A Tribute and Farewell to John the Baptist
Study No. 7 – - Chapter 3:22-36
22 ¶ After these things Jesus and His disciples (4 or 5? ) came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized.
This is an aspect of Jesus’ ministry that is not mentioned a lot, nevertheless, it is ministry. Prior to this John has told us about the miracle at the wedding, the cleansing of the Temple and of the miracles which Jesus performed there. The other gospels, for instance Matthew 4:12 – Jesus is baptized, goes into the wilderness and undergoes 40 days of testing, hears that John is cast into prison, goes to Galilee and begins His ministry.
Mark 1:13,14 states it the same way.
Luke 4:14 follows the same pattern. The three gospels virtually leave out about six months of Jesus’ early ministry.
Note- John continued to ‘prepare the way’ for Jesus even after Jesus had already arrived and started his public ministry. Even so we ‘prepare the way’ for Jesus to come into the lives of the unsaved around us.
23 Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there. And they came and were baptized.
24 For John had not yet been thrown into prison.
25 Then there arose a dispute between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purification.
The particulars of the dispute are not mentioned but we can gain some insight from remembering that the Jews had some kind of a purifying ritual that involved washing or baptism. John has required even the Jews to repent and be baptised. This in itself becomes an affront to the baptism offered by the Jews. John is declaring it invalid.
The argument must have involved whose baptism was authentic. John’s disciples would avow that John’s was a baptism authorised by Heaven. Perhaps they even stated very emphatically that it was the ONLY authentic baptism.
The Jew likely said, “The ONLY baptism? What about the baptism that this Jesus person is performing?”
“Excuse me, what did you say? Who is baptising?”
“Jesus. You didn’t know? Yeah, EVERYBODY is going out there now.”
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!" Notice: John’s disciples do not mention Jesus by name. Is there a hint of irritation with Jesus? Are they jealous for their leader?
There is no competitive spirit in John.
27 John answered and said, "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.
He reminds them of his mission.
28 "You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before Him.’
Not only no jealousy. John is happy. Joyful.
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. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled.
Notice John’s perspective: 30 - 36
30 "He must increase, but I must decrease. …
What a servant’s heart we see in John the Baptist!
This is the last we read of John’s public ministry before he is imprisoned. This would be the Apostle John’s tribute to John the Baptist, this great man of God.
However, to say our last farewell to John, we must go on. Luke 7:18-35
A centurion’s son has just been healed. Next a young man is raised from his funeral coffin.
Lu 7:16 Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has risen up among us"; and, "God has visited His people."
18 Then the disciples of John reported to him (in prison) concerning all these things.
What is John’s reaction to what he hears? “Wow! What a Messiah we have!”
No, John instead questions whether Jesus is actually the Messiah. Why?
1. Doesn’t know Jesus well as a person or friend.
2. Has not been present at any of Jesus’ teaching, therefore his concept of what a Messiah should be is entirely his own as he would have gleaned it from his knowledge of prophecy.
3. He has not seen or heard what he wanted to hear and see.
1. A public announcement or claim from Jesus.
2. A rise to public power, leading to judgement of all who are unrepentant and opposing.
John’s was a message demanding repentance. Impending judgement was the crux of his sermons.
Lu 3:9 "And even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."
As long as Jesus is cleansing temples and preaching repentance and baptising … everything is fine.
John has confused something. He has not seen that there were to be two comings of Jesus. One to bring salvation. The second to bring judgement.
He is not seeing the judgment side of Jesus. He has stumbled over the mercy of Jesus. He may be thinking, ‘If you are the Messiah, why don’t you just come out and say so. Why do you walk around quietly showing mercy … why not do what it takes to come into power? Could I have made a mistake after all?’
How easy it is for us to say like Peter, “Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble." (Mt 26:33)
How easy is it for us to forget that one time we made a bold statement like, "I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God." (Jn 1:33,34)
When we have misunderstood, when we have an altogether different expectation of what God is ‘supposed to do’ and things turn out for us … so wrong … that is when we are most vulnerable to fall.
John’s disciples find Jesus with a crowd about Him, and there they pose the question. Jesus responds with a Tribute to John.
1) It is designed to stop the mouths of the critics.
a) “You are not the Messiah. Even your ‘forerunner’ doubts you.”
b) “He sure is not much of a ‘herald’ is he?”
2) It is rooted in compassion. Mt 12:20 A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench, Till He sends forth justice to victory;
3) Jesus affirms John in the very strongest of terms. Jesus is not ashamed of John. He is proud of him.
As Jesus answers, “Tell John that ...” (Lu. 7:22) This is not just another list of miracles. This is a scripture. (Isa 29:18, 35:5,6) This is designed to cause John to become reaquainted with the Isaiah passage and know beyond a shadow of a doubt the Jesus is fulfulling everything the scriptures stated that the Messiah would fulfill. Above all things these words would bring rest and comfort to a very faint heart, fading out of this life and soon to enter the next.
