Sermon
History's Greatest Tragedy
March 11-12, 2000
Pastor Donald Sheley

Take your Bible and join with me in our passage that we're discussing. If you're new with us today we're delighted that you're here. I do pray that you'll really join with us this evening for a wonderful time, but if you are new, we've just started our new series in the gospel of John. We'll be here probably for a couple of years (congregation laughs). And I say that sincerely because it's a massive, wonderful, glorious passage of Scripture, and it's just so filled with truth. We'll take it a word at a time, a verse at a time, a portion at a time, but we're just going to enjoy together. We're at verse 6 of chapter 1 today. In your red Bible, if you'd like in the red pew Bible, if you'd like to follow me it's at page 713, 713, and I'll read verses 6 through 11.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. Let's get acquainted with him. If you go back to Luke 1:11-15, we learn some things about John the Baptist. First of all, his father's name was Zacharias. He was a priest. Zacharias' wife's name was Elizabeth and they were old, beyond childbearing age, and they wanted very much a child, but God had not blessed them. Zacharias was of the line of Aaron which was the priestly line, and every male child born into that priestly line was considered a priest. So at the time of Christ there were about 20,000 men that qualified as priests under the line of Aaron. Now that's an awful lot of priests to serve one temple down in Jerusalem and so what they did in Jerusalem was to divide those 20,000 or so men into 24 sections. So if you divide 24 into 20,000 you have maybe 900, 800 to 900 men in each section. And those men, each section was invited to come to spend one week and two Sabbaths twice a year. So 24 times 2 would be 48, that would cover 48 weeks of the year, and then the big festival week of the Passover, and the one of Pentecost, and the one of the first fruits. All 20,000 would come to Jerusalem and serve in the temple. That's why it was possible one historian tells us that one occasion at the feast of Passover 278,000 lambs were sacrificed in one week's time. Now you understand that 20,000 men serving as priests did that.

So you received the call to come because it was time for your section to serve the one week at the temple. When you arrived you were given a task or you selected lots and the one that, the task that most men wanted to fulfill was the one of burning incense and taking that incense into the inner chambers of that holy place of worship. Zacharias got that assignment. It tells us in verse 11, Luke Chapter 1, that while he's there inside doing his duty as a priest an angel appears. And the angel says to Zacharias; Zacharias, you're going to be a dad. A son will be born to you and Elizabeth, and he will have a great task, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother's womb. So John had a very unique birth, he was filled with the Holy Spirit from his inception. He was a prophet.

Later as he grows we find him out in the wilderness dressed with a prophet's garb and preaching, Repent! For the kingdom of heaven is at hand! That was his message. Now you see that was unique to hear the voice of a prophet because when the book of Malachi, which is the last book in the Old Testament finishes, there are 400 years between Malachi and Matthew. And in those 400 years the nation of Israel never heard the voice of another prophet. Heaven was silent for 400 years. When John comes on the scene and John begins to preach, they know that he is a prophet, and that was a very high position of respect in the nation of Israel. And the Bible tells us the John was the last of the prophets, and he was the first of the evangelists of the gospel. In Matthew Chapter 11, Jesus says that no man greater than John was ever born. That's a high statute.

Now, because he fulfilled the role of a prophet and because the Israelites had such a high respect for the prophet's position, that what happened was they began, some began to follow John and to ignore Jesus. And it was known as the sect of John the Baptist, and we know that this particular teaching reached all of the known world at that time because in Acts chapter 18 we have Apollos who's been preaching clear down here in North Africa in the city of Alexandria, he comes up to Ephesus and he preaches eloquently, but there's something missing in his sermon. And old Aquila and Priscilla take him aside and say, you know something's missing. He said well all I know is the baptism of John. So we know that John the Baptist sect had its influence clear down in North Africa, and then in Acts chapter 19 you have Paul going to Ephesus to preach and he finds some believers there and he asks them, have you heard about the Holy Spirit? They said we haven't even so much as heard about the Holy Spirit. All we know about is John's baptism. So you see that sect had spread its doctrine all over the known world at that time, and John the apostle comes along and writes his gospel and he is seeking to correct a problem. And the problem was this; some people were elevating John the Baptist above Jesus, and John writes to correct that.

