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Sunday 12/17/23
Title: Is Jesus the Promised Messiah? Come & See!
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Is Jesus the Promised Messiah? Come & See!
Isaiah 40:1-11,
“Comfort, yes, comfort My people!” Says your God. (2) “Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her, That her warfare is ended, That her iniquity is pardoned; For she has received from the LORD’s hand Double for all her sins.”
John 1:1-42,
“(1) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) He was in the beginning with God.
(3) All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.
(4) In Him was LIFE, and the LIFE was the LIGHT of men.
Jesus degined life for us in His prayer to the Father in the Garden of Gethsemane. He defined it as knowing He and the Father in unity and true intimacy,
“THIS IS ETERNAL LIFE that they might know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ Whom You have sent.” – John 17:3
Every time I read this verse in John 1:4, my mind skips down to verse 18 which says,
“(18) No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, Who IS IN the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” -John 1:18
Now this LIFE is something made available through the New Birth, int he New Covenant. NO ONE under the Old Covenant had the ability to know God in true intimacy like one can under the New Covenant.
Even John the Baptist, who according to scripture was the greatest prophet under the Old Covenant knew God like this. God said through Jeremiah regarding the New Covenant He was going to establish through Israel,
“People will no longer need to teach their neighbors and relatives to know me. For all of them, from the least important to the most important, will know me,” says the LORD. “For I will forgive their sin and will no longer call to mind the wrong they have done.” – Jeremiah 31:34
So even all of the patriarchs and great mothers of the faith never knew God in union and true intimacy because that only came through the giving of the Promise – Who is Jesus Christ, the Messiah.
Let’s read about that in Hebrews 11, the chapter in the Bible often referred to as the “Hall of Faith”. It states plainly that NONE of the great men and women of faith recieved the promise, but only beheld it at a distance.
Hebrews 11:32-40,
“(32) And why need I say more? For time will fail me if I tell the story of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, and of David and Samuel and the Prophets;
(33) men who, as the result of faith, conquered whole kingdoms, brought about true justice, obtained promises from God, stopped lions’ mouths, (34) deprived fire of its power, escaped being killed by the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put to flight foreign armies.
(35) Women received back their dear ones alive from the dead; and others were put to death with torture, refusing the deliverance offered to them–that they might secure a better resurrection.
(36) Others again were tested by cruel mockery and by scourging; yes, and by chains and imprisonment. (37) They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, they were tried by temptation, they were killed with the sword. They went from place to place in sheepskins or goatskins, enduring want, oppression and cruelty. (38) (They were men of whom the world was not worthy.) They wandered across deserts and mountains, or hid themselves in caves and in holes in the ground.
(39) And although by their faith all these people won God’s approval, none of them received the fulfilment of His great promise; (40) for God had provided for them and us something better, so that apart from us they were not to attain to full blessedness.” – Weymouth translation
Let’s back up a little to verse 13 and read more about this…
“(13) These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. (14) For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. (15) And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. (16) But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.” – Hebrew 11:13-16
Now with that under our belt lets return to John 1, picking back up in verse 5.
Continuing in John 1…
(5) And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”
The word “comprehended” comes from the Greek word Katalambano – which is a compound word meaning~ to lay hold of and to seize with eagerness. Now this word is connected to the word “not”, so many a translator, translate these words as could not overpower – that is, the world was not able to lay hold on Jesus and seize Him so as to overpower Jesus. While that is A truth, it is not THE TRUTH being revealed in this passage. In this context, the word is actually used metaphorically and so it takes on the meaning of “could not grasp it – or comprehend it”. We will see as we go further in these verses that this is the true meaning!
“(6) There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
(7) This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.
(8) He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. (9) That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.
(10) He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. (11) He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. (12) But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: (13) who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
That reads a lot like James 1:16-18 which says,
“(16) Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. (17) Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. (18) Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.”
Now back in John 1…
(14) And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”
“(15) John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ ” (16) And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. (17) For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
(18) No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
(19) Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”
(20) He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.”
(21) And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?”
He said, “I am not.”
“Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.”
(22) Then they said to him, “Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?”
(23) He said: “I am ‘THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS: “MAKE STRAIGHT THE WAY OF THE LORD,” ‘ as the prophet Isaiah said.”
This was a reference to the verse we opened with this morning in Isaiah 40:1-11,
“Comfort, yes, comfort My people!” Says your God. (2) “Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her, That her warfare is ended, That her iniquity is pardoned; For she has received from the LORD’s hand Double for all her sins.”
(3) The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the LORD; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God.
(4) Every valley shall be exalted And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough places smooth;
(5) The glory of the LORD shall be revealed, And all flesh shall see it together; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” (6) The voice said, “Cry out!” And he said, “What shall I cry?” “All flesh is grass, And all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. (7) The grass withers, the flower fades, Because the breath of the LORD blows upon it; Surely the people are grass. (8) The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.” (9) O Zion, You who bring good tidings, Get up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, You who bring good tidings, Lift up your voice with strength, Lift it up, be not afraid; Say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!” (10) Behold, the Lord GOD shall come with a strong hand, And His arm shall rule for Him; Behold, His reward is with Him, And His work before Him. (11) He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, And carry them in His bosom, And gently lead those who are with young.”
Now let’s finish up in John 1, picking back up in verse 24…
“(24) Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees. (25) And they asked him, saying, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
(26) John answered them, saying, “I baptize with water, but there stands One among you Whom you do not know. (27) It is He Who, coming after me, is preferred before me, Whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.”
(28) These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
(29) The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (30) This is He of Whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ “
Now of course we know that chronologically Jesus was physically born AFTER John, which fact John knew as well. This was a clear and unambiguous admission of Jesus‘ pre-existence as God.
“(31) I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.”
(32) And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. (33) I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon Whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’
(34) And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”
(35) Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. (36) And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God!”
(37) The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.
(38) Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, “What do you seek?”
They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), “where are You staying?”
(39) He said to them, “Come and see.”
They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).”
Come and see….
Could there have ever been any greater invitation. Come and See!
Notice He did not tell them to return to the synogauge and read about Him, but rather come and encounter Me!
Jesus, much later in His ministry, would call the Pharisees on the carpet saying,
“You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. (40) But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.” – John 5:39-40
God reveals Himself to us in any one of a number of ways – through revelation in His word, a dream, a vision, through one of the gifts, even in everyday happeninga! The point is – He reveals something of Himself to us.
In response to this the enemy comes to tempt you away from belief in that new or deeper understanding of God.
IF you hold on to what God has revealed to you, not turning back, not questioning, not giving up because of trial, persecution or a lack of patience…if you endure, it proves your trust is genuine. The end game is the salvation of your soul (1Peter 1:9)- meaning, your character becomes that much more conformed to Christ and God rewards you with knowing Him more…and so the cycle goes.
Intimacy has to be offered, not taken.
This is why God isn’t satisfied with us just agreeing with His Words and confessing them superficially. It is why God seems so fixated on a faith and works.
God wants to restore us from our fallen nature and so fit us for eternity with Him.
Paul says, “He who is preparing us for this very thing is God”.
So those two disciples went and saw, and not only did they never stop following Him – they were never the same! Also, the world have been turned on its eye by their testimony of a life forever changed by their continual encounters with Jesus and that really is the last point this morning!
The lesson of the Mana in the wilderness was that “man cannot live by bread alone but by every word that PROCEEDS out of the mouth of God.” That phrase is in the continuous present. It does not mean the words that once escaped God’s mouth, generations ago when He was in a speaking mood. NO! It means, man LIVES by having an ongoing and never ending encounter with God. Seeking His face and hearing His voice!
It was the subtext of Jesus’ famous prayer, “Give us THIS day our daily bread.” Now of course natural provision was also in might, but the greater reality was a seeking to hear the God’s speaking to Him in the inner man so that we might truly live!
And so the invitation is extended to you and I. What will we do with it?
My encouragement to you… and it is something NO ONE can do for you, is Come and See!
Blessings!
