Well, good morning to everyone. We're working in the Gospel of John now for our communion services last Sunday of every month. And we kind of began that last month on accident when I didn't realize it wasn't the last Sunday of the month. But we're going to go into another message this week and then stay in John next week, because this truly is a two-part message.

I began to study this and got into John the Baptist. John the Apostle spends a lot of time, a lot of verses here on John the Baptist and the importance of his witness and testimony. And I found it necessary to go back and do some contextual historical study in Matthew and so forth to kind of lay a foundation for us. So this morning is going to be a little bit different kind of message. Going to be a lot of information, a lot of scripture. And next week, more getting to the interpretation and application in context. So you can bear with me on that. But we’re going to do part one this week, part two next week.

I'd like to begin by asking you to turn to Malachi 4, the last book in the Old Testament, Malachi chapter 4. And these words in the Old Testament, 400 years before John the Baptist came on the scene. We'll look at verse 5, Malachi 4, 5. Says, behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.

The last words from God 400 years have passed as we come to our text this morning to the witness of John the Baptist in the Gospel of John, chapter 1. Israel has been waiting on her Messiah, looking for, anticipating his coming, although they only knew a ruling and reigning, judging Christ. They were looking for the kingdom, for deliverance from Rome, for a political ruler on David's throne. And it had been so long since God had sent a word to them, a prophet, to reveal himself, to give to them the word of the Lord.

The context of Malachi 4 is judgment, is the great and terrible day of the Lord. And this is really what the Jews were looking for. But John will tell them that the Messiah now comes as a lamb. Behold, the Lamb of God. Back in Malachi 3, we read this. He says, behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight. Behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming? And who can stand when he appears, for he is like a refiner's fire and a launderer's soap? He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver. He will purify the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver that they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness.

Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasant to the Lord as in the days of old, as in the former years. And I will come near you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against sorcerers, against adulterers, against perjurers, against those who exploit wage earners, and widows, and orphans, and against those who turn away an alien, because they do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts. 

The coming of Elijah, the forerunner, the messenger, is before the second coming of Christ, the time of wrath, the time of judgment, the purging of Israel and the great tribulation, and the coming salvation of the people of God, the time of deliverance and setting up of the kingdom that they were looking for. The Jews of Jesus' time had missed the idea of the suffering Messiah of Psalm 22, of Isaiah 53. They did not understand the Lamb of God. They were looking for the kingdom, the king, the ruling and reigning Messiah, and they were looking for deliverance for Israel.

Look at Acts 1.6 with me, please. Acts chapter 1 at verse 6. It says, therefore, when they had come together, they asked him, saying, Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? And he said to them, it is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in his own authority, but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth. Now when he had spoken these things, while they watched, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus who was taken up from you into heaven will so come in like manner as you saw him go into heaven.

Even after spending three years with Jesus, watching, listening, learning, at this point, the disciples still did not grasp the significance of his first coming, the ministry that he would give them, and the sacrifice that their lives would be for the sake of the gospel. They were still looking for the kingdom, even after the resurrection, at the ascension. But we will see that on the day of Pentecost and the baptism with fire, when the Holy Spirit came to indwell them permanently, regenerating them and giving them a new heart and a new spirit. Then they began to preach the gospel, to tell of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, of repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. 

The purpose of John in his gospel is given in chapter 20 at verse 31. He says, these things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God, and that believing, you may have life in his name. He writes this gospel for this reason, that we may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, and that we may have life in his name. He's going to present evidence to this truth throughout the book.

And what we see in our text this morning is that his first witness, perhaps his most powerful witness, is a man named John, John the Baptist. Let's look at verse six in John one. We'll read that text again. There was a man sent from God whose name was John. This man came for a witness to bear witness of the light that all through him might believe. He was not that light, but was sent to bear witness of that light. That was the true light which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world and the world was made through him and the world did not know him.

Now I want you to mark verse 11. He came to his own and his own did not receive him. It's going to be one of the verses I want to lift out of the text this morning. But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become children of God to those who believe in his name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory. The glory is of the only begotten of the father, full of grace and truth.

John bore witness of him and cried out saying, this was he of whom I said, he who comes before me or after me is preferred before me, for he was before me. And of his fullness, we have all received and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten son who's in the bosom of the father, he has declared him.

Now this is the testimony of John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, who are you? He confessed and did not deny, but confessed I am not the Christ. And they asked him, what then? Are you Elijah? He said, I am not. Are you the prophet? And he answered no. Then they said to him, who are you? That we may give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself? And he said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness. Make straight the way of the Lord as the prophet Isaiah said.

Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees and they asked him saying, why then do you baptize if you're not the Christ nor Elijah nor the prophet? John answered them saying, I baptize with water, but there stands one among you whom you do not know. It is he who coming after me is preferred before me whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. These things were done in Bethany beyond the Jordan where John was baptizing. The next day, John saw Jesus come toward him and said, behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. This is he of whom I said, after me comes a man who is preferred before me for he was before me.

Now look at verse 31. I'd like you to mark that verse as well. He says, I did not know him, but that he should be revealed to Israel. Therefore, I came baptizing with water. And John bore witness saying, I saw the spirit descending from heaven like a dove and he remained upon him. I did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, upon whom you see the spirit descending and remaining on him, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. And I have seen and testified that this is the son of God. This is John's testimony. Jesus is the son of God.

Well, I've given you five points. We're going to get to the first three this morning and then we'll get to the last two next week. First, the testimony of John. Second, who are you? Third, his own received him not. Fourth, as many as received him, and fifth, behold, the Lamb. 

Well, first in our texts, we see the testimony of John. John the Apostle, the author of this gospel, spends really a great deal of time here at the beginning, many verses in chapter one, giving the testimony of John the Baptist. And so I want to spend some time looking at John the Baptist this morning and next week, giving a historical and contextual setting to the witness of John. John the Baptist was a very important figure in this narrative and the historical record of the life and ministry of Jesus. They were cousins, John born six months before Jesus, and they both had lived in obscurity, really, for the past 30 years.

John had been living in the desert. It says he wore camel hair, he ate locust and honey, lived in solitude, sort of the life of a hermit. John had nothing to do with Jerusalem. He had nothing to do with organized religion, with society in general, but he lived in the desert all these years. Jesus had grown up in the carpenter shop with Joseph, other than the one glimpse of his childhood at the age of 12. We know nothing of these early years or really the first 30 years of his life, but now here we see God's plan begin to come into effect and John the Baptist comes on the scene in Israel. 

And he is announcing the coming of the Messiah of Jesus. He's baptizing with water under repentance and preaching the kingdom of God. Turn back to Matthew three with me, please. Matthew three at verse one. In those days, John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah saying the voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord, make his path straight. Now John himself was clothed in camel's hair with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem, all Judea and all the region around the Jordan went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance and do not think to say to yourselves, we have Abraham as our father. For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. I indeed baptize you with water under repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in his hand and he will thoroughly clean out his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

It's hard to estimate how many were coming to John to be baptized, but it says Jerusalem, all Judea and all the region around the Jordan went out to John. It was multitudes, tens of thousands perhaps. And John was very popular and he had a very popular message. The Messiah is here. The Messiah is coming. People liked that message. They were looking forward to that.

In John 5.33, it says you have sent to John and he has borne witness to the truth. Yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved. In verse 35 it says he was the burning, John the Baptist, he was the burning and shining lamp. And you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light. In Matthew 11.11, Jesus said, surely I say to you among those born of women, there is not risen one greater than John the Baptist, but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

Turn over to Matthew 17 with me. Matthew 17 at verse one. Now after six days, Jesus took Peter, James and John, his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves and he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun and his clothes became as white as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with them. Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, let us make here three tabernacles, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah. While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him. 

And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. But Jesus came and touched them and said, arise, and do not be afraid. When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead. And His disciples asked Him, saying, why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first? Jesus answered and said to them, indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things. But I say to you that Elijah has come already. And they did not know him, but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise, the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands. And then verse 13 says, then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist.

Well, this is the most interesting topic to study concerning the coming of Elijah, the forerunner, and John the Baptist. In our text, they ask John if he is Elijah. Down in verse 19, they ask him who he is. Who are you? And he confesses vehemently, I am not the Christ. And they say, well, are you Elijah? No. Are you the prophet? No. He's not the Christ. He's not Elijah. He's not the prophet. The prophet here is a reference to Deuteronomy 18, where the Lord said, Lord, God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your midst and your brethren, and you shall hear him. And in Acts 3, Peter tells us in that sermon that that prophet that Moses spoke of, that God promised, is Jesus. 

So John says he's not the Christ. He's not the prophet. He's not Elijah. And yet we see that John is the forerunner. He's the voice crying in the wilderness. And we find this prophecy concerning John the Baptist even before his birth. In Luke 1.13, it says, the angel said to Zacharias, he says, don't be afraid, for your prayer is heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. And he shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb. He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will also go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

Remember John said in our text, in order to reveal Jesus to Israel, he came baptizing with water. He will go before in the spirit and power of Elijah. He will be a type of Elijah, a forerunner before the first coming of Christ when Jesus will suffer and die. Elijah will come before the great and terrible day of the Lord for judgment of the wicked and the salvation of Israel. 

