The Supreme Greatness of Christ

, well, let me invite you to turn in your Bibles this morning to John chapter 3. John chapter 3 for our time of study in the word. this morning, we're gonna be primarily looking at verses 31 through 36, and if you want to give a title to the message, it would be the supreme greatness of, of Christ. Let me begin reading.

I'm going to read the text beginning in verse 26. Of John 3 And they came to John and said to him, Rabbi, he who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have borne witness, behold, he is baptizing, and all are coming to him. John answered and said, A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness that I said, I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before Him.

He who has the bride is the bridegroom. But the friend of the bridegroom who stands and hears him rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. And so this joy of mine has been made full. He must increase, but I must decrease.

He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth is from the earth and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. What he has seen and heard of that, he bears witness, and no man receives his witness.

He who has received his witness has set his seal to this, that God is true. For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. He who believes in the Son has eternal life, but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on Him.

This is the word of God, and may God give us an understanding of His word today. As we start, this morning, try to go in your mind to September 11th, 2001. How many of you still remember that day vividly, where you were, what you were doing? OK., at least on the East Coast, like my day started with, a phone call from someone on the East Coast saying, wake up and turn on the TV.

And that's when I was introduced to the tragedy of what was unfolding. But for many on the East Coast, on that day, they woke up to what seemed would be a totally normal day. They got ready for work, they got in their cars or taxis, and they went to work and they're on their cell phones and making plans for the day and for later in the week, but this normalcy was shattered. By two planes that slammed into the World Trade Center towers, and by another one that slammed into the Pentagon, and by another one that, that crashed to the ground.

It was interesting in the days that followed how the immensity of this tragedy changed us as a country, at least in the short term. Suddenly things that seemed totally acceptable, they didn't feel acceptable anymore. the Miss America pageant was all in preparation and after the terrorist attacks, the traditional pageant Eve parade, they called it off. It just didn't feel right.

the Emmys were scheduled for September 16th, and it just didn't feel right, so they canceled, or postponed the Emmys. In addition to that, you may recall that television stations actually decided to go commercial free. You remember that? commercials felt crass.

It just didn't feel right. And so a number of stations just began to show unceasing footage of the tragedy and the ensuing events without interruption from, commercials, even decisions regarding movie releases, were, were being made, movies were being looked at. Should we release this or not? I remember one movie that was just put on the shelf, like we should not be showing this in the face of the things that are happening now.

Late night comedians just stopped telling jokes. It didn't, it didn't feel right. the normal partisan politics and the squabbling that seems so important suddenly began to pale in significance in the face of the magnitude of what we were being confronted with as a country. What was happening, what was happening to us as a, as a people during those days?

What was happening is that We encountered something, and in this case, it was a tragedy of such immense gravitas. Such immense heaviness and weightiness that things that seem totally appropriate a day or two earlier are now being looked at differently and it feels inappropriate. That's what happens when you encounter the weighty. The immense Martin Lloyd Jones in his commentary on the book of Ephesians tells how, I tried to find this last night, I couldn't find it, but to the best of my recollection, back in the early 1900s or late 1800s, somewhere around there, he talked about how that the mental homes in Spain were like full to the brim of people struggling with various psychosis and anxieties and disorders.

But then a civil war broke out in Spain. And he said, amazingly, these mental homes largely emptied themselves with many residents giving evidence of suddenly being cured. What was happening? Why did this happening happen?

Because something of immense magnitude, something of immense gravitas had come upon that country and beckoned people beyond the petty, beyond themselves, beyond their anxieties, beyond their psychosis to something that was way larger than themselves. That's what happens when you encounter the weighty. The heavy. It's what happens when you encounter something that is truly way bigger than yourself.

It changes you and it puts everything else into perspective, and it serves to deliver you from the petty. I want to suggest to you this morning that there is nothing, there's nothing at all of greater magnitude or gravitas than Jesus Christ and the glory of Jesus. In fact, the Hebrew word for glory is the word kavvod that speaks of something that is heavy. Weighty.

And so when John in John chapter one begins to speak of we beheld as glory, what he's talking about is we beheld, we encountered the heaviness. The gravitas of, of Jesus, and we were forever changed by this encounter with something so mighty and so heavy and weighty as Jesus. You think about it, guys. Just imagine if, if, if like the curtains of heaven could open, and we could just have an encounter with a true weightiness.

