THE BOOK OF JOHN CHAPTER 1:15-23

Mike teaches today. 09/18/21

THE BOOK OF JOHN CHAPTER 1:15-23

VERSES: Daniel 9:20-27; Luke 1:80; Ephesians 1:3-14; Mathew 3:2,4:17, 10:7

STUDY NOTES: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/f3wyp3mipv3ccw9/AADaO6xK57fSSnNUdr0v5CD9a?dl=0

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This lesson lays down the foundational understanding that we will build upon as we look at the rest of the Book of John.
VERSE 15 “John (the Baptist) bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.” (Read Luke 3:1-18) John the Baptist came in answer to God’s timeline. His ‘Calling’ was to His elect people of Israel, to prepare the way for the Messiah. He was to herald the “baptism of repentance for the remission of sins…” in view of the fact that the promised Messianic Kingdom of God was drawing nigh. The Kingdom of Israel’s prophesied restoration was thought to be manifested soon; in that the Messiah was being declared to be now alive and living among them. John the Baptist’s exhorting and warning message answered to the prophetic clock of Israel’s promised kingdom restoration in accordance with what God had told the Prophet Daniel in Daniel 9:20-27.
“Seventy weeks are determined
For your people and for your holy city,
To finish the transgression,
To make an end of sins,
To make reconciliation for iniquity,
To bring in everlasting righteousness,
To seal up vision and prophecy,
And to anoint the Most Holy.”

These preceding verses were in response to Daniel’s inquiry as to when Israel’s promised Kingdom would come to fruition. Israel was to be punished for 70 years for not living to the calling/standard that God had called them to. They were to "finish the transgression" or pay the penalty for a specific amount of time before they would be able to return to the Land according to prophecy. However, they had the punishment increased to 70×7 years. This equals 490 years before the prophecy could be fulfilled about the Messiah coming in to make an end of sins and (eventually) set up His Kingdom. John the Baptist’s ministry and public pronouncement of Jesus as the Lamb of God came at this time, at the end of the 490 years.

John the Baptist “… waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel”. [Luke 1:80] John had spent many years as he wandered in the deserts learning to to hear from the Spirit of the Lord. Jesus was living at home in Nazareth with His parents when John the Baptist begins to present himself to Israel. John’s ministry was to prepare the hearts of the people for their long-awaited Messiah. Though John was 30 years old, and 6 months older than Jesus, he yet understood His pre-existence and declared “He was before me.” John perceived what the Pharisees had not… “What think ye of Christ? Whose son is he? They say unto Him, The son of David. He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The Lord said unto my Lord… If David then call him Lord: how is he his son?” [Matthew 22-43, 45]

John the Baptist, in one aspect, was to call Israelites to repentance/a change of mind from their callous unrighteous deeds in anticipatory faith of forgiveness of sins; a forgiveness of sins discovered in a new way outside the traditional means by way of the Mosaic Law. And in another aspect, he pointed them to the soon Coming Christ; to their Messiah/King anointed by God to rule over Israel, admonishing them to turn their mind and hearts towards Him in repentant anticipation with sincere works of righteous behavior. (Matthew 3:8-9) John heralded Him Who would fulfill all aspects of Israel’s prophesied Kingdom’s realization. Together, the two aspects constituted understanding and submitting to the new symbolic rite of John’s water baptism.

The overall burden of John the Baptist’s message to the Jews was: to announce the approach of the Messiah/King and the proffering to them of the Kingdom of heavens (in their understanding, the Kingdom of heavens is the same as the ‘Kingdom of God’ for which they had always been looking; that of the Jews prophesied preeminence in the Earth over the Gentile Nations in a theocratic government). This was to be the great work of the Messiah Himself; to establish a Kingdom in Everlasting righteousness, wherein their Messiah/King would bring God’s Kingdom to Earth as it is in Heaven. This was the desire of Israel for thousands of years, that which the entire Old Testament was preparatory for. It was/is the great hope of Israel. But how imperfectly did the Jews understand the Kingdom Word… having somewhat the religious form and limited vision of a kingdom coming but all together being self-righteously excluded for being without the heart or mind of clear understanding. (Just as many Israelites....

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