The Forerunner To The Messiah Series

The Forerunner to the Messiah

John 1:14-28

Introduction

- The gospel of John screams of the faith that we should have in Christ

-- It is the clearest example of living life FOR the one who redeemed you and I

- If we can learn to love like Jesus’, we can bring others to Him

-- Re: We won’t bring a friend to something we do not like

-- We must learn to love Christ which John demonstrates to all of us

- In the last two messages we’ve seen two specific things about Jesus:

• That He is Life and Light (defined who He is)

• What His purpose was (to bring us hope from a place where hope is eternal)

- Today, we will see what His incarnation means to us

-- And we will discuss the forerunner to His coming (spoiler: John the Baptist)

- Read John 1:14-28

- Pray

∆ Point 1 – The Word became flesh

- What John tells us is the most important item we must understand (v14)

-- He uses his favorite phrasing again to describe God and His authority

-- Writes, “…the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us”

- God, literally the creator of the universe, became one of the created

-- He who was the word, became one of us (IMP) to be an example for us

- He demonstrated the glory of the Father that He represents

-- Their testimony gives weight to their message; it’s first person knowledge

- Seeing His glory allowed them to understand how their life must change

-- Being in His presence allowed them to go and testify to those after them

- IMP: Again, if you miss this concept the rest of the book falls flat for us

-- Re: Only the one who created this Earth could EVER redeem it

-- God, who created us in His image, became one of us, in order to redeem us

- He came with both grace and truth so that we might be without excuse

-- Without excuse to say “we didn’t know” or “we weren’t told”

-- APP: If you are hearing this today, you can never say that again

-- Jesus’ purpose to reveal who He served is on full display for us

- John blends two marvelous words for us to take note of

-- Jesus came to represent grace AND truth so that we might know God

-- Not only to redeem, but to show us there is so much than religious acts

-- There is a God who desires to have a relationship with you and me

-- It is because of this that we worship and celebrate … or we SHOULD

- TRANS: Even though Jesus became flesh, He still always was first

∆ Point 2 – Jesus is still first

- The incarnation of Jesus is always a matter of discussion for scholars

-- The real question is: When was Jesus really born? Was it Dec 25, 0 AD?

- Answer: It occurred specifically at a point in God’s plan when it should

-- Galatians 4:4-5, “But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.”

-- IMP: We’ve got to stop missing the main thing by arguing about outlying stuff

-- It is true that Jesus followed John the Baptist, but Jesus was always first (v15)

-- Jesus always was and therefore is always placed first in John’s life (life lesson)

- And now, John’s theology is laid out for us to understand (v16)

-- We have received grace on top of grace

- Consider:

• First grace: God saved Noah and didn’t wipe us totally out

• Second grace: God gave us a Law that we could follow through Moses

• Third grace: Prophets like Isaiah, Jonah, and Micah given to warn us

• Fourth grace: JTB and his testimony to the same world Jesus would see

• Grace upon Grace: Jesus willingly going to the cross for you and I

- But even with this grace, (v18) “no one has seen God but the one and only Son”

-- Many might argue this concept and quote this as a Biblical inaccuracy

-- They will gladly try to use Moses example from Exodus 33:12-23 (Read)

- Let’s be clear, what Moses saw was a temporary form of God’s appearance

-- He did not see God as Jesus saw God, else He would not have survived

-- God’s glory is beyond comparison … WHO could stand before Him and live?

-- Who among us would be able to see God and live? (To think so is arrogance)

- John’s clarification is clear … NO ONE has seen God but the Son