John 3:22-36
Sunday Morning Bible Study
July 30, 1995
Introduction
Early in His ministry, Jesus made a trip to Jerusalem, to celebrate the Passover.
While there, He had a private meeting with a Pharisee named Nicodemus. (the last three weeks)
Now we move on.
:22-24 Two baptizing ministries in Judaea
:22 into the land of Judaea
Jesus and His disciples had been in the city of Jerusalem, which is in the southern part of Israel, known as Judaea.
From the city of Jerusalem, they moved down the mountain to the Jordan river, to minister in Judaea.
:22 he tarried with them
Jesus hung around with His disciples.
:22 and baptized
Actually, Jesus Himself wasn't doing the baptizing, but His disciples were.
»John 4:1-2 AV When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, 2 (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,)
Jesus was just hanging around, teaching and ministering to the people, while the disciples were baptizing.
:23 John also was baptizing
baptizo 1) to dip repeatedly, to immerse, to submerge (of vessels sunk) 2) to cleanse by dipping or submerging, to wash, to make clean with water, to wash one's self, bathe 3) to overwhelm
Lesson:
Questions on Baptism:
1. When did it start?
The word "baptism", and the concept of it, is not found in the Old Testament.
The closest we get to it is with the healing of the Syrian general, Naaman (2Ki.5).
He had leprosy, and came to the Israelite prophet Elisha to be healed.
Elisha told him to dip himself seven times in the Jordan river.
When he did, he was healed.
Somewhere before Jesus' time, the Jews did practice baptism as a way bringing a non-Jew into being a Jew.
The Jews also practices different kinds of ritual washings to cleanse themselves, as when they washed their hands before eating.
But the main concept of baptism doesn't really occur until John the Baptist.
2. What was John's Baptism about?
John's baptism may have had some of the idea of the Jewish baptism, as when an outsider became a Jew.
But John baptized Jews.
John's baptism was to show repentance.
»Matthew 3:11a-AV I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance ...
When a person was convicted of their sin under John's preaching, they were baptized to show that they were being cleansed of their sins, and that they were ready for the Messiah to come.
Note: John's baptism was public.
It was a declaration to everyone else that you were openly admitting you were a sinner and needed cleansing.
Note #2: John's baptism was an adult thing.
I can't imagine John baptizing little babies.
How are they going to repent of their sin?
3. What is Christian Baptism all about?
Jesus commanded that we be baptized, so it didn't end with John.
»Matthew 28:19-AV Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Is there more to Christian baptism than just open repentance?
Yes!
It is a symbol of you identifying with Jesus in His death and resurrection.
»Romans 6:4-AV Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
This was something that John's baptism couldn't do.
Summary:
Christian baptism is an open declaration from you to the world.
Christian baptism is for a mature person who understands what it means to trust in Jesus.
Christian baptism is a way of identifying with Jesus' death and resurrection.
4. Do I have to be baptized to be saved?
No!
Peter writes about how in Noah's day, eight people were saved through water ...
»1Peter 3:21 NAS And corresponding to that, baptism now saves you--not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience--through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
It's not the washing of water that saves you, but your heart crying out to God to clean you that saves you.
But ... if I am saved, I'll want to learn to obey Jesus in everything, and since He commanded us to be baptized, we should be baptized.
:23 in Aenon near to Salim
We're not exactly sure where this place is that John was baptizing.
There is a place that archaeologists believe might be this place, located about three miles east of Shechem (Sychar), where there are springs that feed a river that eventually flows into the Jordan.
:23 there was much water there
This is why John chose to minister in this particular place.
His ministry was preaching and baptizing.
Just by the wording here, you don't exactly get the idea that John was a "sprinkler" when it came to baptizing.
He didn't use the "dry clean" method.
:25-36 John preaches about Jesus
:25 about purifying
katharismos 1) a cleansing, purification, a ritual purgation or washing 1a) of the washing of the Jews before and after their meals
It's possible that the Jews were offended by John's baptism.
He was making it sound as if a good Jewish boy wasn't fit for heaven.
And that's the truth.
There's not even a good Gentile boy who is fit for heaven.
:26 all men come to him
It could be that they're trying to get John mad.
