Christology, Part II; John 1:6-13

What are some major decisions that have shaped your life?

Dietreich Bonhoeffer

“Cost of Discipleship”

great Pastor and Christian thinker in Germany when Hitler rose to power

He recognized early on the great evil of the Nazi ruler

At height of WWII, he joined a resistance movement within the military intelligence agency; arrested for helping a group of Jews escape to Switzerland and implicated as part of the conspiracy and plot to assassinate Hitler and overthrow the Nazi regine

Two years later he was executed with a handful of other resistance members

While in prison, he wrote letters to his family and friends; and one letter described his decision to join the resistance and that whether they were successful or not — this one decision would define him.

Attention for a moment from Jesus to John the Baptist

The author — the apostle John — never refers to himself by name in this book. How does John refer to himself?

“the disciple who Jesus loved”

John the Baptist purpose to relay a message from God about Jesus. Sent on a mission by God to deliver it

containing the call for a decision: “What will you do with Jesus?

Why is John given the title witness?

Called to witness stand and asked for specific information. We sit like the jury, needing to make a decision with the information. We must decide how we will respond to his testimony

a good witness does not attract attention to himself but to the person or facts which he represents

John is on the stand to share the truth about the light to come

He came to speak from a human level and to awaken people to their need for God’s revelation.

Really, John was SENT

John using repetition to make a point

John’s message was enlightening, but he was not the true light

live in a world of artificial light (special effects, imitation…)

Jesus is the true light, not some imitation

We can see light, we don’t need to be told about light. So why did John need to tell people about the light? Who needs to be told the light is shining?

The blind

Jesus came as the light, but the world was blind and could not see it (John 1:10 - The one who created the world was in the world, yet the world did not recognize Him)

v.7-8

John llustrates what a proper witness of Jesus Christ does

He is not the light himself, but he can reflect the light of Christ

Jesus called John “a burning and shining lamp” (John 5:35)

His life pointed others to the true light and burned as a testimony to the transforming power of Jesus Christ

Interesting contrast when we look at the first 5 verses and these verses

Master & messenger

John was a man, Jesus is God

John was a witness, Jesus is the Word

John was a servant, Jesus is the Son

God sent John the Baptist into the world to tell us we need to make a life-defining decision about Jesus Christ

How can we bear witness to the light of Jesus?

John called people to make a decision about Jesus…the same decision we make, and is the same decision others must make when we tell them about Jesus

v.10

All in one verse, John taught incarnation, creation, and rejection

v.11

We get a snapshot of the response to Jesus. Did everyone accept/receive him? — Who did not accept him?

God’s chosen people (Jews) - God made a covenant with them and promised a Messiah who would come and deliver them from their sins. Where do we read some of these covenants God made about the promised Messiah delivering them? Where do we read about the fulfillment of these through Christ?

Gen 12:2-3 - covenant of blessing to all people

Gen 17:1-3 - be blameless, will make covenant and multiply Abraham to be father of many nations

Gen 17:7 - covenant with and thru offspring

Exodus 19:5-6 - obey and God will keep His covenant, they would be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation

Exodus 20; 24:7 - Ten commandments so that they may not sin and Israel affirmed they would obey all the Lord spoken

Levitical Law to help Israel maintain communion with God and atone for sin that separated them from God

2 Samuel 7:12 - covenant with David thru Nathan about offspring

Jeremiah 31:31-34

covenant necessitated a personal relationship and knowledge of God

The New Covenant would remain as an inward purification, not a physical purification like the previous covenant. God’s New Covenant with Israel anticipated the Messiah.

Matt 1 genealogy revealing Jesus as seed from Abraham & David

Gal 3:16 - God’s promise to Abraham referred to Christ as the offspring who would fulfill an everlasting covenant

Acts 13:38-39 - law of Moses did not justify (just revealed sin); Jesus forgives and justifies

Gal 3:13 - Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law

Heb8:13 - Christ made the law obsolete

Gal 3:24 - law could not give life, but was guardian till Christ

Gal 3:5-7 - Faith in Christ counts one as righteous and offspring of God

Gal 3:8, 14 - All nations blessed thru Abraham with opportunity for salvation (including Gentiles)

When Jesus arrived, they were seeking their Messiah, but they did not recognize Jesus as the messiah

Why was it that the world did not know and recognize the Lord Jesus Christ when He was present? In what ways did the world then not recognize Jesus?

The world did not want to recognize Him

He did not fit their mold of what they thought the Messiah was

In what ways do the world we live in not recognize Jesus?

