[uplifting music]
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[uplifting music]
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>>Eric Flickinger:
Welcome to "Sabbath School,"
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brought to you by It Is Written.
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We're glad that you
have joined us this week.
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We are looking
at lesson number 4
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in our study of the
themes in the book of John.
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Lesson number 4 is
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"Witnesses of
Christ as the Messiah."
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We're glad that
you're joining us,
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but let's begin with
prayer before we dive in.
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Father, we thank You
for guiding us so far
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in our look at the book of
John, and today as we delve
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into it once again,
we ask for Your guidance,
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Your direction, and
that You will give us
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a deeper
understanding and appreciation
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of the great
themes that are found
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in this book, and we
thank You in Jesus' name, amen.
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We're also happy to have
with us one of the authors
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of this quarter's
"Sabbath School" lesson,
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Dr. Tom Shepherd. He is
the senior research professor
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of New Testament at
the Theological Seminary;
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that is Andrews University.
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Tom, thanks for
being with us again.
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>>Thomas Shepherd:
Good to be with you.
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>>Eric: So we are looking
now at lesson number 4 of 13,
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making our way into this
quarter's series of lessons.
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Lesson number 4 is "Witnesses
of Christ as the Messiah."
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Let's jump back to
John, chapter 1 again.
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We--looking at the themes,
it's less of a chronological
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work through the
book, but we're looking
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at different themes that appear
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in different
chapters throughout.
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How does John the
Baptist present himself
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in the Gospel of
John, and what is the lesson
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that we perhaps
should learn in his approach?
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>>Tom: All right, so we
turn to John, chapter 1.
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We're gonna read, starting
in verse 19 of John, chapter 1.
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It says, "And this is
the testimony of John,
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"when the Jews sent priests
and Levites from Jerusalem
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"to ask him, 'Who are you?'
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"He confessed, and did
not deny, but confessed,
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"'I am not the Christ.'
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"And they asked him,
'What then? Are you Elijah?'
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"And he said, 'I am
not.' 'Are you the Prophet?'
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"And he answered, 'No.'
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"So they said to
him, 'Who are you?
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"'We need to give an
answer to those who sent us.
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"What do you
say about yourself?'
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"He said, 'I am the voice of one
crying out in the wilderness,
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"'"Make straight
the way of the Lord,"
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"as the prophet Isaiah said.'
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"(Now they had been
sent from the Pharisees.)
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"They asked him,
'Then why are you baptizing,
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"if you are neither the Christ,
nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?'
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"John answered them,
'I baptize with water,
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"'but among you
stands One you do not know,
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"'even He who comes after
me, the strap of whose sandal
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"I am not worthy to untie.'
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"These things took place
in Bethany across the Jordan,
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where John was baptizing."
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So it's very interesting.
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John the Baptist
was a fiery preacher.
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He's not re--he's referred
to not only in the Bible;
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he's also referred to in
the writings of Josephus.
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And Josephus was
a Jewish historian
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of the first century,
rather interesting character
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on his own. But he
refers to John the Baptist.
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And of course,
Herod puts John in prison
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and eventually beheads him,
and this really upset people.
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John was taken to
be a real prophet,
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and people really respected
him because he spoke to power.
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He spoke truth to
power, shall we say?
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And power didn't like
the truth that they heard.
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And John, you know,
is this fiery preacher.
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You read some of his words
in some of the other gospels.
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And so he really attracted
a great deal of attention.
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So, people wanted
to know, who is he?
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And some people were, no
doubt, whispering around,
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"He must be the Messiah,
he must be the Messiah."
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John says, "No,
that's not who I am.
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I'm not the Messiah."
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And they said,
"Well, are you Elijah?"
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You know, the expectation
that Elijah would come back.
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He says, "No,
that's not--I am not."
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"Are you the prophet?" "No."
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"So then, who are you?"
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"I'm the voice of one
crying in the wilderness."
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He quotes from Isaiah,
pointing out who he is,
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but he keeps pointing
away from himself to Jesus.
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He says, "There's
somebody else coming.
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I'm not worthy to stoop down
and, like, untie his shoes."
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He shows up again a
little later in John 3, where--
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you see, there was a real risk.
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Because John was
this popular preacher,
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there was a real
risk that there could be
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competition
between Jesus and John,
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between their disciples,
and there actually seems
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to have been some of
this, you know, feeling of envy
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for other people.
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So, let's read John,
chapter 3, verses 25 through 30,
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and we'll see the
beauty of this man John.
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>>Eric: "Then there
arose a dispute between some
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"of John's disciples and
the Jews about purification.
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"And they came to
John and said to him,
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"'Rabbi, He who was with
you beyond the Jordan, to whom
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"'you have testified--
behold, He is baptizing,
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"and all are coming to Him!'
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"John answered and said,
'A man can receive nothing
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"'unless it has been
given to him from heaven.
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"'You yourselves bear
me witness, that I said,
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"'"I am not the Christ," but,
"I have been sent before Him."
