The Word, The Witness & the Lamb
Series: Abundant Life
Speaker: Steve Jeffrey
Date: 8th October 2023
Passage: John 1:1-34
00:00:00 --> 00:00:10 In C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia, there is a interaction between Lucy and the great lion Aslan.
00:00:11 --> 00:00:18 Aslan is, if you're familiar with it at all, he is the Jesus figure in the Narnia Chronicles.
00:00:18 --> 00:00:26 And Lucy approaches Aslan and she gazes into his large but gentle and wise face.
00:00:26 --> 00:00:30 And Aslan says to her, welcome child.
00:00:31 --> 00:00:34 Lucy responds, Aslan, you're bigger.
00:00:36 --> 00:00:41 Aslan answers, that is because you are older, little one.
00:00:42 --> 00:00:45 She questions his response, not because you are.
00:00:47 --> 00:00:49 I am not, he says.
00:00:49 --> 00:00:55 But every year you grow, you will find me bigger.
00:00:56 --> 00:01:03 Every year you grow, you will find me bigger.
00:01:05 --> 00:01:07 That is, it's an analogy.
00:01:08 --> 00:01:16 The bigger Jesus is to us, the more we grow in our understanding of Jesus, the bigger he is to us.
00:01:16 --> 00:01:23 And the more central he becomes in our lives, the bigger our sense of purpose will be in our life.
00:01:23 --> 00:01:31 Meaning and contentment and passion and the joy will grow more and more the bigger Jesus is to us.
00:01:32 --> 00:01:35 And that's why our purpose here at St. Paul's is to treasure Jesus.
00:01:35 --> 00:01:38 And we do it ultimately for our joy.
00:01:40 --> 00:01:53 John's massive vision of Jesus has opened the eyes to countless, countless people over the centuries.
00:01:53 --> 00:01:59 To the greatness of Jesus Christ.
00:02:01 --> 00:02:05 And it has been equally profound as a gospel.
00:02:05 --> 00:02:09 Equally profound as an impact on Christians.
00:02:09 --> 00:02:15 And it expands their vision for the magnificence of who Jesus Christ is.
00:02:15 --> 00:02:32 And so as we spend this term working our way through the first 12 chapters, my hope is that we, like Lucy with Aslan, would find Jesus to be bigger and bigger and bigger than we ever imagined.
00:02:32 --> 00:02:38 To move beyond a mere religious response to him.
00:02:40 --> 00:02:47 And the more central we see him in our lives, the more abundant our life will become.
00:02:48 --> 00:03:00 And today, so therefore, as we come into John chapter 1, I want us to see who Jesus is, the profound change that he brings in our lives and what we need to do about it.
00:03:00 --> 00:03:01 And that's just the first chapter.
00:03:02 --> 00:03:05 So St. Paul's app, get that open in front of you.
00:03:05 --> 00:03:06 Got three points there.
00:03:06 --> 00:03:09 But also your Bibles in John chapter 1.
00:03:09 --> 00:03:17 John chapter 1 is one of the most richest and also famous parts of the Bible.
00:03:19 --> 00:03:28 The first 18 verses makes the claim that the rest of the gospel of John explains, defends and supports.
00:03:28 --> 00:03:29 John chapter 1.
00:03:29 --> 00:03:30 It's John chapter 1.
00:03:30 --> 00:03:34 It's the first 18 verses is the prologue to the whole of the gospel.
00:03:35 --> 00:03:47 And the main claim is that the word that was in the beginning became flesh and lived amongst us so that we could bear witness to the word.
00:03:48 --> 00:03:49 That's the main claim.
00:03:49 --> 00:03:54 And we are told five things about the word in these verses.
00:03:54 --> 00:03:56 The word is a person.
00:03:57 --> 00:03:59 The word is a divine person.
00:04:00 --> 00:04:03 The word is an eternal divine person.
00:04:03 --> 00:04:10 And the word is the eternal divine person who's the source of all things.
00:04:10 --> 00:04:14 And lastly, the word is Jesus Christ.
00:04:16 --> 00:04:21 Now you could take five years to explain each of those five statements.
00:04:22 --> 00:04:27 But I want to focus on just one of these things that he's picked out.
00:04:27 --> 00:04:31 And that is John's use of the word word.
00:04:32 --> 00:04:33 I want us to focus on the word.
00:04:33 --> 00:04:38 It's a very interesting way to describe who Jesus is.
00:04:39 --> 00:04:45 The Greek word that John uses here for word is logos.
00:04:46 --> 00:04:48 In the beginning was the logos.
00:04:50 --> 00:04:53 And the logos came to dwell with us.
00:04:54 --> 00:05:01 It's a word that has an enormous amount of meaning for the first century Greco-Roman world.
00:05:01 --> 00:05:05 The Greek philosophers looked at nature.
00:05:06 --> 00:05:07 They saw balance.
00:05:07 --> 00:05:08 They saw harmony.
00:05:08 --> 00:05:09 They saw design.
00:05:09 --> 00:05:10 They saw order.
00:05:10 --> 00:05:20 And they concluded that there is a cosmic principle of order behind all that they observed.
00:05:21 --> 00:05:27 And they called that principle the logos of the universe.
00:05:27 --> 00:05:42 And the logos for Greek philosophers was an impersonal divine structure that brought forth all that we experience in the world.
00:05:44 --> 00:05:51 And that was the foundation of the Greek worldview, which is also the foundation of Western civilization.
00:05:51 --> 00:06:01 The Eastern worldview is built on a similar principle of purpose and reason and order behind what we observe.
00:06:03 --> 00:06:05 And so the logos is the purpose.
00:06:06 --> 00:06:06 It's the reason.
00:06:07 --> 00:06:11 It's the logic, which is where we get the word logos from.
00:06:11 --> 00:06:12 We get it from logos.
00:06:12 --> 00:06:13 Logic.
00:06:13 --> 00:06:13 Logos.
00:06:14 --> 00:06:16 It's the logic behind all things.
00:06:16 --> 00:06:20 It is what makes sense of all things.
00:06:23 --> 00:06:25 Maybe think of it like this.
00:06:25 --> 00:06:32 Most things that we purchase these days comes with a set of manufacturer's instructions.
00:06:33 --> 00:06:38 The more complex, the greater the instructions that you have associated with these things.
00:06:39 --> 00:06:43 And the instructions ask how to use and to care for that particular item.
00:06:43 --> 00:06:47 They are the manufacturer's purpose for the item.
00:06:48 --> 00:06:51 The guidelines how to use it within its purpose.
00:06:52 --> 00:06:57 In other words, the instructions are the logos for the item that we have in front of us.
00:06:58 --> 00:07:02 And the use of that item must be aligned to the instructions.
00:07:03 --> 00:07:04 To the design.
00:07:05 --> 00:07:07 The reason for its existence.
00:07:07 --> 00:07:16 And if you don't use it in line with the logos, at best, you will not get your value out of that item.
00:07:17 --> 00:07:19 At worst, it will be disaster.
00:07:20 --> 00:07:29 If you do not plug it into a PowerPoint, but you plug it into a hose, instead, it is not going to work.
00:07:29 --> 00:07:33 And at the very least, your warranty is going to be voided.
00:07:35 --> 00:07:44 The Greeks concluded that if we align our lives with the logos, life would go well for us.
00:07:46 --> 00:07:57 However, if you don't align your life with the logos, you would at very least experience an emptiness in life.
