John 1:1-18 (2)
Notes
Transcript
Find the “BIG IDEA” >> a. What is the author talking about? b. What is he saying about what he is talking about?
a. Who I Jesus?
b.
Find the FCF >>
1. What does the text say?
2. What spiritual concern(s) did the text address (in its context)?
3. What spiritual concerns do listeners share in common with those to (or about) whom the text was written?
[Kids Time!]
[Introduction]
[Introduce Text]
QUICK RECAP (Should be < 3 minutes...):
John 1:1-18 >> John’s Prologue: The Incarnation of the Son of God
His Eternality (v. 1-2)
His Pre-Incarnate Work (v. 3-5)
His Forerunner (v. 6-8)
His Rejection (v. 9-11)
His Reception (v. 12-13)
His Deity (v. 14-18)
Eternal = Without end or beginning
>> verse 1: From the very beginning, the Word existed, the Word was with God, the Word was God
The Trinity = “God is one Being in three Persons — not three gods, not one person in three forms, but one divine essence shared fully and eternally by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”
In the Trinity...
...God is One
...God is Love
...God is Powerful
...God is Revealed AND Mysterious
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.
[Prayer]
[Explanation]
John 1:1-18 >> John’s Prologue: The Incarnation of the Son of God
His Pre-Incarnate Work (v. 3-5)
Incarnation = "taking on flesh” >> The act of God the Son taking on human flesh and becoming fully man while remaining fully God.
>> “Pre-Incarnate” means, “Before God the Son took on flesh”.
>> “Where was Jesus before His virgin birth?”.
>> Answer is… He has eternally existed, but not in embodied flesh. Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Mary and the Palestinian Jew… Had a date of birth. There were many days in created history when Jesus, the man, was not on earth. However, God the Son has eternally existed AND worked before His incarnation! (READ BELOW)
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.
>> What is John telling us in these few sentences?
>> The Son of God is the active “accomplisher” of:
1. Creation (v. 3)
2. Revelation (v. 4 and 5)
>> Paul writes to the Colossians,
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 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. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
>> The author of Hebrews later writes,
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. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
10 And,
“You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning,
and the heavens are the work of your hands;
11 they will perish, but you remain;
they will all wear out like a garment,
12 like a robe you will roll them up,
like a garment they will be changed.
But you are the same,
and your years will have no end.”
>> The Son of God has eternally existed and at the beginning, is active in the work of creation.
>> Not only is God’s preincarnate work present in creation… But it’s also present before creation in salvation. Check this out, and pay special attention to thee words used to describe the persons of the Godhead and their action in salvation:
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
>> “All things were created through Him, and for Him”. Through the Son and for the Son.
>> All before the incarnation, the Son has been busy accomplishing the will of His Father.
What are the implications of this? “So What?” I’ve got two:
1. Jesus is kind of a big deal...
There was an interview I listened to with a pastor named Sam Allberry where he was speaking about the struggle our culture has with reconciling what the Bible says concerning homosexuality. Being one with same sex attractions, this was a real topic for him. I remember feeling shocked by his response. He said something along the lines of,
>> “When people can’t believe that Jesus would want their sexuality, which is no small thing… They actually do think so small. Jesus doesn’t just want our sexuality, He wants all of us.”
>> If Jesus truly is God the Son, and we were created through Him and for Him… Then even the deepest parts of us belong to Him.
>> The fourth question of the New City Catechism is:
Q4: How and why did God create us?
A: God created us male and female in his own image to know him, love him, live with him, and glorify him.
And it is right that we who were created by God should live to his glory.
>> How about the sixth question of the New City Catechism? It asks, How can we glorify God? the answer?
Q6: How can we glorify God?
A: We glorify God by enjoying Him, loving Him, trusting Him, and by obeying His will, commands, and law.
>> Jesus is kind of a big deal! We were created to glorify Him, by enjoying, loving, trusting, and obeying Him.
Okay, so, Jesus is kind of a big deal. Second,
1. Jesus is kind of a big deal...
2. Jesus is trustworthy
Why would Him being God the Son and all this info about His preincarnate work lead us to believe He is trustworthy?
Imagine you’re home, and the doorbell rings. You go answer it, and there’s a nicely dressed stranger with a clipboard and a flashy smile. They want to talk for “just a few minutes of your time”. What are your first thoughts?
>> In those moments, I instantly feel distrusting. I’m asking myself, “Why are you here and what is your agenda...”
Lets consider now, Why did God the Son come incarnate in the first place?
>> Lets let Jesus speak for Himself:
[[Below for slide, SKIP]]
Jesus Himself says He came:
to save the lost (Luke 19:10)
to serve and ransom (Mark 10:45)
to reveal the Father and truth (John 14:9; 18:37)
to call sinners to repentance (Luke 5:32)
to give life (John 10:10)
and to bring holy division/judgment on evil (Matt 10:34).
[[READ BELOW]]
Jesus Himself says He came:
to save the lost (Luke 19:10 “10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”” )
to serve and ransom (Mark 10:45 “45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”” )
to reveal the Father and truth (John 14:9 “9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” ; John 18:37 “37 Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”” )
to call sinners to repentance (Luke 5:32 “32 I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”” )
to give life (John 10:10 “10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” )
and to bring holy division/judgment on evil (Matthew 10:34 “34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.” ).
>> Jesus didn’t come out of obligation or force, pity, self centeredness, some hidden agenda…
>> He came to do what He has always been doing, even before the incarnation: Because he was sent by the Father to accomplish something. and that “something”, is our salvation, the redemption of all created things, and ultimately to bring glory to the Father.
>> The incarnation is the ultimate, premeditated and planned, act of love God has demonstrated to the World. He is trustworthy and deserves and wants every part of us.
[Worship Team Can Come up]
Who is Jesus?
I think the Nicene Creed summarizes it better than I could. Would you stand and read this portion of it with me?
Nicene Creed
Nicene Creed
“We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God,
begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father;
through Him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation He came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit He became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man;
He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered death and was buried.
On the third day He rose again, in accordance with the Scriptures;
He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom will have no end.
