John 2:5-10

John 2:5-10 PODCAST 

5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim. 8 Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.” ~ John 2:5-10

Jesus was invited to a wedding in Cana. Those who planned the wedding wanted Jesus to be present. The presence of the Lord Jesus was desired by His friends. The Lord Jesus imparted truth to His friends through meaningful relationship. This tells me that Jesus was no party killjoy. 

Our text today begins with Jesus' mother telling the servants to do whatever Jesus tells them. This is the goal of every servant, to do whatever the Lord Jesus tells us. It has taken me thirty-eight years to figure this out. Not that any of us will ever be perfect this side of heaven, but it is wise to do whatever the Lord Jesus tells us to do. This is wisdom. You and I will never be about His work on this earth until we see ourselves as His servants.

This was an unscheduled miracle. From time to time, the Lord Jesus was known to deliver a miracle that He seemed not to be about to do. His mother expected the Lord Jesus to do something. Like the woman who intercepted the Lord Jesus as He was on the way to go to Jairus' house to help his twelve year old daughter. On His way, the woman with a twelve year issue of blood begged the Lord Jesus for help. And, the Lord Jesus delivered her. This is the point of Jesus' miracles, He always works in the context of expectation.

According to v.6, there just so happened to be six stone water jars that could hold up to thirty gallons of water each. These jars were not used for drinking. They were used for bathing, for purifying, for washing of the hands. It is no coincidence that at this point in Jesus' ministry, there were six disciples. Keep in mind the number six is the number of man, and the number for incompleteness. This miracle underscores man's emptiness and Jesus' fullness.

In v.7, the Lord Jesus orders the servants to, "'Fill the jars with water.'" And they filled them to the brim. Then Jesus said, "Now draw some out, and take it to the master of the banquet." At some point between being taken to the master of the banquet, the water became the best of quality wine.

This miracle is a picture of the overall theme of this gospel account: God's fullness, man's emptiness. In Genesis 1 we see God’s fullness overflowing into the emptiness. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of  God was moving over the surface of the waters. Then God said, ‘Let there be light’;  and there was light” (Gen. 1:1-3). The rest of Genesis 1 displays God’s creative power to destroy the emptiness and dispel the darkness. 

We are told the master told the bridegroom that it was not customary to save the best wine till the end of the ceremony. We are not told what the bridegroom said in response. He just went with it. This must be our response, to go with it. To ride the wave. He is the answer and we are in desperate need of His presence, His filling.

Finally, the first miracle of the Lord Jesus here on earth was turning water into wine at a wedding. His first miracle valued the commitment of marriage. This wedding had run out of wine, just like mankind has run out of its source of life. As a result, His commitment is to a greater marriage. He is always committed to bringing those who have been separated back together. At the very end of time as we know it, He will be the Groom at the marriage supper of the Lamb. This is the ultimate reconciliation of that which was once separated from its creator. My question to you is this: will you be the bride?

To help BYM, click here

John 2:1-4

JOHN 2:1-4 PODCAST

1 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” 4 “Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.” ~ John 2:1-4

John 1:16 sets the tone for all of John's Gospel. It reads, “And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” The fullness of Christ addresses all of mankind's emptiness only if we turn to the Lord Jesus for the free gift offered. And, that free gift is a personal relationship with Him.

In John 2:1, we discover that on the third day, Jesus and his new friends attend a wedding. Since it was a two-day walk to Cana from Bethsaida, the Lord Jesus and his six disciples arrived in Cana on the morning of the third day. The number three is important throughout the scriptures, ultimately pointing us to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. It was on Friday that the Lord Jesus was buried, and He was raised on Sunday, the third day. 

The first miracle performed by the Lord Jesus at Cana was a miracle which emphasizes going from emptiness to fullness. Also, the miracle illustrates bringing life out of death. This is the significance of all of the miracles of the Lord Jesus, this is the significance of Zoe or eternal life.

Unlike weddings in America, in Middle Eastern weddings the groom is most prominent. He is the featured one; the bride merely shows up for the wedding. 

Not only is the groom the featured person, but he also pays for all of the wedding! Some of those weddings went on for  as long as a week, with all the relatives of both sides of the family joining together for a big celebration. This is the kind of wedding John is describing in our text. 

The Lord Jesus had just called six disciples to himself, and they had then walked two days from Judea. So, the disciples come with Jesus as unexpected guests. This explains, of course, why the wine ran out. A wedding celebration called for so much wine, and when an additional six people show up, well, the wine runs out. Such is the plight of man who has turned his back on God.

Mary, Jesus mother, seized the occasion to tell the Lord Jesus, “They have no more wine.” Mary brings to the Lord Jesus a problem and expects him to do something about it. 

The response of the Lord Jesus is, “Woman, why do you involve me?” “My hour has not yet come.”  In addressing His mother this way, the Lord Jesus uses a common title of respect. He addresses Mary from the cross in the same way, "Woman, behold your son!" (John 19:26) This was a term of endearment. 

When he says, "why do you involve me?", He is simply saying, "You don't understand. Doing this will not accomplish what you are hoping. It will not persuade the nation that I am the Messiah." Of course, miracles were part of God's plan, especially for the Jews, but the miracles never changed the hearts of the nation. 

In v.4, the Lord Jesus says, “My hour has not yet come.” Jesus’ hour was the hour of his death, when, He, as the Lamb of God, would take away the sin of the world. This response of the Lord Jesus and the fact that He went on to do what His mother asked of Him shows that He was a man under authority.

The fifth command of the Ten Commandments is: "Honor your father and your mother." There are two sections found in the Ten Commandments: the first section addresses our relationship with God, while the second addresses our relationship with other people.

Now, the first commandment of the second section of the Ten Commandments is about respecting our fathers and mothers. The reason God instructed us accordingly is that the habit of respecting our parents provides for us the infrastructure in our souls that will enable us to be successful for the remainder of our lives. Study after study shows that the most successful people in the world have the ability to relate well with others, especially those who are in the authority structure of our lives.

To assist BYM, click here

John 1:47-51

JOHN 1:47-51 PODCAST 

47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” 48 “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.” 49 Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.” 50 Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” 51 He then added, “Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’ the Son of Man.” ~ John 1:47-51


The Lord Jesus knew that "Nathanael was an Israelite in whom there is no deceit." This meant Nathanael was straight up and authentic. He was not two-faced. What you saw is what you got. Keep in mind, the Lord Jesus isn’t commenting about Nathanael’s sinlessness, He is commenting on Nathanael’s heart. The Lord Jesus knows all there is to know about us, especially our hearts. He knows us better than we do. 

I find it comforting that the Lord Jesus knows me like this. Comfort comes in the context of safety. I have this safety and comfort because of what the Lord Jesus has accomplished on my behalf. His death on that tree on Calvary's hill procured perfection for me in the eyes of God. As a result, I no longer fear failure or rejection from God. The opposite has been rendered: freedom that propels me into a life of faith, a life of seeking Him in everything on a daily basis. This is what the early disciples experienced. 

In v.49, Nathanael acknowledges the Lord Jesus as the Son of God. Nathanael is illustrating that when we come to know Jesus we have come to know God.

The disciples of the Lord Jesus were ordinary men, there was nothing unique about them. They were not unusually intelligent men. They were just like us, ordinary. The secret was not to be found in these men. No, the secret was and is found in the Lord Jesus who understands all of His creation, especially mankind. He uses whoever and whatever to accomplish His purposes. And, He has been known to shock us in the ways He does things.

This makes me think of Romans 8:28 which reads, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." It sounds that we earn the reality that all things work together for our good, but this is not so. In order to recognize that all things work together for our good, we must be in the habit of giving our hearts to the Lord Jesus. All things will work together for our good, the question really is whether we will be able to see it or not.

I find it instructive that the Lord Jesus never handled any two disciples alike. Andrew was cautious, Peter was impetuous, Philip was shy, Nathanael was guileless. Jesus spoke differently to each of them. He understood them. He took them for what they were. He did not try to make them all fit a pattern or a mold. He treated them all differently.


Finally, He has called us to be His disciples, can you imagine?. This means He knows best what to permit in our lives. Following Him means that we accept whatever He decides. We look for meaning and purpose according to the wisdom that He grants. We trust and follow Him. This is what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.

To help BYM, click here

John 1:43-46

John 1:43-46 PODCAST
43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46 “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip. ~ John 1:43-46

In biblical days Jewish boys were instructed to become disciples. Discipleship included several steps. By the age of ten, they would have memorized the Torah. Then, many of these boys would then go and learn their family trade, but the best of the group would continue to the second level of discipleship where they would spend four or five years learning and memorizing the rest of the Hebrew Scriptures, Joshua through Malachi. 

