On April 13, 1742, in Dublin, Ireland, the renowned composer, George Frederick Handel, performed for the first time arguably the most well-known and celebrated oratorio in the history. He labelled it Messiah. We know it as Handel's Messiah. Handel's Messiah was completed, completely written in a remarkable span of only 24 days. It would say that Handel experienced some sense of divine inspiration as he wrote this classic piece of music. The original manuscript is reported to have been dotted with water spots from Handel's tears as he wrote it. When he got to the conclusion of his masterpiece, at the bottom of the page, he wrote three letters, S-D-G. For the Latin phrase, solely Dale Gloria, to God alone, the glory. Handel's Messiah opened to rave reviews, beloved. The concert hall in Dublin was consistently and constantly packed for every performance. It was viewed as more than an oratory. It was viewed as a sacred enunciation. Some, in fact, believed that it should not even be performed in many of the theatrical playhouses because they saw the music as being far too sacred for such common places. In fact, after hearing a woman performed the section of he was despised a clergyman jumped to his feet and yelled, woman, for this be all thy sins forgiven. The most popular part of Handel's Messiah, the most well-known part, is the hallelujah course. He said that the reason why we rise to our feet during the hallelujah course is because when King George II heard it, he rose to his feet. And of course, when the king stands, everyone is obliged to stand. Handel's Messiah, beloved, is a lofty achievement and no doubt even today, is performed more often than every year than any other piece of classical music. It is lofty because it has a lofty subject. Handel's Messiah is George Handel's testimony to the glory and majesty of Jesus Christ. I want to suggest to us this morning that what we see in John 1 verses 19 through John 2 verse 12 is John's Messiah. It is the testimony of John the Baptist to the glory and greatness, to the majesty and mission of Jesus Christ. The text of chapter 1, if you've been with us through this time, the text of chapter 1 as we have been examined, when you get to verse 19, the text shifts, doesn't it? In verses 1 through 18, the writer of John's Gospel has given us the testimony of Jesus. And he has given his testimony of Jesus as the Lagos, the Jesus as the eternal word of God, the word of God made flesh. But beginning in verse 19 and on and going for next several verses, however now it shifts from the testimony of the Gospel writer, it now shifts to the testimony of John the Baptist. Now we're going to hear John the Baptist's testimony of who Jesus is. John the Baptist's testimony of the glory and majesty of God. Now we're going to hear John's Messiah. Last week we saw that the word became flesh and dwelt among us. This morning we began to learn through the testimony of John the Baptist, who that word is and what that word did. We see a great and a glorious picture that is painted for us of John's Messiah. And it is a picture painted for us this morning through the confession and the calling of John the Baptist. His testimony is clear. It is clear because John is confident in his confession and because he is confident in his confession he is also therefore confident in his calling. And both of these paint a clear picture of who John believed and understood Jesus the Messiah to be. And you see it in his confession. You see the clarity of John's confession this morning beginning in verse 19. This is the testimony of John the Baptist. This is the confession of John the Baptist concerning who Jesus was. Now we've already discussed John the Baptist a little bit. You might remember if you were here we were reminded that John the Baptist was big. He was big. I mean he would be what we call a celebrity prophet. And we saw that in Matthew chapter 3 and verse 5 with a Bible says speaking of John the Baptist that the people went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. John was packing them in. They were coming from miles around out of the city to the countryside. To the banks of the river to see and hear John the Baptist. Horns of people. I mean Joel Osteen would be in this. Katie Jakes would be impressed. Kanye West would call him up. One if you can come and do a Sunday service with him. John was huge. And yet the interesting thing beloved. Is that John didn't see himself that way. Unlike many today. John didn't see himself as a celebrity to be a celebrity beloved. Is to be celebrated. And while if we're honest this morning while we are often overly impressed too much impressed with celebrity. And we love it when we are celebrated. For John. There was only one worth celebrating. And it wasn't him. It wasn't him. And so he was careful to make this clear. He was careful to make this clear. When the Jewish authorities came from the city to investigate this super popular country preacher. They wanted to know what the fuss was all about. And John the Bible says didn't hesitate. He didn't hesitate to share his convictions. He didn't hesitate to affirm his confession. But notice what it says in verse 20. He came right out and said I am not the Messiah. Now interesting enough we are not given the question that they have. He comes out and says I am not the Messiah. Now no doubt that the Jewish leaders had learned about John. And no doubt when these who came from the Pharisees asked down no doubt they had asked him about what was going on with his celebrity. For the Jewish authorities in the city wanted answers to the popularity of this country preacher. You think you are because no doubt no doubt they had heard what the people were saying in Luke chapter 3 and verse 5. The Bible says that the people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah. So all the people were wondering and the conversation was happening and the rumors were going about that this one who gathered all