John 1:1-18
30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. - John 20:30-31
Introduction
The purpose of this book is that we may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, Son of God, and that we may believe that and have life in His name
When we talk about strong faith, it begins with Jesus
It’s source is Jesus
It’s life is Jesus
It’s strength is Jesus
In the Beginning
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. - John 1:1-3
In going back to the very beginning, John is pointing to a new genesis through Jesus
A new genesis, a new beginning
Paul wrote that all who come to Christ are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)
The Word
He states the Word was God
Word is logos
Logos in the Greek context would speak of a divine power
The Word written here speaks of Jesus as the agent of creation itself (Colossians 1:16-17)
The Word also speaks of the word spoken of in the Old Testament
He sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction. - Psalm 107:20
The Call to Belief
The theme throughout this Gospel account is to call people to belief in Christ
In order to believe, we must have faith
Our faith is strengthened by an anchor in our belief that Jesus is God
The Life and Light
Overcoming Life
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. - John 1:4-5
John now transitions here to show us that life is found in Jesus
John is relating these first 5 verses back to creation itself
But there is something that we can parallel with our own life when it comes darkness and life
Before Christ, our life was completely dark (2 Corinthians 4:4)
When Christ spoke into your life, the light broke through and the darkness that once ruled your life has vanished
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. - 2 Corinthians 4:6
Our faith is strengthened in Jesus because nothing has or will overcome Him
God’s Pursuit
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. - John 1:6-8
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. - John 1:9-13
We sometimes emphasize too much about Israel rejecting their own Messiah
We should emphasize the main point John is making here:
This is about a God who pursues His creation
The Gospel is a story about a God who pursues
With Us
Became Flesh
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 1:14
This is the one Paul proclaimed to the church at Philippi when he wrote that Jeus humbled Himself and took on the form of a servant and was born in the likeness of man
This is the one the God spoke about in Genesis 3 when God declared that satan would only bruise His heal, but Jesus would crush his head
This is the one the prophets spoke about…
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. - Isaiah 9:6
But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. - Micah 5:2
Tabernacled
Dwelt means pitched His tent
Literally translated as “tabernacled”
We go back to the tabernacle set up in the desert as Israel wandered
There we see the very presence of God dwelling among His people
Later in John, Jesus would declare that when He would ascend, God would send His Holy Spirit to tabernacle inside of us until we came face to face with God in heaven
Our faith is strengthened in Jesus because He dwells in us through His Spirit
Overcoming Life
15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. - John 1:15-17
The law did not save and could not save (Galatians 3:19, 23-29)
In Jesus we see the fulfillment of all the demands of the law, lived perfectly
We can have our faith strengthened because we know we don’t have to live up to perfection.
Our faith is strengthened because of who we believe in, not because of how well we live our life.
Known
18 No one has ever seen God; God the only Son, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known. - John 1:18
We have not seen God, nor will we see God until we meet Him in glory
But Jesus has made God known
Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face continually. - Psalm 105:4 (NASB)
How do we seek God’s face when Scripture tells us no one can see God’s face and live
We behold our Christ
When we look to Jesus, we see God
Our faith is strengthened when we behold Jesus
Strong Faith
Our faith is strengthened by an anchor in our belief that Jesus is God
Our faith is strengthened in Jesus because nothing has or will overcome Him
Our faith is strengthened in Jesus because He dwells in us through His Spirt
Our faith is strengthened because of who we believe in, not because of how well we live our life.
Our faith is strengthened because we know and behold Jesus