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"'He who has the
bride is the bridegroom;
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"'but the friend
of the bridegroom,
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"'who stands and
hears him, rejoices greatly
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"'because of the
bridegroom's voice.
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"'Therefore this joy
of mine is fulfilled.
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He must increase,
but I must decrease.'"
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>>Tom: I've met very few people
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who would say
something like that.
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It's an amazing
testimony to the humility
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and the strength of this man.
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He didn't have to
have high position
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in order to feel
fulfilled in doing
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what, you know,
God wanted him to do.
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So, it's interesting
where this discussion begins.
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It begins over a
question of purification,
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and there seems to be here
some kind of linkage to baptism.
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The baptism, of
course, is your sign
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of your giving your
life to God, your being--
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your sins are being washed
away, baptism of repentance.
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You're turning back to God,
so your life is being purified.
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And there was a dispute.
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We're not told
exactly what the dispute was,
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but it's probably over
how should baptism be done,
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who should
baptize, and of course,
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that leads to the
question of competition
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between Jesus and John.
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Now, notice, his
disciples come to him and they
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call him "Rabbi,"
which means "my teacher."
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So, "Rabbi, He who was with
you across the Jordan, to whom
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"you bore
witness--look, He is baptizing,
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and all are going to Him."
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"We don't like it.
We're your disciples.
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You're our leader, not Him!"
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[laughing] You know, you
get that kind of feeling,
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you know, this
kind of competition.
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John could have made a real
problem for Jesus right here.
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He could have made big trouble
for Him, but he doesn't do that.
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He doesn't do that.
So, he says instead,
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"He must increase,
but I must decrease."
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Very impressive.
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>>Eric: Very humble.
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It could have been
very-- it could have been
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very different,
as you mentioned.
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You know, coming back
to John pointing people
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to Jesus, in John 1, he
calls Him the Lamb of God.
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What's the significance
of John labeling Jesus
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as the Lamb of
God? >>Tom: Yeah, well,
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so we should read those
verses. John, chapter 1,
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starting in verse 29:
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"The next day he saw
Jesus coming toward him,
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"and [he] said,
'Behold, the Lamb of God,
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"'who takes away
the sin of the world!
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"'This is He of whom I
said, "After me comes a Man
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"'who ranks before me,
because He was before me."
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"'I myself did not know
Him, but for this purpose I came
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"baptizing with water, that
He might be revealed to Israel.'
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"And John bore witness:
'I saw the Spirit descend
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"'from heaven like a
dove, and it remained on Him.
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"'I myself did not
know Him, but He who sent me
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"'to baptize
with water said to me,
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"'"He on whom you
see the Spirit descend
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"'and remain, this is He who
baptizes with the Holy Spirit."
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"'And I have seen
and have borne witness
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that this is the Son of God.'"
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Well, that's quite
a testimony, you know?
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And you think of the
"Messiah," Handel's "Messiah":
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"Behold, the Lamb of God,"
which is one of the oratorios,
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and it's just striking.
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This Lamb of God, Jesus, will
die at the time of Passover.
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He will die as the Lamb of
God that takes away the sin
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of the world, just
as the Passover lamb
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was that which protected people
from the destroying angels.
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So, belief in Jesus
will protect a person
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from eternal death.
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So, it's a very
striking kind of an expression,
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and it's not the
end of the idea of Jesus
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as the Lamb of God.
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>>Eric: And we're seeing
this, as you said, throughout.
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Back in the book of
John, chapter 1, again,
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we see the story of
Jesus calling Andrew,
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calling Andrew and
the other disciple.
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This other disciple, this
disciple whom Jesus loved,
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he remains
nameless, but not so much.
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Help us to
understand some lessons
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from Jesus calling them.
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>>Tom: Yeah,
so, it's after this,
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after John has called
Jesus the Lamb of God--
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"Behold, the Lamb
of God who takes away
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the sin of the
world"-- I mean, that--
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that really had to
keep-- catch people's attention.
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So, it's the very next day,
verse 35, "The next day again
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"John was standing with two
of his disciples, and he looked
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"at Jesus as He
walked by and said, 'Behold,
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"the Lamb of God!'
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"The two disciples
heard him say this,
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and they followed Jesus."
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Now, this is very important
that, you know, they hear it.
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They didn't have to
go, but they follow Jesus,
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and now, verse 38, "Jesus
turned and saw them following
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"and said to them,
'What are you seeking?'
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"And they said to Him,
'Rabbi' (which means Teacher),
00:10:17.91\00:10:20.95
"'where are You staying?'
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"He said to them,
'Come and you will see.'
00:10:22.32\00:10:25.45
"So they came and
saw where He was staying,
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"and they stayed
with Him that day,
00:10:27.49\00:10:29.12
"for it was
about the tenth hour.
00:10:29.16\00:10:30.96
"One of the two
who heard John speak
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"and followed Jesus was
Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.
