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What I'd like to do this morning, as the Lord would help, is continue this section in John chapter 3 verse 22 to verse 36. But I'd like to stop at verse 30, pick up Lord willing next Lord's Day, and preach on verse 31 to 36, and then we will have communion afterwards.
There's much in this text from verse 22 to 36, but the key verse before us in the text of John chapter 3 from verse 22 to 36 is verse 30. This is what I've titled this series, Jesus must increase, but I must decrease.
The words of John the Baptist also should be our words as well, in life, in our life. This should be branded on our hearts, that in everything, Jesus must increase. In other words, Christ must be exalted in everything.
Then when John says, but I must decrease, he's basically saying I must be removed. I must fade out of the way, I must humble myself in order for Christ to be exalted. But notice the first thing he says, I, not I, I'm sorry, he must increase.
That's a divine necessity, a divine necessity. So Jesus must increase, but I must decrease. This will be part two, we're going to take it to a part three, God willing, next week. But today, I'd like for you to turn with me to the gospel of John as we work our way through this wonderful gospel.
Chapter three, I'd like to begin with verse 22 to 36. I'd like to read the text there, and then, as last week, we looked at an overview of the background of everything that's happening. I'd like to pick up there and then give an exposition of verse 22 to verse 30 this morning as we look at the word of the living God.
So hear God's word as I read it now. Verse 22 of John chapter 3 to verse 36. After these things, Jesus and his disciples came into the land of Judea, and there he remained with them and baptized. Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salem, because there was much water there, and they came and they were baptized.
For John had not yet been thrown into prison. Then there arose a dispute between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purification. 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 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, 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. He who comes from above is above all, and all who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.
And what he has seen and heard that he testifies and no one receives his testimony. He who has received his testimony has certified that God is true. For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God. For God does not give the spirit by measure.
The father loves the son and has given all things into his hand. He who believes in the son has everlasting life, and he who does not believe the son shall not see life. But the wrath of God abides on him.
Let's stop right there and let's bow our hearts in prayer. Our father and our great God, we call upon you now. Through this wonderful holy bible, your word, speak Lord. Speak Lord, for your servant hears.
May your voice be heard through the preached word. Father, we praise you and we thank you for this in Jesus name. Amen. You've heard this story before, but it was once said that a Spurgeon went into the tabernacle in which he preached.
He was testing the acoustics. It echoed. He had a powerful booming voice. And what's so wonderful about it is he didn't know that, I believe it was the janitor, a young lady, a lady, I'm not sure of her age, but she was within the loft and she was cleaning.
Spurgeon thought he was the only one in the tabernacle at the time. He came in and it wasn't worship service and he just came there to test the acoustics. He had no idea that this lady was there and she heard what he said.
By his testing of this with his booming voice, he didn't have PA systems back then of course, but it echoed and he picked one of the greatest texts from John chapter 1 verse 29. And he shouted out, behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
And that's all he said. Not realizing it as the word of God went forth in power. It wasn't Spurgeon's power, it was the power of God through the word of God. That word reached into the soul of that lady that was cleaning that day.
And Spurgeon had no idea of what was going on. But God did. And as the word of God went forth, it did not return void, did it? That woman was changed. She was saved and repented of her sins. Fell on her face as she heard that.
Cried out to God. And God miraculously changed her life. Transformed her. And she was a born again child of God by the power of the Holy Spirit. You know what that tells us? Yes, we admire Spurgeon, I do.
He was a fantastic, incredible preacher, wasn't he? He could preach and he preached Christ. But as one book I have at home in my study, it introduces, the name of the book is The Prince of Preachers. And the introduction speaks about how Spurgeon was known as the Prince of Preachers in his day.
And even today. But this writer, I can't remember the name of the writer, I should, but he puts it this way. He said, I make no apologies for saying this, I'm paraphrasing what he says in the introduction of that book.
Spurgeon, as I well love Spurgeon, as I mention as well as myself, he says, honestly, Spurgeon would agree with this. But he is really not the Prince of Preachers. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Prince of Preachers.
And I believe Spurgeon would amen, and if he can hear that now from heaven, he would amen every bit of it. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Prince of Preachers because it's His voice. We, and His voice alone we need to hear.
This really sums up the ministry of John the Baptist, in which we will see in this text as John the Baptist exalts Christ and he fades out of the scene. Verse 22, after these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, there He remained.
The old King James says, He tarried. That's a wonderful word. He tarried with them and baptized. The land of Judea was a rural part of that particular province. And the text tells us that Jesus remained, He tarried with His disciples.