00:07:57 --> 00:07:58 A discontentment in life.
00:07:59 --> 00:08:01 A constant searching in life.
00:08:02 --> 00:08:06 At the very worst, you would destroy your life.
00:08:07 --> 00:08:12 Now, there are many different versions of what the logos was and how you would align your life to the logos.
00:08:13 --> 00:08:14 As there are today.
00:08:15 --> 00:08:22 Everything from living selflessly for the sake of others, for the world and for future generations.
00:08:22 --> 00:08:33 And then along comes John.
00:08:33 --> 00:08:36 John the Baptist.
00:08:36 --> 00:08:41 With the earth-shattering category of the Christian faith.
00:08:41 --> 00:08:45 The logos is not a principle.
00:08:46 --> 00:08:49 The logos is a person.
00:08:51 --> 00:08:57 To understand the world, to understand all things, you must understand a person.
00:08:57 --> 00:09:04 And this person is the designer and the source of all life.
00:09:04 --> 00:09:07 The one who we are to align our lives with.
00:09:08 --> 00:09:13 That this person is the truth that sits behind all things.
00:09:13 --> 00:09:20 And to live life well, we must have a relationship of love centered on a person.
00:09:20 --> 00:09:27 That is the radical claim of Christianity throughout the centuries.
00:09:28 --> 00:09:35 But verses 5 to 11 tell us it's a claim that has faced rejection right from the very beginning.
00:09:35 --> 00:09:36 Verse 9.
00:09:36 --> 00:09:37 Have a look at that.
00:09:37 --> 00:09:42 The true light that gives light to everyone has come into the world.
00:09:43 --> 00:09:45 He was in the world.
00:09:45 --> 00:09:52 And though the world was made through him, the world, that's the people, did not recognize him.
00:09:53 --> 00:09:55 He came to those which was his own.
00:09:56 --> 00:09:59 But his own did not receive him.
00:10:01 --> 00:10:05 Verse 5 is the key to understanding the rejection.
00:10:05 --> 00:10:14 The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.
00:10:15 --> 00:10:23 Other translations, for those who are familiar with different translations, say that the darkness has not understood it.
00:10:24 --> 00:10:27 In his commentary on this verse, Don Carson says,
00:10:28 --> 00:10:31 This verse is a masterpiece of planned ambiguity.
00:10:31 --> 00:10:38 That is, the word that John uses here, and he's very careful with all his words,
00:10:38 --> 00:10:43 the word he uses here can mean both overcome or understand.
00:10:47 --> 00:10:52 In the same way we might ask, what does it mean to master something?
00:10:52 --> 00:10:56 What does it mean when we say, I've mastered that?
00:10:58 --> 00:11:01 It may mean that I've overpowered it.
00:11:02 --> 00:11:04 Or it may mean, oh, I finally get it.
00:11:06 --> 00:11:09 It may mean both of those things at the same time.
00:11:10 --> 00:11:11 I finally get it.
00:11:11 --> 00:11:12 I figured it out.
00:11:12 --> 00:11:19 And that is, if you like, the ambiguity of this word is that there are two broad categories of rejecting the claims of Jesus Christ.
00:11:19 --> 00:11:21 One is an overly hostile.
00:11:22 --> 00:11:24 The other is just simply not to get him.
00:11:25 --> 00:11:26 Not to understand him.
00:11:28 --> 00:11:30 And either way, you've rejected him.
00:11:31 --> 00:11:34 In the post-Christian era that we find ourselves in now,
00:11:34 --> 00:11:39 some people are hostile to the idea that Jesus Christ is the truth
00:11:39 --> 00:11:43 that sits behind the universe.
00:11:43 --> 00:11:53 Our secular society is increasingly hostile to any idea that there is any form of absolute truth behind the universe.
00:11:54 --> 00:12:01 And in some quarters, there is an attempt to overcome Jesus.
00:12:01 --> 00:12:10 Another way to reject Jesus as the logos is the religious approach, the moralistic approach.
00:12:11 --> 00:12:13 It is not to understand Jesus.
00:12:14 --> 00:12:20 The religious approach is to see Jesus as laying down a set of rules for life
00:12:20 --> 00:12:25 where I need to obey in order to work for his approval.
00:12:25 --> 00:12:29 That is to misunderstand the logos.
00:12:30 --> 00:12:32 To misunderstand who Jesus is.
00:12:33 --> 00:12:36 Relativism and moralism are both forms of rejection of Jesus.
00:12:37 --> 00:12:40 Both leave us looking ultimately to ourselves
00:12:40 --> 00:12:44 and the consistency of our own lives for truth and meaning and hope.
00:12:46 --> 00:12:50 And that is why we are living in a world with so many fragile egos
00:12:50 --> 00:12:55 because it puts me, moralism and relativism, put me at the centre of the universe.
00:12:56 --> 00:12:57 As the truth of the universe.
00:12:58 --> 00:13:00 And it's an oppressive weight to bear.
00:13:02 --> 00:13:07 On the other hand, what John puts in front of us here is so liberating.
00:13:08 --> 00:13:12 There are hardly more beautiful words in the entire Bible
00:13:12 --> 00:13:15 than verses 12 to 14, or 12 and 14.
00:13:15 --> 00:13:20 To all who did receive him, to those who believe in his name,
00:13:20 --> 00:13:24 he gave the right to become children of God.
00:13:25 --> 00:13:29 Verse 14, the word became flesh and made his dwelling amongst us.
00:13:30 --> 00:13:35 And we have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son
00:13:35 --> 00:13:40 who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
00:13:40 --> 00:13:45 The right to become children of God.
00:13:46 --> 00:13:49 That's what's at stake here in understanding who Jesus is.
00:13:51 --> 00:13:56 The relationship of a parent to a child is not based on the child's performance.
00:13:59 --> 00:14:02 It's not a consumeristic relationship.
00:14:02 --> 00:14:05 It's not a cost-benefit relationship.
00:14:06 --> 00:14:14 It's a covenant relationship based on unconditional faithfulness and commitment and love
00:14:14 --> 00:14:17 from the parent to the child.
00:14:17 --> 00:14:26 And in Jesus understanding him, we have the right to become children of God.
00:14:28 --> 00:14:32 In other words, this claim that Jesus is the truth
00:14:32 --> 00:14:37 is a non-oppressive truth claim.
00:14:37 --> 00:14:45 And Jesus Christ declares it's possible to have that kind of relationship with the God of the universe.
00:14:46 --> 00:14:46 How?
00:14:48 --> 00:14:54 Because the logos, the word, became flesh and dwelt amongst us.
00:14:55 --> 00:14:58 The logos of the universe came to us.
00:14:58 --> 00:15:05 He hasn't left us to our own devices to navigate life,
00:15:05 --> 00:15:08 to try and align ourselves with the manufacturer's purposes.
00:15:12 --> 00:15:19 The word that John uses for dwelt here is the word tabernacled amongst us.
00:15:20 --> 00:15:23 It's another name for templed amongst us.
00:15:24 --> 00:15:28 And all around this world, through every culture, there are temples.
00:15:28 --> 00:15:31 Temples have been built throughout history
00:15:31 --> 00:15:34 because people, human beings from every culture
00:15:34 --> 00:15:38 have instinctively sensed that there is a God,
00:15:38 --> 00:15:41 there is a logos, there is a purpose, there is a being,
00:15:42 --> 00:15:44 but there is a gap.
