The Word Became Flesh (John 1:1-18)
Well, we are continuing our Advent series looking at the birth of Christ from four different perspectives. We saw Joseph perspective from Matthew chapter 12 weeks ago and last week Pastor Ryan preached on Mary's perspective from Luke chapter 1 and in both of those accounts, they were told that this baby would be God himself. And now we're going to look at Jesus's perspective of the Incarnation how Eternal God took on flesh becoming human and living on Earth. and the previous two accounts we were able to step into the shoes of both Joseph and Mary but here it will be very difficult to do that because none of us has any idea what it would have been like For Almighty infinite holy God to close himself with finite humanity and live in a sinful world. I think John may have known this because he starts out his gospel narrative The Book of John with a theological prologue rather than a narrative story. The Incarnation from Jesus's perspective is not something we can relate to. So it must be depicted theologically. And John shows the theological truths of exactness who exactly the story is about what he would accomplish and how he would accomplish it and he does all this in the most beautiful and succinct way possible in these first 18 verses but he will go on to explain it all in detail and the rest of his Narrative of Jesus's life death resurrection and teaching. So let's read our passage John 11 through 18 and then we'll figure out together how this theological depiction of the Incarnation impact us even today.
John one says 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 was not anything made that was made in him was life. And the life was the light of men the light shines in the darkness and the Darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to Bear witness about the light that all might believe through him. He was not the light but came to bear witness about the light the True Light which gives light to every one was coming into the world. He was in the world and the world was made through him yet. The world did not know him. He came to his own and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him who believed in his name he gave the right to become children of God who were born out of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor the will of man, but of God, And the word became flesh and dwelt Among Us. And we have seen his glory glory as of the only son from the father full of grace and truth John bore witness about him and cried out this was he of whom I said he who comes after me ranks before me because he was before me or from his fullness. We have all received Grace upon Grace for the law was given through Moses Grace and Truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. The only God who is at the father's side. He has made him known.
One of my favorite Shakespeare quotes says this brevity is the soul of wit. In the opening of his gospel account, John is very witty in his brief, but beautiful articulation of the Divinity of the word in verses 1 through 5. He answers the question who or what is this story about? Verse one tells us that the whole thing is about the log house the word. In the beginning was the word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. Now and the time that John was writing there were two main lines of thinking about the Lagos in Greek thought Lagos was the impersonal concept of reason and order in the universe which was imbued with creative power and was the source of all wisdom. Even to the common Creek Layman this concept of the Lagos was one of the most important Concepts even if they didn't understand all of its nuances. The other line of thinking was the Jewish thought that the Lagos was the word of the Lord which was the expression of the divine power and wisdom of Yahweh. And here in verse 1 John shows that the word has Eternal communion. Within the Trinity telling us three things about the word that shuck both lines of thought about the log us. He tells us that the word existed before the beginning.
the word has relationship with God and the word has the same Divine Essence or being as God that's being. The first statement is very similar in structure to the beginning of Genesis in the beginning. God created the heavens and the Earth. now there are some false religions that assert that the word is a created being but the word cannot be a created entity because the beginning signifies when everything was brought into begin to being including time itself as recorded in Genesis 1 John asserts in the beginning was the word. God Alone existed before the creation but the word also existed before creation. So the word must be God.
And John goes on to say exactly that but not before making another striking claim. He also said the word was with God.
And we do not have an adequate English phrase to do justice to the Greek preposition John used for the statement. It's not simply with the word existed at the same time as God or that the word was in the same general area doing the same general activities as God. those are the natural connotations for the English preposition with If I say I'm going to the store with my wife, you understand that we are going to be traveling together to the same place for the same purpose.
and if Pastor Ryan were here and I were to ask him who he will be spending Christmas with He would understand that I would want to know who he will be in close proximity to doing generally the same activities around the date of December 25th. But the Greek preposition has a much more relational aspect. It has a the connotation of two people facing one another in intelligent discourse. So when John says the word was with God. He has in mind and intelligent and communicative relationship between the word and God.
And then he says in the clearest language possible that the word is in fact God. the Greek construction of this phrase Leave that one-sided the word is God, but God is not the word. This is an important theological distinction that establishes some boundaries for understanding of the Trinity. I won't get into all of the details here because we would be here for a very long time and I'm sure we would all like to have dinner at some point. Suffice it to say that each of the three persons of the Trinity are all fully God. But each of those persons is distinct from the other two.
now the second verse gives a key piece of information that is only been hinted at in the first verse. Contrary to both Greek and Jewish thought of the day the word was not a what but a Who? Bruce to summarizes the truths of verse 1 adding Clarity to the personality of the word John Wright's he was in the beginning with God. This is a masculine personal pronoun referring to the word clearly articulating that the word is a person rather than an impersonal force or simply the expression of God's divine power. Then a three Divine person called the word is shown to have Divine creative power. All things were made through him and without him was not anything made that was made that we didn't do not get to know exactly how the Divine person called the word created everything. Will remain a mystery.