And gravitas of Jesus. And see Him in all of His glory. Imagine how that would change how we spend the rest of this day. Right?

Things that seemed acceptable yesterday or earlier this morning, suddenly we would view that in a different light. Things that seem so important on our way to church this morning would begin to pale in significance to the weightiness and the glory, the heaviness of Jesus. This is what happens when you encounter the weighty, the heavy, and this is what our souls need. Just you think of the apostle Paul, who was called Saul of Tarsus.

He's on his way to Damascus, and he is not a Christian by any means. In fact, he's there to arrest Christians, to haul them into prison and to ravage the church like a wild beast ravages its prey. But on his way to Damascus, Jesus confronts him and appears to him, and Saul of Tarsus experiences The weightiness of Jesus, the immensity, the glory of Jesus, and the Book of Acts tells us that Jesus shone brighter than the sun in its noonday strength, so bright that it blinded Paul.

He had to be led about to get wherever he wanted to go, and he would have never seen again were it not for a miracle of sight that was performed on his eyes.

Paul was forever. Changed by that encounter with the weightiness and the glory of Jesus. Paul prior to that day was really impressed with his own righteousness, right? He thought he had it going on.

He was so righteous and he would boast and brag about his righteousness. But then he beheld the glory of Jesus and he saw perfect righteousness for the very first time. He had never seen anything so glorious and so weighty before. Suddenly Paul turned to look at his own righteousness.

And you never saw it the same after that? This righteousness that he once was so impressed with, now he looks at, and pardon my French, but his righteousness is now a pile of poop. What happened? He encountered the weightiness, the gravity, the heaviness, the glory of Jesus, and it forever changed him.

What felt right and appropriate and good the day before now is seen for the immoral, awful thing that it was, and Paul was forever changed. You think of Isaiah who in Isaiah 6 is seeing the Lord high and lifted up. And his train fills the temple, and the seraphim are around the Lord and saying, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. What was Isaiah seeing?

You say, well, he was seeing God, yeah, but write down John 12:41. John chapter 12 verse 41, because in that passage, we learned that what Isaiah was seeing was the glory of Jesus. He was seeing the glory of Christ. And as he describes what he saw, he was describing the glory of Christ.

And what, Isaiah, was forever ruined in a good way by that. His response to this encounter with the heaviness, the glory of Jesus Christ is to immediately say, whoa, is me, I am ruined. And I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips for my eyes have seen the Lord. And when God said, who's going to go for me, Isaiah was like, I'm going.

He was changed, forever changed by his encounter with the heaviness, the immensity, the glory, the gravitas of Christ in Isaiah 6. When you put all this together, guys, you begin to realize, because part of why we're in John 3 and 4 is we're trying to figure out some things as a church, how to do ministry, how to do life, how to live our lives. But one of the things we learned From our passage today and from the things we're contemplating here, is that as a church, the greatest service that we can render to people in this community is to help them to encounter the glory of Christ.

To exalt Christ, to magnify him, and to help them by the grace of God, to see the heaviness.

Of Jesus Giving them an exalted view of him. Talk about something that's a real giant slayer. How about seeing the glory of Christ? You gain a vision of Christ and his greatness, it'll have a huge impact on everything else in your life.

In fact, this is the essence of salvation. Nothing will have the literal saving impact on you or me. Like a fresh vision of the greatness and the glory of Jesus. You need help with your marriage?

I don't know that you need a 5 step solution. You need a fresh encounter with the glory of Christ. That's what you need. You need help with your lust problem, your drinking problem, your drug problem.

What you need is a fresh encounter with the glory of Jesus Christ, who's way bigger than you are, and way bigger than your problem. You need deliverance from jealousy, from fear, from sin, from self-deception, and from the pride. That runs riot in your heart. What you need is a fresh encounter.

With the weightiness, the glory, the heaviness, the immensity. Of Jesus. Are you nursing grievances? Someone's wronged you and you've been carrying those around everywhere you go.

In fact, you come in here this morning and you're holding those grievances and they're so huge. What do you need? What you need is a fresh encounter with the immensity and the glory of Jesus, which is way bigger than you are. And he is way bigger than whatever those grievances are.

You see, guys, we, we sweat the small stuff. When we lose sight. When we lose sight of the glory of Jesus. The reason we sweat the small stuff is because we're not sufficiently impressed with the greatness of Jesus.

