Let Me Introduce You To Jesus Series

May I Introduce You to Jesus?

John 1:14-34

I would like to share with you one of the big mistakes that I made after we first got married. Gerlie and I were visiting a church. I knew the pastor. After the service I went up and talked with the pastor. We had a good conversation and then we left. Did you catch the big mistake that I made?

When we got to the car, Gerlie was silent. She finally said, “What, are you embarrassed about me?” I still didn’t get it. After some more back and forth, she told me my big mistake. I had not introduced her to my friend. I thought that it was obvious that she was my wife. But….

I don’t want to make the same mistake today when it comes to Jesus.

With the help of two Johns, John the Apostle and John the Baptist, I would like to introduce Jesus to you. And so this sermon is titled, May I Introduce You to Jesus?

1. An Apostle Looks Back at Jesus' Magnificence

John 1:14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace (generosity) and truth.

This is John the Apostle speaking. He wrote this book, the book of John. He wrote these words. He says, “We have seen....” We have seen. John is looking back and telling what he and those with him saw. The point could be made that they did not realize these things while they were with Jesus. They were too hung up with themselves and with their struggles. At the time, they actually missed who Jesus was. But looking back they saw it.

What did they see? What does it say here? Jesus' glory, His magnificence. What kind of magnificence? The magnificence of someone who was the only born Son of God (that’s what the Greek says here for one and only, the only born, the only born Son of God), someone who had come from God, someone who was full of generosity and truth. What did this “being full of generosity and truth” give? Look at the next verse.

John 1:16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace (generosity) in place of grace (generosity) already given.

John 1:17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Jesus gave and gave and gave and gave. John received generosity upon generosity from Jesus. That’s a lot of generosity. The law gave no one anything, but the Anointed King Jesus did and He still does. He gives generosity and truth. Look at Jesus, you will see it, He was full of generosity (He poured His life out for others), and He was full of truth (He told the way things really are, things we would never know if Jesus had not taught them). Full of generosity and truth.

This is what John the Apostle looking back at Jesus saw. Then there was the other John, John the Baptist.

2. John The Baptist First Knew That Jesus Was First

Let’s go back to verse 15 which we skipped over earlier.

John 1:15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”)

In the Greek it says first here at the end, He was first before me. Jesus was first. That’s what the Greek says. The NIV left first out.

John the Apostle put this verse in the middle of what we just talked about. He did so to prove his point. You may say that Jesus really was not that full of generosity and truth if John the Apostle and the other apostles had not seen it when they were with Jesus. John's answer to that? John the Baptist saw it.

John the Baptist came before Jesus and the apostles. He was born before Jesus. He started his ministry before Jesus. John was first. But he put Jesus first. He told everyone that Jesus was first. He knew his place. He knew that his job was to prepare the way for Jesus. His place had always been and would always be second. Jesus was first.

In John the Baptist's time, he was the only one who put Jesus in the position of first. After this the apostles followed Jesus, but they didn't realize who Jesus really was until later. John the Baptist knew. He knew his place and he knew Jesus' place.

Do we know our place? I don't care who you are. I don't care what your position is in life or even what your position is in this church. You should take a second seat to Jesus. Jesus is first.