The Eternal Word
Introduction
- Example of Francis
- John is very different to Matthew and Luke
- No nativity narrative
- The theology of the nativity narrative
- These verses should cause us to reflect deeply on who the Babe in a manger is
- Some say that John was writing to counter heresy
- False teaching of Syrinthus
- "The Word was God" - v1
- (The Word is Jesus)
- "The Word became flesh" - v14
- Maybe in part to counter heresy but the main reason was an evangelical reason - to believe and have life in His name (John 20:31)
- Do you believe in Jesus Christ with all your heart?
- Do you have abundant life?
- Overview:
- What is the Word?
- What did the Word come to do?
What is the Word?
- The Greeks believed that the Word was the first principle bringing everything into existence
- The Jews believed that the Word was God who spoke
- God in near and has been revealed
- v10
- v18
- The Word is Jesus Christ - the revealing of God Himself
- Heb 1:2
- The pre-existent God
- In the beginning was ... was in the beginning (v1)
- Intentional writing by the Holy Spirit - To prompt the readers to think of Gen 1
- John 17:5
- Prov 8:22-23
- The co-existent God
- Word with God and the Word was God
- Literally face to face
- Each person of the Trinity is fully God
- Every person coming into the world is given a soul (v9)
- "I AM"
- Who is the Word to you?
- Do you believe He is the fullness of the Godhead in bodily fall?
- Have you seen the Father in the person of Jesus Christ?
- Have you confessed that Christ is your "Lord and my God"?
What did the Word come to do?
- He was the light that came to shine in the darkness and to overcome it (v5)
- Jesus is the Light of the World
- Jesus came to bring order to the dark chaotic world of our lives
- A darkness reigns in the world of mankind
- God in Jesus comes to change people from the inside out
- Light has shone into the darkness
- Jesus will give them a glorified body and a new world in which to live
- Jesus finished the work His Father had given Him to do - the devil did not overcome Him
- If you reject Jesus, He will not be a light to you (v11)
- If you receive Him you will become a child of God (v12)
- Those that receive Him are born of God (v13)
- Will Christ be light to you?
- John 1 - A microcosm
- Theme of Light - John 9
- Theme of Life - John 11
- These signs are all saying Jesus is 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" - v14
- "And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace." - v16
- Jesus has revealed God's glory - most of all in His grace
Closing Remarks