The Eternal Word
Notes
Transcript
Pastoral Prayer
Pray for Hope Church and the Vietnam.
Pray for the Rainbow Bridge
Pray for peace in the Israel and Palestine conflict.
Announcement
There are a lot of announcements in the bulletin. I would strongly encourage you to take the time to read through them. I want to highlight a few of them.
An in-person 'members only' meeting is scheduled for Saturday, December 2, at 10:00 AM at OBC to approve the budget for the year 2024. You can obtain 'the Draft Budget for 2024' in the foyer.
You are advised to bring their copy to the meeting as no extra copies will be available.
The document is exclusive to members and should not be copied or distributed to others.
Also, if you can stay after our business meeting on December 2 to help put up the Christmas decorations, that would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Vincent, for organizing this!
I also strongly encourage you to consider signing up for the upcoming course on the Old Testament, taught by Dr. Herb Sturhahn. This course is a part of the church’s discipleship and training ministry.
It’s rare for churches to have an OT / Hebrew scholar in their midst, so, I strongly to take advantage of that opportunity to learn from Dr. Herb.
The classes will be held on December 9th and 16th from 10 AM - 12 PM.
There will be Christmas break. Classes will then resume on Jan. 13, 20, 27 & Feb. 3, 10, 17.
TODAY is the last day to bring your Christmas gift contributions to Monarch Place. You can drop your gifts into the box in the foyer or bring them to the church office. Thank you.
As it has been announced for many weeks, please pray for the building of the new Hope Church.
You can also support financially. You can donate by writing on your offering envelope: Vietnam Hope Church Building (funds will be accepted until Nov. 30th, 2023).
[SLIDE 1] Introduction
If you have your Bible, then please turn to the gospel of John. If you do not know where it is, it is the 4th gospel found in the New Testament.
Allow me to read John 1:1-2, so brothers and sisters, this is God’s holy and inerrant word.
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God.
Thus far the reading of God’s word.
If you’re new here, I normally go through a book of the Bible.
As Christmas is approaching, it would be appropriate to begin a series of expository sermons on the gospel of John, and have our minds focused on Jesus Christ.
Illustration
The gospel of John is rich with truths.
It’s been said that the gospel of John is so simple that a child can understand it, yet it is so deep and profound that it’ll take Christians a lifetime to study it.
Or, to put it another way, the gospel is so deep that an elephant can swim in it, and yet shallow enough that children can play in it.
It’s been said by some theologians of the past that:
“The Gospel of John is the most intensely theological of the four gospels.” (D.A. Carson)
“John was the eagle of the gospel. He sees most clearly the Sun of Righteousness.” (Augustine)
Most of you may be familiar with the famous sayings from the Lord Jesus Christ, such as the 7 “I Am” statements:
I am the bread of life.
I am the good shepherd.
I am the light of the world.
I am the door.
I am the way, the truth, and the life.
I am the resurrection and the life.
I am the true vine.
And most of you may have memorized and able to recite this verse by heart (and perhaps while you’re sleeping).
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
And the gospel of John is also a book that I will almost always introduce to non-believers and new believers to read first if they want to learn about Jesus Christ.
By way of introduction to this gospel, it is important to dig into some background work.
There should be without a doubt that the Apostle John was the author of this gospel.
He was one of Jesus’ chosen apostles.
He was the son of Zebedee.
He was the brother of James.
He was most likely a young man during Jesus’ earthly ministry.
He also wrote 1, 2, 3 John and the book of Revelation.
John was known in church history as the Apostle of Love.
Because he wrote about love many times in this gospel and in his letters.
In this gospel, we never find the author mentioning his own name.
Instead, John refers to himself as the disciple, particularly the disciple whom Jesus loved.
So, John is the eyewitness of Jesus’ earthly life. He followed him for at least three years before Jesus ascended back into heaven. He has the credibility to speak about Christ.