Don't you love that? Because it really means that Jesus spent much time with His disciples there as the Master. He was spending time, quality time, with His disciples and sharing with them. It's the idea of spending quality, much time with them and sharing and ministering to them as the Lord Jesus Christ always did with His disciples to teach them.
Note the statement, He baptized, He baptized. Now this can be somewhat misleading, but let's look at what the text says. This is the only place that we see in Scripture that where Jesus is said to baptize, but strictly speaking it was really the disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ that was actually doing the baptizing.
Because if you look with me to John chapter 4, and we're heading in that direction, but notice with me in verse 1 and verse 2. It says this, Therefore when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, which at that, this is what we're looking at, there was technically a problem with jealousy and envy between the disciples of Jesus and John's disciples.
So notice verse 2, Though Jesus Himself, in parentheses, did not baptize but His disciples. So technically, strictly speaking, it was the disciples that was baptizing for the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, as we see it, was His baptism with water.
And the water is symbolic, as we know of, of cleansing and purification. This is the theme that comes up before us here. It actually sets the groundwork for what is actually happening within our text as we look at this.
Verse 23 says, Now John also was baptized in Aenon near Salem because there was much water there. Now, that's a good argument for the Baptists, isn't it? Because there's much water to immerse. But we cannot literally prove that, but it's obvious, I believe, if there's much water, there's immersion going on.
Now, that's my opinion on that. That's not necessarily right from the text, but it's obvious. Much water, I would believe that there's immersion going on. And they came and were baptized, the scripture says.
Now, as we see, it's in Aenon, Salem, in the west of the Jordan. We see that in John 1, verse 28. If you look back with me, it says, These things were done in Beth Barba. That's basically another name for Bethany.
And Bethany, beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing. This is where John was baptizing. At this point of time, we see here that Jesus' ministry was gaining momentum. Large crowds of people were still coming to John and being baptized.
But also, we see people began to flock from John the Baptist to Jesus. So we now see a decline in John the Baptist's ministry as his popularity decreases. Now, this gave the religious Jews, or a Jew, we don't know for sure.
It depends. Different translations say different things. It could be one person or a plural, many Jews. But it gave, whatever happened here, it gave these religious people, these Jews, an opportunity to attack and assault the ministry of John the Baptist.
So these Jews, or a Jew, could be the translation there. But nevertheless, there was a discord. There was a dispute that was actually being sowed. And it began a problem, a dispute. Then they asked John.
His disciples actually came to ask him a crucial question. Stirring things up. Now, before we get to that, there is a parenthetical note in verse 24. And this is a very important note that the Scriptures puts us there.
And I'd like to give to you the reason why verse 24 exists. Notice all of a sudden, in verse 24, For John had not yet been thrown into prison. That's a parenthetical note. The apostle John put that there.
And he put it there for a reason. And let me give you the reason. This statement is important because it basically tells us more than what is just self-evident of what is happening or the obvious before us.
John was not yet in prison, as the text says to us. Because, or he could not have been openly preaching and baptizing. So the statement informs us this. It informs us that the incident that is taking place between Jesus' that in the time frame was taking place between Jesus' temptation and John's imprisonment.
So John the apostle gives clarity on this. It's a period of time about which the synoptic gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, are silent. So the apostle John clarifies the timing here so that his readers would not be confused.
Now isn't that beautiful?
There's nothing that is not missed here. Pastor John MacArthur notes this, and I'll give you a quote from him, and he brings a great statement here concerning this text. He says, quote, By the time John penned his gospel, the synoptics had already been in circulation for many years.
This explanatory note makes it clear that John's time frame does not conflict with that of Matthew, Mark, or Luke. End quote. There is no conflict with the time period. So the writings of Matthew, Mark, Luke, the synoptics, has already been in circulation for many, many years, so John gives us a note, verse 24, for John, speaking of John Baptist, had not yet been thrown into prison.
So this passage may actually be divided up into two sections here. From verse 25 to verse 30, you basically have John the Baptist and the end of the old age. And from verse 31 to verse 36, we see the beginning of the new age with Jesus Christ the Messiah.
That's very important.
There is a transition that's taking place here. There is an overlapping that is taking place, and it's very critical of what is happening. And Jesus comes to fulfill all righteousness. Isn't that beautiful?
Jesus Himself said that.
He comes to fulfill it. Everything that is said in the Old Testament concerning Him is beginning to be fulfilled when He steps on the stage of time right here. And John the Baptist knows this. He knows that his ministry is about to come to an end.
