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That's connectwithskip.com. Now let's get started with today's message from Pastor Skip Heitzig. I picture him as a king. He's enthroned. Others would say I picture him as a servant. Others might say, well, I picture him as a friend. Others would say I picture him as the Lord of Lords, King of Kings above all. And hopefully you picture him as all of those things, because there really is not one single description that will totally reveal and encapsulate the magnificence of the character that is Jesus Christ. That is why we have four gospels.
The four gospels, you might say, are the four faces of Jesus Christ. I have literally thousands of photographs that I have taken of my family over the years, and each one is slightly different and incidentally, there are very few pictures of me because I'm always the one behind the camera. So I've got the pictures of my wife and my son and now my grandkids and, you know, every blue moon there may be one of me if somebody grabs my camera to take one, but other that they're pictures of them. But each photograph is slightly different. And what's interesting is that I never get tired of photographing them. I'll look at the way light is hitting little Katie's hair or Seth's smile, my grandkids, and I'll go, oh, I got to get a picture of that.
Now, I might have 45,000 pictures of them already, but I need another one to capture that moment, to capture that scene. So in the gospels, we have the four faces of Jesus. Now, let me just take you back a little bit into the Old Testament. You remember that when God dwelt among people, He dwelt among them with a tabernacle. And a tabernacle was a tent, you remember, sort of a very fancy tent.
The courtyard was 75 feet wide by 150 feet deep. In the middle of that courtyard was a tent structure that basically had two rooms, the Holy Place and then the Holy of Holies. And then around the tabernacle, where God dwelt with His people, there were the Levites, the priestly tribe on all four sides, divided up according to families. But then beyond them were the thousands upon thousands upon thousands of the tribes of Israel, the 12 tribes that were encamped around where God was dwelling. But do you remember that the 12 tribes were divided into four separate camps?
A camp on the east, camp on the west, camp on the south, camp on the north. So there were three tribes in all directions. And according to the writings of the Jews and the Talmud and the traditions of the Jews, we understand that the tribes on each side had an emblem according to the head tribe that they gathered under. So on the eastern side of the tabernacle, there were three tribes under the banner or the emblem, the standard of the tribe of Judah.
That's on the east side. On the west side were three more tribes under the emblem or the standard of the tribe of Ephraim. On the south side of the tabernacle were three other of the 12 tribes under a single banner, a standard, an emblem. That was the tribe of Reuben. And then to the north, three more tribes. And that final encampment had as its standard, as its emblem, the tribe of Dan.
Now here's what's interesting. According to Jewish tradition and those Jewish writings that I mentioned, on the eastern side, the tribe of Judah, their standard, their emblem, was the emblem of the tribe of Judah, was the emblem of a lion. On the western side, under the tribe of Ephraim, was the standard or the emblem of the ox. On the south side, those three tribes under the standard or the emblem of Reuben was the image of a man. And on the north side, the tribe of Dan over those three tribes, an eagle. So you had four faces. You had a lion, you had an ox, you had a man, you had an eagle.
Why is that significant? Well, if you move on in the scripture, you see that Ezekiel gets a vision in chapter one of that book and chapter 10 of that book of the throne of God. Remember that wild vision of the wheel within the wheels and eyes on all sides and four living creatures. And the four living creatures each had four faces. And what's interesting is that the four faces were the same faces as around the tabernacle. On one side, the living creatures had the face of a lion and an ox, on another side, and another side, the face of a man, and finally the face of an eagle. When we get to the book of Revelation, John sees the vision of heaven. This time, the four living creatures each have a singular face each, but it's the same faces. A lion, an ox or a calf, a man, and finally an eagle.
Why is that important? Well, I don't think it's there by accident, and I see the same kind of imagery in the four gospels. That's why I'm calling them the four faces of Christ. Matthew's gospel speaks about Jesus as the King of the Jews. It is fulfilled, it says in that book quite frequently, that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken of by the prophet. Matthew writes for the Jews, presenting Jesus, his picture, his portrait is Jesus, the King of the Jews, like the lion of the tribe of Judah, the kingly tribe, the kingly beast, the kingly animal. When we get to the gospel of Mark, Mark writes for the Romans, and it's very rapid paced, as we saw last week, we made note of last week. Mark speaks a lot about what Jesus did. He's the servant, he's doing things, so the emblem of an ox. We get to the gospel of Luke, Jesus is portrayed in his humanity as the son of man, full of compassion, and Luke writes about him in his humanity more than the other tree, so the emblem of a man, but finally we get to the gospel of John, and that's the face of an eagle.
He is the exalted one, he is the son of God, more than the son of man, he is the son of God in all of his deity, in all of his glory. So we have, like the tabernacle, like Ezekiel's vision, and like Revelation 4, the four faces, and not one of them is enough. And so we noted last week that the three gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, called synoptic gospels, because they bear so much resemblance to each other, are snapshots of what Jesus said, that's Matthew. What he said is highlighted more in Matthew than in Mark, Luke, or John. The great discourses are written about in Matthew, the parables are written about in detail in Matthew. What Jesus said in the gospel of Mark, what Jesus did in the gospel of Luke, what Jesus felt as the son of man. And finally, the gospel of John is who Jesus is in his deity, in his totality.
