JESUS THE WORD MADE FLESH

“The Eternal God Dwelt in Flesh”

John 1:14-18

Introduction

A.      Read & Comment on (vv.1-13)

B.      “And the Word was made flesh – 1:14

–         Or pitched His tent among us, more literally tabernacled among us.

–          Our bodies are merely little tents in which we live – For our citizenship is in heaven – 2 Corinthians 5:1

–         The mystery of the incarnation. Paul speaks about it to Timothy. “Great is the mystery of godliness: For God was manifested in the flesh” (1 Timothy 3:16).

–         Jesus is God manifested in the flesh. The Bible is very clear and very distinct in this declaration, affirming over and over that God was manifested in the flesh in the person of Jesus.

1.       Jesus Christ is God’s “Word” to reveal His heart and mind to us Jesus said, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” – John 14:9.

2.       A word is composed of letters, and Jesus Christ is the Alpha & the Omega – Revelation 1:11

3.       According to Hebrews 1:1-3, Jesus is God’s last Word to mankind, Jesus is the climax of divine revelation.   

I.                   Christ Became Flesh—v.14

A.      Jesus Had A Human Body (Luke 2:7,40, 24:39)

Galatians 4:4…Philippians 2:6…Colossians 1:21-22…Hebrews 10:5,10…1 John 4:2-3

1.       He had a body just like ours as proven by the fact He became:

a.       He got tired in John 4:6.

b.       He slept Matthew 8:24

c.        He got thirsty in John 19:28.

d.       He got hungry in Matthew 4:2.

e.        He got physically weak Luke 23:26.

f.        He died in Mark 15:37.

g.        He had blood Matthew 28:28, Hebrews 9:14, 10:19

h.       He had a soul Matthew 26:38

i.         He had a will John 5:30

j.         He had a spirit John 11:33

k.       In His resurrected body he has flesh and bones (Luke 24:39), He ate (John 20:17) and ascended to heaven in His body (Acts 1:9).  Before and after His resurrection, His body was still a physical body. 

B.      Jesus Had A Human Mind (Luke 2:52, Heb 5:8)

1.       Luke 2:52 – And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

2.       Hebrews 5:8 – though He was a Son, [yet] He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.

3.       The Greek says he kept increasing!

C.      Jesus Had a Human Soul and Human Emotions (John 12:27, 13:21, Matthew 26:38)

1.       "Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? `Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I came to this hour – John 12:27

2.       When Jesus had said these things, He was troubled in spirit, and testified and said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me." – John 13:21

3.       Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me." Matthew 26:38

a.       The word troubled (tarasso) was used to describe strong human emotion.  It was used to describe:

1)       The disciples when they saw Jesus walking on the water and thought He was a ghost (Matthew 14:26).

2)       The fact King Herod was troubled when the wise men showed up (Matthew 2:3).

3)       The time Zecharias encountered an angel who suddenly showed up in the Temple (Luke 1:12).

4.       He marveled at the faith of the Centurion (Matthew 8:10).

5.       He wept at the sorrow of Lazarus' death (John 11:35).

6.       He prayed with tears and cries (Hebrews 5:7).

7.       He was tempted in every way as we are (Hebrews 4:15) yet without sin.

D.      People Near Him saw Him Only as a Man (Matthew 13:53-58)

Jesus will be a Man Forever

After the Resurrection:

1.       He had the nail prints in His hands (John 20:25-27).

2.       He had flesh and bones (Luke 24:39).

3.       He ate food (Luke 24:41-42).

4.       In Rev 1:13 Jesus still appears as "one like the Son of Man."

5.       In Rev 5:6 He appears as a Lamb who has been slaughtered.

E.       Why Jesus' Full Humanity Was Necessary?

For Representative Obedience – Romans 5:18-19

1.       Paul refers to Christ as "the last Adam" (1 Cor 15:45), and calls Adam the "first man" and Christ the "second man" (1 Cor 15:47).

2.       As the first man failed in a perfect environment and sinned against God, the second man triumphed over sin and the devil in the wilderness under the condition of fasting for forty days and nights.

3.       Christ completely represented man.

To Be a Substitute Sacrifice – Hebrews 2:16-17

1.       The word expatiation or propitiation means satisfaction.

2.       Since Christ was fully man, He could die in our place as a substitute.

3.       Berkhof (p. 319) suggests the following three reasons:

a.       “He might bring a sacrifice of infinite value and render perfect obedience to the law of God”

b.       “He might bear the wrath of God redemptively, that is, so as to free others from the curse of the law”

c.        “He might be able to apply the fruits of His accomplished work to those who accept him by faith.” 