Even what we do get to know is largely unclear because the prepositions through is kind of confusing when we speak of some of doing something through someone or something. We usually think of means We can go to work through the use of public transportation. We can also remodel our house through a contractor whom we paid to do it for us. But when John says that all things were created through the word, he's referring to the Inseparable activity of all three persons of the Trinity to create everything the word being the person through whom all things were created. And don't really does mean all things. In case we may think that there might be some things outside of the creative power of the word. He doubles down poetically by stating the negative corresponding truth. There is nothing in existence that has not been created through the word. Nothing, except the Creator himself.
Because the Creator the Triune God has always existed. as we saw in verse 1 Then versus four and five John brings us to metaphors that he will spend the rest of his gospel and much of his Epistles using and explaining he says in him was life and the life was the light of men the light shines in the darkness and the Darkness has not overcome it. Of a life John is referring to is not simply physical life, but spiritual life. Light and darkness. He's referring to are not simply physical illumination or lack thereof, but spiritual truth understanding and goodness.
versus spiritual deception ignorance and Evil the word is the source of spiritual life, which is the truth understanding and goodness that mankind abandoned at the fall. And despite our abandonment of this light it still shines in this deceptive willfully ignorant in the evil world. We live in because the word is still sovereign. And every Sovereign over everyone and everything. In fact, the way John phrases verse 5 makes the word the embodiment of the light metaphor.
The word is the ultimate truth understanding and goodness because he is God. So without a doubt John presents the Divinity of the word in his eternality and creativity and sovereignty this story is about God. the word Who is done something absolutely amazing.
John has shifted from referring to the one whom the story is about as the word to referring to him as the light. One of the things light does is it creates a distinction between that which is seen and that which remains hidden in the shadows. This next section verses 6 through 13 depict what the word who is the true light would do dividing the world? The light causes division the division of the whole world the narrow narrative story would begin later on in verse 19 with a man named John, but here we get a preliminary summary of John's calling and purpose. Verses 6 through 8 say there was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to Bear witness about the light that all night believe through him. He was not the light but came to bear witness about the light. John's Divine commission was to Bear witness about the light in order to produce belief in those who heard his witness by pointing them to the light for eternal life. John for witness about the truth understanding and goodness of God so that people would believe and have spiritual life.
Papa John's witness caused division as did the true light switch was coming into the world verses 9 through 13 show. Just how much the true lights coming would divide the world. It says the True Light which gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world in the world was made through him yet. The world did not know him. He came to his own and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him who believed in his name. He gave the right to become children of God who were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor the will of man, but of God. the True Light separates Believers from unbelievers Verse 9 John says that the True Light gives light to every one. He's referring here to the fact that every one of us has the truth understanding and goodness of God proclaimed to us in the created world and in our own conscience. And John anticipates verse 14 a bit when he says that the True Light was coming into the world. He says a 10 of the True Light was already in the world in a certain respect and had been made through him, but he was coming into the world in a new way. First 10 also goes on to say that despite the True Light already being in the world and being made through him the world did not know him. the world was willfully ignorant of its creator despite his spiritual presence and creativity evident for all to see Paul wrote about the same thing in Romans 1:18 through 20 There Paul says for the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who buy their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them because God has shown it to them 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.
The true light has been revealed to all mankind in his creation and he has been revealed especially to His People Israel through his written Revelation, which we know as the Old Testament. His own people had been given divine revelation regarding his coming but they still rejected him.
Due to the hardness of their hearts.
