The Witness of the Trinity

Well, good morning church, I Feel like a stranger up here. It's been a while Before I go into the preaching of God's Word.

I just want to do some quick housekeeping and give you guys a quick update as to what's been going on and My health and I appreciate your prayers and support want to first and foremost say

Thank you to the pastors of the church to pastor Conley and the pastor Josh for faithfully

Preaching the word and also bringing forth these great truths to you on a weekly basis in my absence a couple months ago,

I started having some joint pains and kind of brushed them off and Then had to go

Get so severe had to go get it checked out So long story short, I have a last week

I had a appointment with a specialist and have an autoimmune condition that Makes me sick at times that kind of gives you big flare -ups and big pain at certain times and Then it kind of just goes away.

So a day like today, I feel perfectly fine and my diagnosis was a Word that I can't even

I can't even tell you what it is because I can't remember what it was it's a fancy crazy medical word and What it basically does though it just means that my immune system attacks itself and what that manifests itself in certain times is extreme discomfort and Pain in my joints and in other areas such as my eye health as well suffers during these flare -ups

Which is why I've been having issues of my sight also flares up and gives me other

Conditions and symptoms which are all related. It's kind of complex So I appreciate your prayers.

There's no need for you to worry too much But I do appreciate your care your concern how you've ministered to me how you've ministered to my family during this time

And so I just want to thank you And to continue to pray for us and continue to pray for my health

But more importantly know that we're also praying for you and for the health of this church and for all your circumstances

And so with that being said I'd like for you to turn to your Bibles in Luke chapter 3

We are going to be picking up right where we left off several weeks ago in Luke's gospel and today we find ourselves in Luke chapter 3 and I want you to look at verses 18

And we're gonna be going all the way to the end of the chapter and I do ask that you stand for the reading of God's Word Luke chapter 3 starting in verse 18 hear ye this morning the word of the

Lord So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people but here the

Tetrarch who had been reproved by him For Herodias his brother's wife and for all the evil things that Herod had done

Added this to them all and he locked up John in prison now when all the people were baptized and when

Jesus also had been baptized and was praying the heavens were opened and The Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove

And a voice came from heaven You are my beloved son with you.

I am well pleased Amen, this is the word of the Lord. You may be seated

Gracious Father we do come before you in this hour petitioning the grace and kindness that was manifested in the person and work of Jesus Christ Lord that you would continue to bless this church continue to bless the preaching of thy words

The regardless of the preacher that the preaching would be anointed by your hand

They would go forth and accomplish all that your purpose for it to do and that this morning we would receive the very witness of the one true and trium

God Father Son and Holy Spirit in Jesus perfect and precious name we do pray.

Amen Just to kind of recap where we've gone and where we've been in Luke's gospel

Luke is a Gospel writer who is focusing primarily on a mega theme here

I want you to think of the theme of Luke's gospel as the kingdom of God Breaking into the world.

That's the theme of Luke's writing That's the theme of Luke's gospel and that is the overlining tone of Luke's theme here and it's it's come from from from very humble beginnings in chapter one of giving us the the origins of Christ's humanity

Letting us know and giving us insight into his lineage His parenthood who his parents were who came before him such as John the

Baptist who was the forerunner of our blessed Savior? And now culminating here in chapter 3 with the

Lord's very anointing at his baptism And Christ has now come

And he's about to be baptized But prior to that we get one last tidbit of information about John the

Baptist one We have what we have established thus far in the narrative of Luke's gospel Is that John the

Baptist is the last prophet of the Old Testament? He's the last prophet of God's old covenant people

He is the one who is preparing the way for the Lord that Yahweh has come in human flesh that Yahweh has been manifested in the personal work of Jesus Christ and now

Yahweh is about to come on to the world scene in His ministry in his preaching work, but prior to Christ preaching it says in verse 18

So of many other exhortations he that being John the Baptist Preach good news to the people

Good news Now imagine for a moment Being an audience member of one of John's preaching and you hear his preaching and he's a

Probably a crazy looking guy from what we have in Scripture the accounts that we have He was probably not the most clean -cut

Southern Baptist that you would expect Right. He wasn't a guy who who had a nice suit on who was nice and tailored Not the nice watch a nice glass all these things.