Now we know that he was born, a very wonderful birth. We know that he lived a life as a prophet. How did he die? Matthew 14 tells us. He said to the old king one day, King, you're a sinner. You're living with your brother's wife. Well that didn't give him too a high marks with the king, and Herodias didn't like it either. That was the wife. She wanted him killed. But old Herod knew that everybody thought and knew that John was a prophet, and he didn't want any ill feeling amongst his constituents and so he left him in prison. And one day he had a party, everybody's inebriated, the old king makes a promise and the promise is to the girl who dances, which is the daughter of Herodias, anything you want up to half of my kingdom you can have it. She goes to her mother. Her mother says, ask him for the head of John the Baptist. Now the king is sorry, but he's made a promise and he can't go back on it. So he sends to the prison, takes off the head of John the Baptist, brings it on a platter, and presents it. Had a great birth, lived a tremendous life, died a horrible death; beheaded. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. That's John.

Verse 7 says that he came, this man came, for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. And here we run across a word that becomes quite familiar and throughout this gospel. John has particular themes that he loves to talk about. He loves to talk about light, about truth, life. He speaks a lot about darkness, but another theme that he talks about much is witness. Now why did he do that? Well in chapter 20:30 John says there are many signs which Jesus did that if they were all written the world wouldn't be big enough to contain the books that should be written. Verse 31, but these are written that you may believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that in believing you might have life in His name. John tells us why he wrote his gospel, so he could present Jesus Christ as the divine Son of God, and he said when you believe in Jesus Christ then you have life. That's the reason why I'm writing my gospel. And that's the reason folks why, in most cases, when somebody comes to Christ one of the first portions of God's Word that we give to them is the gospel of John, because John has a very specific purpose in writing. He doesn't write a chronological, historical presentation of the life of Christ. John says I want signs, things that He did, events that happened, that Jesus proves to be the Son of God.

Take your notes with me that are there in your bulletin. Go with me to page 2 and let's consider this. What John does throughout his gospel, he lines up these witnesses as to the supremacy and the person of Jesus Christ in all of His glory and His fullness. And at the bottom of the page I write, There was a man sent from God! Now John is immediately introduced as "only a man" in contrast to the person of Jesus Christ who was introduced as the pre-existent Word, the Lord of eternity, and the Creator of all that exists! We've gone through that in the first five verses. John was the son of a human father, whereas Jesus Christ was the only begotten Son of God. And all through the Fourth Gospel, John is careful to point out again and again that the place of John the Baptist in the scheme of things was high, but that nonetheless, it was still subordinate to the place of Jesus Christ. We understand now why he did that. He always says John wasn't that light, John simply was a witness to that light. He goes on to say, John says, He must increase and I must decrease. And every place where John the Baptist is referenced in this gospel you will always find that he's placed in a subordinate position to Christ. Purpose; John wanted to correct a problem in the church.

Now on with our notes. Verse 7 tells us that John was sent as a witness, and this is one of the keywords of the gospel. In fact, witness after witness is presented throughout John which give witness to the supreme place of Jesus Christ. Number 1, there's the witness of the Father. Jesus said, (The Father Himself, which hath sent me, have born witness of me". Remember at His baptism there's a voice from heaven, this is my beloved Son! And John the apostle tells us that even God from heaven gave witness as to the supremacy of Jesus Christ as His Son.

Secondly, there's the witness of Jesus Himself. "I am the one" He said, "that beareth witness of myself". What Jesus is simply saying is everything that I say, everything that I do, bears witness to the truth that I am truth. Listen to my words, observe my character, follow me in my ministry, I'm everything I said I was.

Thirdly there was the witness of His works. He said: "The works that the Father hath given me to do bear witness of me". Jesus said join me at the wedding and I'll show you water that's turned to wine. Go with me to the pool of Bethesda, chapter 5, and see the man who's been ill for 38 years and watch him take up his bed and walk. Go with me to John chapter 9 and see the man who's been blind from his birth and now he sees. Go with me to the sepulcher of Lazarus and listen as we shout and he comes forward. Jesus said the things that I do prove that I am the Son of God, my works.

