Jesus, The Exclusive One
John 3:22-36
Tonight, as we study this text, the text itself has three main breaks in it, and we will talk about them briefly.
However, we are going to spend most of our time on the third point,
As it is the one that deals with the Exclusivity of Jesus.
But as we just get a feel for our text,
#1 THE SETTING
John 3:22-26
Perhaps the best way to summarize this portion of Scripture is with the word ANXIETY
For anxiety is definitely what is taking place here.
1) For one part, you have the anxiety of those who are under conviction and are coming to John to be baptized by him.
Vs. 23-24, “John was also baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there; and people were coming and were being baptized – for John had not yet been thrown into prison.”
2) You also see the anxiety of the Jews who are questioning John’s disciples.
Vs. 25, “Therefore there arose a discussion on the part of John’s disciples with a Jew about purification.”
No doubt John was teaching that the purification traditions of the Jews were far less than what God desired.
Matthew 15:17-20 “Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated? “But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. “These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man.”
3) We see the anxiety from John’s disciples who could foresee that as Jesus ministry grew that John’s was diminishing.
Vs. 26, “And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified, behold, He is baptizing and all are coming to Him.”
I don’t know if it was a smaller crowd than they were used to,
But something bothered John’s followers.
They are approaching John because they are concerned
That John is about to lose his following.
So the setting is best described as anxiety.
#2 THE SERVANT
John 3:27-30
Just as sure as we summarize the setting with the word anxiety,
We have a word to summarize the servant, and that is HUMILITY
John had every opportunity to take the bait here,
And to strive to hold on to his ministry,
But instead John took the right road.
Just look at these statements, you won’t find any better in all the Bible.
Vs. 27, “John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven.”
That’s not what John was supposed to say. Suppose you are a preacher, and God starts moving your flock to another church across town. We all know you are supposed to get up in arms and bad mouth that other church so you can keep your flock.
John didn’t, he knew that was all in God’s hands.
Vs. 28, “You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, ‘I am not the Christ’, but, ‘I have been sent ahead of Him.’”
Again, that’s not what John was supposed to say. He was supposed to ridicule how this new preacher was just tickling their ears, and how certainly His ministry wasn’t as beneficial as his own.
But John is willing to recognize that his ministry
Was only for preparing the people to follow this new preacher.
Vs. 29, “He who has the bride is the bridegroom, but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears Him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of min has been made full.”
Oh John, you’ve got to be kidding me.
It’s one thing that He is stealing your congregation…
It’s another thing that you are willing to accept that…
But John, you don’t have to be happy about it.
John was. He knew he was not the husband of the church. To run off with the bride would have been adultery. He was merely an attendant of the groom, and he was truly happy to see the marriage take place.
Vs. 30, “He must increase, but I must decrease”
Alright, that does it.
No way you really want your fame to fade away.
No way you really want to just fall back into the shadows of this man’s glory.
John did.
We call this servant humble, because it correctly described his ministry.
John had followers who were willing to leave Jesus behind
All for the sake of making sure John stayed famous,
But John saw through that scheme, and because of his humility,
He placed himself rightly behind Jesus.
But the real point of this text is why John didn’t take the bait.
These men were willing to bring Jesus down to a level where He and John were equal, but John would not allow it.
The reason is because John had a proper understanding of Jesus.
And so let’s look at the third point tonight.
#3 THE SERMON
John 3:31-36
John here is straightening out his disciples.
And one word can accurately describe this sermon. PRIORITY
Jesus is priority.
He is not someone you can lump into a group.
He stands alone.
We live in a world that desperately tries
To do the same thing John’s disciples did.
On one hand our world would love to pull Jesus back
And lump Him in a group of religious zealots.
They would love to bring Jesus down to the level of Muhammad, or Gandhi.
People who would love to make Jesus just one of the crowd.
They did this even in Jesus day.
Matthew 16:13-14 “Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.”
We also have some today who would love
To make themselves equally important with Jesus.
You can see this in many churches.
Our ministry is the most important ministry, and if you are in another church, you ought to move your letter.
We often try to elevate ourselves to Jesus level, but John didn’t do that.
John knew better than to dumb Jesus down, or to puff himself up.
John knew Jesus is exclusive.
SO JOHN TAKES THIS OPPORTUNITY
TO SHOW HIS DISCIPLES WHY JESUS IS EXCLUSIVE.
There are four things that set Jesus apart from the pack.
#1 THE PREEMINENCE OF JESUS
John 3:31
Here we find the first reason Jesus can’t be looked at as one of many.
This is an area that sets Jesus apart, and that is where He came from.
Jesus is from above.
You cannot treat a citizen of a town like he is a tourist.
No one in this room knows more about Henrietta, TX than I do.
You could read books about Henrietta (provided someone would write them)
You could see pictures of Henrietta (provided someone would take them)
You could even visit Henrietta (provided you would want to)
If you want to talk about Heaven, there is only One expert, because there is only One who has ever been there.