00:15:45 --> 00:15:47 There is a big gap.
00:15:49 --> 00:15:52 He is great and we are small.
00:15:53 --> 00:15:57 And temples were built in every culture in an attempt to bridge that gap.
00:15:58 --> 00:16:00 Sacrifices were offered.
00:16:01 --> 00:16:02 Rituals were performed.
00:16:03 --> 00:16:06 And holy people were engaged to bridge the gap for us.
00:16:08 --> 00:16:12 And John tells us that the Lord of the universe
00:16:12 --> 00:16:15 has now tabernacled with us.
00:16:17 --> 00:16:19 He has bridged the gap himself.
00:16:20 --> 00:16:22 Dwelt in our presence.
00:16:22 --> 00:16:26 So that we might know who he is.
00:16:27 --> 00:16:31 That's the beauty of the claim that Jesus is the word
00:16:31 --> 00:16:37 and why we'd want to see and savour him and treasure him for who he is.
00:16:37 --> 00:16:42 The heart of the universe is a person.
00:16:44 --> 00:16:49 Now one person who saw Jesus, who witnessed Jesus for who he is
00:16:49 --> 00:16:54 as the eternal creator God, the source of all life, was John the Baptist.
00:16:55 --> 00:17:00 The first witness to the glory of Jesus Christ as the truth.
00:17:00 --> 00:17:07 Now John was a guy who in the first century drew a lot of attention to himself
00:17:07 --> 00:17:10 about his preaching and calling people to repent for their sin.
00:17:11 --> 00:17:16 From the servants in the fields to King Herod himself in his palace.
00:17:16 --> 00:17:19 From the religious elite to the Roman soldiers.
00:17:19 --> 00:17:22 People everywhere were talking about John.
00:17:22 --> 00:17:25 He had more Twitter followers than anyone.
00:17:25 --> 00:17:28 Anyone on the face of the earth.
00:17:31 --> 00:17:35 Lots of rumours went around about who John was.
00:17:36 --> 00:17:38 That maybe John was the Logos.
00:17:41 --> 00:17:44 Could he be the long awaited Jewish Messiah
00:17:44 --> 00:17:46 who would rescue God's people from slavery?
00:17:47 --> 00:17:50 Is he in fact the hope of humanity?
00:17:51 --> 00:17:52 The saver of the nation?
00:17:52 --> 00:17:54 Verse 20, he said, not me.
00:17:55 --> 00:18:00 Well maybe he's the great Elijah, the prophet that Malachi predicted
00:18:00 --> 00:18:04 that was going to come just before the Messiah.
00:18:05 --> 00:18:07 Is John the Elijah figure from Malachi?
00:18:09 --> 00:18:11 Nope, I'm not him either.
00:18:12 --> 00:18:13 Well what about the prophet?
00:18:13 --> 00:18:15 The promised prophet from Deuteronomy
00:18:15 --> 00:18:18 who would lead God's people to a new day of dawn?
00:18:20 --> 00:18:21 Nope, I'm not him either.
00:18:23 --> 00:18:25 Who are you John?
00:18:25 --> 00:18:27 What are we going to say about you?
00:18:27 --> 00:18:30 How do you explain you John?
00:18:30 --> 00:18:32 In all of your greatness and your millions of tweets
00:18:32 --> 00:18:34 who are you?
00:18:35 --> 00:18:36 I'm a voice.
00:18:39 --> 00:18:40 Nothing special at all.
00:18:41 --> 00:18:42 I'm a voice.
00:18:42 --> 00:18:44 And yet you read Matthew chapter 11
00:18:44 --> 00:18:48 and we get a very different picture of who John is
00:18:48 --> 00:18:49 according to Jesus Christ.
00:18:50 --> 00:18:51 This is Jesus' assessment of John.
00:18:52 --> 00:18:53 Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John.
00:18:53 --> 00:18:55 What did you go out to see?
00:18:55 --> 00:18:55 A prophet?
00:18:55 --> 00:18:56 Yes, I tell you.
00:18:56 --> 00:18:58 And more than a prophet.
00:18:59 --> 00:19:01 This is the one to whom it is written.
00:19:02 --> 00:19:03 This is Malachi.
00:19:03 --> 00:19:06 I will send my messenger ahead of you
00:19:06 --> 00:19:08 who will prepare your way before you.
00:19:08 --> 00:19:09 I tell you.
00:19:09 --> 00:19:09 I tell you.
00:19:10 --> 00:19:14 Among those born of women,
00:19:15 --> 00:19:20 there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist.
00:19:22 --> 00:19:23 That's Jesus' assessment of John.
00:19:25 --> 00:19:27 He's worthy of all these millions of Twitter followers.
00:19:27 --> 00:19:32 Jesus' assessment of John is profoundly different
00:19:32 --> 00:19:34 than John's assessment of John.
00:19:35 --> 00:19:37 After the arrival of Jesus,
00:19:38 --> 00:19:39 this is what Jesus says,
00:19:39 --> 00:19:41 among those born of women,
00:19:42 --> 00:19:44 which is quite a lot of people as it turns out,
00:19:46 --> 00:19:50 there has not been anyone greater than John.
00:19:50 --> 00:19:55 No one greater than John.
00:19:59 --> 00:20:01 Jesus says he is, in fact,
00:20:01 --> 00:20:03 the Elijah figure that Malachi predicted.
00:20:04 --> 00:20:07 So how do you reconcile those two perspectives?
00:20:08 --> 00:20:11 Is John just someone that we might call in our modern day
00:20:11 --> 00:20:13 someone with low self-esteem?
00:20:13 --> 00:20:20 Or maybe someone who's got a false humility.
00:20:21 --> 00:20:22 Yeah, not really about me.
00:20:24 --> 00:20:25 Well, this is not at all.
00:20:25 --> 00:20:26 It's not at all the case
00:20:26 --> 00:20:28 because as we go through John's gospel,
00:20:28 --> 00:20:30 we will see that someone with low self-esteem
00:20:30 --> 00:20:33 and false humility would be incredibly fearful
00:20:33 --> 00:20:35 and would lack an element of confidence.
00:20:36 --> 00:20:37 And John, therefore,
00:20:38 --> 00:20:40 would not be calling the religious elite
00:20:40 --> 00:20:41 to the Roman soldiers
00:20:41 --> 00:20:43 to herod himself in his palace
00:20:43 --> 00:20:46 to repent and to follow Jesus Christ.
00:20:46 --> 00:20:48 That is not someone of low self-esteem
00:20:48 --> 00:20:51 who would have that kind of boldness and brashness.
00:20:54 --> 00:20:56 What's happening here is that John,
00:20:56 --> 00:20:58 who bears witness to the Logos,
00:20:58 --> 00:21:01 sees himself against Jesus and says,
00:21:01 --> 00:21:02 I am nothing.
00:21:05 --> 00:21:07 I may be the greatest human being
00:21:07 --> 00:21:10 who's ever walked the face of the earth up to Jesus,
00:21:10 --> 00:21:11 but I am nothing.
00:21:13 --> 00:21:14 Compared to Jesus.
00:21:17 --> 00:21:18 He's saying to the crowd,
00:21:19 --> 00:21:20 you've missed the point.
00:21:20 --> 00:21:22 It's not about me.
00:21:23 --> 00:21:24 You've missed the point.
00:21:25 --> 00:21:26 It's not about me.