Look at the next one. There's the witness of the Scriptures. They bear witness. Jesus said: "Search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternal life; and they are they which testify of me". Jesus said just pick up your Old Testament, read all the prophecies concerning the messiah, and you will find that every one of those prophecies I have fulfilled to perfection. Amazing. You can go back and count over 300 very specific prophecies. The city where he was born, the line from which he would come, all of the situations of history. Jesus said just go to the Scriptures. They'll prove who I am.

Look at the next witness. There's the witness of the last of the prophets, of John. John says he came for a witness to bear witness of that light. And then there's the witness of the Holy Spirit. "When the Comforter is come...even the Spirit of truth...He will bear witness of me". On down a couple lines. To the Jews the Spirit had two functions. The Spirit brought God's truth to men, and the Spirit enabled men to recognize that truth when they saw it. It is the work of the spirit within our hearts which enables us to recognize Jesus for what He is and to trust Him for what He can do.

John said there are my witnesses; the voice from heaven, the life of Christ, the works of Christ, the Old Testament Scriptures. They all give witness that I am who I say I am. So John says, John the apostle says, that when John the Baptist came he came for a witness of the light that all through him might believe. He was not that light, but he came to bear witness of that light. Just hold your finger there and go over about a few pages to chapter 5. I want to show you something, verse 35, John 5:35. John said I'm not that light. He said he's not that light, and then we find in verse 35, "He was the burning and shining, we have a different translation in our New King James, he was the shining lamp. I'm at John 5:35. You were willing for a time to rejoice in his light. It's interesting how John the apostle does his play on words. The word that he used as light for Jesus is that He is the essence, He is light itself. The word that he describes John in 5:35 is he's like a lamp, like a kerosene lamp. Jesus is the light of the world. We're just simply lamps in a darkened world. Jesus says ye are the light of the world, and the word that He uses, you are a kerosene lamp walking around in a world filled with sin's darkness. We're little lights, but He is the very essence of light.

Notice the next verse in our text it says, that was the true Light which gives light to every man. It's only in Jesus Christ that the light of eternal truth comes. He is the light of the world. Now look at verse 10. He came, He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. Do you sense the loneliness in that verse? Now remember, John has told us that Jesus Christ, He was the Creator, nothing was made without Him that was made. And here's the Creator coming to visit His creation, and nobody knows who it is. He walks amongst men that He created. He picks the flowers He designed. He sleeps beneath the trees that were patterned in eternity. He came to His world, a world made by Him, the world did not know Him.

Verse 11, He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. Again, the subject is Christ. He is the heavenly visitor. John says He came. He came to His own. Isaiah tells us that for unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon his shoulders, and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. He is the one who came. He's the heavenly visitor that John's talking about. Who is this visitor? Well He's the Almighty. He's the alpha and the omega, the apostle of our profession. He is the arm of the Lord. He is the Blessed Son. He is the branch. He is the bread of life. He is the chief shepherd. He's the Christ of God. He's the Deliverer. He's the desire of all nations. He is the everlasting Father. He is the first and the last. He is the glory of the Lord. He is the good shepherd. He is God incarnate. He is the Great High Priest! That's who came! He came, the holy One of God the holy One of Israel, the horn of our salvation, Emmanuel, Jesus, King of king's, and King eternal. He, He came to the world that He made 2000 years ago. But He came to a very specific people. He came to His own. One of the themes throughout the Old Testament is that God in His sovereignty selected Abraham and made a nation out of Abraham. That was His chosen people. And so what John the apostle is telling us that God Almighty who chose a people, the children of Abraham, He came to their land, the land of Palestine; He came, but they didn't want Him. And I tell you I think this is the most tragic sentence in the Bible. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.