00:10:32.89\00:10:36.16
"He first found his own
brother Simon and said to Him,
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"'We have found the
Messiah' (which means Christ).
00:10:38.23\00:10:41.40
"He brought him to Jesus.
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"Jesus looked at him and said,
'You are Simon the son of John.
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You shall be called
Cephas' (which means Peter)."
00:10:45.94\00:10:49.44
So this is in
the Gospel of John,
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the first
calling of the disciples.
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There's Andrew and
this other disciple
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who is not named; in
fact, he's never named.
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He's called the
beloved disciple later on.
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It's likely it's
John himself who is there.
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He's there from the beginning.
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And the question of
following the light--
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remember the question
is, you received the light--
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now what will you
do with the light?
00:11:09.96\00:11:11.60
So here's two men who hear
this "Behold, the Lamb of God,"
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and they follow it up.
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It doesn't say
anybody else does, you know,
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but these two guys, they
want to know more, you see?
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So, the light comes, and
they're following it out.
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Now, that's a key
for belief, you see.
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"Come and you will see,"
says Jesus, and so they come.
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So, then what does Andrew do?
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Andrew's a good disciple.
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He brings somebody
else to Jesus. [chuckles]
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That's what you and I
should do in our churches.
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We should bring
somebody else to Jesus
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and let them
know about the truth.
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So, you know, sometimes
that's a easy thing to do.
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It's a very simple thing.
00:11:47.80\00:11:49.27
Invite somebody to
church. You'd be surprised.
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If you just say, "Hey, you
know, we have a good program
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"coming up. We
have a nice meal, too.
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Why don't you come
to church with us?"
00:11:58.45\00:12:00.52
And give them the opportunity
00:12:00.55\00:12:02.52
to hear the
message of the gospel.
00:12:02.55\00:12:05.12
Now, people will come to
church for various reasons,
00:12:05.15\00:12:07.82
but they'll hear
the Word of God there.
00:12:07.86\00:12:10.63
>>Eric: Andrew
was a good inviter.
00:12:10.66\00:12:12.13
>>Tom: He was a
good inviter, yep.
00:12:12.16\00:12:13.90
>>Eric: Worked well for him.
00:12:13.93\00:12:15.36
We're going to come
back in just a moment
00:12:15.40\00:12:17.03
as we continue
looking at this theme
00:12:17.07\00:12:19.10
in the book of John.
00:12:19.13\00:12:20.30
But before we take a break,
share with us a little bit more
00:12:20.34\00:12:22.77
about that companion book
00:12:22.80\00:12:24.11
that is available
for people to pick up.
00:12:24.14\00:12:25.94
>>Tom: Yeah, every
quarter we have a companion book
00:12:25.97\00:12:28.44
that gives more
information about the stories
00:12:28.48\00:12:32.48
that we're studying, the
themes that we're studying
00:12:32.51\00:12:34.62
in the Gospel of John.
00:12:34.65\00:12:36.28
It's written by a
scholar who will unpack
00:12:36.32\00:12:38.95
more than what you
find in the lesson,
00:12:38.99\00:12:40.46
unpack more than what you
find in the teacher's quarterly.
00:12:40.49\00:12:42.42
It's a great resource,
and it's geared toward--
00:12:42.46\00:12:46.09
every chapter is
numbered the same.
00:12:46.13\00:12:48.70
It's got the same title
as the lesson quarterly,
00:12:48.73\00:12:51.27
so it's easy to follow and
useful to have in your library.
00:12:51.30\00:12:54.44
>>Eric: And you can
find that very easily
00:12:54.47\00:12:56.27
at itiswritten.shop.
00:12:56.30\00:12:58.34
Just go to that
website, itiswritten.shop.
00:12:58.37\00:13:00.64
You'll find the
companion book to this quarter's
00:13:00.68\00:13:03.18
"Sabbath School" lesson,
and you can pick it up there.
00:13:03.21\00:13:06.28
We're going to come back
00:13:06.31\00:13:07.62
in just a few moments,
00:13:07.65\00:13:09.32
and when we do, we're
going to continue delving into
00:13:09.35\00:13:12.49
this incredible theme, that is,
00:13:12.52\00:13:14.49
"Witnesses of
Christ as the Messiah."
00:13:14.52\00:13:17.96
We're leading up to
some significant events
00:13:17.99\00:13:20.26
and tracing themes
throughout the book of John.
00:13:20.30\00:13:23.37
We're going to continue
to do that when we come back
00:13:23.40\00:13:25.43
in just a moment right
here on "Sabbath School,"
00:13:25.47\00:13:27.50
brought to you by It Is Written.
00:13:27.54\00:13:29.57
[uplifting music]
00:13:29.60\00:13:31.61
>>John Bradshaw:
He came into the world
00:13:35.94\00:13:37.28
via a miracle birth, but
he met with a tragic death.
00:13:37.31\00:13:45.29
In between times,
he lit up the world
00:13:45.32\00:13:49.09
as he prepared the
way for Jesus' ministry.
