Sermon Tone Analysis

The Wedding Party

joy of performing weddings

preparing couples for a life-long covenant

ceremonies can be stressful

So many moving parts and players

Attendants (groomsmen and bridesmaids) - serve to honor and glorify the bride and groom

Some attendants make it about them - not the bride or groom - leaving (in most cases) the bride to fend for herself in the preparation (unless she has a non-bridesmaid to attend).

Danielle helping a bride in a way that the bridesmaids were intended to help.

She knows her place in that setting and serves the bride well.

Transition:

I bring that up because just as an attendant in the bridal party would have a role to play, John the baptist had a role in the ministry of Jesus.

We saw a few weeks ago how he was a forerunner - preparing the way for Jesus.

Today, we get to understand that even more.

But let’s set the stage, because John’s clarity about who he is and his role with Jesus begins with...

The Baptism Battle?

(John 3:22-26)

I pose that as a question, not because it was a real battle or because John and Jesus were fighting each other, but because of how John’s disciples seemed to be perceiving things.

Both Jesus and John the Baptist, along with their disciples, were baptizing people.

This is the only time we actually hear of Jesus having a ministry of baptism.

Jesus and his disciples were in the Judean wilderness

John and his disciples were a little farther north in Aenon - a little more than half way up the Jordan to Galilee

John’s disciples get in a dispute with a Jewish man over purification

some Jews would wash themselves daily in cold water as a ritual.

We don’t know the nature of their argument, but according to outside sources - some Jews thought that John’s baptism was one of ritual purification - whereas John seemed to baptize more as a ministry of repentance and initiation.

John was clearly not concerned with ritual purification but repentance.

I find it interesting that the Apostle John - the author notes that this is over purification.

He didn’t really have to tell us about the discussion with this Jewish man - but he does, for a couple of reasons

First, remember, the first sign at Cana - Jesus used purification jars as vessels of wine (John 2:6).

It seems like the author John is bringing up this word again to point our attention to the broader theme of replacement -

Jesus replaced the stone purification jars with wine of his covenant;

Jesus replaced the stone temple with the temple of his body.

Now, John seems to be pointing out the ritual purification will not happen through baptism or washings, but through other means.

Second, I assume that out of this argument - word came to John’s disciples that Jesus ministry was having great success!

- “all are going to him.”

(v.

26) - they were concerned for John and his ministry.

They may have been reluctant to give up their allegiance and devotion to John.

Their concern for John was unfounded because of...

John’s joyful waning (John 3:27-30)

You see, for John, he was not intimidated by Jesus’ growing ministry - that brought him joy!

John knew his place - he knew his role - he knew whom he served.

His joy was complete in knowing that he had faithfully served

As a “friend of the groom” he knew that he was there for someone else.

He was there as a witness and a servant.

He was not the focal point of the wedding.

In fact, John concludes this section with a brief summary statement:

He was all about Jesus.

He was all about preparing the way and then getting out of the way.

John’s entire outlook and the focus of his ministry pointed to the fact that...

Jesus is Supreme and the Source (John 3:31-36)

So after John the Baptist has this conversation with his disciples, the apostle John steps in with some commentary.

Several scholars have noted that John (the apostle) had an extended ministry in and around Ephesus.

Some people in that area felt that John the Baptist was more important and worthy of following than Jesus.

This may be one reason why there is so much commentary here at the beginning about John the Baptist’s ministry - and his stepping aside for Jesus.

John the Apostle may be trying to help the Ephesians see that Jesus - the One from heaven - the one who is above all is supreme and the source of our faith.

A few years ago when Zack and Mel were in high school, they had a history teacher who was fantastic.

He had a deep love for history and loved to engage the students with the facts and events of history.

One of the things that he kept reiterating to the students was that they should go to primary historical documents as often as possible.

Rather than relying on the biases of historians (like himself), go to the source.

The Apostle John seems to be making that same charge here.

He is not discounting John the Baptist in any way, but instead trying to help people see that Jesus is the source.

He came from heaven, from above.

As a result, he is above all.

He is supreme.

Milne notes that Jesus’s supremacy or “pre-eminence” is described in these verses in three ways.

He is supreme in his “origin” (vs.

31) - Jesus is from above - from Heaven, from the very "presence and heart of God.” Conversely, John the Baptist is from earth.

Their origins are vastly different.

Last week, when we were talking about the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus, Jesus said “You must be born again.”

We discussed the fact that the Greek word anothen could be translated “again” or “from above.”

John uses that exact same word here in verse 31 - “from above.”

Jesus’ first birth, his origin is “from above.”

He calls us to receive a second birth from above.

But not only is Jesus supreme in his origin,

He is supreme in his testimony (32-34) - because Jesus’ origin is from God, he speaks about what he has seen and heard - a knowledge that goes back before the beginning of time as we know it.

John uses an interesting word picture of a seal that we might easily overlook - I know I did.

At various times when a King or ruler or president would make a declaration or utter a command, he would close up the declaration and then put some wax on the seam.

He would then use his signet ring to mark the seal - confirming that this is from the King.

Even illiterate people could acknowledge that this was the King’s seal (Burge).

When we receive the testimony, the words of Jesus, it’s as though the true signet of God is now on us.

Milne notes that there is one more area of Jesus’ pre-eminence or supremacy...

He is a supreme “resource” - (v.35) - God has given Jesus all things - therefore, he is the possessor of everything.

We can and should go to Him for knowledge, hope, understanding, healing, forgiveness, direction, strength and so much more.

The apostle Paul describes Jesus pre-eminence this way:

(need a story or illustration about going somewhere or seeing something - testifying)

So the charge for us is to consider the source and to receive his testimony.

John concludes this section with his clear call, making a distinction between those who believe (who receive the testimony) and those who don’t.

As he has done before and will do many more times in our study of the book, John calls us to belief.

Do you believe?

Have you trusted in the testimony of Jesus?

Do you have eternal life in him?

So What

Let’s think about some points of application from this entire passage.

First of all, we should...

Rejoice when other ministries grow - especially when they are faithfully preaching the Word and serving Jesus.

we can easily get hung up on disputes between modes and amounts of water used in baptism - do we sprinkle or do we dunk?

It’s easy for us to compete with other churches over who is baptizing more people.

It’s also easy to change up our techniques and philosophy of ministry in order to manipulate growth - to follow the latest trends, rather than being faithful to the mission as revealed in God’s word.

We are called to preach and teach the word, making disciples and baptizing - God controls the growth.

God controls the outcome.