Participants: Deyvy Rodriguez & Jon Paulien
Series Code: JBOTB
Program Code: JBOTB00005A
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00:18 Hello and welcome to another program of "Books of the Book."
00:22 My name is Deyvy Rodriguez. 00:24 And we are studying the Gospel of John. 00:27 And with us is Dr. Jon Paulien. 00:29 He is the dean of Religion in Loma Linda, California. 00:34 Is that right? 00:35 Loma Linda University, yeah. Loma Linda University. 00:37 Which is in Loma Linda, California, so. 00:38 Right, okay. Yeah. 00:40 Now you told us before what you did and tell us briefly again 00:44 what is it that you do as a dean? 00:45 Yeah, dean of the School of Religion-- 00:47 Loma Linda is divided into eight schools. 00:51 You have a school of medicine, school of dentistry, 00:53 school of pharmacy, and so on, 00:55 school of behavioral health, and then the school of religion, 01:00 and so each of these has a function 01:03 within the university as a whole, 01:05 but the School of Religion has a special function 01:08 'cause we teach classes and all the programs. 01:11 And so it's my job to coordinate all of that. 01:14 So all the students from all the schools 01:15 come to this department? 01:18 Yeah, there expected to take at least something like, 01:22 8% of their classes in Religion. 01:24 About how many students do you have for-- 01:29 Well, there is-- this year 01:30 there's 4,650 students at Loma Linda. 01:33 And every one of them takes at least one religion class. 01:36 So we are about 5,000 plus students, 01:42 you know, that that study 01:43 for most in the given year. 01:45 That keeps you very busy? 01:47 Yeah. And in a sense this is almost like a vacation. 01:50 Yes, good. Vacation studying the Bible. 01:53 That's right. That's amazing. 01:55 Well, I enjoy doing that. 01:56 The last program we did we were talking on the prologue. 02:01 And we didn't touch on verse 7, which is gonna talk about 02:07 our verse 6 which talks about John or John, the Baptist. 02:11 Do you remember when we talked about 02:13 that we talked about poetry? Yes. 02:16 Well, as you go through the prologue, 02:18 most of it is poetry like language, 02:22 but the parts on John, the Baptist are not. 02:25 And so we kind of left those aside, 02:29 but they provide a foundation for the rest of the chapter 1 02:32 which is what we're gonna talk about this time. 02:34 Okay. Now you're aware doesn't say John, the Baptist? 02:39 No. It says, John. Right. You see. 02:43 So John, the Baptist this is something, 02:45 yeah, I'm not trying to offend Baptist or anything, 02:47 but John, the Baptist is a term we'd given to him because 02:51 John was baptizing people. 02:53 But it's interest to the author of the book 02:56 who is John never names himself. 02:59 So some people suggested that, 03:02 you know, he is using this other John 03:05 to kind of drop a hint at least 03:07 of who is really behind the book. 03:09 Okay. So shall we read? 03:10 Yeah, I think that'll be a good idea. 03:13 And we are in the Gospel of John 1 03:17 and verses starting from verse 6. 03:20 "There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 03:23 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light 03:27 that all through him might believe. 03:29 He was not that Light, 03:30 but was sent to bear witness of that Light." 03:35 So here you see it's talking about John 03:39 and we discover later on he is the John 03:42 who baptized his people, not the author of this gospel. 03:46 And he sent from God, so he is a very, very important. 03:51 And he came to witness to the light, it says. 03:55 And if you remember in the first part of the prologue, 03:58 he was the light, you know, 04:01 and the light shown in the darkness and so far. 04:04 So this referring to Jesus. 04:06 So John has come to testify concerning that light. 04:10 So his mission was to come first and get famous, 04:16 so to speak, and then he withdraw 04:18 people's attention to Jesus, 04:20 that was the fundamental mission of the Baptist. 04:24 But it says he was not that light. 04:29 Now, why would he have to say that? 04:31 You know, are there some people maybe who think John, 04:34 the Baptist was the true light, maybe he was the Messiah? 04:38 He was not that light. 04:40 He only came to witness to the light. 04:43 And you remember, we talked about 04:45 the chiasm that pyramid? 