00:13:49.12\00:13:52.83
John the Baptist's life
may not have been glamorous,
00:13:52.86\00:13:56.60
but it was a
life of faithfulness,
00:13:56.63\00:13:59.17
and he stands
forever as an example
00:13:59.20\00:14:02.10
of faithfulness to God.
00:14:02.14\00:14:04.94
Don't miss the latest episode
of It Is Written's new series
00:14:04.97\00:14:09.34
"Great Characters of the
Bible" as we look at the life
00:14:09.38\00:14:12.98
of the man born
to herald the Messiah
00:14:13.01\00:14:17.35
and as we learn how faith
in God can change the world.
00:14:17.39\00:14:22.29
"Great Characters of the
Bible: John the Baptist,"
00:14:22.32\00:14:26.39
brought to you
by It Is Written TV.
00:14:26.43\00:14:30.03
>>Eric: One of the most powerful
evidences that the Bible is true
00:14:33.97\00:14:37.11
are the prophecies that
you will find in its pages.
00:14:37.14\00:14:39.74
If you've been
wondering about what's happening
00:14:39.77\00:14:41.91
in the world today,
especially in the United States,
00:14:41.94\00:14:44.45
socially, militarily,
politically, and economically,
00:14:44.48\00:14:48.42
the "Which Way,
America?" seminar will answer
00:14:48.45\00:14:50.75
those questions for
you in a powerful way.
00:14:50.79\00:14:53.62
I'm Eric Flickinger,
and I want to invite you
00:14:53.66\00:14:55.79
to the "Which Way, America?"
seminar, brought to you
00:14:55.82\00:14:58.29
by It Is Written.
00:14:58.33\00:14:59.66
>>Announcer: Watch
"Which Way, America?"
00:14:59.69\00:15:01.30
on YouTube and It Is Written TV.
00:15:01.33\00:15:03.63
[uplifting music]
00:15:04.80\00:15:08.77
>>Eric: Welcome
back to "Sabbath School,"
00:15:08.80\00:15:10.11
brought to you by It Is Written.
00:15:10.14\00:15:11.94
We are looking at
lesson number 4 of 13,
00:15:11.97\00:15:14.68
learning about the
themes in the book of John.
00:15:14.71\00:15:18.58
Tom, we've been in
John, chapter 1 a bit.
00:15:18.61\00:15:20.78
I want to touch one more thing
before we leave John, chapter 1.
00:15:20.82\00:15:23.55
We see some
parallels and some differences
00:15:23.59\00:15:25.99
between how
Philip thought of Jesus
00:15:26.02\00:15:28.16
and how Nathanael did.
00:15:28.19\00:15:29.59
Walk us through
some of the latter part
00:15:29.62\00:15:31.16
of John, chapter 1 here.
00:15:31.19\00:15:33.13
>>Tom: Okay, so, Jesus is
calling His first disciples.
00:15:33.16\00:15:36.03
They're, shall I say,
they're following the light.
00:15:36.06\00:15:38.27
They're following after Him.
00:15:38.30\00:15:39.97
And here in John 1,
verse 43, he calls Philip.
00:15:40.00\00:15:44.41
So it says, "The next day
Jesus decided to go to Galilee.
00:15:44.44\00:15:47.21
"He found Philip and
said to him, 'Follow me.'
00:15:47.24\00:15:50.05
"Now Philip was from Bethsaida,
the city of Andrew and Peter.
00:15:50.08\00:15:53.52
"Philip found
Nathanael and said to him,
00:15:53.55\00:15:55.98
"'We have found Him
of whom Moses in the Law
00:15:56.02\00:15:58.25
"'and also the prophets
wrote, Jesus of Nazareth,
00:15:58.29\00:16:01.06
"the son of Joseph.'
00:16:01.09\00:16:02.56
"Nathanael said to
him, 'Can anything good
00:16:02.59\00:16:04.99
"come out of Nazareth?'
00:16:05.03\00:16:06.70
Philip said to
him, 'Come and see.'"
00:16:06.73\00:16:08.70
Now, we've seen
various, actually quite a few
00:16:08.73\00:16:13.77
different titles
for Jesus already
00:16:13.80\00:16:15.94
in John, chapter 1,
lots of them--you know,
00:16:15.97\00:16:17.81
He's the Word; He becomes
flesh. He's the Lamb of God.
00:16:17.84\00:16:22.11
He's the Christ; He is
the Messiah, the Christ.
00:16:22.14\00:16:25.91
He is, you know--all kinds
00:16:25.95\00:16:29.12
of different terms
are used to refer to Him.
00:16:29.15\00:16:31.55
He's the one who
baptizes with the Spirit.
00:16:31.59\00:16:36.29
He's the Son of God, so
lots of different titles.
00:16:36.32\00:16:39.13
So, when Philip is--calls
Nathanael his friend, you think,
00:16:39.16\00:16:45.63
okay, well, this
is going to be like--
00:16:45.67\00:16:47.44
this is going to be like Andrew.
