Sabotage Averted

Text: John 3:22-36

This passage demonstates the work of Satan in his attempt to use envy to corrupt the early testimony of John the Baptist concerning Jesus Christ.  It shows how John successfully defeats this satanic stratagem, and concludes by calling for decision with regards to this pristine message regarding Christ.  

Transcript

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Hello. Welcome to Scripture Simplified. This is Tim Wolf. I want to speak today from the Gospel of John chapter three, beginning with verse 22 and reading through verse 36. After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judea, and there he tarried with them and baptized. And John also was baptizing in Enon, near to Salem, because there was much water there, and they came and were baptized. For John was not yet cast into prison. Then there arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying. And they came unto John and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou bearest witness, behold the same baptizeth, and all men come to him. John answered and said, A man can receive nothing except it be given him from heaven. Ye yourselves bear me witness that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom, but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. This my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease. He that cometh from above is above all. He that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth. He that cometh from heaven is above all, and what he hath seen and heard that he testifieth, and no man receiveth his testimony. He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true, for him whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God, for God giveth not the spirit by measuring to him. The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hands. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life, and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. I want to speak to you about on the subject sabotage averted. A hundred and ninety-seven people were on board American Airlines Flight sixty three on december twenty second, two thousand one. Probably many of them were heading to various destinations to join their family for Christmas celebrations. Little did they know that an al-Qaeda operative by the name of Richard Reed was on board the flight. He attempted to take the lives of all on board by detonating a shoe laced with explosives. The sabotage was averted when passengers and flight attendants observed his intentions and subdued him. A tragedy was averted. The crew did not know that when the passengers took their seats, that a saboteur was aboard. A tragedy of a different sort is averted in this narrative. The saboteur is unnamed, but he is lurking, and his aim is the destruction of a message. It was the clear message that had been presented by John the Baptist concerning the Messiah, Jesus Christ. The ultimate tragedy would have been confusion regarding true faith, and the consequence would be eternal death and hell. In this episode, I would like to look at this passage under three headings The Foe, the Friend, and the Faith. First of all, the foe. Who is this lurking, unnamed saboteur? It's none other than Satan. This is the same vandal who inspired Herod to murder the children of Bethlehem, to rid himself of a child competitor to his throne. This is the same thug who sought to divert Jesus from his heavenly orders in the wilderness temptations. And he is the same predator that stalks all of God's children to keep them barren in their walk with Christ. Peter writes, Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour. First Peter chapter 5, verse 8. How does Satan manifest himself in this story? He's attempting to produce a competition between John the Baptist and Jesus. He wants to produce in John envy and strife. How does he seek to accomplish this? Well, John had a tremendous following in his ministry. He had become a rabbi of sorts to a number of devoted followers. They come to him with report that they had received. They said, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan to whom thou bearest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him. We find out in verse in chapter 4 that Jesus did not baptize, but his disciples did. But nonetheless, this report is what comes to John. Can you hear the panic in their voices? They have identified with John. He has become their rabbi, their teacher, their master. They are in essence saying, you know the guy you endorsed at the Jordan? He's taking over. He's not only gaining new followers, people who have followed you are now going over to his camp. If this problem is not handled correctly, it could have proved tragic for the clarity of the early message. C.S. Lewis wrote an expose of Satan and his tactics in his famous book entitled The Screwtape Letters. The Screwtape Letters is a satirical Christian novel composed of 31 letters from Screwtape, a senior demon, to his nephew Wormwood. Screwtape mentors the novice tempter on how to corrupt a mortal British man called the Patient and secure his damnation, providing profound psychological insights into human nature. Screwtape explains that heaven operates on the idea that one thing is not another thing, meaning every individual is unique and valued. Envy destroys this reality by causing humans to covet the traits or accomplishments of others, making them miserable about who they are. In the preface to the book, Lewis describes hell itself as a state where everyone is perpetually consumed by envy, self-importance, and resentment. James says this about envy and strife. He says, From whence cometh wars and fightings among you? Come they not hence, even of your lust that war in your members? Ye lust and have not, you kill and desire to have, and cannot obtain, ye fight and war, yet you have not because you ask not, you ask and receive not because you ask amiss that you may consume it upon your lust? How far back does this envy, this strife go? Well, it goes all the way back to Cain and Abel, doesn't it? Cain envied Abel and it led to the first murder, a great tragedy. Sarah envied Hagar, and it led to centuries of bitter hostilities. Joseph's brothers envied and persecuted him, and their memory of their hateful actions toward him haunted their consciences until late in their lives. Saul was consumed with jealousy over David. All Satan had to do was put a simple song in the hearts of the ladies of the land that Saul had killed his thousands, but David had killed his ten thousands. We could travel down the centuries of church history and see how much controversy and division were not about issues but personalities and their lust for prominence.

