From Old To New

John 3:22–36

The transition between the old economy, the law/works age of Israel, and the new economy, the grace/covenant of Jesus Christ, takes place here with the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, and the end of John the Baptist’s ministry.

John, in his gospel, has given all kinds of evidence that Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah of Israel, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He is God of gods, in a human body.

There was an overlap where John the Baptist and Jesus were ministering at the same time, so that John could
direct people from his ministry to the ministry of Christ.

A Confrontation Arises To Draw Attention

John 3:22 After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He tarried with them, and baptized. 23 And John also was baptizing at Aenon,

Both were doing ministry at the same time, in different places.

A Question Arose: Who We Should Follow?

John 3:26 And they came unto John and said unto him, “Rabbi, he that was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you were a witness, he is baptizing and all men are coming to him.”

The Jewish people and the disciples of John were hassling over ‘whose baptism was the greater.’ They were hanging on to the old economy, and were envious of the crowds that Jesus had.

John 3:28 You yourselves bear me witness that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but that, ‘I am sent before Him.’ 29 He that has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, John says, I am the best man.

The Transition

John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease.

John the Baptist presents the beginning of the new
by presenting the supremacy Jesus Christ.

John gives five supremacies of Christ— the reasons why they should follow Jesus:

Christ has a heavenly origin

John 3:31 He that comes from above is above all;

John the Baptist was no slouch. Jesus said, “Among those born on this earth, there is not one greater than John.” But John says, “Compared to Jesus, I am nothing, I am just of this world. He is from heaven.”

Christ knows the truth firsthand

John 3:32 And what He has seen and heard, to that He testifies, and no man receives His testimony.

Jesus gives pure truth, from the very throne of God. He was the immediate and eternal witness, with all things divine; the full revelation of God is in Christ.

John compares the testimony of Christ, which is direct from heaven firsthand, with his own secondhand testimony.

Christ’s testimony agrees with God

John 3:33 He that has received His testimony has set his seal to this: that God is true.

When a human speaks, it may or may not agree with God, but every time Jesus speaks, He agrees with God.

Many people try to separate the two. They say, “I certainly believe in God, but I’m not sure about all this about Jesus.” You literally cannot separate those two. If you believe in God, then you believe the truth about Jesus Christ.

Christ came with full Holy Spirit presence

John 3:34 For He whom God sent speaks the words of God, for God gives not the Spirit by measure unto Him.

John said he had the Holy Spirit at birth, but limited. Jesus had as a full measure as could be possessed.

Christ is supreme because God said so and God gave Him all the supremacy.

John 3:35 The Father loves the Son and gave all things into His hand.

God may give a person a dimension within which they operate, just like John the Baptist, but God gave Christ all authority.

And so the transition is complete. John fades away, and Jesus moves into the full light. The world’s greatest man has reached the end of his life. We can learn from John the Baptist: He exalts the Lord Jesus Christ and fades into the background, while telling his followers to: “follow Jesus, the Messiah, God in the flesh.”

That is the word for us, too.