Prologue: The Incarnate Word (1:1-18)

Introduction:

So to begin this morning, I want to ask you what should be a rather simple question…”Who is Jesus?” As we study church history, we realize early on that following the completion of the Cannon of Scripture and its subsequent recognition as God’s infallible, inerrant Word, there was a significant effort made to determine from that Cannon of Scripture, who Jesus is. There were those who said that Jesus was a created being, a lesser god at best, or that Jesus the man and Jesus the divine were two separate persons. There were also those who said the the nature of Jesus the man was swallowed up by the nature of Jesus the divine, and so on and on the false ideas went. As a result, there were councils formed (Nicea: 325 AD, Chalcedon: 451 AD) to study this issue from the perspective of what the scriptures had to say and not from these philosophical arguments of men. From these biblically based councils, we have come to realize who Jesus truly is, which of course, is paramount to the Christian faith. For, if you get the doctrine of Jesus Christ wrong, Christianity comes crashing down, and all is hopeless.

In our new series, The Gospel According to John, we will see that the apostle John, one of Jesus twelve disciples, and the last of those disciples still living, wrote his good news, his gospel, in which his sole purpose was to declare who Jesus is, and that through his experience of walking with Jesus for three years, the Holy Spirit uses him, an eyewitness to all Jesus proclaims, to write this gospel. We will learn over the next year or so, what the councils learned, and that what we discover will either save our souls, or condemn us for all eternity. For what we will learn is not just an intellectual exercise, but a life changing, life giving, eternal reality so that none of us can go away unaffected.

With that in mind, we begin with what we call the prologue, which sets the stage for John’s gospel by providing the necessary background information about our main character, Jesus the Christ. All that we learn from this time forward, flows from this prologue. We will look this morning at this Prologue, and see that Jesus was The Incarnate Word, from John 1:1-18.

Text: John 1:1-18

John 1:1–18 ESV

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. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. 9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 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. 15 (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.’ ”) 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

Main Idea: Because the Word became flesh, mankind can truly know God.

Background:

Coming from the Old Testament into the New Testament provides us with a renewed vision of the unity of scripture. The Old Testament provides the promises of which the New Testament reveals their fulfillments. The Old Testament provides many types in which the New Testament reveals their anti-types. For many centuries, the Old Testament writers proclaimed the coming of the “seed of the woman” that would crush the serpents head. We learned that this seed would come through Abraham, Issac, and Jacob. We were told that this seed would be a King, and that his kingdom would be from the line of Judah, one of Jacob’s twelve sons, and that from within that line, he would be a descendant of David, and that his kingdom would be eternal. This king would be Israel’s Messiah, God’s anointed one, the Christ, whose existence was from eternity past as God, but would be born as a human being in order to save his people from their sins. This is the one we seek to expose in all his glory as we study together the Gospel According to John.

This perspective provides the uniqueness of John’s gospel in comparison to the Synoptic (“see together”, or to share a similar perspective) Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke), who share a similar perspective in a narrative of Jesus life and events much like a biography, whereas, John leaves out many of those events and focuses on the Spiritual significance of his miracles and teachings, so lets begin by defining an important word…

Word (logos - used 4x in 1:1-18) - the computation, reasoning, expression, or revelation of ones inward thoughts or essence, which if not disclosed would otherwise be unknowable. The scripture declares to us the ways and means by which God reveals himself:

General revelation:

Psalm 19:1 ESV

1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.

Romans 1:19–20 ESV

19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 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.

Special revelation:

Hebrews 1:1–2 ESV

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.

I. Deity of the Word (1-5)

A. Word Before Creation (1-2)

(1) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

In the beginning - denotes the moment of creation, since before creation there was no beginning.

was (eimi [imp, act, ind] - used 4x in verses 1-2, the imperfect tense shows existence before the beginning, without completion, in other words there was no beginning for the Word, nor will there be any end for the Word) the Word - shows the Word’s existence before the beginning, he…

was with (preposition of association - compared to or like through association) God - shows the fellowship and association of the triune God

was God - shows that the word is the very essence of God.

(2) He was in the beginning with God. - again emphatically stating that the Word existed before the beginning of creation.

