Tuesday, August 25, 2015

John 1:29

Dr. Ronnie Wolfe

Israel's use of a lamb for sacrifice began in Exodus Chapter 12 when the Passover was instituted, a practice which Israel was to continue throughout their generations.

That lamb was a type (a picture or shadow) of the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ. The lamb in Exodus had to be "without blemish" (Exodus 12:5). This is a type of Jesus' perfect, sinless life, which was lived in our place so that He could later impute His righteousness to us:  2 Cor. 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

In our text today Jesus is said by John the Baptist that He is the Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world -- John 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

Jesus is a Lamb due to his tenderness, mercy, grace, meekness, and humility. It is this mercy that Titus 3:5 says "saved us." Therefore, Jesus is the Lamb of God, not just a lamb that is an animal, for He is a man, made as the express image of His Father, God. This Lamb takes away the sin of the world, not the entire world as individuals inclusively, for many of these will die in their sins; and, if the Lamb did actually take away all the sins of the world, then there would be no sins for those who are lost to die in.  But He took away the sin of His people, those whom He came to save; therefore, His dying was effective and effectual to "us-ward" (Eph. 1:19). This Lamb we shall see in His character and His work as we go through this grand book of John.

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

John 1:24-28

Dr. Ronnie Wolfe

It was the Pharisees who came to John the Baptist to ask him questions about his baptizing people. The Pharisees claimed all religious authority, and they knew baptism was a religious ceremony. How could John be baptizing people when the Pharisees had total authority? Actually it was God who gave John his authority to baptize; that was John's ministry given to him by God Himself.

The Pharisees mention "that Christ" in verse 25, but they were not talking about Jesus. They were talking about a Messiah that they expected who was yet to come just as even today many Jews look for another Messiah besides Jesus, for John says that this Jesus, who stands among them (verse 26) they do not know, a man whose shoes he is not worthy to unloose.

This man the Pharisees did not know. They knew Jesus, but they did not know him as the true Messiah, the only begotten Son of God, the Lord of Heaven and earth, the One who can fulfill all righteousness. Most Pharisees rejected Jesus as Messiah, but a few of them, as Nicodemus, rejoiced in Him and believed in Him.

The next day after these events would be a day of introduction to this Messiah, Jesus, as the Lamb of God, which He is. He came to seek and to save the lost, and that He does well.


Friday, August 7, 2015

John 1:19-23

Dr. Ronnie Wolfe

At this point we are considering who John the Baptist is. The Levites sent word to ask John who he was, and John answered in a very specific way, a way which would relate his identity to that of Jesus Christ.

It was necessary that he would confess that he is not the promised Messiah, since they supposedly thought that he may claim to be; but John confessed immediately that he was not the Messiah. John knew there was no Messiah but Jesus, and he was not about to try to deceive people to think he was.

John was through his baptisms, they thought, acting as a prophet, so they asked him if he were a prophet, such as Elijah. He confessed that he was not any of the prophets mentioned in the Scriptures.

When asked who he is, John made a statement that made the Levites shake in their boots. He said in  John 1:23  I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias (Isaiah 40).  In other words, John was saying that he was a fulfillment of this Scripture. The Levites did not like this, because they looked for others to fulfill this Scripture.

There is only one John the Baptist, for it is "the voice of ONE crying in the wilderness. The Jews interpreted it to be plural, referring to a number of angels or prophets; but John was to preach the baptism of repentance and to proclaim the Lord, which he knew to be Jesus. He was the only one who was to do this in the way that he did.

May you today hear the words of John the Baptist as he stated later, "Behold, the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

John 1:18

Dr. Ronnie Wolfe

John 1:18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

No one has seen God at any time, because God is invisible -- John 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. He cannot be seen, but he can be heard (through his word, the Bible). He can be felt through his Spirit, and he can be known through his Son, Jesus Christ.

But God reveals himself to certain people, not to everyone, except his general revelation, which he gives to all who will seek his knowledge through creation. Luke 10:22 All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him. God's Son, Jesus, must reveal the Father to us. There is no other way to know God except through his Son, Jesus.

"He hath declared him," our verse says. There is no clearer image of God than that which is portrayed in his son, Jesus.  For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily, Col 2:9

Have you seen God? You know there is a promise that we shall see God -- Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Matt. 5:8. When we see God, we will be seeing Jesus, for Jesus himself said If you have seen me, you have seen the Father," John 14:9.

Monday, August 3, 2015

John 1:17

Dr. Ronnie Wolfe

John 1:17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

The law came by (by the instrumentality) of Moses. God is the author of the law, and he is the overseer and the Judge of the law and those who either keep it or disobey it. Every man will be judged upon his obedience to God's law.

Moses was a type of Jesus, for Deut. 18:15 says, The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;

So here we have two men, one a type, the other the antitype (or fulfillment) of the type, and they meet in this one verse to show the contrast between the law and grace and truth.

Christ was like Moses in that He was a Prophet, and Moses was a prophet. It is to that greater Prophet that we shall hearken (see Deut. 18:15 above).

Moses was the instrument through which the law came to the children of Israel, but that law could not bring life (Gal. 3:21-22). We are, therefore all under sin, because we have all broken the Mosaic Law.

But Jesus brought grace, and grace is the ultimate prize of redemption. It is only by God's grace that we have any connection with the spiritual world. The carnal (fleshly or worldly) mind cannot conceive God nor his truths (Rom. 8:7).

Grace and truth go hand in hand, and truth came by Jesus Christ, also. He said himself in John 14:6 . . . I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. A detailed study of truth is welcomed at this point and perhaps needed.

The truth is that  . . . all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Rom. 3:23 and that . . . the wages of sin is death; Rom. 6:23. But it is also true, as given us in this same verse, . . . but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Eternal life is a gift, then, and the curse of the law is lifted from us by grace through faith Gal. 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: See also Eph. 2:8-10.