Who Made God?

We started last week studying in the Gospel of John, and found out that Jesus had other names (we called them nicknames) – The first name we see for Jesus in this Book is “The Word”. There are other nicknames we’ll see for Jesus in this Book:

The Bread of Life
The Son of the Living God
The Only Begotten Son
The Christ or the Messiah
The Living Water
The Savior of the World
The Light of the World
The Door of the Sheep
The Good Shepherd
The Resurrection & The Life
The Way, The Truth, and the Life
The True Vine

Jesus is also called “God”. Now Jesus was made flesh by God, but Jesus was never made God. One of the questions I’ve often been asked by intelligent people is:

“I don’t know if I believe in God. If God made everything and everyone, who made God?

If someone made God, then you’d have to have Someone BIGGER than God to make God. Then you’d have to have Someone BIGGER than that God to make the bigger God. And you’d have to have a BIGGER God to make that big God. So the answer is this. God is the BIGGEST Person, and He was never made. No one is bigger than God. God made the human part of Jesus, and sent Jesus to the earth. But the Bible says that Jesus was in the beginning with god, and WAS God. Only CREATED THINGS have a CREATOR. Only God is eternal, self existent, without beginning or end.

No one made God, but God made everyone.
That’s why He’s God.

The Book of Psalms (90:2 – TLB) “Before the mountains were created, before the earth was formed, you are God without beginning or end.”

People make up or imagine gods that is not the God of our Bible. King David said,

Psalm 121:2 (TLB) “Shall I look to the mountain gods for help? 2 No! My help is from Jehovah who made the mountains! And the heavens too!”

God became a perfect Human in Jesus because He wanted to do this to save us. But God is not made, but He is the Maker. We are told in:

Hebrews 3:4 … many people can build houses, but only God made everything.

God made us to share some of His qualities – this is why the Bible says that “we are made in God’s image and after His likeness” (Genesis 1:26). We share some of God’s characteristics. God builds, and we build. God makes things, and we make things. But God never gets tired, nor hungry, and God never needs anything. If we don’t drink food and water we will perish – but God never gets thirsty. God is always satisfied. He never wants anything like clothing or cars. We live inside of time. We base everything we do on a clock and a calendar. I am 64 years old, which means I have lived 23,360 days or 560,640 hours. If I live until I’m 80, I will have lived 42,048,000 minutes. I will also be very tired and old! But God does not have a clock or a calendar. God created time, as time is a product of our sun. Isaiah said:

Isaiah 40:28 Don’t you yet understand? Don’t you know by now that the everlasting God, the Creator of the farthest parts of the earth, never grows faint or weary? No one can fathom the depths of his understanding.

God does not need us – but we need God. God is independent of the world, but we are very dependent on Him. Sadly the Bible says that when God chose to become Perfect Man and walked among us:

John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not.

In John 1:10 we see that Jesus was IN the world, but Jesus is not OF the world.

You and I are OF this world. We were created because we had two people who came together in love, and we are products of that love. But Jesus Christ is unique. He was in the beginning with God and was God. But Jesus was made perfect human, and was born of the Virgin Mary. During Christmas we celebrated the birth of the human side of Jesus. The Angel Gabriel told Joseph of Nazareth, Mary’s husband,

Matthew 1:20 (TLB) “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “don’t hesitate to take Mary as your wife! For the child within her has been conceived by the Holy Spirit….

God the Holy Spirit made the humanity of Jesus. When Jesus was born into the world – a world made by Him – the world did not recognize that He was God become Man. The Bible says, “the world knew Him not”. This is so sad. Why is Jesus rejected by the world? Everywhere He walked the Glory of God shined round about Him. Jesus touched, caressed, loved, healed, replaced, raised the dead.

Jesus Christ walked this earth as a perfect
expression of God in the flesh.

Jesus did 37 miracles. He also did 26 specific healings and raised 3 from the dead while on the earth. Yet the Bible says:

John 20:30-31 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: 31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

When God Made Himself Into Man (The Messiah),
This Amazing Event Requires A Herald

Illustrate: A “Herald” is someone who goes before an important Person and announces they are coming. If the President of the United States was going to come to Riverview Baptist, the Secret Service would first come and let us know he’s coming. If the Governor of Tennessee were to visit, he would be proceeded by heralds.

When God chose to become perfect Man, this was a special event that required a Herald. God is the “King of Kings and Lord of Lords” (1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 17:14).