He knows that he is to step out of the way. And what a humble man he is. A man of true humility. And we're going to see after a while, but you may tell you why he understood this. He understood, number one, who Christ was.
He understood that Christ is the one. He knew who He was, and he knew that He is above all. We see that from the statement from verse 31 to 36.
He's above all.
Christ is above all. Jesus Christ is to be exalted, and He is to step out of the way.
And that's the second thing.
He realized who He was. You know, I believe that's the biggest problem with us. That's the biggest problem that's lurking, that plagues the evangelical church at large. We do not understand truly who God is, who Christ is, and who we are.
We need to know. And we can learn much from this text, beloved, as we look at this wonderful passage before us. So John is the last of the Old Testament prophets, actually. John the Baptist, as you well know, he's the forerunner of the Messiah.
Of the Lord Jesus Christ. And thus, John came to prepare the way, he declared the way, and he got out of the way. That was his mission, that was his purpose, and nothing else. He prepared the way of the Lord, he got out of the way, he declared the way.
For the coming of the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, let's look at verse 25. Then there arose a dispute between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purification. Since baptizing was a serious matter here, purification was the dispute.
That's what the dispute was about. Like I mentioned last week, kind of like among the churches today, people like to dispute about sanctification. You know, what is sanctification? So many views. I read a book years ago when I was in seminary, and it came up five different views of sanctification.
I thought, wow, I didn't know there were five different views. And sure enough, each one of them sounded biblical and sounded good, but this was the writer's opinion. But, you know, as you look into the Scriptures, I say read, saturate yourself with the Scriptures and watch out what even good preachers say about sanctification.
I'm not to, you know, knock any preachers. There's a purpose for the preacher, especially the sound, good teachers. We need to hear messages on sanctification, don't we? It means purification. It literally means to separate, to sever, to set apart, to be holy, that we are set apart.
But it also has a meaning from the Scriptures of cleansing, purification, and so forth. So it really means a lot, and actually we should focus on our personal sanctification, shouldn't we? After salvation takes place, we should be really absorbing ourselves and saturating ourselves with the Word of God because Jesus actually said in John 17,.
Thy Word is truth.
And it's the Word of God that actually sanctifies us, right? It's God's Word that sanctifies us. That's why I said a minute ago, saturate yourself with the Word of God and just not hear enough sermons.
And now, by the way, when you do hear sermons, and whomever it may be you listen to about sanctification, you'll know, if you know the Word of God, and know it verse and chapter and verse and chapter and verse, and you know about sanctification, you'll know exactly if the person that is preaching sanctification, if they're right on target or way off target.
And like I said, there's a lot of people that has all these different views of sanctification. Why do you think there's so many different denominations? I mean, it's just not because of... Yeah, there's many differences they've had, especially about the doctrine of election.
That's a big one.
That's divided up many of churches. Believe it or not, yeah, you'd believe it, there's some churches that's divided just because of translation, different translations of Bibles. But mainly, salvation, sanctification, and that's why it's very, very important, as the Apostle Paul says, we should adorn the Gospel, we should be sound in the teaching, we should be sound in the truth.
And that's why it's so incredibly important to keep on our faces before God. Let the Holy Spirit be our interpreter, not man. Let us be Bereans and search the Scriptures daily, whether those things are so.
May God help us in these things. If we're true disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, we will be staying in His Word, and we love the Lord Jesus Christ, we'll be in prayer, praising Him, loving Him, and adoring His Word in the Scripture.
You know, I was... Brother Zach shared the biography on Yusuf, as we were reminded of, that wonderful biography of George Mueller. Mueller didn't brag about this, but they found after he died, two wooden crevices by his bed where he knelt down constantly and prayed.
No carpet, just hardwood floor.
Two grooves that he wore out,.
Praying on his knees. Any wonder why God used that man so greatly? And then they found his Bible, and he had it all marked up in just one little, small, little simple Bible. No study Bible like we have today, in which he read 200 times in his life.
Not because he was trying to keep score or something, but he loved the Word of God. Any wonder why God used that man? He was a man of prayer, and he was a man of the Word.
I think that's what really matters.
And that we have that kind of relationship with our Lord, isn't it? And by the way, Mueller, in that biography, what I really loved, after he was dead and gone and in heaven, and he's arrived, I can't remember exactly the quote that he said, but they were talking about how he said, that he says, I'm nothing, I'm nothing, but Christ is everything.
He literally meant that. And that's exactly, even greater in a sense, than John the Baptist. He understood that he was nothing, and he understood that Jesus was everything. I mean everything. Well, the dispute arose about purification.