At the age of fourteen, many more of these students would learn the trade of their families, but the best of the best would seek out a Rabbi and apply to be one of his disciples. The Rabbi would then grill the potential disciple to find out what he knew because the Rabbi wanted to know if he had what it took to follow him, to be like him. And many would be turned down. Only the best of the best of the best were invited to come and follow that Rabbi. And he would leave EVERYTHING behind – his family, their trade, his home and village – and he would devote his entire life to being like his Rabbi, learning to do what his Rabbi does. This is what it meant to be a disciple.

Something unique happened when Jesus came to earth, He gave these men a second shot at being a disciple. For these disciples of Jesus, their ship had come in.

Jesus found Philip who came from the same city as Andrew and Peter (and, probably, James and John, since they all came from the same area). Mentioned seven times in the Gospels, Bethsaida means "house of fish." This was the place in which Jesus performed several miracles. 

Philip was the sort of man who wasn't as quickly noticed as the others. In fact, this is his only appearance in the Gospel of John; the other gospels simply list him as one of the disciples. He asked some perceptive questions of Jesus later but he is virtually unnoticed. Because Philip was so unnoticeable, the Lord Jesus had to go out and find him.

At the end of v.43, Jesus said to Philip, "Follow me." That is great advice for someone who wants to be spiritual. Philip was intelligent, and spiritually hungry. The Lord Jesus saw him and addressed to him the words that captured Philip's heart: "Follow me." This is the absolute key to growing in one's faith and spirituality.

One of the fascinating things about being a Christian is that we do not have to plan what we are going to do or be in life. Our part is to follow the leading of the Lord Jesus. Following the Lord Jesus includes reading and obeying His word, interacting with Him as often as we can, and expecting Him to speak to us and direct us throughout a given day.


In Matthew, Mark and Luke, Nathanael, also known as "Bartholomew" is always listed after Philip in the list of the Twelve. In the Gospel of John, Bartholomew is not mentioned at all; Nathanael is listed instead, after Philip. Likewise, Nathanael's presence with other disciples at the Sea of Galilee after Jesus’ resurrection suggests that he was one of the original Twelve (see John 21:2).

Philip appeals to Nathanael in v.45: "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." Nathanael came from Cana of Galilee, a little village just over the hill from Nazareth, about two miles away (where the next scene in this gospel takes place, the changing of water to wine). Cana, in those days, was the center of commerce, while Nazareth was a dusty little village with a bad reputation.


Nazareth was a small town populated by about two thousand people. The Old Testament is clear that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem of Judea (Micah 5:2) which the Lord Jesus was as seen in Matthew 2:1.


Nathanael responds to Philip’s announcement in v.46: “"Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip's answer is very wise: "Come and see." In other words, give this man a chance. Judge him by his person, not by his home town. The fact the disciples followed Him to their deaths, speaks volumes.

John 1:40-42

John 1:40-42 PODCAST

40 One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is translated, A Stone). (John 1:40-42)

Andrew said to his brother, "We have found the Messiah." Andrew is the one who is always bringing others to the Lord Jesus. He brought Peter to Jesus, he brought the boy with five loaves and two fish to Jesus. And, he brought to donkey that Jesus rode into Jerusalem on to Jesus.

When Andrew and Simon Peter came to Jesus, Jesus, in v.42, looked at Andrew's brother, and said, "You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is translated, A Rock).  The name Simon means listener. Simon was tuned to what everyone around him was saying. He was defined by the opinions of others. Their opinion mattered too much to Simon. We are defined by that which we worship.

When the Lord Jesus changed Simon's name to Cephas (Peter), which means rock, He was saying: Cephas (Peter) is going to arrive upon the truth that the Lord Jesus is God and upon that immovable foundation others will arrive at that conclusion because of Peter. The Lord Jesus is saying Cephas will become a steadying influence to everyone around him. The Lord Jesus instantly read Simon's weakness, but He saw the possibility of his greatness. By the way, Peter is "rock" in the Greek language, while Cephas is "rock" in Aramaic. And since the Gospels were originally spoken in Aramaic, Peter is called Cephas.

