John 1:1-5
Notes
Transcript
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 any thing 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.
How did we get here?
At the end of 2023 we finished up the Book of Mark, an in depth walk through that book, looking at Jesus.
After that was a “now what” moment. What do we do with this life of being transformed in Christ. How does Christ’s Bride, us His Church conduct themselves in this new found love.
For that we were led through Ephesians, than 1, 2, & 3 John. Which as we know we just finished up last week.
And now today. Why John?
We love because he first loved us.
Why do we do what we do?
Worldy stuff?
NO! Because of 1 John 4:19!
JESUS!
We’ve been looking at our walks and what a believer is but was drawn to “why do we do what we do”
And it comes back to Jesus, if we lose sight of Him and just focus on us we’re in trouble.
Not that the last year or so was just a study on us being the bride of Christ. We always revert back to Jesus as our example of living but this theme of 1 John 4:19 kept coming in.
We need to understand this love, taste this love, be in this love.
What better way than to study one of the Gospels?
When I say “one of the Gospels” what does that mean?
The opening of the first 4 books of the New Testament.
Matthew, Mark, Luke, & John.
Ok, why are these books called the “gospels”?
The Gospel. What is it? “Good News” The good news of Jesus Christ, Jesus the Messiah, Jesus the Savior.
What is the good news of Jesus Christ.
We hear it all the time and we talk about it all the time but what’s the good news.
I remember hearing this years ago in small groups by the Pastor the Lord used to bring me to Him.
Thinking what’s the big deal about this word “the Gospel” and its meaning “the good news”.
What is the “Good news” and how come I’m not feeling excited about it.
How come everytime I think about Jesus, “good news” doesn’t come to mind.
All I remember from going to church and hearing about Jesus.
Is your either hot or cold and being spit out of his mouth.
I need to be perfect as God is perfect.
Do this, don’t do that. Try, fail, try, fail, try, fail.
Does He love, ya of course as long as I do this and don’t do this.
But because I couldn’t I didn’t think anything like good news when Jesus came up. It was all bad news for me.
Folks this is why the understanding of the gospel is so important.
The good news or the gospel is this.
but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
STILL SINNERS
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
MERCY,
GREAT LOVE,
EVEN WHEN WE WERE DEAD.
RAISED UP!
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
BY FAITH
GIFT
NOT WORKS
HIS WORKMANSHIP, CREATED IN CHRIST JESUS
So when we talk about the gospel and the gospels of the bible.
It the good news of Jesus,
His birth, life, death, burial, and resurrection.
All to satisfy the justice of God’s rightousness and to give us life, in love for the Father and His creation!
These gospels of the bible. Matthew, Mark, Luke, & John.
Write directly about Jesus’ earthly life. What He did, what he taught, who He is, and how all this relates to life and truth.
You want to see God in the phyisical, read the gospels.
You’ve never a read a book of the bible, start with the gospels.
You want to understand...
We love because he first loved us.
start with the gospels!
Let’s open up and start!
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
First thing John starts of with is absolutes!
“In the beginning”
Beginning of what?
What does this instantly bring to mind?
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
Creation, existence, time.
God is outside of beginning and ending.
God has always been, and always will be.
Hence the “I am” statement.
Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’ ”
No one defines God but God.
I am who I am. No beginning no end.
“I am” I existist outside of being created, no one names me, “I am” who “I am”.
God. All powerful, all rightous, all Holy.
Just as I am Tony and there’s limits to me. Am only Tony nothing else. I’m not a Joe Montana the great quarterback and Joe Montana’s not an overthinker like Tony can be at times. We are limited.
The great “I am” is limitless in power and beginning and ending.
Therefore when we talk in the beginning it’s for our understanding. In the beginning means creation, existence, time, etc.
So in the beginning of creation, exsistence, time was the Word.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.
Who do we see here, the Word.
How come it doesn’t say Jesus and how come John doesn’t give an explantion as to why he defines Jesus as this way?
The word in greek is Logos.
And like so many words in the Greek, they don’t always translate word for word to English.
Language, speech, words, have many different meaning. And as we know some words are used in multiple ways depending on context or thought.
So, this word logos, also has many different meaning in the Greek.
Some of it’s meanings are word, speech, divine utterance, analogy, computation, relation, explanation, law, rule of conduct, continuous statement, tradition, discussion, reckoning, and reputation.
Logos is the source of the word "logic" and the root word for all English words ending in "-ology".
So as we can see, it’s not always easy to just translate one language to another. It takes alot of study of context to what the authors are trying to communicate.
Which brings up a good point about translations.
There are some religions that like to try to fit God into a box and define Him as something to fully grasp.
Things like the Trinity is a man made word and nowhere in scripture, this is true.
This is the best attempt a limited man could create for a unlimited God in trying to understand a being the over and over defines Himself as such.
We follow what God says about Himself not the other way around!
You may get a knock on your door one day aruging these verses, that is says “a god”
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Trying to prove their point of not understanding the God of the Bible and bring in false wording that is just not there.
It is there in their translation but when it comes down to and an in depth study is used. You find translators that have no more merit than Joesph Smith of the LDS faith.
Their word “lower case” over ours.
Meaning I’m telling you to take my word, man’s word over another man’s word. And what are all men outside of the only One perfect Man Jesus? Flawed
God’s Word, the unaltered, true Word of God, stands the test of time as more and more ancient manuscripts are found, they all continue to uphold the truth of the God’s Word.
Nothing needs to be added or taken from it.
Over 40 different authors.
Across 3 different continents.
Over nearly 2,000 years.
From scholars to shepherds, kings to commoners.
Fisherman, tax-collectors, doctors, and priests, each author unique but all pointing to the same God.
The God that opens up His word in Genesis with words like our and us, showing plurality.
but also is clearly defining Himself as One God.
To todays studied verses that show the same thing.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
With God and was God…hard for me God to fully understand but you are clear in how you define yourself and who am I a mere man to argue? What does man have to gain to write about such hard thoughts?
It’d be much easier to just write it away as others do and claim we have the truth because it makes more sense as we are God and we make the truths.
We hold fast to His word, God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit. One God existing in three persons.
Anyway back to the word logos...
How come it doesn’t say Jesus and how come John doesn’t give an explantion as to why he defines Jesus as this way?
First, no explantion given. Indicating the reader understands it’s meaning.
Second, this word in this type of context in talking about gods was viewed quite heavliy during this time as what the world talks about now as intelligent design.
Remember what we talked about earlier, Logos is the source of the word "logic" and the root word for all English words ending in "-ology".
We see grand intellengent design all around us and it’s probabable that it came from a Grand Designer but who or what that is we can’t tell ya.
John is writing is such a way to grab attention to this thought!
Hello, McFly, anyone home? Linda Listen!
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.
Intellegent design! This is Him!! (maybe displace the word “word” with “intellegent design”?)
All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.
What is made through Him? ALL THINGS
You want to know, you want to understand ALL things. Go to who?
Jesus!
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.
We started with the gospel and we’re going to end with the gospel!
The gospel is the greatest news, the greatest treasure ever given.
The gospel is eternal life in righteousness with the author of rightousness!
It is opposite of what we have today.
Temporary life in unrightousness that leads to death and decay!
Folks even in the best of times, this is what we have outside of Jesus!
Here today gone tomorrow.
For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?
The Gospel is life! And life with the creator of it!
I’m so thankful the darkness has no overcome it!
I’m so thankful for life given by the light in place of my darkness.
Praise God!
