Where is Jesus From? Jesus is From Above
Ask the question, “Where is Jesus from?” and you are likely to get different answers. However the gospel of John makes it clear that Jesus is from above, not from this earth.
Where is Jesus From?
John 3:31-36 (ESV) says,
He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all. He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
John 3:31-36
As we learned last time, John the Baptist knew that he had to decrease while Jesus Christ had to increase. He lived a solitary life in the wilderness, 100 percent committed to the call God had placed on his life. He called people to repentance and didn’t back down when it came to chastising the religious leaders when they were out of line.
He gained popularity and a following, but that didn’t interest him. John knew what God had called him to do—and that was point others to the Saviour, to Jesus Christ. When John said that he must decrease, he truly meant it.
John Knew Jesus Came From Heaven
John knew he was from earth and was just a man. He also knew that Jesus was from above—and was above all. He also knew full well that there were those who couldn’t understand Jesus’ message. In fact, he said no one received the Lord’s testimony.
Where did Jesus get His authority? John answered that question when he said that the Lord came from above, from heaven, and spoke about what He had seen. Jesus knew what He was talking about and understood things in a way that even John couldn’t.
Though most definitely challenging and spiritual, John did not claim that his words were inspired. (However, we do know that God chose to preserve some of his words as part of the Scriptures.) John again pointed people to Jesus and said that He uttered “the words of God.”
Whoever Believes
John spoke of the great love the Father had for the Son and the fact that Jesus had been given all things.
The last verse of John 3 is extremely powerful. “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him”
Whoever … what a wonderful word!
Anyone who believes in Jesus has eternal life. He came from heaven and will welcome anyone who believes to spend eternity with him.
Whoever Does Not Obey
The next phrase should give us pause. “Whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life.”
Our good works will never earn us a place in heaven. For that we need to believe in what Jesus has done for us by dying on the cross for our sin and rising from the dead. But that belief will lead to obedience.
John the Baptist lived a life of obedience and belief even though it was a lonely life—one that eventually led to imprisonment and death.
May we truly believe and live obedient to the imperatives and commands of Scripture.
Where do you believe Jesus is from? Make a comment below, or contact us.
Steph Nickel
Steph Beth Nickel is eclectically interested and eclectically involved. In all she does, Steph seeks to nurture and inspire. She is currently working on the first book in a nonfiction series. Nurture and Inspire LOVE is a compilation of the first devotionals she wrote for HopeStreamRadio.
Steph is a freelance writer and editor. She is the coauthor of Paralympian Deb Willows’ award-winning memoir, Living Beyond My Circumstances, published by Castle Quay Books. Deb and Steph are working on a follow-up book.
You can visit her website, stephbethnickel.com, to learn more about her.
Visit Steph’s contributor’s page or at Steph Nickel’s Eclectic Interests.
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