Message from John the Baptist

On Renewing Your Mind. The question came from John the Baptist, of all people Jesus. Are you the one who should we look for another of Jesus is not angry at that question. He's patient without question, but I love the way he answers that question. Jesus said to them, go tell John the things that you've seen and heard John the Baptist languished in prison. His confidence began to wane, even though he preached Jesus is the Messiah and hope he needed to rent is not unique in that regard is we all need assurance from time to time and going to hear that today is Dr. RC Sproul delivers another sermon from a series look.

Lastly, look to Luke's gospel.

We considered the raising from the dead of the son of the widow of nine and we read at the end of that episode that the people glorified God sell your great profit has risen among us and God has visited his people. As a result of this astonishing act of raising one from the dead, the reputation of Jesus swelled throughout the land, and reports were carried everywhere.

Obviously one of the places where that report had been carried was to a dungeon 5 miles from the Dead Sea where John the Baptist had been incarcerated for daring to critique publicly the morality of the king and John was languishing in prison that the same time, the popularity of Jesus was on the rise among the populace and obviously John was confused.

Please hearing all the great things that Jesus had done and while Jesus was during these great things John is in prison and he's wondering about this. Now there are those commentators who assume that the reason why John the Baptist sent messengers to Jesus with a question.

Are you the one who was there, or should we look for another say that will John had lots and shaken in his confidence. After all, he was a prophet and he was simply having his disciples go and ask Jesus this question for their sakes to confirm their faith. For John was going to transfer the allegiance of his disciples to Jesus. Well I think that's a stretch of biblical interpretation.

I think we have to go with what the text says itself, it's John who asked the question and the reply that Jesus gives us not simply for the benefit of his disciples.

But Jesus said, you go and tell John, Jesus is obviously receiving this question as it comes from John and he gives the response to John. Why should be a strange thing for us to imagine that John might actually be having second thoughts.

Gone on public record proclaiming Jesus as the one who was to come, the Lamb of God, it would take away their sins, the one who would be greater than John the Baptist.

One who baptized Jesus in the river Jordan. They had made this public proclamation of the person of Jesus and whatever is personal expectations were of Jesus as of yet. To this date. Obviously they were not fulfilled.

Is it impossible for a prophet of God to go through a dark night of the soul time of doubt.

If we consider the prophets of the Old Testament. Like Jeremiah, who was clearly ready to turn in his prophets card when he had had enough of the derision heaped upon him by the people say your word is become a reproach to me. I'm a derision daily. I will speak no more in your night or larger, crying out, I I alone have left or consider Jonah, who boarded the ship to escape the responsibilities of the word of prophecy that God had given to him. We could go on for a long period of time, citing examples of the real humanity of the prophets of God in the Old Testament who just like everybody else in times of distress and in times of trouble had moments of doubt and confusion.

John every day as he languishes in this horrible dungeon has to be wondering where she access that I make a mistake that I proclaim the wrong one to be the Lamb of God and so he can't stand it anymore. The more these reports of the years and so finally he sends service disciples of Jesus asking Dallas. Are you the one or worry.

Should we look for another eye before we look at Jesus. Responsiveness.

I just have a word of application, the know how many millions.

Millions and millions of people who are on this planet today and even in our own country who are not persuaded that Jesus was the one the whole Jewish nation still waiting for the Messiah.

Having rejected Jesus and being convinced that he was not the one who was to come. Every Muslim on this planet believes that Jesus ultimately was not the one who was to come and there are others are looking for at the road. There are heroin their anybody that could fulfill the role of the rescuer to deliver the Savior were not satisfied with Jesus and then there are many many millions of people believe that Jesus was one of the ones I was to come, but by no means the only one they will acknowledge that Jesus is one way to God but will shrink in horror at the suggestion that he's the only way to God I can't think of any proclamation or profession more repugnant to a secular culture, then the proclamation that there's only one way to God and that one way is Jesus.

