Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on John 5:31-35: Questions and Answers

What does Jesus mean when He says John the Baptist was "a burning and a shining light"?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, Jesus is making an important statement about John the Baptist's character and ministry. He describes John as "a burning and a shining light" (John 5:35), highlighting his powerful, prophetic role. Lloyd-Jones explains that John was "this rugged, this almost rough man with his blazing eyes and his prophetic urgency." Jesus considered John not just a prophet but "more than a prophet," as the forerunner who prepared the way for Christ. The imagery of light emphasizes that John's ministry illuminated truth and pointed to Christ.

Why did people only rejoice in John the Baptist's light "for a season"?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies several reasons why people's interest in John the Baptist was temporary:

1. They had a superficial mentality - "It's the mentality for a season" that "skims the surface" and is "attracted by excitement."
2. They had a deep misunderstanding of his message - they wanted a political Messiah, but John called for repentance.
3. They didn't like his challenging moral demands - when John said, "Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance" and addressed specific sins, they rejected him.
4. They possessed a fickle, crowd mentality that is "changeable because it doesn't know what it wants and because it doesn't understand."

Lloyd-Jones notes, "When they began to understand what John was talking about, they had no use for him at all and they left him."

What parallels does Dr. Lloyd-Jones draw between the people's response to John and their response to Jesus?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones sees direct parallels between how people treated John the Baptist and how they treated Jesus:

1. Initial enthusiasm followed by rejection - People initially flocked to both John and Jesus but later turned against them.
2. Palm Sunday example - The same crowds that shouted "Hosanna" on Palm Sunday were crying "Crucify him" days later.
3. Misunderstanding of mission - In both cases, people wanted political deliverance rather than spiritual salvation.
4. Superficial interest - People were attracted to the spectacular elements (miracles, powerful preaching) but rejected the deeper message.
5. Hatred of the true message - When confronted with the real teachings about sin and repentance, they rejected both messengers.

Lloyd-Jones states, "It's to rejoice in his light as long as you don't understand what his light is. And it's to hate him when you see what the light really is."

What are the three types of religious interest described in the sermon?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies three distinct religious responses based on Jesus' parable of the sower:

1. No interest at all - Like the seed picked up immediately by birds, some people have no response to the gospel.
2. Temporary interest - Like the seed on stony ground or among thorns, some show initial enthusiasm but fall away. Lloyd-Jones warns, "There is such a thing as being influenced by the general appeal of religion, but it's of no final value."
3. True, enduring faith - Like the seed in good soil, this produces lasting fruit. As Lloyd-Jones states, "The true experience therefore, the real thing is the one that continues, that lasts, that persists."

He emphasizes Jesus' words: "He that continueth to the end shall be saved," noting that "the test of the real thing is persistence and continuance."

What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the essence of Christ's message that people reject?

According to Lloyd-Jones, people reject Christ's core message about:

1. The reality and severity of sin - "Sin has even constituted a problem to God himself... sin is the foulest and the vilest and the most terrible thing that has ever entered creation."
2. God's wrath upon sin - "His message was that God's wrath was upon man in sin."
3. The necessity of the cross - "Even he couldn't deal with it by talking about it... that was to take it upon himself."
4. The exclusivity of Christ as Savior - "He alone is the savior, and that his way of saving us is to die for us and for our sins."

People prefer a Jesus who solves social problems, provides psychological comfort, or offers political liberation, but reject the Jesus who calls them to confront their sin and need for redemption.

What are the essential elements of true Christianity according to this sermon?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones outlines the essential elements of true Christianity:

1. Understanding our sinful condition - "If you haven't felt that already and know it, I tell you, you are not a Christian."
2. Recognizing God's wrath against sin - We must understand "his teaching about sin and God's wrath upon it."
3. Acknowledging Jesus as the Son of God who died to save us - "Jesus is the Son of God, and that he died deliberately in order to redeem us and to save us from punishment."
4. Genuine repentance - "We acknowledge and confess our sins... we turn our backs upon that life of sin."
5. Faith in Christ - "We believe that he has died for us and our sins. We commit ourselves to him."
6. Perseverance - "We go after him and we follow him to the end... though our families may blot us out of the record and friends may ostracize us."

Lloyd-Jones concludes with Peter's confession: "To whom can we go? Thou art the Christ, the son of the living God."