#6 Law and Gospel

Joh 1:6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.

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

We call him “John the Baptist,” but he could be called “John the Witness!” He was sent by God Himself to testify about Jesus. That testimony could be summed up in one incident found in  Joh 1:29 “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

The Holy Spirit speaking through the Apostle John here wants to make sure we understand that John the “Baptist” was a mere witness to the Light, not the Light itself. His only purpose was to prepare the way of the Light and he did that by preaching the necessity of repentance. John preached the Law of God, because without the Law, there would be no sin, and with no sin, there is nothing to repent of.

John had some followers that missed the boat. They stopped at repentance. They tried to adhere to his teachings on their own. You may recall the Apostle Paul running into some of the Baptist’s followers in Ephesus.  (Acts 19:1-4) Paul asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they replied, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” And Paul said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?” Or we might say, “So what are you guys into?” And they replied, “Into John’s baptism.” Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.”

In other words, “John was into preaching repentance, calling people to change their ways and live according to God’s Laws, but his real message was to turn people away from themselves and toward Christ.” These people at Ephesus had stopped short of grace. Oh the misery!

They were living in a world of trying to reform their ways in the flesh without the aid of the indwelling Holy Spirit! Their misery must’ve been obvious, their ties to legalism evident as it prompted Paul to ask them if they had received the Holy Spirit.

“Holy Spirit? Never heard of Him!”  

Listen, the Law must be preached! It prepares the way for grace. It shows our need for a Savior! But you and I must never stop at the Law, and the preacher must never stop there as well! The preacher needs also to introduce his audience to the Savior…..the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! And not only the Lamb of God, but the One who brings the power and help of the Holy Spirit to all believers.

Mt 3:11 "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.