That was not who John was Instead what you had was a essentially a guy from the country dressed kind of wildly

Maybe he smelled a little bit and he was preaching good news to the people

What did that good news look like? What did it sound like? It sounded like this

Repent for the kingdom of God is nigh It's near That was the good news

Now you may associate good news, maybe something else maybe if you listen to a modern -day preacher you'll hear the the

Good news as being something more or less to this God loves you No, that's that's true, amen, right does

God love us surely God for God so loved the world. He gave his only begotten

Son the most quoted scripture of all time yet The good news that John the

Baptist preached sounded a little bit different No mention of God's love though. Obviously, he must have preached it and obviously he must have not only known and experienced it

But also shared it with others But that wasn't the overall tenor of his good news.

It wasn't a Comforting warm fuzzy message that made sinners happy to remain sinners

Rather his message was a little bit different his message looked at the sinner and said repent and this is good news why because God and his kindness and his

Forbearance and his mercy and his grace has now given us a time in which we can

Repent because the kingdom of God is near the overall message of John's message likewise unto

Christ is that of the kingdom and Because the kingdom of God is breaking into the world because the king of God is coming into the world through Jesus Christ now is good news because we can repent of sin and become citizens of this great kingdom

Looming over the shadow of every person that John was preaching to that every person

Christ would preach to was the shadow of the Roman Empire and the expectation of the

Jews During this period of time where revolts were common We're Messiah's of all shorts of all sorts and of all kinds were very common as well all promising political salvation all these things were were in the underbelly of the culture of Roman Israel at this time

Yet Jesus was coming on the scene not proclaiming the overthrowing of the political system, but rather Salvation and entrance into God's spiritual family

God's spiritual kingdom the kingdom of heaven and This is why it is so important that we understand the good news

Not just that John preached but then that Jesus preaches and fulfills in his earthly ministry

Now obviously when we preach the good news of repentance and faith unto life That will stir up trouble

That will stir up Individuals powers and structures to come against God's people

So what we see in verse 19, but here the Tetrarch who had been reproved by him By Herodias his brother's wife for all the evil things that Herod had done

So what John the Baptist did is not only did he speak a message of repentance to the people?

But he also spoke truth to power and that is part of the proclamation of the church brothers and sisters

In the book of Ephesians says that we are those who proclaim the manifold wisdom of God even on to the powers principalities in the heavenly places

We are called as a people as a church to speak truth to power

Whether it be the governor whether it be the president whether it be the city council whether it be anyone in anyone of high position

We are to preach the gospel even on to them One of the cooler experiences of my time here in California was back in August when a couple of us went to testify against a

Just a murderous bill Here in the state of California that essentially legalized

Infanticide it did become law. It did pass and become law But we went several of us from the church and other churches came

To the state capitol in Sacramento To testify against that bill and one of the neat things that happened at that time was

I got to meet the person who was the then Republican nominee for governor

Brian Dolly and got to speak to him and got to interview him and I think we sent that out to some of you and In that interview that I did with him where he graciously gave me some time to to talk to him and to hear from him

I asked him very directly some questions about biblical ethics and about abortion Speaking truth to power and I was very pleased of his answers.

And unfortunately, he's not our governor But should have should it had been that we ran into governor Newsom. We too would have spoken the same words

We've asked him the same questions We've called him to repentance over his stance and that's our duty

That's our call is to speak truth to power whether they're favorable or unfavorable Whether it's your team or the other team we are all called to be on team

Jesus and One of the things that John the Baptist that is a he spoke truth to power in this case

It got him in trouble verse 20 says it added that added this to them all that he locked up John in prison

John was now Imprisoned because of the firm witness that he gave about the kingdom of God By rebuking

Herod the Tetrarch and it says he had been reproved by him rebuked by him And Herod didn't want to be called out because no one in power wants to be called out

When someone is in power, the last thing they want is anything to challenge that power and the truth of the gospel

Challenges the very powers and structures of this world Because ours is a message ours is a kingdom that is otherworldly

It's not of this world. Jesus said that my kingdom is not part of this world

And so anytime we speak the truth about God's kingdom, it will shake things up There's shake things up with your employer.