00:16:47.47\00:16:50.44
Andrew had said to
his brother, Simon,
00:16:50.47\00:16:54.48
"We have found the Messiah."
00:16:54.51\00:16:56.18
That's clear: "We
found the Christ."
00:16:56.21\00:17:00.62
When Philip finds Nathanael,
he says, "We have found Him
00:17:00.65\00:17:05.49
of whom Moses in the Law
and also the prophets wrote."
00:17:05.52\00:17:07.99
That sounds pretty good.
00:17:08.02\00:17:09.72
But then he says,
"Jesus of Nazareth,
00:17:09.76\00:17:11.29
the son of Joseph."
00:17:11.33\00:17:12.63
That's kind of an inferior
kind of title for Jesus.
00:17:12.66\00:17:16.06
So Nathanael responds
to this: "Can anything good
00:17:16.10\00:17:19.97
come out of Nazareth?"
00:17:20.00\00:17:21.64
I have a sermon I titled on
this one: "The Honest Redneck,"
00:17:21.67\00:17:25.84
where Nathanael is
this kind of prejudiced guy,
00:17:25.87\00:17:29.61
you know, "Can anything
good come out of Nazareth?"
00:17:29.64\00:17:32.08
But he's a rather honest man.
00:17:32.11\00:17:34.28
Philip says to
him, "Come and see."
00:17:34.32\00:17:36.45
That's the same thing Jesus
said to John and to Andrew:
00:17:36.48\00:17:40.46
"Come and see." Now, what is not
narrated is very interesting.
00:17:40.49\00:17:44.96
He said, "Philip said
to him, 'Come and see.'"
00:17:44.99\00:17:48.20
Verse 47: "Jesus saw
Nathanael coming toward Him
00:17:48.23\00:17:51.50
"and said of him,
'Behold, an Israelite indeed,
00:17:51.53\00:17:54.07
in whom there is no deceit!'"
00:17:54.10\00:17:56.44
In between those two
verses is a very important step
00:17:56.47\00:18:01.28
that is not mentioned,
00:18:01.31\00:18:03.28
and that is
Nathanael's decision to come,
00:18:03.31\00:18:08.28
Nathanael's
decision to follow the light.
00:18:08.32\00:18:11.69
So, it kind of shouts
at you for not being there.
00:18:11.72\00:18:15.29
The point of view shifts.
00:18:15.32\00:18:17.19
We were at--we were
with Nathanael and Philip,
00:18:17.23\00:18:19.93
and then suddenly, in verse
47, Jesus saw Nathanael coming.
00:18:19.96\00:18:24.00
Philip said, "Come and see."
00:18:24.03\00:18:25.53
Now Jesus sees him coming.
00:18:25.57\00:18:27.64
So, obviously, he decided
to go when Philip, his friend,
00:18:27.67\00:18:31.31
said, "Come and see."
00:18:31.34\00:18:32.94
So, his friendship with
Philip overcame his prejudice
00:18:32.97\00:18:40.15
against somebody from Nazareth.
00:18:40.18\00:18:42.42
That's kind of an interesting
thing, his friendship.
00:18:42.45\00:18:45.09
So, you know, you
and I might have friends,
00:18:45.12\00:18:49.26
and they might have
biases and prejudices.
00:18:49.29\00:18:51.86
We all have biases
and probably prejudices,
00:18:51.89\00:18:55.50
but if you're truly a
friend with someone, they may--
00:18:55.53\00:19:01.44
they may come to see.
00:19:01.47\00:19:03.61
They may come hear the message
00:19:03.64\00:19:05.27
just because
they're friends with you.
00:19:05.31\00:19:07.78
When it comes to evangelism,
you're much more likely
00:19:07.81\00:19:10.45
to have somebody come
to evangelistic meetings
00:19:10.48\00:19:13.58
when a friend invites
them than if they just receive
00:19:13.62\00:19:17.69
a flyer in the mail or,
you know, hear it on the radio
00:19:17.72\00:19:20.59
or something like that.
00:19:20.62\00:19:21.96
But if they get a
personal invitation
00:19:21.99\00:19:23.89
from a friend, more
likely to come, more likely.
00:19:23.93\00:19:26.29
So here's what
happens with this guy.
00:19:26.33\00:19:28.83
So, Nathanael had said something
rather negative about Jesus,
00:19:28.86\00:19:33.87
you know, "Can anything
good come out of Nazareth?"
00:19:33.90\00:19:36.44
When Jesus sees him coming,
He says something very positive
00:19:36.47\00:19:39.04
about him: "Behold,
an Israelite indeed,
00:19:39.07\00:19:42.24
in whom there is no deceit."
00:19:42.28\00:19:44.48
Nathanael said to
Him, "How do You know me?"
00:19:44.51\00:19:46.58
Now, when somebody says
something really nice about you,
00:19:46.61\00:19:51.09
you know, you might say,
"Well, I'm not that good,"
00:19:51.12\00:19:54.29
you know. But
Nathanael, he's this honest guy;
00:19:54.32\00:19:58.06
what you see is what you get.