The gospel ends in this way in John 21:24
24 This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true.
Most scholars and early church fathers suggest that John most likely have written this gospel near the end of the 1st century, so somewhere between AD 85 and AD 95.
John was an old man by the time he wrote this gospel.
During that time, John would have been aware of the three gospels: Matthew, Mark, and Luke (also known as the Synoptic Gospels) circulating among the churches and John’s readers.
This is one reason why John’s account of the life of Jesus is in many ways different from Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
There are significant events in the ministry of Jesus that Matthew, Mark, and Luke all include yet John leaves out, including:
The birth of Jesus
The baptism of Jesus
The temptation of Jesus in the wilderness.
Confrontations with demons.
Jesus teaching in parables.
The Last Supper.
The agony in Gethsemane.
The Ascension.
And the early church fathers in the 4th century confirms that John was the last of the four gospels to be written.
And, according to church tradition, he most likely have written this gospel in the city of Ephesus.
Now, an important question we need to ask ourselves is this: why did John write this gospel?
This is an important question when it comes to hermeneutics.
Biblical hermeneutics simply means the art and science of biblical interpretation.
This is important because as you read, study, and interpret the Bible, your job is to understand the intent of the author in its historical and grammatical context.
The principle of faithful Bible interpretation is NOT what does the text mean to me, but to know what the author meant by what he said.
What did John mean?
What did Jesus mean?
John’s purpose statement is not written at the beginning. It’s actually found at the end.
And…I can imagine that the professors and English teachers…may fail John for not giving his thesis statement at the beginning...
If you’re a student in an English class, the position of John’s purpose statment is descriptive, not prescriptive. So, please do not copy what John is doing.
[SLIDE 2] So, brothers and sisters, why did John write this gospel?
John makes it crystal clear in John 20:30-31
30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
So, whenever we read and study the gospel of John, we have to understand this book in light of John’s purpose.
John’s purpose is twofolds:
First, John wrote this gospel with a heart of apologetics. He wants to convince and persuade you with the claim of Jesus Christ: “These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God...”
Second, John wrote this gospel with a heart for evangelism. He wants to persuade you to believe in Jesus Christ and have eternal life: “These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ…and that BY believing you may have life in his name.”
Hence, that’s why I always tell non-believers to read the gospel of John.
If you do not consider yourself a Christian, and if you really want to know who Jesus is and Christianity, then can I encourage you to read through the gospel of John this week or this month?
Biblical Theology
Context
[SLIDE 3] Having considered the background of John’s gospel, we come to John 1.
In the immediate context of John’s opening, we find ourselves in the section of John 1:1-18 that is commonly known as “The Prologue.”
And we’re going to focus on the prologue for the next five weeks during the Christmas season.
The synoptic gospels - Matthew, Mark, and Luke - usually begin with the narrative of the life of Jesus Christ. Matthew and Luke would focus particularly the birth of Jesus.
But, John does not begin immediately with a narrative.
Why does John begin with a prologue?
John wants to begin by explaining the person and work of Jesus as a way to set up the foundation for the rest of the gospel of John.
You can think of the prologue as the overview of John’s gospel. You’ll see parallel themes throughout the gospel that connect back to the prologue.
If we are to understand this passage, it would be helpful for me to ask you this question by way of illustration: “What is your first question when you meet people for the first time?”
You typically ask, “What is your name?”
If you’re like me, a few minutes into the conversation, you may ask this person, “Sorry, what is your name, again?” I tend to be forgetful with names.
Perhaps, those who are new may have had that kind of first impression of me when we met this year.
You may also ask, “Where are you from? What do you do for work?
Or where do you go to school and what program are you currently studying?”
John answers these two questions, “Jesus, who are you? Jesus, where are you from?”
Many Jews thought of Jesus as coming from Joseph and Mary.
Isn’t he the carpenter’s son?
Isn’t he Jesus the Nazareth who came from Galilee?
