April 30, 2023
“In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1 NLT). John began his gospel as Moses began the Torah, with the words, “In the beginning…” This signaled the lofty aspect of John’s gospel that clearly proclaimed Jesus as God’s Son. Using the Greek λόγος (logos
April 30, 2022
THE ONE WHO CAME AFTER YET LONG BEFORE John the Baptist was born three months before Jesus (see Luke 1:36). So, in that sense, Jesus came “after” John. Yet the Spirit had revealed to John that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God, therefore He had existed “long before” John and had preference or
April 30, 2021
THE WORD THAT WALKED John began his gospel as Moses began the Torah, with the words, “In the beginning…” This signaled the lofty aspect of John’s gospel that clearly proclaimed Jesus as God’s Son. Using the Greek λόγος (logos – word), John proclaimed Jesus as not only equal to God in every way (essence, preexistence,
April 30, 2020
THE MYSTERY OF THE ONE WHO CAME AFTER AND BEFORE John the Baptist was born six months before Jesus (see Luke 1:36). So, in that sense, Jesus came “after” John. Yet the Spirit had revealed to John that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God, therefore He had existed “before” John and had preference
April 30, 2019
THE WORD THAT WALKED AMONG US John began his gospel as Moses began the Torah, “In the beginning…” This signals the lofty aspect of John’s gospel that clearly proclaims Jesus as God’s Son. Using the Greek for “word” (λόγος, logos), John proclaims Jesus as not only equal to God in every way (essence, preexistence, eternality,
May 1, 2018
HOW WELL DID JOHN KNOW JESUS?
John the Baptist and Jesus were cousins born six months apart. Both births were miraculous, foretold by the prophets and announced by the angel Gabriel. Yet, John said that he “did not recognize” Jesus as the Messiah until after His baptism. Some suggest that since John grew up in Hebron and Jesus in Nazareth, they had never met before. But this seems unlikely. Mary and Elizabeth were apparently close before their sons were born, but they were no doubt bound together even closer after the spiritual experience they had together during their pregnancies (See Luke 1:39-56). In addition, the gospel of Matthew reported that John recognized Jesus before His baptism and felt unworthy to baptize Him (Matt. 3:14).
So what did John mean by saying he didn’t “recognize” Jesus, if he already knew Him and already considered Him to be greater than himself? Perhaps John did recognize Jesus as his cousin, and as one who was well known in their families as being announced as the long awaited Messiah. But that was thirty years ago and John had seen no confirmation as of yet. So, it was on the day of Christ’s baptism that the Lord spoke to John and revealed to him that Jesus was indeed the Messiah by the appearance of the Spirit descending like a dove upon Jesus. What his mother, Elizabeth, had told him was true. Jesus was the Messiah. John finally saw Him with spiritual eyes and proclaimed Jesus as the Lamb of God, the Messiah, as he had been born to do.
April 30, 2018
THE UNEXPECTED MINISTRY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST
Although he was the son of the Levite priest, Zechariah, in the line of Abijah, one of the 24 orders of priests in the line of Eleazar, son of Aaron, John did not serve in the Temple. Instead, led by the Spirit, he preached in the wilderness on the East side of the Jordan. He did not wear the rich flowing robes of the Temple leaders, but was clothed in a cloak of camel’s hair. He lived on a diet of locusts and wild honey. He did not answer to the Jewish leaders, but to the Lord, for his authority came from the Lord. It was this that the Jewish leaders came to question. For their real question was, “Who gives you the right to baptize?” In other words they were saying, “We are the religious authority and we don’t remember ordaining you.”
John knew that they did not recognize him, nor did they recognize that the Messiah was already standing right there in the midst of the crowd (John 1:26). John refused to be cast in one of their expected eschatologies. His only answer to their question concerning his identity was to quote the prophet Isaiah, “I am a voice crying in the wilderness” (Isa. 40:3). It was a voice they had no ears to hear. John’s ministry was not the one they expected. But it was the one the prophets foretold.
April 30, 2016
The “Logos” (Greek for “Word”) which was in the beginning has now become flesh. The Logos that was and is God, has now become man. He did not “become” God for He was God already. He did not “become” life or light for these were His divine attributes before eternity. But He did “become,” of His own will and power, flesh. And this He did that we might finally perceive God’s “glory,” and receiving and believing in Him, we might become children of God. For God made Him who knew no sin to “become” sin for us, so that we might “become” His righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21). Jesus is the Logos become flesh. He is the perfect communication of God. He that has ears to hear, let him hear!
May 1, 2015
John the Baptist proclaimed Jesus to be the “Lamb of God,” a fulfillment long anticipated by God’s people. Every Paschal lamb that was slain with its blood spread over the doorway, not only brought to their remembrance God’s deliverance from Egypt, but pointed to a future promise of their ultimate rescue from sin and death. As Abraham told his son, Isaac, “God will provide a lamb.” And so, He did. There is no more need for sacrifice. Christ’s sacrifice was the deposit that made all the previous ones good. We are now able to place our faith into the One who paid it all. Jesus is the Lamb of God, the One who delivers those who believe from sin and death.
May 1, 2014
The disciple Nathaniel went from expressing doubt to proclaiming belief simply because Jesus told him he had seen him earlier under a fig tree. Jesus appears to find this humorous. He responded that it didn’t take much to move Nathaniel to believing, but there would come a day when his faith would be rewarded with full evidence of Christ’s identity. Jesus then described a coming day when all would see him as the “stairway between heaven and earth.” This is a clear allusion to Jacob’s vision in Genesis 28 when Jacob saw this same stairway and named the place Bethel, which means “House of God.” Jesus is the fulfillment of Jacob’s vision. He is the Ladder of Love come down mediating the only way to the Father (John 14:6, 1 Tim. 2:5).