Thank you for tuning in,
as you do each and every day.
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You may be listening via
the radio, or watching on
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television, or the internet, but
we know that you'll be blessed
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because God has
given Pastor C.A. Murray
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a special message for us.
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And this is part two in a five
part series that's entitled,
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Walk This Way.
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Now today's sermon is
entitled, The Wise Way.
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We appreciate Pastor
C.A. and his wife, Irma.
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They're great team
members of the 3ABN team.
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And Pastor C.A., he
wears many hats here at 3ABN.
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He is currently the 3ABN
Proclaim General Manager,
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but again, he does
many things for 3ABN.
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And we're so blessed to have
he and his wife here with us.
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Before we continue here,
I'd like to open in prayer.
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Father in heaven, Lord,
we're so grateful for Your love,
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Your care, and just
Your watchful care over us
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each and every day.
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Lord, You've blessed
us with so many things,
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and we're just grateful
for the gift of salvation.
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Thank You for Pastor C.A.
and the message that You have
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given to him to
share with us today.
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We just pray that as Your Word
is opened, that Your Holy Spirit
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will be here with us
and with him as he shares
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what You have given to him.
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We thank You, and in
Jesus' name we pray, amen.
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We do welcome you once
again to, Pillars of Faith;
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this opportunity that
we have to bring the Word
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to the world, and to
lift up the name of Jesus,
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and to speak a
word on behalf of our
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Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
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Our series has been entitled,
and is entitled, Walk This Way.
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On yesterday we
dealt with, Stay This Way;
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Paul's call to Hebrew
Christians to keep on walking
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the way you're going, keep
on going the way you're going,
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keep on doing what you're doing.
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Don't turn your back on Jesus.
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Don't turn you back
on His will and way.
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And don't turn
back to the old ways.
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Don't put yourself under
the bondage of the old system,
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but stay free in Christ Jesus.
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Today, The Wise Way.
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Or wisdom's way,
as we may call it.
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We center in on
the book of John.
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One of my favorite gospels.
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Luke is still, I think,
my favorite guy of all time,
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but I've gotten a loving
respect for John and what he
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tries to do, what he
seeks to do to his hearers,
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given his audience.
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And you've got to
remember that the gospel writers
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wrote to specific audiences.
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They had a, dare I
say, constituency in mind
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when they wrote.
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They were trying to prove
something, to show something,
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to unearth something,
to discover something.
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So they wrote with a
specific constituency in mind.
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But all of it is
meat in due season for us.
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All of it has
something to say to us.
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And this marvelous,
non-synoptic gospel...
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Synoptic meaning
generally, same view.
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John's view is a
little bit different.
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And we'll take a look
at that in just a moment.
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Bow your heads now with
me as we ask God's blessing
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upon this message
and our time together.
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Father God, as we look at the
way of wisdom, or wisdom's way,
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we ask once again that
Your power, Your presence,
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may be felt here.
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That those who are
called to listen and hear
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may be doers of the Word,
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that Your presence may
illuminate us as we dig into
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this treasure trove of wisdom.
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Bless us, Father.
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And we thank You
in Jesus' name, amen.
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It is generally agreed
by most Bible scholars that
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the gospel of John was the last
book in the Bible to be written.
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I think you well know and
understand that the Bible,
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as we find it in
its current state,
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was not written chronologically.
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It wasn't that Matthew
was first, then Mark wrote,
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and then Luke
wrote, and then John wrote.
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The order is not chronological.
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Most Bible scholars agree that
the gospel of John was the last.
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Now we do know that John the
beloved was among the younger,
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if not the
youngest, of the apostles.
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So he outlived most of
them and wrote sometime later.
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The gospel of, as I
recall, Mark is first.
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And he wrote about 20
years after the death of Christ.
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Matthew shortly after that.
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Luke sometime after that.
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And then John wrote, "John,"
after the book of Revelation
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after he was
released from Patmos.
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No he did not die on Patmos.
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He got back from
Patmos after his exile.
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And we believe
that, "John," was written
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from the city of Ephesus.
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What is interesting
about the gospel of John
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is that it does
not self-identify.
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He does not say, "I,
John, wrote this gospel,"
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as we see in some other gospels.
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He alludes to the fact that
the beloved disciple write it.
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We see that in John 13,
John 19, John 21:7, 20, and 24.
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But there's no
direct statement that says
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John wrote the gospel, or,
"I, John, wrote the gospel,"
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like we see in Revelation.
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Over and over in Revelation
we see, "I, John, saw..."
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Well that's kind of
self-identification.
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We don't have that in John.
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There are many, many interesting
things in the book of John.
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A lot that you and I
need to apply to ourselves.
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So we believe it was
written in the town of Ephesus
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sometime after his
return from Patmos.
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That would date the
writing of the book of John
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to about AD 95 or so.
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The historian Eusebius
says that John was exiled
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to Patmos and was
returned in AD 93,
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and about two years
later this gospel was written.
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So sometime we figure
between 95 AD and 100 AD
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John sat down to write
this gospel that bears his name.
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And as we say, it is the
final book chronologically
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in the New Testament, somewhere
around the turn of the century
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of the first century.
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So John has much to say, and his
view is very, very different.
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But he does play a little trick
on us, John does, to the seeker.
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He makes the statement at
the very end, kind of telling us
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who wrote the book.
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And this is so very funny.
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He is forced to hold onto
that explanation, by the way.
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He introduces the
gospel; we get it, you know,
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we get that little
bit at the beginning,
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and then he kind of
exposes it at the end.
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Let's look at John 20:30.
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We're at the end of the gospel.
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John 20:30
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John, more than any book,
there's a lot of little...
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I'm not sure what
you would call them.
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...tricks, little left turns,
little interesting nuances,
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in the gospel of John.
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I'm in John 20:30.
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"And truly Jesus did many
other signs in the presence
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of His disciples, which
are not written in this book;
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but these are
written that you may believe
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that Jesus is the
Christ, the Son of God,
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and that believing you
may have life in His name."
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So John tells you just about at
the end why he wrote the book.
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He says, "Christ
did a lot of things.
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I don't have time,
there's not enough ink,
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or enough pages to let
you know all of the things
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that Jesus did.
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But He did these so
that you can believe,
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and that in believing,
you may have salvation."
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Now, if you're connecting the
dots, here's what you discover.
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John's purpose for
writing his gospel is not unlike
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Paul's purpose for
writing the book of Hebrews.
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Paul wrote, as we listened
to and understood on yesterday,
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the book of Hebrews
to keep Hebrew Christians
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from returning
back to classic Judaism.
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John wrote the book of John
so that those following Jesus
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in the second century, or in
the second generation, rather,
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would have assurance
that the legacy left to them
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by the first
generation was the real deal.
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Now what am I saying?
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By the time John wrote, 95
to 100 AD, most of the people
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who knew Jesus personally,
who walked and talked with Jesus
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on a personal level,
who saw Jesus personally,
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who listened to
Jesus personally, had died.
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They were gone. They
were no longer alive.
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So the Jesus of
Nazareth, the personal Person,
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was no longer around.
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Nor were the people who
could say, "Oh yeah, I saw Him,"
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"Oh yeah, I heard
Him," "Oh yeah, I knew Him."
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That generation had died.
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The generation who was going
to be reading the gospel of John
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was connected to
Jesus only by the Word.
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Now that's very, very important.
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Only by the Word.
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In other words, somebody had
to write something about Christ
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or somebody had to
say something about Christ
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that familiarized
them with who He was.
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And maybe that is why we
get this very interesting
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beginning in John 1:1.
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Here's what the Bible says.
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"In the beginning was the
Word, the Word was with God,
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the Word was God."
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The Logos.
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"And He was in the
beginning with God.
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All things were
made through Him,
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and without Him
nothing was made that was made.
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In Him was life, and the
life was the light of men.
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And the light
shines in the darkness,
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and the darkness
did not comprehend it."
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You see there a
parallel with the way Paul
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addresses the book of Hebrews.
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There is this
apologetic, this understanding,
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this teaching of who the
Word is, and at the same time
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a concomitant defense of
the Word, the power of the Word,
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the beauty of the Word.
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And then he goes on to say,
"There was a man sent from God
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whose name was John."
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And then John, of course,
gives illumination to the Light,
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who of course, is Jesus.
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So John is doing in his
own way the precise same thing
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that Paul was doing
in the book of Hebrews.
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He's giving a defense of
Jesus, an apologetic of Jesus,
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an understanding of the
legitimacy and the realization
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of who Jesus was.
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And as such, a justification
for following Jesus.
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This Jesus, John is
saying, was the Light.
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And that Light came
to shine into the lives
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and into the hearts of all men.
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So you have it; John's goal is
to get his reader to understand
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and accept that Jesus of
Nazareth is the long anticipated
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Savior of the
Jews and of the world.
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But remember, he's
talking to people who have
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no connection with Jesus.