The first time the word "worship" is mentioned in the Bible is the first time the word "love" appears in the Bible, in Genesis 22. When coupled together, these words teach us that what we love we worship and what we worship we love. And, what we love and worship defines us.

Remember the story near the end of the gospels when, as Peter stood by a fire when Jesus was being tried, a young woman came up to Peter and said, "Haven't I seen you with him?" Immediately Peter is affected by what he hears, and he denies his Lord. This is the natural temperament of Peter. But by the end of Peter's life, he wilts not under such pressure, because he is gradually being convinced in the sovereign lordship of Jesus Christ.


There are many in today's world who have this great capacity for strength, not so if we are defined by the wrong things. We must learn to listen to the right voice, otherwise we will be defined by the wrong voice. In the will of the Lord Jesus, we can become solid and steady like a rock. When we listen to the right voice, and follow the Lord Jesus above all other voices, we become like Peter: strong, solid, dependable, like a rock! Like Peter, we must go through stuff to get there.

John 1:35-39

JOHN 1:35-39 PODCAST

35 Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. 36 And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. 38 Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, “What do you seek?” They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), “where are You staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour). ~ John 1:35-39

According to our text, John the Baptist identifies the Lord Jesus as “the Lamb of God.” In order for us to have a personal relationship with God, we must first have that which separates us from God dealt with. The only real access we have to the Living God is through the doorway of forgiveness of sin. When we come to God and confess our need for Him, then we have an open door into the Kingdom of God. We will never enter into a personal relationship with God until we recognize the Lord Jesus as the "Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." Someone once said, "Jesus will not be all that we need until He is all that we have."

In Christ Jesus, God sent the final sacrifice for sin that would end all other sacrifices. Jesus would die in our place the way the Lamb was sacrificed in the Old Testament in the place of the sinner. In our text, two of John the Baptist's disciples recognized and followed Jesus. 

One of those disciples was, Andrew, the brother of Peter. Everyone asks, "Who was the other one?" We are not told; his name is not given here. Yet, it probably was Andrew's brother, Peter. It could have been John or his brother James. I don't thin it really matters. The point is: these two who have followed John the Baptist, followed Jesus because they recognized Him as the long awaited Messiah. 

Following the Lord Jesus is not heroic. We follow him not the way David’s mighty men followed him to serve him and protect him as their revered sovereign. No. We follow Him the way sheep follow the shepherd, because we need His protected and provision. 

In response to the question of these two, Jesus asked them, “What do you seek?” Those are the first words of Jesus in the Gospel of John and they are very remarkable. According to this, they are also the very first words Jesus uttered in his public ministry; and they come in the form of a question.

These four words go right to the heart of life. In them Jesus asks the most profound question in anyone's life: "What are you looking for?" Did you ever ask yourself, "Why am I here? What do I really want out of life?" That is the most penetrating question you can ask yourself.

The Lord Jesus nailed those men immediately with the question, "What do you seek?" Not, "Whom do you seek?" That would be the natural question to ask under the circumstances. No, Jesus asked What? What are you looking for? What do you really want? That is the supreme question in life: What do you want?

They responded, “Rabbi” (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), “where are You staying?” Andrew probably asked this question, since he appears in the gospels as a very warm, friendly, approachable human being. He is the one who received the little boy who had five loaves and two fishes when Jesus fed the five thousand. He is the one who brought Peter to the Lord. He is very approachable, but he is very cautious and careful.

The in v.39, the Lord Jesus "said to them, “Come and you will see.” That is an invitation to investigate. Like anyone being invited to follow the Lord Jesus, these two were men who needed time to investigate. So they came and saw where he was staying. What they found was not that fascinating, they mention nothing about the place. It, now, was about the person, and they could not tear themselves away from the Lord Jesus.  According to John, it was 4pm. From this encounter, Jesus now has two disciples.

This is what it means to be a Christian. To follow Jesus Christ on a given day. Being a Christian is one who has entered into a personal relationship with God. This means, we are actively looking for God in our lives, every day. We are interacting with Him and He with us. It's not about what we do, it's about our connection with God. Christianity is believing God is not only there, but that He is here in my life right now. It is a life of faith in God's involvement in our lives.