00:21:27 --> 00:21:30 I am merely a voice announcing a greater one.
00:21:31 --> 00:21:32 I've seen the Logos.
00:21:33 --> 00:21:35 The great one is verse 23,
00:21:35 --> 00:21:36 the Lord.
00:21:36 --> 00:21:40 And here John uses the covenant name
00:21:40 --> 00:21:41 of Israel's God, Yahweh.
00:21:44 --> 00:21:47 Verse 27 is the key to understanding
00:21:47 --> 00:21:50 John's understanding of himself
00:21:50 --> 00:21:51 in the presence of Jesus.
00:21:52 --> 00:21:55 He is the one who comes after me,
00:21:55 --> 00:21:57 the straps of whose sandals
00:21:57 --> 00:21:59 I'm not worthy to untie.
00:21:59 --> 00:22:02 First century Palestine
00:22:02 --> 00:22:06 was a hot, dusty, dirty,
00:22:07 --> 00:22:08 mucky place.
00:22:09 --> 00:22:10 By the end of the day,
00:22:10 --> 00:22:12 your feet would stink
00:22:12 --> 00:22:14 bad.
00:22:15 --> 00:22:16 I actually put originally in my text,
00:22:17 --> 00:22:18 really bad,
00:22:18 --> 00:22:21 but Microsoft wanted to correct that
00:22:21 --> 00:22:22 for being bad grammar.
00:22:22 --> 00:22:24 But I want to say really,
00:22:24 --> 00:22:25 really, really bad.
00:22:26 --> 00:22:27 Really bad.
00:22:27 --> 00:22:29 And there were, in fact,
00:22:29 --> 00:22:30 Jewish laws
00:22:30 --> 00:22:33 that said you could not demand
00:22:33 --> 00:22:34 a servant
00:22:34 --> 00:22:37 or a worker
00:22:37 --> 00:22:39 or a disciple
00:22:39 --> 00:22:42 to untie your sandals
00:22:42 --> 00:22:43 unless
00:22:43 --> 00:22:46 they were a Gentile dog.
00:22:46 --> 00:22:51 They weren't allowed
00:22:51 --> 00:22:52 to untie your sandals.
00:22:53 --> 00:22:54 It was seen as so
00:22:54 --> 00:22:56 disgusting
00:22:56 --> 00:22:58 in first century.
00:22:58 --> 00:22:59 And every culture's got their things
00:22:59 --> 00:23:00 which we would describe as
00:23:00 --> 00:23:01 disgusting.
00:23:02 --> 00:23:03 And it was so disgusting
00:23:03 --> 00:23:05 in first century Palestine.
00:23:05 --> 00:23:06 They had laws against it.
00:23:07 --> 00:23:08 And notice what John
00:23:08 --> 00:23:09 says here.
00:23:09 --> 00:23:11 Notice what he doesn't say.
00:23:13 --> 00:23:14 He doesn't say,
00:23:14 --> 00:23:17 I am only worthy
00:23:17 --> 00:23:20 to untie his sandal.
00:23:21 --> 00:23:23 He actually says,
00:23:23 --> 00:23:24 I'm not even worthy
00:23:24 --> 00:23:27 to untie his sandal.
00:23:28 --> 00:23:30 He's saying to his audience here,
00:23:31 --> 00:23:33 I am lower
00:23:33 --> 00:23:34 than even the Gentile dogs
00:23:34 --> 00:23:38 in the face of Jesus Christ.
00:23:40 --> 00:23:41 He's saying,
00:23:42 --> 00:23:42 you,
00:23:42 --> 00:23:44 my Twitter account
00:23:44 --> 00:23:45 serves
00:23:45 --> 00:23:46 his glory.
00:23:48 --> 00:23:49 That's why I'm here.
00:23:50 --> 00:23:52 I'm below the lowest
00:23:52 --> 00:23:52 of the Gentiles.
00:23:52 --> 00:23:53 I understand
00:23:53 --> 00:23:54 the greatness
00:23:54 --> 00:23:55 of Jesus Christ.
00:23:55 --> 00:23:56 Don't try and understand
00:23:56 --> 00:23:57 my greatness.
00:23:59 --> 00:23:59 My life
00:23:59 --> 00:24:00 is to draw attention
00:24:00 --> 00:24:01 to him.
00:24:01 --> 00:24:01 My purpose
00:24:01 --> 00:24:02 is to bring him glory,
00:24:02 --> 00:24:04 not myself.
00:24:04 --> 00:24:05 He is the logos.
00:24:05 --> 00:24:05 He is the purpose.
00:24:05 --> 00:24:06 He is the meaning,
00:24:07 --> 00:24:07 the reason
00:24:07 --> 00:24:08 for the universe.
00:24:08 --> 00:24:08 He is the meaning.
00:24:12 --> 00:24:14 But John also bears witness
00:24:14 --> 00:24:17 to Jesus Christ,
00:24:17 --> 00:24:18 not just as the logos
00:24:18 --> 00:24:18 of the universe
00:24:18 --> 00:24:20 who has come to dwell
00:24:20 --> 00:24:21 amongst his creation,
00:24:22 --> 00:24:23 but he also bears witness
00:24:23 --> 00:24:25 to how the logos
00:24:25 --> 00:24:26 has come to his creation
00:24:26 --> 00:24:29 and why he's come
00:24:29 --> 00:24:30 to his creation.
00:24:31 --> 00:24:33 He doesn't come
00:24:33 --> 00:24:35 as a devouring
00:24:35 --> 00:24:36 great lion
00:24:36 --> 00:24:39 that needs to be appeased,
00:24:39 --> 00:24:41 but as a lamb.
00:24:44 --> 00:24:45 Now the relativist
00:24:45 --> 00:24:47 rejects the idea
00:24:47 --> 00:24:48 of a powerful
00:24:48 --> 00:24:49 divine designer.
00:24:50 --> 00:24:51 The moralist
00:24:51 --> 00:24:52 misunderstands
00:24:52 --> 00:24:53 that the powerful
00:24:53 --> 00:24:53 designer
00:24:53 --> 00:24:56 behind the universe
00:24:56 --> 00:24:56 is in fact
00:24:56 --> 00:24:57 a lamb.
00:24:59 --> 00:25:00 The logos
00:25:00 --> 00:25:01 is not just great
00:25:01 --> 00:25:03 but also good.
00:25:03 --> 00:25:04 Verse 29,
00:25:04 --> 00:25:05 he points to Jesus
00:25:05 --> 00:25:06 and says,
00:25:06 --> 00:25:06 look,
00:25:07 --> 00:25:07 this is John,
00:25:07 --> 00:25:08 look,
00:25:08 --> 00:25:10 the lamb of God
00:25:10 --> 00:25:11 who takes away
00:25:11 --> 00:25:12 the sin of the world.
00:25:14 --> 00:25:15 Exclamation mark
00:25:15 --> 00:25:17 in the original
00:25:17 --> 00:25:17 Greek text,
00:25:18 --> 00:25:18 look.
00:25:23 --> 00:25:24 Other versions
00:25:24 --> 00:25:25 have got,
00:25:25 --> 00:25:25 behold.
00:25:31 --> 00:25:32 John's Jewish audience
00:25:32 --> 00:25:34 knew exactly
00:25:34 --> 00:25:34 what he was saying
00:25:34 --> 00:25:35 when he said that.