Quite often, during Christmas, we focus on the birth of Jesus. We focus on the baby who was born in a manger in the little town of Bethlehem.
While Jesus’ birth is important in the Christmas story, John is not interested in where he’s born.
Why? It’s because his readers would have known about it by reading Matthew and Luke.
Instead, John is interested in telling us about who Jesus is and where He’s from before He came into the world, before His incarnation.
He wants to teach us a transcendent truth of Christ.
He wants to convince and persuade you to believe in this truth about our Lord: He is the Eternal Word.
Why does John refer to Jesus as “the Word” in the opening words? Why doesn’t John say, “In the beginning was Jesus, and Jesus was with God, and Jesus was God?”
The best explanation, I think, is regarding John’s audience, who were generally Jews and Greeks. They would be familiar with the Word, which would have been called “The Logos” in the Greek language.
The Greeks viewed the Logos as the force that brings order to the world, preventing chaos and maintaining perfect order.
They identified the Logos as the "Ultimate Reason" governing all things in an abstract sense.
The Jews viewed the Logos in reference to God as the Word of God.
John then introduces his readers to Jesus Christ the Word (The Logos), who is both the inward and the expressed Thought of God, and a Personal Being.
Since God spoke in power in the Old Testament, He ultimately speaks to us through the person of Christ.
1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.
Let me ask you two questions: “Does God want to speak to you? Do you want to hear from God?”
Think about it. You don’t need to wonder if God speaks to us.
God wants to speak to us.
He has spoken to us.
And He has spoken to us through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
All you need to do - to hear from God - is to turn your eyes and ears upon Jesus Christ by reading the Bible.
Furthermore, Jesus is referred to as the Word four times in the prologue.
And after the prologue, John no longer uses that title. Why is that?
Quite possibly, I would suggest - when reading the gospel of John as a whole - that Jesus is the embodiment of the Logos in His entire ministry.
He is the accurate expression of the Father.
He is the Supreme Communicator.
49 For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”
So, everything that Jesus said was in perfect alignment with His Father.
Jesus came to do the will of the Father (John 5:30; John 6:38-40; Jhn 7:16-17; John 8:26).
If Jesus heard from Him who sent Him, this implies that the Father spoke to Him.
He came to live out John 1:18, which is to make the Father known.
In these two short and yet familiar verses, John wants us to consider three truths about the Eternal Word.
The Eternal Preexistence Of The Word
The Eternal Coexistence Of The Word
The Eternal Self-Existence Of The Word
[SLIDE 4-5] Exposition
1. The Eternal Preexistence Of The Word
John begins with the gospel, “In the beginning was the Word.”
When John talks about the Word who was from the beginning, he’s indicating the essence and existence of the Word (referring to Jesus) in the sense of BEFORE ALL TIME AND CREATION.
Before the time, space, matters, and creation existed, there was the Word.
Since the Word existed before time and space, He is eternal.
The Word not only existed before all time, but He existed unto eternity.
The Word was not a created being.
There was never a point in history or eternity whereby the Word came into being.
This signifies His timeless existence.
John first’s words, “in the beginning,” alludes back to a text in the Old Testament.
What were the first words from the first book of the Old Testament?
1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
John was writing to an audience that knew the Old Testament. They would have been familiar with that expression.
I also think that John may be pointing us to a progression, a movement.
In Genesis, we are introduced to the first creation, where God spoke creation into existence and breathed physical life into Adam.
In John, he shows us a different kind of creation—one that transcends the physical and delves into the spiritual realm.
John is introducing us to a new beginning, a new creation, which is found in Jesus Christ whereby He is the true life (eternal life / abundant life / everlasting life).
So, we have covered the 1st truth: The Eternal Preexistence Of The Word.
Now, for the rest of verse 1, two significant truths about the Word is that He was with God and He was God.
Already, John is introducing us to the Trinity.
