JOHN 3:22-36
Lesson # 6
I. Introduction:
II.? The Decision of John 3:22-30
Q? Have you ever been beat out of a position in sports?? Or has someone gotten a position that you really wanted?? How did you feel?
Q? Do we tend to place a lot of value on how we compare to others?
Q? Have you ever seen competition in the ministry?
Q? Is there any competitive feelings between christian musicians?
Note:? Our text this evening partially deals with this issue.
Have someone read John 3:22-26.
Q? What is the situation here?
An = John is baptizing and so is Jesus (or his ministry is or disciples were, as Jesus Himself did not personally baptize).? With the two ministries stacked up against one another, it becomes obvious that Jesus’ drawing power is greater now than John’s.
A person coming to John’s ministry to ask a question about purification seemingly has brought to the disciples attention the superiority of Jesus’ crowd appeal.? So, being good loyal disciples of their leader, they are concerned and bring up the issue to their master.? John seems to have been put on the spot.
Q? Did John have a legitimate gripe?? How would you feel, if you were in John’s position?
An = Let’s see how John handles such a problem.? His reaction could be instruction for us when in a similar situation, and such situations will happen.
Have someone read John 3:27.
Q? What is John’s opening response, what does this mean?
An = It is God who gives ministerial success and God who blesses a ministry.? When ours goes well, we know down deep it was the Lord’s blessing not our own efforts.? John is simply saying, “God is in this thing”.
Q? How could we be like John in our efforts today??
Q? Could this apply to ministry, to sports, to the competition for a certain guy or gal?
Have someone read John 3:28-29.
Q? How does John see his role?
An = He uses a wedding metaphor.? John sees himself as the “best man”, the person who is to get the bridegroom and bride together.? His role is to broker the deal.? The “friend of the bridegroom” (called a shoshben) was to make the wedding arrangements, send out invitations, and preside at the feast itself.
Q? How are we to be like John?
An = Turn to II Corinthians 11:2.? Have someone read II Corinthians 11:2.
Q? How did Paul see his ministry?
An = Paul saw himself as the one who brought the Corinthians not to himself but to Christ.? He wanted them with the Lord, not in “his” ministry.? They are not “his” people, “his” kids, “his” parishioners or disciples, but they belonged to the Lord.? Jesus is the bridegroom.? We do not own the sheep, the Lord does!? Many of those in ministry forget that.?
Q? So what do we do with our hurt feelings when we are not fully appreciated or given the popularity that we would like to have when we do youth ministry or play music, etc.?
An = John says we are to have feelings, feelings of joy!?? John was not sad, but happy, because he was doing his job and his job was to bring Israel to Jesus.? We are to have joy in the success of others, because success is not our being successful in ministry but seeing others come to Christ.? We must not lose sight of our true goal.? It is not about our ministry or musical career.
Note:? Sometimes when someone first starts to make progress with their relationship to God we are very prominent in that process.? However, we are not really successful until we transfer that loyalty to the Lord.? If we stay in the prime focus, we have betrayed the bridegroom.? We will seriously weaken and hurt people. ?
We must be like John, and then the plus side of the affair is that we will have joy!
Have someone read John 3:30
Q? Is this hard to do?
An = One of the greatest ministers and thinkers of all time was Saint Augustine.? When I first read Augustine I was taken by his enormous love for God.? It was what attracted me.? Listen to some of his words:
I listen:? He is the One who speaks
I am enlightened;? He is the light;
I am the ear;? He is the Word.
III.? The Nature of Jesus and Necessity of Response:? John 3:31-36.
Note:? John was full of joy because of his decision to be less than Jesus, and that is because John was in line with reality.? He was moving in sync with what really was and what still really is.? The Gospel writer stops before going on to the next story and takes a moment to speak of the Nature of the Jesus John has become less than….
?? A. The One Who Speaks From Heaven and Is Above All:? John 3:31-33
Have someone read John 3:31
Q? Who is of the earth and who is of heaven?
An = John is of the earth, and it is Jesus who is of heaven.? John is of the earth and speaks of the earth, but Jesus is from heaven and above all.
Have someone read John 3:32.
Q? What is it that Jesus does?
An = Jesus speaks of or bears witnesses to what He has seen and heard from heaven.
Q? What is Jesus’ message, what has He seen?
An = This text does not say.? It leaves us in suspense.? We need to keep reading, keep looking, and see what Jesus is going to say in the following chapters.? It is from heaven!
Q? Do people accept what Jesus has said?
An = Sadly, they do not.
Have someone read John 3:33.
Q? What is being said here, what is being promised?
An = There is a promise here, if we do accept Jesus’ witness then we are saying:? “God is true”.? Accepting Jesus’ witness puts us into the realm of truth.
?? B.? The One Who Receives From the Father Speaks and is Over All Things:? John 3:34-36
Have someone read John 3:34-35.
Q? Again, what is it that Jesus does?
An = Jesus speaks the Words of God.? Some scholars see Jesus as the giver of the Spirit but most see Jesus as having received the Spirit of God without measure.? Both ideas could be correct because in John Jesus both gives the Spirit and is endowed with the Spirit.? What is clear is that Jesus speaks the Words of God.
Q? What is done for, to, or with Jesus in these two verses?
An = He is “sent” and “receives” the Spirit without measure (34), and Jesus is “loved” by the Father and been “given” all things (35).? John is saying the One who speaks is sent (commissioned) by God, has received the Spirit without measure (the prophets, according to the Rabbi’s, had the Spirit “with measure”), Jesus is the object of the Father’s love and has received into His hand all things from the Father.? Jesus has all authority (into His hand) and complete backing (love) from God.? He should be listened to.
Q? How does one know whether one speaks with God’s authority?? How do we know whether people should listen to what we say?
An = If we have received something from God:? namely, His love, His sending, His Spirit.? It must come into our hands from Him.? It is not our education or position, but our reception that gives us authority.? You cannot get this in seminary or because you are a Bible major!
Oswald Chambers goes so far as to say you are not even a Christian unless you have received something from God.
Q? What do you think Chambers means?
Have someone read John 3:36.
Q? What is the promise here?
An = As we hear the Son of God and believe (which means to obey what He says) we will have eternal life.? If we hear (obey) His Words, (John calls that belief) then we put God back on the throne, we reverse the Fall.
Q? What is being threatened here?
An = We shall not see life but rather remain in the wrath of God.
Note:?? Jesus is both promising and threatening here.? This is called in scholarly terms a “paraenesis”, it is an attempt to persuade.? John wants us to believe.? John wants to persuade us to hear, to obey, to believe.
RQ? Is there any option or neutral ground with Jesus Christ?