Purification. So what's the big dispute over about on this purification situation? What's it about? Well, we can only guess, can't we? But maybe it went something like this in a paraphrase, and I'll paraphrase it here.
A Jewish man or Jewish men says to John's disciples, look, you are baptizing lots of people here. It looks like a kind of a bath, a cleansing, a purification. The more and more people are leaving your movement and going over to that group, gathering around Jesus now.
They're leaving you, John, and they're going to Jesus. And he's getting more people than you. You can kind of sense this from the disciples, and there's envy and jealousy going on here. So what's the big deal here with his baptism and your baptism?
Does his work and yours does it? You can hear, actually, a dispute like this that has cropped up. And so does his really make people clean and pure, and yours fails to do the work? Interesting to note that we will see in the next verse it doesn't seem to be the main issue in what follows, does it?
Because it's never referred to again. It just seems to get things started, stirred up, a dispute, then it disappears. But what does appear is very interesting. What does appear is, from verse 27 to 30, is that John the Baptist and that conversation and the direction that it seems to have has nothing to do with purification and everything to do with who Jesus Christ is.
You really want to know? You know what John the Baptist is actually saying? He's basically saying, in essence, don't focus on the purification. You focus on the purifier. You focus on Jesus Christ who purifies his bride.
Listen to what it said. Let me read it again. And they came to John and said to him, Rabbi, by the way, this is the only time that John the Baptist is called Rabbi. He who was with you beyond the Jordan.
Notice how they don't even mention Jesus' name. To whom you have testified, behold, he is baptizing and all are coming to him. This text tells us much. Note that John's disciples are apparently unwilling to even name Jesus.
John's envious, jealous disciples saw Jesus as a competitor.
Competition.
Listen, listen to that. Does this not happen within the church? There's competition, even spiritual competition. Who can be the holiest? Who can be holier than thou? See, and don't get me wrong. Holiness is very important.
But let me tell you something that's more important than holiness. It's humility. Because where true humility is, there's true holiness. And John the Baptist displayed this. Notice the competitor who was gaining popularity.
Jesus is gaining popularity.
This is all they see.
At their master's expense. Their exaggerated use of all.
All.
All of them are coming to him. All the people are going to him. They couldn't even use the name of Jesus.
Bias.
So in reality, the disciples missed the very purpose of John's ministry. You see this. They missed the purpose and the point of his purpose. And the point, by the way, is John the Baptist was to point the nation of Israel to Jesus.
That's what he did.
I like what Ravenhill said. He said, John the Baptist's ministry, you notice he never raised the dead. He did no miracles. Then Ravenhill says, wait. No, he did a miracle. He raised a dead nation. He was a very unusual man.
Go with me to Malachi chapter 3 and you'll see this. The last word of God is in Malachi right before the intertestament period. And then there was 400 years of silence. No word of God. But this is, if you read Malachi, it really brings out a great deal here about the coming messenger.
Especially chapter 3. Notice chapter 3. Look at verse 1. It says, behold, I send my messenger. My messenger.
Who's this?
He's talking about John the Baptist. And he will prepare the way before me. God speaking in the first person. He will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple.
We saw that, didn't we? Jesus fulfilled that. He came to the temple. Suddenly, they didn't recognize who he was. Joseph's son.
No.
No, he's more than Joseph's son. He's the Messiah.
He cleansed the temple.
Well, he suddenly came to his temple. Even the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. Notice verse 2. But who can endure the day of his coming? And who can stand when he appears?
Notice what he says. For he is like a refiner's fire and like a laundry's soap. And he will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver. And 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.
One must be purified. And guess what? Who's the purifier? The Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Messiah. And all John the Baptist was is the fulfillment of this coming as the coming messenger of the Lord Jesus Christ himself.
And John the Baptist was that forerunner. He was the last of the Old Testament prophets. Now, look how John the Baptist answers his disciples as we go back to John 3. Look at verse 27. John answered and said, I know this really had to floor his disciples.
A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. Let's stop right there.
Nothing.
God must do the giving. Every good and perfect gift comes from above. The Father of lights in which there's no variableness, no shadow of turning with God. He's the unchanging, immortal, invisible, God only wise.
And He does not change. We're the ones that need to change. But everything that is good and everything that is perfect, in that context in James, in chapter 1 there, at the end of that chapter, is actually talking about salvation.
Salvation. For the Messiah comes to bring salvation. He is our salvation, by the way. The Lord is our salvation. And actually the name Jesus, as we looked at during Christmas time, it means Jesus saves means Joshua saves.
Jesus is actually the Savior. He's the deliverer. He is the one who saves us from our sins. Notice verse 27. John answered and said, A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.
