Chapter # 3 Paragraph # 2 Study # 3
December 31, 2023
Broadlands, Louisiana
(Download Audio)
Thesis: Genuine disciples of the Truth have to have a legitimate confidence in "Heaven's" absolute dominion.
Introduction: In our last study, back on December 10, we considered Author-John's comment regarding Witness-John's imprisonment. Author-John referred to the fact that it had not yet been accomplished without any contextual foundation in his words; he had said nothing to his readers regarding Witness-John's being cast into prison. Thus, I concluded two things: 1) that the fact that Witness-John had been cast into prison was a fact that had permeated the non-verbal culture so that "everyone" knew of it; and 2) that the fact of Witness-John's imprisonment stands as an example of what can happen to "disciples" so that any who wish to become "disciples" need to "count the cost" because it
could be the loss of a person's physical life as well as anything associated with it (health, wealth, pleasant circumstances, etc.).
Now, this morning, we are going to see something else about that "cost".
In this text/context, Author-John decided to use the disciples of Witness-John to drive home this point: no one can be a legitimate disciple who has deeper commitments than being a legitimate disciple. The goal of all "disciple-making" is to get those who have "believed into Jesus" (and, consequently, have been given the gift of the perfect righteousness of God so that they are qualified to enter into, and participate in, the Kingdom of God; Romans 11:29) to come to the point that they are "all in" in respect to their commitment to the will of God as it has to do with their own "discipleship".
Our question this morning is this: why were the disciples of John irritated with Jesus?
- I. That They Were Irritated Is A Part Of Author-John's Record.
- A. Immediately on the heels of Author-John's mention of Witness-John's imprisonment, Author-John records the fact that a "discussion" arose between certain disciples of Witness-John and "a Jew".
- 1. The word translated "discussion" is given a negative connotation by the way it is used in the New Testament: it indicates two, or more, distinctly different doctrinal commitments that are at odds with each other (Acts 15:1-2).
- 2. That this "discussion" occurred between certain disciples of Witness-John and "a Jew" gives us a hint as to what was being "discussed": a difference of commitment regarding the question of how one becomes "pure" in the eyes of God.
- a. The disciples of Witness-John are, at least on the surface, committed to his "message of forgiveness as the outcome of repentance".
- b. The "Jew" was, at least on the surface, committed to Judaism's message of "forgiveness as the outcome of a determination to 'cease from sin' and a restitution to those affected by one's lack of determination to 'cease from sin'".
- 3. That this "discussion" involved Jesus as "The Lamb of The God" and His message of "forgiveness as the outcome of faith into Him" seems apparent because "the discussers" came to Witness-John to complain about Jesus, the Lamb of The God, and His ascendance in popularity.
- a. That they were complaining about Jesus' growing popularity means that they were in some serious conflict of conviction regarding what they must have considered as a departure by Jesus from Witness-John's message.
- 1) They knew that, at least in the beginning, Jesus had subscribed to Witness-John's message because He had submitted to baptism by John.
- 2) To them, then, Jesus was supposed to be "on John's side" in respect to the "Jew", but with Jesus' re-casting of the message, they felt like they had lost an ally.
- b. What this actually means is that the "Jew" didn't buy into the message of Witness-John, and that he had, apparently, pointed out the "re-casting" of the message so that there were now three ways to become "pure" before God.
- 1) The "Jewish" way: forsaking sin and making restitution.
- 2) The "Witness-John" way: repentance (when repentance is misunderstood).
- 3) The "Jesus" way: "faith into Me" (when "faith" is understood).
- B. That their irritation with Jesus was rooted in His growing popularity clearly means that it is not "theology" that is driving the conflict, but "acceptance by more people" is the problem.
- II. Why They Are Irritated Is Author-John's Point.
- A. At the superficial level, their irritation is rooted in what they saw as Jesus' "new", and "different", message.
- B. But at the actual level, their irritation is rooted in the diminishing popularity of Witness-John: Why?
- 1. Irritation indicates some level of "pain".
- 2. What kind of "pain" was being imposed upon the disciples of Witness-John?
- 3. In a word, they were threatened with a loss of Witness-John's loss of status in the eyes of men and, as a consequence, of their own status in the eyes of men.
- III. The Issue Involved.
- A. There are only four reasons in this world that anyone does anything.
- B. Three of the four are negative and conflict-generating (thus, the "discussion").
- C. One of the four is not only positive, it is primary.
- IV. The "Point".
- A. The "disciples" of Witness-John should have already left John's tutelage (i.e., as in 1:34-37).
- 1. John's message was still true and relevant, but not for those who had accepted it.
- 2. John's message was for those who had never come to "repentance".
- B. That they had not indicates that they were wrapped up in something that prevented them from following Jesus.
- C. That "something" was Jesus' form of discipleship: a forsaking of every/any thing that would prevent "loyalty unto death"
