"The Great I Am" (John 1:1-5; 14)
Notes
Transcript
He was in the Beginning (v.1-2)
In the Beginning, God. (Genesis 1)
Not God’s Beginning
In order to be responsible for the beginning, one must be before it begins.
He did not create Himself.
He exists with the ability of existence within Himself.
The Word was there, in the beginning with God.
In a time outside of time, before time ever was, there was God.
Before all things
Hebrew word “Ba-ra” (to create out of nothing)
Out of nothing, something comes and in its perfect form
A word distinctively used for God alone.
Distinguished from the Hebrew word “asah” (to make)
Psalm 90:2 “Before the mountains were born Or You brought forth the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.”
The Word is not separated from God (v.1)
John uses this play on words to bring forth the reality of the eternal nature of Jesus.
He always was, is and forevermore will be.
The Word is God. (A man is as good as his word)
This Word is the same God who confronted Moses in the wilderness, calling Himself, “I AM.”
He Brought Forth all Things (v.3-5)
The Word Created all Things
It is known that God is the only One who shall receive credit for the creation.
John gives all the credit to the Word. (John is a good Jewish student)
All things came into being through Him, the Word.
God brought forth all things and did so through His Word.
God Spoke the Word
He brought forth creation, not with a snap of His finger, nor a wave of His hand but by declaration from His mouth!
“And God said...”
Through the power of the spoken Word of God, all things came into being and apart from the Word, nothing came into being that has come into being.
Known Fact of our Faith
Christ is not created no more than God is created but rather the instrument of God used in creation.
Revelation 4:11 ““Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.””
He Took on Flesh (v.14)
The Great I Am
The Miracle of the Incarnation. (Emmanuel)
The One who was before all things and created all things took of flesh to walk among us as a Man.
To experience our experiences, to be burdened by our burdens and inflicted by our inflictions.
The King over the universe, lying cold in a manger.
He who brought forth the plagues upon Egypt.
Who split the sea now an infant, born of a poor girl, a virgin with nothing outwardly interesting about her yet proclaimed by the heavenly angels as blessed and favored by God.
The Limitless within the Limited
The wonder that One so great could be contained in fullness of Himself and His greatness within the limitations of the flesh of a child.
So small, enough now to be held in the arms of His mother.
The infinite residing in the finite. (Paradox)
Even the Angels marveled at what had happened.
1 Peter 1:10–12 “Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, made careful searches and inquiries, inquiring to know what time or what kind of time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He was predicting the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been declared to you through those who proclaimed the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look.”
Mary did You Know
She knew her child was no ordinary child.
He was blessed and born of the Holy Spirit.
One who would be the Savior of His people for His Name was to be Jesus.
The promised One, the Messiah, the Christ
Did she understand that He would be God incarnate?
The Great and Powerful, Almighty, Creator of all things.
Alpha and Omega, Beginning and End.
Those of us, on this side of history look back at the life of this Holy Child and can see clearly what is.
Truly, this Babe is the Great I Am.