And when we're not sufficiently impressed with the greatness of Jesus, the small stuff seems so large. So what's the solution? The solution is the glory of God in the person of Christ. Listen to John Piper.

I love the way he says this. He says people are starving for the greatness of God, but most of them would not give this diagnosis of their troubled lives. The majesty of God is an unknown cure. There are far more popular prescriptions on the market, but the benefit of any other remedy is brief and shallow.

The greatness and the glory of God are relevant. It does not matter if surveys turn up a list of perceived needs that does not include the supreme greatness of the sovereign God of grace. This is the deepest need. Our people are starving.

For God. So, maybe you're here this morning and you're like, man, I was hoping for something practical. Instead, we're talking about the glory of Jesus. No, this is immensely practical.

This is what you need. This is what I need. Whatever our solutions are to whatever ails us, it starts with a vision. Of the greatness of Jesus.

You miss that. then pretty much you're the biggest thing around. And there's no solution that will work. But if you get a vision of the greatness of Jesus and allow that vision to animate you and control you and govern you, then it slays many giants.

That may come against you. How do we know this is true? We know this is true because we've met a man named John the Baptist here in John 3, who is caught up in the glory of Christ. His heart is not caught up in the pettiness of crowds, how big his crowds are compared to the crowds that are going to Jesus.

He's not jealous of Jesus. He's not. fuming over the fact that the people coming to him are becoming fewer and fewer and those coming to Jesus are more and more. Why was John's heart not fuming?

Why did he not seem to be jealous at all? The reason was because John understood and perceived. The glory of Jesus, the greatness of Jesus. So he didn't have time or the space in his heart for small-minded pettiness.

In the face of Christ's greatness, John couldn't even seem to see the minutia of the things that others might have been bothered by. And so what we're doing in this passage is we're, we're not only learning some things about Jesus, but we are also getting inside of John the Baptist's head and understanding truths that he understood and that governed him. When his disciples came to him and they complain, people are going to Jesus and fewer people are coming to us. John responds by talking about Jesus.

And he basically, we saw this two weeks ago, he says, those coming to Jesus, those are gifts from God to him. Jesus is the Christ, not I. Those going to Jesus, they're his bride, they're not mine. And he also says, his ministry, the ministry of Christ must increase, even if it means the decrease of my own.

That's all I care about. John is saying. And then beginning in verse 31, he's like, and by the way, have I ever told you about Jesus? Let me, let me tell you some things about him.

And so beginning in verse 31, there are what amounts to 7 truths, 7 truths that portray the supreme greatness of Jesus. And we're not only here learning truths about Jesus, but these are truths that John the Baptist had laid hold of. That controlled and governed him and that elevated him beyond the petty. And made his life all about Jesus and telling others about him.

Let's try to lay hold of these truths as well. Truth number one. is this, that he gives about Jesus, and that is having come from heaven, Jesus is infinitely above everyone. Having come from heaven, Jesus is infinitely above everyone.

He says, He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth is from the earth and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. Twice, he says in this verse that Jesus, where he comes from.

He comes from above, he comes from heaven. Just two ways of saying the same thing. Where did Jesus come from? Well, he came from Bethlehem, you say.

Where did he come from? Well, he came from Nazareth. Where did he come from? Well he came from Mary.

No, John the Baptist says he came from heaven. He came from heaven. That's why John in his gospel begins the gospel by saying in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God. The Word was God, all things were created by Him.

And then verse 14, and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. But his first dwelling place was in heaven. In John 3:13, Jesus describes himself as one who descended from heaven. In chapter 8, verse 42, Jesus says, I proceeded forth and have come from God.

In chapter 8, verse 23, Jesus is talking to people. He's like, what, let me, let me compare myself to you, just so you have perspective on who you. You are and who I am. You are from below.

I am from above. You are of this world. I'm not of, I am not from this world. I have come from the Father.

I have come from heaven. I have come from above. Jesus has come from heaven. Not only that, but in this passage, John the Baptist tells us where Jesus ranks in comparison to the rest of us.

And whatever it is that might occupy our attention, he's not only from above, but he is above all, and twice, John the Baptist tells us this. This is where Jesus is in relation to all of us who are in this room, every human being, every being, and every institution, every power, Jesus is above all. Now, in saying that Jesus is above all, John the Baptist is not just saying that he's above every single person individually, but that he's above all put together. silly example, let's say that, That we're trying to decide who the strong, physically strongest person in this room is, OK?