It'll shake things up in your relationships It'll shake things up with your friends with your family who are unbelievers

It'll shake things up even to people in places of authority and power

Because the gospel is the message that turned the world upside down.

Amen And so what we see here is that during John's ministry many were

Baptized I want you to write this if you're following the notes I'm gonna get you in the habit of doing the notes again

During John's ministry many were baptized as a symbol of the repentance But not only

Were they baptized as a symbol of repentance? But those who were under John's ministry were baptized not only a symbol of the repentance, but also as identifying what you write that word in there identifying with God's arriving kingdom

John preached a gospel repentance and of the coming kingdom and those who responded to John's ministry said yes,

I repent of sin and yes I want to be a part of God's incoming kingdom

That kingdom that is coming into the world. I want to be part of that That's what I want to identify with And so those who had been under John's ministry who were baptized as some of the repentance and as identifying

With God's arriving kingdom the question for us this morning. Then is this do you identify with God's kingdom?

What I mean by that is not only do I ask you Are you cool with God's came like it is that okay with you?

Is that nice? Is that a nice notion or idea but rather do you? Identifying God's kingdom in that you are a blood -bought purchase son of the most living

God Do you identify? Not only as one who who thinks intellectually that sounds nice But as one who's been transformed inwardly that I'm a child of God that I'm a member an heir of this kingdom

Now the question is raised in verse 21 Now when all the people were baptized and when

Jesus also had been baptized and was praying the heavens were open question

I get often when we go through verses like this of the Bible is Why was Jesus baptized?

Why was Jesus baptized if John was baptizing? for the remission of sin for the

Repentance as a symbol of repentance for identifying of God's kingdom Why then was it necessary that Jesus be baptized by John the

Baptist if he had no sin? He had nothing to repent of He didn't have to necessarily identify with God's kingdom because he he is in a sense the embodiment of God's kingdom

Coming into the world. He's the king of God's kingdom So then why does

Jesus have to be baptized I want to propose to you three reasons Why I believe

Jesus had to be baptized as Scripture says to fulfill all righteousness, but I Want us to I want to give you some things to consider and think about I?

Want you to turn in Matthew chapter 3 for a moment and let's look at Matthew's account there One certain verse 13 of Matthew 3

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John to be baptized by him

John would have prevented him saying I need to be baptized by you and Do you come to me?

But Jesus answered him Let it be so now For dust it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness

Then he consented So John the Baptist poses the question. Are you coming to me?

I need to be baptized by you John recognizes. The one that is before him is greater than he and yet What is

Jesus's response to John the Baptist? He says let it be for it is fitting for us to fulfill all

Righteousness One of the reasons I believe that Jesus came to John to be baptized is because Jesus or John rather in this context is the last prophet of the

Old Testament to Israel and Jesus as the greater Israel came to identify with the sins of Israel in effect of the whole worlds as our future ransom for sin

I want you to write this in there to identify with the sins of Israel and the world

So why is Jesus baptized by John the Baptist one reason is again to identify with the sins of Israel and the world as our future ransom for sin in fulfilling all righteousness

For it is fulfilled in Scripture as it says in 2nd Corinthians 5 21 that God made him who knew no sin

To become sin on our behalf so that we might become the what? Righteousness of God in him.

What did Jesus come to fulfill all? Righteousness, not just the righteousness That is referred to in 2nd

Corinthians chapter 5 verse 20 of righteousness then imputed to us as believers, but the righteous requirement that God had laid out in regard for a perfect ransom a perfect exchange a perfect propitiation for sin on our behalf and Jesus is identifying with the sins of Israel and the world's as our future ransom here in the example that he sets of being baptized

Another reason I believe Jesus came to be baptized by John the Baptist was as a symbol of the beginning of his anointed ministry as King of God's kingdom once you write the word anointed in the notes as a symbol the beginning of his anointed ministry as King of God's kingdom