Another theme that you find frequently throughout the Old Testament is this whole idea of the rebelliousness of the people that God had chosen for His own. Go with me in your Bible to page 459. Isaiah chapter 1, and here's what Isaiah writes concerning the rejection of this people to the God who loved them. Look at what it says in verse 2; Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O Earth! For the Lord has spoken: "I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against Me; the ox knows its owner and the donkey its master's crib; but Israel does not know, My people do not consider." Alas, sinful nation, a people laden with inequity, a brood of evildoers, children who are corrupters! They have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked to anger the Holy One of Israel, they have turned away backward. The rebelliousness of a people divinely selected to be the evangelists of the planet.

Let me show you the greatest of all rejections. Come with me to Matthew chapter 27. It's pages 671 in your Bible. Here's the culmination of rejection. Look at what it says, verse 24, Matthew 27:24, page 671; When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it." And all the people answered and said, "His blood be on us and our children." What they're saying is if there's any guilt associated with this death, let its guilt rest upon us and our children, and that's the most tragic curse of history. And they brought down divine judgment upon them as a people for their rejecting the one who came.

Just let me tell you a moment of history, and we're all done. Josephus the great historian, Jewish by ancestry, salaried by Rome to write Jewish history contemporary to the apostle Paul. Here's what Josephus writes: in the year of 70 A.D., 30 years after these people said 'Let His blood be upon us. We'll take the judgment for doing this. We reject Him, and we'll take its judgment.' Josephus says in the year of A.D. 70 Rome decided we're going to get rid of these rebellious people once and for all. They marched into Jerusalem and the history books tell us they slaughtered 1,300,000 people in that siege. All you've got to do is realize that Jerusalem is no bigger than the city of San Bruno, and can you imagine the blood of 1,300,000 rolling down the streets of our city? That was the scene of Jerusalem. They said, let His blood, let His judgment be upon us and upon our children. And old Josephus tells us that not only word a lying in the streets, but they went around the hillsides of Jerusalem, they took all the wood they could find and made crosses by the thousands and they nailed the rest of the inhabitants of Jerusalem to those crosses, and until they ran out of wood and no place to put the crosses, so Titus says stop the crucifixions. He came to His own, and His own said we don't want Him, we're going to kill Him, and let that judgment be forever on us.

There are many books that have been written about Jewish history. One of them is Max Dumont's book entitled "Jews, God and History", a fabulous history book. I've read it many years ago and there's a phrase in one of his paragraphs that has haunted me ever since I read it. He said the Jewish nation are the spiritual castaways of history. And for 2000 years those people have been hunted, chased, persecuted, murdered, and killed by the millions. Why? Because those that surrounded Jesus said we don't want Him, kill Him, and let that judgment be forever on us. Someone told me in one of my services, Pastor, you're not speaking politically correct statements. I'm not concerned about being politically correct. What I'm telling you is the truth. They paid a tremendous price for rejecting Christ. That's why I say verse 11, that verse has gone over and over in my mind all this week; He came to His own, but His own rejected Him. And for 2000 years it's been a tragic part of human history.

I close my sermon today by suggesting something even more tragic; that same Christ comes to all of us in mercy, in love, and forgiveness as the Savior of the world. He wants to come into our lives to change us, and to fill our emptiness, and to forgive us of our sins, and to give us a hope in heaven. He wants to do that. He's the savior of the world. He wants to be your Savior, but the tragic thing history continues to write itself, and the masses still do not want Him. He came to His own, but His own didn't want Him. He comes to all mankind as the Savior of the world and the masses still reject Him when He is the only source of forgiveness, the only source of light, the only source of real joy, and the only source of eternal life. May we never be guilty of rejecting Jesus.

Let's pray. Lord Jesus Your Word is so clear and history has proved the price when people reject You, and eternity will be even a greater revelation. For in eternity, there will be those who suffer eternal damnation who had every chance to believe in You dear Jesus, but turned You away just like the people of 2000 years ago. May it never be that any of us will ever be guilty of so tragic a decision as to reject You Jesus. May with hearts of love we've received You as our Savior and our God, and everybody said, amen. God bless you. God bless you.