So, we figure out a way to measure that and we determine that, Mike Strassenberg is the strongest person in this room. What we mean by that is that Mike is strongest compared to each individual person in this room, OK? But imagine that I said that Mike Strassenberg is stronger than all. What am I saying?

What I'm saying is he's not just stronger than each individual person in this room, he's stronger than all put together. The combined strength of everybody in this room, that's saying something altogether different and more exalted. John the Baptist is saying, let me tell you where Jesus ranks. He is not only above each individual person and he ranks higher, he is above all.

Everything put together, everyone put together, Jesus is in a league, in a class all by himself. John the Baptist actually compared himself to Jesus. that's actually a good exercise for you to do, to compare yourself to Jesus sometimes. He had to do that because people thought he was Jesus.

They thought he was the Messiah. And look at what he says in John 1:15. He says, He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for he existed before me. So he's higher than me, but John the Baptist is not content to just say he ranks higher than me.

Look at what he says in verse 27. This is how Higher, it is He who comes after me, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie. He is so highly exalted, so infinitely above me, that I'm not even worthy to untie the latch of his sandal. That is a task that is way too exalted and honorable for me.

Jesus is far and away, infinitely of higher rank. than I am. Then all put together. So the two points of comparison is Jesus is from above, we are from the earth, and Jesus is above all of us.

You'll notice in the middle of that verse, he makes at least the start of a comparison. He says, Everyone who is of the earth speaks of the earth. That's not a bad thing. it's just the way it is.

It's a fact. All of us are from the earth and so we speak earth. OK, we are all earthlings. Jesus, though, is a heavenling, OK?

So he speaks. Have an ease as it were. and so he's saying there's something qualitatively different about the way that Jesus speaks and what he speaks from than the way any of us speak and what we speak from. And that leads to a second truth that John speaks in verse 32, and that is that Jesus, speaking about Jesus, Jesus speaks with the authority of direct heavenly experience.

He speaks with the authority of direct heavenly experience. Jesus is from above, John the Baptist says, and then he says, and what he has seen and heard, and the idea is what he has seen and heard in heaven, of that he bears witness, and no man receives his witness. Now it might seem strange that he's saying no man receives his witness when in fact the people coming to John the Baptist are complaining that everyone's going to him. But John the Baptist is saying, you're exaggerating.

not everyone is going to Jesus. In fact, when you look at the broad face of humanity as a whole, very few are going to Jesus. And John the Baptist is also pointing out the fact that nobody can come to Jesus, period, unless the Father draws him. He says what Jesus has seen and heard in heaven of that he bears witness.

Just imagine that. This is the reservoir from which Jesus speaks, from this infinitely long. Experience with the Father from all of eternity past, as one writer says, Jesus has seen all there is to be seen in heaven and can testify accordingly. He has heard all the lovely music and the heavenly language in conversations with God.

And he speaks from That. That's an amazing thing. John the Baptist would say, yeah, I was filled with the spirit from my mother's womb. OK?

So I've got that on all of you that I'm speaking, with here. Jesus has been with the Father from all of eternity past. Millions of years, as it were, even though that's not technically accurate to say that, just imagine all of eternity past. Jesus is in this love relationship with God the Father when the curtains of human history, the curtains of time open.

There is Jesus facing toward the Father in the bosom of the Father, and they have this relationship that's going on. And Jesus is now here, and John the Baptist is saying he speaks from this reservoir of this experience between himself and the Father, the things that he has seen and heard. Later in John's Gospel, listen to what Jesus says, and the Father who sent me, he has borne witness of me, and you have neither heard his voice at any time nor seen his form. what his point is?

You've never heard his voice, but I have. You've never seen his form, but I have, I have seen his face. I have been with him from all of eternity. And when I speak, I speak from that reservoir of experience of what I have seen and what I have heard in my communion with the Father, my experience of heaven.

Jesus does not speak. When he speaks in his word, he doesn't speak as someone who learns things the way that we do. I've studied this week, I've learned some things. I'm sharing with you what I have learned.

That's not the way Jesus spoke. Jesus speaks as one who's been with the Father from all of eternity past. Jesus has been in heaven from all of eternity. He is the darling of heaven.

He's been in relationship with the Father from all of eternity. In fact, it's the glory of that relationship that composed the key essence of the glory that filled heaven. And Jesus left heaven. The second member of the Trinity left heaven and came into this world in the person of Jesus, and when he speaks, he speaks from that heavenly experience.