If someone does not want to see a truth, one will not see it

When they were seeking their Messiah, they not only did not see Jesus as the messiah, they rejected Jesus, the one promised and sent by God

but even in their rejection of Jesus, God was at work. Because He used it to usher in the salvation of the Gentiles (Rom 11:11)

When we talk about our/other’s response to Jesus; there is the decision to reject Jesus

Before hearing about Jesus, we naturally live life blind to the light and in rejection to Jesus

After hearing about Jesus and the gospel and shown the light that pierces thru the darkness of sin…we must choose to continue rejecting Jesus or follow Him

But no matter who — rejection of Jesus leaves a person in sin without a savior

No other light can pierce the darkness of your sin

Jesus was rejected for the most part, but some turned and received Him

v.12

Already and especially in v.12-13, John established the heart of the gospel

All who receive Him

What does this mean?

received Him by believing/trusting in His name

“received” is a term used all throughout the gospel of John

means we must completely rely on Him

what does this look like? what do we rely on Him for?

temporal

eternal

our position before God

Jesus our intermediary

When we receive Jesus by completely relying on Him, who does John say we become?

“Children of God”

why is it that we are called “Children of God”?

offspring (Gal 3:5-7)

He is Father/creator of all

we who were dead in our trespasses (a fallen away or “false step” away from truth after being close beside /violation of God’s law/decrees) are now brought into the family of God

(interesting fact: trespass can have corporate implications — the entire human race experienced the trespass of Adam (Rom 5:15);

It is interesting that with the Jew’s rejection of Jesus, that their rejection was a part of God’s redemptive plan for the salvation through Christ to come to the gentiles(Rom 11:11))

Because of Jesus, we who deserve death are now made to share in God’s inheritance as His children

Only through Jesus does God call someone His child

He alone as that Authority to declare a change in our standing (once sinners and God haters, now fully accepted children)

How does our position/standing before God as His children change how we live?

Jesus changes everything

no need to fear the future (bc we will be with the Father) John 14; Phil 1:21-23

No need to be anxious

Our hope, our expectation is not in this world; one day we will shine in our Father’s kingdom (Matt 13:43)

This one decision to receive Christ completely redefines our lives

how has your decision to receive Christ redefined your life?

v.13

Further explains what “receive Jesus” and children of God implies and explains who and why some receive Jesus

“to those who believe in His name…”

talked about receiving/relying on/trusting before

We’re talking about those who receive/trust in God to save them. What are some wrong reasons people think God saves them? or reasons people think save them?

John gives 3 wrong reasons people think God saves them and they are a child of God

“Natural descent” - what might this imply?

Judaism - saves because of their racial or ethnic background (not bc of Christ but that they by ethnicity/nationality are saved)

Born in a Christian nation, born in a Christian family, born in and grown up in the church (these don’t make you a Christian or believer, let alone a member of a church)

can’t be born into salvation or the people of God. One can be physically born to a Christian and the Lord has tasked that parent/individual to raise the child up in Christ to understand that he/she “receive” Christ themselves

“Will of the Flesh”

Thinking that God saves people because of their sincerity

Good person thinking good things; “they were really nice…they must be a Christian”

Sincere or passionate about spiritual things, but these do not save you

“all roads lead to God”

“no matter your spiritual path and what you pursue, you will be with the divine”

Jesus - John 14:6 “I am THE way, THE truth, THE life”

You can’t do/think harder to be save; bc it is nothing that you can do to save yourself

“will of man”

You can’t plan your way into the family of God

No amount of work or human effort will bring a person spiritual life

“who were born…of God”

Behind every decision a person makes to receive Jesus is God who decided to give each one of us new life

We can only be saved through God’s intervention (John 6:37; John 6:44, 6:47, 6:63-65 (knew from the beginning)

Only thru Christ are we saved; only of God

It was God who chose to save us

This is where we see foundation of God’s sovereignty and His grace

Only God gives us new life, only God changes our position before Him from enemy to righteous child, only God transforms and regenerates us

Eph 2:8-9 - Nothing in us can merit salvation; God choose to save sinners and sinners simply respond to God’s call. This is Grace (think of it like adopting a child)

Grace - we were helpless and hopeless (walking around in the darkness and in our sin) until God did for us what we could not do for ourselves. He loves us (outside of us knowing Him), He received us to Himself, and He gave us the right to be called His children. Think of it like adopting a child

Conclusion:

Like most things in life, there is a right way and wrong way to respond to God

Right way (only meaningful way) - believe the gospel, receive the Savior and accept new birth as a result

Wrong way - continue living life without any regard to Jesus