To Be the One Mediator Between God and Man – 1 Tim 2:5

1. We needed a mediator who could represent us to God and who could represent God to us. 

2. The only one who could do this is the God-Man, Jesus Christ.

To Fulfill God's Original Purpose for Man to Rule Over Creation – Genesis 1:28

1.       Jesus is now crowned with glory and honor (Heb 2:9), has been given all authority in heaven and earth (Matthew 28:18), all things have been put under His feet (Eph 1:22), and in the future we will rule and reign with Christ (Rev 3:21).

To Be Our Example and Pattern in Life – 1 John 2:6; 2 Corinthians 3:18

1.       We are to follow the Lord in suffering (1 Peter 2:21)

2.       We are to look to Jesus who is the "author and perfecter of our faith" (Heb 12:2)

3.       We are to look to the Lord when we grow tired from suffering at the hands of others (Heb 12:3)

To Be the Pattern for our Redeemed Bodies – 1 Corinthians 15:42-44; 1 Corinthians 15:23; Colossians 1:18

1.       Christ's body is the firstfruits (1 Cor 15:23) and He is the first-born of the dead (Colossians 1:18)

2.       We shall bear the image of the man of heaven (1 Cor 15:49)

3.       We shall be like Christ (1 John 3:2)

To Sympathize as our High Priest – Hebrews 2:18; 4:15-16

1.       Think about it, we now have Christ who has infinite power and infinite compassion as our helper.

2.       Romans 8- He makes perfect intercession on our behalf.

To Destroy the Works of the Devil

1.       Through death, which only a man can experience, Jesus destroyed the one who had the power of death (Hebrews 2:14).

It made possible the uniting of the full humanity and full deity in one person (John 3:16, Galatians 4:4).

To reveal God to man – That God Might Communicate To Us the Truth About Himself

1. John 1:14-18, 14:7-8.

Pastor Chuck Smith – There was a publisher of a newspaper who declared himself an agnostic.  And yet, every year, his wife, who was a Christian, and the children would go to church for the Christmas Eve service and, because it was Christmas Eve and a family celebration, he went yearly with them, as the children would give their recitations and their programs and sing the carols.  But this one particular year he decided that he wasn't going to make his annual pilgrimage to the church because he saw it as an act of hypocrisy.  He said, "I do not believe in the incarnation, I do not believe that Jesus was God in the flesh.  For I don't see any reason why God would have to come in the flesh.  And therefore, I'm not going to be a hypocrite any longer...I'm not going to church with the family on Christmas.  And despite all of the persuasive efforts of the wife, he could not be dissuaded from his position. 

And so, on Christmas Eve he saw the family leaving in a blizzard to go to the church to celebrate the Christmas Eve program, as he sat by the fire, got out a book and began to just sort of settle in to his reading. Before long, a little bird tried to fly into the window, attracted by the light of the fire inside.  And suffering outside in the blizzard, this little bird started flying up against the window, beating itself against the windowpane trying to come inside.   It distracted him from his reading, and he thought, "Well, little bird go away!"  But it wouldn't, it kept trying to fly in.  And so, he finally decided, "Well, I guess I'll have to do something about it."  And so, he went down to the barn and opened up the door and turned on the light, so that the little bird would be attracted to the light in the barn, hoping that it would see the light and fly on down and find the shelter there in the barn from the blizzard.  Walking back up to the house, he found the little bird on the outside still trying to fly into the window.  By now, it had begun to bloody itself from just flying up against the pane of glass.  So, he tried to show the bird that there was the light on in the barn, and there was a place down there for it to go and to get warm and to be sheltered from the storm.  And he started to sort of "Shoosh!" at the bird and swing at it a bit, but the more he did, the more frantic the little bird became in trying to fly into the glass and began to injure itself even more.  And he found himself talking to the little bird.  He said, "Little bird, I don't hate you, I'm trying to help you, don't you understand little bird?  I'm your friend.  I don't mean you harm, I want to help you.  Poor stupid little bird, don't you know?" And then the thought came into his mind, "Oh, if only I could become a bird for a moment to communicate to this poor little creature that I don't hate it, I'm trying to help it."  And suddenly, the light flashed! God became man because man so misunderstood God.  He didn't hate man; He wasn't trying to harm man.  He wanted to help man.  He went into the house, got his overcoat and everything and headed off for church and met the family.  He saw the reason for the incarnation, that God might communicate to us the truth about Himself, the truth that had been lost in the garbled concepts man had created of God.  So, the Word was made flesh and He dwelt among us, "And we," John said, "beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father." We are sons of God through faith, but we have been begotten again through our faith, we've been born again.  But there is only one begotten Son in the sense that Jesus was begotten of the Father and we beheld Him as the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth.

