For His wrath is real, and it is coming...

I have been pondering the next encounter in John 3.
It's John 3:22-36.

The simple message of the Gospel-We preach only Christ!

The Baptist was baptizing on the west bank of the river Jordan. He was about 1/3 way north between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea, which are connected by the Jordan River. He was outside the rule of Herod Antipas. People kept constantly coming to him for baptism. What an amazing ministry!

It seems a Jewish person inquired from a follower of the Baptist, just whose baptism was valid? Yeshua's or the Baptist's? Both were baptizing. John on the west bank and Yeshua on the east bank of the Jordan.

Yeshua's influence was growing and the Baptist's followers felt their teacher had been eclipsed by Yeshua and they wanted to know why.

(John the Baptist's followers were wide spread. Apollos of Alexandria who ministered at Ephesus was one and when Paul arrived at Ephesus, he found others who were still following the Baptist. Paul had had to bring them up to date on the full work of Yeshua Mashiach.)

In explaining to his disciples, the Baptist showed no jealousy at all. He showed subordinatation, testifying that he had been sent in preparation for the Messiah. He compared himself to the friend of the bride groom who acted as the bridegroom's assistant and he was content being assistant to Yeshua. The focus should always be on the bridegroom.

The Baptist states: He must increase and I must decrease.
“His ever expanding, peaceful government will never end. He will rule forever with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David. The passionate commitment of the LORD Almighty will guarantee this!â€
(Isaiah 9:7 NLT)

John states in 4 steps how it is:

A man can only receive what is given to him from heaven. (v.27)

He affirms and refocuses on Jesus and his unique preeminent place which shows where John stands in relation to him: servant.

John uses the vivid image of the bridegroom at his wedding. This shows the deity of Yeshua as God himself spoke of being husband to Israel. And in this instance, John is the friend of Yeshua, the bridegroom and he is happy for him and the soon union of the bride with the bridegroom.

The last is the greatest principle of ministry. HE must increase, I must decrease. Yeshua must take center stage as the Baptist recedes to the wings.

A perfect picture of our life in Christ! He must increase while I must decrease!
Again, John the Baptist mirrors what we are to be about.

Verses 31 through 36 are testimony to the person of Mashiach, Yeshua. They state in no uncertain terms that:

Jesus came from heaven and spoke with higher authority than that of a human from earth.

He spoke from observation, not from theory
He spoke the words of God
The Father's love had caused him to endow the Son with complete authority to execute his purpose.

The Baptist came from earth; the Messiah came from heaven, was torn from the very heart of God and was the object of faith.

Yeshua spoke from his own observation.

God's Spirit is given to the Son without limit.

The Baptist is the last of the prophets. All the prophets gave God's words as it was given to them.

Yeshua, however is God's Word living among us.

Those who believe on the Mashiach have eternal life. Those who do not believe on Mashiach remain with the wrath of God upon them.

John uses the word 'wrath' only here. He never uses it anywhere else in his Gospel nor in his epistles.
And this wrath is not sudden passionate anger. The wrath of God is without sin or error in its use.
No, God's wrath is the displeasure of God against sin. God is unable to set aside the moral laws of creation without violating his own nature. Rejection of his Son can only be cause for and followed by retribution. Accepting Mashiach Yeshua is the only way to life eternal. It's a promise from God.

So.
While we live,
we should embrace the Son,
believe on him,
have faith in him,
thanking him for his mercy.

And while we live we should urge others to do the same, respond to his eternal unimaginable love.

Because his wrath is real and it is coming.

“Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.â€
(Psalms 2:12 NIV) amen.