00:19:58.09\00:20:00.63
He says, "How do you
know me?" He just accepts it--
00:20:00.66\00:20:03.47
"I'm an honest guy,
of course," you know.
00:20:03.50\00:20:05.93
So, "Jesus answered him,
'Before Philip called you,
00:20:05.97\00:20:09.84
when you were under
the fig tree, I saw you.'"
00:20:09.87\00:20:14.11
Now, I want you to read
his response in verse 49.
00:20:14.14\00:20:17.55
>>Eric: "Nathanael answered
and said to Him, 'Rabbi,
00:20:17.58\00:20:20.15
You are the Son of God!
00:20:20.18\00:20:21.85
You are the King of Israel!'"
00:20:21.88\00:20:23.59
>>Tom: Now, this
is an amazing exchange
00:20:23.62\00:20:26.22
between these two men.
00:20:26.25\00:20:28.22
He says, "How did You know me?"
00:20:28.26\00:20:32.13
And He says,
"Before Philip called you,
00:20:32.16\00:20:34.30
while you were under
the fig tree, I saw you."
00:20:34.36\00:20:35.63
That's a very--
it's a revelation,
00:20:35.66\00:20:38.27
but it's a very
small revelation.
00:20:38.30\00:20:40.67
It wasn't like the crossing
of the Red Sea or something.
00:20:40.70\00:20:42.87
He just says, "Oh, I
saw you under the fig tree."
00:20:42.90\00:20:45.51
And then Nathanael makes
this incredible confession:
00:20:45.54\00:20:49.34
"Rabbi, You are the Son of God.
00:20:49.38\00:20:51.05
You are the King
of Israel," you know?
00:20:51.08\00:20:53.21
So, he has the
smallest light--and pow!--
00:20:53.25\00:20:56.89
it just explodes into
this amazing confession.
00:20:56.92\00:20:59.92
Jesus says, "You're
gonna see much more than that.
00:20:59.95\00:21:02.49
"You're gonna see
the angels ascending
00:21:02.52\00:21:04.16
and descending
on the Son of Man."
00:21:04.19\00:21:05.96
Now, we'd better press
on because we need to look
00:21:05.99\00:21:08.43
at somebody else.
00:21:08.46\00:21:09.76
>>Eric: We do, and we're gonna
jump over to John, chapter 3
00:21:09.80\00:21:12.10
in order to do that. We're
gonna take a look at Nicodemus.
00:21:12.13\00:21:15.10
You, of course,
have heard of Nicodemus.
00:21:15.14\00:21:16.77
In fact, the most famous
verse in the entire Bible comes
00:21:16.81\00:21:18.94
from this
chapter, John, chapter 3.
00:21:18.97\00:21:21.61
Tom, how did
Nicodemus approach Jesus?
00:21:21.64\00:21:24.55
This is
fascinating. >>Tom: Yeah, it is.
00:21:24.58\00:21:26.05
So, now we start in
chapter 3 and verse 1:
00:21:26.08\00:21:29.72
"Now there was a man of
the Pharisees named Nicodemus,
00:21:29.75\00:21:32.05
"a ruler of the Jews.
00:21:32.09\00:21:33.96
"This man came to Jesus by night
and said to Him, 'Rabbi, we know
00:21:33.99\00:21:38.59
"'that You are a teacher
come from God, for no one
00:21:38.63\00:21:41.43
can do these signs that You
do unless God is with him.'"
00:21:41.46\00:21:44.93
Nicodemus went to
the Dale Carnegie school
00:21:44.97\00:21:47.44
of "How to Win
Friends and Influence People."
00:21:47.47\00:21:50.04
And he comes to
Jesus-- but it's interesting
00:21:50.07\00:21:53.91
he comes to Jesus by night.
00:21:53.94\00:21:57.38
Now, why by night?
00:21:57.41\00:21:59.75
You could say "at
night" or "in the night,"
00:21:59.78\00:22:02.65
but "by night" means
"under the cover of darkness."
00:22:02.68\00:22:06.99
It's like he doesn't want to
be seen with Jesus, you know.
00:22:07.02\00:22:12.33
We've already talked a
little bit about the theme
00:22:12.36\00:22:14.86
of darkness and
light, so coming by night
00:22:14.93\00:22:17.37
sort of gives some of that
feel of "I want to be hidden"
00:22:17.40\00:22:21.80
kind of a thing.
00:22:21.84\00:22:24.04
But when he comes in
Jesus, he kind of, like,
00:22:24.07\00:22:26.41
butters him up:
"Rabbi, we know that You are
00:22:26.44\00:22:29.48
"a teacher come from God,
for no one can do these signs
00:22:29.51\00:22:32.98
that You do
unless God is with him."
00:22:33.01\00:22:34.65
Now, Jesus responds
rather abruptly, it seems:
00:22:34.68\00:22:37.35
"Truly,
truly"--verse 3-- "I say to you,
00:22:37.39\00:22:39.75
unless one is born again he
cannot see the kingdom of God."
