More on the Doctrine of Salvation

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More on the Doctrine of Salvation

Tom: Our topic for this segment is the gospel of salvation, and we’re going through certain verses in the Gospel of John. Last week we went through verses 24-28 of chapter 1. So, we’re going to pick up with verse 29: “The next day, John seeth Jesus coming unto him and sayeth, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”

Now, Dave, this verse is like the verse that you mentioned last week, the scripture that we know, where Jesus said to Peter, “Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but God revealed it.” And I think this is one of those verses.

Dave: Yeah, but of course we have to understand “the next day.” Obviously, that is the day after he had baptized Jesus. It doesn’t give us this in sequential order. In fact, it does not tell us about the baptism when it happened. John is relating after the fact. So, if we would go…just jump ahead for the moment to verse 32, “John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. I knew him not, but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining on Him, the same is He which baptizes with the Holy Ghost. And I saw and bare record that this is the Son of God.”

So, he’s relating what happened the day before and explaining how he knows that Jesus is the Lamb of God. And that was an amazing insight, which apparently John himself did not fully understand, because on the one hand, he identifies Him as the Messiah: “I am the forerunner of the Messiah. I’ve been sent to baptize with water,” and so forth. “I’m going to have this sign as to who the Messiah is. The Spirit will descend upon Him” and so forth.

But now he gets another insight:”The Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” It seems that John didn’t fully understand that, because otherwise, why would—as we mentioned last week—why would he ask Jesus, “Art thou He that should come, or look we for another?” It seems rather that he was expecting the Messiah to take the throne of His father David right then.

Tom: Peter had the same problem!

Dave: Yeah. All the disciples did. And the rabbis did. The rabbis mocked Jesus on the cross: “If you’re the Messiah, what are you doing up there?” And, of course…

Tom: So we’re dealing with God’s revelation to these prophets—these individuals who are speaking for God.

Dave: Right. And yet, as we mentioned last week, John the Baptist, the greatest prophet, seemingly didn’t know the scriptures, because the scriptures had foretold that the Messiah would be crucified. And to the two on the road to Emmaus, remember, Jesus says, “Fools…” because they’re downhearted because Jesus, the one they thought was the Messiah, and who did these miracles and so forth, has been crucified. And to them, that seemed to prove that He couldn’t have been the Messiah. Why would He have been killed? And that’s why Jesus said, “Fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken. Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” And then it says, “Beginning at Moses and all the prophets He expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.”

That’s interesting, because that is exactly what Paul emphasized. Acts:17:2-3 [2] And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, [3] Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.
See All...: He goes in the synagogue three Sabbath days. He reasons with them out of the scriptures, it says, “Opening and alleging that Christ must needs have suffered these things, and that this Jesus that I preach unto you, He’s the Messiah. He’s the Christ.”

Now, you can see what had troubled…not “troubled”…had stumbled—Jesus is the stumbling block that the Jews stumbled over, it says. What stumbled them? What confused them? Because He was crucified! And you ask a Jewish person today, “Why don’t you believe in Jesus?”

“Well, he didn’t establish the kingdom. He didn’t establish peace. He was supposed to sit on the throne of His father David.”

But the scriptures—the prophets had clearly said the Messiah would be cut off. Isaiah 53 tells us that. “He was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace is upon Him. With His stripes we are healed.”

He’s cut off out of the land of the living: “For the transgression of my people, is he stricken.” Psalm 22 foretells His crucifixion and so forth. So, if they had understood that, then they would have realized He had to be crucified. In fact, if Jesus was not crucified, He was not the Messiah.

So, again today, it’s a problem of understanding the prophets. And the Jewish person needs to go back, look at what their own prophets said, and it includes that the Messiah would be cut off. For example, Daniel:9:24-25 [24] Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. [25] Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
See All..., it tells us very clearly that the Messiah would come. It says there would be 69 weeks of years until the coming of Messiah the Prince, and He will come into Jerusalem. He will be hailed by His people as the Messiah. That’s the day that we celebrate as Palm Sunday now, and then it says, “And the Messiah will be cut off, but not for himself.” Obviously, as the scriptures say, “…for the sins of the people.”

So, now we have Jewish people today still looking forward and still waiting for the Messiah to come, but the Bible—the prophets clearly said that when the Messiah comes He must be crucified. They don’t practice crucifixion any more. Furthermore, it said [that] after the Messiah would come and be crucified and rise from the dead, the temple would be destroyed and the city of Jerusalem would be destroyed. So if they think the Messiah is yet to come for the first time, then they must look forward to His crucifixion and the destruction of the temple and the city of Jerusalem.

In fact, these things have already happened, and He will be coming the second time.

So, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” There is no other way for the sin of the world to be taken away and for mankind to be forgiven except that Christ had to pay the full penalty for our sins.

Tom: Dave, there’s another aspect of this that I find really fascinating. Here we mentioned Peter—he was before Jesus, and Jesus says, “Who do you say that I am?” And we have the revelation of God through Peter.

Here we have John—we have a revelation through John of God’s truth. Both these instances are, I think, good examples of the scripture in…is it First or Second Peter—“Holy men of God spoke…”

Dave: Second Peter chapter 1.

Tom: Mm-hmm.

Dave: “The prophecy came not in old time by the will of men, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”

Tom: Right. So, in other words, this isn’t something that these men made up, because you see clearly at times they are speaking the revelation of God, and other times you can see they’re wrestling with some things. So you see, this is God’s Word through men of God…

Dave: Exactly. We mentioned last week that John the Baptist, of course, was six months older than Jesus. He was His cousin, and he must have know Him—must have known what a perfect, sinless life He lived. And yet, he did not speculate and on that basis reveal Jesus as the Messiah, but he said, “I was given a sign: upon whom you see the Spirit of God descend like a dove…. I knew him not, until I saw this sign.”

So, again, the scriptures are revealed by the Holy Spirit and inspired of the Holy Spirit, and, of course, we have all the evidence we could ever ask for: archaeological, historical, prophetic, and so forth.

Tom: Now, Dave, I know this is a little aside, but it’s here in the scripture. Verse 32, which you read: “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon Him.” Do we have any idea? We have cars, and you see these little stickers on cars that are supposedly imagery of the Holy Spirit, but…

Dave: I don’t believe…

Tom: Can we comprehend at all, or have any idea…

Dave: No. I don’t believe it was a dove, of course. “The Holy Spirit in the form of a dove…” I don’t even think it was in the form of a dove. I don’t know what that means. But a dove, if you observe them, they are very peaceful. They’re not predators. And very gentle, and when they light, it’s… well, it’s just gentle. And I think that that was what he’s describing. The Holy Spirit—how can you see a spirit? You can’t see a spirit. I don’t know. I don’t know what it means, but it’s stated in words that we can understand, and here the Spirit of God, like a dove, abiding upon Christ.

Tom: Right. So, John didn’t see this with his physical eyes…

Dave: I wouldn’t think so…

Tom: This is an understanding of what was taking place, and he communicates it the best way…

Dave: Right.

Tom: …well, it’s inspired of the Holy Spirit, to communicate it…

Dave: See, we’ve talked in past programs, I think, of theophanies—previous appearances of Jesus Christ himself before His incarnation. But He could take the form of a body. Never does the Holy Spirit take the form of a body, much less the form of a dove. So, this was something that he saw in the Spirit, and understood from God, and this is the Lamb of God, who bears away, who alone can bear away the sin of the world. And this is the one in whom we have our faith, who paid the penalty for our sins, so that God could be just and justify sinners and offer redemption, forgiveness, eternal life, in Jesus Christ alone.

Tom: Amen.