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Never saw Him, never heard Him.
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And yet they're
called to believe someone
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that they've never
had any contact with.
00:13:47.09\00:13:49.39
Hey, that kind of
sounds like you and me.
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Never seen Him, we've never
walked the dusty roads with Him.
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We've never shaken His hand.
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We've never had a chance
to hear His wonderful Word.
00:14:01.94\00:14:04.71
The only connection
that we have with Jesus
00:14:04.81\00:14:08.08
is through the Word
and the indwelling power
00:14:08.44\00:14:12.81
of the Holy Spirit.
00:14:13.11\00:14:14.45
And of course, John
talks about that in John 14
00:14:14.48\00:14:18.62
just a little bit
further down in his book.
00:14:18.65\00:14:21.82
So John's message to
that second generation
00:14:21.96\00:14:26.16
is John's message to us
many generations removed;
00:14:26.43\00:14:30.83
that Jesus is real.
00:14:30.87\00:14:32.23
"You haven't touched Him,
you haven't talked with Him,
00:14:32.77\00:14:35.74
you haven't sat with Him,
you haven't heard His voice,
00:14:36.07\00:14:39.14
but you've got His Word.
00:14:39.34\00:14:41.44
And His word is real
and alive, and quickens us.
00:14:41.48\00:14:46.82
And the reason I'm writing this
book is so that you can hear,
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and read, and
believe, and be saved."
00:14:50.92\00:14:55.22
So of all of the
gospels, John's message kind of
00:14:55.26\00:14:58.56
focus on you and on me.
00:14:58.59\00:15:00.66
Because we weren't
there to meet Jesus either,
00:15:00.70\00:15:03.83
but we have the very wonderful
legacy left in His Word.
00:15:03.87\00:15:10.01
John goes at His defense
in a very interesting way.
00:15:13.17\00:15:17.81
And you find some
things in the book of John
00:15:17.85\00:15:19.81
that are really
very fascinating.
00:15:19.91\00:15:23.15
John didn't
write us a history book
00:15:23.49\00:15:26.29
as much as he wrote us,
dare I say, a commercial.
00:15:26.59\00:15:31.43
The book of John is
a commercial for Jesus.
00:15:32.59\00:15:35.50
It's an advertisement.
00:15:35.53\00:15:37.27
A short television
docudrama suggesting that if you
00:15:37.63\00:15:43.30
desire life, Jesus is the way.
00:15:43.34\00:15:47.44
If you want
safety, Jesus is the way.
00:15:47.81\00:15:52.68
If you want
wisdom, Jesus is the way.
00:15:52.71\00:15:57.62
John 14, you know it very well.
00:15:58.75\00:16:01.16
"Let not your heart be
troubled; you believe in God,
00:16:01.62\00:16:04.86
believe also in Me.
00:16:04.89\00:16:06.26
In My Father's
house are many mansions;
00:16:06.36\00:16:08.36
if it were not so,
I would have told you.
00:16:08.40\00:16:09.86
I go to prepare a place for you.
00:16:09.90\00:16:12.27
And if I go to
prepare a place for you,
00:16:12.30\00:16:15.10
I will come again and
receive you unto Myself;
00:16:15.14\00:16:19.11
that where I am,
there you may be also.
00:16:19.41\00:16:22.11
And where I go you
know, and the way you know."
00:16:22.31\00:16:27.02
Now Thomas, you know
Thomas, "Thomas says to Him,
00:16:27.32\00:16:30.55
'Lord, we do not
know where You are going,
00:16:30.59\00:16:33.32
and how can we know the way?'"
00:16:33.42\00:16:35.49
And then Jesus gives us
the punchline, as it were.
00:16:36.16\00:16:39.19
"Jesus said to
him, 'I am the way...
00:16:39.56\00:16:44.40
I am the way, the
truth, and the life.
00:16:44.87\00:16:50.24
No one comes to
the Father but by Me.'"
00:16:50.81\00:16:52.44
Now that seems like a
very bigoted statement.
00:16:52.47\00:16:54.81
And perhaps it is.
00:16:55.18\00:16:56.51
But Christ is pointing
out the way of salvation.
00:16:56.88\00:16:59.18
"You want to get to God,
you've got to come through Me.
00:16:59.21\00:17:00.82
I am the way."
00:17:00.85\00:17:02.85
And so John is careful to place
that in this particular book
00:17:03.28\00:17:08.72
because he wants you to
know that Jesus is the way.
00:17:09.42\00:17:14.43
Jesus is the path.
00:17:14.76\00:17:16.63
Jesus is the
direction and the director.
00:17:16.67\00:17:19.97
And it's not coincidental
that in that same chapter
00:17:21.10\00:17:24.54
we get an allusion
to the Holy Spirit,
00:17:24.57\00:17:27.04
a mention of the Holy Spirit.
00:17:27.08\00:17:29.01
And Christ also says,
"By the way, if you love Me,
00:17:29.24\00:17:33.08
keep My commandments.
00:17:33.48\00:17:34.82
Don't forget about that."
00:17:34.85\00:17:36.18
So Jesus is the way.
00:17:36.22\00:17:37.55
He is writing, that is John, we
believe, most scholars believe,
00:17:37.59\00:17:42.79
to educated,
trained Jewish Christians.
00:17:42.82\00:17:46.49
Again, we get this
idea, this necessary writing
00:17:46.53\00:17:53.20
to Jewish Christians.
00:17:53.23\00:17:54.77
As I said in yesterday's
message, it was tough
00:17:54.80\00:17:56.27
being a Christian
in the early days.
00:17:56.30\00:17:59.01
So Paul, the arch-missionary,
the ultimate evangelist,
00:17:59.04\00:18:03.55
tries to encourage them.
00:18:04.08\00:18:06.11
And John, whose audience
now is very much a non-Jewish...
00:18:06.21\00:18:12.82
Well not very much.
00:18:12.95\00:18:14.29
I should say, it's intermingled
with Jews and Gentiles
00:18:14.32\00:18:18.39
because the gospel
has gone to the Gentiles.
00:18:18.43\00:18:20.63
You remember, the city
of Jerusalem was destroyed
00:18:20.66\00:18:23.37
by the Romans in 70 AD.
00:18:23.40\00:18:25.40
This is written
some 25 years or so after
00:18:25.43\00:18:31.67
Jerusalem has been destroyed.
00:18:31.71\00:18:33.17
So the Hebrew
community is scattered.
00:18:33.21\00:18:35.44
There is no more centralized
government in Jerusalem
00:18:35.74\00:18:41.18
because
Jerusalem no longer exists.
00:18:41.22\00:18:42.78
The city has been torn down,
the temple has been destroyed.
00:18:42.92\00:18:45.35
So John is writing
to a community that,
00:18:45.45\00:18:48.02
though it has many, many
Jews, is not exclusively Jews.
00:18:48.22\00:18:51.49
Really, the same audience
that Paul is addressing.
00:18:51.66\00:18:55.43
But John is addressing
it as a Jew who saw Christ
00:18:55.90\00:19:01.50
and knew Christ,
and dealt with Christ,
00:19:01.54\00:19:05.27
and lived with Christ for a
while, and gives it a certainty
00:19:05.31\00:19:10.01
of one who was with
Christ to those who had
00:19:10.05\00:19:13.58
no connection with
Christ other than these words.
00:19:13.62\00:19:16.12
So he's writing to a trained,
educated Jewish community.
00:19:17.02\00:19:21.82
He did write to an
essentially Jewish audience
00:19:22.92\00:19:25.93
like Matthew and Mark,
who are traditional Jews.
00:19:26.03\00:19:32.53
Mark wrote to foreign
Jews, Matthew to classic Jews,
00:19:32.67\00:19:38.31
Luke to non-Jews.
00:19:38.34\00:19:40.78
John now writing
to educated Jews.
00:19:40.81\00:19:43.61
So as I said before, each
evangelist, each gospel writer
00:19:43.65\00:19:48.18
had an audience in mind.
00:19:48.28\00:19:50.12
Matthew's writing to traditional
Jews who want the heritage.
00:19:50.49\00:19:54.99
So you get that
long line of names
00:19:55.02\00:19:56.76
there in the book of Matthew.
00:19:56.79\00:19:58.13
They want to know
that Christ came through
00:19:58.16\00:20:00.53
the line as predicted.
00:20:00.63\00:20:02.56
Traditional Jews.
00:20:02.73\00:20:04.07
Mark writes to Diaspora Jews.
00:20:04.10\00:20:07.40
He's writing to
people who have been flung
00:20:07.60\00:20:09.84
to the far corners of
the earth who need to know
00:20:10.04\00:20:13.41
that Christ can save.
00:20:13.44\00:20:14.78
And so you notice
in the book of Mark,
00:20:14.81\00:20:16.24
Mark doesn't deal
with a lot of history.