But then we have this amazing passage. Turn to Matthew 11 at verse 1. Matthew 11.1. Now it came to pass when Jesus finished commanding his 12 disciples that he departed from there to teach and preach in their cities. And when John had heard in prison, so now John the Baptist is in prison in Matthew 11, about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples. And he said to him, are you the coming one or do we look for another? Jesus answered and said to them, go and tell John the things which you hear and see. The blind see and the lame walk. The lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear. The dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of me.

As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John, what did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in king's houses. But what did you go out to see? A prophet. Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet, for this is he of whom it is written, behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you. Assuredly, I say to you, listen to what Jesus says about John the Baptist. Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women, there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist. But he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 

And from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. Look at verse 14. And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. 

Well, Jesus says a couple of very important things here for our understanding. And I feel that I need to take a bit of a detour in the course of our study of John 1 to explain this. It's really vital to our understanding of the Gospels, of the Old and New Covenant, of eschatology, of God's plan for Israel and the church, and so that we don't become confused in studying through the Gospels. It's amazing to me how God is tying all of these things together to emphasize the truths that we've been studying together for the past several months, 2 Peter 3 and concerning the day of the Lord and Israel and covenant and dispensational theology, all these things we've been studying.

So I want you to put on your thinking caps. We won't finish this message this morning. We'll pick it up next week and finish it before we go back to our regularly scheduled programming in Ephesians. In our text, they ask John if he's Elijah. And as we've discussed, and also in our text, it says he came to his own, and his own did not receive him, Israel. Jesus says, if you are willing to receive it, he is, John the Baptist is, Elijah, who is to come. 

Receive what? He says, receive it. I know all you ladies have been studying grammar for a while. And some of us, too. What does it refer to? What's the last noun before the pronoun in the Gospel of the Kingdom? It's the Gospel, the Gospel of the Kingdom. Twice we see this in the previous verses. In the context, we see it is the Gospel of the Kingdom. 

Let me ask you a question. Mark emphasized this this morning. It's the way we generally think. What is the Gospel? Think in your minds. What is the Gospel? What is the Gospel? What is the Gospel? Think in your minds. What is the Gospel? Hopefully, coming to your minds, 1 Corinthians 15, where Paul lays that out very clearly. And he says, Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. He was buried, proving his death. And he was raised from the dead on the third day according to the scriptures. That's what we understand as the Gospel.

Let me ask you this. What Gospel did John the Baptist preach? Think about that in your minds. What Gospel did Jesus preach? All the way up to Matthew 16, we will see. What Gospel did the apostles preach when they were sent out? Turn to Matthew 10 with me. Matthew 10 at verse 1. When he had called his 12 disciples to him, he gave them power over unclean spirits to cast them out and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease. 

Now, we hear sometimes from the charismatic people, they say, well, we’re disciples. We have this power. But Matthew here actually names the 12 in the next verses by name. He sent out these 12 men in this particular time. And in this time, he gave these powers. Look at verse 5. These 12 Jesus sent out and commanded them saying, look at this. Now, would you agree with me that there’s something going on in this passage that’s very different? It's a different time, a different economy. 

We're told in the New Testament after Pentecost to do what? Go into all the world. To who? Every creature. And preach what? The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We are to persuade men to believe these truths. But none of that is going on in Matthew 10. In Matthew 10, Jesus gives his disciples a different message, a different gospel. He says, preach saying the kingdom of heaven is at hand. And he commands them to go to a different audience, only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And he forbids them from going to any Samaritans, half Jew and Gentile, or to any Gentiles. He also told them not to take any money, extra clothes, or provisions, that he would provide all of their needs. And we see that he gave them power to cast out demons, heal the sick, and raise the dead. 

Now, if we aren’t careful how we interpret this, then we could get ourselves into trouble, right? So we have some people handling snakes in their worship. So I watched a documentary about that a few years ago, and down in Kentucky, and nothing against Kentucky. But they were generations of these people who were taking passages that weren’t meant to be applied to them out of their context, and it led them in that extreme to handle snakes. And the grandfather, and the father, and the state all died being bit by these poisonous snakes in the worship. 

So we have to be careful when we interpret the scriptures in the context, understanding the intent, who the author’s writing to his audience. And this is one of those instances, lest we go out and try and raise the dead, and heal the sick, and cast out demons. That’s not what’s going on here. And they were preaching a different message. The kingdom of heaven is at hand. He commands them to go to the different audience, no Gentiles, and he tells them not to take any provisions. 

