The Gospel According To John

by Richard St.James

The War Plan

John 1:19 "And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?
20 And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.
21 And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.
22 Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?
23 He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.
24 And they which were sent were of the Pharisees.
25 And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?
26 John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;
27 He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.
28 These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing."

In 1 Samuel 18:9 we have this; “And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.”

The Jews have an axe to grind. Funny thing about human nature, those who are steeped in religion will keep a strong eye on a bible believer. They will EYE you as Saul did David. [1 Samuel 18:9] “And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.” Whenever the bible-believing Christian runs afoul of the Pharisees [which he will because of his salt] he will be dogged with questions about WHO is his authority, or who does he think he is, or why is he doing the things he does. Can you see you see it brethren? Look at the text. The Jewish authorities of the supreme headquarters in Jerusalem have learned they have a major problem out there in the wilderness. They have concluded John the Baptist as a real aberrant preacher running amuck of all the rules and traditions. They found something else about John. They found him to be particularly guilty in being most peculiar, and as unlearned, as they come! Amen! [Remember John was dressed in camel's hair with a leather girdle, and eating locusts and wild honey.] Furthermore, they felt John was crude, both … in his manner of life, and … in his message. Indeed John’s message was hot stuff … controversial, and politically incorrect. [“The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.”] Now all this IDENTIFIES the problem that the religious authorities had with John the Baptist! Ready? John did not have a degree from a recognized institution of higher learning. Worse than that, he had not gotten his authority from them [from the Pharisees’ or the Sadducees]. Action had to be taken to deal with the problem! The religious leaders could not tolerate, or permit, John the Baptist to go on preaching as an unlicensed itinerant preacher without their tacit sanctioning approval. In their view … their religious authority over the people must be maintained at any cost [the clergy over the laity … Nicolaitans]. [Revelation 2:15] “So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.” So out they go: the inquisitors to dog John with all manner of questions. They ask John:

1. “Who art thou?” [twice]

2. “What sayest thou of thyself?”

Note: each answer that John gives never satisfies the religious elite. Why? There motive was this. They had a goal to shut him down. It was never in their heart to listen to his message: “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” [Matthew 3:2] They had no intention to repent! Here are some things to gleen:

The Pharisee’s are the religious fundamentalists of their day.
The Sadducees’ are the religious liberals of their day.
They are the sons of the Devil, DUPED by the Devil … working for the Devil.

Jesus Christ gave this shot over the bow in his dealing with them. “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.” [John 8:44-45]

THE WAR PLAN as given by our Captain of our salvation

[Hebrew 2:10] "For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings."

Matthew 12:1 “At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn and to eat.” The Pharisees were “eyeing” Jesus Christ, just like the religious crowd will eye you! “But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day." [Matthew 12:2] Here is a lesson for the believer in Jesus Christ to learn from Matthew 10:25. [A PRINCIPLE] “It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?”

If they ragged on Jesus they will rag on you. Note The SON of GOD gives a reasoned explanation to his enemies! Seasoned with salt and designed to provide light with the SCRIPTURE! Name-calling is going to happen! “But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple. But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.”

We need to follow the LORD in this thing. Listen to the BIBLE! “Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.” Do not my brother or sister render evil for evil. Yes, they will dog you, and be mean spirited with you but we are listening to a different drum! [The HOLY SPIRIT witnessing to the WORD of GOD.] “See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.”

Brethren, they [THE RELIGIOUS] may follow you in to the very assembly of the local Bible-believing Baptist church and EYE your speech and actions from there! “And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue: And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him.” Why, so that is the motive! So that they might ACCUSE Jesus Christ! They wanted to be able to gather up accusations and file them for future reference! There you go the heart’s motive is revealed.

Now … in the face of accusations is the patience of the captain of our salvation shown. The true Christian, likewise, has to follow in example as an ambassador representing Jesus Christ. “And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days. Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other.”

Can you see them eyeing him? “Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.” Friend it often can get to the point where the religious crowd may take counsel in order to kill you. They have done it before [THE RELIGIOUS CROWD]. They did it in England to Lady Jane Grey. She just as a young believer in Christ was called to give up her life as a martyr. [See Foxes Book of Martyrs]

Lessons to be drawn [from John the Baptist] to help the Bible-believer

1. The source of the biggest trouble, or opposition, for the believer in Jesus Christ will be from religious people.

2. The scholars, the priests, and the religious machines of men want rule over men [the mass humanity]. They want to be the authority over you!

3. God has ordained that The Word … Jesus Christ, and the BOOK, he wrote, to be the AUTHORITY over man.

4. The Bible-believing Christ needs to be prepared and equipped … to RUN his course in life in OPPOSITION to the religious elite in OBEDIENCE to GOD and the BOOK.

5. John ran well! Amen!

Behold The Lamb Of God

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The Gospel According To John

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.

John 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

John 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

John 1:5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it
not.

John 1:6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

John 1:7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

John 1:8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

John 1:9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

John 1:11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

John 1:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

John 1:15 John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.

John 1:16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.

John 1:17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

John 1:18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

John 1:19 And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?

John 1:20 And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.

John 1:21 And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.

John 1:22 Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer
to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?

John 1:23 He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.

John 1:24 And they which were sent were of the Pharisees.

John 1:25 And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?

John 1:26 John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;

John 1:27 He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.

John 1:28 These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.

John 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

John 1:30 This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.

John 1:31 And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.

John 1:32 And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.

John 1:33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and
remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.

John 1:34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.

John 1:35 Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;

John 1:36 And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!

John 1:37 And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.

John 1:38 Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou?

John 1:39 He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour.

John 1:40 One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.

John 1:41 He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.

John 1:42 And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by
interpretation, A stone.

John 1:43 The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me.

John 1:44 Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.

John 1:45 Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.

John 1:46 And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.

John 1:47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!

John 1:48 Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the
fig tree, I saw thee.

John 1:49 Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.

John 1:50 Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than
these.

John 1:51 And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon
the Son of man.