You see the word Christ literally means Messiah Mashiach in the

Hebrew anointed one one who is anointed and literally meaning that So it's not

Jesus Christ and that Jesus is his first name Christ being his last name this is a Christ is a title of anointed one and Jesus is indeed the promise anointed one the promise one from Genesis chapter 3 that God promised from the beginning of the fall of humanity that he would send forth a seed from the woman who would crush the head of the serpent this

Promised one that God said to Abraham that through his seed all the nations would bless this

Promised one who Moses said there would be another one like it on to me a prophet for God's people

He's the promised one of whom David said he would sit and establish his kingship in his throne forever

This is the promised one the anointed one who would come in the name of the Lord who is himself the

Lord our righteousness This promised one being Jesus he's the anointed king of God's kingdom

Christ is indeed our king priests and prophets and Just like the king was to be anointed in the

Old Testament time before the start of his reign So now the king of God's kingdom is being anointed by the prophet before his enthronement and reign

God's kingdom is coming into the world in Jesus Christ John the Baptist the final prophet anoints the true and last king

This is why it can be said of Christ he is indeed Lord of Lords and King of Kings He is the

Alpha the Omega. He's the first and he's the last there is no one who will come after him

Ironically enough there are religions of all sorts and kinds including one of the world's largest religions of Islam who claim matter of fact in in order to become a

Muslim One must recite this confession that Muhammad is the last prophet of God's people and we as Christians Through the revelation of his word through the revelation of the gospel of which ironically enough the

Quran says is true it says the gospel is true and The gospel tells us that no it is

King Jesus who is the last Prophet priests and king of God's people and all scripture bears witness to this truth and There is even one who bears witness of this truth that is greater than all

It is indeed the triune God himself father son and Holy Spirit And so again

Christ is the anointed one and he is identifying with the sins of the world

Fulfilling all righteousness. He's the one who's anointed as the final king of God's kingdom but also in the last thing

I want you to consider as Reasons why Jesus was baptized and many and maybe there are more but for the purposes of this discussion

I will give you one more is to demonstrate an example Which we are to follow

Jesus sets the standard Jesus is not only a king who gives edicts

But he's the one who also comes and gives the example for us to walk in What a blessing it is today that we will also see this practice in action as we'll have

Kevin coming forward for baptism after the preaching of God's Word Seeing this ordinance seeing this sacrament in action that Jesus laid the groundwork

Jesus set the example for us to now follow him What a blessed occasion that is and Now as we turn our attention to the last few verses here of Luke chapter 3

In verse 21, it says now when all were baptized and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying the heavens were open

Here is a beautiful magnificent example of the triune

God Being manifested to us in Holy Scripture you have in this instance Jesus the

Son God the Son from all eternity now made flesh Standing in the waters of the

Jordan being baptized and as he is baptized the miraculous happens the

Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove and A voice came from heaven

You are my beloved son With you I am well pleased

In the notes if you're following at Christ's baptism we see the manifestation of the Holy Trinity When I say manifestation of the

Trinity, I'm not saying that get that the Holy Trinity was all three members were bodily

Somehow manifested this would be the claim similar to what we see from Mormonism one of the founding

The founding vision of Mormonism posits that Joseph Smith the prophet of Mormonism had seen

Bodily the father and the son together they bodily Physically were before him and that's not what we see here at Christ's baptism.

We don't see the father Bodily manifested but rather what we see is the manifestation of God the

Son in his Incarnation in the waters of the Jordan the Holy Spirit saying giving us this word about the

Holy Spirit that he was bodily represented in the form of a dove and it came to rest upon Jesus Christ and From heaven the voice of the

Sovereign One came down saying you are my beloved son with you I am well, please

So in this text of Scripture you have the three Persons of the Triune God the

Father the Son and the Holy Spirit revealing themselves manifesting themselves for a glorious purpose

The spirit descends in the form of a dove once you write down the notes if you haven't already and the father confirms the appointment of his beloved

While Jesus is baptized in the Jordan Then it is no wonder why

Christ later after his ministry his death burial and resurrection

He gives the marching orders to the church in Matthew 28 and he says go ye therefore into all the world

Baptizing in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit Teaching them to obey all that I commanded you for behold.