So we ought to care what Jesus says. He speaks like no other. Think about what you've been listening to this week. How much room in your life has been given over to listening to this one who speaks in this way?

What music have you been listening to? What music do you have on your iPhone, iPod or whatever? And how many of those songs feature lyrics that are talking about this great one Jesus? How much time have you spent just sitting down and letting him speak to you through his word, or are you listening to a bunch of earthlings?

Who speak earth ease. They just speak what they know and they don't even know anything compared to Jesus. How about us just being caught up with the glory of Jesus and say, man, if I want to hear from anyone, it is this one who's been with the Father from all of eternity and he has come into this world, and when he speaks, he speaks like no other. It is his voice.

That I want to hear. There's a third Truth that John speaks. In this passage that explains why he was elevated beyond the petty and his life was all about Jesus and telling others about him, and that is this, let's say it this way, a person's response to Jesus amounts to a statement. About God's integrity.

A person's response to Jesus amounts to a statement about God's. God the Father's integrity. Now, you might not have ever thought of it this way before, but you just need to know this is the way God views how you respond to Him and how he interprets your actions. John the Baptist says, he who has received his witness, in other words, the witness of Christ, has set his seal to this, that God is true.

Basically, to make this real simple, just imagine a statement, a document that says God is true. What do you think of that? God is true. Is that a statement that you will put your personal seal on and say, yes, I believe that.

To use modern day language, would you put your signature underneath that statement and say, I support that, I believe that, I'll sign that. Yes, God is true. Well, John the Baptist is saying there's a way to put your signature on that statement. And it all goes to how do you respond to the words of Jesus.

Do you receive Jesus? Do you receive His testimony? Do you receive His words? Whatever he says, you believe it.

If that is the case, you, in receiving his words, are thereby putting your signature to the statement, God is true. You might say, well, I, I believe God is true. I believe God is a good God who can be trusted. I just don't, I don't know what I think about Jesus.

I don't really believe in Jesus. John the Baptist would say, in refusing to receive the words of Jesus, what you're doing is you're withholding your signature from the statement that God is true. In fact, You're actually not only withholding your signature from that statement that God is true, you're signing another document altogether that says God is a liar. Listen to what John, the apostle John says in First John 5:10.

He says, the one who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself. The one who does not believe God, has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the witness that God has borne concerning his Son. This is the God you're going to stand before one day, who's going to determine your eternal destiny. And when you stand before him, will there be a signature of yours on file that you have signed the statement, God is true.

There will be a signature on file, if you have received the testimony of Jesus. But if you don't receive the testimony, the witness of Jesus, there will be a signature of yours on file signed to another document that says God is a liar. So you stand before God and God's like, well, let's just take a look at the record here. And here's a document that you've signed.

God is a liar. How do you think that's going to go down? How you respond to Jesus means everything about your eternal destiny. And if you receive the testimony of Jesus, you're basically saying God is a God of integrity.

If you disbelieve Jesus, your disbelief and rejection of Him amounts to a statement about God, where you are thereby saying, God is not a God of integrity. He's a liar. This is, this is grave stuff. This is heavy stuff that we need to have a fresh encounter with.

There's a reason that one's response to Jesus is a statement about God's integrity, and that leads us to the fourth truth that we find in verse 34, and that is this, that Jesus has been sent by God and speaks the words of God. He's been sent by God and speaks the words of God. John says, John the Baptist says he who has received his witness has set his seal to this, that God is true. Because, or for he whom God has sent speaks the words of God.

Because Jesus, whom God has sent, speaks the words of God. This is why rejecting Christ's testimony is tantamount to questioning God's integrity, because Jesus is the witness that the Father has sent. The Father has sent Jesus and put Jesus on the witness stand to testify to you of the truth. And if you reject Jesus and reject his testimony, you're rejecting The Father who sent him, Jesus is the Father's witness.

You reject his testimony, you're rejecting the trustworthiness of the Father. Jesus has been sent by the Father. He is his witness. And every time Jesus opens his mouth, what comes out of his mouth are the very words of God.

There's so many places where Jesus says this. One is John 8:28, where he says, I don't do anything on my own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught me. Anything I ever say, I speak the words that the Father has taught me, the words that He has given to me. Now, for many of us in this room, this is a no-brainer., but this is stunning to the people who would be hearing John the Baptist speaking this way.

