PREACHED BY: PASTOR BILLY JOSEPH
We want to rightly divide the word of truth regarding the position of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. Is John the Baptist the Pastor of Jesus Christ? Let’s go into the scriptures.
Then there arose a question between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purifying. And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him. John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease. He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all. John 3:25-31
A Pastor is a Shepherd, he guides your spiritual life and teaches you the word of God. Someone that preached to you, or baptized you is necessarily not your Pastor except he is one. God has got His spiritual gifts which He gives His body to profit from, and everyone in the body is a partaker of this –both men and women. God can use a woman to preach to you, He can use a woman to give you a prophetic message, a woman can prophesy, and a woman can interpret in a service. The nine spiritual gifts are given to everyone in the body but the fivefold ministry is strictly given to man. Jesus Christ did not and cannot have an earthly pastor, here is what the Bible says;
3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. 1Corinthians 11:3
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Psalms 23:1-3
And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding. And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the Lord, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the Lord: neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more. Jeremiah 3:15-16
A Shepherd is a leader and that is the office of the pastor. He is by God the food you need to become spiritually stable and mature. But Jesus went to John to be baptized, not as an act of repentance, but to fulfill all righteousness –the scriptures needed to be fulfilled. John’s message was clear in the scriptures;
In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey. Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. Matthew 3:1-6
John preached repentance, but Jesus did not need to repent of anything, in fact, if any, it should be John because he came from Adam. The reason John was skeptical when Jesus appeared before him was that he didn’t know what to do. He was at his crossroad because the one standing before him is greater than him. Jesus Christ did not come to destroy the law but to fulfill it.
And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. Matthew 3:10-15
Just like Aaron and his children had to be washed before commencing their responsibility in the temple, Jesus had to be washed first, as a High Priest and then as the Lamb that would be slain;
30 And he set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar, and put water there, to wash withal. And Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet thereat: When they went into the tent of the congregation, and when they came near unto the altar, they washed; as the Lord commanded Moses. And he reared up the court round about the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the hanging of the court gate. So Moses finished the work. Exodus 40:30-33
If we should place it right, Jesus taught John the word of God, because John didn’t know what to do when he saw Jesus; he wanted to be baptized by Jesus instead, but Jesus told him the right thing to do. Let’s see the position of Jesus in the scriptures;
And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. 1Peter 5:4
Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease. He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all. And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony. He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true. For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. John 3:28-34
John the Baptist was the friend of the bridegroom, just like Eliezer was the friend of Isaac. They bring the good news of the bridegroom to the bride.
Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts. Malachi 3:1
God bless you as you heed the voice of God.