Christmas 2023 01 John - The True Word

The Book of John

The Reason John Wrote

John 20:30–31 “And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.”

John 21:24–25 “This is the disciple who testifies of these things, and wrote these things; and we know that his testimony is true. And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.”

How did John do this?

Doctrine & Miracles that He selected to use.

Isn’t interesting that John has more unused content than the other gospels.

It is so different that the other three are called the Synaptic Gospels. (similar gospels)

The other 3, Matthew, Mark and Luke all show the humanity of Jesus. John is trying to emphasize His divinity.

Over 1/3 of the book of John is on the last days of Christ. 13-21 (8 chapters) 5 on the Last Supper; 2 on the crucifixion, 1 on His resurrection and life after.

Doctrine

John 1

An origin account without a human birth.

John 1:9–13 “That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

The testimony of John the Baptist.

John 1:29–30 “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’”

John 2

Wedding at Cana of Galilee

Jesus cleanses the Temple.

First public manifestation of Jesus in Jerusalem.

He is Lord with the right to cleanse His House.

Foretells His crucifixion and resurrection.

John 2:19 “Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.””

John 3 and 4

Nicodemus - You must be born again

John 3:14 “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,”

Samaritan Woman -

John 4:13–14 “Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.””

John 5 — Jesus heals the Paralytic Man at the pool of Bethesda.

Lord of physical healing.

He is the true Living waters.

Chapter 6 Feeding of the 5000, walking on the sea, rejection by the Jews to partaking of Christ.

John 6:47–48 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. I am the bread of life.”

John 6:51 “I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.””

John 6:67–68 “Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

Chapter 7 — Christ testifies at the feast of Tabernacles:

John 7:37–38 “On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.””

Chapter 8 Again teaching at the temple

John 8:12 “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.””

John 8:24 “Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.””

John 8:28 “Then Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.”

John 8:58 “Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.””

Chapter 9 Christ heals the man born blind for the glory of God.

John 9:5 “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.””

John 9:35–37 “Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, “Do you believe in the Son of God?” He answered and said, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?” And Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you.””

Chapter 10 The Good shepherd

John 10:9 “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.”

John 10:14–16 “I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.”

John 10:17–18 ““Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.””

John 10:27–29 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.”

Chapter 11 Resurrection of Lararus

John 11:25 “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.”

Chapter 12 Mary anoints Jesus for His death.

Miracles (7 that focus on His divine Power. Each one is special in some way to show the power of God alone.)

Creation of Wine

Heals a nobleman’s son from a distance

Cures the man with an infirmary for 38 years

Feeds the 5000

Walks on water

Heals the man born blind

Raises Lazarus from the dead on the fourth day.

Jesus as the Word

Jesus is eternal God.

John 1:1–3 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.”

Jesus as the Word

Jesus as the word is also the communication from God to men.

John 1:4–5 “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”

John 1:9–10 “That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.”

Jesus makes us Children of God

John 1:12–13 “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

Jesus in God among us

John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

John 1:15–18 “John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ ” And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.”

Application

Why do you think that John doesn’t give us the birth of Jesus?

He is emphasizing His divinity.

He doesn’t want to confuse the message and leave people looking at a human only Jesus.

Beginning of Christianity, it was debated if Jesus was truly human.

Gnostics taught that it was His spirit alone that was divine and His body was ‘shadow’ looking like and feeling like a body, but not really real.

This was due to their beliefs that the Spirit as good and all flesh was bad.

As time went on, they forgot the power of the miracles and tried to make Christ a good teacher / prophet. Anything but the only begotten of the Father, the Son of God.

So John writes to show His divinity.

He wants us to understand that even in the womb He was divine.

infinite presences confined to a womb.

Infinite power limited to the strength of a babe.

Infinite glory having to depend on others for everything.

AS we go into the Christmas season, may we never forget that Jesus is the only way to the Father.

John 8:24 … “for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.””