But then it must come from heaven. It comes from heaven. And then notice what he says. And you yourselves, he tells them this. You yourselves bear witness that I said I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before Him.
I have been sent before Him.
Go back with me. Let's look at some of these verses here. Look at John chapter 1. As we've already been there, but let's just jolt our memory a little bit. And let's connect some scriptures here. Look, notice what he says.
Verse 6. The apostle John says, There was a man sent from another man, from a preacher? No. He was 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 he was sent to bear witness of that light.
That was the true light which gives light to every man coming into the world. And speaking of Jesus, He was in the world and the world was made through Him and the world did not know Him. He came into His own and His own did not receive Him.
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become the 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.
Salvation is all of the Lord, right?
That's what it's saying.
Born not of blood. It's not our parents that gets us into the kingdom of heaven. It's not our pedigree. It's not the will of the flesh by no means, nor the will of man. That should eliminate man's free will completely.
It's God's will.
It's God's will that brings us into the kingdom. So John gives testimony of who Jesus is. If you flip over, if you look at verse 19, and this is the testimony of John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask Him, Who are you?
He confessed. He did not deny, but confessed.
I am not the Christ. 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. And 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 this is what he said.
I am, verse 23, I am the voice of one crying.
In the wilderness. I am crying in the wilderness.
A voice. I am just a voice. That's all.
I am nothing else but a voice. And then he says, crying in the wilderness, speaking of Isaiah, fulfillment here, make straight the way of the Lord as the prophet Isaiah said. And then it tells us now, those who were sent were from the Pharisees, and they asked him saying, Why then do you baptize?
Oh, they're talking about baptism again.
You notice how they get on,.
They lose focus completely. They get focused on the means rather than the end. They get focused on not the object, the Lord Jesus Christ, or they get focused on other things. But listen, 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 sandals strap I am not worthy to loose. And he really meant every bit of that.
That's who he is.
Basically he says I'm nothing, but Jesus Christ is everything. I'm not even worthy to stoop down to unstrap his sandals.
Wow, such humility.
Well, John has humbled himself and he's already exalted Christ. He's already done this. He's exalted the Lord Jesus Christ and he continues to exalt the Lord Jesus Christ. So why does the writer John the Apostle bring him again here in this text?
Well, it basically refers to the humility of John the Baptist and the exaltation of Christ. Verse 28. John 3. You yourselves bear me witness that I said I am not the Christ. He repeats himself again and again and again.
I am not the Christ. I am not the most important one. Christ is the Messiah. Christ is everything. Christ is to be exalted. His ministry, his life was all about Christ. But I have been sent before him.
Declare the way, prepare the way, get out of the way. That was his ministry. That was his purpose. That should be our purpose. Whether it's a capital M or a small m in our ministry. We declare him. We do everything.
We prepare in a sense. We could be a voice in this wilderness in which we are in and cry like John the Baptist.
We should be crying.
We should be weeping.
As a voice. Just a voice.
But the one that really matters is the Messiah. The Lord Jesus Christ. That's what's important. Let's go to the next section here. And let me briefly touch on this. I will not finish this. But this is really wonderful.
John emphasizes his joy.
This was his joy. His joy.
His joy to be removed. His joy to be nothing. His joy that Christ may be exalted. It's just a voice crying in the wilderness. And he's actually in a sense, John's the best man so to speak in a wedding here.
His joy was to point the people, the bride, to the bridegroom. That's the picture here. I like what Piper says here.
He said,.
The cameras are flashing all in that direction. The rice is all flying in that direction. Don't you love Piper's analogies here? I love this. The honeymoon is in that direction and nobody glares back at the silence voice.
Sitting on the bench. But it's the voice of the bridegroom. It's the voice of the shepherd that has replaced the voice of the one crying in the wilderness. I love that. He's removed. He's fading out of the scene.
He's sitting on the bench so to speak at the wedding. The best man has done his job. His voice is going to be replaced by one voice that's far more superior. And here in a few months, the sword of Herod will absolutely silence John's voice completely.
And as you read in the text, as you read further, John's voice was silenced and his head was brought on a platter. Decapitated. The voice of Jesus continues. This is wonderful. He decreased. John decreased.
Literally decreased.
Folks, this was more than just a saying to him. This was his life and he literally did decrease. He was put in prison and his voice was not silenced there. He even preached against sin and he preached repentance to those heathens that put him there.
And then finally,.
It was a wicked woman that says, I'll dance in this party, Herodias, at that time, to entertain somebody that was full of lust. And John the Baptist was preaching,.