00:25:35 --> 00:25:38 Centuries earlier
00:25:38 --> 00:25:39 when they were slaves
00:25:39 --> 00:25:40 in Egypt,
00:25:40 --> 00:25:41 Moses went to Pharaoh
00:25:41 --> 00:25:42 and said,
00:25:42 --> 00:25:43 let my people go
00:25:43 --> 00:25:44 and Pharaoh
00:25:44 --> 00:25:46 refused to let
00:25:46 --> 00:25:46 them go
00:25:46 --> 00:25:47 and God sent
00:25:47 --> 00:25:48 a bunch of plagues
00:25:48 --> 00:25:50 to convince Pharaoh
00:25:50 --> 00:25:51 and all of Egypt
00:25:51 --> 00:25:52 and the final plague
00:25:52 --> 00:25:53 on Egypt
00:25:53 --> 00:25:54 because of their
00:25:54 --> 00:25:55 oppression
00:25:55 --> 00:25:56 and their rebellion
00:25:56 --> 00:25:58 and their injustice
00:25:58 --> 00:25:59 was an angel
00:25:59 --> 00:26:00 of death
00:26:00 --> 00:26:01 to strike down
00:26:01 --> 00:26:02 the firstborn son
00:26:02 --> 00:26:04 in every home.
00:26:04 --> 00:26:07 that was
00:26:07 --> 00:26:08 devastating
00:26:08 --> 00:26:09 for the hopes
00:26:09 --> 00:26:10 of a patriarchal
00:26:10 --> 00:26:11 society
00:26:11 --> 00:26:12 who pinned
00:26:12 --> 00:26:12 their hopes
00:26:12 --> 00:26:13 on the firstborn son
00:26:13 --> 00:26:16 and God
00:26:16 --> 00:26:17 also said
00:26:17 --> 00:26:17 to his people
00:26:17 --> 00:26:18 Israel,
00:26:18 --> 00:26:19 don't forget
00:26:19 --> 00:26:20 your sinners
00:26:20 --> 00:26:20 too.
00:26:22 --> 00:26:23 It's not because
00:26:23 --> 00:26:23 you're better.
00:26:25 --> 00:26:26 The only way
00:26:26 --> 00:26:27 that they could
00:26:27 --> 00:26:27 escape
00:26:27 --> 00:26:30 the same fate
00:26:30 --> 00:26:31 was if they
00:26:31 --> 00:26:31 were to kill
00:26:31 --> 00:26:32 a lamb
00:26:32 --> 00:26:34 and have
00:26:34 --> 00:26:34 its blood
00:26:34 --> 00:26:35 spread
00:26:35 --> 00:26:36 on the doorposts
00:26:36 --> 00:26:36 of their homes
00:26:36 --> 00:26:39 and when the
00:26:39 --> 00:26:40 angel of death
00:26:40 --> 00:26:41 sees the blood
00:26:41 --> 00:26:43 he will pass
00:26:43 --> 00:26:44 over the house
00:26:44 --> 00:26:46 and they will
00:26:46 --> 00:26:47 not be slain
00:26:47 --> 00:26:47 for their sin.
00:26:49 --> 00:26:49 In other words
00:26:49 --> 00:26:50 the lamb
00:26:50 --> 00:26:51 died
00:26:51 --> 00:26:52 so that the family
00:26:52 --> 00:26:53 didn't have to
00:26:53 --> 00:26:56 and from that
00:26:56 --> 00:26:56 very night
00:26:56 --> 00:26:58 year after
00:26:58 --> 00:26:59 year
00:26:59 --> 00:27:00 century after
00:27:00 --> 00:27:01 century
00:27:01 --> 00:27:02 Israel celebrated
00:27:02 --> 00:27:04 the Passover
00:27:04 --> 00:27:04 meal
00:27:04 --> 00:27:05 and remembered
00:27:05 --> 00:27:06 the night
00:27:06 --> 00:27:06 that they didn't
00:27:06 --> 00:27:07 have to pay
00:27:07 --> 00:27:08 for their sin
00:27:08 --> 00:27:11 but how
00:27:11 --> 00:27:12 is it possible
00:27:12 --> 00:27:14 that a little
00:27:14 --> 00:27:15 lamb
00:27:15 --> 00:27:17 could possibly
00:27:17 --> 00:27:17 atone
00:27:17 --> 00:27:18 for the
00:27:18 --> 00:27:19 sin
00:27:19 --> 00:27:20 of an individual
00:27:20 --> 00:27:21 or of a nation
00:27:21 --> 00:27:22 of a world
00:27:22 --> 00:27:23 how is that
00:27:23 --> 00:27:24 possible?
00:27:26 --> 00:27:26 You see
00:27:26 --> 00:27:27 John and his
00:27:27 --> 00:27:28 Jewish heroes
00:27:28 --> 00:27:28 would have also
00:27:28 --> 00:27:29 been quite familiar
00:27:29 --> 00:27:30 with another
00:27:30 --> 00:27:31 figure in the
00:27:31 --> 00:27:32 Old Testament
00:27:32 --> 00:27:32 that the book
00:27:32 --> 00:27:33 of Isaiah
00:27:33 --> 00:27:34 calls the
00:27:34 --> 00:27:34 suffering servant
00:27:34 --> 00:27:36 and Isaiah
00:27:36 --> 00:27:36 says this
00:27:36 --> 00:27:37 about the
00:27:37 --> 00:27:37 suffering servant
00:27:37 --> 00:27:38 we all like
00:27:38 --> 00:27:39 sheep have
00:27:39 --> 00:27:40 gone astray
00:27:40 --> 00:27:40 each of us
00:27:40 --> 00:27:41 has turned
00:27:41 --> 00:27:41 to our own
00:27:41 --> 00:27:42 way
00:27:42 --> 00:27:42 and the
00:27:42 --> 00:27:43 Lord has
00:27:43 --> 00:27:44 laid on
00:27:44 --> 00:27:44 him
00:27:44 --> 00:27:46 the iniquity
00:27:46 --> 00:27:47 of us
00:27:47 --> 00:27:47 all
00:27:47 --> 00:27:48 he was
00:27:48 --> 00:27:49 oppressed
00:27:49 --> 00:27:51 and afflicted
00:27:51 --> 00:27:53 yet he did
00:27:53 --> 00:27:53 not open
00:27:53 --> 00:27:54 his mouth
00:27:54 --> 00:27:55 he was
00:27:55 --> 00:27:56 led like
00:27:56 --> 00:27:56 a lamb
00:27:56 --> 00:27:57 to the
00:27:57 --> 00:27:57 slaughter
00:27:57 --> 00:28:00 and John
00:28:00 --> 00:28:00 goes
00:28:00 --> 00:28:02 both of
00:28:02 --> 00:28:03 those images
00:28:03 --> 00:28:04 come together
00:28:04 --> 00:28:04 in the
00:28:04 --> 00:28:04 person of
00:28:04 --> 00:28:05 Jesus
00:28:05 --> 00:28:05 I'm
00:28:05 --> 00:28:05 channeling
