, Wiersbe suggests that these foundations “speak of permanence.”

      • This place, in all of it’s splendor and glory, founded on the prophets and apostles, will never pass away. Neither will God’s love for His people.

    • Dimensions (v. 15-18)

      • “The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide.”

        • The term commonly used for this type of structure is “Foursquare,” meaning equal on all sides.

        • According to Wiersbe, a foursquare structure “indicates the perfection of God’s eternal city: nothing is out of order or balance.”

        • Block also suggests that this foursquare structure is meant “to reflect a lofty theological and spiritual ideal, according to which the residence of Yahweh must be perfectly proportioned.”

        • The Temple in Ezekiel was also laid out in foursquare (Ezekiel 42:15-20, 45:2)

          • While the Temple is a perfect square, the New Jerusalem is “as wide and high as it is long,” meaning it is a perfect cube.

          • “In other words,” says Osborne, “the perfection of this city is another degree greater than that of Ezekiel.”

      • Cube: “...as wide and high as it is long”

        • The cube layout, according to Akin, “recalls and reflects the most holy place, or Holy of Holies.” (1 Kings 6:20; 2 Chron. 3:8-9)

        • Osborne notes that “...since the Holy of Holies was the place where the Shekinah resided, this is especially appropriate for the celestial city.”

        • “In earthly Jerusalem,” says Easley, “the glory of God was limited to a single, tiny, cube-shaped room; in New Jerusalem the glory of God fils a vast cube-shaped city.”

        • “A city foursquare” (and even more so a city cubed) “would be the place where God has taken up residence with His people.” (Mounce)

        • Mounce helps us understand the underlying significance of this magnificent cube of a city, in which dwells the Lord, in all His glory:

          • “As the holy city descends from Heaven, it glitters with a shimmering radiance that manifests the presence and glory of God. it is the eternal fulfillment of God’s promise to captive Israel that in the restoration the flory of the Lord will arise upon them and He will be their everlasting light (Isaiah 60)

      • “...12,000 stadia in length…”

        • The number itself

          • This would be considered a “perfect number” because it is 12, a number which is perfect and complete, multiplied by 10, another perfect and complete number, cubed (which again implies a sense of completeness and perfection).

          • Easley examines the number even more closely, adding that “a cube has 12 edges, and each edge is 12,000 stadia long, so the total length of the edges is 144,000, exactly the same as the followers of the Lamb in Rev. 14:1.”

          • This number, according to Osborne, “signifies not only perfection, but a city large enough to hold all fo the sints down through the ages, the saints from ‘every tribe, language, people, and nation.’”

        • The measurement

          • Osborne informs us that “...the 12,000 stadia here was about the length of the Roman Empire,” which is about 1,400 miles.

          • Rome is often understood as Babylon, and is of course the persistent enemy of the Jews, so this shows God’s power over that evil city (and by extension the evil of the world) by portraying His Holy City as the size of Rome cubed.

      • The wall (v. 17)

        • The wall is described as being either 144 cubits “thick” or “high,” depending on one’s translation.

          • Osborned believes that the correct translation is more likely “thick” because it is portrayed as a “great high wall” in verse 12.

          • Either way, however, the wall is terribly small for a city 1,400 miles high.

          • “Thus,” says Osborne, “it is a symbolic number, most likely to be connected with the 144,000 of 7:4 and 14:1,3 as signifying the whole people of God.”

          • Both Mounce and Keener agree that this number is symbolic for the same reasons.

        • Easley attempts to interpret even more meaning from this number: “Perhaps it is best to see this dimension as the number of the tribes of Israel multiplied by the number of the apostles, another representation of the people of God throughout time.”

    • So the structure of the New Jerusalem conveys perfection, protection, access to all of God’s people, and more than anything, His presence dwelling with His people.

 

Principle #1: Eternal life with God is the fulfillment of all of His promises to His people.

My Next Step #1: Consider how God has fulfilled (and is fulfilling) His promises in the world and in my life.

 

  • Materials (v. 11, 18-21)

    • Jasper (Diamond)

      • (v. 18): “The wall was made of jasper..”

      • Due to the limitations of language and his own understanding, John may not actually be talking about Jasper.

      • Mounce notes that “In antiquity, the designation ‘jasper’ was used for any opaque precious stone,” so the reference could be to any of a number of stones.

      • Both Mounce and Courson (and many other scholars) agree that the description, “clear as crystal,” would suggest that the stone John is attempting to reference is actually a diamond.

      • So what is the significance of this stone? Why a diamond?

        • Courson helps us to understand the metaphorical value of this stone: “A diamond would be a fitting description of the city wherein dwells the Church--not because as the bride of Christ we deserve diamonds, but because, like diamonds we are simply chunks of worthless coal made brilliant by heat and pressure.”

        • 1 Peter 4:12-13 elaborates on this truth.

        • Like a diamond shines only as it reflects the light around it, we as the Church shine only when we reflect the glory and presence of God around us.

