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INTRODUCTION
Praise the Lord - Summer is Coming! Enjoy the days of sunshine.
Remember John Denver’s song “Sunshine?” Somehow the memorized version I know
is an unofficial version: “Sunshine on my shoulders give me sunburn. Sunshine in my eyes
can make me blind. Sunshine on the water makes it lukewarm, sunshine almost always make me cry.”
The real version is: “Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy, Sunshine in my eyes can
make me cry, Sunshine on the water looks so lovely, Sunshine almost always makes me high.”
Today we will talk about the Son Shine of God’s love.
TEXT. We are NOT sure who spoke these words: John the Baptist or
John the Apostle. There have been times people quoted me, but gave credit to someone else. I
supposed it didn’t matter who spoke it, I try not to be upset.
This paragraph is NOT a liner text: where we start at first verse and progress to last verse.
More of a circular text. Difficult to outline.
Foundation of the Text
- v. 35 Foundation verse, the starting point verse is 2nd to last. This verse
gives the direction to the rest of the text. Speaks of Supremacy of Christ.
- Entire text is all about Jesus Christ, the unique Son of God, who came from heaven to
earth. What is our response to Him?
- “A person who can read the New Testament and not see that Christ claims to be
more than a man, can look over the sky at high noon on a cloudless day and not see the
sun.” (Evidence Demands a Verdict, page 97)
- In the Holy Godhead, God the Father loves the Son, and gave Him authority over all
things: Matt. 3:17 at baptism; Heb. 1:5; Col. 1:15-20.
- God’s love can hold nothing back, it is full love with fullness of giving.
- False religions make Jesus less than God, a prophet, teacher, a mere man, maybe a man
who became a god. Jesus never became god, God became Man. Jesus was God, is God,
always will be God. And thus He has authority over all Creation because it is His, and
over you and me.
Facts of the Supremacy of Jesus Christ
- Therefore, we can look at the rest of the paragraph and see four facts of the
supremacy of Christ that the writer highlights. Scripture is filled with many more,
and we cannot exhaust describing the infinite Son of God.
- But four are highlighted facets in the text:
1. Jesus Christ is from heaven. v. 31
- He was not simply called from heaven, or empowered by heaven, He came from heaven. The
only way we can know anything about heaven is if someone from heaven came to earth to
tell us about heaven. Jesus did.
- adverb “from above” is same GK word as “born
again.” For us to be born again, the one born from heaven gives us His
life.
- Whoever spoke this is from the earth - limited understanding and view.
- Fly in a plane and look, total different view, it is fuller and broader. The Apollo
astronauts gave us some amazing views from the moon of the earth. But God can see the
whole universe.
- Jesus is infinite, we on earth are finite. SONG: “Above All”
2. Jesus Christ speaks the words of God. vs. 32a, 34a
- We must listen because Jesus speaks the very words of God. The only way we can know
about the wisdom of heaven is if someone has been with God, heard God’s word and
spoke them to us. Jesus did.
- Voice from heaven on mount of transfiguration: Matt. 17:5 “This is My
beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him.”
- Hebrews 1:1-2. Jesus’ words are not second hand, but first hand.
Superior to anyone else, for no one else came from heaven to earth from the Father.
Angel’s don’t have that same relationship (Hebrews 1). The
prophets of old didn’t have that fullest knowledge, even couldn’t see
God.
- Only Jesus came from heaven to earth, and words He speaks are the very powerful
eternal words of God. John 8:26. No greater authority.
- Sometimes in order for me to speak with authority I must say: “The Deacons
say...” “The Mayor of Colfax said...” Sometimes I can say to my kids:
“I am your Dad...”
- Jesus trumps all that. He is the Son of God from heaven speaking the very words of
God, and...
3. Jesus Christ has the fullness of the Holy Spirit. v. 34b
- The operation of the Trinity: “Of the Father, through the Son, by the Holy
Spirit, and unto the Father.“ (New Scofield, 1046)
- Jesus speaks the Father’s words by the power of the Holy Spirit. There are no
limits of the Spirit’s power in Jesus. John 1:32.