00:20:16.44\00:20:17.98
He doesn't give you,
this one begat this one,
00:20:18.01\00:20:19.78
and this one begat this one,
and this one begat this one,
00:20:19.81\00:20:21.62
and gives you that long history.
00:20:21.65\00:20:22.98
Mark's not concerned with that.
00:20:23.02\00:20:24.35
Mark is writing to
people who need to know
00:20:24.75\00:20:27.36
that Jesus can
heal, Jesus can save.
00:20:27.39\00:20:29.92
So you find most of the
miracles in the book of Mark.
00:20:29.96\00:20:33.90
Luke is writing as a
person outside of Palestine
00:20:35.16\00:20:39.63
to a difference audience.
00:20:39.73\00:20:42.47
And he's writing to non-Jews.
00:20:42.90\00:20:46.17
And that's why what's
interesting in the book of Luke,
00:20:46.21\00:20:48.88
every time you see a
non-Jew doing something good,
00:20:49.31\00:20:52.55
Luke writes that story.
00:20:53.08\00:20:54.42
Or a woman.
00:20:54.45\00:20:55.78
Good Samaritan;
in the book of Luke.
00:20:55.82\00:20:57.95
The publican showing the
Pharisee how to serve the Lord;
00:20:59.22\00:21:02.29
Luke 18.
00:21:02.72\00:21:04.06
Luke is writing to
non-Jews letting them know
00:21:04.33\00:21:06.93
that even though you didn't
come through Jewish stock,
00:21:06.96\00:21:09.66
even though you don't
have the Jewish lineage,
00:21:09.70\00:21:11.80
even though you don't
have the Jewish heritage,
00:21:11.83\00:21:13.94
God loves you, God can
use you, God can bless you,
00:21:13.97\00:21:16.77
and God has a place
for you in His kingdom.
00:21:17.27\00:21:21.74
And that is Luke's burden.
00:21:22.18\00:21:23.68
Well now we have John.
00:21:23.71\00:21:25.05
John, again, addresses himself
to an educated Jewish community.
00:21:27.38\00:21:34.02
But he wants them to
know that Jesus is real.
00:21:35.12\00:21:41.40
Jesus is making a place for you.
00:21:42.00\00:21:46.63
Even if you don't know
where you quite fit in,
00:21:47.00\00:21:50.31
Christ has a place for you.
00:21:50.41\00:21:52.51
By this time the
temple, as I said, had long been
00:21:53.27\00:21:55.84
since destroyed, in fulfillment
of Christ's ominous prediction.
00:21:55.88\00:21:59.98
Matthew 24. It's
also in the book of Mark.
00:22:00.55\00:22:03.12
It's also in the book
of Luke where Christ said
00:22:03.15\00:22:05.25
not one stone would
be left upon another.
00:22:05.29\00:22:09.16
The Pharisees, bless
their hearts, had gained
00:22:09.96\00:22:13.19
control of the faith.
00:22:13.23\00:22:14.76
They were defining
Judaism along Pharisaical lines.
00:22:15.16\00:22:19.83
Lines that suited them.
00:22:20.37\00:22:22.07
Which meant no Jewish Christians
and rigid adherence to orthodoxy
00:22:22.34\00:22:29.58
as they saw it.
00:22:29.61\00:22:31.25
So Judaism was
beginning to evolve, dare I say,
00:22:31.65\00:22:37.22
or devolve maybe
is a better word,
00:22:37.25\00:22:39.49
and sort of circle the
wagons and close in on itself.
00:22:39.52\00:22:43.96
It was developing
along Pharisaical lines.
00:22:44.39\00:22:47.33
So one of John's tasks
is to keep the fire burning,
00:22:48.33\00:22:53.77
to keep the momentum going,
to keep this fledgling baby
00:22:54.74\00:23:00.81
Christian movement energized.
00:23:00.84\00:23:03.45
He will be joined in
that awesome task by Paul
00:23:04.15\00:23:07.78
and other New
Testament church fathers.
00:23:07.82\00:23:11.09
Christianity during
these days, round about 100 AD,
00:23:11.92\00:23:15.16
has to defend
itself against any number
00:23:16.39\00:23:19.86
of demonic outside attacks.
00:23:20.10\00:23:22.30
Liberalism...
00:23:22.86\00:23:24.20
You don't have to do anything.
00:23:26.20\00:23:27.74
Ultra-conservatism...
00:23:29.44\00:23:31.24
You've got to do everything.
00:23:32.27\00:23:33.71
Docetism, Nicolaitanism,
Gnosticism, Stoicism.
00:23:35.31\00:23:43.28
Hellenization, or the
Greek-izing of the church.
00:23:44.29\00:23:48.26
Paganism.
00:23:48.62\00:23:49.96
Judaizers who try to turn all
the Christians back into Jews.
00:23:50.33\00:23:53.90
And the ever present
internal power struggles
00:23:54.50\00:23:59.13
And Roman paganism,
as well as Epicureanism.
00:23:59.67\00:24:05.14
Some of these things
you can hardly pronounce.
00:24:05.71\00:24:08.34
And yet the church had to
fight against all of them.
00:24:08.38\00:24:10.55
When you're a new movement,
everybody wants a piece of you.
00:24:10.58\00:24:14.15
Everybody wants to
get a little piece.
00:24:14.25\00:24:15.95
And so Christianity is
trying to grow up in among
00:24:15.98\00:24:19.85
all of these weeds which
are pressing in upon them.
00:24:19.89\00:24:24.26
You know, as you look
at the book of Galatians,
00:24:24.29\00:24:26.19
Paul says to the
church of the Galatians,
00:24:26.23\00:24:27.90
"How quickly you guys
have come off the rails.
00:24:27.93\00:24:30.07
How quickly
you've jumped the tracks.
00:24:30.60\00:24:33.03
You know, we set up
the church and go away,
00:24:33.07\00:24:35.54
and so quickly
you've lost your first love.
00:24:35.64\00:24:38.21
You're wondering in darkness."
00:24:38.24\00:24:39.77
Because all of
these ism's and idiologies
00:24:39.81\00:24:42.31
were pressing in on the church.
00:24:42.34\00:24:43.68
And of course, the church
was going around and baptizing
00:24:43.71\00:24:46.08
people who were bringing
some of these, dare I say,
00:24:46.11\00:24:48.82
diseases or infections
into the church with it.
00:24:48.85\00:24:52.55
So many of the
early church fathers...
00:24:52.59\00:24:54.12
Marcion got
kicked out of the church.
00:24:54.16\00:24:56.06
You had others who brought
different kinds of abhorrent
00:24:56.09\00:24:59.89
Arian ideologies to the church.
00:25:00.23\00:25:02.83
And the church has to
not only resist paganism,
00:25:02.86\00:25:06.40
not only resist the
threats of the Roman government,
00:25:06.43\00:25:10.07
you've got all of these subset
religious cults and idioms and
00:25:10.11\00:25:14.94
idiologies trying to
weave its way into the church.
00:25:14.98\00:25:18.21
And so people like Paul,
John, and other New Testament
00:25:18.25\00:25:21.68
apostolic fathers had to
constantly fight against the
00:25:21.72\00:25:25.15
incursion of these false faiths
00:25:25.19\00:25:30.49
working their way
into Christianity.
00:25:30.53\00:25:31.89
It was a time of
consolidation and stabilization.
00:25:31.93\00:25:37.57
It was hard to
keep the church pure
00:25:37.60\00:25:40.80
and to keep the church clean.
00:25:40.84\00:25:42.40
And of course, you've got
Greek thought, and you've got
00:25:42.44\00:25:45.71
the thought of the Platos
and the Aristotle's of the world
00:25:46.34\00:25:51.28
trying to
encroach into the church.
00:25:51.31\00:25:53.38
And even till today, you've
got all kinds of subset...
00:25:53.48\00:26:00.56
You know, the
numbers I don't even know.
00:26:00.59\00:26:03.46
I've heard some
people say as many as 33,000,
00:26:03.66\00:26:07.03
I've heard 300, I've heard 3000,
00:26:07.06\00:26:09.16
different
Protestant denominations,
00:26:09.26\00:26:12.03
depending on who you talk to.
00:26:13.07\00:26:15.14
They all can't be right.
00:26:16.74\00:26:18.47
The truth is,
somebody's got to be right
00:26:19.81\00:26:23.04
and somebody's got to be wrong.
00:26:23.68\00:26:25.38
And one of the jobs of
Christians, one of our jobs,
00:26:26.41\00:26:30.99
is to search the
Scriptures daily and make sure
00:26:31.22\00:26:36.49
that you're
walking the right way.
00:26:36.73\00:26:40.60
The way of wisdom
and the way of truth.
00:26:40.76\00:26:43.57
And so by the time John
is writing, this incursion,
00:26:43.60\00:26:49.60
encrosion, of false faith
is a clear and present danger
00:26:49.64\00:26:55.08
that John and
Paul push back against
00:26:55.11\00:26:59.08
in order to keep the
church pure and clean,
00:26:59.18\00:27:04.32
and focused on Jesus.
