Jesus in John - Knowing, Receiving, and Born
John 1:1-18 • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 25:14
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· 64 viewsWhat type of knowledge of Jesus do we need? What does Jesus give to those who believe in Him? By what are we born again?
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Knowing Jesus
Knowing Jesus
Jesus was the creator of the world.
John 1:3
All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
How ironic that the Creator of the world became flesh and lived as man...
John 1:14
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
and yet the Creation did not know him.
John 1:10
He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
Plenty of people knew of Jesus, but I think John here is writing about the intimate knowledge of Jesus and who He really was.
Even though He was deity dwelling in the flesh as man, many people knew of Him, but did not recognize Him as such.
1 Corinthians 2:7-8
But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
John would also write that the world would also have lack of knowledge of His followers, the Christians.
1 John 3:1
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
Can one really claim to know Him today without keeping His commandments?
1 John 2:3-5
And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
Receiving Jesus
Receiving Jesus
He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
John 1:11
Even though the whole world was created by Jesus, the Gospel would first be offered to the Jews, God’s chosen people.
Matthew 15:24
But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Later, the Gospel would be offered to Jews and Gentiles.
Acts 1:8
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
We know, however, that some did recognize Jesus for who He was.
John 1:12
Matthew 16:16
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Accepting the belief in who Jesus is, allowed people to become sons of God.
This phrase “sons of God” speaks of being in the family of God.
1 John 3:1
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
The lost are outside of the family of God and separated from Him.
Romans 6:23
Isaiah 59:1-2
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; Neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:
But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, And your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
But God’s plan was to use Jesus to allow the lost to be cleansed and be able to return to the presence of God.
Ephesians 1:5
Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
Those that are lost that receive Jesus, or in essence accept that He is deity, are allowed to be adopted into the family of God.
Notice that the Scripture does not state that those who accept Jesus become the sons of God, but rather those who accept Jesus are given the power, or authority, to become sons of God.
John 1:12
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
“To become” is an infinitive. An infinitive states the idea of the verb. If Jesus had automatically made those who believed in Him Sons of God, perhaps John would have written this a verb in the perfect tense, denoting a past, completed action with continuing results. John could have said, “But as many as received him, they have become the sons of God.” But instead, he wrote that those who believed in Jesus as the Son of God were given power “to become” sons of God, indicating that they were not sons of God yet, only that they had been given power to do something. The idea of becoming sons of God was there but the action is not yet completed at the stage of belief. Believing in Jesus does not automatically make you child of God. But, it does give you the authority to become a child of God.
When the eunuch was taught about Jesus...
Acts 8:35
Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
the eunuch desired to be baptized. He wanted to have an action performed upon him. Apparently, the message of Jesus and the message of baptism go together. We understand from the writings and speech of Paul that baptism is the action that puts us into Christ, puts us into His death where the blood of Christ was shed, and washes away our sins.
Romans 6:3-4
Acts 22:16
Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.
Little wonder that the eunuch desired to be baptized after hearing about the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. But notice what Philip told him.
Acts 8:37
And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
The belief in Jesus as the Son of God was the gate through which the eunuch must pass before being baptized. Accepting or receiving Jesus as deity, would give the eunuch the authority to finish the plan of salvation and become a son of God. It is clear what the belief was in, because when Philip explained that belief was necessary, the eunuch expressed his belief in the deity of Jesus.
John 1:12
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
When the eunuch believed, he now had the authority to become a child of God. He did so by being baptized and added to the body of Christ.
Acts 2:47
Ephesians 1:22-23
Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
Born of God
Born of God
On the one hand when we obey God’s plan of salvation we might say that we are spiritually adopted into God’s family and we become the sons of God.
From another perspective, we might describe ourselves as dying to our old sinful life and being born again to walk in a new way of life, following Christ.
Once we die to sin and have our sins washed away, we are able to return to the presence of God and live a new life in His family.
John 1:13
Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
This new birth is made possible due to God.
Notice that it is:
not of blood - being in the family of God does not depend upon your earthly ancestry or tribal affiliation. The days of Judaism are over.
not of the will of the flesh - being in the family of God does not come about due to the desires of the fleshly body. Again, it is not through procreation through an act of the flesh.
not of the will of man - being in the family of God does not come solely because man desired it to be so. When we sinned, we rebelled against God. It is only fitting then that God determines how forgiveness of that sin will occur.
being in the family of God does come about by God.
Being adopted in the family of God is made possible by Christ.
Ephesians 1:5
Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
The ability to become sons of God is granted by Jesus based on the receiving of Jesus.
John 1:12
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
According to the teaching of Jesus, that new birth comes by the water and by the Spirit.
John 3:1-5
There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
1. The new birth occurs through the Spirit, who has delivered to us the words of Jesus and the inspired books.
2 Timothy 3:16 ASV
1 Corinthians 2:12-13
John 14:26
Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness:
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
2. The new birth occurs by the water of baptism.
Romans 6:3-4
2 Corinthians 5:17
Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Baptism puts us into Christ. Being in Christ means we are a new creature.
Listening to the words of the Spirit and obeying through baptism allows us to be born again of the water and the Spirit.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Knowing Jesus needs to be an intimate knowledge of who He really is.
We must believe and accept that He is the Christ, the Son of God. Then, He gives us the authority to become sons of God, born again, and adopted into His family. If we obey Jesus by believing, repenting, confessing, being baptized, and living faithfully, then we will be cleansed, born again, and adopted into His family. Being in the family of God allows us to receive the inheritance of Heaven.
Galatians 4:7
Romans 8:17
Titus 3:7
Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
It is through and by God that we are allowed to become sons of God.
1 John 3:1
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.