I'm with you always even until the end of the age Jesus Commands us to baptize in the name of the one true

Triune God. Why because it was the Triune God who testified of himself Here in Luke chapter 3 and also in Matthew chapter 3 the synoptic gospel, which gives us a similar account

It is a Triune God the Godhead who anointed and confirmed Jesus and we too are commanded to be baptized into the name of the

Triune God What a Magnificent truth. This is what

I also want to give you is the splendor of this occasion this absolute splendor of this occasion this rarity of Occasion which we don't see elsewhere in Scripture or rarely do and it's something called a theophany

Now the word theophany sometimes you've maybe you've heard the word Christophany or theophany just means a

Greek word Which means a God appearing and there are times in Scripture where God appears in a very real tangible fashion

We see it in Genesis chapter 17 and 19 for instance We're we're Yahweh appeared before Abraham literally uses the terms of the words

Yahweh appeared before Abraham We see it in Exodus chapter 34 for instance where it says that Moses Spoke face to face with God as one man would speak to another

We have instances and in Genesis chapter Is it 33 where where Jacob wrestles with God if all these interesting theophanies where God appears?

physically in some capacity in some way and Wrestles with man and Encounters humanity and humanity encounters the

Living God in this unique fashion but none go as so far as This appearance here in Luke chapter 3

Where you have for the first time and the only time in recorded history

God the Son in his incarnation Physically there

God manifested in flesh in Jesus the spirit the third person of the triune

Godhead Descending and the voice of his majesty himself

God the Eternal Father Declaring you are my beloved son

This is the theophanies of all theophanies. This is the manifestation of all manifestations

This is the triune Godhead making himself known in Human history in the appointment of the

Son Jesus Christ To be now only the ransom for humanity, but now the king of God's kingdom

It doesn't get bigger than this that Christ That our blessed

Savior He is not one who is appointed by man or human hands

But rather his appointment is divine His appointment is

Confirmed not through the hands and the baptism that John gives and offers

But rather what comes after and it's the divine anointing an appointment by the persons of the triune

Godhead by the Spirit the sending which is a sign of of approval.

It's a sign of anointing Similarly when the Prophet would anoint the king's head with oil this is a sign of the

Spirit now being dripped over their head being empowered by the Holy Spirit and Now not only it was this and a sweet anointing of oil but rather the fullness of the

Spirit of God comes upon Christ and With the voice from heaven from the

Father himself saying you're my beloved son with you. I am well Pleased to say that this person is

My divine son of whom it says of in Scripture Yes There will be a son given to us and upon his shoulders will be the government the kingdom and his name shall be called

The Prince of Peace the Eternal Father the mighty God El Gabor of the increase of his kingdom.

There shall be no end Isaiah chapter 9 verse 6 tells us it is also the same son that is prophesied in Psalm 2 of Which it says of this son that we are to kiss the son lest he be angry and what will he do and accomplish he shall rule the nations of a rod of iron and Break to pieces the nations that do not obey

God and smashed him like pottery That they should be scattered This promised son is now here and Jehovah God Yahweh says

You are my beloved son with you. I am well pleased that Jesus is

The one who will live a perfect holy blameless life

He'll live the life that you and I cannot live could not live will never live apart from him

Because we're all broken Because we're all sinners When you look in this room when you look at each other

When you look in the mirror know that you are looking at a sinner but the good news is that when you look in that mirror and you see the sinner that you are as Paul did who fell almost in dread as he says of himself in Romans chapter 7

He says whoa am I? Who will rescue this body undergoing death

Because he recognized that there is nothing that is good in me. He says that is in my flesh

Romans 7 18 But he says who will rescue me who will rescue this body this man who

I see in the mirror who will rescue that man And he says thanks be to God Who gives us the victory through Jesus Christ?

Because this Jesus is doing whom of whom the father said that's my son in Him, I'm well pleased.

I am well pleased in Jesus why because he's perfect. He's holy He's blameless.

