The Eternal Word (Part 2)
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Pastoral Prayer
Our heavenly Father,
You are compassionate. Your steadfast love never ceases. Your mercies and compass never come to an end. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. It is your mercies that have brought us to the dawn of another day. This is the day that You have made, and we will rejoice and be glad in it. May this day be a fresh experience and understanding of your grace and increase in our knowledge and relationship with You. May we use this day to know You as revealed in Scripture, love You supremely, serve You wholeheartedly, and follow You unpretentiously. Because of Your grace and love shown in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, may we respond to You in faith and obedience, knowing that the power to obey is not in us, but that Your love compels us and enables us to glorify You. You sent Jesus to die for sinners so that those who live, those who repented of their sins and trusted in You, might no longer live for themselves but for Him who for their sake died and was raised. Please overflow us with the power of the Holy Spirit.
We confess to you that we have not lived as we should have this week. We have idols in our hearts, have grieved your spirit, have trusted in our own strength, and, at times, have forgotten your very existence by not being mindful of your presence. We have not sought to put our sin to death, and instead have rebelled against you in our flesh. We have indulged our own selfishness and have not loved one another as we are meant to. We have indulged addictions that you have told us to forsake. We have indulged feelings that you have told us were harmful as we wallowed in bitterness, lust, anger, and fear.
We recognize that to come into your presence bearing such iniquity is an affront worthy of our destruction. If you were to mark iniquity, O Lord, who could stand? We call upon the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, to mediate for us as only He can. Forgive us, O Lord, by the blood of Your Son, and enable us by the power of the Holy Spirit to offer our lives as a living sacrifice, and that it would be as a pleasing aroma unto you. Purify our church. Purify our souls. Purify our community and our city. Make us clean.
Announcement
Today is Agnes last’s Sunday before she returns to Germany.
Today is the 56th anniversary of this church building.
Regarding E2. Postponed until January 13th. You still have time to register until January 7th.
[SLIDE 1] Introduction
If you have your Bible, then please turn to John 1:1-5
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. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Illustration
Let me begin by talking about a possibly and extremely controversial topic.
A topic that can potentially rile up two tribes.
A topic that I pray and hope won’t get any of you into quarrelling during the fellowship and refreshment time.
Please don’t fire me after the sermon…because we just passed the 2024 budget.
I’m talking about Oxford Comma.
[SLIDE 2] The Oxford Comma is perhaps the most controversial piece of punctuation in the English language.
If you’re not familiar with this debate, let me give you an example.
Let’s say that I write this sentence, “I love eating sushi, rib-eye steaks, and noodles.”
There are conflicting guidelines governing whether or not the extra comma at the end of a list should be used, depending on which authority one consults.
Those who say “No” to Oxford Comma say the comma is unnecessary.
Those who support the comma argue that it serves to clarify in instances whether two items are meant to belong together or not.
Oxford Comma is so controversial to the point that a dairy company paid its employees about $5 million all because there was an absent Oxford Comma.
[SLIDE 3] It’s amazing what kind of confusion can be caused by one missing punctuation mark. The reason why I’m bringing it up is because we live in a world that is rather ambiguous and confusing.
Fortunately, by the grace of God, we as Christians have the Bible.
While there are some things that are hard to understand, there are major doctrines that are abundantly clear when it comes, for example, to the identity of Jesus Christ.
One of the most important questions that you have to answer is this, “Who is Jesus Christ?”
Thankfully, we don’t need to guess the answer.
We have an eye witness name John who spent three years with Jesus.
And he who wrote this gospel to answer that question.
And as you read through John’s gospel, the identity of Jesus should be clear.
Biblical Theology
Context
Last Sunday, we began our study in the gospel of John.
We are at the beginning of what’s called “The Prologue” of John’s gospel.
And that the prologue essentially presents an overview and highlighting the main themes that the entire John’s gospel will cover.
Last Sunday, we have learned about Jesus being the Eternal Word. We have learned about:
The Eternal Preexistence of the Word
The Eternal Coexistence of the Word
The Eternal Self-existence of the Word
As we continue in John’s prologue, we learn who this Eternal Word is, who this Jesus is, and who this God is,
So, let’s jump right into the exposition of God’s word.
John will answer the question of, “Who Jesus Is.”
[SLIDE 4] Exposition
1. He is the Creator of all things (v. 3)
The text tells us in verse 3, “All things were made through Him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.”
John introduced the Eternal Word who was from the beginning with God.
It would make sense for him to logically connect the Word to the creation of the universe.
I want to spend a little bit of time breaking this line down.