So something very different’s going on in Matthew 10 than what’s going on after Pentecost, where we live in the church age. Now, turn to Luke 22 with me, please. Luke 22 at verse 35. Jesus said to them, now we’re much later here in the program, in the ministry of Christ, just before the cross. He says to them, when I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything? Now, this is talking about Matthew 10, when Jesus sent them out. He says, when I did that, did you lack anything? And they said, nothing. 

Then he said to them, probably the two most important words in the Bible, right, Mark? But now, but now, an adversative, a contrast. He says, when I sent you out back then, you didn’t lack anything. But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack, and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one. For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in me, and he was numbered with the transgressors, for the things concerning me have an end. So they said, Lord, look, here are two swords, and he said to them, it is enough. Jesus is now coming to the cross. He's begun to prepare his disciples for their ministry in the church age, and there’s a drastic change here. 

And this really began in Matthew 16. If you turn to Matthew 16, I want you to just look at a couple verses there. We think of this chapter as Peter’s great confession of who Jesus is. You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. But I want you to look at verse 21, Matthew 16, 21. Look at these first words. From that time, immediately after Peter’s confession, from that time, Jesus what? What’s it say? Began, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed and be raised on the third day. 

Now, this was a shock to Peter, right? You know by how he reacted. Verse 22, then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, far be it from you, Lord, this shall not happen to you. Did Peter understand the death, burial, and resurrection at that point? No. From that time, Jesus began. This is the first time Jesus talks to his disciples about the cross. 

Before this time, Jesus’ ministry was focused on the kingdom, on Israel. He was not preaching about his death, burial, and resurrection, but the gospel of the kingdom. The kingdom is near. The king is in your midst. He was not primarily preaching grace to the church, but we see him preaching law to the Jews. Paul told Timothy that he should strive, he should work, he should agonize to show himself a workman that does not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 

The wording there talks about putting pieces together, right? Taking all the pieces, putting them together to form a beautiful tapestry of God's revelation. My friends, we can't simply say, well, that doesn’t mean what it says. So this is just spiritual or allegory. There are some pretty profound pieces that we’ve been looking at here in the sphere of John the Baptist and the early ministry of Christ. 

And passages like Matthew 3 and 10 and 17 and Luke 22, and these in conjunction with so many prophecies of the Old Testament, like Zechariah 12 to 14. Jesus came as the Messiah to Israel, the Christ, the anointed of God. He came offering the kingdom to the Jews and to the Jews only. This was about the promised kingdom. 

And the issue was not that God was not willing. Jesus said in Matthew 23, 37, how I've longed to gather you under my wings as a hen gathers her chicks. That’s so vivid for me because we have hens on our farm. They’ll hatch 11, 12 chicks, usually in the springtime or the early summer. And they’ll have 12 little peep, peep, peep chicks running all around them everywhere. And if you walk over by them, they go like this and fluff out their feathers and all those chicks disappear. And you can look and look and look, there are 12 chicks, you can't see any of them. They go right into the fluff of her down and under her wings, and she protects them. If a dog comes by, she’ll do that. Jesus said, I’ve wanted to gather you, Israel. I’ve wanted to gather you as a hen gathers her chicks to herself and protects them and warms them. 

What was the problem? He says, but you were not willing. He came to his own and his own received him not. Israel rejected the kingdom. She rejected her king. The gospel that John was preaching, the gospel that Jesus was preaching, the good news that the apostles brought to the lost sheep of the house of Israel was not the gospel of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, it was the good news that the king was in their midst, that the kingdom was upon them. And that if they would repent and hear him, believe him, the promised prophet of Deuteronomy 18, the long-awaited Messiah, if they would turn to him and receive him, that is, believe on his name, then not only would they be saved, but the kingdom would come. 

If you would receive it, the message about the kingdom, John the Baptist is Elijah. Zechariah 12 to 14 makes this clear, when will the kingdom come? What must happen before the kingdom can come, according to Zechariah the prophet? Israel must embrace her Messiah. Paul emphasizes this in Romans 11, right? The Deliverer will come out of Zion, they will look on the one whom they pierced, they will believe him when they see him come, and what? All Israel will be saved. Then the kingdom will come. 

So the preaching of John the Baptist and the preaching of Jesus and his apostles to the Jews, the gospel of the kingdom, was meant to offer the kingdom now through repentance and faith in the Messiah of Israel. That is why Jesus says in Matthew 11, go and tell John what you see. The lame walk, the deaf hear, the lepers are cleansed, all works befitting the kingdom, right? Typical of the time of the kingdom. Just as in Matthew 10, in the kingdom we will not have to plan and prepare and make provision and take a sword. God will provide our need. 