00:28:05 --> 00:28:06 together
00:28:06 --> 00:28:06 in the
00:28:06 --> 00:28:06 person
00:28:06 --> 00:28:07 of Jesus
00:28:07 --> 00:28:08 the
00:28:08 --> 00:28:09 suffering
00:28:09 --> 00:28:09 servant
00:28:09 --> 00:28:10 is the
00:28:10 --> 00:28:10 sacrificial
00:28:10 --> 00:28:11 lamb
00:28:11 --> 00:28:11 for sin
00:28:11 --> 00:28:12 the
00:28:12 --> 00:28:12 logos
00:28:12 --> 00:28:13 of the
00:28:13 --> 00:28:13 universe
00:28:13 --> 00:28:14 is the
00:28:14 --> 00:28:14 suffering
00:28:14 --> 00:28:15 servant
00:28:15 --> 00:28:15 and he
00:28:15 --> 00:28:15 says
00:28:15 --> 00:28:16 behold
00:28:16 --> 00:28:17 look
00:28:17 --> 00:28:20 get it
00:28:20 --> 00:28:22 understand
00:28:22 --> 00:28:23 it
00:28:23 --> 00:28:24 the
00:28:24 --> 00:28:25 reason
00:28:25 --> 00:28:26 why
00:28:26 --> 00:28:26 our
00:28:26 --> 00:28:27 firstborn
00:28:27 --> 00:28:27 sons
00:28:27 --> 00:28:28 didn't
00:28:28 --> 00:28:28 die
00:28:28 --> 00:28:28 in
00:28:28 --> 00:28:29 Egypt
00:28:29 --> 00:28:31 and
00:28:31 --> 00:28:31 you
00:28:31 --> 00:28:32 don't
00:28:32 --> 00:28:32 need
00:28:32 --> 00:28:32 to
00:28:32 --> 00:28:33 now
00:28:33 --> 00:28:35 is
00:28:35 --> 00:28:36 because
00:28:36 --> 00:28:36 God
00:28:36 --> 00:28:37 has
00:28:37 --> 00:28:37 offered
00:28:37 --> 00:28:37 his
00:28:37 --> 00:28:38 own
00:28:38 --> 00:28:38 son
00:28:38 --> 00:28:39 as
00:28:39 --> 00:28:39 the
00:28:39 --> 00:28:40 sacrificial
00:28:40 --> 00:28:40 lamb
00:28:40 --> 00:28:45 and
00:28:45 --> 00:28:46 as
00:28:46 --> 00:28:46 he
00:28:46 --> 00:28:47 says
00:28:47 --> 00:28:47 to
00:28:47 --> 00:28:47 his
00:28:47 --> 00:28:48 hearers
00:28:48 --> 00:28:48 in
00:28:48 --> 00:28:48 the
00:28:48 --> 00:28:48 first
00:28:48 --> 00:28:49 century
00:28:49 --> 00:28:49 so
00:28:49 --> 00:28:49 he
00:28:49 --> 00:28:50 says
00:28:50 --> 00:28:50 to
00:28:50 --> 00:28:50 us
00:28:50 --> 00:28:51 now
00:28:51 --> 00:28:51 in
00:28:51 --> 00:28:52 the
00:28:52 --> 00:28:53 21st
00:28:53 --> 00:28:54 look
00:28:54 --> 00:28:59 behold
00:28:59 --> 00:29:01 gaze
00:29:01 --> 00:29:03 think
00:29:03 --> 00:29:04 ponder
00:29:04 --> 00:29:06 understand
00:29:06 --> 00:29:08 get it
00:29:08 --> 00:29:08 who
00:29:08 --> 00:29:09 Jesus
00:29:09 --> 00:29:10 is
00:29:10 --> 00:29:12 he
00:29:12 --> 00:29:12 is
00:29:12 --> 00:29:12 the
00:29:12 --> 00:29:12 logos
00:29:12 --> 00:29:13 and
00:29:13 --> 00:29:13 the
00:29:13 --> 00:29:13 lamb
00:29:13 --> 00:29:15 for
00:29:15 --> 00:29:16 your
00:29:16 --> 00:29:17 joy
00:29:17 --> 00:29:21 the
00:29:21 --> 00:29:21 logos
00:29:21 --> 00:29:21 of the
00:29:21 --> 00:29:22 universe
00:29:22 --> 00:29:22 has
00:29:22 --> 00:29:23 sacrificed
00:29:23 --> 00:29:23 himself
00:29:23 --> 00:29:24 so
00:29:24 --> 00:29:24 that
00:29:24 --> 00:29:24 we
00:29:24 --> 00:29:25 can
00:29:25 --> 00:29:25 be
00:29:25 --> 00:29:25 free
00:29:25 --> 00:29:25 and
00:29:25 --> 00:29:26 loved
00:29:26 --> 00:29:26 and
00:29:26 --> 00:29:26 known
00:29:26 --> 00:29:27 and
00:29:27 --> 00:29:27 approved
00:29:27 --> 00:29:28 get
00:29:28 --> 00:29:28 it
00:29:28 --> 00:29:31 and
00:29:31 --> 00:29:31 get
00:29:31 --> 00:29:32 abundant
00:29:32 --> 00:29:32 life
00:29:32 --> 00:29:35 you
00:29:35 --> 00:29:35 see
00:29:35 --> 00:29:35 this
00:29:35 --> 00:29:36 news
00:29:36 --> 00:29:36 is
00:29:36 --> 00:29:36 news
00:29:36 --> 00:29:36 that
00:29:36 --> 00:29:37 humbles
00:29:37 --> 00:29:37 you
00:29:37 --> 00:29:39 that
00:29:39 --> 00:29:40 Jesus
00:29:40 --> 00:29:40 is
00:29:40 --> 00:29:40 the
00:29:40 --> 00:29:41 truth
00:29:41 --> 00:29:44 that
00:29:44 --> 00:29:44 he
00:29:44 --> 00:29:44 is
00:29:44 --> 00:29:45 the
00:29:45 --> 00:29:45 lamb
00:29:45 --> 00:29:46 it
00:29:46 --> 00:29:46 humbles
00:29:46 --> 00:29:47 you
00:29:47 --> 00:29:47 because
00:29:47 --> 00:29:48 that's
00:29:48 --> 00:29:49 what
00:29:49 --> 00:29:49 it
00:29:49 --> 00:29:49 took
00:29:49 --> 00:29:51 for
00:29:51 --> 00:29:51 God
00:29:51 --> 00:29:51 to
00:29:51 --> 00:29:52 deal
00:29:52 --> 00:29:52 with
00:29:52 --> 00:29:52 our
00:29:52 --> 00:29:52 rejection
00:29:52 --> 00:29:53 of
00:29:53 --> 00:29:53 him
00:29:53 --> 00:29:55 but
00:29:55 --> 00:29:55 it
00:29:55 --> 00:29:55 also
00:29:55 --> 00:29:55 lifts
00:29:55 --> 00:29:56 you
00:29:56 --> 00:29:56 up
00:29:56 --> 00:29:57 because
00:29:57 --> 00:29:58 his
00:29:58 --> 00:29:58 love
00:29:58 --> 00:29:58 for
00:29:58 --> 00:29:58 us
00:29:58 --> 00:29:58 is
00:29:58 --> 00:29:59 so
00:29:59 --> 00:29:59 great
00:29:59 --> 00:29:59 that
00:29:59 --> 00:30:00 he
00:30:00 --> 00:30:00 was
00:30:00 --> 00:30:00 in
00:30:00 --> 00:30:00 fact
00:30:00 --> 00:30:00 willing
00:30:00 --> 00:30:01 to
00:30:01 --> 00:30:01 do
00:30:01 --> 00:30:01 it
00:30:01 --> 00:30:05 in
00:30:05 --> 00:30:06 Jesus