I want you to see how significant this text is.
And I want you to see what you cannot see in the English translation.
ESV translates the Greek verb into “were made.”
[SLIDE 5] I would prefer this translation from the NASB rather than the ESV, “All things CAME INTO BEING OR EXISTENCE, and apart from Him nothing CAME INTO BEING that has COME INTO BEING.”
Why am I making this point?
Well, “being made” directly talks about God creating all things without directly implying or infering what the Greek meant, which is making things come into existence.
If translated as “came into being / existence,” it implies or infers that something didn’t or wasn’t existing before.
Flip back to Genesis 1:1.
And the context of Genesis 1 is when God created the world in six literal days and rested on the 7th day.
When God created the heavens and the earth, there was a specific Hebrew word that was used for the word, “created,” which is bara.
This word can carry a sense of creating something into existence out of non-existence.
Theologians have called this the, “Ex Nihilo,” which in Latin means, “Out of nothing.
This word, “bara,” is only attributed to God. You never find in the Old Testament that humans ever “bara” (or created) things. God is the only One who can “bara” (or create).
Humans can create many things. We are able to create things out of something from creation. We are dependent upon the natural resources that God blessed us with in creation.
For the past 50 years, it seems like technology has advanced quite a bit. For example, we have cell phones (or smart phones…a few of you like to call it the dumb phone).
Even though Steve Jobs has invented and innovated something like the iPhone (that rocked the world of technology during that time), he still (like all of us) cannot create things out of nothing.
He cannot make the iPhone pop out of nowhere.
God, however, is independent of anything.
He does not need natural resources or anything in creation to create the universe into existence.
God created things into existence out of nothing.
He can, though, choose to use creation as means to create things, such as Adam and Eve.
God did use the dust of the ground to form Adam.
And God did use Adam’s rib to create Eve.
Ultimately, the Sovereign power of God can create however way He chooses to accomplish His purpose.
Moreover, when God created the world into existence, John doesn’t say that He created, “some things.”
He doesn’t say that God created, “one thing.”
He also doesn’t say that he created, “Most things.”
How many things did God create?
John says, “all things.”
This would include the animate objects that we can possibly see and observe, such as the natural world, the galaxies, the depth of the ocean, micro-organisms, and so much more.
And this would also include the inanimate objects that we cannot see physically, such as the spiritual realm, angelic beings, and so forth.
And it was THROUGH Him (i.e. the Eternal Word) that all things were made.
In other words, the creation of the universe was not solely the work of the Father, but it was also the work of the Son.
It was through God the Son that God the Father created the world.
God spoke the universe into existence through the Eternal Word.
Christ (the Word) was the Agent who caused all things to exist.
That’s what happened in Genesis 1.
And God spoke, “Let there be this and let there be that...” And it happened. There was creation. He spoke words into existence.
Have you ever pondered this question, “Why is there something rather than nothing? Why do I exist instead of not existing?”
[SLIDE 6] The Apostle Paul expounds a deeper truth in Colossians 1:16 about the purpose of creation and why there is something rather than nothing.
16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.
To illustrate what Paul is saying, just imagine a carpenter working and designing a wooden chair with care and precision.
He does not just envision that this piece of furniture would be used for display, but it would serve a purpose in providing a seat of comfort.
After creating the chair, he should feel a sense of accomplishment and ownership.
Some of you may not know what your purpose in life is. Perhaps, it’s because you need to know your Creator.
He created you with a purpose.
Paul says all things were created through Jesus, and FOR Jesus! You and I, and all creation and creatures, were created for Jesus. That’s our purpose.
For His Glory.
To Worship Him.
To Praise Him.
To Enjoy Him.
To Live for Him.
Because Jesus is our Creator.
Hence, John says, “And without Him [the Word] was not any thing made that was made.” OR “and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.”
Without Jesus, nothing in this world would ever come into existence.
But, since Jesus has always existed for eternity, all things exist for a purpose.
Let me add one more thought for you to consider regarding the wooden chair.
The fact the wooden chair exists means that there was someone who designed and created it.
Similarly, creation reveals something about God.
What has God revealed about Himself in creation?
[SLIDE 7] The Apostle Paul says in Romans 1:20:
20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
Creation - the natural world - is sufficient to reveal the existence and power of God to humanity, yet it is also sufficient to condemn all for their failure to bow down and worship the Creator God.
So, here is what John is saying, “The One in whom I want you to believe is the One who created you in the first place.”
If you remember, John’s purpose in writing this gospel is 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.
Perhaps, some of you may who have doubts about the existence of God and the biblical worldview on creation.
