Jesus is faithful and true, John 1:1-18

The Greatest Gift John 1:1–18 (CSB)

Each of the four Gospel begins differently:

Mark skips the birth of Christ and begins with His baptism and moves directly into the life and ministry of Christ. Matthew begins with the genealogy of Jesus and moves quickly through the birth of Christ, to the visit of the wise men, and to the ministry of Jesus. Luke begins his gospel with the intent of helping Theophilus be certain of the Gospel. To do this Luke begins by telling of the angel Gabriel coming to Mary and Joseph, the birth of John the Baptist, the birth of Christ, the angels singing, and the Shepherds visiting. John starts his Gospel at different place from the others. John’s message concerning Christ doesn’t start with the announcement of His birth, His baptism, or His family line... John begins his gospel before even Adam was created...

The Gospel of John... written by John the Apostle... to give testimony to the truth about Jesus as the Messiah... The Gospel can be divided into various broad categories... A prologue; a division about the signs and wonders to prove Jesus is the Messiah; Jesus’ instructions on living by faith; the account of his death, burial, and resurrection; and the closing remarks to the readers. This Gospel was written decades after the others... it is written like none of the other three. It was written by one of Jesus’ closest friends and disciples... “the one whom Jesus loved”. The overall intent of this Gospel is the testimony of Christ and the glory of God. But it is helpful to know that when it was written there was a controversy called Arianism that challenged the testimony of Christ being God.

The Gospel begins in the very beginning.

John 1:1-5 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. 4 In him was life,, and that life was the light of men. 5 That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it.”

To understand why John begins his Gospel the way he does, look at how John ends his Gospel in John 20:30-31

“30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. 31 But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God,, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

John 20:30–31 (CSB)

God’s purpose for the Gospel of John is so that you and I will know the truth about who Jesus is and that you may have life through faith in Jesus.

The truth about Jesus changes everything, therefore let’s look at three truths that can change your life:

Three truths that can change your life: 1. Jesus is God Like Moses teaching the Israelites who God is at the beginning of Genesis where it says, ““In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,” John begins the Gospel with the truth about who Jesus is.

Jesus was before all things (1:1-2)

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning.

Paul also writes of Jesus this way in the book of Colossians

“15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For everything was created by him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and by him all things hold together.”

Colossians 1:15–17 (CSB)

Jesus created all things that are not God (1:3)

3 All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created.

2. Jesus is the light of life to a dark and condemned world of sinners

4 In him was life,, and that life was the light of men. 5 That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it.”

John’s gospel illuminates the truth that Jesus is the one that Isaiah prophesied about.

Through the prophet Isaiah God promised that He would save those walking in darkness. God describes the coming of the Messiah like the breaking of dawn on the horizon. Isaiah 9:2-7 says,

“2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; a light has dawned on those living in the land of darkness. 3 You have enlarged the nation and increased its joy., The people have rejoiced before you as they rejoice at harvest time and as they rejoice when dividing spoils. 4 For you have shattered their oppressive yoke and the rod on their shoulders, the staff of their oppressor, just as you did on the day of Midian. 5 For every trampling boot of battle and the bloodied garments of war will be burned as fuel for the fire. 6 For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7 The dominion will be vast, and its prosperity will never end. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from now on and forever. The zeal of the Lord of Armies will accomplish this.” - Isaiah 9:2–7 (CSB)

According to John’s gospel, Jesus is the one that Isaiah prophesied about. He is the one who has come to save those who are walking in darkness. He has come to save those who are already condemned.

John records what John the Baptist says about Jesus later in the first chapter…

John 1:29–31, “29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I told you about: ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me, because he existed before me.’ 31 I didn’t know him, but I came baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel.”

In fact, the revelation that Jesus is the promised Messiah is central to his gospel. We mentioned earlier the purpose of John’s gospel is written in John 20:30-31, “30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. 31 But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God,, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” - John 20:30–31 (CSB)

John builds his case from the beginning of his gospel all the way to the end…

John 3:16–17 (CSB) says,

“16 For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

The world is filled with people walking in darkness because of sin. And sin came into the world because of Adam. Because of Adam’s sin, every single person who has been born was born under the curse of sin. Like it says in Romans 5:12 (CSB) “12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all people, because all sinned.”

