Sermon Tone Analysis
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We are studying the Gospel of John.
As we learned last week, John the apostle wrote this gospel while he was in Ephesus, somewhere between 60-90 AD, about 30 or more years after Christ was crucified, buried and raised from the dead.
As we also mentioned last week, the Ephesians knew the right doctrine, or teachings.
They could spot error, and stopped false teachers.
However, their love for Jesus had grown cold.
They knew the facts, but lost their love.
John wanted to share about Jesus so they would fall in love with him again.
John is unique, and distinct from the other gospel accounts.
While Luke and the others were writing so people would know what Jesus did, more of the facts (which are important!!), John spends more time looking at who Jesus is, and why he did or said the things he did.
John wanted those who read his gospel (good news) account of Jesus to...
Believe.
or more literally, be continually believing Jesus is Messiah—the one we have needed all along, the answer to our needs for salvation and a loving companion!
That we may be believing he is the Son of God—the second person of the Godhead, fully God!
And that by believing, knowing fully in our hearts and minds that we would have life, real life as God intended it—full, rich and satisfying—in his name.
Today, we continue our study, looking at .
Let’s work our way through this.
There was a man
The word was here is different from was in .
In , “In the beginning was the Word.”
There ‘was’ is literally the ‘to be’ verb.
It shows us that in the beginning the Word already existed.
He is eternal because the Word is God.
Here in , the word ‘was’ is literally ‘to come into being’.
It can be used of humans being born, plants being produced, or natural phenomena like cloudiness, storms, earthquakes, thunder or a time of day.
This shows a distinction between the Word, and this man.
It shows how the Word is greater than any man.
Even if...
Sent from God
Even if a man is sent from God, the Word is still greater than that man.
We are going to see that playing out as we continue reading through this gospel of John.
Whose name was John.
This is referring to John the baptist.
We will see that in the full context of Chapter 1, which is more than we will get through today.
John was a great man.
What makes a man great?
What made John great?
It was not worldly wealth.
As we see in the other gospels, John did not have much.
He wore the worst of clothing, and ate the lowest of foods.
He lived in the wilderness, dressed in camels hair and eathing locusts and wild honey!
What he had did not make him great.
His title or position did not make him great.
The religious leaders who had the positions looked down on him.
What made John great was that He was sent by God!
Are you and I great?
What do we think would make us great?
Things of this world, possessions do not make us great.
They will rust, rot, break, and simply not last.
They will not give true satisfaction.
Titles will fade, and you will be forgotten.
What makes us great?
God working in us, and sending us is what makes us great!
Wait, were you and I sent like John?
If you read through John this week, you may remember
I have a message for you, you are great!
Because God made you great and sent you!
Wow!
Fall in love with Jesus, who made you, brought you into being, and made you great!
He sent you!
You may, or may not, have a great job, but what makes you great is Jesus in you, Jesus sent you!
You may, or may not, have cool possessions, but what make you great is Jesus in you, Jesus sent you!
As you go through this week, remember, you are great because he sent you!
Hold up your head in pride wherever you are, whatever you are doing because you have been sent by Jesus!
As a witness, to witness, as a witness
Let’s read the next two verses together. .
As a witness, to witness, as a witness
Your bible likely has the word witness two times, and testify, tell about or something similar.
Actually, all three are the same root word.
Two times it is the noun, and 1 time it is in the verbal form.
μαρτυρία
When I said that word, what does it sound like?
Martyr.
What is a martyr?
“a person who voluntarily suffers death as the penalty of witnessing to and refusing to renounce a religion” - Inc Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary.
(Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Inc., 2003).
Now, all of a sudden, you may be thinking, oh no, I was sent by God like John!
There was a man - literally, came into being, distinct from “The Word was.”
Sent from God
Came as a witness
to testify/witness concerning that light
Yes, you and I were sent like John.
We have been given the greatest privilege in the world, to be martyrs!
To be witnesses to our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ!
so that through him all might believe
John repeats this word for witness three times.
Why?
Because that is why John came.
John himself was not the savior.
John himself was not this great person.
But he was a witness to the great one!
This association of being a witness to the great one is what made him great!
He was not the light.
He came only as a witness to the light.
(repeated; emphasis)
What is a witness?
Again, as defined in Webster’s:
1: attestation of a fact or event: TESTIMONY
2: one that gives evidence specifically: one who testifies in a cause or before a judicial tribunal
3: one asked to be present at a transaction so as to be able to testify to its having taken place
4: one who has personal knowledge of something
5 a: something serving as evidence or proof: SIGN
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