New Testament Exodus John 1:14

Seeing is Believing

Would you like to see God? The argument I think most people who do not believe in God give for why they don’t believe is that they cannot see God.

John 1:18 CSB

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.

There was a man in the O.T. who was obsessed with seeing God. Actually he is one of the more famous characters. His name was Moses.

I want to show you the obsession he had by reminding you of 3 quick stories in his life and relating these stories to our verse John 1:14

John 1:14 CSB

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.

John chapter 1 begins in Genesis and ends in Exodus.

You can see this in verse 14 of John 1

1. The Word become flesh. Jesus is not referred to as the Word again in John after this verse. Why? Look at the I Am statements. Remember the burning bush?

What Word is it? Remember Moses at the burning bush. He hid his face and asked God “what is your name”

Exodus 3:13–14 (CSB)

Then Moses asked God, “If I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what should I tell them?” God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.”

God described Himself as the I Am. Now look at what Jesus does in John’s gospel.

I Am the bread of life "Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst'" (John 6:35; cf. John 6:41– 51). I am the light of the world "And again Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life'" (John 8:12; cf. John 9:5). I am the door "So Jesus again said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture'" (John 10:7–9). I am the good shepherd "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep… I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep" (John 10:11–15). I am the resurrection and the life "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live" (John 11:25). Jesus has power over life and death. He has defeated death and will raise His people up from the dead in the last days

I am the way and the truth and the life "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me'" (John 14:6).

I am the true vine "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit… I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing'" (John 15:1–5). There are two additional "I AM" statements in the Gospel of John. One time the Jews claimed that Jesus had a demon. They asked Jesus, "Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be?" (John 8:53). Jesus answered them, in part, "Truly, Truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am." We see that the Jews understood His claim for divinity because of their violent reaction (John 8:59). Finally, Jesus claims to be God right before He dies. When the soldiers are seeking Jesus out in the garden of Gethsemane to arrest Him, Jesus approached them and asked "'Whom do you seek?' They answered him, 'Jesus of Nazareth.' Jesus said to them, 'I am'" (John 18:4–5). "I am." Interestingly, when Jesus said this, the band of soldiers "drew back and fell to the ground" (John 18:6).

John 1 may have started in Genesis but now it is in Exodus. If you don’t believe just look at this next part of the verse.

2. Tabernacled among us. God set up a tent in our backyard. its a beautiful day in the neighborhood.

Moses in the tabernacle was excited to be in God’s presents but the glory of God forces him out.

Exodus 40:34–35 (CSB)

The cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Moses was unable to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud rested on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

Same word as in John 1 it is only used 5 times as a verb in the New Testament. 4 times in Revelation and once here. God does not just set up a tent to live temporally with us. He dwells with us permanently in eternally dwellings.

Revelation 21:3–4 (CSB)

Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them and will be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away.

There is even a 3rd way that verse 14 reminds me of the book of Exodus.

3. We have seen His glory as of the …

Moses on mount Sinai asked to see God. I told you he was obsessed with seeing God.

Exodus 33:18–20 (CSB)

Then Moses said, “Please, let me see your glory.” He said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim the name ‘the Lord’ before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” But he added, “You cannot see my face, for humans cannot see me and live.”

Full of grace and truth. When we see the glory of God we see reality. We see truth. And, we see the truth that God has pored out His grace on us.

Truth in only known in the light of God’s glory in any field of study. You know more about medicine when you know the great physion.

If Genesis is all about creation than Exodus is all about deliverance. If the first verse of John 1 is all about creation than verse 14 is all about deliverance. Jesus is full of Grace. God sent Jesus so that we could observe His glory and experience His grace and be delivered from our sin. This is our exodus story. Remember that this Christmas season.

Exodus 20:2 CSB

I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery.

That was Exodus and now we see in John the new Exodus of for God’s people.

Jesus came to bring you out of your slavery to sin and to make God visible to His people.

Jesus is the God that Moses wished he could see but was not able to.

Application: To be Godly we need Jesus. He is full of grace and truth. Whichever way you need to lean to become more like Jesus lean that way. Maybe it is towards the grace side maybe it is towards the truth side.

They saw God so that you can believe. Seeing is believing but believing can also be seeing.

They saw so that you can believe.

Benediction

Moses finally saw Jesus at the mount of Transfiguration.

Sermon for Christmas Morning

In the bosom of God verse 17

Sermon for New Years Day

The Tabernacle and the Lamb. John 1:28