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John 1:29-34: ‘I came…that he might be revealed…’ (31).(please click here for todays passage)

The first thing I want to underline is that Jesus moves towards us before we move in His direction (29). He takes the initiative. He is the ‘Prime Mover’ in our salvation. No-one will become a witness for Christ, or a preacher of the gospel without this starting point of a God-initiated meeting with the Lord. There is great power in preaching where we not only ‘testify’ to the truth, but can also say ‘I have seen and I testify…’ (34). As a preacher, always seek to ‘see’ that which you ‘testify’ to; to experience what you preach about. Obviously, it is important to preach salvation as a saved person; as a genuine believer in Jesus, ‘the Son of God’.

John the Baptist stands before us as a ‘model’ preacher. He was Christ-centred and Cross-centred. He said:

‘Look’ – look at Jesus; look to Jesus, to take away your sin. There was none of the platform strutting, ego parading ‘look at me’ mentality on display; nothing of the peacock preacher. John knew that Jesus is the answer and he was not. His ministry was all about Jesus (31b). He was humble. He freely confessed his ignorance apart from divine revelation: ‘I would not have known him, except…’ (33).

I heard Alec Passmore speak on verse 29 and 2 Corinthians 3:18. His theme was ‘a saving look’ and a ‘sanctifying gaze’. It takes a moment to look to Jesus and be forgiven; but it then takes a lifetime of gazing on Him,in adoration, to be made like Him. 2 Corinthians 3:18 speaks about our being ‘transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory’ as we ‘behold’ or ‘contemplate’ ‘the Lord’s glory’. (The word used can also mean ‘reflect’)

John preached the SACRIFICIAL death of Jesus – Jesus as ‘the lamb’ – the fulfilment of the Old Testament sacrificial system (29).

John preached the SUPREMACY of Jesus (30). In terms of time, John was born first; but in terms of eternity, Jesus existed before John. He superseded His cousin – He was pre-existent. John knew his place, bent low at the feet of Jesus and at the foot of His cross.

John preached the SPIRIT-anointed/SPIRIT-imparting Jesus. We need this double emphasis on the Cross and the Holy Spirit in our preaching today. Proclaim Jesus as Saviour and Sanctifier. He both forgives sin and frees from its power. He changes us; makes us different. ‘He breaks the power of cancelled sin…’ Let us seek the ‘something more’ of the Holy Spirit and preach that ‘something more’.

There can be such a temptation to make Christian ministry about us. It is NEVER about us. The preacher’s work is to lift up Christ alone. God the Holy Spirit will greatly bless a ministry where the focus is on Christ crucified.

As Jesus said, ‘He will glorify me…’

Prayer: Lord, please give me a heart like John’s – a grand obsession with Jesus.

 John 1:19-28: Public Confession.(please click for todays passage)

‘He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely…’ (20).

These words dig into me because at times I have failed to confess. I have missed opportunities to identify myself with Jesus.

Help me Lord to confess you with my life. I can’t always be speaking about you verbally, but if I obey you I dare to believe that others will see you in me. If I walk in your steps, my life will silently speak volumes. Let me carry your fragrance Lord Jesus; may I ‘smell’ of you. I don’t want to put a ‘lid’ on my testimony; I don’t want to position my candle under a bucket.

Help me to confess with my lips. Forgive me for any sense of cowardice or embarrassment. Fill me with boldness. Enable me to give a reason for my hope in you, when I’m asked. I want to SAY that I am a Christian, and tell what that means, in appropriate ways and at the right time.

And help me please, dear Lord Jesus, to never fail to confess that you are the greatest, and it’s all about you.

This is my prayer today.

 John 1: 15-18: Lift Jesus higher.(please click here for todays passage)

Jesus is the greatest (15). A certain well-known former boxer, who recently died, famously declared that he was ‘the greatest’, but no doubt his tongue was firmly in his cheek. Jesus is greater than the greatest of men and women. I guess we have no problems accepting that Jesus ‘surpasses’ us. We shouldn’t have.  He obviously does! We are mortal; He is eternal. We are men; He is God. But what about when we are surpassed by other human beings? When we are eclipsed in popularity and ability.? That supplies a real test of character. Can we be like John and determine to decrease so that another may increase? Richard Foster tells how his ministry colleague and elders sacrificially released him to write ‘Celebration of Discipline.’ They took on more work for a time to free him to serve the wider church. He is well-known in the Christian world because of this book. They are not. But they showed a humble, John the Baptist like spirit in order to make his work possible. They played a vital role.

