Baptist John in the spirit and power of Elijah
Let us study John 1:21a about Baptist John to learn what is important to us as evangelists.
John 1:21a They asked him, ‘Then who are you? Are you Elijah?’ He said, ‘I am not.’
Prophet Malachi foretold God would send the prophet Elijah. See Malachi 4:5-6.
5 ‘See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. 6 He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.’
Elijah means “Yahweh is God”. 1 King 17-19, 21 and 2 King 1-2 record the ministry of Prophet Elijah.
James 5:17-18 describes the spirit and power of Elijah through an example.
Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.
The angel of God foretold Zachariah, the father of Baptist John, in Luke 1:17.
And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.’
Based on Luke 1:17, Baptist John works in the spirit and power of Elijah.
Jesus said about Baptist John in Matthew 11:14.
“And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come.”
“If you are willing to accept it” indicates that Baptist John is an Elijah only if people would perceive him as a spiritual and powerful prophet like Elijah. So, Baptist John works in the spirit and power of Elijah, but he is not identical to the prophet Elijah lived in the Old Testament. He is not Elijah but an Elijah. Therefore, Baptist John answered, “I am not Elijah.”, in John 1:21a.
An evangelist acts as Baptist John for unbelievers. He/she prepares the ways for the Lord in their hearts. Therefore evangelists are encouraged to be spiritual and powerful as prophet Elijah.
Standing guard against undue respect
In the past few weeks, we studied John 1:1-18. The true light came to the world (9) and made dwelling among us (14). But, the Baptist John is not the light but a witness to the light (8) and the light is greater than John because He existed from the eternity before the creation (15).
Let us continue to study John 1:19-20 and learn what is important to us as witnesses of Christ.
See John 1:19-20.
19 Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, ‘I am not the Messiah.’
Priests and Levites sent by Jewish leaders in Jerusalem asked the Baptist John who he was (19). The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah (Luke 3:15). But John did not entertain their thoughts. Without hesitation, he confessed freely, ‘I am not the Messiah.’ (20). He spoke out so as not to leave anyone in doubt [1].
Here we learn that God’s witness should stand their guard against undue respect rather than unjust contempt [2]. By accepting the undue respect, we become denying Christ. The apostles Barnabas and Paul also tore their clothes and stopped the crowd when the crowd treated them as God (Acts 14:14).
The following elaborates on the above conclusion (“not to accept undue respect”).
Quoted from [2]:
“Note, The ministers of Christ must remember that they are not Christ, and therefore must not usurp his powers and prerogatives, nor assume the praises due to him only. They are not Christ, and therefore must not lord it over God’s heritage, nor pretend to a dominion over the faith of Christians. They cannot create grace and peace; they cannot enlighten, convert, quicken, comfort; for they are not Christ. Observe how emphatically this is here expressed concerning John: He confessed, and denied not, but confessed; it denotes his vehemence and constancy in making this protestation. Note, Temptations to pride, and assuming that honour to ourselves which does not belong to us, ought to be resisted with a great deal of vigour and earnestness. When John was taken to be the Messiah, he did not connive at it with a Si populus vult decipi, decipiatur—If the people will be deceived, let them; but openly and solemnly, without any ambiguities, confessed, I am not the Christ; hoti ouk eimi egō ho Christos—I am not the Christ, not I; another is at hand, who is he, but I am not. His disowning himself to be the Christ is called his confessing and not denying Christ. Note, Those that humble and abase themselves thereby confess Christ, and give honour to him; but those that will not deny themselves do in effect deny Christ.”
References
[1] United Bible Societies Handbook: John
[2] Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible:Complete and Unabridged in One Volume
Baptist John’s testimony about Jesus (John 1:29)
The Baptist & Witness John testified about himself (John 1:19-23) and Jesus (John 1:24-34).
Today, let us study John 1:29.
The next day John saw Jesus coming towards him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29)
Why is Jesus called ‘the Lamb of God’? ‘The Lamb’ represents ‘the Passover lamb’ (Exodus 12:21) sacrificed during the ‘Passover’ event written in Exodus 12:1-30. The Israelites put the blood of the lamb on the sides and tops of door-frames of the houses (Exodus 12:6-7, Exodus 12:21-22) and when God saw the blood, he ‘passed over’ them without striking them with the destructive plague (Exodus 12:12-13, Exodus 12:23).
In the Law, God let us forgiven by sacrificing an animal(s) (e.g., bull, sheep) without defect (e.g., Leviticus 4, 5, 7, 14).
Jesus (the Lamb of God) who was without sin (without defect) died for us to take our sin away! Because he received the punishment we deserve (Isaiah 53), we are forgiven when we believe him (Romans 10:9-13). He did this because he loves us. This is a good news of salvation for all humanity.
More about “Glory”
See Hebrews 1:3a (NIVUK). “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.”
Jesus revealed his glory through the first of the signs (changing water into wine) (John 2:11)
Jesus does not accept glory from human beings (John 5:41). Jesus has come in his Father’s name (John 5:43). We should seek the glory that comes from the only God (John 5:44).
Jesus received honour and glory from God the Father when the voice came from the Majestic Glory on the sacred mountain (2 Peter 1:17-18, Matthew 17:1-9, Mark 9:2-10, Luke 9:28-36)
Jesus healed a man blind from birth, which displayed the works of God in him (John 9:3).
Jesus raised Lazarus dead for four days for God’s glory and Jesus was glorified through it (John 11:4, 40, 43-44).
During the Last Supper, when Judah has gone to bring people to arrest Jesus, Jesus said this. John 13:31–32 (NIVUK): 31 When he was gone, Jesus said, ‘Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.
Jesus prayed to be glorified (John 17:1-5) after the last supper and before the arrest and crucifixion. ‘Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you (John 17:1b). And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began (John 17:5).
Jesus prayed for all believers. John 17:24 (NIVUK): Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.
Jesus was glorified (John 7:39b) through the crucifixion and resurrection after which Jesus sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven (Hebrews 1:3b).
Romans 8:17 (NIVUK): Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
What is glory and how glory is important to our faith (John 1:14c)
@johnsharingthegospel John 1:14 (NIV): We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father ##glory ##crownofglory ##ministeroflife ##godofglory
Reference
John 1:14c (What is Truth?)
@johnsharingthegospel John 1:14c (What is truth?) All references used are shown in https://comnc.org/defining-truth ##truth ##reality ##divinethought ##revelationofGod ##faith
John 1:14c (What is Grace?)
@johnsharingthegospel John 1:14 (NIVUK): We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. #grace #freegift ♬ original sound – John
John 1:14b
@johnsharingthegospel John 1:14b and made his dwelling among us #humility #godwithus #emmanuel #empathy #love #servanthood #obedencetogod #Jesus #kingofkings #lordoflords ♬ original sound – John
John 1:14a
@johnsharingthegospel John 1:14a The Word became flesh #thewordbecameflesh #oneandonlyson #christmas #divinity ♬ original sound – John
John 1:13, The Lily of the Valley (song)
Bible Study on John 1:13
@johnsharingthegospelJohn 1:13. Reference: Gangel, K. O. (2000). John (Vol. 4, p. 12). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers. ##spiritualrebirth ##childrenofgod
The Lily of the Valley (song)
@johnsharingthegospel
Lily of the valley ##friend ##Jesus ##love ##forgiveness ##care ##comfort ##cleansing ##stay ##sing ##fair ##soul