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L. Moody once told a fable of an eagle who was envious of another that could fly better than he could. One day the bird saw a sportsman with a bow and arrow and said to him, I wish you'd bring down that eagle up there. The man said he would if he had some feathers for his arrow, so the jealous, jealous eagle pulled out one out of his wing. The arrow was shot, but it didn't quite reach the rival bird because he was flying too high. The first eagle pulled out another feather, then another, until he had lost so many that he himself couldn't fly. The archer took advantage of the situation, turned around, and killed the helpless bird. Moody made this application. So, first of all, we see the foe, this strategy that the devil is using to try to bring dissension and confuse and corrupt the message of the gospel. But the second thing we see here is the friend. This is where the tragedy is averted. I think we can see the potential for tragedy in the satanic stratagem. It is evident that Satan wants John to look at Jesus as a peer. He might want him in some way to demean Jesus, to maybe taunt him as a novice, as one who needs more experience under his belt. Maybe he will say something like, Well, I was the one who came up with the message. Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. He's preaching the same thing I preach. He stole my material. Well, the title of the episode, of course, is Sabotage Averted. How was it averted? Well, first of all, John was true to his calling. To use the modern vernacular, he stayed in his lane. Before John the Baptist had a crowd, he had a calling from God. He rehearses his calling and message to his panicked followers. He reminded them of the origin of his and Jesus' calling. He says, A man can receive nothing except it be given him from heaven. He reminds them of what he had said. He said, Ye yourselves bear me witness that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. His calling was that of a predecessor, a presenter, and a preparer. He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness. Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Isaiah. He said, Quote, My preaching in the fields may displease some timorous, bigoted men, but I am thoroughly persuaded it pleases God, and why should I fear anything else? Being true to his calling and his message that God had given him was one of the things that helped this tragedy to be averted. But a second thing was John was joyful in Jesus' success. He makes a comparison to a Hebrew wedding. One of the great pictures of God in relationship to his people Israel is that of a bridegroom to his bride. Paul also uses the analogy in the New Testament of Jesus being the bridegroom and the church being his bride. John writes in verses 29 through 30, and I'm reading from the Philips paraphrase. He said, A man can receive nothing at all, replied John, unless it is given him from heaven. You yourselves can witness that I said, I am not the Christ, but I've been sent as his forerunner. It is the bridegroom who possesses the bride, yet the bridegroom's friend, there it is, who merely stands and listens to him can be overjoyed to hear the bridegroom's voice. That is why my happiness is now complete. He must grow greater and greater, and I less and less. William Barclay writes, The friend of the bridegroom had a unique place at a Jewish wedding. He acted as a liaison between the bride and the bridegroom. He arranged the wedding, he took out the invitations, he presided at the wedding feast. He brought the bride and the bridegroom together. And he had one special duty. It was his duty to guard the bridal chamber and to let no false lover in. He would open the door only when in the dark he heard the bridegroom's voice and recognized it. When he heard the bridegroom's voice, he let him in and went away rejoicing, for his task was completed, and the lovers were together. He knew that his only task had been to bring bride and bridegroom together, and when that task was done, he willingly and gladly faded out of the center of the picture. Jesus taught this truth repeatedly. He demonstrated the servant leadership we are called to provide by washing the feet of his disciples. This satanic tactic arose in the church at Corinth. The church was divided into factions over who they thought was the man of greatest spiritual authority. Paul had to teach them. He basically said, We are not in competition, we are all working toward the same goal. He said, Who then is Paul and who is Apollos? But ministers by whom you believed, even as the Lord gave to every man. I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. Instead of resenting the success of others, we should rejoice in their success. The godly Scottish preacher, Andrew Bonner, penned a diary entry. He wrote, Quote, This day, twenty