Sermon Tone Analysis

*[reading, prayer] *Most major concerts, featuring major acts like Coldplay or U2 or Kanye, follow same patterns.

Band or two in beginning.

Each play set.

Then finally main act comes on.

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Beginning bands have specific goal.

Warmup crowd, get them hyped.

So yeah, they want play really good music, get people moving, singing, excited.

But they not main act!

Would not do for these beginning bands to refuse to go off stage, just keep playing song after song.

Before too long people start shouting, “Bring out Kanye!” Cause he’s the main act!

Everything beforehand meant to come under him, elevate his performance.

Allow me to use this metaphor to describe what happened thousands of years ago.

Similar pattern, where had someone come before him, someone named John the Baptist.

John did many great things.

But John came not to promote himself but to ultimately promote Jesus.

Jesus was main act.

It is Jesus as main act in human history that exploring today.

Put it another way, what talking about today is *the superiority of Jesus.

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* *

In encountering Jesus got to see that he without comparison, without rival.

And at end of our time, we’ll see that implications that come from this fact will once again bring us to that central question, one that rides over entire book of John – “What do you believe about Jesus?” Do you believe in Jesus as the Superior One, one who is above all?

Or do you believe in him as something quite less than that?

That’s where we’ll end up.

Getting there we’ll be assisted through reflections of John the Baptist and John the apostle.

* *

*[CLICK] *Begin with v.22-30, with* John the Baptist and his reflections on the superiority of Jesus.*

As we read earlier, Jesus and his disciples baptizing now, although as noted in 4:2 was disciples of Jesus doing the actual baptizing.

Certainly, from very beginning, clear that what Jesus doing very different from John.

Had authority and power unlike any other before him.

Obvious to everyone that he surpassed all the major teachers of that day, including John the Baptist.

So increasingly more and more people checking out Jesus.

Now one day John’s disciples get into debate with someone over purification.

Not told exact details of debate, except that somehow debate morphs into discussion about Jesus.

Eventually prompts John’s disciples to come to their master in huff and express their indignation at Jesus and his ministry.

In their mind Jesus two-bit hustler  encroaching on their turf.

“Look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.”

You can almost hear the whine in their voices as you read that!

They envious and unhappy with what’s been happening.

John though refuses to cater to whining.

Instead he reminds his disciples what his whole ministry was ultimately about – pointing people to Jesus.

Always been about exalting Jesus.

Quick flashback to John 1:19-27.

Remember how people came asking questions about John – who is he, why  doing all stuff he’s doing?

John’s main points: (1) He’s not the Christ, i.e. the Messiah (v.20); (2).

He’s come to prepare the way for Jesus (v.23); and (3) Jesus is far far greater than him.

*v.26-27** - John answered them, "I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, [27] even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie."*

Unlike his disciples, John not bitter about Jesus’ ministry growing.

What he expected and what he wanted.

In fact, in this John affirms God’s sovereignty, his will being accomplished.

Notice v.27.*

John answered, "A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven*.

All credit for all that we have goes to God.

If Jesus’ ministry growing beyond that of John, it’s because that’s exactly what God wants to happen.

John goes on in v.29 to use metaphor of wedding to illustrate his perspective on Jesus.

The “friend of the bridegroom” that’s mentioned in that verse roughly equivalent to what we call “the best man” today.

This ancient best man would have various duties related to assisting the groom with preparing for the wedding.

Best man however gladly and quite happily steps aside when finally comes time for groom to have his bride on wedding day.

Best man’s goal been achieved and his joy completed once he stands next to groom and watches as all eyes now fall on him and his bride as join together in marriage.

John sees himself as best man, preparing way for the groom, Jesus, to be joined together with his bride, which is the people of God, who today are known as the church.

John overjoyed to see Jesus being exalted.

Fully satisfied, knowing that he’s successfully done what God wanted him to do.

Thus all that is left for him to do is fade from the scene so that all the attention can be put on Jesus.

*“He must increase, but I must decrease.”

*No rivalry here.

Notice emphasis: Jesus *must* increase in John’s view, while John *must *decrease.

Heard from John the Baptist.

Now move on to second half of this passage.

*[CLICK] *Here we hear from John the Apostle, get *his reflections on the superiority of Jesus.*

Point out four facts from what he says that demonstrate how and why Jesus is, as says in v.31, “above all.”

* *

*[CLICK] 1. Jesus comes from God. v.31 - He who comes from above is above all.

He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way.

He who comes from heaven is above all.

*

 

John the Baptist limited in what he could do or what he could speak of.

He called people to repentance and to be baptized with water as sign of repentance.

But only Jesus could actually bring that about!

Similarly all human beings limited to earthly reality and earthly perspective.

It’s because we are all “of the earth.”

Not so for Jesus.

Jesus superior because he is from above.

In other words, he comes from God.

This makes him superior to every human being.

*[CLICK] 2. Jesus’ testimony is sure and certain.

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* *

*v.32 - He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony.

*This goes along with what what’s already been said in this gospel.

Since Jesus from above, means he is witness to the heavenly reality.

He alone able to bring God’s message to humanity.

Yet humanity does not receive that message.

World not interested what Jesus has to say.

* *

*v.33-34** - Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true.

[34] For he whom God has sent utters the words of God…  *

* *

Let’s work backwards here.

Jesus is God’s official messenger.

Sent by God to speak the words of God.

So, to hear Jesus is to hear from God himself.

Now if you receive what Jesus has to say, if receive his testimony as opposed to rejecting it like world does, you certify divine truth behind what Jesus says.

More specifically, you *“set [your] seal…that God is true.”*

To “set his seal” meant to certify or authenticate something to be true.

In ancient times, seals affixed to documents to authenticate them.

Person would set us his seal to something in order to officially sign important documents and certify them as being true.

Thus, verse saying that everyone who accepts Christ’s testimony agrees, or seals, his deep conviction that God is true.

What Jesus says about himself and about God is sure and certain.

It is worthy of full trust and commitment.