these people down by the river might be the Messiah. And so the religious leaders come to John and said do you think you are the Messiah? Do you think? Do you believe? Might you be impressed with what the people are saying about you? Do you think you are the Christ? Do you have a Messiah complex? Do you think yourself to be the anointed one of God? When he read Isaiah chapter 2 and verse 4 where it says he shall judge between the nations and shall decide disputes for many peoples and they shall beat their swords in the ploughshares and their spears in the pruning hooks. Nations shall not lift up sword against nations neither shall they learn war anymore. When you read that were you thinking about you John? Did you think the prophet was prophesying about you? He read in Isaiah chapter 11 beginning in verse 1. That shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, a branch from his root shall bear fruit. The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. When you read that did you think of yourself? Did you think yourself to be the son of David? Have you begun to read your own press clippings? Are you overly impressed with your celebrity? Notice what John says. John is clear. John is concise. Verse 20, he did not fail to confess but confessed freely. I am not the Messiah. Well they say if you are not the Messiah then who you think you are. Are you Elijah? John, the last word of prophecy in the Old Testament comes to us from the book of Malachi. The last word that God spoke to his people before the New Testament came through the prophet Malachi. And the last word prophecy spoken to God's people was a promise given in Malachi 4 and 5. Behold, I will send you Elijah, the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And no doubt when people saw John, when people saw John, they imagined that John looked like Elijah would have looked. When they heard John, they imagined that John spoke like Elijah would have spoke, that he sounded like Elijah would have sounded. And so they came to him and asked him, well you are not the Messiah, perhaps you are Elijah. Notice what John says again. Clear, concise in verse 21. Again, John is clear when he says, I am not, well if you are not the Christ and you are not Elijah, we get it. You are that prophet. You are that prophet. Beloved since the days of Moses, the people of God had been looking and listening for another Moses. Another prophet of God who would lead and deliver God's people. And this is because this is what God promised them that would happen. Chapter 18, in verse 15, the Lord says, the Lord your God will raise up from you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites you must listen to him. John, the time of Moses death, God's people had been looking for another Moses. God's people had been looking for another one who walked and talked face to face with God. And here was John the Baptist. And they are saying, was John the Baptist this prophet? John the Baptist the one who would lead God's people out of bondage and again. Again, the Bible says in verse 21 of chapter 1 of John, John was clear, John is concise. Are you that prophet? No. If you are not the Christ, if you are not Elijah, if you are not the prophet, and what does your celebrity mean? Beloved someone has rightly said that a right view of self begins with a right view of God. And John had a right view of Jesus and thus John had a clear picture of himself. Beloved, the better you know Jesus. The better you will know yourself. The reason people don't have a right knowledge of themselves is because they don't have a right knowledge of Jesus. We think too highly and much about ourselves because we think too little and too lonely about Jesus. The greater Jesus is, the better it is for us. The more Jesus is exalted, the more our joy is full. John understood this. This is why he said in John chapter 3 and verse 30, he must become greater and greater and I must become less and less. That's John's celebrity. If you have celebrity, your celebrity is for one purpose, not to make much of yourself but to make much of Jesus. This is what Paul said. I don't think anybody had as much celebrity as Paul. Paul says in Saint Corinthians chapter 4 and verse 5, for what we preach is not ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord. We preach Jesus Christ. Listen, Beloved, I don't know why you came this morning but if you came to East Point Church this morning to hear some political speech, if you came to East Point Church this morning to hear some philosophical arguments, or if you came anticipating that you were going to get some knowledge that puffs men and women up and you came to the wrong place. For like John the Baptist said, there is only one Messiah. There is only one Christ. There is only one Lord. There is only one Savior and His name is Jesus. Him we celebrate. Him we confess. Him we preach and not ourselves. Well John, if you're not these things, then who are you? I am a sinner and Jesus Christ is a Savior. I am a servant and Jesus Christ is Lord. I am a subject and Jesus Christ is King. Jesus is Messiah. I'm just out here paving the way. So what he says, right? In verse 23, chapter 1, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness. Make straight the way of the Lord. As the prophet Isaiah says, John the Baptist said, listen guys, you got it all wrong. I'm just here on the wrong construction crew. I'm the one on the bullhorn telling everyone there's a highway being built out in the desert and the builder is leveling every mountain. The builder is building up every valley. The builder is smoothing out all the run places. The builder is straightening out the curves and I'm here to tell you I don't have power to level any mountains. I don't have the power to exhaust any valley. I don't have the power to straighten any curve. But there is one coming and he's coming after you after me. And if you think you've seen something listen, you ain't seen nothing yet. He's