00:30:06 --> 00:30:07 Christ
00:30:07 --> 00:30:09 for
00:30:09 --> 00:30:09 all
00:30:09 --> 00:30:09 of
00:30:09 --> 00:30:09 us
00:30:09 --> 00:30:11 fragile
00:30:11 --> 00:30:13 egocentric
00:30:13 --> 00:30:14 people
00:30:14 --> 00:30:16 trying to
00:30:16 --> 00:30:17 find the
00:30:17 --> 00:30:17 truth
00:30:17 --> 00:30:17 in
00:30:17 --> 00:30:18 ourselves
00:30:18 --> 00:30:20 Jesus
00:30:20 --> 00:30:20 Christ
00:30:20 --> 00:30:20 in
00:30:20 --> 00:30:21 him
00:30:21 --> 00:30:21 we
00:30:21 --> 00:30:21 receive
00:30:21 --> 00:30:22 the
00:30:22 --> 00:30:22 praise
00:30:22 --> 00:30:22 of the
00:30:22 --> 00:30:23 praise
00:30:23 --> 00:30:23 worthy
00:30:23 --> 00:30:24 we
00:30:24 --> 00:30:24 receive
00:30:24 --> 00:30:24 the
00:30:24 --> 00:30:24 love
00:30:24 --> 00:30:25 of
00:30:25 --> 00:30:25 the
00:30:25 --> 00:30:25 lovable
00:30:25 --> 00:30:29 and
00:30:29 --> 00:30:30 that
00:30:30 --> 00:30:30 fills
00:30:30 --> 00:30:30 you
00:30:30 --> 00:30:30 up
00:30:30 --> 00:30:31 on
00:30:31 --> 00:30:31 the
00:30:31 --> 00:30:32 inside
00:30:32 --> 00:30:35 it's
00:30:35 --> 00:30:35 the
00:30:35 --> 00:30:35 source
00:30:35 --> 00:30:35 of
00:30:35 --> 00:30:36 abundant
00:30:36 --> 00:30:36 life
00:30:36 --> 00:30:38 it's
00:30:38 --> 00:30:38 the
00:30:38 --> 00:30:39 reason
00:30:39 --> 00:30:39 John
00:30:39 --> 00:30:39 is
00:30:39 --> 00:30:39 so
00:30:39 --> 00:30:40 bold
00:30:40 --> 00:30:40 and
00:30:40 --> 00:30:40 so
00:30:40 --> 00:30:41 confident
00:30:41 --> 00:30:41 and
00:30:41 --> 00:30:42 yet
00:30:42 --> 00:30:42 so
00:30:42 --> 00:30:42 deeply
00:30:42 --> 00:30:43 humble
00:30:43 --> 00:30:44 it's
00:30:44 --> 00:30:45 why
00:30:45 --> 00:30:45 the
00:30:45 --> 00:30:45 whole
00:30:45 --> 00:30:45 trajectory
00:30:45 --> 00:30:46 of
00:30:46 --> 00:30:46 his
00:30:46 --> 00:30:46 life
00:30:46 --> 00:30:47 has
00:30:47 --> 00:30:47 shifted
00:30:47 --> 00:30:48 to
00:30:48 --> 00:30:48 him
00:30:48 --> 00:30:48 being
00:30:48 --> 00:30:49 just
00:30:49 --> 00:30:49 a
00:30:49 --> 00:30:49 voice
00:30:49 --> 00:30:51 the
00:30:51 --> 00:30:51 greatest
00:30:51 --> 00:30:52 priority
00:30:52 --> 00:30:52 in
00:30:52 --> 00:30:52 his
00:30:52 --> 00:30:52 life
00:30:52 --> 00:30:53 is
00:30:53 --> 00:30:53 to
00:30:53 --> 00:30:53 be
00:30:53 --> 00:30:53 a
00:30:53 --> 00:30:54 voice
00:30:54 --> 00:30:56 a
00:30:56 --> 00:30:56 voice
00:30:56 --> 00:30:56 to
00:30:56 --> 00:30:57 Jesus
00:30:57 --> 00:30:57 Christ
00:30:57 --> 00:30:59 when
00:30:59 --> 00:30:59 Jesus
00:30:59 --> 00:30:59 said
00:30:59 --> 00:31:00 that
00:31:00 --> 00:31:00 John
00:31:00 --> 00:31:00 is
00:31:00 --> 00:31:00 the
00:31:00 --> 00:31:00 greatest
00:31:00 --> 00:31:01 one
00:31:01 --> 00:31:01 born
00:31:01 --> 00:31:01 of
00:31:01 --> 00:31:01 women
00:31:01 --> 00:31:02 until
00:31:02 --> 00:31:02 now
00:31:02 --> 00:31:04 he
00:31:04 --> 00:31:04 added
00:31:04 --> 00:31:05 something
00:31:05 --> 00:31:05 that
00:31:05 --> 00:31:05 I
00:31:05 --> 00:31:05 didn't
00:31:05 --> 00:31:06 include
00:31:06 --> 00:31:06 the
00:31:06 --> 00:31:06 first
00:31:06 --> 00:31:07 time
00:31:07 --> 00:31:07 around
00:31:07 --> 00:31:07 let me
00:31:07 --> 00:31:07 include
00:31:07 --> 00:31:07 it
00:31:07 --> 00:31:08 the
00:31:08 --> 00:31:08 second
00:31:08 --> 00:31:08 time
00:31:08 --> 00:31:10 among
00:31:10 --> 00:31:10 those
00:31:10 --> 00:31:10 born
00:31:10 --> 00:31:10 of
00:31:10 --> 00:31:11 women
00:31:11 --> 00:31:12 there
00:31:12 --> 00:31:12 had
00:31:12 --> 00:31:13 not
00:31:13 --> 00:31:13 risen
00:31:13 --> 00:31:13 anyone
00:31:13 --> 00:31:14 greater
00:31:14 --> 00:31:14 than
00:31:14 --> 00:31:14 John
00:31:14 --> 00:31:14 the
00:31:14 --> 00:31:15 Baptist
00:31:15 --> 00:31:16 yet
00:31:16 --> 00:31:16 whoever
00:31:16 --> 00:31:17 is
00:31:17 --> 00:31:17 least
00:31:17 --> 00:31:18 in
00:31:18 --> 00:31:18 the
00:31:18 --> 00:31:18 kingdom
00:31:18 --> 00:31:19 of
00:31:19 --> 00:31:19 heaven
00:31:19 --> 00:31:20 is
00:31:20 --> 00:31:20 greater
00:31:20 --> 00:31:22 than
00:31:22 --> 00:31:22 he
00:31:22 --> 00:31:25 the
00:31:25 --> 00:31:25 greatest
00:31:25 --> 00:31:26 in the
00:31:26 --> 00:31:26 world
00:31:26 --> 00:31:27 up to
00:31:27 --> 00:31:27 Jesus
00:31:27 --> 00:31:27 was
00:31:27 --> 00:31:27 John
00:31:27 --> 00:31:28 the
00:31:28 --> 00:31:28 Baptist
00:31:28 --> 00:31:29 but
00:31:29 --> 00:31:29 those
00:31:29 --> 00:31:29 who
00:31:29 --> 00:31:30 trust
00:31:30 --> 00:31:30 in
00:31:30 --> 00:31:30 Jesus
00:31:30 --> 00:31:31 on
00:31:31 --> 00:31:31 his
00:31:31 --> 00:31:32 terms
00:31:32 --> 00:31:33 are
00:31:33 --> 00:31:33 in
00:31:33 --> 00:31:33 fact
00:31:33 --> 00:31:33 greater
00:31:33 --> 00:31:34 than
00:31:34 --> 00:31:34 John
00:31:34 --> 00:31:34 the
00:31:34 --> 00:31:34 Baptist
00:31:34 --> 00:31:36 how can