00:27:04.59\00:27:08.46
And John does it in a
very unique and exciting way.
00:27:08.72\00:27:12.93
We're going to get to
that in just a little bit.
00:27:13.03\00:27:14.46
Alright.
00:27:14.50\00:27:15.83
So we know that he's writing
to the second generation.
00:27:15.86\00:27:18.20
That's one of the keys to
understanding the book of John.
00:27:18.23\00:27:20.57
John is writing to people who
do not know, have never known,
00:27:21.04\00:27:24.44
would never know
Jesus on a personal level.
00:27:24.47\00:27:26.54
This second
generation whose only connection
00:27:26.57\00:27:29.71
is the testimony
of people like John,
00:27:29.91\00:27:32.35
or the first generation.
00:27:32.45\00:27:34.28
Maybe that is why
John presents what we call,
00:27:34.32\00:27:38.05
the touchless Jesus.
00:27:38.09\00:27:39.45
Now what did I say? I
said, the touchless Jesus.
00:27:39.49\00:27:42.36
John's Jesus is
a touchless Jesus.
00:27:43.29\00:27:47.70
Now what do I mean
by a touchless Jesus?
00:27:48.86\00:27:50.50
Look at the miracles in Matthew,
00:27:50.70\00:27:52.90
look at the
miracles in the book of Mark,
00:27:53.30\00:27:55.47
look at the
miracles in the book of Luke.
00:27:55.94\00:27:59.37
Not all, I can think
of one or two incidences,
00:28:01.04\00:28:04.68
but the vast majority of
the miracles in the books
00:28:04.78\00:28:11.05
of Matthew, Mark,
and Luke are accomplished
00:28:11.09\00:28:14.99
through a touch
of the Master's hand.
00:28:15.36\00:28:18.53
Somewhere in those miracles
Jesus is going to lay His hand,
00:28:18.79\00:28:23.30
or pick somebody
up, or hold somebody,
00:28:23.40\00:28:26.84
and the miracle is
accomplished during
00:28:27.87\00:28:30.77
or through that touch.
00:28:30.81\00:28:33.31
But I discovered that in
John's case, John presents
00:28:34.34\00:28:40.05
a touchless Jesus.
00:28:40.15\00:28:42.78
That is to say, the
miracles that John speaks about
00:28:43.35\00:28:47.89
as performed by Christ are done
without any physical contact.
00:28:47.99\00:28:55.46
Now you can check this out.
Give you a homework assignment.
00:28:55.50\00:28:57.37
You can look up
that for yourself.
00:28:57.60\00:28:59.53
But the miracles in the book
of John don't have any contact.
00:28:59.73\00:29:04.17
They are touchless.
00:29:04.21\00:29:06.01
And I think John did that
for a very specific reason.
00:29:06.57\00:29:11.55
I think he put in
those touchless miracles
00:29:12.81\00:29:17.55
to assure those who
would never be touched by Jesus
00:29:18.32\00:29:22.89
that the word is as
strong as the touch.
00:29:23.39\00:29:29.06
You see, I will never have
a chance, this side of glory,
00:29:29.70\00:29:33.94
to be personally touched
by Jesus unless He does for me
00:29:34.14\00:29:38.91
what He did for Paul, and
that sort of bear me out of time
00:29:39.01\00:29:41.51
and give me a
personal visitation.
00:29:41.54\00:29:43.28
And so John is writing to people
who fall into that category.
00:29:43.31\00:29:46.41
You're not ever
going to touch Jesus,
00:29:47.12\00:29:48.45
not ever going to
be touched by Jesus.
00:29:48.55\00:29:50.42
But John is letting them know
that when you've got the promise
00:29:50.45\00:29:55.59
of the Word, the Word
is as good as a touch.
00:29:56.36\00:30:01.63
So those who were touched
by Jesus have no advantage
00:30:02.10\00:30:05.00
on those who only have the Word,
00:30:05.03\00:30:07.07
because the Word is
as good as the touch.
00:30:07.10\00:30:09.27
So John presents for
us a touchless Christ
00:30:09.30\00:30:12.77
who does miracles and
healings that are not transacted
00:30:13.78\00:30:18.35
through the result
of a personal experience
00:30:18.38\00:30:21.15
between Christ the Healer
and the healed individual,
00:30:21.18\00:30:25.05
the person who gets healed.
00:30:25.59\00:30:27.36
He's touchless.
00:30:27.39\00:30:28.72
Now let's look at some
examples of a touching Christ.
00:30:28.76\00:30:30.66
I'm in Matthew 8:3-4.
00:30:31.63\00:30:34.73
So we'll turn over to Matthew.
00:30:34.76\00:30:36.16
Matthew 8:3-4
00:30:38.20\00:30:40.27
Matthew 8:3
00:30:41.00\00:30:42.34
"Then Jesus put out His
hand and touched him, saying,
00:30:42.90\00:30:47.54
'I am willing; be cleansed.'
00:30:47.64\00:30:49.44
Immediately his
leprosy was cleansed."
00:30:49.54\00:30:51.25
Alright, that's a touch.
00:30:51.28\00:30:53.42
Let's go to Matthew 9:18.
00:30:53.68\00:30:55.52
So we're turning
over to Matthew 9:18.
00:30:55.55\00:31:00.36
14, 16, 18.
00:31:00.39\00:31:03.59
"While He spoke these things to
them, behold, a ruler came and
00:31:03.63\00:31:07.16
worshiped Him, saying,
'My daughter has just died,
00:31:07.20\00:31:09.70
but come and lay Your
hand on her and she will live.'
00:31:09.93\00:31:14.74
Jesus arose, followed
him, and so did His disciples."
00:31:15.04\00:31:18.37
Again, another touch miracle.
00:31:18.41\00:31:20.88
We'll take one more
from the book of Matthew.
00:31:20.91\00:31:22.41
I'm in Matthew 14.
00:31:22.94\00:31:24.45
Matthew 14:29
00:31:24.91\00:31:27.12
Matthew 14:29
00:31:29.18\00:31:31.55
"So He said, 'Come.'
00:31:32.15\00:31:33.72
And when Peter had
come down out of the boat,
00:31:33.92\00:31:36.69
he walked on the
water to go to Jesus.
00:31:36.73\00:31:43.03
But when he saw that the wind
was boisterous, he was afraid;
00:31:43.06\00:31:46.97
and beginning to sink he
cried out, 'Master, save me!'
00:31:47.07\00:31:49.94
Immediately Jesus stretched
out His hand and caught him..."
00:31:49.97\00:31:53.68
So even Peter's salvation,
when he's getting ready to
00:31:53.78\00:31:58.05
drown in that boisterous sea,
was accomplished through touch.
00:31:58.08\00:32:02.25
So the miracles, for the most
part, in the book of Matthew
00:32:02.28\00:32:05.79
are touch miracles.
00:32:05.89\00:32:08.16
Miracles where Jesus
made physical contact
00:32:08.72\00:32:11.73
with the person He's healed.
00:32:11.76\00:32:13.09
Now let's go to
the book of Mark.
00:32:13.13\00:32:14.46
I'm in Mark 1.
00:32:15.06\00:32:16.97
Mark 1:29 Mark 1:29
00:32:17.00\00:32:22.40
"Now as soon as they had
come out of the synagogue,
00:32:26.84\00:32:29.28
they entered the house of Simon
and Andrew, with James and John.
00:32:29.31\00:32:34.52
But Simon's wife's
mother lay sick with a fever,
00:32:34.62\00:32:38.02
and they told Him
about her at once.
00:32:38.05\00:32:40.89
So He came and took her
by the hand," that's a touch,
00:32:41.36\00:32:44.93
"and lifted her up, and
immediately the fever left her."
00:32:44.96\00:32:48.63
And so Mark, the miracle guy...
00:32:48.66\00:32:52.63
I say, "the miracle guy,"
because he recounts miracles.
00:32:52.67\00:32:55.17
He just gets
right into miracles.
00:32:55.20\00:32:56.97
This is the very first chapter,
we've got a miracle already.
00:32:57.01\00:32:59.67
But it's a touch miracle.
00:32:59.71\00:33:01.64
Now Mark 5:21.
00:33:01.68\00:33:03.48
Mark 5:21
00:33:04.41\00:33:07.25
Mark 5:21
00:33:08.12\00:33:09.45
"Now when Jesus had
crossed over again by boat
00:33:09.48\00:33:12.45
to the other side, a
great multitude gathered to Him;
00:33:12.65\00:33:15.62
and He was by the sea.
00:33:15.66\00:33:16.99
And behold, one of the
rulers of the synagogue came,
00:33:17.03\00:33:20.00
Jairus by name.
