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Bro. Otis Fisher
That was, it was failed to be copied last week, gives me an excuse to go back to the first, the third chapter. When was Jesus born? Roger? Well, what year? 4 B .C. It's always been an amazement to me how they could count the years before Christ, counting down to him.
Of course they didn't. Chapter 3, verse 1. Now, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Itura, and of the region of Trichotinus and Lysen, Lysen, I can't say it, the tetrarch of Abilene, Ananias and Caiaphas being high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacchaeus in the wilderness.
Luke is a good historian. He ties everything down to, so we would know from secular history exactly when it occurred. He's the only writer that does that. John was born, John the son of Zacchaeus in the wilderness.
John has been in the wilderness growing up. In the second verse, Ananias and Caiaphas being high priests. Why were there two high priests? I thought there was only one, Clarence. That's right. Now, a little bit about John.
And he came into all of the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sin. John looked different, talked different, his food was different, his message was different.
He was a prophet. This was a man unwelcome. He had a very unwelcome message, and it's even unwelcome today. The world will not receive a man who contradicts his philosophy of life. If you want to be a popular preacher today, you must sing in unison with the crowd and be nothing but a sounding board for what the congregation is saying.
Oh, that's so true. John's voice spoke of judgment. People don't want to hear about judgment. Not baptism for remission of sin, but baptism, but repentance for the remission of sin. As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah, the prophet saying, the voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord to make his paths straight, every valley shall be filled, every mountain and hill shall be brought low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth.
Now, the people of that day knew what he was talking about. We don't so much today. Our highways are all prepared, and they're every one of them smooth, even the streets, of course, of Canada. But in that day and time, when an important man was going through the country, he would have a crew out ahead of him, filling in the valleys, the low places, smoothing out the dents, rocks, everything, and making the pathway straight and smooth, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
What is the salvation of God? They're all going to see. They didn't know what he was talking about yet, but he says, all of the flesh shall see the salvation of God. Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
Now, we must take note that John used very severe language when he was addressing those who voluntarily came to be baptized. Compare with our weak speeches of today, if he spoke like this to those seeking repentance, how much more should we speak against the enemies of the church?
Bring forth, therefore, fruit worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father. For I say unto you that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
Now, that seems a little far-fetched to me, Roger. Was God able of these stones to raise up children? Absolutely true. But he didn't choose to. John is speaking to those hypocrites. Soft words seldom reach the heart of a hypocrite.
They need to be flayed with violence. And now, also, the axe is laid unto the root of the trees. Every tree, therefore, which bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Talking about people.
What group of people is this? That's right. The descendants of Cain, seed of Satan. They were among them. Repentance, which is of no value unless it be proved by conduct. And the people ask him, saying, What shall we do then?
True feeling of repentance produced in the mind of the poor sinner, and eager desire to know what is the will of God. There is nothing to which we are more prone than to offer to God pretended worship whenever he calls on us to repent.
11. He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none. And he that hath meat, let him do likewise. In other words, you will see the need of people, and you will furnish it.
In 2 Corinthians 9, 7, we have every man according as a purpose in his heart, so let him give, not grudgingly or of necessity, for God loveth a cheerful giver. I've told this before, but I'm reminded of a story.
You act like you've never heard it. A man was once asked, If you had two houses, would you give me one? The man said, Sure. If you had two cars, would you give me one? Yes, came the answer. If you have two coats, would you give me one?
No answer. The man said, Well, would you? Well, I don't know. If I would or not, you see, I have two coats. And that's about the way we act. Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do?
They all wanted to do something. David, they were looking for a religion that would allow them to do something. Good works is not the way of salvation, but good works follows salvation. Ephesians 2 .8.
For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast. Matthew 7 .15. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
This last verse applies to false preachers, teachers, church members. 13. And he said unto them, exact no more than that which is appointed you. Christian life is the only way to prove that we are Christian.
Did you ever think about trying to prove that you are a Christian? And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, and what shall we do? And he said unto them, do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely, and be content with your wages.
And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ or not, John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water, but one mightier than I cometh, that latched of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose, he shall baptize you with Holy Ghost and with fire, whose fan, the preaching of his word, is in his hand, and he shall thoroughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat.
Now wheat has always been wheat into his garner, but the chaff, the chaff's always been chaff, he will burn with fire unquenchable. Who does the wheat represent here, Bert? God's people, the chaff, the seed of Satan.
These two seeds have always been in the world. All of this is anthropomorphic type speech, we understand. And many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the people. But Herod, the tetriarch, being reproved by him for Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, and for all of the evils which Herod had done, added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison.
What's happened to John, David? He wasn't paying attention. Well, I just read verses 19 and 20, if that helps you any. Bill, tell him what happened to John. Put him in prison. Didn't like what he'd said.
John said it, right out in the open. But, that's right, he's gonna lose his head over it. Now we shift. Now when all of the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus, also being baptized and praying, the heavens were opened.
Now something's about to happen. And the Holy Ghost descended in bodily shape like a dove. Not a dove. It came down like a dove upon him. And a voice came from heaven which said, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Now, the Holy Ghost. Is there anybody here that can see the Holy Ghost? Why do you suppose it came like the shape of a dove? That's right. This was not the Holy Ghost. This was representative of his presence.
So John could see. And Jesus himself began to be about 30 years of age. Being, as was supposed, the son of Joseph, which was the son of Eli. So we've taken the book up to Jesus. We have his baptism. We have him on stage.
John is locked up in prison. Why were they not both teaching? He did it. He did his work. It seems strange to us that he was killed. So it shouldn't seem strange that some of us are killed. He didn't want it.
His family didn't want it. But he got it anyhow. Jesus has come now forth. Yeah. That's right. We, later on, will see that John sent his disciples to Jesus and said, art thou he? That was not John's problem.
John knew who he was. But his disciples, they're the ones he wanted to know. But that'll come later. Words dismisses, would you please?