While I can’t address all the doubts that you may have.
But if what the Scripture says is true about God as the Creator of His creation, then I would encourage you to have faith.
[SLIDE 8] What is faith?
Hebrews 11:1 (ESV)
1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:3 (ESV)
3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.
Even though the object of our faith is unseen, we can have confidence that God exists and did create this world because...
As Christians, we have a good reason to believe in the existence of God...
because there is a rationale to believe.
Most importantly, we are confident that what the Bible teaches us is indeed true and it is indeed the revelation of God’s word.
So, it requires faith to believe that God created the universe by the word of God out of nothing because what God did at the beginning of Genesis was nothing short of a miracle.
When God created the world in six literal days, it was meant to be good. When He created Adam and Eve, it was VERY good (Genesis 1:31).
Things in God’s creation was good and perfect.
Not too long when you read the book of Genesis, you get to chapter 3.
You learn about the Fall of creation.
Satan tempted Eve in the garden by eating the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. Adam also took the fruit.
Afterwards, sin entered into the world and corrupted all things, humanity and creation (except God).
Hence, this world has catastrophy. We experience sickness, diseases, and illnesses.
What’s worse is that our nature is corrupted by sin. We are depraved in our being.
So, our present world is radically different from God’s good creation.
But, the good news is...the story does not end.
[SLIDE 9] While the Word is the Creator and the Agent of Creation, John tells us that...
2. He is the Giver of all life (v. 4a)
3. He is the Bringer of light to all people (v. 4b)
4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
Just as the creation account in Genesis 1 highlights the theme of light and life, so life and light are imporant themes for John.
Life is mentioned 36 times in this gospel.
Light is used 23 times.
John is saying that life and light are inseparable. They’re distinct, but inseparable.
While both are distinct in their elements, both communicate the idea of salvation.
Let’s focus on the word, “Life.”
I have a question, “Is there a Zoe in the building?”
Zoe means Life in the Greek.
That’s what your name means.
Jesus uses “life” in three of the “I Am” statements:’
I am the bread of LIFE
I am the resurrection and the LIFE.
I am the way, the truth, and the LIFE.
It’s a significant word for the Apostle John and in the life of Jesus.
It is significant because Jesus has life in Himself.
Well, what does that mean?
It means that the Word is the source of life.
He embodies the life.
He has always and eternally had life in Himself.
There was never a point in time when the Eternal Word (Jesus) had no life in Himself because He never died nor did He cease to exist.
Since the Eternal Word is life in Himself, since He is the source of life, He can also be the giver of life.
The Lord Jesus Christ gave life to all living things in the world. And God breathed life (physical life) into Adam.
What’s also miraculous is that Jesus Christ has the authority and power to call the dead to life by His powerful word of life.
So, I encourage you to think about your own life. The reason why you have life is because it comes from God.
If you know the story of King Hezekiah in the Old Testament, he became ill.
God told him that he would die.
But, Hezekiah prayed to the LORD that God would extend His life.
By God’s grace, God extended Hezekiah’s life for another 15 years.
Just as God has given you physical life, He can also easily remove it whenever He wills.
There is no guarantee that you’ll have tomorrow to live.
Our life is fragile and it can be taken away instantly.
So, brothers and sisters, be grateful to the Lord that you get to have another day to live and give Him the glory that He deserves.
And the most tragic thing is not just people losing their physical life, but also losing their spiritual life, being eternally separated from God.
The good news is that Jesus is more than just a giver of physical life.
He is both the giver of physical life and eternal life.
John says in his letter (1 John 5:20) that He is the true God and eternal life.
And whoever believes in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour has eternal life.
Whoever has the Son has life.
Whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
I believe Christianity does not JUST teach us good morality and how to live.
I believe Christianity teaches us the origin of LIFE, the meaning of LIFE, the purpose in LIFE, and our destiny after this LIFE.
And it all comes back to Jesus.
And when we come to know the Lord Jesus, the one who embodies the very LIFE that you need, you’ll discover that your life will be abundant.
And you’ll learn that this source of LIFE is also the light of men. 3. He is the Bringer of light to all people (v. 4b)
Jesus says in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Again, light and life are distinct, but inseparable.
John is saying that the Eternal Word is the light of men.
God’s nature is light. This light is a metaphor for the glory of God that shines its light.
It represents God’s perfect holiness, perfect purity, and perfect knowledge.
Because the Eternal Word is the light of men, there is absolutely no darkness in Him.
[SLIDE 10] Furthermore, John tells us what this light would do.