I'm sure with the number of people in this room this morning. There must be many of us in this very room to stay who believe in him settle. I think there are many ways to God. If there are, then it's likely that Jesus is one of them because Jesus said he was the only one in the word of God says is the only one word of God says one mediator between God and man is only one who's given an atonement. And if you think that God is stingy and lacking in grace by restricting it to one way, you need to ask yourself the question, why is there anyway what have we done that would merit God's being moved to provide any way of salvation, but in his glorious grace is given to us. The mono good night's only begotten of the father only say this if you're not willing to stand for that. It may very well be that you're an unregenerate person. This is where the rubber meets the road. This is where your loyalty to Christ comes to the test. Are you going to please men and bowel to political correctness in a pluralistic and relativistic culture, or are you really persuaded that Jesus Christ is God's only son. We only want to a provide an atonement for our sins. The only one in whom God raised from the dead one whom God has appointed him as judge and is appointed a day, by which he will judge the whole world by Jesus, not by modem but not by Confucius but by good trauma Buddha boat is dead. Mohammed's dead. Confucius is dead and only Jesus has been raised and elevated to the right hand of God the father where he sits right now is the king of the kings and the Lord of the Lord. Maybe you're thinking God hasn't done enough sending his son to pay the price for every sin that you have her committed. But God hasn't done enough to raise his son for your justification and raise him as the firstborn from the dead because of him that if you put your trust in him, you will live forever and ever and ever.

Without a tear without obtaining smart enough for you. If that's not enough that I do suggest you that you look for another, but such a suggestion is to suggest that you go on a fool's errand. Because there is none other. Who can do what Jesus has to for you and this is where you need to be able to be prepared to stand in the face of all the hostility of the world out of loyalty to your say, consider Polycarp in his late 80s when he was arrested and taken into the arena. The Coliseum for the Lions were waiting to feast upon his body and even the Emperor did not want to be so harsh on this man and his old age, and he said you don't have to die Polycarp all you have to do is say away with the atheists meaning the Christians and you will live and so he said for over 80 years, my Lord has sustained me. You think I'm going to deny him now, but if all you want me to say he is away with the atheists.

I'll do that. It may look to the crowd to the Romans and he sent away with the atheists say where the eighth's Missouri Polycarp in the room today are those here willing to say they use the one the only one in the one I will die for. But the question came from John the Baptist, of all people Jesus. Are you the one.

Should we look for another Jesus is not angry at that question.

He's patient without question, but I love the way he answers that question.

Jesus said to them, go tell John the things that you've seen and heard. Go tell John that the blind see the labor walking, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf ear, the debtor raised and don't forget to tell them this above all else, the poor are having the gospel preached to them why was it so important. The thing that would create such a marvel in the land was to see people been blind from their births having their eyes open and I can see, the lame, leaping for joy, the deaf and hearing dead raised at the pigtail Cisco tell John what you see but don't forget the tell them the poor have the gospel preached to them why was that included I think it's clear it's no mystery is not the agenda sent in Isaiah 61 for the Lord's anointed.

The Messiah behold the spirit of the Lord is upon me to preach good news to the poor deliverance of the captives, and so on. The job description for the Lord's anointed for the Messiah set forth in ancient prophecy.

Jesus said in John go read your Bible reading Isaiah 61 and you get the answer to your question whether you should look for somebody else is nobody else was fulfilling the prophetic description of the Messiah like cheese Jesus added, and blessed is he who is not offended because of me don't want to leave that out. That's a very important beatitude.

Why is it that professing Christians are so reluctant to say Jesus is the only way we know how the world thinks about that. We know they can't stand to hear that. We know that that is utterly offensive to them. And so what we do we want to flee from the offense and we want to say to them, well, Christianity is right for me but whatever you believe, that's fine for you. You pray to your God and I'll pray to mine and will all be happy together and how Jesus pronounces benediction on the believer who is not offended by what a strange thing that our Lord would have to give up benediction on people who say they believe in him for not offended by how can you be offended by your Savior.

How can you be a good by the incarnate Word of God.