00:22:39.79\00:22:43.96
It's almost like
Nathanael-- I mean, Nicodemus
00:22:43.99\00:22:46.46
is talking about one
thing, and Jesus just goes off
00:22:46.49\00:22:48.96
on a different, you
know, different angle,
00:22:49.00\00:22:51.17
but that's not
actually the case.
00:22:51.20\00:22:53.94
Because Nicodemus said,
"No one can do these signs
00:22:53.97\00:23:00.21
unless God is with him."
00:23:00.24\00:23:02.21
And Jesus says,
"Unless one is born again
00:23:02.24\00:23:06.05
he cannot see
the kingdom of God."
00:23:06.08\00:23:08.38
So He's used the very
words of Nicodemus, right?
00:23:08.42\00:23:12.15
Now, Nicodemus lets down the--
00:23:12.19\00:23:15.89
the Dale Carnegie
stuff seems to go away.
00:23:15.92\00:23:18.39
And in verse 4, he
says, "Nicodemus said to Him,
00:23:18.43\00:23:20.40
"'How can a man be
born when he is old?
00:23:20.43\00:23:22.60
"'Can he enter a second
time into his mother's womb
00:23:22.63\00:23:24.93
and be born?'" Actually, he's
expecting a negative answer.
00:23:24.97\00:23:27.77
Cause he can't go
back into his mother's womb
00:23:27.80\00:23:30.21
and be born a
second time, can he?
00:23:30.24\00:23:31.31
"Don't talk nonsense."
That's kind of what he's saying.
00:23:31.34\00:23:35.11
Now, the interesting thing
here, this is part of that--
00:23:35.14\00:23:38.05
we described this before,
this misunderstanding of Jesus,
00:23:38.08\00:23:42.78
all right.
00:23:42.82\00:23:44.45
And there's kind of a symbolism,
and there's two meanings.
00:23:44.49\00:23:49.99
"Born again"--the word "again"
can also mean "from above."
00:23:50.03\00:23:57.67
So, which way was Nicodemus
taking it, born "again"
00:23:57.70\00:24:04.01
or born "from above"?
00:24:04.04\00:24:06.51
>>Eric: Sounds like born "again"
is the way that he's taking it.
00:24:06.54\00:24:10.41
>>Tom: Yeah, he's taking it
born "again," and the reason
00:24:10.45\00:24:13.38
he takes it that
way is because he wants
00:24:13.42\00:24:16.62
to discredit the idea.
00:24:16.65\00:24:19.42
Jesus probably
meant born "from above."
00:24:19.45\00:24:21.42
Now, it's not
wrong for us to say
00:24:21.46\00:24:23.12
that you must be born "again."
00:24:23.16\00:24:24.63
If you read 1 Peter, 1,
you'll find that he talks
00:24:24.66\00:24:27.50
about being born anew,
so there's nothing wrong
00:24:27.50\00:24:30.17
with saying being born again.
00:24:30.20\00:24:32.03
But here in John,
actually, this probably means
00:24:32.07\00:24:35.54
being born "from above."
00:24:35.57\00:24:36.87
And Nicodemus responds to
it-- of course, being born--
00:24:36.91\00:24:39.67
but Nicodemus responds to
it by saying, "How can you
00:24:39.71\00:24:42.68
be born when you're old?"
00:24:42.71\00:24:45.18
because he doesn't
like the close application
00:24:45.21\00:24:48.55
Jesus is making to him,
that he needs this new birth,
00:24:48.58\00:24:52.89
this birth from above.
00:24:52.92\00:24:55.99
The light comes to him--what
will you do with the light?
00:24:56.02\00:24:59.16
He seems to be kind of
shying away from the light.
00:24:59.19\00:25:01.76
Now, he hasn't run away,
but he's kind of shying away
00:25:01.80\00:25:03.90
from the light. Let's
read verses 5 through 8.
00:25:03.93\00:25:09.47
>>Eric: "Jesus answered,
'Most assuredly, I say to you,
00:25:09.50\00:25:12.01
"'unless one is born
of water and the Spirit,
00:25:12.04\00:25:14.44
"'he cannot enter
the kingdom of God.
00:25:14.48\00:25:16.95
"'That which is born of the
flesh is flesh, and that which
00:25:16.98\00:25:19.45
"'is born of the Spirit
is spirit. Do not marvel
00:25:19.48\00:25:22.12
"'that I said to you,
"You must be born again."
00:25:22.15\00:25:24.79
"'The wind blows where it
wishes, and you hear the sound
00:25:24.82\00:25:27.46
"'of it, but cannot
tell where it comes from
00:25:27.49\00:25:29.69
"'and where it goes.
00:25:29.72\00:25:30.96
So is everyone who
is born of the Spirit.'"