4. He is the Invader of all darkness (v. 5a)
5. He is the Conqueror of all darkness (v. 5b)
5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Light is meant to dispel darkness.
I’m sure you already realized that when you turn on the light this morning. It’s scientific.
In Genesis 1, God separated light from darkness.
In John’s gospel, the coming of Jesus Christ into the world shines (or exposes) the works of darkness.
For John, whenever you read his writings - this gospel and in his letters - darkness is a category that includes everything that is at enmity with God.
Darkness is not merely an absence of light, but it represents evil.
Here’s what you need to know about darkness. It has not failed to understand the truth about Jesus. Quite the contrary. The forces of darkness knows Jesus all too well....
You think about the demons. They believe in God, but they shudder.
When demons have encountered the Lord Jesus Christ, they were terrified and they said:
34 “Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.”
The darkness hates the light. What’s worse is that the darkness sought to destroy the light.
Throughout biblical history, you learn that the evil one has always attempted to extinguish the light.
It sought to cut the kingly line of David that would eventually bring about the Messiah.
Over and over again, Satan and his followers have attempted to thwart the plan of God, but they have consistently failed.
And when Jesus came into the world, darkness hates Him. It hates the person and work of Jesus Christ.
It hates the coming of Jesus Christ.
It even hates the signs and miracles that He performed.
It’s the nature of the unregenerate and corrupt human heart to flee from the light.
And so many people have done that.
[SLIDE 11] John says later in John 3:19-20:
19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.
The good news is that the nature of light is to shine, eliminate, and conquer darkness because the darkness has not overcome it (the light).
As long as there is light in the room, darkness cannot invade it. It cannot defeat the light. It cannot win.
Even though darkness seems to have won at the death of our Lord, it ultimately led to its defeat through the resurrection of Christ, bringing hope and salvation to all who would place their trust in Him.
The good news is that the Light is ultimately victorious over the darkness.
The question is, “how would you respond to the light that has already come into the world?” You can respond in one of two ways.
First, you can reject and resist the light, and remain in darkness.
However, if you do, there will be a darkness that will be even worse than what you are embracing and enjoying.
Jesus talks about the people like you who would be thrown and cast into the OUTER DARKNESS. In that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Second, you walk out of darkness and walk into the marvelous light.
You turn away from sin and darkness and turn to God.
However, you would not just be walking into the light...
Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:6
6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
In other words, when you walk into the light and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, you will encounter the life-transforming glory of God.
Paul also says that when you become a born-again Christian, God delivers you from the domain of darkness and transfers you into the kingdom of His beloved son.
So, what would your response to the Light?
Application
[SLIDE 12] In summary, John has uncovered who the Eternal Word is.
1. He is the creator of all things (v. 3)
2. He is the giver of all life (v. 4a)
3. He is the bringer of light to all people (v. 4b)
4. He is the invader of all darkness (v. 5a)
5. He is the conqueror of all darkness (v. 5b)
Conclusion
During this Christmas, we celebrate this Eternal Word who is the Creator, the Life, and the Light.
Isaiah prophesied about this regarding the Messiah.
2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.
This Creator God chose to step down into world and be born of the virgin.
This Eternal Word is the Maker of Mary, and became Mary’s son.
God created the manger so that he can lie in it as a helpless babe.
Furthermore, the Eternal Word was nailed on the cross that was ultimately prepared by Him and for Him for the redemption of His people.
[SLIDE 13] During this Lord’s Supper, we get to remember once again the birth of Christ is not the end, but a means in accomplishing His mission on earth, which is redemption through Jesus’ shed blood on the cross.
The Lord’s Supper
Transition: We will now transition to a sacred time where we will celebrate the Lord’s Supper.
Invitation: May I ask those who are helping with communion join me at the front please.
Scripture: Isaiah 53:3-6
Comment: Communion is a sacred time where believers will be sharing in the reality of who and what Jesus Christ really means to us in all the fullness of His life and work on our behalf.
It is a time when we are, in a very special way, reflecting on His death on the cross, reflecting also on how this has and should affect us. The bread before us symbolizes the body of Jesus that was given for us. The cup before us symbolizes the blood of Jesus poured out for us.
If you are follower of Jesus, then I invite you to partake of these elements. If you are not a follower of Jesus, then I would ask that you let the elements pass by you. Don’t worry about letting them pass by you because all of us have experienced a time where we allow the bread and the cup to pass by us. We are all in a spiritual journey of knowing Jesus more and more.
Participation: As the elements are being passed, we ask you to hold the elements until all have been served so we may partake of the elements as one to express our unity in Christ.