Weather suppressing General Revelation or special Revelation? The result is the same unbelief and rejection of the True Light. John does not tell us hear what the result of this unbelief and rejection will be because he's focused on the results of belief. The main focus of the division the True Light would bring was in the separation and change of those who believe. What does the True Light do to those who do not suppress the truth? What about those who see the True Light and believe? Verses 12 and 13 say but to all who did receive him who believed in his name. He gave the right to become children of God who were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. believers Are granted a new identity? As a born-again children of God. John uses legal language to show that Believers are legally adopted as God's children. But then he also uses physical language to show the spiritual change and Believers to be born again. And the second birth would be according to God's will. It is not the will of the flesh because the flesh is contrary to God and it is not the will of man because being born is entirely passive. The Flash doesn't want to have spiritual life and Mankind cannot choose to be spiritually born again just like a baby cannot choose to be physically born all of this shows the significance of the True Life coming into the world, but how would he do it? How would he bring about this Division and the adoption and second birth of those who believe in him? Well, that's the true story of Christmas. the gospel and John divulges the way this salvation would be accomplished in verses 14 through 18. He says and the word became flesh and dwelt among us and we have seen his glory glory as of the only son from the father full of grace and truth John Gore witness about him and cry it out. This was he of whom I said he who comes after me ranks before me because he was before me. For from his fullness. We have all received Grace upon Grace for the law was given through Moses Grace and Truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. The only God who is at the father's side. He has made him known.
This is a sort of summary. of the rest of the Book of John as the words glory is manifested. His identity is proclaimed. His grace is received and his father is made known. And this all happened because God became a human being. As John says here in verse 14 the word became flesh and dwelt Among Us.
That's the biggest understatement. I think I've ever heard.
There is so much Earth shattering truth packed in this simple statement.
Remember all that stuff. We talked about in verses 1 through 5 how the word is God and how God the word was not a created being but rather the creator of everything. Well now he's entered into his creation.
No, that doesn't make your jaw drop. Maybe you didn't hear it properly. Almighty infinite holy Creator God
put on Fine Arts humanity and stepped out of heaven and into the world. He created.
The Divine person called the word has taken on a permanently physical form was in the world. He created in the beginning.
And this is not some mist or Fantastical Story made up to make people feel better about life. John says that the word dwelt among us now the US referring to himself in the other Apostles and all of them are witnesses of his glory. They saw his glory. Glory as of the only son from the father.
Easy Peter James and John the author of this gospel all saw that glory on the Mount of transfiguration when the father said, this is my beloved Son. With whom I am. Well pleased listen to him in Matthew 17:5 And John says that the sun is full of grace and truth.
Alistair with two words Grace and Truth are very interesting.
The Greek words for grace and truth are Terrace and alethea.
And the Hebrew words that convey the same meaning are tested and a mess. These two Hebrew words are well known as describing the glory of Yahweh in the Old Testament Moses asked God to show him his glory in Exodus 3318 and God placed him in a cleft of The Rock and passed before him and proclaimed his glory in 34 six or seven saying the Lord the Lord Our God merciful and gracious slow to anger and abounding in has said and a mess. Grace and Truth so for John to say that they had seen the glory of the Son of God full of grace and truth is to equate the glory of the sun with the glory of Yahweh from the Old Testament. And then John gives a side comment about John the Baptist in verse 15. He says that John bore witness to the word by identifying him as the Eternal one. This is he of whom I said he who comes after me ranks before me because he was before me. Apparently John the Baptist had said that someone was coming after him. And usually if someone comes after someone else in this context, it means that they are sort of disciple who is continuing the teaching or tradition of the one who came before.
but John the Baptist flips this. By saying that the one coming after him ranks before him. The one coming after him would be the master rather than the disciple. And he says that this will be so because the one coming after him has existed before him.
Now the author John comes back to his main thoughts and continues talking about the fullness of the word. Remember he had said that he had seen the glory seen the glory of the word full of grace and truth. Now he comments on that fullness of Grace and Truth and verses 16 and 17 saying for from his fullness. We have all received Grace upon Grace for the law was given through Moses Grace and Truth came through Jesus Christ.
I'm not sure if you noticed. But up to this point. The word has been nameless in John's prologue. I tried to be careful not to spoil John's big reveal. He finally gives us the name of the Eternal Creator called the word and the true life and his name is Jesus.
We heard the past 2 weeks how Jesus was the name both Joseph and Mary were told to give the baby conceived in Mary by the Holy Spirit. Jesus is the name. That means Yahweh saves and Jesus has that name because he is Yahweh who would save his people from their sins? This is the grace upon Grace that we have received the grace and truth that came through Jesus Christ. That could not come through the law of Moses.
the law cannot save it only condemns and points to the savior. That savior is Jesus Christ The True Light that has come into the world and the Eternal Word who created and sustains everything. The law condemns but in Christ, there is no more condemnation. As Romans 8:1 through four says there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus for the law of the spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death for God has done what the law weakened by the flesh could not do by sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh and forcing. He condemned sin in The Flash in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not according to the flesh but according to the spirit.
