Friday, August 29, 2008

Youth night bible lesson on John 1:29-34

John the Baptist was a wild preacher that lived in the desert. He lived off bugs and honey. He wore run down clothes and lived off very little. He preached about repentance and turning away from evil. He would baptize people with water, as a symbol of their coming clean of their sins.

John the Baptist wasn’t the same John that wrote the book of John. John the Baptist was actually Jesus’ cousin. He lived his life preparing a way for Jesus to come to the world to accomplish what he had set out to do. This was ultimately to die for our sins. John was sent by God to be a witness for Jesus.

One day, the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to question John. He had been in a place called Bethany where he was baptizing people. They asked him who he was. They asked if he was Christ or a prophet or Elijah. He said, “No” He said he was the voice of one calling in the desert, 'Make straight the way for the Lord.' He was there to introduce Jesus.

Whenever we see a celebrity being introduced on stage, there is a big introduction. There’s always music, flashing lights and a big hoorah. When the Jonas brothers come out on stage, they have fireworks go off and it’s a big deal. Whenever the president or some important person enters a room someone announces his presence. Julian is at Marine Corps boot camp right now. One of the things he is learning is that when an officer enters a room. He has to jump up and announce, “Attention on deck!” Everyone else in the room has to jump on there feet and give recognition to the higher raking officer. Then a, “good afternoon,” or, “good evening” is announced to the officer. That way, the higher ranking official is given respect as the leader.

All throughout history kings, queens, political figures, and other leaders have always had big introductions everywhere they go. Even not so important people, like the Jonas brothers get big introductions. So what about the most important person in the world? What about Jesus? Jesus needs a big introduction. This is where John the Baptist comes in. He was there to clear a path for Jesus. Before there was Ryan Seacrest, there was John the Baptist, the guy that got to announce the most important person.

John 1:29-34 says,

29The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30This is the one I meant when I said, 'A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' 31I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel."
32Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' 34I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God."

When it says, “the next day,” in verse 29, this is the day after the priests and Levites came to ask John who he was. Calling Jesus the “Lamb of God” goes back to the Old Testament, where lambs and other animals were killed to pay the penalty for people’s sins. “Son of God” means Jesus is infinitely more than a nice teacher. He’s God himself come to earth as a human being. John is shouting that everyone should listen to Jesus because he’s the one and only Savior and Lord of the world. In Exodus 12:1-13 you can catch the background for that distinctive name, “Lamb of God.” That passage tells how God’s Old Testament people, the Israelites, splashed the blood of a lamb on the doorjambs of their homes to protect them from God’s deadly wrath while they were still living as slaves in Egypt. Jews still remember that event through an annual feast called “Passover.” Jesus gives the Passover meal another meaning: He will make the ultimate sacrifice by dying on the cross. This time it’s the blood of Jesus that will spare people from experiencing God’s anger over sin-and in Luke 22:19 Jesus instructs his followers to celebrate a meal to remember him, the event Christians call “Communion” or “the Lord’s Supper.”

In verse 30, John the Baptist repeats something he said in verse 15, “A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me” John had said this to show that even though he was sent to introduce Jesus, the Lord was there before John was. Jesus is in fact God come to earth as a human being.

In verse 31, John the Baptist explains his purpose. It was to come baptizing with water so that Jesus would be revealed to Israel.

Verse’s 32-34 is John’s testimony. He talks about how he did not know the man he would introduce to the world. God had sent him and when he see’s the Holy Spirit come down and stay on this man, then he would know that this is the one that would baptize with the Holy Spirit. Jesus was the one he would introduce.

This was the big moment that everyone had been waiting for. The stage was set. The Jews had been waiting for the Messiah. They had been waiting for the one to come and save them. John saw what God said he would see. John the Baptist said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” It was the most important introduction in History.
John spent his days telling people to turn away from evil or repent. He invited people to be dunked in water, or baptized, as a symbol of their coming clean from their sins. John commanded everyone from religious leaders to everyday people to get ready for the arrival of a Savior-chosen and sent by God. Even though Jesus had no wrongdoing to get rid of, he was also baptized by John. In Matthew 3:16-17 it says:

16As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. 17And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."

During that time, many people were waiting for the Messiah to come and save them. But many did not know what they needed saving from. It’s the same today as it was then. Jesus came to sacrifice himself for our sins. We need to be saved from our sins. Even though Jesus was without sin, he was baptized by John. Even though Jesus is without sin, he would later pay a debt for our sins.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

One question: when do you plan to substitute for Gary? That was EXCELLENT~~