People come to me all the time with things that they read in the Scriptures that they don't like and nicely. It's wonderful for you if you can find things in the Bible that you don't like it when you're reading something in the Bible and you don't like it put a big mark next to it and go through just wait for him and keep keep bring to the whole Bible.

Every time you see some you don't like put a mark next to it and then go back and concentrate your study on the places where you place the marks because of you want a quick way to sanctification. That's it. Because if you find something in the Bible you don't like it means one of two things either a you don't understand the text of the need to study it more thoroughly until the problem is resolved or BF after you study it more thoroughly and you come the conclusion yes your interpretation of what the text is I still don't like it then be you have a wonderful mirror that shows you where you need to change your life because of your like what's in this word.

Either you're wrong or God's wrong. Any takers on which one it is the flesh that is the one who's not offended by Jesus and now the messengers leave and Jesus has to give a commentary about the man who had just asked the question, are you the one that come here Jesus saying it really irks me when I get questions like that. What's wrong with this drawn how quick he is vacillating from his faith how weak he is the matter with them. No no no no, what you got here is basically a hymn of praise for John the Baptist and he said to the multitudes concerning John said, almost people who went flooding to the Jordan River. Huge crowds that thronged along the riverbank that they might be baptized in the Jordan by John the Baptist. As I told you at this point in Jewish history.

John the Baptist was more famous than Jesus. He said all you people who were not there to see John what were you looking for what did you go out there to see that you got there and see you read shaking with every zapper delivered breeze of women falling apart so you saw already tree filled with strength and John the Baptist. What you go to see a man clothed in soft garments were talking by John the Baptist. John the Baptist came out of the wilderness who lived on locusts and wild honey conference man in Israel. You didn't go out to see a soft guy dressed in pill and close reclining on the couch you want to see me you want to see a profit before Pilate announced to the crowd of Jesus echo Homo behold, the man Jesus announced of this crowd of John the Baptist echo Homo behold, the man you went out to see a man, a man of God, what did you go to see a profit.

Nikos of course you are not the see a profit. That was the attraction for hundred years of silence since Malachi a profit is not arisen Israel and all of a sudden out of nowhere, out of the traditional meeting place between God and his people under profit come proclaiming the kingdom of God and calling you to repent and be baptized. That's what you want to see a profit.

What you saw was a profit. Yes, but more than a profit and then Jesus said this is he of whom it is written, behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you hear the Old Testament prophets not only prophesy about the coming Messiah, but they prophesy about the prophet who will be the herald of the Messiah. So John himself is not just a profit is the subject of prophecy and the object of prophecy was himself prophesied by the Old Testament prophecies is that he's a prophet, yes, but he's more than a profit. He's the prophets, the herald of the Messiah, the one who would usher in the messianic era and then Jesus gives this astonishing comment. For I say to you among those born of women there is not a greater profit than John the Baptist often for my students in the seminary. When I say who's the greatest profit in the Old Testament and I'll say well with Jeremiah or Isaiah or Ezekiel or Daniel Ramis or Moses said no greatest profit is John the Baptist as to what John Baptist is in the New Testament, not in the Old Testament. I said we read about them in the New Testament, but this is still the period of the Old Testament, the New Testament hasn't started yet. So John the Baptist belongs in terms of redemptive history to the old covenant and Jesus said of all of the prophets, there is none greater than John. That's easy enough to handle, but he was least in the kingdom of God is greater than he. What in the world can we understand that is only one way I know that's a way to annex and as I told you I was to get through believe the answer that and the rest, God willing for next week.

Great it is to hear Dr. Spruill's voice each Sunday here on Renewing Your Mind's love for the people of St. Andrews Chapel Rico pastor for many years is so evident as we wrap up that message from the gospel of Luke. Thanks for listening to Renewing Your Mind on the Sunday each week we returned to Dr. Sproles first Biber series from the gospel of Luke and help your studies, you join us each week. Let me recommend that you request our resource offer.

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