- We can hear Jesus’ words and obey them because of the same Spirit is working in
us - John 15:26.
- R.A. Torrey: “We will never understand Christ, nor see His glory, until the Holy
Spirit interprets Him to us…and He is willing to do it. He is longing to do it.”
(59). Please let Him work in you.
- And the greatest truth about Christ the Holy Spirit reveals to us is...
4. Jesus Christ is the sole source of salvation. v. 36
- The last verse is the invitation verse of the entire chapter. If Apostle John like a
true evangelist closes this section with an invitation to Christ.
- What is your response? Next point answers the “So What?”
Features of Faith in Jesus Christ
1. We are to believe in the Son, obey the Son. v. 36
- Interesting that “believe” and “obey” are
interchanged. Two different GK words. KJV “believes not” NIV
“reject” Others “obey” “Disbelief is regarded in its
active manifestation, disobedience.” (Vincents, 109) “Belief is thus
defined as commitment to authority rather than a passive opinion.” (Tenny, 91)
True belief possesses obedience, disbelief is outright disobedience to the word and
will of God.
- “Only he who believes is obedient; only he who is obedient believes.”
(Dietrich Bonhoeffer, opening quote by Colson Loving God.)
- If you are a believer - is obedience your pattern of living? If not, do you see what
the text is saying to you? Remember the hymn: “Trust and Obey, for there is no
other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”
2. The believer has eternal life. v. 36
- What a great gift. Eternal life of God is given to us through Christ. A present
reality and the future glory. John 5:24
- We can face the ups and down of life knowing who is in charge of our life, who lives
in our life, and we have a great home in heaven. This is a promise of God - all His
promises can never be broken. John 17:3
3. The believer is saved from the wrath of God. v. 36
- You don’t want to experience the wrath of God. Read OT and you see God’s
wrath on evil nations, even on His disobedient nation. Wrath is swift, severe, and
eternal separation. His wrath is His holy displeasure with sin. His wrath
“abides” - continually remains - now and future.
- Just as eternal life is a present and future reality for the believer, so is the wrath
of God a present and future reality for the unbeliever. It is their self-condemnation,
where all that God does is pass the sentence already imposed by their sinfulness.
- This is the only place in John where he uses the word “wrath.” There are
two classes of people - believer who is obedient, and the unbeliever.
4. The believer can know the truth of God. v. 32b, 33
- Believers are a minority, many reject Jesus’ testimony. They did 2000 years ago,
still do today. Many want nothing to do with Christ, or his church, and some are
willing to place church for appearances sake but in reality reject Christ - not into
Jesus. Sad and a fatal choice.
- New Living “Those who believe in him discover that God is true.”
- But those who believe and obey, will know the truth. John 7:17, 5:23
- “Our Lord’s teachings are not to be studied intellectually, separated from
everyday life. It is when we obey His word and put it into practice that we see its
truth and experience its power.” (Wiersbe, 298)
- Amazing thing about faith - we accept the gospel by faith, then we know it is true. We
believe then we see.
- Here is a great quote from Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest,
the May 30 devotional: “In the spiritual realm, Jesus Christ demands that you
risk everything you hold on to or believe through common sense, and leap by faith into
what He says. Once you obey, you will immediately find that what He says is as solidly
consistent as common sense. By the test of common sense, Jesus Christ’s
statements may seem mad, but when you test them by the trial of faith, your findings
will fill your spirit with the awesome fact that they are the very words of God. Trust
completely in God, and when He brings you to a new opportunity of adventure...see that
you take it. ...Only one out of an entire crowd is daring enough to invest his faith
in the character of God.”
CONCLUSION
Remember the theme of the Gospel of John: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, the Living
Word of God, who brings us light, love and life.” Do you believe? Do you obey? I trust
that your response is: “Yes, I believe and obey...” If you haven’t believed
- today is the day. If saved - how is your obedience?
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