In the 2nd part of verse 1, John says, “and the Word was WITH God.” So, we learn about the second truth:
2. The Eternal Coexistence Of The Word
The Word co-existed with God the Father. Now, how can we know that God is referring to the Father?
It is because the Word (Jesus) continuously talks about His relationship with the Father in this gospel.
At the end of the prologue, John mentions that the only God (the Word), who was at the Father’s side (who is also God), came to reveal and explain who God is. (John 1:18)
18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.
In John 17:5, Jesus prays to His Father:
5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.
He prays that He will return and be with His Father and share in the glory that He had with the Father for eternity before the world was created.
Yet, while the Word was with God, we also learn the 3rd truth:
3. The Eternal Self-Existence Of The Word
God has always existed within Himself because He is God. God is sufficient to Himself. He is independent of anything outside Himself.
God was not created. He has no source, no maker, no origin (if you will).
God doesn’t defend His existence.
He declares His existence.
And the Word, that John is talking about, is that God.
This Word was with God and was God.
He is the great “I Am” who revealed Himself (His name) to Moses in Exodus 3:14, “I AM WHO I AM.”
There was an interaction between the Pharisees and Jesus in John 8 regarding Abraham.
When the Pharisees asked who Jesus was, Jesus said, “Before Abraham was even born, I AM!” (John 8:56-58). He used the personal "I AM" name revealed in Exodus 3:14; thereby declaring He was the eternal God incarnate.
John makes a bold claim that Jesus is God, the only God.
During the Roman Empire, there was only one God, and that was the Roman Emperor.
Whoever claimed Jesus to be God was to be executed.
We live in a different society, but Jesus being God is still controversial.
Atheism believes that there is absolutely no God.
Agnosticism believes that we cannot know for certain that there is a God.
Hinduism believes that there are many gods.
Islam believes that Allah is God, not Jesus.
Mormons and Jehovah Witnesses deny Jesus is God.
Many people think Jesus was a prophet, a good teacher, and had moral authority.
If you think that’s what folks outside of the church believes, you’ll be shock to find a research or survey that was done in 2022 in America regarding the State of Theology.
This research was released by Lignonier Ministries and Lifeway Research regarding what American Evangelicals believe.
They conducted a survey in evangelical churches. Thousands of folks completed the survey.
The survey format involved presenting statements, prompting respondents to express their agreement or disagreement on a spectrum ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree.
In summary, the researchers indicate that more than half affirmed heretical views of God. Three examples I’ll share with you regarding what “evangelicals” believe about Jesus:
Jesus isn’t the only way to God.
56 percent of evangelical respondents affirmed that “God accepts the worship of all religions.”
This answer indicates a bent toward universalism—believing there are ways to bypass Jesus in our approach to and acceptance by God.
Jesus was created by God.
73 percent agreed with the statement that “Jesus is the first and greatest being created by God.”
This is a form of the ancient heresy known as Arianism that arose in the early fourth century.
Jesus is not God.
43 percent affirmed that “Jesus was a great teacher, but he was not God,” which is another form of Arian heresy.
Such research demonstrates two greatest concerns:
First, many (more than half) of those who call themselves “evangelical Christians” aren’t truly born-again and are heading towards eternal destruction.
Second, there is a growing need for discipleship and Christian education in the church on sound doctrine and good theology.
Denying the deity of Jesus is a serious deviation from historic Christian teaching of Jesus Christ.
Having spent 3 years with Jesus, the Apostle John testifies that the Word was God. He was truly God and truly man.
In verse 2, John reiterates his point from verse 1 to make sure that his audience understood what he said about the Word and His relationship with God. He was in the beginning with God.
When John says, “the Word was with God, and the Word was God,” perhaps, this may be a confusing statement to some of you.
Does this mean that there are two gods?
The Father is God
The Word is also God?
Does that not make two gods?
Time does not permit me to expound on the doctrine of the Trinity in great detail.
In brief, the gospel of John and the rest of the Bible makes it clear that there is only one God whom we worship.