I mention this because it’s the gospel, and because sin came into the world through one man, salvation comes to the world through one man. This is the message Paul is delivering in Romans 5… he continues to teach us that through Christ every person who believes in who He is will be saved.Romans 5:15 (CSB) says,

“15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if by the one man’s trespass the many died, how much more have the grace of God and the gift which comes through the grace of the one man Jesus Christ overflowed to the many.”

Jesus is better than Adam… where Adam failed, Jesus was victorious. Jesus was victorious in the wilderness, Adam failed in the Garden of Eden… Adam was surrounded by God’s provision, Jesus was depending on the promises of God for provision in the desert.

Jesus came to undo the curse of sin and crush the head of the serpent, Satan.

This is why Jesus tells Nicodemus in John 3 that He didn’t come to condemn but to save. The world was already condemned, judged...dark... because of Adam… Christ comes like the breaking dawn over the horizon to set us free from the judgement of our sin and to be saved by the grace of God through our faith in Him.

The fact He came to dwell with us means that we can know a great deal about God, and the thing we can be most certain about is His love for us through Christ.

God loves you, this is why He sent Christ to come into the world. This is why it says in John 1:14 that, “14 The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”

God has come in the flesh so that those born of the flesh might be saved.

God demonstrated his love for us sacrificially. He didn’t just come to the earth to be seen, He came to the earth to die. And, because Jesus is God... it means that his death on the cross is especially important.

Jesus died so that all those who believe in Him will be saved by the atoning work of His death on the cross. (sinless, propitiation- in your place...)

Not only did Christ die on the cross, but he was resurrected 3 days later securing the victory over sin and death and your eternal life.

John’s gospel is centered on you believing that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God because…

3. Everything that matters depends whether you receive or reject Jesus.

According to our passage there are two types of people: those who know Him and those who don’t.

The first group is made up of those who would say. “I don’t know Him and I do not (or have not) received him.”

This group is described in John 1:10-11 when it says, “10 He was in the world, and the world was created through him, and yet the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.”

This is fearful and terrible thing to say about your maker and the one who gave himself up to save you. With Christmas on the horizon I have prayed for you that today you would receive Him as your Savior and Lord.

The second group is made up of those who would say “I know Him and I receive Him.”

John writes in 1:12-13, “12 But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name, 13 who were born, not of natural descent, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God.”

God gives eternal life as a gift of grace to everyone who believe in Jesus.

Eternal life belongs to all those who believe in Christ. Eternal life is a gift of grace given to all who have faith in Christ. Jesus was born, lived a sinless life, died an unjust death, was buried in a borrowed grave, and was gloriously resurrected to save!

John 1:14–18 (CSB) says, “14 The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John testified concerning him and exclaimed, “This was the one of whom I said, ‘The one coming after me ranks ahead of me, because he existed before me.’ ”) 16 Indeed, we have all received grace upon grace from his fullness, 17 for the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. The one and only Son, who is himself God and is at the Father’s side—he has revealed him.”

If you have received Christ- be reminded that grace and truth have come to you through Jesus. God has given you eternal life, and commit today to live your life by the light of Christ through following His Word. (way)

If you don’t know Him and haven’t received Him…then hear today that you are living condemned of sin and the judgment for your sin is a death you deserve. But, God graciously offers salvation to everyone who believes. Believe the truth about who Jesus is and be saved, if you continue in your rejection the truth of Jesus know we love you and we are praying for you.

Jesus has come to die on the cross for sinners. For all who receive Him as God, who trust Him as your substitute on the cross, who value you Him as your treasure- then his death counts for your death and his righteousness as your righteousness and you will have eternal life.

Receive Him as your Savior and your Lord. Believe in Christ as the Word made flesh, the creator of all things, the life and the light of men. Receive Him as your Savior and all that God has for you in belonging to Him for all eternity.

The world we live in is filled with the darkness of sin… God has called unto take the light of Jesus to those who are in their sin… As a church we must make reaching the lost our priority… and we can’t do it alone. It’s going to take a cooperative effort with the churches in our city and even a commitment to helping to start new churches and strengthen dying churches to reach our county for Christ.

Jesus came so that we would believe in Him… Let’s respond to Him in ways that affirm our faith and our belief in who He is.