John the Baptist is that Herald. John was actually a cousin of Jesus. When Mary found out that she was going to bear Jesus, she also found out that her cousin Elisabeth (Luke 1:36) was going to have a child. The Angel said of John:

Luke 1:15-17 (TLB) {John} will be one of the Lord’s great men. He must never touch wine or hard liquor—and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from before his birth! 16 And he will persuade many a Jew to turn to the Lord his God. 17 He will be a man of rugged[a] spirit and power like Elijah, the prophet of old; and he will precede the coming of the Messiah, preparing the people for his arrival. He will soften adult hearts to become like little children’s, and will change disobedient minds to the wisdom of faith.

John was actually a special priest of God called a Nazarite. The Nazarites were described in Numbers 6:1–21. You could choose to be a Nazarite by dedicating your life to God, but a few great men in the Bible were chosen by God to be Nazarites from birth. The strong man and Judge called Samson and the Prophet Samuel, as well as John the Baptist were all Nazarites from birth (Judges 13:4, 5; 1 Samuel 1:11; Luke 1:15). The Apostle Paul took the vow of the Nazarite temporarily two different times. The Nazarite vow usually lasted 30 to 100 days, then you were to shave your head (Acts 18:18; 21:23-26) to show that your vow was ended.

John was a Nazarite for life. He never cut his hair, and turned away from anything fancy or civilized. His diet was locusts and wild honey, and his heart was dedicated to God.
John watched for the Messiah to come.

John 1:19 And this is the record of John {the Baptist}, when the Jews sent Priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?

When John the Baptist came preaching, he went out from Jerusalem and from the Temple to “the WILDERNESS of Judea” (Matthew 3:1). John’s message was very simple. He said, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand”. The King of Heaven – God the Son – is coming. He is at hand. He is coming where He can be touched, and heard, and seen. The Bible says of John the Baptist:

Matthew 3:3 (ESV) For this {John the Baptist} is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’”

God spoke through the Prophet Isaiah 700 years before John preached in the wilderness, prophesying that John would come before Jesus. Isaiah wrote:

Isaiah 40:3-5, 9 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: 5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. … 9 lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!

Israel’s priests and Pharisees knew that there were prophecies where God foretold the coming of the Messiah. God foretold in Numbers 24:17, 19 “a SCEPTER will rise out of Israel … a Ruler will come out of Jacob”. But one of the greatest signs was that God would send a Herald before the Messiah. When John the Baptist went out in the wilderness of Jordan to preach the coming of the King of Heaven, the priests and Pharisees sent a delegation to him. These were important people who demanded an answer! They asked John, “Who are you?”, wondering if John might be the Messiah.

John 1:20 And {John the Baptist} confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.

Though John the Baptist is SPECIAL, a Nazarite from birth, he knows that he was made SPECIAL for a reason. You are special. Every human is a walking miracle. But no matter how pretty we are, no matter how talented, no matter how rich or famous ….

what matters most is JESUS CHRIST. He is the MOST SPECIAL of us all!

John told them he was NOT the Christ, the Messiah. Since John wasn’t preaching from the Temple or the Synagogue they DEMANDED to know by what authority he was doing what he was doing. They continued …

John 1:21-22 And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No. 22 Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?

In the King James the translators brought the Greek name for Elijah into the English text (ēlias). They are asking, “Are you Elijah?” God promised in

Malachi 4:5-6 (TLB) “See, I will send you another prophet like Elijah before the coming of the great and dreadful judgment day of God. 6 His preaching will bring fathers and children together again, to be of one mind and heart, for they will know that if they do not repent, I will come and utterly destroy their land.”

Elijah was one of two men in the Bible who never died (the other was Enoch). Elijah preached for God until he retired, and passed the ministry of prophecy over to his follower Elisha. The Bible says in:

2 Kings 2:11 (TLB) As {Elijah and Elisha} were walking along, talking, suddenly a chariot of fire, drawn by horses of fire, appeared and drove between them, separating them, and Elijah was carried by a whirlwind into heaven.

The Jews knew the prophecy of Malachi, so from the time that Elijah went into Heaven with God, they started looking for Elijah. The Pharisees ask John the Baptist, “Are you ELIJAH?”, that is, “Are you the Elijah that God took to Heaven?” John said that he was not Elijah. Then they ask, “Art thou that Prophet”? This is a separate question. When Moses got ready to leave Israel, He told them in:

Deuteronomy 18:15 (NASB 20) The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen; to him you shall listen.

They were asking if John the Baptist was the “Prophet like Moses” that they must listen to. John told them he was not that Man. The “Prophet like Moses” that Israel was supposed to listen to was Jesus Christ, the Man that John Heralded. Then they ask,

Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us.

John told them simply,

John 1:23-24 He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias. 24 And they which were sent were of the Pharisees.

