https://open.spotify.com/episode/3tA83ygiDzYf9ZaylK9b9H?si=527d780f8cbf489a

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

The same was in the beginning with God,

All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended (apprehended) it not. 

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light. that all men through him might believe.

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

That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 

He came unto his own and his own received him not. 

But as many as received him, to them he gave power to become the sons (children) of God, even to them that believe on his name;

Which were born not of blood, nor the will of man, but of God. 

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake (spoke), He that cometh after me is preferred before me (ranks higher than I):for he was before me.

And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.

For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. 

No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?

And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.

And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias?  And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.

Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give answer to them that sent us, What sayest thou of thyself? 

He said, I AM THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, MAKE STRAIGHT THE WAY OF THE LORD, as said the prophet Esaias (Isaiah).

And they which were sent were of the Pharisees. And they asked him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet? 

John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not: 

He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me (ranks higher than I) whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose.

These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan where John was baptizing.

The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. 

This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. 

And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.

And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth  with the Holy Ghost. 

And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. Again, the next day John after stood, and two of his disciples; 

And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!  And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.” John 1:1-37

Safe to say, John rocked their world!!They had never seen anyone, anything quite like John.

He was the complete opposite to everything the religious crew of the day could comprehend.

John had been sent here on his mission, equipped with everything he needed to do the job, already inside of him.

We will take a closer look at the prophecy and birth of John in our next post, so that we can see the requirements that are so often conveniently over-looked today.

He did not look like them, as being described wearing camel’s hair and a leather belt, while they had their priestly robes.

He certainly did not feast as they, with the best, most prestigious seat at the tables of the wealthy, No, his meals were of locust and wild honey.

And he certainly did not preach like them, he did not white-wash over actions and attitudes that kept the money flowing while producing hearts black as coal, even if it meant taking on Herod and letting him know that he was in sin, this leading to his arrest.

Can you imagine? He was doing something no one had ever done, or had ever heard of doing!

He was proclaiming the King of the universe, and he was proclaiming him to “common” people, he was not condemning those who came to him, he was not putting himself on a religious pedestal as the Pharisees.

He constantly humbled himself, letting all know that he was not even worthy to touch even the sandal of the one he exalted.

He warned them that the road must be prepared for the arrival of the true King and that all the exalted places must be lowered, and all the rough places made smooth, and warned that even though he preached, and he baptized them with water, that the King would also himself, baptize those who believed, and that his baptism would be unlike anything they had ever known or understand.

This baptism would be of fire and the Holy Ghost, and that as the king came into the world, his great light would manifest to all.

All that was or would ever be created, created by him and for him, and he came to redeem us all.

Isaiah 60:1-3: “ARISE, shine for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.

For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.

And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and the kings to the brightness of thy rising.”

Let’s go back to one of our earlier verses.

John 1:11: “He came unto his own, and his own received him not.”

As they of the day rejected him, we, the Gentiles, all other peoples of the earth then had access to his salvation.

Never let anyone try to harden you against the Jews, they are his chosen people, we are just adopted in, but in the end we will all be one in his kingdom.

Here is the explanation.

Romans 11:1-28: “I SAY then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid (certainly not). For I am also an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot (Know) ye not what the scripture saith of Elisas (Elijah)? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying,

LORD, TEHY HAVE KILLED THE PROPHETS, AND DIGGED (torn) DOWN THINE ALTARS; AND I AM LEFT ALONE, AND THEY SEEK MY LIFE.

But what saith the answer of God unto him? I HAVE RESERVED TO MYSELF SEVEN THOUSAND MEN , WHO HAVE NOT BOWED THE KNEE TO THE IMAGE OF BAAL.

Even then so at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

And if by grace, then it is no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election (elect of God) hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded (hardened). 

(According as it is written, GOD HATH GIVEN THEM THE SPIRIT OF SLUMBER {stupor} EYES THAT THEY SHOULD NOT SEE, AND EARS THAT THEY SHOULD NOT HEAR;) UNTO THIS DAY.

And David saith, LET TEHIR TABLE BE MADE A SNARE, AND A TRAP, AND A STUMBLINGBLOCK, AND A RECOMPENSE UPON THEM. LET THEIR EYES BE DARKEND THAT THEYMAY NOT SEE, AND BOW DOWN THEIR BACK ALWAY.

I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid (Certainly not); but rather through their fall (trespass) salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.

Now if the fall (trespass) of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing (failure) of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?

For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office (my ministry).

If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.

For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead.

For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump also is holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. 

And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert (were) graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and the fatness of the olive tree;

Boast not against the branches, But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee (remember you do not support the root, it supports you)

Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. 

Well: because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not high-minded, but fear:

For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed, lest he also not spare thee.

Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.

And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again. 

For if thou wert (were) cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree?

For I would not, (do not want) brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits (opinion); that blindness (hardening) in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

AND SO ALL OF ISRAEL SHALL BE SAVED: as it is written: THERE SHALL COME UP OUT OF SION THE DELIVERER, AND SHALL TURN AWAY UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB;

FOR THIS IS MY COVENANT UNTO THEM, WHEN I SHALL TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS.

As concerning the Gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching (concerning) the election (elect’s), they are beloved for the fathers’ sake.”

We can understand by Paul’s comparison that in the end we will all be one, all the families of God, and we should be grateful that we were adopted into the Lord’s first family.

And this is why it is so important to remember what God said i the Old Testament, he will curse anyone who curses Israel and he will bless those who bless them. We are to pray for their peace and help them in anyway that we can.

That light has shone, As this world grows ever darker, our Lord wonderous light will shine even brighter!

John 8:12: “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

*Also, I am not shouting! Some scripture is capitalized as it is the Bible to denote it being recited from another passage.

Φλογιζω  NBJ 2022/Rev. N. Brown Johnson