Believe in Jesus Christ and receive eternal life
John 3:22~36
22After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized. 23Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were constantly coming to be baptized. 24(This was before John was put in prison.) 25An argument developed between some of John's disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. 26They came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—well, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him."
27To this John replied, "A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. 28You yourselves can testify that I said, 'I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.' 29The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. 30He must become greater; I must become less.
31"The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. 32He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. 33The man who has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. 34For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. 35The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. 36Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."
I. Message:
Content:
- Jesus Christ and His disciples lived in Judea and gave baptism (v. 22)
- John the Baptist was also baptizing at Aenon near Salim (v. 23)
- John’s followers voiced their concerns as they see more people going to Jesus (v. 24~26)
- John once again affirms that Jesus Christ came from above, is filled with the Spirit and holds everything in His hands; he is overjoyed as Jesus became greater (v. 27~35)
- Believe in Jesus and have eternal life (v. 36)
Themes:
- He must become greater; I must become less
- Believe in Jesus Christ and receive eternal life
II. Who is God? Who is Jesus Christ? Who is Holy Spirit?
- Jesus Christ lives with His disciples (v. 22)
- Jesus Christ gives baptism (v. 22)
- Jesus Christ as witnessed by John the Baptist (v. 26)
- Jesus Christ attracts people (v. 26)
- Jesus Christ came from Heaven (v. 27, 31)
- Jesus Christ gains followers day after day (v. 30)
- Jesus Christ is above all (v. 31)
- Jesus Christ testifies to the things in Heaven (v. 32)
- Jesus Christ is denied by the crowd (v. 32)
- God is faithful (v. 33)
- God sent Jesus Christ to this world (v. 34)
- Jesus Christ speaks the words of God (v. 34)
- God gives the Spirit to Jesus Christ (v. 34)
- Holy Spirit is with Jesus Christ (v. 34)
- Holy Spirit is with Jesus Christ without limit (v. 34)
- God loves dearly Jesus Christ (v. 35)
- God has placed everything in Jesus Christ’s hands (v. 35)
- Jesus Christ received everything from God (v. 35)
- Believing in Jesus Christ gives eternal life (v. 36)
- God shows His wrath to those who rejects Jesus Christ (v. 36)
III. What is God teaching me (command, promise, model, rebuke, warning)?
1) Bring people to follow Jesus (v22~30)
John the Baptist began telling people to repent before Jesus did. He baptised many and was actively witnessing for Jesus Christ. Gradually, more and more people followed Jesus, including John’s disciples. Some of them were annoyed by such loss and voiced their concerns. However, John was not jealous of the situation. He was actually overjoyed and proclaimed, “He must become greater; I must become less.” For he knows well the role he was playing, a presenter and witness for Jesus. John the Baptist is a role model for all witnesses for Jesus Christ.
We are all witnesses for Jesus Christ. We all share the responsibility to witness for Jesus Christ. Similarly, we ought to bring people to the Lord so that they may know Christ and follow Him. We must not use this opportunity to gather people to ourselves for our own gain.
Reflection:
Am I witnessing for Jesus Christ? Bringing people to Him? Or I gathered people around me for my own gain?
2) Understand one’s own mission (v28)
As John the Baptist’s disciples realized that more followers went to Jesus, they came to him to express their concerns. However John said, “You yourselves can testify that I said, 'I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.'” Clearly, John knew well his mission and the role he must play. In order to finish his mission, he gradually pulled himself away from the spotlight and avoided taking over Jesus’ stage. This is a good example for all servants of God to learn from.
Reflection:
Do I understand fully God’s mission given to me? Did I fulfill my duty?
3) The joy in finishing the task (v29)
John the Baptist then told his followers a parable. “The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.” For human beings, it is usually hard to give up, to pull away from spotlight and to mix into the crowd again. But John did not feel that way. He was overjoyed because he accomplished his mission.
Reflection:
Can I take on new role wholeheartedly and give it up if necessary? Can I experience the joy of accomplishing my mission?
4) Jesus came from Heaven (v31~35)
The mission for John the Baptist is to witness for Jesus Christ. He never let go an opportunity. At this moment, as he clears up once more his role, he went on to witness for Christ again. He put an emphasis again on the fact that Jesus came from Heaven. In chapter 3, verses 12 and 13, he has spoken to them of earthly things and of heavenly things. He also mentioned that “no one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.” In verse 27, he talked about Jesus again, saying “a man can receive only what is given him from heaven.” Hence John repeatedly emphasize that Jesus came from Heaven.
He also points out that Jesus was attracting people because God gave Him power and “the one who comes from heaven is above all.” (v. 31b) “For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands.” (v. 34~35) According to these verses, John the Baptist is testifying to the truth that Jesus came from Heaven through the words, “above all, speaks the words of God, God gives the Spirit without limit and has placed everything in his hands.”
Reflection:
How much do I know Jesus? Is He a person with great deeds, or a star, a teacher, a founder of religion? Or is He God’s only Son and the Christ our Saviour that came from Heaven?
5) Believe in Jesus and have eternal life (v36)
John the Baptist gave his followers a choice to make, with an eternal consequence. He said, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him.” (v. 36)
Believe or not to believe is a choice that everyone can make. If one chooses to believe and accepts Jesus Christ as personal Saviour, he will receive eternal life. If one denies Jesus, he won’t get eternal life for “God’s wrath remains on him.”
Reflection:
Facing this choice with eternal consequence, how do I make a decision? Should I believe or should I deny?
IV. Prayer/ Life Application
Translated by: 顏偉哲
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