04:47 Well, there is a counterpart here in verse 15 04:50 that basically repeats the same thing. 04:52 So, why don't you read verse 15? 04:55 "John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, 04:58 'This was He of whom I said, He who comes after me 05:02 is preferred before me, for He was before me.'" 05:06 So here is it interesting. 05:08 John testifies concerning Jesus and says, 05:13 "He is the one who comes after me, 05:17 but he has before me." 05:19 It's like a riddle. Right. 05:21 You know, he is after me, but he is before me. 05:24 Now, does that make any sense to someone 05:26 who knows the gospel? 05:29 How would that make sense? 05:30 Because Jesus who came down to us. 05:34 We were here before Jesus. 05:35 Let's say the people who met Jesus. 05:38 You know, they were there first 05:40 and Jesus shows up, but He is really 05:42 before because He was with God from eternity. 05:45 So right at the beginning of the prologue, 05:47 he is with God for eternity. 05:49 So he is greater, he is before. 05:51 But when he shows up, he is coming after John. 05:55 Now usually the person who introduces somebody 05:59 is considered greater than the one that introducing 06:02 'cause why were they be introducing that person? 06:04 Nobody knows who this is. 06:05 You know, they know me, so I'm gonna introduce him, 06:07 I'm the big guy, you know. 06:09 So the role of introduction is a big role 06:14 for the person who gives it. 06:16 So people could look at this and well, 06:17 John introduced Jesus, he must have been the big guy, you see. 06:20 So this is actually locating 06:26 where John is in the schema things. 06:29 So these verses here set the table 06:33 for the rest of the chapter. 06:35 And it's gonna tell us the story of John 06:38 and how he introduced Jesus. 06:41 Now John, John, the Baptist 06:43 and when we say John, the Baptist 06:45 even though, does it-- 06:46 It's comfortable for us, so let's do it, yeah. 06:48 It's okay? Yeah. All right. Yeah. 06:50 So this John, the Baptist then, 06:51 what was his role and how did he testify of that light? 06:57 Well, that gets elaborated starting with verse 19 07:00 and the rest of the chapter goes through verse 51, 07:03 and most of it is about John, the Baptist. 07:06 Okay. Yeah. 07:08 So why don't you take a look at verses 19-23? 07:12 "Now this is the testimony of John, 07:14 when the Jews sent priests and Levites 07:16 from Jerusalem to ask him, 'Who are you?' 07:19 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, 07:22 'I am not the Christ.' 07:24 And they asked him, 'What then? Are you Elijah?' 07:29 He said, 'I am not.' 'Are you the Prophet?' 07:31 And he answered, 'No.' 07:34 Then they said to him, 07:35 'Who are you, that we may give an answer 07:38 to those who sent us? 07:40 What do you say about yourself?' 07:44 He said, 'I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, 07:48 make straight the way of the Lord.'" 07:51 Now, you know, it's a pattern in here? 07:54 What is he repeatedly doing? 07:56 He is saying, "No." 08:00 I'm not this. I'm not that-- 08:01 He is denying. I'm not the other thing. 08:03 He is denying. 08:04 What did he say back in verse 7? 08:06 I think it was, he was not that light. 08:10 So the big story about John, the Baptist in the gospel. 08:14 John is not. 08:17 He's constantly saying, he is not this, 08:19 he is not that, he is not that. 08:22 Why would that even be necessary? 08:25 Unless, somebody that the author of this gospel 08:29 is dealing with a seeing John, 08:30 the Baptist does really, really significant. 08:33 And so that's something we'll come back 08:36 to a little bit later in this program. 08:39 But you see whenever John appears, 08:43 he is lowering himself. 08:45 "Are you the Messiah? 08:47 No. Are you Elijah? No. 08:49 Are you the Prophet? No. 08:50 Well, who are you for cried out loud. 08:52 Say something." So John is constantly did. 08:57 I know this is a real story that happened, 09:02 but John has to tell the story 09:04 because evidently some people or maybe putting 09:08 John in too higher place. 09:10 In the Wedding of Cana story, Jesus sort of puts 09:16 His mother in her place. 09:19 Why would that need to be told? 09:22 You know, that's a little detail 09:23 couldn't just of left that out 09:25 and just told the story without that. 09:27 Well, it would seem from what we know of ancient times 09:30 that Mary started getting put a little too high. 09:34 The people were seeing Mary as equal with Jesus 09:37 or even greater that Jesus. 