Jesus: The eternal son of God
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Jesus: El hijo eterno de Dios
Jesus: El hijo eterno de Dios
Introduction
Introduction
Many people are immersed in planning family get togethers:
Holiday work parties
Secret Santa / White Elephant
Decorating their homes
Christmas church services
Christmas day breakfast, lunch, dinner
Travel plans, etc.
It is so easy for us to get carried away with the flurry of activity during this season that we loose sight of the reason for the incarnation.
Incarnation is a term that means the act of taking on bodily form. In Christian theology the incarnation refers to the son of God taking on human flesh in the person of Jesus Christ.
It is our desire to immerse ourselves in the word of God, not only during this holiday day season, but throughout the rest of our pilgrimage in this life, so that we may truly know God. Our desire is to know him, to learn how he is to be worshipped, and to learn why is is worthy of our worship.
We will turn our attention to the gospel according to the Apostle John. John is very different from the other gospels since:
It does not mention the birth of Jesus Christ.
It does not even refer to his genealogy.
In fact, this gospel starts with what we call a “prologue” (very similar to an introduction) and then immediately presents Jesus at the river Jordan to be baptized by John when he was approximately 30 years old.
John was chosen by God to right one of four gospels. He wrote, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, his message of good news based on his perspective. He mentions his purpose in .
But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
Pero éstas se han escrito para que ustedes crean que Jesús es el Cristo, el Hijo de Dios, y para que al creer en su nombre tengan vida.
But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
Pero éstas se han escrito para que ustedes crean que Jesús es el Cristo, el Hijo de Dios, y para que al creer en su nombre tengan vida.
We turn our eyes to the first five verses in John’s prologue and consider the following:
Who is Jesus?
Jesus is different from the Father
Jesus is God
What has Jesus done ?
Jesus is the creator
Jesus in the source of life and light
I. Who is Jesus? / ¿Quién es Jesús?
I. Who is Jesus? / ¿Quién es Jesús?
A. Jesus is the eternal / Jesús es eterno
A. Jesus is the eternal / Jesús es eterno
Note how starts:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
En el principio ya existía el Verbo,
y el Verbo estaba con Dios,
y el Verbo era Dios.
The first words of this gospel should bring to our memory the first words that are found in the Old Testament:
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Dios, en el principio,
creó los cielos y la tierra.
Although John does not narrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ he does something very special. He goes back not 2,000 years. He does not go back even 6,000-10,000 years (which is probably the age of the earth according to the chronology found in the Bible).
John goes back ages and ages.
John goes back into eternity.
He goes back to where there was nothing in this world.
He goes back to the time before God said: “Let there be light”.
John goes back to a time before the beginning of creation.
It is in this time, before creation, that Jesus already existed.
For this reason, we make the claim that Jesus Christ is eternal. There was not a moment in time when the son of God began to exist. He has always been, he has always existed.
B. Jesus is distinct from the Father / Jesús es distinto al Padre
B. Jesus is distinct from the Father / Jesús es distinto al Padre
Secondly, the Bible clearly reveals that Jesus is distinct from God the father. The bible says Jesus “was with God in the beginning” (1:2).
In the New Testament, many times when we see the word God it is referring to God the Father.
Let us not forget the marvelous doctrine of the Trinity. We believe God exists eternally in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Therefore, before anything existed what was there? Who existed before anything was created? God! God the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit in communion from eternity past.
It is important that we understand this concept. God did not create humanity because he was lonely. God did not create humans out of any intrinsic need.
He has always been in communion with himself - the three persons of the Trinity.
God expressed his life within himself - one God in three persons, blessed Trinity.
Please understand, that although this is a somewhat difficult concept to understand, it is vitally important to the people of God. Why? It is the Trinity who saves us. makes it clear. God the Father loved the world that he sent his only Son to die on the cross so that we who believe may have eternal life. It is by the Holy Spirit that we are born again to experience everlasting life.
C. Jesus is God / Jesús es Dios
C. Jesus is God / Jesús es Dios
There are many who wrongly believe that Jesus Christ is a lesser being than God the Father. This could not be further from the truth revealed in the Bible.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
“
En el principio ya existía el Verbo,
y el Verbo estaba con Dios,
y el Verbo era Dios.
The Bible specifically says that the Word (Jesus) was God himself.
He is not a lesser being, he is not inferior, he is God himself.
Because Jesus is God he is worthy of worship, our devotion, our praise, our offerings, our allegiance.