Deuteronomy 6:4: The LORD is one.
John 10:30: Jesus said, “I and the Father are one.”
God is one in divine essence and nature but He exists in three distinct Persons: Father, Son, and Spirit.
And all three persons share in one essence and divine nature: God.
Application
[SLIDE 4] That’s who Jesus is according to John 1:1-2. We learned about:
1. The Eternal Preexistence Of The Word
2. The Eternal Coexistence Of The Word
3. The Eternal Self-Existence Of The Word
Jesus is the Eternal Word.
As we reflect upon the Eternal Word, let me ask you a question, “Why does the identity of Christ matter to you?” If you feel that this is all abstract, then I can sympathize and understand.
[SLIDE 5] First application: The Finiteness Of Man.
When you compare yourself to the eternal God, should you not be in awe of who He is?
Men in their pride may think that they are smarter than God.
They don’t trust God for whatever reason because they trust in their own ways, their own wisdom, and their superiority.
And they think they can navigate life more successfully on their own terms without following God.
But, friends, you are mere dust.
You have lived no more than 100 years, and yet you think you know, in your finite and limited minds, what’s the best way to live, when the everlasting God - who have always existed before you were born, and who is infinitely and eternally wise and good - offers you His way of living, which is good for you.
You are not smarter than God.
You are not wiser than God.
You cannot outlive God.
So, embrace the humility that recognizes God's greatness and our need for His wisdom.
Stephen Charnock, “If man compares himself with other creatures, he may be too sensible of his greatness; but if he compares himself with God, he cannot but be sensible of his baseness.”
Question: How big is your God? Is your view of God high?
The Second Application: The Eternal Destination Of Man.
Now, it is true that we simply cannot conceive of or express God’s eternity BECAUSE we are beings who have not always existed, but were created by a God who has always been and will always be.
Yet, have you considered this: you are an eternal being?
You may be surprise to hear that, but you are an eternal being, but not in the same way as God is.
You had a beginning when you were conceived and formed in your mother’s womb, but you have no ending.
I don’t know how long you and I will live on this earth, but we know that our lives is momentary.
After we die, we do not cease to exist. Rather, we will continue to exist.
The Bible paints the reality of your eternal destination. You will either be with the Lord in heaven for all of eternity.
OR, you will be spent eternity in the eternal conscious torment in hell, suffering the fullness of His wrath.
I think all of us have experienced a taste of “eternity” on earth…it’s as if time just stopped or time is very slow…when you are going through pain and suffering.
All of us will go through pain and suffering one way or another to a varying degree.
But, can you imagine, what hell will feel like? If suffering here on earth makes time go by relatively slow, how much worse would eternal punishment be for the unrepentant sinners?
Therefore, John introduces you to the Eternal Word who came into this created world as the Christ and the Son of God to save sinners by dying on the cross and being raised from the dead…for what purpose…?
So that you may believe unto Him and that by believing you may have life…eternal life.
36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
My friends, “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil.”
By the grace of God, I pray and hope that you will choose life this morning by repenting of your sins and believing in the Lord Jesus and follow Him, and not continue walking in sin and death.
Finally, brothers and sisters, here’s the encouragement and hope for you…for your Christian living.
Third Application: The Eternal Life From The Son Of Man
When we consider eternal life that the Eternal Word offers, we often think that eternal life begins when we pass away.
However, eternal life does not begin when we die. It begins when God causes to be born again Christians.
Eternal life begins when we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus prayed this:
3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
Eternal life is about knowing God and Jesus Christ here on earth.
It’s reading and knowing the Scriptures.
It’s spending time with Him in prayer.
[SLIDE 6] Conclusion
So, may this be a fresh reminder for you, brothers and sisters, that you do not need to wait until the end of your life to experience eternal life, but that you can live right now in light of the future reality of being with God for eternity.
You can refresh yourself of the eternal life that Christ has given you by growing in your relationship with the Eternal Word through His Word.