B. Word At Creation (3)

(3) All things were made (ginomai [aor, mid, ind] - tense denoted a crisis event (specifically directed event), not a gradual process) through (dia [preposition of agency]) him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. - the Word was the agent of creation

C. Word After Creation (4-5)

These verse proclaim the purpose of the incarnate Word. Darkness is a sign of death and waste, whereas light brings life. This is why in the order of creation, God first created light.

Genesis 1:3 ESV

3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

(4) In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

In him was life - Another affirmation of deity: the Son as well as the Father has “life in himself” (5:26). The Word, as we saw in verse 3 was the creator and source of life.

the life was the light of men - the one who is called life, the Word, which was purposed for men. We see here again that life and light are used interchangeably.

(5) The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome (katalambano [aor, act, ind] - to defeat of overthrow) it. - this purpose is seen in how the light dispels the darkness that is in mankind.

II. Manifestation of the Word (6-13)

In this somewhat parenthetical section, we see that the Word entered our planet and was announced by a witness who himself became a living prologue of the Word.

A. Witness of the Word (6-8)

(6) There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

This is John the Baptist, the son of Mary’s cousin Elizabeth…we will meet him in greater detail in verses 19-34.

John wants us to know clearly that John the Baptist was commissioned by God in order to…

(7) He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. - John was given a progressive threefold purpose:

He came as a witness - to declare what he has seen and heard

to bear witness about the light - to declare what he has seen and heard about this light

that all might believe through him - to declare what he has seen and heard about this light so that all might put their trust through or in him.

(8) He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

John the Baptist himself was not the light, but his purpose was the point people in the direction of the true light.

B. Light Reception of the Word (9-10)

We see here why John the Baptist’s witness was so important, because people were so accustomed to the darkness, that light was unknowable.

(9) The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

The true light - In this gospel, “truth” and “true” are often employed to signify what is everlasting or heavenly, as opposed to the merely temporal or earthly.

which gives light to everyone - shows the universality of the light…God’s common grace provides this light for all to see. This common grace through the dispersion of God’s light, as we will see, was not well received.

was (eimi [imp, act, ind]) coming (erchomai [pre, mid, par]) into the world - shows once again that the one who existed from eternity past, is stepping into time. But what kind of reception did he receive?

(10) He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.

He was in the world - was again shows his pre-existence

the world was made through him - the world that he created, he entered.

yet the world did not know (ginosko [aor, act, ind] - to know experientially) him - though the light was dispersed universally, we see a general indifference to that light. Shows the total depravity of the world into which the World entered.

C. Possession of the Word (11-13)

(11) He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. - this may refer to the Jewish nation as they should have been the ones who were waiting for his arrival and yet they would not receive him.

(12) But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,

But (in contrast)to all who did receive him - Receive him implies not merely intellectual agreement with some facts about Jesus but also welcoming and submitting to him in a personal relationship. We see here that receiving him is synonymous with…

who believed - “Believed in” (Gk. pisteuō eis) implies personal trust

in his name - refers to all that is true about him, and therefore the totality of his person.

he gave the right to become children of God - To all … who believed … he gave the right - Fallen human beings are not children of God by nature; this is the privilege only of those who have faith, a faith generated in them by the sovereign action of God which we see next in verse 13.

(13) who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

Born, not of blood … , but of God makes clear that neither physical birth nor ethnic descent nor human effort can make people children of God, but only God’s supernatural work (8:41–47; cf. 3:16). This extends the possibility of becoming God’s children to Gentiles and not just Jews (11:51–52; cf. 10:16). See also 3:3–8.

III. Humanity of the Word (14-18)

We sometimes use the word incarnate, as we have done so this morning in our sermon title, with regard to Christ and may not be totally clear on its meaning. To be clear, the word incarnate means to be embodied in flesh, or to take on human form. We see this first of all in verse 14…

A. Word Became Flesh (14)

(14) 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.

the Word became flesh. This is the climactic assertion of the prologue. To some of John’s contemporaries, spirit and the divine were utterly opposed to matter and flesh. Others believed that the gods visited the earth disguised as human beings (Acts 14:11). But here a chasm is bridged: the eternal Word of God did not merely appear to be a human being, but actually became flesh. He took to Himself a complete and genuine human nature.