He's God come into human flesh And he will take upon himself the punishment of humanity

So that when you see yourself in the mirror, you see the sinner that you are know Also that he that stands behind you in that mirror whom you cannot see with physical eyes is the

Son of God himself the Son of God who Purchased you who bled for you who died for you?

Who gave you the hope of everlasting life because you being a sinner are now a sinner

Saved by grace through faith in the one in whom God is well pleased

God is well pleased in Jesus and through Jesus God can be well pleased in you and that's good news

Isn't that marvelous? that in the beloved God sees

What Jesus has done and accomplished and because of what Jesus has accomplished

He can speak of you as well in these terms and saying you too Because of what

Jesus has done You too are my son. You're my daughter and in you because of Christ.

I'm well pleased And so though we can look in the mirror We can beat ourselves and we can we can lament and oftentimes we should lament and we should beat ourselves in a sense

Over our sin, but know this there was one who was already beaten There is one who was already bled.

There's one who's already died and that's Jesus and God is well pleased in his perfect Satisfactory work so he can be well pleased in you and know this dear brother and sister

Dear saint dear sinner in Jesus you're forgiven

Amen Amen We're forgiven because of the

Son in Whom God was well pleased This is good news

And no doubt this brings into focus the greatest theophany of Scripture That God in the three -person the

Trinity being manifested here for this purpose for this sake That God was confirming

God was making a note. God was making a promise That this his son would now bring salvation to the world

I want you to write this in the last part of our teaching and insert this morning

The triune God bears witness that Jesus is the

Christ Jesus is the Messiah He is the promised one of whom scripture foretells of whom scripture testifies that all the scripture testifies of this

Jesus so that those who believe on his name may have

Life and I want you to turn as our last scripture reading this this morning to first John chapter 5 and notice how the

Apostle John Using analogies of Christ baptism brings for this perfect circle of redemption

That starts with the waters of baptism and the testimony of the blood of Christ Notice what it says in 1st

John chapter 5 verse 6 This is he who came by water and blood

Jesus Christ not by water only but by the water and the blood and the spirit is one who testifies because the spirit is the truth

Want to stop there for a moment notice what it says that Christ that Jesus was the one who came by water and blood

Now this can mean two things and likely does have a dual meaning and fulfillment Water and blood one signifying, of course the the pains of childbirth this is reference to his incarnation that he came through the the breaking of the water of Mary's womb and the blood that came associated with that but also by the very

Nature of his baptism That Jesus at his baptism was brought forth out of the waters of the

Jordan so that he may now bleed for you and me and How do we know this is connected to the baptism

Well one is the association of water and two is the fact that says the spirit is the one who testifies

Because the spirit is the truth who is the one who testifies in in Luke chapter 3

Who's one who descends from heaven to testify of the anointing of the Sun? It's the spirit who testifies

It's a spirit of God who comes in the form of the dove to testify the truth because the spirit is the truth and it says in verse 7 for there are three that testify the spirit and the water and the blood and these three

Agree, you have a King James Bible. You'll have what's often referred to as the Yohanian comma

Which says that there are three that bear record in heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one

Now that's a great scripture. It's not the earliest manuscripts of of the Bible. So it's likely not likely originally came from John but nonetheless it speaks of the

Triune God in that fashion and here in what we do know for sure to be scripture in verse 8

Is that the one that testifies the spirit the water and the blood and these three agree, what do they agree about?

That Jesus was holy perfect and blameless That through his perfect obedience

Starting with the baptism of water Actually, it was perfect Obedience goes stretches far beyond that but for the purposes of the of the redemptive narrative here

Starting with the baptism that he receives from John the Baptist the water that testifies

And the spirit that testified of Christ's truthfulness of his ministry and the blood being the blood

By which he purchased us the blood that spilled from his hands from his brow from his feet and from his side

These things are an agreement what do they agree of verse 9 if we receive the testimony of men

The testimony of God is greater for this is the testimony of God That he has born concerning his son one of the reasons why the theophany of Christ baptism is so important is because what

God is essentially doing is he is Affirming himself. He is a he is testifying of himself and God Testifying of himself is important because there was no one greater that can testify and There is no one greater to testify than God himself

So there's no one who was greater to be testified of and by then God himself

So he says that's why John says that the testimony of man is essentially one thing and that's important We need a testimony of man.