We do not worship a mere human being, a martyr, a philosopher, or a noble teacher. We worship God himself. We worship God who took upon himself human flesh, was born of a virgin, lived a perfect and sinless life, was spat upon, was flogged, was nailed to a cross and eventually died.
This is such a difficult thought to comprehend when we realize evil sinful men did to God himself.
They did not inflict all that pain and suffering upon a mere mortal. They did it to God himself, God incarnate.
D. Jesus is creator / Jesús es creador
D. Jesus is creator / Jesús es creador
There are also many who believe Jesus is a created being. This again is a distortion of the word of God.
A created being has a beginning. Everything that has ever been created has a beginning.
I began to exist nine months before my birth. I did not exist prior to that. I have been in existence for approximately 38 years and nine months.
On the other hand, God does not have a beginning or an end. He has always existed.
It is true that Jesus’ body came into existence 2,000 years ago. The embryo that was formed in Mary’s womb had a beginning. However, the Son of God who indwelt that embryo had no beginning.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is not a created being because he himself is the creator.
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
Por medio de él todas las cosas fueron creadas;
sin él, nada de lo creado llegó a existir.
John 1:
Everything that exists came into being because of him. He was God’s agent of creation.
It is possibly for this reason that he is called “the Word” which has the idea of God’s agent of creation. Jesus himself was active in during the creation of the heavens and the earth.
Everything that exists came into existence because of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Once again, let us go back to the cross. Let us go back to Gethsemane where he was arrested. Let us go back to his trial before Pilate, Annas, Caiaphas. Let us go to where he was flogged. Let us go to where he carried the cross and was eventually nailed to it to experience a horrible death.
Mere mortals where inflicting pain upon the creator of the heavens and the earth.
Mere mortals whose hearts beat because of the power of God himself.
Mere mortals who owed their life and existence to him where torturing and inflicting as much pain as possible with the intent of destroying him.
Peter himself spoke on the day of Pentecost accusing his hearers:
You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.
Rechazaron al Santo y Justo, y pidieron que se indultara a un asesino. Mataron al autor de la vida, pero Dios lo levantó de entre los muertos, y de eso nosotros somos testigos.
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This is what Christmas is about. The eternal one, the second person of the Trinity, God himself, the creator of the universe came to this sinful world to give his life as a ransom for our sin.
How could we not worship and praise his name for the things he has done?
How could we not come, worship and bow down, before the Lord our God and maker?
How could we not come and give our lives as a living offering before his presence?
The reason, why we do not: the darkness of our sin.
Jesus is different from the Father / Jesús es distinto al Padre
Jesus is different from the Father / Jesús es distinto al Padre
II. What has Jesus done? / ¿Que ha hecho Jesús?
II. What has Jesus done? / ¿Que ha hecho Jesús?
A. Jesús is the source of life and light / Jesús es la fuente de la vida y luz
A. Jesús is the source of life and light / Jesús es la fuente de la vida y luz
It seems logical that men would come to God and give their lives to him. It seems so right that men would come and praise his name.
The Bible reveals the reality of man’s condition:
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
John 1:
Esta luz resplandece en las tinieblas,
y las tinieblas no han podido extinguirla.
There is darkness in this world. All the darkness that exists is directly attributable to our sin. Darkness is a result of our envy, our hate, our immorality, violence, greed, injustice. etc.
The Lord Jesus came to a world full of sin. The all holy, all pure, without stain and sin came to a world full of darkness.
However, praise be to God for he came to bring light and life to men:
In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
En él estaba la vida,
y la vida era la luz de la humanidad.
Esta luz resplandece en las tinieblas,
y las tinieblas no han podido extinguirla.
Jesus came to this world as the source of all life. He came to this world as the source of all light.
Throughout the gospel according to John we will see these two words time and time again: light and life. However, we will also see its opposites: darkness and death.
Jesus came to this dark and dead world to bring light and life. He came to bring truth, joy, vitality, spiritual life to all who would believe.
Although the world is dead in trespasses and sin. Although the word rejects God and his offer of salvation let us not think God’s plan of redemption will be defeated.
God will triumph. God triumphed on the cross. God will not be defeated. Why will he not be defeated?
First of all because he is God!
Darkness cannot over come the light. No matter how dark a room may be, no matter how long it has been in darkness - even the smallest flicker of light will overcome the darkness. Darkness will never overcome the light; but surely the light of God has overcome the darkness in this evil world.
Jesus is God / Jesús es Dios
Jesus is God / Jesús es Dios
Jesus is the creator
Jesus is the creator
Jesus in the source of life and light
Jesus in the source of life and light