Bible Study - Second Nature (5) - John the Baptist - John1:26-34; 3:26-30 - November 12, 2017

Bible Study – Second Nature (5) – John the Baptist – November 12, 2017

This is lesson five (5) in our series entitled “Second Nature.”

Our focus scripture is John 1:26-34; 3:26-30.

CHRIST-centered living chooses to exalt CHRIST, not self.

Let’s read Isaiah 40:3:

3 A voice of one crying out: Prepare the way of the Lord in the wilderness; make a straight highway for our God in the desert.

The prophet Isaiah wrote these prophet words which would be fulfilled some 700 years later. Let’s fast forward to about 29 A.D.

Let’s read Luke 1:5-25: (Background regarding John the Baptist’s Birth.)

Gabriel Predicts John's Birth

5 In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest of Abijah's division named Zechariah. His wife was from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.

6 Both were righteous in God's sight, living without blame according to all the commandments and requirements of the Lord.

7 But they had no children because Elizabeth could not conceive, and both of them were well along in years.

8 When his division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God,

9 it happened that he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense.

10 At the hour of incense the whole assembly of the people was praying outside.

11 An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense.

12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and overcome with fear.

13 But the angel said to him: Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John.

14 There will be joy and delight for you, and many will rejoice at his birth.

15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord and will never drink wine or beer. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit while still in his mother's womb.

16 He will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God.

17 And he will go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, to make ready for the Lord a prepared people.

18 "How can I know this?" Zechariah asked the angel. "For I am an old man, and my wife is well along in years."

19 The angel answered him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and tell you this good news.

20 Now listen! You will become silent and unable to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time."

21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah, amazed that he stayed so long in the sanctuary.

22 When he did come out, he could not speak to them. Then they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He kept making signs to them and remained speechless.

23 When the days of his ministry were completed, he went back home.

24 After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived and kept herself in seclusion for five months. She said,

25 "The Lord has done this for me. He has looked with favor in these days to take away my disgrace among the people."

Let’s skip to and continue to read in Luke 1:57-66:

The Birth and Naming of John

57 Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she had a son.

58 Then her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her His great mercy, and they rejoiced with her.

59 When they came to circumcise the child on the eighth day, they were going to name him Zechariah, after his father.

60 But his mother responded, "No! He will be called John."

61 Then they said to her, "None of your relatives has that name."

62 So they motioned to his father to find out what he wanted him to be called.

63 He asked for a writing tablet and wrote: HIS NAME IS JOHN And they were all amazed.

64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue [set free], and he began to speak, praising God.

65 Fear came on all those who lived around them, and all these things were being talked about throughout the hill country of Judea.

66 All who heard about [him] took [it] to heart, saying, "What then will this child become?" For, indeed, the Lord's hand was with him.

Let’s read Luke 1:67-80:

Zechariah's Prophecy

67 Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:

68 Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because He has visited and provided redemption for His people.

69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David,

70 just as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets in ancient times;

71 salvation from our enemies and from the clutches of those who hate us.

72 He has dealt mercifully with our fathers and remembered His holy covenant-

73 the oath that He swore to our father Abraham. He has given us the privilege,

74 since we have been rescued from our enemies' clutches, to serve Him without fear

75 in holiness and righteousness in His presence all our days.

76 And child, you will be called a prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare His ways,

77 to give His people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins.

78 Because of our God's merciful compassion, the Dawn from on high will visit us

79 to shine on those who live in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

80 The child grew up and became spiritually strong, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

This leads us to John the Baptist’s public ministry.

We also need to remember that Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist and Mary, the mother of JESUS were cousins. (Luke 1:36 - 36 And consider your relative Elizabeth-even she has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren.)

Let’s read John 1:26-30:

26 "I baptize with water," John answered them. "Someone stands among you, but you don't know [Him].

John the Baptist message was a message of repentance. John the Baptist would “baptize with water.” But the yet to be identified person would offer more than repentance and physical water. What HE would offer is recorded in Matthew 3:11-12:

11 "I baptize you with water for repentance, but the One who is coming after me is more powerful than I. I am not worthy to take off His sandals. He Himself will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

JESUS, THE MESSIAH, will cleanse and indwell all who will place their faith in HIM.

