Sermon Tone Analysis

I. Introduction

A. We will be in

B. The Subject of the Prologue: “The Word.”

1.

The problem is people don’t know the Bible or the truth of the Bible if it hit them square in the middle of their face.

In our nation today, we have great Biblical illiteracy rate.

(Opening Illustration)

On a cold winter day, January 12, 2007, A man wearing blue jeans, a long-sleeved T-shirt and a Washington National ball Cap, went into a metro (subway) station in Washington DC and near the entrance next to some garbage cans opened his violin case, took out his violin and began to play, laying open his violin case to collect tips.

He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes.

During that time, since it was rush hour, over a thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

Three minutes went by and a middle aged man noticed there was musician playing.

He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried up to meet his schedule.

A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping continued to walk.

A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again.

Clearly he was late for work.

The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy.

His mother tagged him along, hurried but the kid stopped to look at the violinist.

Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk turning his head all the time.

This action was repeated by several other children.

All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.

In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while.

About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace.

He collected $32.17.

When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it.

No one applauded.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the absolute best violinist in the world.

His violin was a rare Stradivarius made in 1713, and worth 3.5 million dollars.

Three days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell played at a sold out Boston’s stately Symphony Hall where the seats average $100 each.

This is a real story.

Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of an social experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people.

The outlines were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we perceive beauty?

Do we stop to appreciate it?

Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context?

Isn’t it tempting to see God like we want him to be, rather than how he has revealed himself?

In an interview with Parade magazine, the musician Elton John said, “I think Jesus was a compassionate, super-intelligent gay man who understood human problems.”

One of the easiest ways to commit the sin of idolatry is to remake God in our image.

For culture’s view of God, see Parade magazine.

2. For an accurate view of God, see the Bible.

3. The opening words of this gospel bear a striking parallel with the opening words of Genesis.

4. John’s own particular contribution is to show that the Word existed before creation.

5.

I could give you the Greek definition, or the Gnostic definition, or even the views of Plato and Philo the philosophers, but the only view and definition that matters is what is in the Word or God.

6.

The close connection between life and light is not unexpected.

In the physical world life is dependent on light, and this idea is here transferred to the spiritual world.

7. The light, which is closely linked with the Word, must be regarded as personal.

8.

It must mean the spiritual enlightenment which humankind has received exclusively through the coming of the Word.

9.

In short, God’s ‘Word’ in the Old Testament is his powerful self-expression in creation, revelation and salvation, and the personification of that ‘Word’ makes it suitable for John to apply it as a title to God’s ultimate self-disclosure, the person of his own Son.

10.

But if the expression would prove richest for Jewish readers, it would also resonate in the minds of some readers with entirely pagan backgrounds.

11.

In their case, however, they would soon discover that whatever they had understood the term to mean in the past, the author whose work they were then reading was forcing them into fresh thought.

II.

Body

A. THE PERSON—vv.

1–5

1.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

He was with God in the beginning.

All things were created through Him, and apart from Him not one thing was created that has been created.

Life was in Him, and that life was the light of men.

That light shines in the darkness, yet the darkness did not overcome it.

2. Many unregenerate men consider themselves to be God’s children, or “sons of God.”

But being a product of God’s handiwork does not qualify one for a sonship relationship.

(Body Illustration)

A cabinetmaker constructs a cabinet.

But this does not make the cabinet a “child” of the cabinetmaker.

A birth process would be necessary for this.

The unregenerate man who claims sonship with God “because he made me” is basing his claim merely on the fact that he is a product of God’s handiwork.

Like the cabinet, he lacks the new birth necessary for a sonship relationship.

3. The Essential Nature of the Word.

4. Christ—vv. 1

a.

In the beginning was the Word….

b.

We know these words from – “In the Beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

1) Jesus was in the beginning.

2) Time has a beginning and it is clearly documented in .

3) Jesus was there at that beginning point in time.

4) Like God, Jesus was present before there was time.

c.

We would say eternity past, but what is eternity?

1) Our mind cannot comprehend the non-existence of time.

2) But the scriptures are clear.

3) Time itself is a creation of God and time had a beginning and time will have end.

4) So eternity is not so much as time without end, but timelessness.

5) And there was Jesus before time began.

5.

He is an eternal being.

a.

The beginning carries us back to the initial point of time.

“In the beginning was the Word …”

1) The Word existed in the beginning.

2) John chose this term because it was familiar to his readers, but he invested it with his own meaning, which becomes evident in the prologue through three terms.

a) Past—“In the beginning was the Word.”

i.

He is a distinct Person from God, yet one with Him.

ii.

“And the Word was with God …”

1.

The Word was with God in a special relationship of eternal fellowship in the Trinity.

2. The word “with” translates from Greek to mean “in company with”

a.

In fact, when we were with you, we told you previously that we were going to suffer persecution, and as you know, it happened.

b. that life was revealed, and we have seen it and we testify and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us—

b) Power—“And the Word was with God.”

i.

He is God.

“And the Word was God.”