The Word Became Flesh John 1:1-14 Introduction Who...

The Word Became Flesh

John 1:1-14

Introduction

• Who here has ever wanted to be God for just a little bit?
• Film: Bruce Almighty
• When we are angry, see injustice,
• If I was God how would I tell people about me? 
• Bird in the winter (shew, bread, become one)
• The Four Gospels, we will look at John.
• The Purpose of the Gospel of John “30 The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book. 31 But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name.” (John 20:30-31)
• John 20:30-31  30 А Исус извърши пред учениците още много други знамения, които не са вписани в тая книга.  31 А тия са написани за да повярвате, че Исус е Христос, Божият Син, и, като вярвате, да имате живот в Неговото име.
• Real life is found when we believe in Jesus; when we trust God on a daily basis.
• But to believe in Jesus we must know something about Him.  This is why John writes, so that by believing in Him we will have life.
• Read John 1:1-14
• We see John pointing out three very important things about Jesus Christ:
• Jesus is not a good teacher or prophet.  He is God’s Son, part of the Trinity.  He has existed since the beginning of creation
• Jesus does not show us how to have a better life.  Jesus is life.  Real life can only be found in a relationship with Him.
• Jesus is the light of the world.  We can only see life in it’s proper perspective when we see it through the light of Christ.

Creation (1:1-3)

• Jesus is not a good teacher or prophet.  He is God’s Son, part of the Trinity.  He has existed since the beginning of creation
• “In the beginning…” we are meant to think about Genesis. Jesus has always existed as part of the Trinity of God.
• There is always a tendency in our world to lessen the importance of Jesus in daily life. 
• Jesus was a good teacher.
• He was a holy man.
• But the Bible rejects this.  Jesus was with God the Father and the Holy Spirit in creating the world we live in.  “Let US make man in our own image” (Gen. 1:26) Plural. 
• Genesis 1:26  И Бог каза: Да създадем човека по Нашия образ, по Наше подобие;
• Life with Jesus allows God to continue the creative process in us.  The world God created is not bad, but has been frustrated by sin.  Likewise, many of us experience frustration in our personal lives.  Life does not always work out as we planned.
• Our hope is that God can continue His creative work in us; if we follow Jesus Christ in faith.
• I’m not what I was, but I am also not what I want to be.  But God has not stopped working on me.
• Unfortunately, many people do not allow God’s creative work in their life.
• Fire needs wood.  Without wood the fire goes out.  Jesus’ presence in our lives is that constant supply of wood allowing our lives to burn.  Real life.
• Have you seen people that are alive, but their fire for life has gone out?
• John tells us that everything was made through Jesus.  And if we follow Jesus he will continue His creative work in us.

Life (1:4)

• Not only does faith in Jesus allow God to work creatively in us, but it also gives us real life.
• Jesus does not show us how to have a better life.  Jesus is life.  Real life can only be found in a relationship with Him.
• John 1:4  В Него бе животът и животът бе светлина на човеците.
• People often try to create their own meaning for life… their own standard for happiness. What is the point of life?
• To be wealthy.  To have lots of friends.  To be famous.
• When we try to create our own meaning for life, outside of Jesus, there is one big danger.  We cannot control the unexpected.
• Ivan wants to be a surgeon, but injures his hand.  What happens to Ivan if that is his meaning for life?
• Krasi wants more than anything to be a mother, but she can’t have children.  What will happen with her if her whole life’s meaning is wrapped up in that?
• The danger is that all of these things are dependant on circumstance.
• But what if we see Jesus as The Life instead of these other things?  We become free from circumstance. 
• No matter if I am a banker, a teacher, a mother, or a pensioner.  Jesus is the focus of life.  He is life.
• We cannot know the future.  But we can know the one who writes the future.  And we can have confidence that we are in His hands.

Light (1:5-9)

• John shows us that in Jesus we have real life based in Him, not on circumstances.  But more than that; real life in Jesus means that we can have victory in life’s challenges.
• Jesus is the light of the world.  We can only see life in it’s proper perspective when we see it through the light of Christ.
• John says, John 1:5  И светлината свети в тъмнината; а тъмнината я не схвана.
• What does it mean схвана? Darkness stands for two things:
• Those who oppose the Light
• Those who are ignorant of the Light
• Those who oppose the light:
• There are people that knowingly or unknowingly oppose the light of God.
• It may be a newspaper writer who writes some article about the evangelical church as a sect. 
• It may be a person who doesn’t give you a job because they know you go to church.
• Those who are ignorant of the light:
• There are people who are ignorant of the light
• They are desperate for the love of Jesus, but have never seen His love because they have no contact with a good church.
• There are those who want life to have some meaning, but in their daily life see no meaning at all because they do not have a personal relationship with Jesus.
• But here there are two promises.
• The light will shine in the darkness.  When you open a door the darkness does not go out, but the light comes in.
• The darkness will not overcome the light.  John says if you know Jesus you will have the quiet confidence in knowing that the Light will eventually have victory over the darkness.  

Conclusion (vs. 10-13)

• We did not seek a relationship with God.  He sought us out.
• “10 He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. 11 He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. 12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. 13 They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.”
• John 1:10-13  Той бе в света; и светът чрез Него стана; но светът Го не позна.  11 У Своите Си дойде, но Своите Му Го не приеха.  12 А на ония, които Го приеха, даде право да станат Божии чада, сиреч, на тия, които вярват в Неговото име;  13 които се родиха не от кръв, нито от плътска похот, нито от мъжка похот, но от Бога.
• A human father may offer his son his love, his advice, his friendship, and the son may refuse it and prefer to take his own way. It is so with God; God offers us the right to become sons but we need not accept it.
• It is John’s great central doctrine that in Jesus we see the very mind of God, the attitude of God to men.
• Jesus is not a good teacher or prophet.  He is God’s Son, part of the Trinity.  He has existed since the beginning of creation
• Jesus does not show us how to have a better life.  Jesus is life.  Real life can only be found in a relationship with Him.
• Jesus is the light of the world.  We can only see life in its proper perspective when we see it through the light of Christ.
• When our life is over and we stand before God:
• He will not ask you how many good things you have done.
• He will not ask you if you went to church.
• He will not ask you if you stayed awake for Tim’s sermon.
• He will ask you only one question:  How did you live in relationship to my Son Jesus Christ? 
• John tells us that when we see Jesus, we see God.  What we read about Jesus tells us what God is like. 
• Christianity is different from every other religion in the world.  We did not seek out God.  He sought us out and sent His son to die for us. For that reason God has only one question for us today.  What is your relationship with Jesus Christ?  The only way to have real life is to accept Jesus Christ as your personal savior.