The First Sunday of Advent: Before Bethlehem and Before the Beginning—The Word
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Introduction
Introduction
On this first Sunday of advent we often think about about the preparation for the birth of Jesus Christ. Yet, Jesus’ story didn’t begin in Bethlehem or even with the announcement by Gabriel to Mary in Nazareth. In fact, Jesus’ story didn’t even begin with Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Because Jesus’ story did not have a beginning nor does it have an ending. Recently Chuck Swindoll did a message that made me think about this in more detail myself and I want us to look at the pre-incarnation of Jesus Christ. Turn to John 1 as we look back before Bethlehem and before the Beginning!
Before the Beginning
Before the Beginning
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became 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.
Let’s look at the first two verses:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.
Wow! There is so much in just these two verses. In the Greek it literally says “In Beginning was the Word”
Eternity Past. Our mortal brains cannot even begin to wrap our heads around this. Before there was Heaven, before angels, before the heavenly army, before Genesis 1:1, before the earth, before creation. There was the eternal GOD in three persons, the Trinity existed: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. One person of the Triune God (Son) is Logos! The Word! Let that just sink in for a moment.
A Handbook on the Gospel of John John 1:1
John wants his readers to understand that at whatever point the creation began, the Word already existed.
During His priestly prayer in John 17 Jesus praying to His Father:
John 17:5 “And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.”
Logos was with Yahweh and Logos was Yahweh!
The Word was with God and the Word was God. John is not mincing words at the beginning of his Gospel. He is making sure his readers know that Jesus is not some lesser creation of God, but that Jesus Christ is 100% God.
John 1–11: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary Chapter 1: The Divine Word (John 1:1–5)
The deity of the Lord Jesus Christ is an essential, nonnegotiable tenet of the Christian faith.
John 1–11: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary The Preexistence of the Word
Jesus Christ was already in existence when the heavens and the earth were created; thus, He is not a created being, but existed from all eternity.
The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke have already been written by this point. John wrote his Gospel toward the end of his life and most put it at around 80-90 AD. By this time there were many questioning if Jesus was just a man or a part god. The beginnings of the Gnostics were on the rise. He wants to make it very clear that Jesus Christ is GOD!
He is the Creator
He is the Creator
All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.
We often think of the Father as being the Creator, but John says that the Word was the Creator. That is the role that the Triune God decided in perfect harmony to do.
Psalm 33:6 (NKJV)
By the WORD of the Lord the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.
When in Genesis 1:1-3 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.” THE WORD spoke! There was light!
Colossians 1:16 (NKJV)
For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.
He is the Creator!
Life and Light
Life and Light
In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
English Standard Version Chapter 1
4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
LIFE
LIFE
And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me. “If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true. There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the witness which He witnesses of Me is true. You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. Yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved. He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light. But I have a greater witness than John’s; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish—the very works that I do—bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me. And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.
John 6:33–35 (NKJV)
For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives LIFE to the world.” Then they said to Him, “Lord, give us this bread always.” And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of LIFE. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.
I am the bread of life.
Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd. “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again.
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.
LIGHT
LIGHT
The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.”
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”
Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.
He is LIFE and HE is LIGHT!
The Darkness could not overcome or overtake the Light! It cannot seize the Light!
The Power of God!
The Power of God!
That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became 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.
English Standard Version Chapter 1
9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John restates after talking about John the Baptist giving witness to Jesus. Now moves from Eternity Past to the incarnation. He came into the world, the same world which He spoke into being. Yet, the Word didn’t know Him. His own people (the people of Yaweh- Israel) did not receive Him.
He gave the Authority/Power
The Message (John 1:14)
The Word became flesh and blood,
and moved into the neighborhood.
We saw the glory with our own eyes,
the one-of-a-kind glory,
like Father, like Son,
Generous inside and out,
true from start to finish.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Do you know Jesus Christ? Do you know Him personally?