00:33:20.10\00:33:21.43
And when he saw
Him, he fell at His feet
00:33:21.60\00:33:25.03
and begged Him earnestly,
saying, 'My daughter lies
00:33:25.07\00:33:28.04
at the point of death.
00:33:28.07\00:33:29.40
Come and lay Your hands on her,
00:33:29.44\00:33:31.01
that she may be
healed, and she will live.'
00:33:31.04\00:33:33.48
So Jesus went with him, and a
great multitude follow Him..."
00:33:33.51\00:33:36.68
Now this, of course,
is a great, great story,
00:33:36.71\00:33:38.98
because it's a
miracle in a miracle.
00:33:39.01\00:33:41.28
Christ is going to
heal Jairus' daughter.
00:33:41.38\00:33:43.82
Meanwhile, the woman
with the issue of blood
00:33:44.02\00:33:46.35
touches the hem of
His garment and is healed.
00:33:46.55\00:33:49.96
Later on, Christ
heals Jairus' daughter.
00:33:50.46\00:33:55.33
So again, touch,
contact between Christ and
00:33:55.36\00:34:00.20
the person that is healed.
00:34:00.40\00:34:01.74
Take just one more.
00:34:01.77\00:34:03.10
I'm in Mark 9:25-27.
00:34:03.64\00:34:08.21
Mark 9, and I'm
picking it up at verse 25.
00:34:08.94\00:34:12.71
The Bible says, "When
Jesus saw that the people
00:34:14.05\00:34:16.62
came running together, He
rebuked the unclean spirit,
00:34:16.65\00:34:19.72
saying to it, 'Deaf and
dumb spirit, I command you,
00:34:19.75\00:34:22.06
come out of him
and enter him no more!'
00:34:22.09\00:34:24.36
Then the spirit cried
out, convulsing him greatly,
00:34:24.56\00:34:27.20
and came out of him.
00:34:27.56\00:34:28.93
And he became as one dead,
so that many said, 'He is dead.'
00:34:28.96\00:34:33.13
But Jesus took him by the hand,
lifted him up, and he arose."
00:34:33.17\00:34:39.34
Again, a miracle accomplished
through direct contact
00:34:39.37\00:34:42.91
between Jesus and
the person being healed.
00:34:42.94\00:34:45.71
Now let's go to
the book of Luke.
00:34:45.75\00:34:47.08
Almost done.
00:34:47.35\00:34:48.68
Luke 4:40
00:34:48.72\00:34:50.05
Luke 4:40
00:34:50.09\00:34:53.96
Luke 4, and I'm
coming to verse 40.
00:34:54.89\00:34:58.69
Luke 4:40, the Bible
says, "When the sun was setting,
00:34:58.73\00:35:03.30
all those who had any that
were sick with various diseases
00:35:03.33\00:35:08.00
brought them to Him;
and He laid His hands
00:35:08.04\00:35:11.17
on every one of
them and healed them."
00:35:11.21\00:35:13.17
He did what? He laid His hands.
00:35:13.21\00:35:15.74
Again, direct contact between
Christ and the person healed.
00:35:15.78\00:35:19.58
I'm in Luke 7:14.
00:35:19.61\00:35:21.15
Just a few chapters over.
00:35:22.48\00:35:23.82
Luke 7, and I
want verses 14 and 15.
00:35:23.95\00:35:29.12
Luke 7:14
00:35:29.16\00:35:30.53
The Bible says, "Then He came
and touched the open coffin,
00:35:32.46\00:35:37.37
and those who
carried him stood still.
00:35:37.47\00:35:39.67
And He said, 'Young
man, I say to you, arise.'"
00:35:39.70\00:35:43.04
Again, direct contact between
Christ and the person healed.
00:35:43.07\00:35:47.81
Just one more in Luke 8:40.
00:35:47.84\00:35:49.44
Luke 8:40 Luke 8:40
00:35:49.94\00:35:55.18
Luke 8:40
00:35:57.99\00:35:59.52
The Bible says, "So it
was, when Jesus returned,
00:35:59.79\00:36:02.79
that the multitude welcomed Him,
00:36:02.82\00:36:04.63
for they were
all waiting for Him.
00:36:04.73\00:36:06.53
And behold, there
came a man named Jairus,
00:36:06.56\00:36:09.33
and he was a
ruler of the synagogue."
00:36:09.53\00:36:10.87
This is a repeat of the
story that we read in Mark.
00:36:10.90\00:36:13.57
"And he fell down at
His feet and begged Him
00:36:13.60\00:36:15.74
to come to his house..."
00:36:15.77\00:36:17.11
Again, Matthew, Mark,
Luke; all of the miracles
00:36:17.14\00:36:24.68
are touch miracles.
00:36:24.71\00:36:27.62
Now let's go to the book of
John and see John's content.
00:36:28.25\00:36:33.56
Let's consider John 2:1-11.
00:36:33.92\00:36:37.09
I'm only going to
read a couple of these
00:36:37.73\00:36:39.06
because these are longer.
00:36:39.09\00:36:40.43
And I'm going to tell you why
they're longer in just a moment.
00:36:40.46\00:36:42.53
So I'm in John 2:1-11.
00:36:42.56\00:36:45.30
There's one short, kind of
tricky one that we're going to
00:36:45.40\00:36:48.50
have a little fun
within just a minute.
00:36:48.54\00:36:49.87
John 2:1
00:36:49.90\00:36:54.78
John 2
00:36:57.85\00:36:59.18
"On the third day there was
a wedding in Cana of Galilee,
00:37:00.12\00:37:03.69
and the mother
of Jesus was there.
00:37:03.72\00:37:05.35
Now both Jesus and His disciples
00:37:05.62\00:37:07.06
were invited to the wedding.
00:37:07.09\00:37:08.42
And when they ran out of
wine, the mother of Jesus
00:37:08.46\00:37:10.99
said to Him,
'They have no wine.'
00:37:11.03\00:37:12.86
Jesus said, 'Woman, what does
your concern have to do with Me?
00:37:13.06\00:37:17.23
My hour has not yet come.'
00:37:17.27\00:37:18.80
His mother said to the servants,
'Whatever He says, do it.'
00:37:18.83\00:37:21.90
Now there were set
there six water pots of stone,
00:37:22.40\00:37:25.57
according to the manner
of purification of the Jews,
00:37:26.27\00:37:29.01
containing twenty or
thirty gallons apiece."
00:37:29.11\00:37:32.18
So you've got a
large amount of water.
00:37:32.21\00:37:35.22
And of course, this is
one of Jesus' first miracles;
00:37:35.25\00:37:38.82
turning water into wine.
00:37:38.85\00:37:40.82
No contact.
00:37:40.92\00:37:42.26
He didn't put His
hand in the wine vat.
00:37:42.32\00:37:44.49
He didn't touch the water.
00:37:44.66\00:37:46.26
He just made a pronouncement.
00:37:46.43\00:37:48.40
The water was there.
The man begins to drink.
00:37:48.76\00:37:51.57
And of course he says,
"This is the best wine of all.
00:37:51.67\00:37:53.94
This is better
than the first wine."
00:37:54.47\00:37:56.37
So let's go to John 4 now.
00:37:56.40\00:37:58.21
I'll pick it up at verse 46.
00:37:58.67\00:38:00.18
I'm in John 4:46.
00:38:00.21\00:38:02.34
"So Jesus came
again to Cana of Galilee
00:38:03.78\00:38:06.92
where He had made
the water to wine."
00:38:07.12\00:38:08.92
We just read that.
00:38:08.95\00:38:10.29
"And there was a
certain nobleman whose son
00:38:10.32\00:38:12.29
was sick at Capernaum.
00:38:12.32\00:38:14.06
When he heard that Jesus had
come out of Judea into Galilee,
00:38:14.26\00:38:18.43
he went to Him and
implored Him to come down
00:38:18.46\00:38:21.36
to heal his son, for he
was at the point of death."
00:38:21.40\00:38:24.93
So this child is
just about ready to die.
00:38:24.97\00:38:27.14
"Then Jesus said to
him, 'Unless you people see
00:38:28.07\00:38:31.91
signs and wonders, you
will by no means believe.'
00:38:31.94\00:38:35.48
The nobleman said to Him, 'Sir,
come down before my child dies!'
00:38:35.58\00:38:39.61
Jesus said to him, 'Go
your way; your son lives.'"
00:38:39.71\00:38:44.19
So the miracle has
already taken place.
00:38:44.22\00:38:47.46
Between the time the nobleman
said, "My son is about to die,"
00:38:47.89\00:38:52.43
and Christ kind of rebukes them
because they want to see a sign,
00:38:53.06\00:38:57.10
the next thing out of
the nobleman's mouth is,
00:38:57.43\00:38:59.50
"Lord, we need to
hurry this thing up
00:38:59.60\00:39:00.94
because my child is dying."
00:39:00.97\00:39:02.47
The next words out
of Jesus' mouth are,
00:39:02.60\00:39:05.14
"Your son is going to live."