12 His winnowing shovel is in His hand, and He will clear His threshing floor and gather His wheat into the barn. But the chaff He will burn up with fire that never goes out."

John the Baptist was the forerunner or herald who announced the coming of the promised Messiah. When a king came to an area, village or town a herald or forerunner would go before the king to announce the coming of the king so the people would be prepared to come out and pay homage to and welcome the king.

JESUS’ public ministry had not begun but HIS ministry was on the threshold of beginning and it was John the Baptist who GOD had called to announce HIS coming and to baptize HIM for ministry. 

27 He is the One coming after me, whose sandal strap I'm not worthy to untie."

John the Baptist made it very clear that he, John the Baptist, was not the promised Messiah. In fact, he was not worthy to untie this person’s sandal. The promised Messiah was JESUS.

28 All this happened in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

This Bethany is different from the village where Mary, Martha and Lazarus lived. John the Apostle referred to area as Bethabara. It is thought that the Apostle John made this distinction purposely.

The Lamb of God

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Here is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

30 This is the One I told you about: 'After me comes a man who has surpassed me, because He existed before me.'

John the Baptist knew that JESUS had been sent by GOD from Heaven to live upon earth as a human, yet divine.

Let’s read John 1:31-34:

31 I didn't know Him, but I came baptizing with water so He might be revealed to Israel."

John the Baptist knew JESUS as a relative but not HIM as the Messiah until it was revealed to him.

32 And John testified, "I watched the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He rested on Him.

33 I didn't know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The One you see the Spirit descending and resting on-He is the One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'

34 I have seen and testified that He is the Son of God!"

We need to keep in mind that John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Spirit while inside his mother’s womb. (Look back to Luke 1:15) The Holy Spirit had revealed to John the Baptist vital information regarding what would identify the Messiah.

Let’s read John 1:35-36:

35 Again the next day, John was standing with two of his disciples.

36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look! The Lamb of God!"

This is John the Baptist’s confirmation to others that JESUS was the promised Messiah. The term “The Lamb of GOD” was very revealing because JESUS would be the perfect sacrifice necessary to redeem mankind from sin and its consequence eternal death. This would be accomplished by HIS sinless life and HIM willingly shedding HIS blood to pay, in full, for the sin of all who will place their faith in HIM.

The passion of JESUS reflected the Jewish sacrificial system. The sacrifice of a lamb without blemish by the shedding of its blood was an eternal placeholder until JESUS willingly gave HIS perfect, sinless life for all who will place their faith in HIM. That step of faith results in salvation from sin and its consequence eternal death.

Salvation is the beginning of building a loving, personal, intimate, dynamic relationship with GOD through faith in HIS Only Son JESUS. Building this relationship is the process of sanctification, to be made “Saint-like” or “being set aside to obediently be available to be used for HIS purpose.   

Let’s read John 3:25-30:

25 Then a dispute arose between John's disciples and a Jew about purification.

26 So they came to John and told him, "Rabbi, the One you testified about, and who was with you across the Jordan, is baptizing-and everyone is flocking to Him."

27 John responded, "No one can receive a single thing unless it's given to him from heaven.

28 You yourselves can testify that I said, 'I am not the Messiah, but I've been sent ahead of Him.'

29 He who has the bride is the groom. But the groom's friend, who stands by and listens for him, rejoices greatly at the groom's voice. So this joy of mine is complete.

30 He must increase, but I must decrease."

John the Baptist again confirmed JESUS as the promise Messiah.

Have you asked JESUS to forgive you for your sins and asked HIM to come into your heart? If not, now is that opportunity. As recorded in Romans 10:9-10:

9 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.

10 With the heart one believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth one confesses, resulting in salvation.

What is referred to as the Roman road to salvation is found in: Romans 3:23 (All have sinned); Romans 6:23 (The penalty for our sin is eternal death); Romans 5:8 (JESUS died to pay the debt for sin, which opened direct access to GOD through faith in JESUS paying that debt.); Romans 10:9-10 is the expression of that faith.

The Holy Spirit confirms our salvation and is the guarantee of salvation in every person’s heart that he or she is GOD’S Son or Daughter through the miracle of rebirth in his or her spirit. If you have asked JESUS into your life and confess HIM as your Savior, welcome into the family of GOD and blessings as you obediently serve HIM. Blessings!!!