Repent.
And finally,.
She says, I'll do this if you give me the head of John the Baptist on a platter.
So,.
King Herodias basically got his wish and got his eyes full of seeing a lustful woman dance before him in the price of John the Baptist's head. John the Baptist. This is why Jesus praised him. He said, out of all the men that's been born of women, none is greater than John the Baptist.
He,.
And it was because of the privilege, by the way, just not his, it was his office, but it was not just per se, his own greatness. He was great because he was chosen of God. It was because God chose him, just as Mary was an instrument.
She's not to be worshipped, right? John the Baptist is not to be worshipped. The Catholics worship these saints. But we worship the one that's worthy of worship, of all worship, and that's the Lord Jesus Christ.
And actually, if Mary could be here, and if John the Baptist could come back from the dead, and all of them could, and go to the Catholic church, and say, stop worshipping me! Worship the Lord Jesus Christ.
Because they knew.
They knew they were nothing but nothings, and they were humble in the right way. It was Jesus Christ who is worthy of all worship. John the Baptist's voice was now one crying in the wilderness. Now, a greater, stronger voice comes on the scene.
A greater, superior voice. And you know, it makes me think also, as I was meditating on this and praying, when you remember back before John the Baptist was born, when he was in the womb as an infant, in the womb of Elizabeth, and the first announcement that Mary gives about the Messiah,.
What happened?
John the Baptist leaped in the womb with joy! And it made me think of this text. There he was, leaping in the womb.
Isn't it wonderful? And he gives joy.
It was his greatest joy.
It's like that joy.
And the scripture actually says, and he was filled with the Holy Spirit right there.
And he leaped in her womb!
Elizabeth felt it. He leaped in my womb! Because of the greatness of who Christ is. And he's still leaping for joy.
And he said,.
He who has the bride is the bridegroom. Verse 29. But the friend of the bridegroom, who's the friend of the bridegroom? That's John. In other words, he's like the best man at the wedding. Who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice.
You know what he's saying? It's not my voice. It's the bridegroom's voice. It's the voice of Jesus that matters.
It's the voice, by the way,.
That says in John 10, if you want to turn there with me, and you know John 10 is a wonderful chapter and it speaks about the good shepherd and the sheep. Here's whose voice? John the Baptist's voice? No.
The voice of the good shepherd. It's the voice of Jesus. Verse 3. To him the doorkeeper opens, Jesus says, and the sheep hear his voice. And he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them and the sheep follow him.
For they know his voice.
They know his voice. And verse 5 says, and yet, Jesus says, they will by no means follow a stranger but will flee from him. And what Jesus is referring to is the stranger is like false prophets, false teachers that will come along.
And then he says,.
They will flee from him for they do not know the voice of strangers because they know the voice of Christ. They know the voice of Jesus. In verse 6, Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which he spoke to them.
It's interesting. They did not get it at that time. So the bridegroom has the bride because the bride has the voice. Has a voice. And that voice is the voice of the bridegroom. The bride knows the voice of the bridegroom.
In other words, the bride knows the voice of her husband. And she leaves John and she goes to the bridegroom. And John Baptist rejoices because of this and because of the voice of the bridegroom.
Not because of his voice.
Not of his own voice. He's just a voice crying in the wilderness. But the voice of the bridegroom, the voice of Christ is what matters. The bridegroom's voice. And then in verse 30, he said this wonderful statement.
He must increase. He must increase. But I must decrease. The divine must. The divine necessity. This is God's must. This must happen. Folks, can we say this every day about us? That Jesus must be exalted.
Jesus must increase. I must decrease. I must be removed. I must die to self.
I out of the way.
And Jesus be exalted in everything. John's focus is really on the bridegroom's voice, isn't it? That's John's focus. And he's saying actually all this to these disciples that were quarreling and arguing and there was a dispute about purification and about this and that and the other and popularity and all that that didn't matter.
And John goes straight to it.
He says,.
A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.
He points to God.
Comes from God. Now there's the divine must. This is a voice of superior. The voice of Christ.
Hey, what about the voice of Jesus?
What do we know about His voice in the Scripture? Oh my goodness. His voice calmed the raging sea. His voice raised Lazarus from the dead when He said, Lazarus, come forth.
And by the way, one day.
When He comes back in all power and glory at the voice of the Son of God Jesus says all will rise. Think about the power behind that. Hey, it's the same power folks.
That's all powerful that said.
Let there be light and there was light. That's the power of that voice and I'll be honest with you, it's staggering. Can you imagine that all the dead.
That ever died.