II.                Proof #1: Christ Dwelt Visibly Among Us—v.14

A.      His glory was seen.

1.       Christ was the Shekinah glory of God.

a.       Exodus 40:34-38 – “Shekinah” mean that which dwells or dwelling.

1)       The bright cloud which God used to guide Israel out of Egypt and rested upon the tabernacle and above the mercy seat in the most Holy Place.

2)       The cloud symbolized God’s presence – “We beheld God’s presence”

2.       “We beheld” – means actually seeing with the human eye-Used about 20 times in the NT.

a.       1 John 1:1-2 – Looked upon—The Greek means “to gaze and look upon for a long time in order to study and grasp; to look intensely and earnestly; to grasp the meaning and significance of a person

TODAY we cannot see Jesus with our physical eyes, but we can see Him with the eye of faith.

b.       Peter told us, “whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see [Him], yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory – 1 Peter 1:8

c.        John 20:26-29 – Jesus said to Thomas, who would not believe He had been resurrected until he could see and handle Him.

James, the Lords brother, even called Jesus “the Lord of glory.”

d.       James seen Jesus grow up from childhood.

e.        James had every chance to see some act of disobedience, some sin, or something contrary to the nature of God.

f.        However, James’ testimony is: “Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory,” the One in whom the very presence of God dwelt among us (James 2:1).

B.      Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace & truth.

III.             Proof #2: John the Baptist Bore Witness of the Superiority of Christ—v.15

A.      The Case in Court.

1.       This Gospel is written for the purpose “that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name – John 20:30-31.

2.       Just like an attorney presenting a case in court brings forth witnesses to the witness stand, John is going to bring forth various witnesses to bear the fact that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God.

3.       He will later bring God & the Holy Spirit as witnesses as well.

4.       Isaiah 55:10-11 – when a person read this gospel, faith is planted in their heart to believe Jesus is the Son of God.

B.      “He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.”

The words “is preferred before me” literally means “first to me or first of me.”

–         This is reference to both time and importance.

–         Jesus Christ was the first in time, existing before John – He existed “in the beginning”—throughout all eternity.

–         “He was before me”: He always existed – Jesus was the first – Jesus was the very cause for John’s existence.

–         John also declared that Jesus was first in importance—First in superiority, Being, & Person!

"Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, And his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: `I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God. (Isaiah 44:6 NKJV)

"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End," says the Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." (Revelation 1:8 NKJV)

"And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write, `These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life: (Revelation 2:8 NKJV)

Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful."   And He said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.   "He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. (Revelation 21:5-7 NKJV)

"And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.   "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last." (Revelation 22:12-13 NKJV)

He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming quickly." Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! (Revelation 22:20 NKJV)

Although John the Baptist, by physical birth, was Jesus' older cousin, John says that Jesus came before him.

1.       There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.   This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.   He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. (John 1:6-8 NKJV)

2.       John is talking about the pre-existence of Jesus in glory, prior to His birth.

IV.              Proof #3: Men Have Received the Fullness & Grace of Christ—v.16-17

A.      His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.

1.       “Fullness” means “that which fills, the sum total, the totality.  It is the “sum total of all that is in God.”

For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, (Colossians 1:19 NKJV)

For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; (Colossians 2:9 NKJV)

a.       In Jesus Christ dwelt the totality of all that is in God!

b.       All the fullness of Jesus Christ is given to those who believe.

…and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. (Colossians 2:10 NKJV)

2.       “Grace for grace” emphasizes the superabundance of grace that has been displayed by God toward mankind.

Especially Believers

a.       Ephesians 1:5-8; 2:7

b.       God gives us grace to meet all our needs, no matter what the circumstances

1)       2 Cor. 12:7-10 – “My grace is sufficient for you”

B.      Not by law.

1.       The Law, given by Moses, was not a display of God’s grace but God’s demand for holiness.

a.       The law only points out a man’s failure and condemns him for breaking the law.

2.       God’s grace & truth does not come

a.       By being as good as we can.

b.       By working to please God as much as we can.

c.        By keeping the rules and commandments of the law

3.       The law was a means “to demonstrate the unrighteousness of man” in order to show the need for a Savior.

a.       Romans 3:19-20.

b.       Galatians 3:10-14, 21-26.

John MacArthur Study Bible pg. 1794

Tutor – the Gr. word denotes a slave whose duty it was to take care of a child until adulthood.  The “tutor” escorted the children to and from school and watched over their behavior at home.  Tutors were often strict disciplinarians, causing those under their care to yearn for the day when they would be free from their tutor’s custody.

The law was our tutor, which by showing us our sins, was escorting us to Christ.