22 ¶ After these things Jesus and His disciples (4 or 5? ) came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized.
This is an aspect of Jesus’ ministry that is not mentioned a lot, nevertheless, it is ministry. Prior to this John has told us about the miracle at the wedding, the cleansing of the Temple and of the miracles which Jesus performed there. The other gospels, for instance Matthew 4:12 – Jesus is baptized, goes into the wilderness and undergoes 40 days of testing, hears that John is cast into prison, goes to Galilee and begins His ministry.
Mark 1:13,14 states it the same way.
Luke 4:14 follows the same pattern. The three gospels virtually leave out about six months of Jesus’ early ministry.
Note- John continued to ‘prepare the way’ for Jesus even after Jesus had already arrived and started his public ministry. Even so we ‘prepare the way’ for Jesus to come into the lives of the unsaved around us.
23 Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there. And they came and were baptized.
24 For John had not yet been thrown into prison.
25 Then there arose a dispute between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purification.
The particulars of the dispute are not mentioned but we can gain some insight from remembering that the Jews had some kind of a purifying ritual that involved washing or baptism. John has required even the Jews to repent and be baptised. This in itself becomes an affront to the baptism offered by the Jews. John is declaring it invalid.
The argument must have involved whose baptism was authentic. John’s disciples would avow that John’s was a baptism authorised by Heaven. Perhaps they even stated very emphatically that it was the ONLY authentic baptism.
The Jew likely said, “The ONLY baptism? What about the baptism that this Jesus person is performing?”
“Excuse me, what did you say? Who is baptising?”
“Jesus. You didn’t know? Yeah, EVERYBODY is going out there now.”
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!" Notice: John’s disciples do not mention Jesus by name. Is there a hint of irritation with Jesus? Are they jealous for their leader?
There is no competitive spirit in John.
27 John answered and said, "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.
He reminds them of his mission.
28 "You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before Him.’
Not only no jealousy. John is happy. Joyful.
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. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled.
Notice John’s perspective: 30 - 36
30 "He must increase, but I must decrease. …
What a servant’s heart we see in John the Baptist!
This is the last we read of John’s public ministry before he is imprisoned. This would be the Apostle John’s tribute to John the Baptist, this great man of God.
However, to say our last farewell to John, we must go on. Luke 7:18-35
A centurion’s son has just been healed. Next a young man is raised from his funeral coffin.
Lu 7:16 Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has risen up among us"; and, "God has visited His people."
18 Then the disciples of John reported to him (in prison) concerning all these things.
What is John’s reaction to what he hears? “Wow! What a Messiah we have!”
No, John instead questions whether Jesus is actually the Messiah. Why?
1. Doesn’t know Jesus well as a person or friend.
2. Has not been present at any of Jesus’ teaching, therefore his concept of what a Messiah should be is entirely his own as he would have gleaned it from his knowledge of prophecy.
3. He has not seen or heard what he wanted to hear and see.
1. A public announcement or claim from Jesus.
2. A rise to public power, leading to judgement of all who are unrepentant and opposing.
John’s was a message demanding repentance. Impending judgement was the crux of his sermons.
Lu 3:9 "And even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."
As long as Jesus is cleansing temples and preaching repentance and baptising … everything is fine.
John has confused something. He has not seen that there were to be two comings of Jesus. One to bring salvation. The second to bring judgement.
He is not seeing the judgment side of Jesus. He has stumbled over the mercy of Jesus. He may be thinking, ‘If you are the Messiah, why don’t you just come out and say so. Why do you walk around quietly showing mercy … why not do what it takes to come into power? Could I have made a mistake after all?’
How easy it is for us to say like Peter, “Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble." (Mt 26:33)
How easy is it for us to forget that one time we made a bold statement like, "I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God." (Jn 1:33,34)
When we have misunderstood, when we have an altogether different expectation of what God is ‘supposed to do’ and things turn out for us … so wrong … that is when we are most vulnerable to fall.
John’s disciples find Jesus with a crowd about Him, and there they pose the question. Jesus responds with a Tribute to John.
1) It is designed to stop the mouths of the critics.
a) “You are not the Messiah. Even your ‘forerunner’ doubts you.”
b) “He sure is not much of a ‘herald’ is he?”
2) It is rooted in compassion. Mt 12:20 A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench, Till He sends forth justice to victory;
3) Jesus affirms John in the very strongest of terms. Jesus is not ashamed of John. He is proud of him.
As Jesus answers, “Tell John that ...” (Lu. 7:22) This is not just another list of miracles. This is a scripture. (Isa 29:18, 35:5,6) This is designed to cause John to become reaquainted with the Isaiah passage and know beyond a shadow of a doubt the Jesus is fulfulling everything the scriptures stated that the Messiah would fulfill. Above all things these words would bring rest and comfort to a very faint heart, fading out of this life and soon to enter the next.