But it very well could be that these were some who were following John, and they didn't like the idea that their church was losing people to this other new church.
Get the picture?
:27 it be given him from heaven
Both John and Jesus were following God's direction.
John's ministry had been given to him from God.
It wasn't that John had earned it.
He didn't pass some kind of BAT test (Baptizers Aptitude Test).
John's ministry had already been planned out for him by God, long before he was even born.
Because it was really God's ministry in that it was really God who was doing the work in John's life, John didn't mind if God brought about changes either.
Lesson:
You have a ministry
»Ephesians 2:10-AV For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Jeremiah knew this:
»Jeremiah 1:5-AV Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, [and] I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
Illustration:
There's a box out there with your name on it.
Just like the Christmas presents under the tree at our house when I was a kid.
Sometimes Mom put our names in code, but our names were still on the box.
I wasn't going to get Cheryl's, Erin's, or Nicki's present, only Richard's present.
Lesson:
Leave it in God's hands
If you have a small Bible Study at your work during lunch, don't worry about trying to make it the size of Greg Laurie's Monday Night Study!
Just sit back and enjoy the ministry God has given you, where He's given it to you, and how He's given it to you.
If God changes your ministry, like He did John's, don't worry about it. It's God's ministry.
:39 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom
John gives us a little instruction about the relationship between Jesus, the church, and those in ministry.
Jesus is the Bridegroom.
The church, the people, are the Bride.
John is the friend of the Bridegroom.
He's like the best man at the wedding (Hi Craig!).
Lesson:
God loves His people
Notice that John didn't say, "He that hath the prisoners is the jailer".
The best picture that describes how Jesus relates to us is one of love, as in a marriage.
This isn't a picture unique to John.
Paul also writes:
»Ephesians 5:25-AV Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
When I was a kid, somehow I had this idea that God was like an old, old man, with a long white beard, sitting on a throne on top of a cloud, with a very big sledge hammer in his hand.
He was just waiting for people to do bad things so He could pound their puny little heads into the ground.
But that's totally wrong!
Think of the Groom!
He's coming back soon for His Bride!
:29 rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice
lit. - "rejoices with joy"
When the best man hears the words of love coming out of the groom's mouth, he's very, very happy.
His goal has been to find a wife for his buddy.
And when his buddy gets that bride he's been looking for, the friend is having a great old time!
:29 my joy therefore is fulfilled
As far as John is concerned, his mission in life has been to get the world ready for Jesus, then to point them to Him.
And with greater and greater numbers of people following Jesus, John couldn't be happier.
:30 he must increase, but I must decrease
must - dei 1) it is necessary, there is need of, it behooves, is right and proper 1a) necessity lying in the nature of the case
increase - auxano - to grow, augment, increase
decrease - elattoo - to be made less or inferior in dignity; to decrease in authority or popularity
Paraphrase: "the very nature of things demands that He and His ministry grow and that I become lesser in popularity."
John isn't looking at his life as a matter of competition with Jesus.
He's just out to point people to Jesus.
Lesson:
Motivation for ministry
I see this as one of the crucial tests for motivation in ministry.
Why are you in ministry?
Is it to draw lots of people around you?
It's very seductive and satisfying to have people sitting there listening to you talk.
It's very tempting to develop your own following - people who will follow you.
I hope I can say this right, but at times I think I can understand just a little about what happened to men like David Koresh.
When people start coming to your Bible Study, it's very common to start thinking things like, "Gee, I like this. How can I get more people to come, and keep these ones coming back?"
It's not hard to hear the temptations from Satan to develop little tricks to manipulate people, because you want people around you to feed this lust for power.
Why are you in your ministry?
If you're like John the Baptist, all that counts is that people are coming to Jesus.
It's okay if they go to another Bible Study at the church, other than your own.
It's okay if they go to another church.
What's important is that they are growing in Jesus.
What a contrast with King Saul of Israel.
The women of Israel came up with a new hit song.
»1Samuel 18:7-AV And the women answered [one another] as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.
Here's how he reacted.
»1Samuel 18:8-AV And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed [but] thousands: and [what] can he have more but the kingdom?
»1Samuel 18:11-AV And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall [with it]. And David avoided out of his presence twice.