00:39:05.17\00:39:07.01
So the miracle now
has already taken place
00:39:07.04\00:39:09.84
in the midst of this
nobleman's hesitation
00:39:10.05\00:39:14.25
about the power of
Jesus to perform that miracle.
00:39:14.28\00:39:17.12
No touch; He didn't go to the
house, He didn't raise him up,
00:39:17.15\00:39:20.09
He didn't put His hands on him.
00:39:20.29\00:39:21.76
The man asked for a miracle.
00:39:22.16\00:39:24.26
Christ says, "Everybody
wants to see a miracle."
00:39:24.49\00:39:27.23
The next instant,
the miracle has happened.
00:39:27.43\00:39:29.90
A touchless miracle.
00:39:30.00\00:39:32.23
Let's pick up
just one or two more.
00:39:32.27\00:39:33.60
I'm in John 5:1-15.
00:39:33.64\00:39:36.40
You notice how these are long?
00:39:36.44\00:39:37.97
Ten verses, five
verses, fifteen verses.
00:39:38.51\00:39:40.71
But I'm in John 5:1-15.
00:39:40.74\00:39:42.74
John 5:1, "After this
there was a feast of the Jews,
00:39:48.58\00:39:51.92
and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
00:39:52.12\00:39:53.56
Now there was in Jerusalem
by the Sheep Gate a pool,
00:39:53.76\00:39:56.62
which is called in Hebrew,
Bethesda," house of mercy,
00:39:56.66\00:40:00.56
"having five porches.
00:40:00.60\00:40:01.93
In these lay a great
multitude of sick people,
00:40:02.03\00:40:07.17
blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting
for the moving of the water.
00:40:07.20\00:40:10.64
For an angel went down at
a certain time into the pool
00:40:10.74\00:40:13.48
and stirred up the water."
00:40:13.51\00:40:14.84
Now this was a belief that
when the water was troubled,
00:40:14.88\00:40:17.51
when there was a
little ripple on the water,
00:40:17.55\00:40:19.45
that an angel was doing that.
00:40:19.48\00:40:20.82
And of course the
belief was, the first person in
00:40:20.85\00:40:23.39
after the ripple gets healed.
00:40:23.42\00:40:25.99
And then Christ
talks to this man.
00:40:28.32\00:40:30.03
Pick it up at verse 7,
"The sick man answered Him,
00:40:30.06\00:40:32.99
'Sir, I have no man
to put me into the pool
00:40:33.03\00:40:36.67
when the water is stirred up;
00:40:36.70\00:40:38.03
but while I am coming,
another steps down before me.'"
00:40:38.07\00:40:41.10
So he's possessed of this belief
than an angel troubles the water
00:40:41.14\00:40:46.54
and the first
person in gets healed.
00:40:46.74\00:40:50.01
Now look at this.
00:40:50.05\00:40:51.38
There's no, "Thy
faith hath made thee whole."
00:40:52.41\00:40:54.75
There's no big ceremony.
00:40:54.85\00:40:56.65
Christ never
puts His hand on Him.
00:40:56.85\00:40:58.62
"Jesus said to Him, 'Rise,
take up your bed and walk.'"
00:40:58.72\00:41:03.49
That's the story.
00:41:04.46\00:41:05.79
"Lord, I want to get healed.
00:41:06.53\00:41:08.16
But I can't get into the water."
00:41:08.20\00:41:09.93
Christ says, "Take
up your bed and walk."
00:41:09.96\00:41:12.37
It is a touchless miracle.
00:41:12.40\00:41:15.40
Now let me show you something
kind of cute and kind of tricky
00:41:15.44\00:41:17.47
that John puts in here maybe
just to challenge our thinking.
00:41:17.51\00:41:20.24
I'm in John 9:6-7.
00:41:20.28\00:41:24.58
This one is very, very short.
00:41:24.61\00:41:25.95
John 9:6-7
00:41:25.98\00:41:28.78
That's why I
studying the Word of God.
00:41:28.82\00:41:30.19
Not only is it exciting
and inspirational, it's fun.
00:41:30.22\00:41:33.32
John 9:6 John 9:6
00:41:33.76\00:41:37.09
Here we go, John 9:6.
00:41:45.50\00:41:47.90
"When He had said these
things He spat on the ground,
00:41:48.44\00:41:52.84
made clay with the saliva;
00:41:53.34\00:41:55.34
and He anointed the eyes of
the blind man with the clay.
00:41:55.38\00:41:58.68
And He said to him, 'Go,
wash in the pool of Siloam,'
00:41:58.95\00:42:02.88
which is translated, Sent."
00:42:03.08\00:42:04.45
Go wash in the pool of Sent.
00:42:04.49\00:42:05.89
"So he went and
washed, and came back seeing."
00:42:05.92\00:42:08.96
Now, John is playing a
little game with us here.
00:42:08.99\00:42:11.26
When did the miracle take place?
00:42:11.29\00:42:12.99
Did the miracle take
place when Christ put the
00:42:14.86\00:42:17.80
mud spit mixture on his eyes
or did the miracle take place
00:42:18.17\00:42:23.81
when he went and washed?
00:42:24.24\00:42:25.81
Or did the miracle
take place on the way back?
00:42:27.38\00:42:30.85
The Bible doesn't say precisely
when the miracle took place,
00:42:32.08\00:42:36.08
but it intimates that
the miracle took place
00:42:36.35\00:42:39.92
after the man showed
faith and washed in the pool.
00:42:40.02\00:42:44.43
Now Christ had touched
him by putting the saliva
00:42:44.46\00:42:48.46
mud mixture on his eyes,
but the eyesight didn't return
00:42:50.43\00:42:55.87
until he had washed.
00:42:55.97\00:42:57.61
So John is giving you a
little brain teaser there.
00:42:57.64\00:43:00.61
But again, it's a
touchless miracle.
00:43:00.64\00:43:04.61
I'll give you just
one last one, John 11.
00:43:05.55\00:43:07.42
And as I was moving
through the book of John
00:43:07.98\00:43:09.72
and showing all of these
things, I really got excited
00:43:09.75\00:43:12.02
to see how John in
particular elucidates
00:43:12.05\00:43:19.29
all of these touchless miracles.
00:43:19.49\00:43:21.40
So I'm on John 11:39.
00:43:21.43\00:43:23.63
John 11:39
00:43:23.93\00:43:25.90
Yeah, John 11:39. Here we go.
00:43:31.87\00:43:33.71
Here we go.
00:43:33.74\00:43:35.08
"Martha, the sister of
him who was dead, said to Him,
00:43:36.01\00:43:39.15
'Lord, by this
time there is a stench,
00:43:39.18\00:43:43.32
for he has been dead four days.'
00:43:43.42\00:43:46.52
Jesus said to her, 'Did
I not say to you that if
00:43:46.89\00:43:50.83
you would believe, you
would see the glory of God?'
00:43:50.86\00:43:53.36
Then they took away
the stone from the place
00:43:53.73\00:43:56.50
where the dead man was lying.
00:43:56.53\00:43:58.17
And Jesus lifted
up His eyes and said,
00:43:58.20\00:44:00.17
'Father, I thank You
that You have heard Me.
00:44:00.20\00:44:02.74
And I know that
You always hear Me,
00:44:02.77\00:44:06.07
but because of the people
who are standing by I said this,
00:44:07.38\00:44:11.98
that they may
believe that You sent Me.'
00:44:12.31\00:44:15.58
Now when He had
said these things,
00:44:16.05\00:44:18.25
He cried with a loud
voice, 'Lazarus, come forth!'
00:44:18.29\00:44:21.76
And he who had died
came out bound hand and foot
00:44:22.02\00:44:27.66
in grave clothes..."
00:44:27.70\00:44:29.06
Now Christ didn't go in
the grave and unwrap him
00:44:29.16\00:44:32.23
and pick him up.
00:44:32.27\00:44:33.60
Christ didn't lay hands on him.
00:44:33.64\00:44:35.60
Christ shouted from
outside the tomb to a dead body
00:44:35.70\00:44:39.84
inside the tomb.
00:44:39.87\00:44:41.44
The dead body was awakened
and walked out of the tomb
00:44:41.48\00:44:45.45
still wrapped in
his grave clothes.
00:44:45.48\00:44:48.22
Lazarus, one of Christ's
closes friends on earth,
00:44:48.48\00:44:52.19
who we are told in
inspired writings was really
00:44:52.29\00:44:55.52
a disciple of Christ, healed
by Him, resurrected by Him,
00:44:55.56\00:45:01.03
and Christ never laid
a finger, or as we say,
00:45:01.06\00:45:04.43
never laid a glove on him.
00:45:04.63\00:45:06.37
So you see in the book
of John touchless miracles.
00:45:06.47\00:45:11.77
Non-contact cures.
00:45:12.11\00:45:14.74
And you only see that in John.
