John 1: 29-34 Intro: After Easter comes Pentecost. • 40 days Jesus communed with Disciples: Convincing, teaching, commissioning, promising and commanding Then He ascended/exalted; and they waited. • Pentecost came…Fiftieth. Feast of weeks or first fruits. • Two loaves of bread from wheat harvest and commemorating the Giving of the Law to Moses on Sinai • Promise of Holy Spirit came to fill the Church… Acts 2 – Day of Pentecost fulfilled… Beginning of a great Harvest Giving of the Law in the Hearts of People. t/s – After Easter comes Pentecost Today, celebrate… Jesus Gives Us the Holy Spirit John 1: 29-34 Context: John the Baptizer, “I am not the Messiah” Cousin Jesus comes… John recognizes Him Jesus leaves for 40 days… temptation.. return Now, John is ready to Identify Him as Messiah Read Text Jesus Takes Away Our Sin Exp – vs. 29 – Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin.. • Reference to the once for all sacrifice for our sin! • Gospel = Child, Your sins are forgiven you! App – There is Forgiveness with Jesus. He takes away your sin. Come let us reason together, says the LORD; though Your sins be like scarlet, they will be white as snow! Takes Away == Barrier removed Burden Lifted… t/s – John wants us to know that Jesus gives us more than Forgiveness. ILL – Parsonage in Snyder… (boys, 5, 2 and infant) • Julie dressed DH and Dax in Sunday best… set on front porch steps to wait for the walk to SS. • Don’t mess up your church clothes! • Set still and stay clean… Too much to ask! (Shirts untucked, grass stains on knees, …) t/s – Christians are to sit still, stay clean and wait… ?? Jesus Gives Us the Holy Spirit Exp – Vs. 33 – Jesus baptizes us in/by/with the Holy Spirit! Central to the Promise of the Messiah is the Holy Spirit working within us in a new powerful way. • Not rules, relationship; not external, internal; not ritual, reality! • Not sit still and stay clean… (forgiveness) Live a full and abundant life in Power of Spirit! Note: NT vocabulary, “Baptism in Spirit” used seven times in NT • Six times very similar --- contrast John’s water baptism to Jesus’ work of giving us the Spirit. (4 gospels, Acts 1 &11) • 1 Cor. 12:13 Once for all, not a repeated experience. At conversion, not a later experience (baptism) ALL Christians, not an exclusive few! Jesus Takes away Our Sin; and Gives Us the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised a New Birth in the Spirit! ILL – Ezekiel 37 – Can these dead bones live? ν noise of rattling…bone to bone! ν Sinews, flesh, skin… no breath at all. ν Come from the winds O breath that these may come to life… ν They stood on their feet an exceeding great army! Ezekiel 36: 25-27 Vs. 25 – Forgiveness Vs. 27 – New Life by Spirit Within! ILL – Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning; Give me oil in my lamp I pray. Imagine… • Clean up old oil lamp; new wick, trimmed… • Fill the lamp with oil to burn! ILL – Billy Graham’s book of Holy Spirit People have two great needs. One is forgiveness. The other is goodness. His inner being longs for them Both! Jesus takes away our sin, so that we might be forgiven. Jesus gives us the Holy Spirit, so that we can be good. After Easter comes Pentecost. Invitation • Life-changing encounter with Jesus. • Living controlled by the Spirit