That's why for instance in John's gospel John says he writes these things

So that we may know Jesus is the Son of God. He is testifying

Personally of these things we see Peter also saying these things are true in 2nd Peter chapter chapter 1 when he speaks of the the testimony that he saw in which on the

Mount of Transfiguration He saw the glorious voice or heard the glorious voice of the Father He saw the transfiguration of Christ and he says that we bear testimony of these things the four

Gospels are Testimonies of man of the truthfulness of the claims of Jesus Christ But there is one who testifies who's greater and That is the triune

God himself the Father the Son and the Spirit testify of these things and he affirms and confirms that this story is not just a mere story but Rather it is the foundation of human civilization and of human history

That Jesus is indeed the Christ the Son of the Blessed One the

Son of God Because this is a testimony that God is born concerning his son

Verse 10 says whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself

So those who believe in Christ also receive this testimony and the testimony comes from the triune

God himself where God Saves you in his Son Jesus Christ and gives you the spirit as the deposit for the inheritance of eternal life

And then it said goes on to say Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar

Because he has not believed in the testimony that God has born concerning his son And this is the testimony that God gave us eternal life and this life is in his son

That's where it is it's in his son It's not in your bank account.

It's not in your job description. It's not in your works. It's not in your marriage It's not in your kids.

It's not in your upbringing. It's not in your past. It's not in your future this life this eternal life that is promised by the

Father is only in his Son Jesus Christ there is salvation in no other name.

There is no salvation in Mohammed There's no salvation in Charles Taze Russell. There's no salvation in Buddha.

There's no salvation in Joseph Smith There's no salvation in John Calvin. There's no salvation in anyone else, but in the name of Jesus and This is the testimony and whoever has the

Son has life Whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life

He finishes this thought by saying in verse 13. I write these things comes to you

Who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know you have

Eternal life that is one of my favorite scriptures in the Bible Why?

Because not only do we have this Ethereal hope of eternal life, but rather it is a an established truth

That we have now present tense eternal life

Nothing that we just look forward to in the future when we die and go to heaven But rather something that we enjoy now that you know, brother and sister that if you're in Christ this morning

You now have currently the eternal life It is in you The Spirit is deposit that inheritance in your hearts even now

So that the words of Christ may be true Who says in John 11 that whoever dies but believes in him will never die that's because this son is the resurrection and the life in Him is life in him is resurrection and in him dear beloved

You are well pleased All to the glorious grace and praise of the one true and triune

God Father Son and Holy Spirit To close this time the triune

God bears witness that Jesus is the Christ that those who believe on his name may have life and life

Eternal let me pray Blessed Savior We thank you that you have

Given us this testimony this witness through scripture

Through the Spirit through the water and the blood that came We thank you Lord Jesus for thy perfect obedience for thy perfect good work and so doing so you purchase for God a people of every tribe every nation of every language

To come under the rulership headship kingship of Your most blessed and glorious name

We thank you Lord Jesus That you purchased a people onto good works

So that in you We find ourselves approved We thank you

Lord that you have given us this salvation That no man can take it away That no man can steal nor plunder but indeed

Lord we have Through thy shed blood and through thy perfect obedience a perfect gift life everlasting

Then no man and no one no thing can steal Nor subvert we thank you

Lord Jesus for thy goodness for thy grace for thy kindness We ask

Lord now that you would testify in us Continually for the things that we have seen the things that we have heard in Holy Scripture That we may know that these things are true

That we may live in such a way that these things are true so that we may continue to testify of thy grand name and as long and along with the

Father and the Son and the Spirit Continue to testify of the greatness of these things that the gospel is indeed the power of God unto salvation

We thank you Lord for all these things and more and we turn our attention now Lord to thy good sacraments of the

Lord's table and baptism Following the example that you've laid for us in Scripture and we testify that these things are true in the name of your