From: Encouragement [[email protected]]
Sent: 14 July, 2001 8:12 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Encouragement From The Heart - July 12, 2001
19This is the testimony
of John, when the Jews sent to him priests and Levites from Jerusalem to
ask him, “Who are you?” 20And he confessed and did not
deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21They asked
him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” And he said, “I am not.”
“Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.”
22Then they said to him, “Who are you, so that we may give
an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?”
23He said, “I am
a
voice of one crying in the wilderness,
‘Make straight the way of the
Lord,’
as Isaiah the prophet
said.”
John 1:19-23
John, to my dear friends in Christ;
in John
1:19-21,
19This is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent to him priests
and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”
20And he confessed and did not deny, but confessed, “I am
not the Christ.” .” 21They asked him, “What then?
Are you Elijah?” And he said*, “I am not.” “Are
you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” ", we
have priests and Levites coming to question John. As you might expect he
was creating quite an uproar among the Jews. The Jews caused the Jewish
leadership to send representatives to question John, they were looking
for the Christ (Messiah), or as foretold, Elijah coming to proclaim
the coming of the Christ (Malachi
4:5,"
Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before
the coming of the great and terrible day of the
LORD."), or a great Prophet coming
in great power who would be the same as the Christ (Deuteronomy
18:15, 18, "
15“The LORD your God will raise up for
you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen
to him. 18‘I will raise up
a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in
his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command
him."). Their desire was for someone
to come and rule and destroy the oppression of Cesar. Little knowing that
Jesus was coming to destroy something greater, sin and it's oppression in
our lives. Jesus declared John to be the one who came in the spirit of Elijah,
Matthew 11:14,
“And if you are willing to
accept
it,
John himself is Elijah who was to come.". Jesus
also declared John to be greatest among men (which means he was greater than
even the prophets), Matthew:11:11a,
"Truly
I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen
anyone
greater than John the Baptist!". Then Jesus goes on
and declares believers to be greater than John, Matthew 11:11b,
"Yet the one who is least
in the kingdom of heaven is greater than
he.". John wore a garment of hair and a leather
belt as Elijah, 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.”". And John preached the same message as well
- repent, the priests failed to see the connection. They were looking for
something to fulfill their version of events that would occur when the Messiah
comes.
John's message is simple and clear - repent, Mathew 3:2, " Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.". This he tells the priests in versus 22-23, "22Then they said to him, “Who are you, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?” 23He said, “I am a voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.”". The quotation of scripture marks John's mission, for the Jewish mind this is a Messianic scripture of preparation for the coming of the Messiah. The message wasn't complex, there wasn't a long list of to do items, just one thing, repent. Jesus' message is still clear and simple today, Mark 1:15, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”.
Dear Heavenly Father, what encouragement we have to know that the least among your believers is greater even then John the Baptist, You're an awesome God, help us to remember how great we are in heaven even when we are not so great on earth. Help us to tell others the simple message, "kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel", in Jesus name I Pray, Amen.
God's Many Blessings to You,
john
In John we see the Deity Jesus as:
God
(1:1)
The Word (of God) (1:1)
Creator
(of the
Heavens and Earth)
(1:3)
Light
(source of salvation)
(1:4)
True Light
(1:9)
Son of God (1:14,
1:18)
God Becoming Man
(1:14)
Truth (1:14, 1:17,
14:6)
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Scripture references (unless noted otherwise): New
American Standard
copyright The Lockman Foundation
1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971,
1972, 1973, 1975, 1977,
1995
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