    • Precious Stones (Foundations)

      • (v.19-20) “The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone…”

        • Each of the 12 precious stones decorating the foundations of the city is named.

        • These include: Jasper, Sapphire, Agate, Emerald, Onyx, Ruby, Chrysolite, Beryl, Topaz, Turquoise, Jacinth, and Amethyst.

        • Some have attempted to interpret the meaning of each stone, but I won’t. What I will consider, however, is the significance of this particular grouping of stones.

        • Osborne presents 3 theories, which we will consider.

      • Theories Regarding the Precious Stones:

        • Connection to the High Priest’s breastplate

          • 8 of the 12 stones listed are also among those worn on the breastplate of the High priest, as mentioned in Exodus 28 and 36.

          • The 4 stones which differ between the two lists can be explained by limitations of language (the same stone having different names, etc.) or knowledge at the time (maybe the true stone had not been discovered at the time).

          • Mounce believes that this similarity to the breastplate of the High Priest suggests that “the privileges reserved for the high priest alone under the old covenant are now freely given to the entire people of God.”

        • Possible connection to Zodiac

          • The list of stones here in John’s description of the New Jerusalem is the exact reverse order of the 12 jewels linked with the 12 signs of the Zodiac in ancient Egyptian and Arabic lists.

          • Osborne sees this as indicating John’s intentional rejection of any “pagan speculations about the ‘city of the gods’ behind the celestial city.”

        • Due to the difference with the signs of the zodiac and the breast plate of the high priest, we cannot be certain of either, and it is best to see this list as a general depiction of the glory of the people of God, of many different types, and yet reflecting God’s glory.

      • Though none of these theories is definitive, the connection to the High Priest has clear implications.

        • In Revelation 1:6, 5:10, and 20:6, God’s people are portrayed as priests of God.

        • So this is how God views us according to His covenant through Christ

        • This means that we, like the High Priest, have direct access to God at all times.

    • Pearls (Gates)

      • (v.21) “The 12 gates were 12 pearls, each gate made of a single pearl.”

      • In the ancient world, pearls held incredible worth and were considered the most luxurious of all jewels.

        • We see an indication of this in Matthew 13:45-46, in which Jesus tells of a man who sold everything he had to possess a single pearl.

      • Courson again attempts to draw out some significance regarding the use of this particular material:

        • “The pearl represents God’s people. How do I know? In Matthew 13, Jesus told the sotry of a man who sold everytying to purchase a pearl. That’s just what Jesus did. He gave everything He had--even His very life--to purchase us. This makes us the pearl--a fitting description, since a pearl is nothing more than an irritating grain of sand or a tiny parasite coated by the lustrous nacre of an oyster. ​​ We’re irritating indeed, parasitic beyond question. But God robes us and covers us and thereby makes us trophies in order that all of creation throughout eternity might marvel at His grace.”

    • Gold (City and Street)

      • (v. 9) “...city of pure gold…”

      • (v. 21) “The great street of the city was of gold…”

      • Here on earth, gold is extremely valuable, but in heaven, gold is used as casually as asphalt.

        • “Whatever you value most on earth,” says Courson, “will be as commonplace as asphalt in comparison to the glory of the New Jerusalem.”

      • This also reminds us of the priests of the Old Testament (1 Kings 6:30) who ministered in the Temple. (Mounce)

        • Like them, the servants of God in the New Jerusalem walk upon gold.

        • This is yet another reference to our priestly status in God’s city.

        • When God looks at His people, He sees priest in His Kingdom.

    • The presence of gems, pearls, gold together

      • Similarity to Isaiah 54:11-12

        • In this passage, which speaks of “gates of sparkling jewels” and “walls of precious stones,” Isaiah is describing the restoration and transformation of the “daughter of Zion” from abandonment and fear to fulfillment and joy.

        • The desolate city in this passage is transformed into a city decorated with gold and jewels, the bride of Yahweh.

        • The serves as an incredibly apt metaphor for the life of one who has been redeemed by Christ, and even more so as the redeemed Church.

      • Connection to the prostitue of Babylon

        • The prostitute of Babylon is described in Revelation 17:4 and 18:16 as wearing “gold, precious stones, and pearls,” the same elements we see composing the New Jerusalem.

        • The distinction, however, lies in the statement, found in Rev. 18:6, that “in one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin.”

        • Here we are reminded of the elements which distinguish the prostitute from the bride.

          • The prostitute (the world) tempts us with instant gratification, which ultimately won’t last nor satisfy.

          • What God offers through Christ, however, is the long-term, intmate relationship enjoyed exclusively by a wife.

          • This adds to our understanding of God’s faithfulness, as well as the security and intimacy He offers us.

 

Principle #2: When God looks at you, He sees something precious, valuable, beautiful, and capable of reflecting HIs glory.

 

My Next Step #2: Reflect upon how God sees me as an individual and us as the Church.

 

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