John #05 Became Flesh
That you may believe … and have life
John #5
Became Flesh
John 1:14, 10-13
Well we have been in the 1st chapter of John for a month now and will remain in this chapter for some time. Today we come to one of the most powerful verses in scripture John 1:14. 3 years ago I preached from John 1:14 for the Advent season. As I approached this verse, I was wondering, do I skip it since I already preached from there. Or, do I touch on it briefly and move on. But I decided that this verse is too important to just pass over or skip all together. So, I've decided to go back to 4 of those 5 messages I preached. If you are like me, you don't mind hearing a good challenge again. Plus we don't ever get all that is in a message, and it's been almost 3 years so, you probably don't even remember it. :0
Since I've already preached about The Word as we began, I won't preach that again, but move on to the message …
The Word Became Flesh
I hope this verse gets deep within your Heart, Soul, and Mind over the next 4 weeks.
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling place among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only who came from the Father full of grace and truth
Now this verse of course made a perfect Christmas message, since that is when we look most closely at the Incarnation of Christ. But we don't have to save the Resurrection for Easter, nor should we save his birth for Christmas only
What is Christmas really? Why do we celebrate?
Do we have anything to celebrate or is this just an excuse for parties and gift giving?
Babies are wonderful, but is there more?
What is the gift that we have been given?
This verse and the messages I preach ;will give you tools for defending your faith. The term is Apologetics. Not that we have to apologize for Christ, but it is what a defense is called.
For some of you who need to make the case for faith I hope to give you a reason to place your hope and trust in the Christ.
We have talked about THE WORD, Jesus Christ;
We said he is an Ancient Word, existing from Eternity with no beginning. He is an Associated Word, associated with Father, and with the Spirit, and associated with you and I. He is also an Almighty Word, creator of Heaven and Earth and everything that was made was made by him and without him, nothing was made that was made.
John has painted a beautiful picture of us of this ancient, associated, almighty word and the light and life that he offers all who receive him. And in the mystery that John is painting, he begins to reveal who this word is as he turns the story in verse 14 …
the Word Became Flesh
Let's focus on those 4 Words today.
Let's begin in the Middle with the word
1. Became
Now some of you are probably becoming familiar with some of these Greek words that we repeat often. Others of you are perhaps tired of me pointing out the Greek, "just give us the English Pastor" … but since all of the Word of God is "breathed out by his Spirit" the words are very important … so we look at them to learn the fullness of the revelation that God has for us …
A. Became
The Greek Word translated "Became" (ginomai) means
1. to become, to come into existence, to come pass
2. to arise to appear in history to come upon a stage
Became … tells me that there was a decision …
B. Decision
1. for Christ to become, a decision had to be made by God the Father
2. A Decision was made by Jesus the Son
3. there was an Intention that brought Christ to the Earth as a Babe in the Manger, as a boy growing up in Nazareth, as a man in Galilee and crucified in Jerusalem.
4. There was a purpose
5. In the manger, Jesus Christ took Center Stage, he appeared in history and even affected the way all of history is viewed. Before Christ and AD, Anno Domini - the year of our Lord
And so the Word, was …
C. Born?
That's what we say, Jesus, "born" in a manger … but
1. he was not "born" like we understand "birth"
2. We get a picture into the difference from v 13
3. v 11-13 says that when we receive Christ. He came to his own … (born a Jew, God's Unique Nation) … to all who received him … become children of God … 13 children born NOT of Natural descent … human decision … husband's will … BUT born of God
4. he was NOT born as we are BORN the word must be defined differently. Because his birth wasn't like YOUR birth …
5. he BECAME, we are BORN. We ARE born by natural descent. That's why we look like our parents because our genetic DNA is made up of their DNA combined. We ARE Human. We are born by human decision, or the natural cause of human action, or by the husbands decision.
6. When WE are conceived, from the MOMENT of conception we are HUMAN. We do not BECOME human, we ARE human. But Jesus in his natural DNA is DIVINE, the Word was Equal WITH God and WAS God.