We made it through half a chapter last week, because this book, I would say, demands a little more attention, a little more consideration, a little more study, so that it might have its full impact upon us. Do you realize that the book of John, 90 percent of the material in the gospel of John is unique to the gospel of John? That's how different it is from Matthew, Mark, and Luke, those three synoptic gospels.
And there are certain features in John that are featured nowhere else. The seven great I am statements of Jesus, I am the bread of life, I am the living water, I am the way, the truth, the life, there's seven such statements. They're found in the gospel of John and found nowhere else. There are no parables written in the gospel of John, because the emphasis isn't on what Jesus said, that's more Matthew. There are seven miracles presented in the gospel of John, five of which are found in none of the other gospels. Also, the longest prayer found in the New Testament is found in the gospel of John by Jesus himself, John chapter 17. It's like holy ground, man, that's like the holy of holies of this book, John chapter 17. It's the longest prayer in the New Testament, and the shortest verse in the Bible is found in the gospel of John, John 11, 35, Jesus what?
Wept. Shortest verse, longest prayer, all found in the gospel of John. You're listening to Connect with Skip Heitzig. Before we get back to Skip's teaching, God desires to work in and through your life as a believer, and he does this through the Holy Spirit who lives in everyone who places their trust in Jesus. We want to help you better understand the Holy Spirit by sending you The Holy Spirit Then and Now, a resource featuring two books by Chuck Smith. The book of Acts commentary, Empower, a biblical balance on the person and work of the Holy Spirit, with an introduction by Skip Heitzig. This resource is our thanks for your gift of at least $50 today to help share biblical teaching with more people around the world through Connect with Skip Heitzig.
Go to connectwithskip.com slash offer or call 800-922-1888 and request your copy when you give at least $50 today to reach people around the world through Connect with Skip Heitzig. Let's continue with today's teaching with Pastor Skip. Something else, the word Jesus and the word Christ is found in the gospel of John 170 times. 170 times. The word believe is found 100 times. I'm bringing that up because when you look at word repetitions in a book, you discover the core of the book, the essence of the book, the purpose of the book. Jesus and Christ are found 170 times and 100 times the word believe is found. And that shows you the purpose that John wrote the book. That you might believe that Jesus is the Christ. And that's what he says in John chapter 20 verse 30. Truly many other signs Jesus did in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book.
But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Son of God and by believing you might have life have life in his name. That is the core and the purpose for which John wrote. Well, we made it down to about verse 20 something last week. We're going to pick it up at verse 19 tonight. We began with the introduction of the Son of God or if you will, the incarnation of the Son of God. That's chapter one verses one through 18. The beginning was the word. The word is with God.
The word was made flesh. That's the introduction or the incarnation of the Son of God. Beginning in verse 19, we have the presentation of the Son of God. He is presented to John the Baptist. He will be presented to the early disciples that become his disciples. He will be presented to the people at Cana, his first miracle in chapter two.
And he will be presented to the city of Samaria in chapter four. Verse 19, now this is the testimony of John. This is not John the apostle now. It is John the Baptist or as we affectionately call him, J the B. John is mentioned by name in this book, John the Baptist. J the B is mentioned by name.
John the apostle, the author of the book is not mentioned at all in the book except he calls himself the apostle whom Jesus loved. And I love that. Before our study tonight, I had three or four different people come up and just give me a short little snapshot, a little snippet of what God had done in their lives this week. And I love that.
This is what God has done for me or through me or in me in my life. And when a person comes to the realization, hey, I'm the one Jesus loves. It's a great realization.
You need that realization. So would you rather be called John or would you rather be known as the apostle whom Jesus loved? That's not hard to figure out. So he calls himself the more preferable term to just his name. He leaves his name out of it and he calls himself the one whom Jesus loved. Now, this is the testimony of John, J the B. When the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, who are you? He confessed and did not deny, but confessed, I'm not the Christ. So he began telling them who he's not because who he is really isn't important to him. John the Baptist never came on the scene, said, do you realize who I am? He came on the scene and said, do you realize who he is? I'll tell you who I'm not.
I am not the Christ. He knew that's what they were thinking. Now, history tells us that there was not only in the Jewish world, but in the secular world at that time. This is written by Suetonius and Tacitus. They tell us that there was this yearning and expectation that a leader would arise in the world. Many of them even pinpointed it to Judea. Among the secular world, according to Suetonius and Tacitus, a ruler would emerge from Judah. There was that expectation and there was also a heightened expectation among the Jews for their Deliverer, their Messiah, their Christ.
History tells us that. You see, the Jews had been in captivity. In captivity, they could not practice ceremonial law. Their temple had been destroyed, their city had been destroyed, they're in a foreign country, they can't offer animal sacrifices anymore. So the institution of the temple in captivity was gone.
Right? So in captivity, Judaism developed something that stayed with it even to this day. You don't read about them at all in the Old Testament. Suddenly, you read about them in the New Testament. It came during the Babylonian captivity called the synagogue. The synagogue is an institution that we don't read about in the Old Testament.
