John 1:6-13

So notice in verse 6 through 13, now he says, "...there was a man sent from God whose name was John.

This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the light, that all through him might believe.

He was not that light, but was sent to bear witness of that light." That was the true light that gives or which gives light to every man coming into the world.

He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world did not know him.

He came to his own, and his own did not receive him.

But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become children of God.

To those who believe in his name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." Now, first of all, we see in verse 6 that there was a man sent from God whose name was John.

This is not speaking of John the Apostle.

It's speaking of John the Baptist who was sent as a forerunner to prepare the way for Jesus Christ.

This mission that John the Baptist had was to herald the coming of the Messiah.

In Isaiah 40, verse 3, notice the mission of John the Baptist is being described, and we know this is him because this verse is applied to John the Baptist in the Gospels.

It says, "...the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way for the Lord.

Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill brought low.

The crooked places shall be made straight, and the rough places smooth." The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

So John was to make an even paved road for the Messiah to come, to bring the mountains down low, to bring the valleys up high, so everything... is equally level for a king to come to town.

And that's what they would do in ancient history.

They would repair the roads, they would make sure all the potholes were filled, the dirt was smoothed out, the gravel was placed right before this dignitary would come.

So also the Lord has his own forerunner.

He has his own one, this voice of John the Baptist to prepare the hearts and the minds.

Now it wasn't only the prophet Isaiah that said that this forerunner would come.

It was the prophet Malachi as well.

In chapter 3, verse 1, he foretold of John the Baptist coming when he said, "...behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant." And we know exactly where John the Baptist came from.

Notice it says, from God.

That word from, para in the Greek, it means to come from beside somebody.