coming. I want to be clear. In my confession this morning, John says, I'm not him. But he's here. I'm just telling you there's a highway coming. His running straight through the desert of many women's hearts. You ain't seen nothing yet. That's John's confession. And because his confession was so clear, he can stand assured and confident in his calling. John knew who he was and therefore he knew what he was called to do and he was confident in that beloved. Notice what they asked John after that after his confession. Notice what they asked them in verse 25. Then why are you baptizing? If you are neither the Christ nor Elijah nor the Prophet. They got the message. They got the message. Okay. John says, I'm not him. Well, if you are not him, they said then why are you baptizing? In other words, what gives you the authority for these public and popular baptisms? Now listen, beloved. This is important. This is important because baptism was important. Baptism signaled a change. Baptism testified to conversion and repentance. And it was usually and normally what Gentiles did when they came into the fellowship of Judaism. When they embraced Judaism, they went through baptismal rights to signify this change, this reorienting of their minds and their hearts, this repentance. But John here out there by the Jordan is reminding us that John was an equal opportunity baptist. He wasn't just baptizing Gentiles. John was ushering in a new era. He was baptizing all who would come to God. He was reminding them that all who come to God must have a change of heart. All who come to God must have a change of mind. All who come to God must turn from themselves and turn to God. John was baptizing everyone. This was something totally different. And because it was so different and because he was calling all peoples to faith and repentance, the crowds were growing. The river was crowded and the Jewish leaders were concerned. They were concerned about John's power. They were concerned about his popularity. What gives you the right and the authority to be baptized in all these people? Notice what John says in verse 26. John answered, I'm about to have a water. This is water. This is water. But among you stands one you do not know that even who comes after me to strap some whose sandal I am not worthy to untie. John said, listen, all I do is dump people in the river. The greater one, the one greater than me is here. The one greater baptism than mine is coming. Jesus, John says, is coming after John. Even though John and already said that Jesus was before him as we saw last time. But beloved John understood that Jesus is not just before him in time. Jesus is before him in glory. Jesus is before him in honor. John was a celebrity who understood what real celebrity is. Real celebrity celebrates Jesus. You think I'm something. There is one who is among you who sandals I am not even worthy to untie. You know, festivities like us. The festivities like us. They were impressed with celebrities like us. Like we do. Like most of us. We like celebrity athletes. We like celebrity singers. We like celebrity actors. We like celebrity politicians. We like celebrity preachers. And celebrity likes us also. That's why they have the Academy Awards. That's why they have the Grammy Awards. That's why they have the Emmys. That's why they have the athletes. So that they can celebrate their own celebrity. So they can celebrate themselves. Here is the festivities. And they were impressed with celebrities. The festivities were impressed with Moses. The festivities were impressed with Abraham. The festivities were impressed with David. The festivities were impressed with Solomon. And they were wondering now should they equally be impressed with John the Baptist. And they come out to the river to see what the celebrity is all about. And John throws them for her. He throws them for her. And he says to them essentially beloved. You impressed with Moses. Let me tell you something. There's one greater than Moses is here. I just said in Hebrews chapter three in verse three. But Jesus deserves far more glory than Moses. You impressed with Moses? One greater than Moses is here. Ah, you impressed with David. Let me tell you something. There is one even greater than David is here. For David himself, the Bible said in Acts chapter two and verse 34, David himself never sinned it into heaven. And it's a Lord said to the Lord to the right hand of my place of honor and glory. You impressed with Solomon? But John said, ah, ah, ah, ah. There is one greater than Solomon who is here. For Jesus himself said in Matthew chapter 12 in verse 42, now someone greater than Solomon is here, but you refused to listen to him. You impressed with Abraham? Jesus tells us in John chapter eight and verse 58 that there is one greater than Abraham. For he says, I tell you the truth before Abraham was born, I am. You come all this way. You come all this way to the river. Let's see all these crowds that are gathered around me. And John says, you impressed with me, but there is one even greater than me. He is the one who comes after me, and I am not even worthy to unloose his sentence. The Bible is clear. The Bible is clear. I hope we clear this morning that there is only one true celebrity because there is only one who deserves to be celebrated. And it's what Jesus, this is what John reminds us. It is Jesus Messiah, the name above all names. Press this Redeemer Emmanuel. The rescue from sinners. The ransom from heaven. Jesus Messiah. John's Messiah. Handles Messiah. Your Messiah. My Messiah. Jesus Christ. Lord of all. Him we preach. Him we proclaim. Him we glory. Him we honor. Him we break. You ought to be. You ought to be impressed with Jesus. Want to celebrate somebody this morning? Celebrate Jesus. He is the reason. He is the reason for the season. John reminds us this morning that there is only one Messiah. There is only one Christ. And there is only one Lord. We're shit. That's great.