Life-Study of Johnpor Witness Lee
ISBN: 0-7363-0957-8
Copia impresa: Living Stream Ministry disponible en línea
ISBN: 0-7363-0957-8
Copia impresa: Living Stream Ministry disponible en línea
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In this message we come to the last part of the first chapter of the Gospel of John (vv. 19-51). The main subject of this passage is Jesus as the Lamb of God, with the Holy Spirit as the dove, making the believers stones for the building of the house of God with the Son of Man. This subject is composed of five main points: the Lamb of God, the dove, the stones, the building of God’s house, and the Son of Man. The Lamb is for redemption; the dove is for life-imparting, transforming, and building; the stone is for material; the house is the building; and the very substance of God’s building is man. Firstly, man is redeemed by the Lamb, and then he is regenerated and transformed by the dove. Thus, man becomes a stone, and this stone is then builded by the dove. The dove is not only for regenerating, but also for transforming and uniting, which eventually result in the building of God’s house. The essence, the substantial element, of the house of God is not divinity, but humanity. Divinity is the dweller and humanity is the dwelling. Since the house is the dwelling place and not the dweller, the dwelling is humanity and the dweller is divinity. This humanity, however, is not a natural or a created humanity; it is a regenerated, transformed, and uplifted humanity, a humanity that has been processed through creation, incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. The humanity which has passed through such a wonderful process becomes the very substance of God’s building. Such a humanity is God’s dwelling place. In no other books is this matter so clearly revealed as in the writings of John, in his gospel, epistles, and revelation. Thus, we must spend a great deal of time in John’s writings.
John 1:19-51 is a long section composed of thirty-three verses. Why is this section so long? For years I was troubled by the length of this portion of John’s gospel. I said, “In the first eighteen verses, every word is economical. Not one word is wasted. Why does John use so many words in this part of the chapter?” I could not understand why John, a brief and simple writer, used so many verses. If I had written this portion of the Word, I would have used only seven or eight verses, telling how the Pharisees inquired of John whether or not he was the Messiah, Elijah, or the prophet, how John baptized people in water, how he introduced Jesus as the Lamb of God with the dove descending and abiding on Him, how five disciples were attracted to the Lord and began to follow Him, and how the name of one of them was changed. However, John used many more verses than this. What was his purpose in doing so? Very few Christians have seen John’s purpose in verses 19 through 51. Thus, we must take time to consider it.
As you read through the Gospel of John, you will discover that the greatest opposition against Christ came from religion. Nothing was more troublesome or frustrating to Him than the Jewish religion. Religion is Christ’s enemy. It frustrates Christ as life. Eventually, religion sentenced Christ to death. It was not Roman politics that sentenced the Lord Jesus to death, for the Roman politics under Pilate was too weak to do that. Christ was sentenced to death by the Jewish religion which utilized the weak Roman politics. Thus, in his gospel, John shows us that the strongest opposition to Christ as life comes from religion. Therefore, he found it necessary to use many verses in chapter one to describe the pitiful religious situation. John’s intention was to portray the pathetic condition of religion.
Verses 19 through 25 reveal the concept of religious people, which is entirely contrary to the divine thought. The religious people were looking for a great leader such as the Messiah, Elijah, or the prophet (according to the Scriptures, Dan. 9:26; Mal. 4:5; Deut. 18:15, 18). The religious concept is that of always looking to a great one such as the Messiah or to a great prophet such as Elijah. Religious people always think in terms of a great leader who will do wonderful things and perform marvelous miracles to save and deliver them. The Jewish leaders, therefore, sent people to ask John the Baptist if he was the Messiah. John, of course, replied, “I am not.” Then they asked if he was Elijah, and again he answered, “No.” In the eighteenth chapter of Deuteronomy, Moses promised Israel that a great prophet would come. So, from that day, Israel continually looked for the coming of that prophet, and when John the Baptist came upon the scene, they asked him if he was the one. Nevertheless, John said that he was not that prophet. The same principle still exists in today’s religious situation. People everywhere expect to have a great world-famous preacher. The religious people today, like the Pharisees and scribes and chief priests, are not for life; they are for a big movement, a great leader. Although they await a great religious leader who will stir them up, after such a leader comes and goes, they still remain in their deadness.
The contrast in this portion of the Gospel of John is very impressive. We have seen that the religionists were expecting a great leader and that they inquired of John the Baptist whether he was the Messiah, Elijah, or the prophet. When John repeatedly answered, “No,” they finally asked him, “Who are you? What do you say about yourself?” John answered, “I am a voice of one crying in the wilderness.” What is a voice? A voice is nothing. You hear it, and it is gone. You cannot touch it. John seemed to be saying, “I am nothing. I am nobody. I am just a voice. I am not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet.” The religious people were disappointed with him. How could they answer those who sent them? Perhaps they said to John, “Shall we go back to those who sent us and tell them that you said you were just a voice? What is this? It’s nonsense.” Yes, as far as religion is concerned, life is nonsense.
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