00:45:14.78\00:45:17.21
Now why are
these stories so long?
00:45:17.25\00:45:18.61
They're so long simply
because they're touchless.
00:45:18.65\00:45:21.52
In a touch miracle
you can simply say,
00:45:22.95\00:45:25.25
"Jesus touched
him and healed him.
00:45:25.29\00:45:26.62
He was fine."
00:45:26.65\00:45:27.99
But when you've got a story
where a person gets healed,
00:45:28.02\00:45:30.49
and they never are
contacted by Jesus,
00:45:30.53\00:45:34.03
you've got to give the context.
00:45:34.06\00:45:35.40
So you find that these
touchless miracles in John
00:45:35.43\00:45:38.77
consume much more
language than the touch miracles
00:45:39.23\00:45:42.67
in Matthew, Mark and Luke.
00:45:42.70\00:45:44.04
And that's why
they're so good to study.
00:45:44.07\00:45:45.51
Now why did John do that?
00:45:45.54\00:45:46.88
Why did John put all
of these touchless miracle
00:45:46.91\00:45:50.25
in his particular gospel?
00:45:50.28\00:45:51.75
I think for one reason.
00:45:52.18\00:45:53.52
To let the people in
his day know and understand
00:45:54.12\00:45:57.59
that the voice of
Jesus, the word of Jesus,
00:45:58.49\00:46:03.09
is as powerful as
the touch of Jesus.
00:46:03.53\00:46:06.39
John knew that those living
in 100 AD, 200 AD, 300 AD,
00:46:06.93\00:46:13.23
during the Diocletian
persecution from 303 to 313
00:46:13.34\00:46:17.01
when tens of thousands of Jews
were being killed in the arena,
00:46:17.04\00:46:20.11
all the way down to
2016, would need to know
00:46:20.24\00:46:25.08
that the Word of Jesus is as
strong as the touch of Jesus.
00:46:25.11\00:46:30.32
That the Word of Jesus is as
powerful as the touch of Jesus.
00:46:30.42\00:46:35.22
That even though we will
not ever lay hands on Him
00:46:35.36\00:46:39.59
or eyes on Him until we
see Him when He comes back,
00:46:39.63\00:46:43.23
that we've got
the power in His Word.
00:46:43.67\00:46:46.70
And the Word says
that Christ will heal those
00:46:46.74\00:46:50.14
who come unto Him in
faith and in righteousness.
00:46:50.17\00:46:54.81
And John put that in
there for that specific reason.
00:46:54.91\00:46:59.45
To let us know, we
don't have Jesus in body
00:46:59.88\00:47:03.35
but we've got Him in Spirit
and we've got Him in our hearts.
00:47:03.39\00:47:06.76
And we've got His
Word, which is as powerful
00:47:06.86\00:47:10.43
as His presence
and as His touch.
00:47:10.46\00:47:14.10
So I think John is trying
to say something very important
00:47:14.13\00:47:16.16
to that second generation.
00:47:16.20\00:47:17.53
The same thing that
he's trying to say to you.
00:47:17.63\00:47:19.43
The message is that the
Word of Jesus is powerful,
00:47:19.47\00:47:22.94
is efficacious, is loaded
with the presence of Jesus
00:47:23.51\00:47:28.08
through the power
of His Holy Spirit.
00:47:28.34\00:47:30.91
Paul said, "I got to
experience the Savior
00:47:31.01\00:47:35.58
as one born out of time."
00:47:35.62\00:47:37.59
God did something
very, very special for Paul.
00:47:37.75\00:47:41.22
God did something
special for that man's pedigree.
00:47:41.76\00:47:45.76
But John intimates, "Even if
you don't get that experience,
00:47:45.86\00:47:50.27
even if you don't get
that special anointing,
00:47:50.47\00:47:53.17
that special contact that
Paul had, you don't have to feel
00:47:53.20\00:47:58.14
like a second class citizen.
00:47:58.17\00:48:00.51
Even though you're a
second generation Christian,
00:48:00.71\00:48:04.05
you're not a
second class Christian."
00:48:04.35\00:48:07.32
In fact, the Word overcomes,
supersedes time and space.
00:48:07.35\00:48:16.06
Because there were
people in Jesus' time
00:48:16.52\00:48:19.29
who got their
miracle never having seen Him
00:48:19.56\00:48:22.56
or touched by the Messiah.
00:48:22.60\00:48:24.33
So you today can know
that you may never see Him
00:48:24.53\00:48:28.97
in this life, but
you can have the miracle
00:48:29.00\00:48:32.07
working power of Jesus.
00:48:32.11\00:48:34.54
Why?
00:48:34.58\00:48:35.91
Because the Word says so.
00:48:35.94\00:48:38.88
And the Word is as
good as the God who gave it.
00:48:39.11\00:48:44.32
Now my time is
getting away from me,
00:48:44.35\00:48:45.69
so I've got to do a
couple of things real fast.
00:48:45.72\00:48:47.06
John's gospel also does
the same thing as we mentioned
00:48:49.19\00:48:53.70
that Paul is attempting
to do in the book of Hebrews.
00:48:53.73\00:48:57.70
In John we see Jesus as
Teacher, like we do in Hebrews,
00:48:57.93\00:49:02.90
we see Him as Counselor,
like we do in Hebrews,
00:49:02.94\00:49:06.31
we see Him as Rabbi or
priest, like we do in Hebrews,
00:49:06.34\00:49:10.31
and we see Him as
Pastor, as we do in Hebrews.
00:49:10.35\00:49:14.15
So you've got two men
writing in two different places
00:49:14.25\00:49:17.15
at two separate times,
but they're both trying to
00:49:17.19\00:49:21.19
strengthen the hands
of a fledgling church
00:49:21.29\00:49:24.03
which is trying
to get on its feet.
00:49:24.13\00:49:25.46
We see this more in
John than any other gospel.
00:49:25.49\00:49:29.10
Here's anything thing
you see in the book of John
00:49:29.13\00:49:30.77
that's exciting to me.
00:49:31.40\00:49:32.73
John takes time, and we're
not going to have time really
00:49:32.97\00:49:35.60
to examine this
thoroughly, but John takes time
00:49:35.64\00:49:39.17
more than Matthew,
Mark, and Luke to talk about
00:49:39.41\00:49:42.91
the personal and
private conversations,
00:49:42.94\00:49:45.61
the one on one ministry
that Jesus had with those
00:49:45.65\00:49:49.28
who would follow Him.
00:49:49.32\00:49:50.65
In Matthew, Mark, and
Luke you get the big stuff.
00:49:50.69\00:49:52.62
You get the feeding
of the five thousand.
00:49:52.65\00:49:54.29
You get the big
public pronouncements.
00:49:54.32\00:49:56.16
You get the big
sermons on the mount.
00:49:56.36\00:49:57.83
But in John you get
the private sermons.
00:49:57.86\00:50:01.20
You get the
private Bible studies.
00:50:01.23\00:50:03.33
You get the private discourses.
00:50:03.37\00:50:04.97
I'll give you an example.
00:50:05.47\00:50:06.80
You get in John a
recitation of Christ
00:50:07.07\00:50:11.44
one on one with Nicodemus.
00:50:11.47\00:50:13.78
Private with this
ruler of the synagogue.
00:50:14.94\00:50:18.61
Private consultation.
00:50:18.65\00:50:20.42
You get a private
discussion with the woman
00:50:21.28\00:50:24.22
caught in adultery.
00:50:24.25\00:50:25.59
You get a private
one on one discussion
00:50:25.62\00:50:27.82
with the rich young ruler.
00:50:27.86\00:50:29.19
John takes pains to know
that Jesus did many great
00:50:29.22\00:50:33.19
public things, but He also spent
some quality one on one time
00:50:33.23\00:50:37.43
with those who needed a
little special instruction.
00:50:37.47\00:50:40.47
And I will say to
you, brothers and sisters,
00:50:40.50\00:50:41.97
Christ will do
that for you today.
00:50:42.00\00:50:43.57
You need a little one
on one time with Jesus,
00:50:43.67\00:50:45.87
Jesus will be more
than happy to come aside
00:50:45.91\00:50:48.31
and talk with you
and walk with you,
00:50:48.34\00:50:50.98
and tell you
that you are His own.
00:50:51.01\00:50:54.32
So John's gospel has
all of the public stuff,
00:50:54.35\00:50:58.09
but it also has
the private stuff.
00:50:58.12\00:50:59.85
It gives you this
exalted picture of Jesus.
00:50:59.89\00:51:04.36
Again, we see the uniqueness
like we do in Hebrews.
00:51:05.16\00:51:08.16
And Jesus is meek and mild.
00:51:08.63\00:51:11.77
But we also see in
John, and I love this,
00:51:11.97\00:51:15.24
we see in the book of
John a passion that Jesus has
00:51:15.67\00:51:20.68
that really appears in
none of the other gospels.