Jesus is the Fountain Head (16, 17). Innumerable blessings flow from Him into our lives. ‘We all live off his generous bounty, gift after gift after gift.’ The Message. 

We have every spiritual blessing in Christ. All these gifts are expressions of grace, i.e. Undeserved favour:

‘…there is a grace in our lives because of his grace’ (J.B. Phillips).

‘We have all benefited from the rich blessings he brought to us – blessing upon blessing heaped upon us! For Moses gave us only the Law with its rigid demands and merciless justice, while Jesus Christ brought us loving forgiveness as well’ (Living Bible).

Jesus is the revealer (18): ‘It is true that no one has ever seen God at any time. Yet the divine and only Son, who lives in the closest intimacy with the Father, has made him known’ (J.B. Phillips). Someone translated this: ‘…has exegeted Him.’ Jesus shows us what the invisible God is like. As Michael Green wrote, He is ‘the window into God.’

John 1:6-14: Don’t confuse roles.(please click here for todays passage)

‘The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighbourhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish’ (14, The Message).

We move quickly from the God who became man (1-5,14), to ‘a man sent from God’ (6). John Baptist was not God. He knew He was not God. But God gave him an important job to do. He was a signpost, pointing to Jesus. He didn’t stand in the spotlight. He never confused his role with the Lord’s. He consistently pointed away from himself to Christ. So he stands as an example to all Christian witnesses:

‘He came to show everyone where to look, who to believe in. John was not himself the Light; he was there to show the way to the Light’ (8, The Message).

Although Jesus made the world, when He came into it He was not, by and large, recognised.

When He came to His own people – the Jewish race – a people uniquely prepared by God for the coming of their Messiah – they showed Him the door. The put out the ‘unwelcome’ mat.

But here and there were people who did receive Jesus. When they did so they became children of God. And that’s why John kept on pointing to Jesus, because only He can bring folks into God’s family. We are not all children of God by birth, but we become such by new birth, when we trust in Jesus.

Remember, ‘You cannot at one and the same time demonstrate that you are a great preacher and Jesus is a great Saviour.’

Take your cue from John. Lift up Jesus!

 Luke 24: 36-53: The end that is but a beginning.(please click here for todays passage)

Lord Jesus, please will you lift up your Hands over us. Bless us with your Holy Spirit that we may play our full part in the great company of witnesses to your resurrection. Make us your true worshippers, who have hearts ‘bursting with joy’ (52, The Message).

We pray for that worshipful joy that leaps over all obstacles; that rises above all fear:

• The joy of your resurrection – of knowing that you are really alive from the dead;
• The joy of revelation – of seeing your Hands and Feet, and knowing that you died for me;
• The joy of understanding the Scriptures, and being able to see you everywhere in the Bible;
• The joy of your peace;
• The joy of trouble – free, undoubting minds;
• The joy of the Holy Spirit’s fullness;
• The joy of being your ambassadors in the world.

We pray for that unique challenges joy that magnetises others, and makes the church so attractive.

Fill us with ‘joy unspeakable and full of glory’.

For Jesus’ sake and fame. Amen.

 Luke 24: 1-12: Remember and tell.(please click here for todays passage )

Here are two vital principles for living the Christian life. These two responsibilities will always be applicable to followers of Christ:

1. Remember God’s Word (7, 8). In the recent past, Jesus had clearly, and repeatedly, spoken about His forthcoming rejection and resurrection. The confusion they experienced now was because they had forgotten – or failed to understand. It was the same for the apostles (11). They had been the recipients of Jesus’ words, but they did not remember. We need to ensure that we don’t settle for a casual and superficial relationship with Scripture. Learn to ‘hide’ God’s Word in your heart. Seek to abide in Christ and have His words abide in you.
2. Tell others that Jesus is alive (9-12). And you may take heart that those who first heard the ladies’ Easter sermon were not impressed: ‘their words seemed to them like nonsense’ (11) – ‘thought they were making it all up’ (The Message). (It may be pertinent that In those days, women could not be witnesses in a law court. Their testimony was not regarded as being reliable. Yet Jesus called women to be the first witnesses of His resurrection.) There may well be the idea that the women ‘kept telling these things’ (The Message). Eventually there was a glimmer of light with Peter (12), but even though his heart was stirring into a response, it took time for him to understand. Those who first heard the women’s words pooh pooh’d the idea that Jesus was alive. But later on they preached it themselves. So don’t be disheartened by an initially negative response. It doesn’t have to be the final word.

Remember and tell!