years ago, I preached for the first time as an ordained minister. It is amazing that the Lord has spared me and used me at all. I have no reason to wonder that he used others far more than he does me. Yet envy is my hurt, and today I have been seeking grace to rejoice exceedingly over the usefulness of others, even where it casts me into the shade. Lord take away this envy from me. FB Meyer held meetings in Northfield, Massachusetts, and great crowds thronged to hear him. Then the great British Bible teacher G. Campbell Morgan came to Northfield, and people were soon flocking to hear his brilliant expositions of Scripture. Meyer confessed at first he was envious. He said, The only way I can conquer my feelings is to pray for Morgan daily, which I do. It says in another place he prayed for his success, and because he prayed for Morgan's success, more people begin to come back to hear him. The third thing, he gave glory to Christ. He said, He that cometh from above is above all. Verse 31. What he hath seen and heard that he testifieth. He speaks the word of God from all the fullness of the Spirit. The Father loves the Son and giveth all things into his hand. I think John is saying, When I said I'm not worthy to unloose his shoes, shoes latchet, I meant it. John Phillips puts it this way. Way back before time began, before the rustle of an angel's wings wing disturbed the silence of eternity, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit decided to act in creation. They accepted the possibility that if they acted in creation and made a creature, man, and endowed him with intellect, emotions, and will, they would also have to act in redemption. Jesus was there. Phillips goes on to say that when Christ spoke of Adam and Eve and Noah and the Ark, Abraham or Isaiah or Daniel, he was there. He had seen and he had heard. John's followers tried to make him a competitor with Jesus. They tried to put Jesus on the level of a peer, but John would not let that happen. And if we would all set our focus on pleasing the one person, and that being the Lord Jesus Christ, and seeing that he is glorified by our words and works, much of the acrimony in the church would cease. There is only one Lamb of God. There is only one who will baptize with the Holy Ghost, and it's Jesus. Sabotage averted. Thirdly, the faith. Since the sabotage attempt to delude or defile the message has failed, what will we do with this pure message concerning Jesus as a Son of God? We must make a decision. This reminds me of other calls in Scripture. Moses cried out to Israel, See, I have set before you this day life and good, death and evil. I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life that you and your descendants may live. Joshua said later on, he said, Choose this day whom you will serve. Joshua 24, 15. Here John issues the call. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life, and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. It was practiced in biblical times. If someone wanted to attest the accuracy of a document or affirm the truth of a statement, he would set his seal to it. It is so when we accept the message of Jesus, we set our seal to the truth of that message. So again, the message is clear. Satan tried to corrupt its early pronouncement but failed. The question then is, what will we do with it? The entire book of John is evangelistic in nature. It seems every chapter is calling for decision. Will you believe Jesus or not? C.S. Lewis frames the decision in a graphic manner. He writes, I'm trying here to prevent anyone from saying the really foolish thing that people often say about him. Quote, I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept his claim to be God. Lewis goes on to say that's the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would be either a lunatic on a level with a man who says he's a poached egg, or else he would be the devil of hell. You must make a choice. Either this man was and is the son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool. You can spit at him and kill him as a demon, or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He's not left that open to us. He did not intend to. I'm so thankful that this early message, this beautiful message that John the Baptist brought, this introduction of one greater than he was not defiled or corrupted. I'm glad this tragedy was averted. Let us pray. Our Father, we come to you in the name of Jesus and thank you for your holy word. We're thankful for the opportunities we have from time to time to share together these truths. We're thankful, Father, for everyone who's able to listen. And we just ask you, Father, to bless each one and help us all, Lord God, to continue to grow. To grow in our love for you and grow in our desire to be like you. Keep your hand upon each one, I pray, and bless them in Jesus' name. Amen.