This faith is not our way around pain, it is the way through pain. Faith doesn't get rid of the opposition, it invites it over for dinner. Faith doesn't give us the winning point at the last second, it ties the game and sends us into overtime. This faith doesn't give us the solution, it forces us to find it in a personal relationship with the Living One. 

To help BYM, click here

John 1:32-34

John 1:32-34 PODCAST

32 And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. 33 I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.” (John 1:32-34)

Like you and me, the Bible is full of people with a deep sense of unsatisfied longings. From the very beginning of the Bible people are longing for the one thing that would satisfy. It is only when we seek after God's righteousness and holiness, do we ever get to an assemblance of satisfaction. We will never be truly right and whole until we are fully defined by Him, the One who created us.

Throughout the Bible this longing to be free from that which makes us the way we are is present in the hearts of all people. As those living in Biblical days, we all long for reality and for freedom. As the Lord Jesus says in John 8, "You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free." 

Ah, yes, the truth, this is what we long for. It just takes most people a lifetime to discover the truth has a name: the name of the truth is Lord Jesus Christ. In reference to the truth, John the Baptist said, "I deal with the externals, baptism manifests man's desire to change his ways. That is as far as I can go. But, when I baptized Jesus, I saw the Spirit coming down like a dove and lighting on him. The one who sent me to baptize said to me, 'When you see this happen, this is the only one who can change men from the inside out, by the baptism of the Holy Spirit.' When that happened I knew who he was. My own cousin, Jesus of Nazareth, is the one who would baptize with the Holy Spirit."

The Lord Jesus came to make it possible for us to be baptized by the Holy Spirit. In 1 Corinthians 12:13, we read, "For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink." If we have believed in the Lord Jesus as the Son of God who came to take away the punishment for our sin, we have been baptized by the Holy Spirit. 

In John 7:38-39 Jesus said, "38 If you believe in Me, the Hebrew Scriptures say that rivers of living water will flow from within you. 39 Jesus was referring to the realities of life in the Spirit made available to everyone who believes in Him. But the Spirit had not yet arrived because Jesus had not been glorified. That is the baptism of the Holy Spirit!"


John understood that his ministry was limited, that he could only go so far. The farthest he could go was to express, through baptism, the changed desire of a heart that wanted to be right with God. But he could not change it. This is the work of God, the Lord Jesus. From that time on, the Lord Jesus has been the One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. 

Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Creator, is the one who changes and fulfills us. He is the Lamb of God, the fulfiller of the sacrifices of all the Old Testament; He is the satisfier of our deepest longings for purity and freedom. Jesus Christ baptizes the believer with the Holy Spirit.

In v.34, John writes, "I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.” In biblical days, if it was said of another, "He is the son of something," that someone was characterized by that very thing. If he was called "the son of gentleness", that one would be characterized by gentleness; if the son of love, that one would be known for love. And if Jesus is the Son of God, then He is God Himself.

The Baptist is right, we must see the Lord Jesus as God for ourselves. If we see Him as a supplement or someone who has come to improve our lives in one way or another, instead of giving us new life, His life, we will fail to see reality. 

Rich Mullins, long ago, described our default mode when he said, "I'd rather fight you for something I don't really want, than to take what you give that I need." The conclusion we must all come to is: Jesus is God and He is the One who fulfills me. We look to all the wrong things to give us a new genesis: a new wife or husband, a new house, a new whatever ... we must bow our knees and come to the giver of life, and receive His life on a daily basis. This is the end of the road for all of us and it is a good end. It is our home.

To help BYM, click here

John 1:29-31

JOHN 1:29-31 PODCAST

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him. John said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the One I was talking about when I said, ‘A man will come after me, but he is greater than I am, because he was living before me.’ 31 Even I did not know who he was, although I came baptizing with water so that the people of Israel would know who he is.” (John 1:29-31)

In the Old Testament God defined the nation of Israel. One of the biggest ways that He defined them was through the sacrificial system. It was was designed by God to solve their sin problem (separation from Him) and to point us to the One who would ultimately deal with our separation problem: the Lord Jesus Christ. God taught Israel to sacrifice animals and offer their blood and meat of those animals unto God. A stream of blood runs all through the Old Testament.  In Leviticus 17:11, we read, "the life of the flesh is in the blood." In Hebrews 9:22, we are told, "There is no remission of sins without the shedding of blood." But nowhere is it explained why God demands blood.