Would be raised at the voice of the Son of God. That's how powerful His voice is. At the sound of His voice, demons trembled. We know that from the Gospels because when the demons and legions.
Was crying out of that man.
That was cutting himself in the cave they were even begging permission. Oh, let us go into the hogs. Let's go send the pigs. Have you come to torment us before our time? They knew they were going to be tormented.
These fallen demons, these fallen angels they feared the Christ because they knew who Christ was. And all Jesus had to say when they bid them to go into the pigs.
He said, go!
And all those legions of demons came out of that man and went into those pigs and all them pigs went over the cliff and people were more concerned about the pigs than the man that was just delivered. Nothing has changed.
People were more concerned about saving the spotted owls and saving the seals and save the whales. I think about this most often. They want to save everything but their own kind and they want to murder and shed innocent blood of the unborn.
And they have no concern for the things of God and for God Himself. Nothing has changed. But Jesus' voice is what really matters here. The voice that is known by all the sheep that they follow after Him.
This voice woos His bride. This voice wins His bride. This voice is the one the bride knows. Her husband and she goes after Him. Song of Solomon. Just read the Song of Songs. It's that intimate relationship.
And it's a picture of Christ and His church. The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. John says, He must increase but I must decrease.
John says,.
Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. What about purification? That's the answer.
That's the connection.
If somebody comes to ask you about purification or sanctification or different views of sanctification,.
What are you going to say?
You know what I'd tell them?
Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. I would ask them,.
Have you beheld.
The Son of the Living God? Have you seen Him in His glory?
Have you seen Him who died on that tree?
And who cried out, Father forgive them for they do not know what they do.
You know,.
Me and Brother Keith was talking about this yesterday and I love this. The first tract that was ever put above the cross was done actually by the hand of Pontius Pilate and the Jews and the religious crowd says, No, we don't like what you said.
What I've written, I've written. In God's sovereignty that was allowed to be nailed above the cross of Christ. For the soul of one thief. I love what Warren Wisby says. That was the very first gospel tract that was read.
And get this.
Not only did he read that first gospel tract that Jesus is a king. Could you imagine what's going through this man's mind? He's hung naked on a cross.
He's dying.
And there's another thief over there that's rejecting and one is scourging Christ and says, just mocking Christ. And then he comes out and says,.
Don't you fear God?
That's the sovereignty of God bearing upon this man's soul.
And then,.
What does he do?
He cries out. We know that the thief on the cross cries out. He couldn't get the water to be purified,.
Could he?
He couldn't go to church, no. But he was dying on the cross and in his last very moment he cries out to the one that really, the one that really mattered. Father,.
Let me tell you what's on my mind. I believe why he heard this. He realized he was a sinner. He realized Christ was a king.
And he heard Christ pray.
What did he hear him pray? Father, forgive them.
Forgive them.
He knew he could acquire and receive forgiveness.
From the one.
The only one, by the way,.
That can save him. And then what does he say? Remember me. Lord. That's the first word that came out of his mouth.
Lord.
Isn't that important? He realized he was Lord. Remember me when you come into your kingdom. How did he know he was a king? He mentioned kingdom because he read the gospel tract above his head.
Jesus, king of the Jews.
How did he know he could forgive them? Because Christ cried out.
Do you see what I'm saying?
Christ, the bridegroom,.
Called out and prayed. He cried and prayed.
The very first utterance when Christ was nailed on the cross,.
Father, forgive them.
For they do not know what they do. And the sheep heard the voice of the bridegroom.
Isn't that beautiful?
And he came into the kingdom.
That very day.
He was ushered into glory.
And that thief is there worshipping God at this moment.
For all eternity.
Praise his name. Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Let me make a few connections for you here. As you see in an application of purification, the Lamb of God is the one that purifies.
The Lamb of God takes away our sin. He purifies the sons of Levi. He will do it. As sure as our salvation is nailed down, our sanctification is nailed down. It's assured. It is assured. Revelation 21.
Chapter 21 in Revelation. I love this. Notice this. The connection that it makes. And it speaks about the bride. I'm sorry. Chapter 19. Chapter 19. Verse 9. Let me back up. Let's go to verse 7. Let us be glad and rejoice.
Give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His wife has made herself ready. Who's the wife? That's the church. That's the church. And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright.
For the linen, the fine linen, is the righteous acts of the saints. Then He said to me, Right, blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And He said to me, These are the true saints of God.
And I fell at His feet to worship Him. And He said to me, See that you do not do that. In other words, he should not worship the angel. For I am your fellow servant and your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus.
Worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. So there you see, the bride has made herself ready. Jesus Christ will have a clean church. No such thing as a dirty bride. If she's dirty now, I can guarantee you Christ will cleanse her.
And wash her.
Just as it speaks of in Ephesians chapter 5, as you well know, this is a very, very interesting verse that will be here, God willing, in three weeks at a wedding. And I see the two here on the front view.
And this will be one of the main verses at that wedding. What does it say in chapter 5, verse 25? Husbands, this is the tallest order, I think husbands have, the tallest command. Because it says this, Love your wives just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for her.
That is so convicting to me because every time I read that,.
I think,.
Jesus died for his church. Jesus gave himself for the church. He gave everything he had for her. He died for her. Husbands, that's what we ought to do. This is the command for us. And listen to the connection in verse 26, that he might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of the water by the word.
Verse 27, for what purpose? That he might present her to himself a glorious church. She will be glorious.
She will be pure.
She will be holy, right? Not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she, that's the church, should be holy and without blemish. Isn't that powerful?
Without blemish.
No stains. Saved from and cleansed from all sin, rotness, the dirtiness from this world.
I don't know about you,.
But I feel dirty sometimes when I'm out in that world and I hear such filth and language and I see the attitudes of people and the evil and the nastiness and the dirtiness and I feel almost dirty when I come home sometimes.
And sometimes if I'm not careful it can affect myself, my own attitude. Oh God, save us from the world. Save us from ourselves that we may be a pure and a holy bride unto Christ. A bride that is clean.
Jesus Christ, the one who can own, the only one who can save, is the only one that can purify for himself a clean washed bride. And he's going to have a clean bride.
Amen?
He's going to have a holy bride. Christ will have a pure bride without spot or wrinkle washed in the blood of the Lamb. There's an old song I remember the old Pentecostals used to sing it. I know Teresa will be familiar with this.
But it's a great hymn. We ought to sing it sometimes. Tis a glorious church without spot or wrinkle washed in the blood of the Lamb. I think the first stanza goes, Do you hear them coming, brother? Thronging from the steeps of light, clad in glorious shining garments, blood washed garments pure and white.
Tis a glorious church.
Without spot or wrinkle washed in the blood of the Lamb. Washed in the blood of the Lamb. What can wash away our sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
That's the cleansing agent. Because we have a disease. People have a disease. That disease is sin. It stains us.
It has harmed us.
And the only remedy is the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. There's so many verses that we can go to that. But I'd like to save that, God willing, for next week as we come before the Lord's table. And we will look at the rest of the text as we do that.
Hear the voice of the Bridegroom.
The Bridegroom. May we be purified.
May we be holy.
Let's pray. Father, we thank You for this time. We thank You, Lord, that we can look to Your Word. Lord, it's not my voice. Really, Lord, if every preacher was honest, we really have nothing to say. The voice that matters is Your voice.
Your voice. Lord, You said it in Your Word. We give unto You, Lord, the glory due to Your name. Lord, we are to worship You in the beauty of holiness because Your voice is over the waters. The God of glory thunders.
The Lord is over many waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful. And the voice of the Lord is full of majesty. The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars. Your voice, Lord, divides the flames of fire. Your voice, Lord, shakes the wilderness.
Lord, Your voice shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. Lord, Your voice makes the deer give birth and strips the forest bare. And in Your temple, everyone says,.
Glory, glory.
Lord, may we extol You. May we lift up our hearts to You and rejoice as John the Baptist did and know that this isn't about us, but it's about the Lord Jesus Christ. Teach us, Lord, as Your disciples, to point others, as John the Baptist did, to the one that is the only one who's worthy, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ.
Lord, help us to die to ourselves. Help us to decrease so that Jesus can forever increase. That must happen, Lord. That must happen. John the Baptist knew that. That was his mission.
That was his joy.
So, Lord, help us to humble ourselves before Your mighty hand. As the Lord Jesus said, to humble ourselves. He that humbles abases himself shall be exalted. And that exaltation comes in heaven. And Lord, that's everything.
That's what we look forward to. That's the joy that's set before us. Encourage each and every one of Your saints today, Lord. Your sheep hear Your voice.
None other.
A stranger we will not follow. Your church will not follow a stranger's voice. Only the voice of the bridegroom. Only the voice of Jesus. Only His voice that matters. In a world where there's voices everywhere, only the voice of Christ matters.
Your voice. Help us, Lord, as the sheep of Your pasture, to always recognize that voice. Help us, Lord, to spend time with You and give You glory that You're worthy of. We ask these things in Jesus' name.
Amen and Amen.