And Jesus goes on in that passage, saying, surely I say to you, among those born of women, there is not risen one greater than John the Baptist, but he who is least in the kingdom is greater than he. This is a profound statement when you think of Abraham, of Moses, of Elijah, of Jeremiah, of Daniel, of Isaiah, all the great prophets of the Old Testament, the patriarchs. And Jesus says the greatest man to ever live up to the end of the old covenant time was John the Baptist. 

The greatest prophet, the messenger, the voice crying in the wilderness, make way, Messiah is here. But notice that he says greater is he who is least in the kingdom. John the Baptist was the greatest man ever born up to his time, but after the cross, after Pentecost, when the baptism with fire came, when men are regenerated and permanently indwelt with the Holy Spirit and given a new heart and a new spirit, God Himself, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit dwelling in us, the least is greater than the greatest of the Old Testament time.

There’s another fascinating passage in John 3. Turn over to John 3 at verse 25. John 3, 25. Then there arose a dispute between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purification. And they came to John and said to him, Rabbi, he who was with you beyond the Jordan to whom you have testified, behold, he is baptizing and all are coming to him. John answered and said, a man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. You yourselves bear witness, bear me witness that I said I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before Him. 

He who has the bride is the bridegroom. It gives a little illustration here. He who has the bride is the bridegroom, but the friend of the bridegroom who stands and hears him rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease. Who is the bride? The bride consists of those who receive Jesus, who believe on His name. The bride is the church, but John says, I’m not the bride, I’m a friend of the bridegroom. 

John was an Old Testament believer, born under the law, who lived under the law, and his role was to prepare the way, announce the coming of Messiah, and the need of repentance expressed through the symbol of water baptism. When Peter made his confession in Matthew 16, you are the Christ, and Jesus began to tell them about the cross, that was at the end of 29 AD. John the Baptist was dead by then, had his head cut off by Herod. Jesus is greater than John. He is the bridegroom. He baptizes with fire. He institutes the New Covenant. He gives the Holy Spirit. He regenerates every man who believes. 

Beginning at Pentecost, we see the New Covenant promise coming into effect and we see a pre-fillment of the promises made to Israel. We are now experiencing spiritually the blessing of the Kingdom. I love what Paul says in Romans 11, you do not support the root, but the root supports you. We are blessed out of the covenant made with Israel. 

Remember God never made a covenant with Gentiles. He made a covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and we are blessed out of that covenant. And ultimately, Israel will look on the one whom they pierced, they will receive their Messiah, all Israel will be saved, the Kingdom will come for Israel on this earth in the millennial reign. All of these scriptures must be taken into account. They must be fit together and understood, and at the heart of this is the forerunner, the one who came in the spirit and a power of Elijah, who if Israel had believed, received their Messiah, would have been Elijah, Jesus said. 

He said it, I didn’t. I just wanted to expose you to these things, to all of these scriptures, as we begin to look at the witness of John. And next week we will, Lord willing, give a concise explanation of what all this means to John’s purpose in his gospel, and what application we can take from this, as well as maybe understanding the old and the new covenant, eschatology, the church, and Israel a little bit better. John the Baptist is a powerful figure in the life and ministry of Jesus, and an important witness for John in his intent to show us who Jesus is.

As many as received Him, we’ll look at that next time, and we’ll look at Behold the Lamb. Behold the Lamb. This is what we are doing here this morning. The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. We have so much more revelation now, we have so much more understanding, we have the completed Word of God, and we can look back to the cross. The Lamb of God who was sacrificed to take the punishment that we deserved in our place for our sins. 

And remember, we proclaim His death until He comes. So I’d like you to be studying this week, read these passages again and again, and pray. Pray for wisdom and understanding. And I want you to bring your questions next week. I didn’t talk to the elders about this yet, but I don’t think Mark will mind some cookies and coffee after church. I’d like to do another question and answer time after the message next week, and then we’ll have a little time of fellowship. Some coffee cups and cake pieces, as they say, up in my neck of the woods, okay? 

All right, let’s close in prayer. Father, we're so thankful for Your Word. We're thankful for the simplicity that is in Christ that Jesus died for our sins, was buried and rose again. And we're also thankful for the depth of Your Word which we can never plumb. But that which You have revealed to us belongs to us and to our children forever. Help us to have a great desire to know You through Your Word, to know Jesus as John shows us who Jesus is, that we might trust Him evermore and believe Him, and that we might abide in Him one day at a time for fruit, fruit that brings You glory. In Jesus’ name, amen.