00:25:30.99\00:25:33.63
>>Tom: So Jesus
goes on to say that
00:25:33.66\00:25:35.53
you have to be born "of
water"--that's baptism--
00:25:35.56\00:25:37.90
"and of the
Spirit"-- you must have
00:25:37.93\00:25:39.07
the Spirit of God
working in your life
00:25:39.10\00:25:41.17
or you can't enter the
kingdom of God, all right?
00:25:41.20\00:25:44.14
And then He uses an
illustration of the wind.
00:25:44.17\00:25:47.14
Now, the words for "wind"
and "spirit" are the same word,
00:25:47.18\00:25:50.45
and so it's a play
on words once more.
00:25:50.48\00:25:53.95
"The wind blows where it
wishes, and you hear its sound,
00:25:53.98\00:25:57.29
"but you do not
know where it [goes]
00:25:57.32\00:25:58.95
"comes from or where it's going.
00:25:58.99\00:26:00.12
So is everyone who
is born of the Spirit."
00:26:00.16\00:26:01.79
You cannot
control the Spirit of God.
00:26:01.82\00:26:03.63
He is meant to control
you and me, not otherwise.
00:26:03.66\00:26:06.96
Now, there's one more
metaphor that we should look at
00:26:07.00\00:26:08.73
before we close this
up, and it's a little later
00:26:08.76\00:26:11.73
in this
statement, where he says...
00:26:11.77\00:26:14.57
>>Eric: "Nicodemus
answered and said to Him,
00:26:14.60\00:26:16.54
"'How can these things be?'
00:26:16.57\00:26:18.11
"Jesus answered and said to him,
'Are you the teacher of Israel,
00:26:18.14\00:26:21.41
"'and do not know these things?
00:26:21.44\00:26:23.38
"'Most assuredly, I say
to you, we speak what we know
00:26:23.41\00:26:26.05
"'and testify what we have
seen, and you do not receive
00:26:26.08\00:26:29.18
"'our witness. If I
have told you earthly things
00:26:29.22\00:26:31.69
"'and you do not
believe, how will you believe
00:26:31.72\00:26:33.62
"'if I tell you heavenly things?
00:26:33.66\00:26:35.82
"'No one has ascended to
heaven but He who came down
00:26:35.86\00:26:38.39
"'from heaven, that is, the
Son of Man who is in heaven.
00:26:38.43\00:26:41.70
"'And as Moses lifted up
the serpent in the wilderness,
00:26:41.73\00:26:44.70
"'even so must the
Son of Man be lifted up,
00:26:44.73\00:26:47.04
"'that whoever believes
in Him should not perish
00:26:47.07\00:26:49.60
but have eternal life.'"
00:26:49.64\00:26:50.94
>>Tom: Okay, so,
he uses this metaphor,
00:26:50.97\00:26:54.04
"As Moses lifted up the
serpent in the wilderness,
00:26:54.08\00:26:56.38
so must the Son
of Man be lifted up."
00:26:56.41\00:26:57.95
He's talking about the cross.
00:26:57.98\00:27:00.28
When the people of Israel
were being bitten by snakes
00:27:00.32\00:27:04.02
out in the
wilderness, God said to Moses,
00:27:04.05\00:27:07.02
make a bronze
serpent, put it up on a pole,
00:27:07.06\00:27:09.56
and anybody who looks
at the serpent will live.
00:27:09.59\00:27:13.16
And Jesus says the Son of
Man, just like Moses lifted up
00:27:13.19\00:27:16.53
the serpent in the wilderness,
00:27:16.56\00:27:17.87
"so must the Son
of Man be lifted up."
00:27:17.90\00:27:19.93
He's lifted up on the
cross, you look to Him,
00:27:19.97\00:27:22.77
and you will live. He'll come
back to that kind of a statement
00:27:22.80\00:27:25.94
later on in the gospel, that
He'll draw all people to Him
00:27:25.97\00:27:29.81
if He's lifted up.
00:27:29.84\00:27:31.81
>>Eric: And we're
going to see that throughout
00:27:31.85\00:27:33.58
the book of John, that
Jesus is indeed lifted up.
00:27:33.62\00:27:36.89
We're glad that you are joining
us on this journey as we look
00:27:36.92\00:27:39.22
at these great
themes in the book of John.
00:27:39.25\00:27:41.49
Next week when we
come back, lesson number 5,
00:27:41.52\00:27:43.96
"The Testimony
of the Samaritans."
00:27:43.99\00:27:46.96
What do the Samaritans
have to say about who Jesus is?
00:27:47.00\00:27:50.27
We're gonna find
that out very, very soon.
00:27:50.30\00:27:52.60
We're grateful
that you've joined us
00:27:52.63\00:27:53.87
this week, and we look forward
to seeing you again next week
00:27:53.90\00:27:56.77
as we continue our
journey through the great themes
00:27:56.81\00:27:58.94
in the book of John
here on "Sabbath School,"
00:27:58.97\00:28:01.48
brought to you by It Is Written.
00:28:01.51\00:28:03.71
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