God is looking for those who will love His people and pour out their lives for them (decreasing, not increasing):
»1Thessalonians 2:3-12 NIV For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. 4 On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts. 5 You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed-- God is our witness. 6 We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else. As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, 7 but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. 8 We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us. 9 Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you. 10 You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. 11 For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, 12 encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.
Ministry is all about getting the Bride closer to the Bridegroom.
It's all about getting people closer to Jesus, not closer to you.
:31 He that cometh from above
That's Jesus.
He's above all.
He's greater than John.
He's even greater than Moses:
»Hebrews 3:3-4 AV For this [man] was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house. 4 For every house is builded by some [man]; but he that built all things [is] God.
He created Moses.
He is God.
:31 he that is of the earth
That's talking about John the Baptist.
John is "earthly".
John is actually one of the greatest people who ever lived.
Jesus said that (Matthew 11:11)
Yet the best that John could offer would be an earth-bound perspective on life.
Jesus, on the other hand, would be able to tell us the truth from heaven's perspective.
:32 what he hath seen and heard
the "he" is Jesus.
What Jesus has seen and heard, He's born witness to.
Namely, heaven.
:32 no man receiveth his testimony
People weren't in general responding to Jesus yet.
»John 1:11-AV He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
:33 he that hath received his testimony
Obviously, there were some that had actually responded by opening up to Jesus.
:33 set to his seal
A metaphor of putting your own personal seal on a document.
We might say, "put his own seal of approval"
:33 God is true
Since Jesus came from, was sent by, and speaks the words of God, if a person accepts what Jesus says as true, then they are accepting that what God says is true.
You can't say you believe in God if you don't believe in Jesus.
»John 12:44-AV Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me.
»John 14:6-AV Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
:34 He whom God hath sent
namely, Jesus
:34 speaketh the words of God
Every word that Jesus spoke was as authoritative as anything else in Scripture.
That's not something that happens everyday, where everything a person says is divinely authoritative.
By the way, it's not hard to do if you're God.
:34 God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him
Jesus didn't just have a piece of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit worked in an unlimited way through Jesus.
Note: The Holy Spirit on Jesus was not what made Jesus divine.
He wasn't Joe-ordinary until suddenly the Holy Spirit came on him and he morphed into "God-Man".
Jesus was Himself God, the Logos, the eternally existing Word, who put on flesh and became a man. (check out John 1!)
But being God in the flesh, the Holy Spirit worked in an unlimited fashion through Him.
:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life
Lesson:
Turn the talk back to Jesus
Look at that John the Baptist!
He starts out being questioned on whether his feelings were hurt with Jesus' ministry taking off so well.
And he ends up doing what he's supposed to be doing anyway, bringing people back to hearing the gospel.
It's as if you were at work, and the guys started asking you, "Weren't you upset that you didn't get the promotion you were looking for?" And you just answer, "Hey, I'm not here to get promotions. I'm only here to be a good servant of Jesus Christ by doing a good job and being a witness for Him."
St. Francis of Assisi: "Be a witness at all times, and if necessary, even speak a few words for Jesus."
Lesson:
Believe in Jesus!
If you haven't yet come to the place in your life where you've started to trust Jesus to save you, then today's your opportunity to do that.
He wants to pay the tab on your sins, and forgive you of everything you've ever done.
Best of all, He wants to give you everlasting life - your own eternal passport into heaven!
:36 he that believeth not ... the wrath of God
God's only provision for man to get to heaven is to believe in Jesus.
It's only with Jesus' death on the cross that man's sin was paid for in full.
It's only through Jesus' death for you that the obstacle of sin is taken out of your way into heaven.
When a person refuses to take God's free gift of salvation, then they are faced with paying the price themselves.
Eternity in hell.
Lesson:
Don't forget the warning!
Salvation is not just what we're saved for (as in heaven), but it's also what we're saved from (hell).
People can get the wrong idea that salvation is just some kind of bonus packet we get at the end of life, if we feel like getting it.
Illustration
It's kind of an optional thing.
Like getting anti-lock brakes on the new car.
It's not imperative to get, like the engine, but it would be nice to have just in case.
There is nothing optional about salvation.
If you don't get it, there's hell up ahead.