7. Yet he BECAME flesh. Oh you need to get this today
8. Christ's birth, his being born, is NOT like it is for us. For us Birth is our Entrance into life. For Christ birth is NOT an entrance into life for he is eternal. Birth for Christ was simply a portal into a human existence -
9. Mt. 1:18 says "this is how the birth of Jesus came about …" i.e. Matthew was saying, "I don't have to tell you about birth, but I DO have to tell you about Jesus' birth because it was different"
10. The word translated "only begotten" in KJV is more accurately rendered "One and Only" in the NIV because the Greek word means "One of A Kind" - Jesus Became flesh - he was a one of a kind taking center stage in God's plan for the Universe
But let's back up - we understand that he Became, meaning he was Divine and he Became Flesh, but remember that is says
2. The WORD Became
He did NOT become flesh at the decision or plan of another.
This was the intention of God
A. It was His Plan
1. Luke speaks of how the things around the birth of Christ were "at the right time" "when it was time"
2. Paul says in Romans 5 says that Christ came "at just the right time"
B. It was His Purpose
1. John 18:38 - Pilate asked if Jesus was a king and he said "you are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me"
C. It was His Power
1. it was NOT an earthly power that brought Christ to this earth in flesh but the power of God
2. the power innate in The Word that caused him to Become flesh
3. Jesus said, "I lay down my life, and I take it up again"
4. Phil 2:6-7 - "Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness"
5. Col 2:9 - in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form
6. Col 1:19 - For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him
Last week, I was playing cards on the internet, as some of you know I like to do. And my screenname is Pastorgo … so people often ask … "are you really a Pastor?" Sometimes it ends there, other times we end up discussing much more than a game of cards.
This young lady from Greece, who lives in Canada asked "so, what does a Pastor do?"
I said "nothing, I get up and talk once a week and play golf the rest of the week." LOL
NO! I said, "lots of things, visiting the sick, counseling, studying, teaching, preaching". Before long, we were discussing theology, Mary, Jesus etc. She comes from a Greek Orthodox view.
Please hear me, Mary and Joseph were amazing people, who were willing to follow God through uncharted waters. Their lives were living testaments to their commitment to God. But there was a point I was making with this young lady about Mary. Jesus didn't need Mary, or Joseph, personally, in order to "become flesh."
The Word became Flesh, all by himself. Mary didn't have anything to do with it, other than being a vessel, a wonderful, faithful, obedient, vessel, but a vessel nonetheless. Joseph didn't have anything to do with it other than being a spectator and caregiver. A faithful, courageous caregiver, but a caregiver.
God is God All By Himself
And Jesus as God is Man all by himself
Jesus is ONE of a Kind … as a human his DNA is unlike Mary's or Joseph's or any of his brothers, sisters, or cousins etc.
But Finally let's look at that last word
3. Flesh
The Word Became Flesh
Bunhill Fields is an ancient cemetery in London, some of the great non-conformists of their day are buried there. Charles Wesley, Isaac Watts, Daniel Defoe (author of Robinson Crusoe) Charles' brother John is also buried there. Just before death, on March 2, 1791, he called out loudly, "the best of all is, God is with us!"
Jesus is Immanuel, God with us … The Word became flesh …
v 11 "he came to that which was his own"
Why? Why did The Word, in his own Power, Purpose and Plan Become Flesh?
Was Jesus bored? Or was there more?
Could it be that Jesus HAD to become flesh because there was something that we couldn't do for ourselves. Could it be that there was something that no other human could do?