C.      By Jesus Christ.

Matthew 5:17

1.       The law required death for disobedience: Jesus came to fulfill the law by dying for our disobedience.

a.       Isaiah said, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all” – Isa. 53:6

b.       He came to fulfill the law and the Prophets. This is why Paul the apostle wrote, “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” – Rom.10:4.

c.        He has brought us into a new relationship with God that involves our, having, faith in Jesus Christ. The only basis for a righteous standing before God: He fulfilled the law. He didn't come to bring an end to it, but to fulfill it.

d.       He fulfilled the requirements of the law for us, dying in our place.

2.       The law was given in negatives.

a.       “You shall not, you shall not, you shall not.” Jesus turned it around to the positive,

b.       “You shall love the Lord your God” and “You shall love your neighbor as yourself”.

This is the fulfillment of the law.

                Titus 2:11

1.       This is not just the divine attribute of grace, but Jesus Christ Himself, grace incarnate.

2.       God’s supremely gracious gift to fallen mankind – “And the Word became flesh”

a.       Titus 3:4-7

b.       Romans 3:23-24

c.        Ephesians 2:8-9

V.                 Proof #4: God’s Son Alone Has Seen God—v.18

A.      No one has seen God at anytime

1.       Your physical body just could not handle seeing the face of God. It'd be like trying to stand in the sun; you'd be consumed.

a.       Moses Exodus 33:18-23

B.      Who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

1.       Bosom – This is the mutual intimacy, love and knowledge existing in the Godhead

a.       John 13:23

b.       Luke 16:22-23

2.       Declared – Theologians derived the term “exegesis” or “to interpret” from this word.

a.       This means that all that Jesus is and does interprets and explains who God is and what He does.

John 14:8-10 – Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us."   Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, `Show us the Father'?   "Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.

The Deity of Christ

Scriptural Evidence

A.      Explicit “Doctrinal” Statements

1.       Matthew 1:23 – “God with us”

2.       John 1:1, 18 – “The Word was God”

3.       Romans 9:5 – “God blessed forever”

4.       1 Timothy 3:16 – “God in the flesh”

5.       Colossians 2:9 – “Fullness of the Godhead”

6.       Titus 2:13 – “God and Savior”

7.       1 John 5:20 – “The True God”

8.       Isaiah 9:6 – “Mighty God”

9.       2 Peter 1:1 – “God and Savior”

10.    Revelation 1:8, 1:17-18, 21:6, 22:12-20 – “First and Last”

11.    Hebrews 1:8-10 – “Your throne O God, You LORD”

12.    John 20:28 – “My Lord and my God”

13.    Jeremiah 23:5-6 – “The LORD our Righteousness”

B.      Jesus’ Own Claims (Did Jesus claim to be God?)

1.       Matthew 8:2-3 (cf. Acts 10:25-26, Revelation 19:10)

2.       Matthew 14:33 – Received Worship

3.       Mark 14:61-64, John 5:17-18 – Declared equality with God

4.       John 8:58 – “Before Abraham was I AM”

5.       John 10:30-33 – “I and the Father are one”

6.       John 14:9 – “He who has seen Me has seen the Father”

7.       John 16:15 – “all things the Father has are mine”

8.       John 20:27-29 – Allowed Himself to be called God

C.      Divine Attributes

1.       Self-Existence – John 2:19, 5:26, 10:17-18

2.       Eternal – John 17:5, Isaiah9:6

3.       Omnipresent – Matthew 28:20

4.       Omnipotent – Matthew 28:18

5.       Unchangeable – Hebrews 13:8, 1:11-12

6.       Holiness – John 8:46, Matthew 27:3-4, Hebrews 4:15

7.       Life – John 1:4, 11:25, 14:6, Colossians 1:17

D.      Divine Actions

1.       Forgives Sins – Acts 5:31, Mark 2:1-12, Luke 5:20ff, Isaiah 43:25, Psalm 103:3, 12

2.       Receives Worship – Matthew 14:33, Hebrews 1:6 (cf. Luke 4:8), John 20:28, Revelation 5:8-14 (cf. Deuteronomy 6:13)

3.       Receives Prayer – Acts 7:59

4.       Gives life, light – John 1:4, 11:25, 14:6

5.       Origin is heaven – John 3:13, 6:51, 17:5

6.       Will come on the clouds – 1 Thessalonians 3:13 (Zech. 14:4-5)

7.       Gives eternal life – John 17:2

8.       Upholds all things – Colossians 1:17, Hebrews 1:3

9.       Life, Resurrection, Judgment – John 5:21, 5:22, 27, 11:43

10.    Creation – Colossians 1:16, John 1:3 (cf. Genesis 1:1)