There were people who would say, what, I, I love God. I believe in God, I believe that God is true, but I don't like Jesus and I don't like what Jesus is saying. I don't value what his teaching is. John the Baptist, would tell you there's no such distinction.

There's no such dichotomy. To hear Jesus is to hear the words of God. To receive his words is to receive the words of God. To believe his words is to believe the words of God's witness.

That the father has put on the witness stand. And so How you respond to Jesus. Dictates whether or not your signature is on the statement that God is true, or whether your signature is on the statement that God is a liar. There's another truth, a 5th truth that John the Baptist voices here, and that is that God gives to Jesus the Spirit without measure.

He says, for he whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. Now, honestly, guys, this is a little bit of a challenging statement that John the Baptist makes. the question is, who is the he? He gives the Spirit, is it the Father gives the Spirit without measure?

And if so, to whom? Or is it Jesus who gives the Spirit without measure? And writers wrestle over what the meaning of this is, but I think we can safely say that whatever the meaning is here, it encompasses both. Let's read it first this way, for he, God the Father, gives the Spirit without measure to Jesus.

This makes sense. John is saying that God the Father sent Jesus and Jesus speaks the words of God, and how do we as earthlings possibly know that he's speaking the words of God and that he's God's witness? The answer is because it is evident, it is so evident that the Father has given to Jesus the Spirit without measure. Indeed this is true.

Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist as he came out of the water. The Spirit descended on him like a dove, and Jesus now had all the empowerment that he needed to do whatever it was that the Father wanted him to do. And what did Jesus do with that power? He went about performing miracles, giving sight.

The blind and hearing to the deaf and raising the dead and cleansing the lepers. He performed miracle after miracle after miracle with this abundant spirit power that the Father had given to him without measure. It was so obvious that God's spirit was upon him through the signs and the miracles that he did. That's why in John 3, that chapter begins with Nicodemus coming to Jesus saying, We know that you're a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you're doing unless God is with him.

Jesus' signs bore witness to the fact that he had the Spirit in abundant portions empowering him. to do these things and think about it. Why do we know that, that, why is it evident to us that the Father gave Jesus the Spirit without measure? Because Jesus turned around and lavished the blessings of the Spirit without measure.

That's the only reason we know that. If at Jesus baptism, the Spirit came upon Jesus and then Jesus went off into the wilderness permanently to live as a monk, We would have never known that he had been given the Spirit without measure. He could have gone around telling people that. We would have never known that, but Jesus turns around with that power and does so many miracles.

of healing and deliverance with that power that was given to him. And we know from Hebrews 9 that he even offered himself up as a sacrifice to God through the Spirit. The ultimate, the ultimate sacrifice, the ultimate gift. And so we know that Jesus had the Spirit and lavish portions from the Father because Jesus shared the blessings of the Spirit with us all in such a lavish way.

Jesus did not measure those blessings out. Sometimes as a parent, when my kids were young, Donna and I would serve them food and we would give them measured portions, right? Because we did not have a limitless supply of food. We would not sometimes let them serve themselves because there would not be enough food left over for the other members of the family.

So we would serve them and we would essentially measure, just give them a measured portion. But this isn't the way Jesus was. He lavishly Use the power of the Spirit and did so much tremendous good. And then even before he died and ascended, he told his disciples, I'm gonna go up to heaven, I'm gonna ask the Father, and he's gonna send you the Spirit.

And what? Jesus, when he was ascended, he got what he wanted from the Father and he sent the Holy Spirit. And what? He did not just give the Spirit in measured portions.

He dumped the Spirit of God upon the 120 in Acts chapter 2. In fact, Thousands of people gathered as they're speaking in tongues and evidencing this baptism of the Spirit. And Peter explains this to the crowd that gathered, and he says, therefore, having been exalted to the right hand of God and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he, Jesus, has poured forth this which you both see and hear. He's not just given us the Spirit, he has poured out the Spirit in lavish portions upon us.

That's why John the Baptist in Luke 3:16 says, what, I baptized in water. He is going to baptize you in the Holy Spirit. He's not just going to give you the Holy Spirit. He's gonna soak you in the Holy Spirit.

He's gonna dunk you in the Holy Spirit. He's gonna baptize you in the Holy Spirit. That's lavish provision of the Spirit. He did not keep the spirit all to himself.