Now, in Genesis 22, as Abraham was taking Isaac up the mountain to offer him, Isaac asked, "Father, where is the lamb?" Abraham answered, "God will provide a lamb." Centuries later, John the Baptist sees Jesus coming toward him, knowing who he was, having baptized him six weeks earlier, says to the crowd, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" Here is the one who will fulfill all the promise of the sacrifices of the Old Testament.

When John says, "I did not know who he was" he means, "I did not know him as the Messiah, as the Lamb of God." John was Jesus' older cousin; they knew each other as boys. Even Jesus' own brothers did not understand who he was, though they grew up with him. John says, "I didn't know who he was." John the Baptist didn't know who Jesus was until he baptized Him with water. 

Now, not just anyone could be “the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.” It had to someone who is perfect, therefore only God could do it. The Son of God, Jesus Christ was and is the only one able to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world because he was and is the God-man. His perfect life and His powerful resurrection underscores this truth.

As a foreshadowing of what the Lord Jesus would do, God instituted the sin offering in the Old Testament. According to Leviticus 22:17-25, "17 The Lord said to Moses, 18 “Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites and say to them: ‘If any of you—whether an Israelite or a foreigner residing in Israel—presents a gift for a burnt offering to the Lord, either to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering, 19 you must present a male without defect from the cattle, sheep or goats in order that it may be accepted on your behalf. 20 Do not bring anything with a defect, because it will not be accepted on your behalf. 21 When anyone brings from the herd or flock a fellowship offering to the Lord to fulfill a special vow or as a freewill offering, it must be without defect or blemish to be acceptable. 22 Do not offer to the Lord the blind, the injured or the maimed, or anything with warts or festering or running sores. Do not place any of these on the altar as a food offering presented to the Lord. 23 You may, however, present as a freewill offering an ox[b] or a sheep that is deformed or stunted, but it will not be accepted in fulfillment of a vow. 24 You must not offer to the Lord an animal whose testicles are bruised, crushed, torn or cut. You must not do this in your own land, 25 and you must not accept such animals from the hand of a foreigner and offer them as the food of your God. They will not be accepted on your behalf, because they are deformed and have defects.’”"

The Apostle Peter, wrote, “You were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot” (1 Peter 1:18–20). Jesus Christ was not born of two humans. He was the God-man. In Luke 1:30-35 His birth is described his way:

"And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.”

Jesus was with no original sin. And He never committed one sin. In fact, the loudest display of His sinlessness is found in John 8 when Jesus asked the religious leaders, "Who among you finds me guilty of sin?" The silence of the religious leaders was deafening. “He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth” (1 Peter 2:22; Hebrews 4:15; Romans 8:3).

The reason Jesus Christ was and is without sin is that He was and is God. "In the beginning was the Word and the word was with God and the Word was God . . . and the Word became flesh (John 1:1,14). Everything about Jesus shows how He was the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

To invest in BYM, click here

John 1:24-28

John 1:24-28 PODCAST 

24 Now the Pharisees who had been sent 25 questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 “I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. 27 He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.” 28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.  
John 1:24-28

John the Baptist came preaching a message of repentance. He baptized people indicating they had made a decision to turn from their way to God's. In that day, baptism was a new thing. No one had ever baptized. Under the Law there were certain washings provided for those who were unclean or who had defiled themselves in some ceremonial way. But nobody went around baptizing as John did. 

When asked why he baptized, John's answer emphasized the coming of the Lord Jesus as the One. In v.28, the Apostle John notes John's baptism's took place in Bethany, on the other side of the Jordan River. Tradition held that this was where the Israelites entered the promised land under the leadership of Joshua. 

This incident took place at least six weeks after Jesus had been baptized by John in the Jordan River. From our text, we learn Jesus actually stood in the midst of the crowd. John implored these religious leaders to take note of the Lord Jesus. John notes the nature of the work that the Lord Jesus would do would be far greater than the work he would do. John said, "I am a servant who takes off his master's shoes when he comes into the house; and I am not even worthy to do that." In other words, John is saying, "the Lord Jesus is the Messiah and he is His master!"


Our text tells us that John baptized with water, which is to be a picture of the baptism of the Holy Spirit which is what places us into Christ. Paul says exactly the same thing in 1 Corinthians 12:13: "Some of us are Jews, and some are Greeks. Some of us are slaves, and some are free. But we were all baptized into one body through one Spirit. And we were all made to share in the one Spirit."  