God never established it. The Jews established it while they couldn't practice ceremonial law because their city had been destroyed. Their temple had been burned. They couldn't offer sacrifice.
Now they're in a foreign land. The only thing they can do is get together and while they're together in the Beit Knesset, that's the Hebrew word for synagogue, the gathering together place, they could read and study and apply the written law of God. They can't practice ceremonial law. They can only read and study and apply the written law. While they were reading and studying the written law, a yearning more than ever before to go back to Jerusalem but also to experience the coming of Messiah was greater than ever before. Especially now, they're back in the land and the Romans have come in and taken over. And there is a Jewish prayer that's written in the New Testament.
It's written in the Hebrew and there is a Jewish prayer that was said every day by pious Jewish believers. I believe, it said, I believe in the coming of Messiah and even though he tarries, yet I will wait for him every coming day. Well, he has come on the scene. He is about to be presented to John the Baptist, to the disciples, to the people at Canaan, Samaria, Jerusalem, etc.
But before he comes, John the Baptist is out in the wilderness. As he's out there and a crowd draws around him because he is a curious figure indeed, they ask him, are you the Christ? Are you the one we're expecting? Are you the promised one? He says, I am not the Christ.
They asked him, what then? Are you Elijah? He said, I am not. Are you the prophet? He answered, no. Then they said to him, who are you that we may give an answer to those who sent us?
What do you say about yourself? He said, I am the voice. Jesus is the word, I am the voice, of one crying in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord as the prophet. As the prophet Isaiah said. Are you Elijah?
Nope. Now, why would they think that he is Elijah? Well, two reasons. The way he looked. We know that John the Baptist, it grew his hair long. He wore camel's hair, leather around his waist, ate bugs. Do you remember, some of you will remember, the description of Elijah the prophet in the Old Testament comes to us out of, I think, 2 Kings 8. Elijah comes on the scene and he's outside the door and they said, who's at the door?
And he says, a hairy guy with leather on. So, looking at John the Baptist would have been reminiscent to any Jew that was familiar with his Bible or her Bible. That reminds me of Elijah. But there's another reason that they expected Elijah and that's because the last chapter of the Old Testament predicts that before the Lord, the Messiah establishes his earthly kingdom, Elijah will come and turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children and the children back to the fathers, turn the nation back to God. Behold, I will send you Elijah, Malachi 4 says, before the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And that is why, even to this day, if you've ever been to a Jewish Passover, Seder, they leave a chair vacant for the prophet Elijah. They expect that on one of these occasions at somebody's Passover around the world, Elijah is going to show up and sit in that chair and come. So, they always expected, the Messiah is going to come, but we're going to know it's the Messiah, come to set up his kingdom when Elijah comes. So, they say, John, are you Elijah?
He goes, nope. Well, now we have a problem, don't we? We have a problem because of the words that Jesus said, if you have a mind to, turn to Matthew.
If you don't, I'll turn to it for you. This is Matthew chapter 11, verse 11. Assuredly, Jesus says, I say to you, among those born of women, there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist. But he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. And from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John now watch this verse. And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.
It's an odd statement. Are you Elijah? Nope. Now, Jesus said, no. If you can receive it, he is Elijah who is to come. Let me confuse you further.
Let me confuse you further. If you go forward in the Gospel of Matthew to chapter 17, now John the Baptist has come and gone. He is dead. Matthew 17, verse 9, now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them saying, tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead. And his disciples asked him, saying, why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first? Now, the reason they asked the question is because Jesus was transfigured moments before this, along with Moses and Elijah the prophet. They saw this transfiguration vision on the mountain.
So they ask him about it. Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first? Jesus answered and said to them, indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things. So speaking yet future, now John the Baptist has come and gone.
So he's saying, you know what? Elijah is going to come, like Malachi said. He is coming. But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him, but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise, the Son of Man is about to suffer at their hands. Then the disciples understood that he spoke to them of John the Baptist. So John says, I'm not Elijah. Jesus said, well, if you can receive it, it is Elijah. Then he says, you know, Elijah is not Elijah. Then he says, you know, Elijah the prophet, the real Elijah is going to come in the future. But you know, in a sense, Elijah has already come, and they did whatever they wanted to him.
And they go, oh, he must be speaking about John the Baptist. Thanks for listening to Connect with Skip Heitzig. We hope you've been strengthened in your walk with Jesus by today's program. Before we let you go, we want to remind you about this month's resource that will help you understand the person and work of the Holy Spirit.
Our two-book bundle, The Holy Spirit Then and Now, with two books by Chuck Smith, is our thanks for your support of Connect with Skip Heitzig today. Request your copy when you give $50 or more. Call 800-922-1888.
That's 800-922-1888. Or visit connectwithskip.com slash donate. And did you know that you can find full message series and libraries of content from Skip Heitzig on YouTube? Simply visit the Connect with Skip Heitzig channel on YouTube, and be sure to subscribe to the channel so you never miss any new content. Come back next time for more verse-by-verse teaching of God's Word here on Connect with Skip Heitzig. Connect with Skip Heitzig is a presentation of Connection Communications. Connecting you to God's never-changing truth in ever-changing times.