00:51:20.88\00:51:24.15
Jesus is
passionate about His work.
00:51:24.18\00:51:27.75
And we today
need to be passionate
00:51:27.95\00:51:31.72
about our work for the Lord.
00:51:31.75\00:51:33.09
Jesus was meek and mild,
but don't confuse meekness
00:51:33.56\00:51:37.86
with weakness or wimpiness.
00:51:37.89\00:51:41.50
Because Christ
was none of the above.
00:51:41.53\00:51:43.10
Jesus, in John's gospel, is
passionate about His mission.
00:51:43.43\00:51:47.50
And we should be
passionate about our mission
00:51:47.74\00:51:51.21
as servants of Christ.
00:51:51.57\00:51:52.91
No weak-kneed,
namby-pamby sort of
00:51:52.94\00:51:56.38
backsliding
Christianity will do.
00:51:56.41\00:51:58.38
The cause of Christ
must be populated with
00:51:58.65\00:52:01.92
passionate followers.
00:52:01.95\00:52:03.28
John 3:3, we'll go
through these real fast.
00:52:03.59\00:52:05.42
John 3
00:52:05.45\00:52:06.79
When Jesus is
talking to Nicodemus,
00:52:08.12\00:52:10.06
He kind of lays it out.
00:52:10.26\00:52:11.59
He doesn't spar
with the Pharisee.
00:52:11.63\00:52:13.06
You know, "Do I
need to go back into my
00:52:13.09\00:52:14.46
mother's womb to be born again?"
00:52:14.50\00:52:15.83
Christ doesn't dally with that.
00:52:16.23\00:52:18.93
He simply says, "Marvel
not, don't be surprised.
00:52:18.97\00:52:21.74
I'm telling you,
you've got to be born again."
00:52:21.84\00:52:24.31
Period.
00:52:24.54\00:52:25.87
End of story. Exclamation point.
00:52:25.91\00:52:28.38
You must be born again.
00:52:28.64\00:52:30.35
There's passion there.
00:52:30.38\00:52:31.98
This is a rich person.
00:52:32.01\00:52:33.48
This is a man who's
accustomed to having people
00:52:33.52\00:52:36.08
bow and to defer to him.
00:52:36.18\00:52:37.65
And Christ
doesn't dance with him.
00:52:37.69\00:52:39.25
Christ doesn't do
that kind of thing.
00:52:39.35\00:52:40.89
Christ says,
"Listen, you want to be saved,
00:52:40.92\00:52:43.59
you've got to be born again.
00:52:43.63\00:52:44.96
No other way.
00:52:46.26\00:52:47.60
You have to be born again."
00:52:47.76\00:52:49.16
So there's passion.
00:52:49.20\00:52:50.53
The passport, the visa to
being saved is being born again.
00:52:50.57\00:52:57.24
Christ didn't say, "Nicodemus,
well let's see if we can
00:52:57.27\00:52:59.41
work out
something special for you.
00:52:59.44\00:53:00.78
You're rich, you've got
standing in the community.
00:53:00.98\00:53:03.85
Let's see if we can maybe
do something special for you."
00:53:03.88\00:53:06.82
No, no.
00:53:07.02\00:53:08.35
"Marvel not, don't be surprised.
00:53:08.38\00:53:10.02
You must be born again."
00:53:10.22\00:53:11.82
Next we see Jesus
pushing back against tradition.
00:53:11.85\00:53:15.32
The willful or
unintended ignorance
00:53:16.29\00:53:19.36
of tradition and darkness,
in John 3:10, John 5:39-41.
00:53:20.60\00:53:25.67
My time is going
to get away from me.
00:53:25.70\00:53:27.04
I won't be able to go
through these thoroughly.
00:53:27.07\00:53:29.27
But Jesus is pushing back
against pretense and tradition.
00:53:29.30\00:53:32.77
Let's go to John 3:10.
00:53:32.81\00:53:34.14
Let's just do that
real fast so that I can...
00:53:34.18\00:53:36.31
I'm looking at my time and
I'm going to be in trouble.
00:53:36.78\00:53:39.35
John 3:10
00:53:39.38\00:53:41.48
John 3:10
00:53:42.78\00:53:44.12
"Jesus answered
and said unto him..."
00:53:45.95\00:53:47.59
Now listen to
Christ's words here.
00:53:47.62\00:53:48.96
"Are you a teacher in Israel,
and do not know these things?
00:53:49.09\00:53:52.69
Most assuredly, I say to
you, We speak what We know
00:53:53.09\00:53:56.30
and testify what We have seen,
00:53:56.33\00:53:58.20
and you do not
receive Our witness.
00:53:58.40\00:54:01.70
If I have told you earthly
things and you do not believe,
00:54:01.80\00:54:05.37
how will you believe if I
tell you heavenly things?"
00:54:05.41\00:54:08.28
You know, Christ is
pushing back against darkness.
00:54:08.31\00:54:10.81
"You know, you're a
teacher, you're a leader.
00:54:10.85\00:54:12.25
You're somebody who's
kind of running the show.
00:54:12.28\00:54:14.48
You're in charge of people.
00:54:14.52\00:54:15.85
And you don't know the truth?
00:54:15.88\00:54:17.22
If I tell you earthly
things and you're not buying it,
00:54:17.75\00:54:20.66
how are you going to
receive heavenly things
00:54:20.86\00:54:23.09
that you don't
really understand?"
00:54:23.12\00:54:24.46
So Christ did not
countenance willful ignorance
00:54:24.56\00:54:28.40
or ignorance that was
spurned or buttressed by
00:54:28.43\00:54:31.80
following tradition over
and against the revelation that
00:54:32.10\00:54:35.50
Jesus was trying to give.
00:54:35.54\00:54:36.87
So we see in John
again this passionate Jesus,
00:54:36.91\00:54:41.21
this Jesus that
pushes back against pretense.
00:54:41.44\00:54:44.81
"You're searching or
pretending to search,
00:54:45.71\00:54:48.68
but when you say you
found, you're not following
00:54:48.78\00:54:52.39
what I've called you to do."
00:54:52.59\00:54:53.92
Now we've got another little
thing here in the book of John
00:54:54.02\00:54:56.16
that I'm not even going
to have time to get into.
00:54:56.19\00:54:57.93
And that's Christ's
condemnation of hypocrisy.
00:54:58.03\00:55:02.13
The word is only used about
twenty times in the Word of God.
00:55:03.53\00:55:06.00
Oh, if I remember correctly...
00:55:07.37\00:55:08.94
And I say, Word of
God, I meant New Testament.
00:55:09.57\00:55:11.44
I think about thirteen of
those twenty, He specifically
00:55:12.11\00:55:15.48
identifies
scribes and Pharisees.
00:55:15.51\00:55:18.21
So, "hypocrite," is
one of the strongest words
00:55:18.41\00:55:22.88
that ever came
out of Christ's mouth.
00:55:22.98\00:55:25.99
And He used it
against those who would be
00:55:26.02\00:55:28.92
teachers of the law who
professed to be leaders,
00:55:30.03\00:55:33.19
but who really
did not follow Him.
00:55:33.23\00:55:35.76
So again, we see in John a
very unique picture of Jesus.
00:55:35.80\00:55:40.47
We see Jesus as the
way, and the way of wisdom.
00:55:41.34\00:55:46.37
Christ did not
countenance darkness.
00:55:47.01\00:55:50.68
He fought against
darkness with light.
00:55:50.85\00:55:53.58
But He brought to His gospel,
as pictured in the book of John,
00:55:53.88\00:55:59.05
a passion, a
desire to right wrongs,
00:55:59.09\00:56:03.89
to keep people on the right
path, to hold people accountable
00:56:04.09\00:56:09.36
for their actions, and
to allow them the privilege
00:56:09.40\00:56:16.00
of full entrance
into His kingdom.
00:56:16.20\00:56:19.94
John is saying to you and to me,
"You never walked with Jesus,
00:56:21.21\00:56:28.12
you never talked to Jesus,
00:56:29.08\00:56:30.99
you didn't sit by the wayside,
00:56:31.65\00:56:33.79
but you can have an intimate
relationship with Christ
00:56:35.02\00:56:38.66
through His Word.
00:56:39.29\00:56:41.43
That the Jesus who talked
with me will talk with you.
00:56:42.56\00:56:48.00
The Jesus who walked
with me will walk with you.
00:56:48.84\00:56:53.17
The Jesus who was my
Friend will be your Friend.
00:56:53.84\00:56:59.58
And you can have, through His
Word and through the presence
00:56:59.85\00:57:05.42
and power of the Holy
Spirit, you can have as intimate
00:57:05.89\00:57:11.23
a relationship with
the Messiah as I had
00:57:11.26\00:57:15.63
when I walked with Him for
those three and a half years.
00:57:15.96\00:57:21.80
For He is truly
the way of wisdom."
00:57:22.10\00:57:26.84