Man-made Religion or Divine Revelation? (John 3:31-34)

Man-made Religion or Divine Revelation? (John 3:31-34)

John the Baptist here continues what he has been saying to his disciples concerning Jesus.

John is a man, Jesus is Divine

John is from the earth; he is a mere man. Jesus is from heaven; He is divine. John is here showing his followers that Jesus is Who they should follow. Jesus surpasses everything and is above all people including John the Baptist.

John speaks with human understanding, Jesus speaks from firsthand knowledge

Even though John was a great preacher, he only had a human grasp of what he was preaching. He had never seen God, heard His voice, or been in His presence. On the other hand, Jesus has stepped out of heaven. He is God in the flesh. He has a complete, personal, firsthand, intimate knowledge of all that God requires of man. He is God, therefore He knows what God requires.

Human beings cannot receive Jesus’ teachings

John here is indicting his disciples who still refuse to follow Jesus. He is here showing them that they have not received the truth from heaven because they have rejected Jesus. He is here showing them that what they need is Jesus to open their hearts and minds to receive His word.

The mark of a true believer in Jesus is an acceptance of His Word as true

If John’s followers were truly right with God they would have already acknowledged that Jesus’ teachings were true. If they had truly received the truth from heaven they would be following Jesus not upset that His following was increasing. The mark of a true believer is that they acknowledge that what Jesus says is 100% true. They acknowledge this truth even when Jesus’ words condemn them.

Jesus’ words are true because He has the Holy Spirit without measure

We can be sure that Jesus’ words are true because He was filled with the Holy Spirit beyond measure. All believers have a measure of the Holy Spirit. Jesus as part of the Holy Trinity had more of the Holy Spirit than any human being could ever receive.

In light of all this, we must ensure that our faith rests not in men and their grasp of spiritual things. Our faith must rest in the divine revelation of the Spirit-filled Son of God, Jesus Christ.

Application

Are you trusting in man-made religion or Jesus? Do you believe everything that Jesus has said to be true? Will you repent of those things that Jesus condemns?

0 Comments

Add a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *