Tabor Baptist Church

Introduction

• A series in John's Gospel
  • Looked at the Word ( Jesus Christ) and the Wind (the Holy Spirit)
  • Looking at the Wonder - of the relationship between the Son and the Father, the mystery of the incarnation
    • Reading v14-18
• Example of someone who does not believe in the incarnation
  • Is the doctrine of the Trinity made up by the council of Nicaea
  • Did Jesus once have a beginning?
  • Was he fully God?
  • Have you not read the different scriptures that prove the full deity of Christ?
• The wonder of the incarnation
  • v1 - Jesus was there in the beginning
  • v2 - He was God
  • v3 - All things were made through Jesus (only God can do this)
  • v4 - He had life (only God has immortality and life in Himself)
  • v5 - His light shines forth
• v14 - the Word became flesh
  • The full and final revelation of God (Jesus) became flesh
  • It is wondrous to think that an immutable God became
    • What a mystery
    • We should pray that God shows us more of His glory
    • John - says they saw His glory (v14)
• Overview:
  • The wonder of the incarnation
  • The wonder of His glory
  • The wonder of His fullness

The wonder of the incarnation

• The Son of God became something He was not - man
  • Yet He never ceased to be God
  • This is a tremendous mystery
    • Paul speaks of this mystery - 'great is the mystery of godliness'
• God has no beginning or end, He is eternal
  • Divine nature married to human nature
  • The God Man is born
  • Quote from Horatius Bonar
• No one can approach God
  • 1 Tim 6:16
  • v18 - no one has seen God at any time
    • Moses did not see the full majesty of God the Father
      • He saw God through the mediator/pre-incarnate Jesus Christ
  • The inaccessible is now approachable
  • The incomprehensible becomes comprehensible
• The creator of all things becomes like one of us
  • He takes on human flesh - but is not sinful
    • He comes in the likeness of sinful flesh - Rom 8:3
  • One person with two natures
  • Quote from Robert Murray M'Cheyne
  • Example of Moses
    • What about the glory of the incarnation?
• What a wonderful mystery

The wonder of His glory

• Not everyone beheld His glory
  • v5 - many were in darkness and did not comprehend
    • Many rejected
    • Many today reject
      • The natural man does not receive the things of God because they are spiritually discerned
  • v10 - many in the world did not know Him
  • v11 - His own (the Jewish people) did not receive Him (but crucified Him)
  • Because of the ignorance and rebellion of the heart of sinful man
• The apostles beheld His glory
  • In the Old Testament God's glory was known in certain places
    • The Mercy Seat
    • God's glory came down to the tabernacle/tent
    • God's glory came down to the temple built by Solomon
• v14 - Jesus "dwelt" (meaning "tabernacled") amongst us
  • God's glory is manifest in Jesus
    • John 2:11 - Jesus' glory was manifest through His miracles
      • Turning water into wine
    • John 11:4 - when He raised Lazarus from the dead
    • Luke 9:32 - Peter, James and John saw His glory
  • An inner glory
    • In His humiliation - the angels sang "Glory to God in the highest"
    • In His association with sinners
    • In His baptism and identifying with us
    • In His gentleness and meekness
  • How do you find it when you hear the word of God?
    • Personal example
    • Does it stir your soul?
• John saw Jesus' glory at the cross
  • Heb 1:3 - the glory of God is seen in Jesus Christ
• Ex 32-33 – Moses could not see the face of God
  • He saw God's character
  • We see the character of God in Jesus Christ
• Have you gazed upon the glory of Jesus Christ?
  • v15 - if so, it will humble you
  • v26-27 - John the Baptist was humbled before Jesus
• What a wonder that He should love us and that we can approach God through Jesus Christ

The wonder of His fullness

• v16 - We have all received of His fullness
  • It is not just for the apostles
  • It is for every believing soul, every Christian
    • Col 2:9-10 - the fullness of God dwells in Jesus and we are complete in Jesus
    • John 3:34 - God gives immeasurably
• v17 - the law came through Moses but grace and truth through Jesus Christ
  • The law condemns and does not save
    • You cannot keep the law (e.g. the Ten Commandments)
  • Grace comes through Jesus Christ
    • The unmerited favour of Jesus Christ
    • We need a mediator between God and man
      • God is Holy and pure
      • We are sinful
    • Jesus lived a perfect life and died for our sin, rising on the third day
    • We have peace with God through Jesus Christ
• v16 - grace for grace
  • Such liberality of grace
    • As if we committed no sin
    • Imputed with the righteousness of Jesus Christ
    • Given the Holy Spirit
    • A promise to be with us to the end
    • A promise of care and provision
  • Amy Carmichael described grace as a river
    • Wave after wave
    • "Grace upon grace"
  • Even though we fail - grace
    • Peter who failed - grace
    • John (a 'son of thunder') - grace [Luke 9:54]
• What can we say about our life?
  • What grace is God displaying in your life?
    • Patience
    • The little things - example
• God gives grace
  • Have you received of His fullness?
• What a wonder this is

Closing Remarks

• What is your view of Christianity?
• The wonder of God becoming man
  • That we might be rescued and redeemed
  • That we might have forgiveness of sin
• Humble yourself and pray that God will have mercy on you