This is Our great and exalted Jesus. There's a 6th truth that John the Baptist shares here that explains why he himself and his heart was so elevated beyond the petty and his life was all about Jesus and telling others about him. And that is this that the Father loves the Son and has given everything into his hand. He says the Father loves the son.

The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. The father loves the son. Guys, at the core of the gospel, it's not first and foremost that God loves you, and God loved me. At the core of the gospel is first and foremost that the Father loves his son, and the son loves the Father, and then in the explosion of that love relationship, we get caught up in that.

And are blessed by that. We're brought in that amazing love relationship between the Father and the Son. He loves the Son. Jesus himself says the Father loves the Son, John 10:17, the Father loves me.

Jesus spoke about this. They had a, an incredible relationship from all of eternity past and then even when Jesus was here on earth, he enjoyed this love relationship with his Father twice from heaven, the Father spoke from heaven and said, this is my beloved Son. In whom I am well pleased. What a blessing that would have been for Jesus to hear.

You guys like to brag about your children, your grandchildren. the father loved to speak about his son twice from heaven, he thundered, this is my beloved son. Have I told you about my son? He's my beloved son.

He pleases me well. Jesus, the Father loves me. The Father loves the Son. Father, restore the glory that we once had before the world was.

The father loves the son and get this guy's. the father shows his love for the son by putting all things in his hands. The father took all that is, and he said, Here, son. I give this To you to deal with.

As you deem best, and I give it all to you because I love you. In scripture, there were times where a king would be so impressed with someone that they're like, ask me whatever you want, and I'll give it to you up to half my kingdom. Like, no king was willing to just say, I will give you everything. Ask anything, I will give you everything.

The most generous it gets is I'll give you up to half of my kingdom, right? But imagine this, imagine all, all of the possessions of God the Father, all the glories of heaven and, and earth, all the authority, all the power. And the father looks upon his Son Jesus, and he says, I love you and I want to show you my love. And here's one of the ways I want to show you my love.

Here's everything. And I'm giving it to you. You can have everything. All that is mine is yours.

And what, guys, and giving everything to Jesus, And putting everything in his hands, the Father was not just showing love, but he's showing Amazing trust. Amazing trust, right? What must Jesus be like for the Father to say, all that is mine, you can have it. This is the Jesus that a lot of times we're clutching on the stuff, and he's saying, give it to me and we're like, I don't know.

I don't know. But the father says, hey, I, I gave him everything. I so love him, he pleases me so well, and I so trust him that I gave him everything and put it in his hands. The essence of salvation is this God the Father so loves and so trusts His Son.

That he surrenders everything. To his son's hands. Salvation for us is we get saved when we join the Father in so trusting God the Son, that we surrender ourselves and our destinies into his hands. When we look at Jesus, this one that the Father trusted with everything and say, yeah, I don't know if he's worthy of my trust.

That's not just an insult to Jesus, it's an insult to the Father who gave him everything. We don't have time for this, but I would encourage you to do a study of John's Gospel and make a list of all the things where it specifically stated, even Jesus states, all the things that the Father gave to him. Real, real quick, the father gave him judgment. He put all judgment in his hands, John 5:22.

He gave life to Jesus and the right to bestow that upon whom he wished, John 5:26. All the works Jesus did, Jesus says, the Father gave me these works to do, John 5:36. In addition to that, the Father gave to Jesus people, souls, you and I who believe in Jesus. We came to Jesus because the Father brought us to Jesus as a love gift to Jesus.

He also gave to Jesus words, every word Jesus spoke. Jesus says, the Father gave this to me. In addition to that, the Father gave him glory. Glory.

Jesus says the Father has given me this glory, and what? One final thing I found. In John's Gospel that the Father entrusted to Jesus and gave to him. Was the cup of suffering.

That was given to him by the father. Jesus, therefore said to Peter, put the sword in the sheath. The cup which the Father's given me, shall I not drink it. What amazing trust the Father had in Jesus.

I'm going to give you judgment, the right to dispense life and all these works, and these words and this glory. I give everything, all authority, all dominion, all power. I give it all to you because I trust you with it, and I even give to you. The cop Of suffering.

The cup of suffering for the salvation. Of centers, The Father so trusted Jesus that he could give him everything. And what, Jesus proved himself to be so worthy of that trust, right? In fact, a very touching passage to me.