Hypostatic Union - we see here the welding together of two essences, or natures, one divine, which had been from eternity past, and one human, which became flesh. This is clearly taught by the apostle Paul in Philippians 2:

Philippians 2:5–8 ESV

5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

dwelt among us. “Dwelt” means “pitched His tent.” This not only indicates the temporary nature of Jesus’ earthly sojourn, but it also does so with a term that recalls ancient Israel’s tabernacle, where God resided in the midst of His people (Ex. 40:34, 35).

we have seen his glory. - carries forward the tabernacle image.

His “glory” is beheld, even as God’s was in the wilderness (Ex. 16:1–10; 33:18–23), in the tabernacle (Ex. 40:34, 35), and later in the temple (1 Kin. 8:1–11).

There may also be a reference to the transfiguration, since John, along with Peter and James, witnessed it (Matt. 17:1–5). Moses had asked to behold the Lord’s glory but could only glimpse His back (Ex. 33:18–23). “Glory” applies supremely to God, the Creator and Ruler of the universe, the One before whom all knees must bow.

The Son has the divine glory by right (17:5). The Reformers declared their faith with the motto soli Deo gloria (to God alone the glory).

the only Son (monogenes [adj] one and only). This phrase translates a single Gk. word. Some scholars argue that the Gk. word means “unique” or “one of a kind.” See Heb. 11:17, which refers to Isaac as Abraham’s “only-begotten” or “unique” son. Abraham had other sons (Ishmael and Keturah), so Isaac is a “unique” son, i.e., the son of promise, who was different in this sense from Abraham’s other sons. The term explicitly points to the eternal generation of the Son in the Trinity (see 3:16; and “the only [begotten] God” in 1:18). A portion of the Nicene Creed states this clearly:

The Lexham Bible Dictionary The Creed of 325

Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begotten of the Father [the only-begotten; that is, of the essence of the Father, God of God], Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father; by whom all things were made [both in heaven and on earth];

Who for us men, and for our salvation, came down and was incarnate and was made man;

full of grace and truth. These words correspond to OT terms describing God’s covenant mercy that are often translated “steadfast love and faithfulness” (Gen. 24:27; Pss. 25:10; 26:3; Prov. 16:6). When Moses saw God’s glory on Sinai, he heard the Lord proclaim His own name as the merciful God who is “abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (Ex. 34:6), a divine self-description that is repeated in later Scripture (Neh. 9:17; Pss. 86:15; 103:8; 145:8; Joel 2:13; Jon. 4:2). The Word made flesh fully manifests the gracious covenant-making and covenant-keeping character of God.

B. Preeminence of the Word (15-18)

(15) (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.’ ”) - This parenthetical statement shows clearly that although John the Baptist’s ministry preceded the public ministry of Jesus (Matt. 3), yet the Word, being eternal, existed before John (cf. 8:58).

(16) For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.

from his fullness - referring back to verse 14 in that as a result of the Word being fully equipped with grace and truth, we have all received,

grace upon grace. This word, frequent in Paul’s epistles, appears in John’s writings only in this passage and as a customary greeting in Rev. 1:4; 22:21. It emphasizes that salvation is a gift. The Reformation expressed this with the motto sola gratia (by grace alone). If v. 17 elaborates on this concise phrase, the sense is that the law imparted through Moses was a gift of God’s grace that was succeeded by the fuller grace revealed in Jesus.

(17) For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Moses ... Jesus Christ. There is both contrast and comparison. Grace and truth truly existed in Moses’ day, but they were fully revealed in the coming of Christ.

(18) No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

We see here the oneness of God and yet the triunity of God, of which the only Son is at the Father’s side.

No one has ever seen God. It is fundamental that God is invisible and without form (1 Tim. 6:16). Moreover, if God were to manifest His glory in a form that we could see, His divine purity would destroy sinful humans (Ex. 33:20; Gen. 32:30; Is. 6:1–5). Yet Christ reveals God. He brings the invisible and the visible together in a way that has no parallel or analogy.

So What?

Do we realize that the Word, the only Son, Jesus, existed before time began, and is the one who created all things?

Do we understand that Jesus, the Word, became flesh by means of the very processes he created, and that the whole purpose of this creation was to reveal God?

Do you desire to know God through Jesus Christ his Son, by believing in him, thus receiving him and becoming a child of God?