What About The Bible? Part-3 Series

What About The Bible? Part-3, II Timothy 3:16

The Logos

Introduction

A young man was once employed as clerk in a telegraph office in a town in England. In some way or other God led him to see that he was a sinner, and this caused him great distress of mind. The young man went to the office one morning greatly troubled, and praying, “God be merciful to me a sinner” (Luke 18:13) when the click of his machine told him a message was coming.

He looked and saw that it was from Windermere up among the beautiful lakes. There was first the name and residence of the one to whom the dispatch was sent, and then followed these words from the Bible: “Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29), and “In whom we have redemption, through his blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace” (Eph. 1:7). Then followed the name of the person sending it.

This was a strange message to send by telegraph! The explanation of it was this: a servant girl living in the town was distressed about her sins; having a Christian brother she wrote to him of her condition, asking the question, “What must I do to be saved?”

The brother, being unable to write her at once, sent her the dispatch. The poor girl found her way to Jesus through the sweet words from her brother, and so did the young telegraph operator. This was a veritable telegram from Heaven to them both. God’s word did the work.

Transition

For the last two weeks we have been talking about the trustworthiness of God’s word. We have discussed both the truthfulness of both the Old and New Testaments and dependability as God’s inspired word.

This morning, as we conclude this sermon series, I hope to offer some insight into the ultimate expression of God as found in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the word incarnate. He is the word in the flesh; personified; in material form. Jesus is the very living and breathing expression of God.

Today, we will talk about the Logos – that is the word of God in the flesh – the God-man Jesus Christ, who is the fullest expression of God to humanity.

In Christ we have a sort of telegram from God, only this telegram is the living breathing presence of Immanuel – God with us! In the Scriptures there are many titles for Christ; Savior, The Bread of Life, The True Vine, The Rock, and many others. Today, we will focus on Jesus as Logos – the purest and truest expression of the nature and character of God to humanity.

“Christ is God acting like God in the lowly raiment of human flesh.” A.W. Tozer

Exposition

John 1:1-8, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. 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.” (NKJV)

These words, the prologue to John’s gospel, are no doubt among the richest collection of words in the entire Bible, for here we see a description of Jesus which defies understanding. We learn that Jesus Christ was not merely another wise and powerful prophet of God – He is the very word of God in the flesh.

Speaking of them the famous reformation theologian, John Calvin wrote, “Rather should we be satisfied with this heavenly oracle, knowing that it says much more than our minds can take in.” Today we will not seek to truly understand that which can not be fully understood, rather, we will seek only to draw near to God as He has spoken to us in Jesus Christ.

In this passage of Scripture, in the original writings, John uses the word “Logos.” In English Logos has been translated into word. In the beginning was the Logos – the word – and the Logos was with God – the word was with God – and the Logos was God – the word was God.

But the word Logos loses much of its significance when it is translated merely as word. As with much of the English translations in our Bibles, there is a historical aspect to the original word Logos which is lost in the English rendering because Logos implies much more than simply a word as a part of language or speech.