When you think about this list, think about if, if the Father gave you everything, so, what, I'm giving you everything, all authority, all dominion, you can do whatever you want with whomever you want. You can dispense with whomever you want. if we were God, we'd be doing that all the time. We'd be zapping people on the freeway, they cut me off, you're gone.

eternal fire, judgment. we would be judging people. imagine what you would do if you had total power. If everything was given to you, what would you do?

What did Jesus do? This is so touching. And this is the savior that you ought to say, I'm, I'm willing to give him everything. Listen to this in John 13, beginning in verse 3, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, I can do whatever I want.

Everything's been given to me. And that he had come forth from God and was going back to God. What does he do with that? He got up from supper and laid aside his garments, and taking a towel, he girded himself.

Then he poured water into the basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and wipe them with a towel with which he was girded. This is the King of heaven who has all authority, all power. Everything's been given to him. He's like, I can do whatever I want.

Yes, you can do whatever you want. Can I wash my disciples' feet? This is the savior he is. This is why the Father would look at him in such a moment and say, that's why I gave him everything.

He is so lovable, so lovely, so worthy of my highest trust. And he's the only one that I would ever even think of giving everything to, because that's the person he is. And he's exactly the person that you ought to look at and say, if this is the thing he does when he has everything in his power, this is the one and only that I want to surrender my life to. And believe in.

Amen. There's a 7th and final truth that John the Baptist speaks here, and that is that one's response to Jesus will determine their eternal destiny. Listen carefully as we close here this morning. John the Baptist says, He who believes in the Son has eternal life, but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.

John the Baptist is saying, what you do with Jesus shapes your eternal destiny. You believe in Him, you put your trust in Him, you come to him, and you trust him enough to surrender yourself to him and your eternal destiny to him, you will have even right now eternal life. God will put inside of you a life that will endure forever. If you don't believe in Him, The text says, if you don't obey him, that word obey is the Greek word for persuade.

In other words, if you don't let yourself be persuaded by him, and by the Father, if you allow yourself to remain unpersuaded of the integrity and the love, the truthfulness, and the glories and the beauty of the sun, you will not see life. You'll never get life, eternal life, and you won't ever even be able to see what it is fully that you are missing. And not only that, but the wrath of God will abide on you. You're already under God's wrath.

And you will remain under his wrath. His wrath will remain upon you now and through all of eternity. But those who look to Jesus, and they're like, that's a savior for me. I, I want to believe in Him.

I want to surrender to Him. Those who believe in Him. will be moved out from underneath the wrath of God. They will escape God's wrath for now and for all of eternity.

Guys, in your, in your life from day to day, and then the way that we do church, Let us exalt Christ. Not any man, not ourselves. Let's exalt Jesus. Let's keep Christ.

High overhead in our sky in the noonday position. When he's shining there and in that position, there are no shadows that are cast, but when we allow His glory to be diminished and we allow him to sit somewhere lower in our sky, On the horizon, bigger shadows get cast. Shadows loom large. And the longer the shadows are, the harder it is to see, the more perspective we lose.

Let's keep him. In that noonday position. In our sky. And let's exalt him.

And if we did a survey of the people of this neighborhood and said, what is it that you want most from a church, I don't know that most broken sinners around us, and by the way, we're all broken sinners who've come here because we're hungry for salvation. I don't know that broken sinners are going to say, oh, just exalt Christ. That's what we need. That's our greatest need.

No one's going to say that, but it is their greatest need. It's your greatest need today, and it's my greatest need today. May God give us grace. To believe in him, to embrace him, to let him embrace us.

May we magnify him, And may, He deliver us, From the pettiness of sin. And may God the Father catch us up. Into the glories of Jesus, where we're living for this one who is far greater than we are. And our life is no longer about us, but all about him.

Oh, Father, help us. Help us to see Jesus as he is. Help us to see Him the way that you see Him. The number one problem with me and with all of us in this room is we don't see him the way that you see him.

We don't see his glory, His splendor, His majesty, His exaltation, his heaviness, His immensity, and that's why we get so distracted by the By things that are of no eternal account. That's why things that are really small seem so large. Open our eyes, Lord, if you could just look upon us as a church and touch us with your grace and give us a deeper, fresher glimpse of the glory of Jesus. Oh God, that If you give us nothing else, give us that one thing.

Give us that one thing. It's what our hearts truly are hungry for. And we, we need this from you. We thank you for this opportunity, Lord, to give up our offerings to you.

Receive these funds, do much with every penny that is given for the glory of Jesus. And we ask all of these things in the name of Jesus, and all God's people said,