00:31:36 --> 00:31:37 that
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00:31:37 --> 00:31:39 well
00:31:39 --> 00:31:40 ask
00:31:40 --> 00:31:40 yourself
00:31:40 --> 00:31:40 the question
00:31:40 --> 00:31:41 why was
00:31:41 --> 00:31:41 John
00:31:41 --> 00:31:41 so
00:31:41 --> 00:31:42 great
00:31:42 --> 00:31:45 why was
00:31:45 --> 00:31:45 he
00:31:45 --> 00:31:45 great
00:31:45 --> 00:31:49 it's
00:31:49 --> 00:31:49 because
00:31:49 --> 00:31:51 he
00:31:51 --> 00:31:51 was
00:31:51 --> 00:31:51 a
00:31:51 --> 00:31:52 voice
00:31:52 --> 00:31:53 he
00:31:53 --> 00:31:53 was
00:31:53 --> 00:31:54 the
00:31:54 --> 00:31:54 first
00:31:54 --> 00:31:54 to
00:31:54 --> 00:31:55 grasp
00:31:55 --> 00:31:55 the
00:31:55 --> 00:31:55 greatness
00:31:55 --> 00:31:56 of
00:31:56 --> 00:31:56 Jesus
00:31:56 --> 00:31:57 Christ
00:31:57 --> 00:32:00 and
00:32:00 --> 00:32:00 he
00:32:00 --> 00:32:00 did
00:32:00 --> 00:32:00 it
00:32:00 --> 00:32:01 better
00:32:01 --> 00:32:01 than
00:32:01 --> 00:32:01 anyone
00:32:01 --> 00:32:01 else
00:32:01 --> 00:32:02 up to
00:32:02 --> 00:32:02 that
00:32:02 --> 00:32:02 point
00:32:02 --> 00:32:04 but
00:32:04 --> 00:32:04 every
00:32:04 --> 00:32:05 single
00:32:05 --> 00:32:05 Christian
00:32:05 --> 00:32:06 sits
00:32:06 --> 00:32:06 on
00:32:06 --> 00:32:06 this
00:32:06 --> 00:32:07 side
00:32:07 --> 00:32:07 of
00:32:07 --> 00:32:07 the
00:32:07 --> 00:32:07 death
00:32:07 --> 00:32:08 and
00:32:08 --> 00:32:08 resurrection
00:32:08 --> 00:32:08 of
00:32:08 --> 00:32:09 Jesus
00:32:09 --> 00:32:10 and
00:32:10 --> 00:32:10 it
00:32:10 --> 00:32:11 means
00:32:11 --> 00:32:11 that
00:32:11 --> 00:32:11 we
00:32:11 --> 00:32:11 have
00:32:11 --> 00:32:11 a
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00:32:12 --> 00:32:12 capacity
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00:32:13 --> 00:32:14 now
00:32:14 --> 00:32:15 to
00:32:15 --> 00:32:16 understand
00:32:16 --> 00:32:17 to
00:32:17 --> 00:32:17 grasp
00:32:17 --> 00:32:18 who
00:32:18 --> 00:32:19 Jesus
00:32:19 --> 00:32:19 is
00:32:19 --> 00:32:20 for
00:32:20 --> 00:32:21 our
00:32:21 --> 00:32:21 joy
00:32:21 --> 00:32:24 and
00:32:24 --> 00:32:24 to
00:32:24 --> 00:32:25 experience
00:32:25 --> 00:32:26 the boldness
00:32:26 --> 00:32:26 of the
00:32:26 --> 00:32:26 confidence
00:32:26 --> 00:32:27 and the
00:32:27 --> 00:32:27 humility
00:32:27 --> 00:32:27 of
00:32:27 --> 00:32:28 John
00:32:28 --> 00:32:28 the
00:32:28 --> 00:32:28 Baptist
00:32:28 --> 00:32:30 to
00:32:30 --> 00:32:30 the
00:32:30 --> 00:32:31 degree
00:32:31 --> 00:32:31 that
00:32:31 --> 00:32:31 we
00:32:31 --> 00:32:32 behold
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00:32:32 --> 00:32:32 Jesus
00:32:32 --> 00:32:33 is
00:32:33 --> 00:32:34 we
00:32:34 --> 00:32:35 look
00:32:35 --> 00:32:35 to
00:32:35 --> 00:32:35 Jesus
00:32:35 --> 00:32:36 understand
00:32:36 --> 00:32:36 Jesus
00:32:36 --> 00:32:37 is
00:32:37 --> 00:32:37 the
00:32:37 --> 00:32:38 degree
00:32:38 --> 00:32:39 to
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00:32:39 --> 00:32:39 we
00:32:39 --> 00:32:39 will
00:32:39 --> 00:32:40 align
00:32:40 --> 00:32:40 our
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00:32:44 --> 00:32:44 we
00:32:44 --> 00:32:44 experience
00:32:44 --> 00:32:45 joy
00:32:45 --> 00:32:45 in
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00:32:45 --> 00:32:46 life
00:32:46 --> 00:32:46 right
00:32:46 --> 00:32:46 now
00:32:46 --> 00:32:51 to
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00:32:51 --> 00:32:52 degree
00:32:52 --> 00:32:52 that
00:32:52 --> 00:32:52 we
00:32:52 --> 00:32:53 grow
00:32:53 --> 00:32:53 in
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00:32:53 --> 00:32:54 abundant
00:32:54 --> 00:32:54 life
00:32:54 --> 00:32:56 is
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00:32:57 --> 00:32:58 also
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00:32:59 --> 00:33:00 a
00:33:00 --> 00:33:00 voice
00:33:00 --> 00:33:00 to
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00:33:00 --> 00:33:01 greatness
00:33:01 --> 00:33:02 and
00:33:02 --> 00:33:02 the
00:33:02 --> 00:33:02 goodness
00:33:02 --> 00:33:02 of
00:33:02 --> 00:33:02 the
00:33:02 --> 00:33:03 life
00:33:03 --> 00:33:03 that
00:33:03 --> 00:33:03 is
00:33:03 --> 00:33:03 in
00:33:03 --> 00:33:03 Jesus
00:33:03 --> 00:33:05 going
00:33:05 --> 00:33:05 to
00:33:05 --> 00:33:19 to
00:33:19 --> 00:33:21 the
00:33:21 --> 00:33:21 heaven
00:33:21 --> 00:33:22 him
00:33:22 --> 00:33:22 it
00:33:22 --> 00:33:22 his
00:33:22 --> 00:33:23 oh
00:33:23 --> 00:33:23 glory
00:33:23 --> 00:33:27 to
00:33:27 --> 00:33:28 the
00:33:28 --> 00:33:28 motherfuck
00:33:28 --> 00:33:29 to
00:33:29 --> 00:33:30 the
00:33:30 --> 00:33:30 another
00:33:30 --> 00:33:31 gem