You can’t lump Jesus with all the rest, He “comes from above” and “is above all”
Everyone else is “from the earth and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.”
Colossians 1:15-17 “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”
Consider what Jesus said.
John 6:30-34 “So they said to Him, “What then do You do for a sign, so that we may see, and believe You? What work do You perform? “Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘HE GAVE THEM BREAD OUT OF HEAVEN TO EAT.'” Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. “For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.” Then they said to Him, “Lord, always give us this bread.”
John 6:35-51 “Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst. “But I said to you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe. “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. “This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” Therefore the Jews were grumbling about Him, because He said, “I am the bread that came down out of heaven.” They were saying, ” Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does He now say, ‘ I have come down out of heaven’?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. “It is written in the prophets, ‘AND THEY SHALL ALL BE TAUGHT OF GOD.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me. “Not that anyone has seen the Father, except the One who is from God; He has seen the Father. “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. “I am the bread of life. “Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. “This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. “I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.”
John could have tried to make himself an equal with Jesus…
John could have tried to bring Jesus down to his level…
But John knew better.
John knew about the Preeminence of Jesus.
#2 THE PREACHING OF JESUS
John 3:32-34
There was another reason why Jesus
Couldn’t be grouped into some pack of prophets.
That reason was His preaching.
Jesus preaching was unlike anyone else’s preaching ever.
Matthew 7:28-29 “When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.”
John 7:46 “The officers answered, “Never has a man spoken the way this man speaks.”
When Jesus spoke about the Kingdom of heaven, He had authority.
“What He has seen and heard, of that He testifies”
Vs. 34 says, “For He who God has sent speaks the words of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure.”
The point is Jesus preaching sets Him apart from every one else.
Take for example all the prophets of the Old Testament.
They all had a familiar ring “Thus says the Lord”
But Jesus said, “I say unto you”
Isaiah said,
Isaiah 40:8 “The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.”
But Jesus said,
Matthew 24:35 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.”
Preachers can read the words of God,
But Jesus words are the words of God.
You cannot lump Him together we some group of prophets.
If you disobey Jesus, you are disobeying God.
Vs. 33, “He who has received His testimony has set his seal to this, that God is true.”
DID YOU CATCH WHAT JOHN IS SAYING?
If you disobey Jesus, you are calling God a liar.
If you obey Jesus, you testifying that God is true.
You might could try to lump Jesus with other preachers,
But you can’t.
The Preeminence of Jesus sets Him apart
The Preaching of Jesus sets Him apart
When He speaks, it is the word of God.
Jesus is exclusive
#3 THE POSSESSIONS OF JESUS
John 3:35
There is a third aspect of Jesus that makes Him exclusive,
That is His inheritance, or His possessions.
You can withhold yourself from Jesus…
You can withhold your possessions from Jesus…
You can withhold anything you want from Jesus…
But He will get it sooner or later.
Because God has given all things to Him.
You don’t have to submit to what I say, because I will never rule.
BUT YOU HAVE TO SUBMIT TO JESUS
Philippians 2:9-11 “For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Revelation 19:11-16 “And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
This is why I love Psalm 2
Psalms 2 “Why are the nations in an uproar And the peoples devising a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand And the rulers take counsel together Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, “Let us tear their fetters apart And cast away their cords from us!” He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord scoffs at them. Then He will speak to them in His anger And terrify them in His fury, saying, “But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain.” “I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. ‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, And the very ends of the earth as Your possession. ‘You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware.'” Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; Take warning, O judges of the earth. Worship the LORD with reverence And rejoice with trembling. Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!”
There is no other One in the scope of history
That demands your allegiance like Jesus does.
You will either submit to Him now, or submit to Him later,
But it has already been appointed.
You cannot treat Jesus as though He is One of many, for He is exclusive.
#4 THE PENALTY OF JESUS
John 3:36
The final reason we must treat Jesus different is
Because He alone holds your eternity.
So what if you disobey Muhammad.
So what if you disobey Gandhi
BUT DISOBEY JESUS, YOU WILL GO TO HELL FOR ETERNITY
You cannot treat Jesus like one of many, His penalty is real.
And look at this verse, for it is vitally important to grasp it.
John uses the word for “believes” and “obey” interchangeably.
John wants you to obey Jesus.
That is what matters.
Many of you have read the book, “One Thing You Can’t Do In Heaven”
He makes the statement.
“If it doesn’t matter 100 million years from now, it doesn’t matter.”
Well let me tell you, Jesus matters.
100 million years from now, it won’t matter what you thought of me.
It won’t matter that you didn’t follow Muhammad.
But the decision you made with Jesus will still be ringing in your head.
And if you haven’t figured out by now, the purpose of John’s gospel is to force you to deal with Jesus.
The other gospels are full of the teachings of Jesus,
But John just wants you to do something with Him.
SO WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH HIM?
His preeminence sets Him apart
His preaching sets Him apart
His possessions set Him apart
His penalty sets Him apart
John 3:18 “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