And the grace we receive in Salvation. It's not some extra thing that Jesus had to seek out in order to give to us. It comes from him as an overflow of his bonus. You see Jesus has so much grace that I guess just fourth filling us with that. Same Grace. His grace is not contingent on how well we obey or how much we love him. His grace is contingent only on how much he loves us and that is infinite.
I've heard it argued that Jesus came to Earth and died on the cross simply because he loves us so much. And I've also heard it argued that Jesus is Love had nothing to do with him coming to Earth and dying on the cross that he only did those things because of his love for the father who sent him. I would offer a word of caution and trying to pit Jesus his love for us against his love for the Father. The Bible is clear that Jesus is Love for the father motivated him to come and to die in John. 1431. Jesus says I do as the father has commanded me so that the world may know that I love the father. It's also clear that his love for us motivated him to do those things as well in John. 15:13. Jesus says greater love has no one than this that someone lay down his life for his friends. It's not either or it's both end. Jesus came to the Earth as a human being and died on the cross in our place because of his love for both. the father and us
that's what it means that we have received Grace upon Grace from his fullness of Grace and Truth his Divine love for the father and their joint love for us overflowed to us in the Incarnation and the atonement Jesus is the greatest gift ever given. Because when he came God gave us himself. full of grace and truth
By giving us himself. He has made himself visible in the person of Jesus Christ. That's one aspect of a verse 18 means no one has ever seen God. The only God who is at the father's side. He has made him known no one has ever seen God because God is Spirit rather than physical. God does not have a physical form that we can look upon and say that we have seen God, but now that the Eternal Word the True Light Jesus Christ has put on flesh and entered the world as a human being God can now be seen.
But more than just seeing God we can now know God. Because Jesus has made him known.
The only God who was at the Father's Side can be none other than Jesus Christ who existed in eternity past came and lived a perfect life as a human being suffered and died on our behalf rose again on the third day and has ascended to sit at the father's side interceding for us until he comes again to make all things new. He has made the father known.
How else could we know the father? Unless we are reconciled to him through the Incarnation and atonement of his son.
What does prologue of John's gospel has summarized the rest of the book letting us know exactly what will be coming in the pages to follow? John does not give many details on the Incarnation from an Earthly perspective like Matthew and Luke do instead John gives theological details on what exactly the Incarnation means for mankind who are in dire need of a savior. The first of those theological details is the true identity of the Eternal Word and the True Light asserting that the truth that Jesus Christ is God one of the Divine persons of the Trinity. Yahweh himself. The second detail is that God entering the world in this intimate way would divide the world some rejecting him and others believing in him and being granted adoption and spiritual birth as God's children. And the third detail is that this would all be accomplished as Eternal God put on flesh and lived Among Us gloriously overflowing with grace and truth and Diamond lacrosse in our place so that we can be reconciled to the father and know him.
Do all of these details are wonderful truths to know and remember. But what's the point? John wrote this prologue as a summary. So the point of the prologue is the point of the entire book. And the point of the entire book is found in John 20 vs 30 to 31 very near to the end. It says now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples which are not written in this book, but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ the son of God and the Bible leaving you may have life in his name. We cannot have life in the name of Jesus without believing that he is the Christ the Messiah the Son of God. And to show that the Incarnation and atonement are the means by which we can know the father. And placing our faith in Jesus secures our eternal life by reconciling us with the father.
If you have not put your face in Jesus for your salvation, then I implore you not to wait another second. If you have then I pray that this would strengthen your faith. Believe that he is who he says he is. He is the Eternal almighty God who took on flesh believe that he has done what he said he would do. He fulfilled the law and died in your place and rose again, and he is seated at the father's right hand interceding for you so that you can be saved from sin and death.
Believe that you are saved because he loves you. And he wants to be with you for eternity.
Believe and turn to him in faith away from sin and the suppression of the truth. Believe enjoying the family of God is his adopted and Born Again child.
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Father thank you for sending your son to save us from our sins. And to save us from your wrath against our sins. You've given us the greatest gift. You've given us yourself in the person of Jesus Christ.
And we cannot adequately Express how thankful we are. But we do our best. As we sing your praises and Proclaim your word to one another and pray to you with our hearts full of your grace and truth
That same grace and truth that overflows from your son. Who came and died for us even though we were enemies?
Father I pray that everyone in this room would believe that Jesus is the Christ. And by believing that they would have life in his name.
And father as we celebrate the New Covenant now, I pray that you would constantly remind us of the Incredible Gift of Salvation in Jesus's blood. are Newhart And your spirit living within us.
And we pray all this in Jesus name. Amen.