09:38 And so in the Gospel of John, Mary is kind of, you know, 09:43 she is honored, but she is in a subordinate position. 09:47 Jesus is the one that tells her what to do. 09:50 She is trying to tell Him what to do. 09:51 No, no, Jesus is the one who tells Mary what to do. 09:56 So, you know, there is a major commentary 10:00 on John by a Catholic priest makes that point, 10:02 you know, which you might think 10:04 it's surprising, but he is simply being honest 10:06 with the text, you know. 10:08 John wants to be clear. 10:09 No one is greater than Jesus, not the Baptist, not Mary, 10:12 not the temple, not Moses, you see, 10:15 all the other competitors are, you know, Jesus is better than. 10:21 You know, Moses is good, Jesus is better. 10:23 Temple is good, Jesus is better. 10:26 Baptist is good, Jesus is better, you see. 10:29 He is truly the greatest. 10:31 That's the message that comes through here. 10:33 And those people who either sent him or asked John 10:37 these questions they-- did they believe 10:40 or somehow have this idea that he was that light? 10:45 That's the impression we get, you know. 10:47 When you study this book carefully, 10:48 that apparently they were some people 10:51 who didn't get the memo. 10:53 You know, what's being described in this book. 10:56 And John's purpose for existence 11:00 was to pointing Jesus out when He comes. 11:03 But they were some that's saw 11:05 the ministry of John as ultimate, 11:08 the greatest of the prophets, you see. 11:10 And Jesus even called him that at one place. 11:13 Among all the prophets, there is none greater than John. 11:16 You know, that he is really right there at the pinnacle. 11:20 So evidently there were some people 11:24 who saw John as the real deal 11:28 and never really got too excited about Jesus. 11:31 And so here it's clarifying that roll. 11:35 So let's go on to verse, let's see 24-28. 11:41 "Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees. 11:43 And they asked him, saying, 'Why then do you baptize 11:47 if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?' 11:51 John answered them, saying, 11:52 'I baptize with water, but there stands 11:54 One among you whom you do not know. 11:58 It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, 12:02 whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.' 12:05 These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, 12:09 where John was baptizing." 12:12 Here's another amazing statement, you know. 12:16 Why are you baptizing if you're not Christ 12:18 or Elijah or the Prophet? 12:19 And he says, "Well, because 12:20 somebody greater is coming after me." 12:22 And notice what it says, in my translation, 12:24 "The thongs of whose sandal 12:27 I am not worthy to untie." 12:31 In those days, it was great to be a scholar 12:33 'cause your students not only sat in your classes, 12:36 they were supposed to wait on your hand and foot, 12:38 you know, wash your car, mow your lawn, 12:40 you know, do all that kind of stuff, you see. 12:43 But there was one thing that student was not required 12:45 to do for his teacher and that's the, 12:47 you know, take your shoes on and off, 12:48 that was start to be too demeaning, 12:51 the act of a slave. Yeah. 12:53 And here John is saying. 12:55 This one that is coming is so great. 12:57 I'm not worthy even to put a shoes on or off. 13:01 The actions of a slave would be too great 13:05 for me to even consider. 13:07 He is really putting himself down and it makes you wonder. 13:11 What is going on behind the scenes here? 13:14 Remember that in verse 23, I think it was. 13:18 John is actually saying that I came to prepare 13:23 the way of the Lord. 13:25 It's from Isaiah. 13:26 If you go back to Isaiah, it's the word the way of Yahweh. 13:30 So there is the hint right there that this is not just a messiah, 13:34 this is not just a great human being. 13:36 God Himself is coming and John is introducing God. 13:41 And if He understands that what we saw 13:43 in the prologue than yeah, 13:45 he wouldn't even want to untie the sandals. 13:47 This person is so great, but he walks among us. 13:52 It tells you something about God. 13:56 Well, friends, we are studying the Gospel of John, 13:58 and this is very exciting. 14:00 So continue to be with us after this break. |
Revised 2014-12-17