Sermon Notes - John 3:22-36 - Littleby Baptist Church - October 16, 2022

1.     Jesus and Nicodemus.

a.      A conversation that did not turn out like Nicodemus thought it would.

b.     He thought that he and Jesus were equals, but Jesus called him out.

c.      Jesus told him to study the OT prophecy and then told him he needed to repent of his sins.

d.     Not something Nicodemus expected to hear, but exactly what he needed to hear.

e.      The whole thought of being born again may have thrown him a bit, but Jesus spoke the truth, nonetheless.

f.      Nicodemus a religious ruler needed to be born again, to repent and follow Jesus.

g.     That is true for everyone.

h.     All of us here.

i.       Every person we have been praying for.

j.       Every single person regardless of how lost we make think they are.

k.     Our job is to continue to tell people about the gift Jesus is offering and let the Holy Spirit work from there.

2.     Let’s take a look at what John has in store for us next.

3.     John 3:22-24

a.      There was a period of time where John the Baptist was still preaching repentance and baptizing people as well as Jesus getting started in His ministry.

b.     Might seem like a conflict as both had disciples, both had crowds following them, and both were baptizing people who repented of their sins.

c.      Might have seemed reasonable for John the Baptist to close up shop as he was baptizing with water, but Jesus was going to be baptizing with the Holy Spirit. – John 1:33

d.     Why did John need to continue what he was doing?

e.      Scripture does not gives us a direct answer to that, but it does tell us that John was to ‘make straight the way of the Lord’. - John 1:23

f.      John was to point people to Jesus.

g.     So that is exactly what he did.

h.     John the Baptist kept on calling the Jewish people to repentance and pointing them to Jesus, even after Jesus had arrived.

4.     John 3:25

a.      Jewish people were not normally baptized.

b.     They had specific rituals they followed.

c.      Repentance followed by immersion in water as a way of seeking forgiveness of their sins was not one of them.

d.     They followed the sacrificial system, they shed the blood of animals to cleanse them of their sins.

e.      Why would they need some other form of ceremonial washing to be cleansed of their sins?

f.      Why would they follow John the Baptists method of being cleansed and not the Pharisees and Sadducees?

g.     John’s disciples were getting frustrated, which probably led to their next question.

5.      John 3:26

a.      John the Baptist got it, but for some reason those following him missed the point.

b.     They may have been angry.

c.      They were probably jealous and wondering why this guy who came after John was drawing a bigger crowd.

d.     They likely were remembering the days when everyone came out to hear John and be baptized by them.

e.      These guys were more into their ‘leader’ then they were Jesus.

f.      In all fairness, they did not know what we know, but they also did not take to heart what John had said about Jesus.

g.     They caught the words, ‘the one you testified about’, but the message did not sink in.

h.     One thing we need to remember is that words are just words.

i.       They only have meaning and impact if we give them that power.

j.       We can hear the greatest message about Jesus but if we do not open our heart and mind to what is being said, if we don’t study the Word of God, we might as well just listen to some bedtime story.

6.     John 3:27

a.      A very profound statement.

b.     John was saying that his ministry was blessed by God and as things change, it is part of God’s will.

c.      God is sovereign, not John, and not us.

d.     Each person in our lives is part of God’s plan.

e.      The ministry here at Littleby, the opportunities we have to share with people, are all given to us by our God.

f.      We cannot save anyone, we cannot change their hearts, we cannot double the size of the church by our will power.

g.     It is all up to God.

h.     May His will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

7.     John 3:28

a.      John is reminding his disciples that he is not the Messiah.

b.     He is trying to get them to remember what they were missing.

c.      He is not the Messiah. He is not the Savior.

d.     He is a messenger and Jesus is the one to follow.

8.     John 3:29

a.      John is the groom’s friend.

b.     He is excited for the groom.

c.      He is helping in any way he can.

d.     He is doing his part.

e.      Jesus is the groom; Jesus is the main event.

f.      John’s joy comes from seeing God’s will be done.

g.     It is all God who works in people’s lives.

9.     John 3:30

a.      He must increase, but I must decrease.

b.     Romans 14:11

c.      There is only one person who will ever walk this earth that it can be said that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess.

d.     There is only one who will increase beyond measure.

e.      John understood that his ministry and even his life will come to an end.

f.      Jesus on the other hand was just beginning and one day He will sit on the throne.

g.     He must increase!

10.  John was talking about his ministry and was clearly saying that he was trusting in God.

a.      If we think about our lives, what areas do we need to trust in God?

b.     Where do we need to let Him increase in our lives?

c.      Are we battling through a financial problem? Can we let God take over?

d.     Let Him guide us in the choices that need to be made and trust that He will provide.

e.      Are we struggling with a relationship and trying to figure out how to fix it?

f.      How about praying about it and let God take over? Let God guide the conversations instead of trying to force them.

g.     We can probably come up with a lot of areas that we are trying to manage.

h.     Pray about letting God take over, letting His influence increase in each aspect of your life.

11.  Transition to John the Apostle writing and providing a bit of commentary.

12.  John 3:31

a.      Those of us born of this earth as wise as we may become are still from this earth.

b.     We are limited by who we are.

c.      Jesus on the other hand is from above, is from Heaven and is above all things and all people.

d.     He is the beginning, the first born.

e.      He is not limited like we are.

13.  John 3:32

a.      Those that heard Jesus talk about rebuilding the ‘temple’ in three days, rejected what He had said.

b.     Nicodemus scoffed at having to be born again.

c.      When Jesus spoke the truth, the hard truths, He tended to be rejected.

14.  John 3:33

a.      His disciples that witnessed the sign of water being turned into wine, they believed.

b.     Those who heard Jesus say that His body would be restored in 3 days, they believed.

c.      Those who believed, truly believed and it changed their lives.

15.  John 3:34

a.      When Jesus spoke, His words were absolute truth.

b.     The OT prophets were given a taste of the Holy Spirit, just enough to carry out God’s will.

c.      There was no measure, no limit, to the power of the Holy Spirit in Jesus.

16.  John 3:35

a.      John 10:30 Jesus said, “I and the Father are one.”

b.     Matthew 28:18 “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”

c.      Jesus came to carry out the Father’s will.

d.     All had been given to Jesus.

e.      No limits.

f.      Jesus has all the power and authority He needs to carry out His will, we need to trust in Him.

17.  John 3:36

a.      At this point in the timeline, they would not have understood that eternal life comes from Jesus.

b.     John the Apostle writing this at a later date would have known.

18.  He would have understood that:

a.      Trust in Jesus and you will receive eternal life.

b.     Trust in Jesus and let Him increase in your life.

c.      Trust in Jesus and let your own influence decrease in the choices you make.

d.     Trust in Jesus and let the will of God increase in your life.

e.      If we understand that Jesus is connected to the Father.

f.      It we trust that Jesus came to this earth to save us.

g.     We need to trust that the one who every knee will bow before is with us always.

h.     The other option is not pretty.

i.       Eternal life comes from believing that Jesus is the Son of God and that He has the power to give us the gift of forgiveness, the gift of Grace.

j.       The other option is to reject His gift and continue in the wrath of God.

k.     Without believing in Jesus, we deserve an eternity in agony, we deserve the wrath of God.

l.       Believe in Jesus. Believe that He is the Son of God. Believe that He died to forgive you of your sins and to give you new life.

m.   Repent and be forgiven.

n.     Then trust in Him and let Him increase in your life.