We need to be careful when we elevate any human to equal with Christ. Because if Moses, David, John the Baptist, Joseph, Mary, or anyone else could provide salvation for us, could be God's perfect sacrifice, then there is no reason for the Word to become flesh …
But they could NOT …
So the Word became FLESH …
A. So We could See God - in a way we could understand
1. v 18 - No one has seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known
How is God made known? Through Jesus Christ, God in the flesh
2. Jesus Christ came in the flesh to reveal the Father to us. In his nature, in his purposes, in his ways, in his forgiveness, in his love
3. Jesus said "he who has seen me has seen the Father" "I and the Father are one"
4. Jesus revealed God to us completely - Jesus said in John 8:58 "I tell you the truth … before Abraham was born, I Am!" That Greek Word, "ego aimi" is the same Word used in the Greek Translation of the Old Testament to translate Exodus 3:14 when God identifies himself as "I Am". Jesus identified himself as One in the Same. He reveals God to us. He came in the Flesh that we might see God and understand. He made the Father known to us
Hebrews 1:3 The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he provided purification for sins, he sat down at right hand of the Majesty in heaven
He also had to come in Flesh
B. So We could have a Substitute Sacrifice
1. Hebrews 9:22 - "without shed blood there is no forgiveness"
2. Hebrews 2:14 - since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death … and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death
3. The Old Testament tells us that God doesn't delight in sacrifices? Why? Because they were incomplete, they were incapable of securing our forgiveness
4. Jesus, The Word became flesh, took on the clothing of Humanity. If Jesus did not come in the flesh then we have NO Salvation
5. Jesus did NOT come in the image of a Man, He came completely as a Human. He is and was God but he became man completely. His substitution for us as a sacrifice of sin required it.
5. When sacrifices were offered, they didn't go through a pretend ceremony, with imagined or symbolic sacrifice. They offered a complete sacrifice.
a. It was an ugly process, a bloody process, by which the sacrifice was slaughtered and offered for the sins of the people.
b. So Christ HAD to come in the flesh, living a perfect, spotless, blameless life that he might be our sacrifice.
He had to be completely subject to all of our infirmities that he might live a sinless life and be our substitute.
Hebrews 4:15- he is able to sympathize with our weaknesses … tempted in every way just as we are yet was without sin"
c. He was flesh but NOT sinful flesh - 1 John 3:5 - "in him is no sin". He was flesh to be our substitution
to reveal God to us … and
C. So We could have a High Priest to Present our Sacrifice before God
1. A sacrifice must be offered before God.
2. Sacrifices were always real and physical and Priests always made the sacrifices and presented it before God
3. If Jesus was NOT a physical flesh and blood, manifestation of God, fully man, then we are lost and without hope.
4. Hebrews 4:14-5:2 - we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly … Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace … 5:1 - Every high priest is selected from among men and is appointed to represent them in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. V 4 No one takes this honor upon himself; he must be called by God …"
4. Not only did we need a substitution, but we needed a representative, a priest to take the sacrifice before God. So who else could present Christ, the human sacrifice before God, but Jesus himself?
5. Hebrews 10:12, 14 - when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins he sat down at the right hand of God … by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy"
Flesh … so we could understand God
So we could have a substitute sacrifice
So we could have a priest to present the sacrifice …
He is our mediator
1 Timothy 2:5 for there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus
Hebrews 2:17 for this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people
This is a critical truth of scripture that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came as a man, fully human. If not, we are without hope, without life, and any that would tell you that Jesus didn't come in the flesh, doesn't know God and is a deceiver
1 John 1 4:2 this is how we recognize the Spirit of God: every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come is from God
2 John 7 many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist
Romans 8:3 what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man
D. So, We could be a New Creation in Christ
1. He came that we might see God
2. he came that we might have a substitute
3. he came that we might have a priest
4. Why? So we can be recreated, made new, our sin removed, our lives changed, our spirits reconciled before God we are made NEW
5. 2 Cor 5:17
6. when we celebrate Christmas it is not just a holiday
a. it is a reminder that there is an opportunity for us to have new Birth as Christ was born.
b. Not from our idea but born of God.
c. An opportunity for us to start over. His mercies are truly NEW every morning. No matter how dark and dirty your life has been, you can have New Birth, New Life, be a New Creation, TODAY!
Your life can be washed white as snow by the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ this Babe in the manger.
All because
The Word Became Flesh so that We can have Life, REAL Life …