There are those who say we need to experience the baptism of the Holy Spirit after we have become believers, but there is no way to become a believer without being baptized with the Holy Spirit. The baptism of the Spirit happened first. 

On the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit first came upon 120 people who were gathered in the temple courts, making them into one body.. That is the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It is not something that is felt; it is not something we can know through our five senses when it takes place; it is something the Spirit does to our human spirit. Yet this baptism is very essential to becoming a Christian. It is part of the process by which we share the life of Jesus Christ.

Notice the result of this baptism of the Holy Spirit found in v.27 ... service to the Lord Jesus. We have been so trained to seek symbolism over substance, we lack the ability to see the real workings of God. We prize the silver tongued among us more than those who have the greater substance. A servant's heart is the product of being joined in and with Christ.

A water bearer had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole that he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water.

At the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. For two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his house.

Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. “I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you. I have been able to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don’t get full value from your efforts,” the pot said.


The bearer smiled said to the pot, “Have you not noticed that there are flowers on your side of the path but not on the other pot’s side? That’s because I have always known about your flaw, and I only planted flower seeds on your side of the path. Every day while we walk back, you’ve watered them. For two years, I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the master’s table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace His house.”

To help BYM, click here

John 1:19-23

John 1:19-23 PODCAST

19 Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.” 21 They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.”

22 Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’” (John 1:19-23)

John the Baptist was a maverick. He had not attended bible college or seminary and he had never been ordained by the establishment . He suddenly arose out of the common people and many were flocking to hear his message of repentance. His popularity posed a threat to the religious establishment.

When the religious leaders asked, "Who are you?," John's reply was clear, he was not the Messiah. Then they asked, "Are you Elijah?" They asked this because the last verse of the Old Testament, Malachi 4:5, is a promise of the coming again of Elijah. Elijah was a prophet who called down the judgment of God upon people. When people heard John, with his rough lifestyle and message, many asked, "Is this Elijah?" John replied, "I am not." 

You ask, why then is John the Baptist treated as Elijah in the gospels? The answer is given very clearly in Luke 1:17, where Luke writes, "He shall go before the Lord in the spirit and the power of Elijah." John's ministry was like Elijah's, but different. And, it was his assignment to go before the Lord Jesus, heralding His coming in the spirit and the power of Elijah.

The Jewish leaders then asked John, "Are you the prophet?" They were referring to the popular expectation that one of the prophets who was going to return, based on the statement of Moses in Deuteronomy 18:15. To this question, John's response was, "No." Then, they ask, "Who are you? John replies, "I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord" as the prophet Isaiah said. (Isaiah 40:3) 

Like John the Baptist, we all have a burning desire to be great. The question is who defines greatness? You see, this desire to be great is God-given. Just like us, John the Baptist had this desire. And, he was quick to be defined by God. But, God defines greatness different than we. He defines greatness not by what we do, but by whom we serve.

John the Baptist’s life teaches us that greatness is not found through the title on our business card, or the amount in our bank account, or our accomplishments. No, greatness is found through service, according to the word of God.

John the Baptist was defined by God. His life shouts to us that normal Christianity is not forsaking greatness, it’s pursuing the greatness that comes from God. When we seek greatness from others instead of the greatness that comes from God, satisfaction is not to be found. There will always be someone else who does it better than we. There will always be some achievement that we haven’t accomplished. 

John the Baptist was a humble man, because he saw himself as the servant of the Lord. He did this because God defined him from his conception. We will know how much we are defined by God as His servant when we are treated like a servant.

We can say all day that we are servants, until someone treats us like one and doesn’t say thank you or applaud our service. All of sudden we want to remind them how we’ve served them and we tell them to be thankful. In those moments, when those negative emotions come flooding our way, we begin to realize we’re not a servant, but rather seeking the greatness that comes from other people, not from God.

The greatness of this world will always let us down. It will not satisfy. The Lord Jesus comes not to squash this desire for greatness, but to satisfy it. He wants to fill this longing we have with the greatness that comes from Him. For us, the pathway to greatness runs through the valley of the cross. If we’re going to be great, we must be defined by Him. And, when we do so, we will be His servants.

To help BYM, click here