Once more the King James does not translate the name ēsaias, which is the Greek for Isaiah. John quotes Isaiah 40:3-5 which speaks of the Herald of the Messiah. The Pharisees are not satisfied, for they now ask:

John 1:25 And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias {Elijah}, neither that prophet {Moses}?

They believe that John has no authority to BAPTIZE if he is not one of these great men. John ignores the slight and the insult that they give to him.

John does what we all need to do when we are insulted
– ignore the insult, and point to Jesus!

John 1:26-27 John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; 27 He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose.

Why Is Baptism Important? Is It Important?

The Pharisees and Priests asked why John was baptizing in water if he was neither Christ (the Messiah), nor Moses or Elijah. Why would they care? It is because water baptism was considered very important by the Priests and Pharisees. In an article “The Jewish Roots of Baptism” we are told:

“The priests had to be ritually clean (tahor) in order to serve at the tabernacle, and Israelites who had become ritually unclean (tamay) had to restore their situation with the passing of time and bathing their whole body in fresh, ritually clean (tahor) water, according to Leviticus 15. Later, when the temple had been built, it was necessary for everyone to be immersed in a mikveh {a baptistery with with 40 se’ahs (300 liters) of water} to become ritually clean before entering the temple.

The Mishnah {Jewish commentary & teachings} specifies what makes the water clean or unclean, and expresses a preference for a larger, fresher body of water, “For in it persons may immerse themselves and immerse others”. So Yochanan (John the Baptist) immersing people in the “Living waters” of the River Jordan was perfectly within Jewish law and practice at the time.”

Baptism was, to the Jews, a ritual cleansing that was performed before you entered into
the Presence of God (the Temple).
John is nowhere near the Temple.

The Pharisees wonder why he is baptizing in the wilderness, and who authorized him to do so. John said:

vs 26 I baptize with water: but there standeth
one among you, whom ye know not

John is representing Jesus Christ, the Messiah, God become perfect Man. Jesus is standing there with them at the time, but they do not see Him, because they do not know Him. God is always around us. The Apostle Paul said that “in God we live, and move, and have our being” (Acts 17:28). God’s handiwork is all around us in nature. And yet many times even religious people do not see God, because they do not know God.

John baptized with water because God commissioned him to do so. John is representing Jesus. Constable’s Commentary notes:

“John did not identify {Jesus} then. This would have exposed Jesus to the scrutiny of Israel’s leadership prematurely. John simply referred to this One here, and implied that he himself baptized in water under His authority. He stressed the great authority of Jesus, by saying that he himself was unworthy to do even the most menial service for Him.”

Baptism is important because Jesus commands baptism.

The last words Jesus said before ascending into Heaven is:

Matthew 28:18-20 … All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Why should one be baptized? Because Jesus commands it. Jesus is God the Son IN THE FLESH. John the Baptist baptized people in water at the command of Jesus. Jesus Himself came to John the Baptist to be baptized. We are told in:

Matthew 3:13-17 (ESV) Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

Water Baptism is a visible witness of your faith in God. Jesus considered water baptism to be essential for the Child of God. He told John, “it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness”. It was after Jesus was baptized in water that the Father said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased”. The Apostle Peter tells us in

1 Peter 3:21 (ESV) Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ

And the Apostle Paul showed water baptism to be a outward ceremonial washing that represented an inward real change of heart. He wrote in Romans 6:

Romans 6:1-4 (ESV) What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

Baptism is a command of God. Baptism is a witness you have received Christ as both LORD AND SAVIOR. When God saves you, He changes you from the heart outward. If you are saved, you want to please your Savior. Jesus said,

John 14:15 If you love me, you WILL keep my commandments.

If you are saved, you obey your Savior, for He is your MASTER. Baptism reveals your heart. Jesus was baptized – you should be, too.

John 1:29-34 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. 30 This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. 31 And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. 32 And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. 33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. 34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.

John did not reveal Who Jesus was until after he baptized Jesus in water. Once Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit descended on Him, and the Father spoke from Heaven, declaring “this is My Beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17; Mark 1:11). Jesus Christ – the Son of God – was baptized. The believer should be baptized. He is our Savior AND LORD. I’ll close with a word from John Piper:

“… the thief on the cross was told by Jesus that that very day he would be with him in paradise. He was not baptized. I know he’s a special case. I don’t think you build a theology of baptism on the thief on the cross. But one thing it says is baptism is not an absolute necessity, because it wasn’t in his case. … Paul treats baptism as an expression of faith … expressed outwardly in baptism.”

May God touch your hearts with His Word. Amen and Amen.