IN THE BEGINNING
John 1:1-4, 14; 43-51
Today, I want to begin a short series that will look at some interesting people and their encounters with Jesus. I’ll begin by asking a couple of questions: What are some of your memorable encounters with Jesus?
What is your relationship with Jesus today?
In the OT we find Solomon when he dedicated the temple in 1 Kings 8:27 asking, “… will God indeed dwell on the earth?" As we look at the scope of the Bible we recognize that is a good question, indeed !
We know that John is echoing the words of creation in Genesis 1:1 but it might be puzzling to some to learn that John is saying “in the beginning was the Word.”
As we reflect on OT history we know that the relationship of his chosen people was not a continuous lovefest. The children of Israel deserted God in the tabernacle as well as the temple. They were fascinated and intrigued by the religions of their neighbors. As we look at their disobedience it is sometimes hard to understand their lack of faith. But, we too, have skeptics today.
Luc Ferry, the French philosopher cites John’s prologue as the turning point in the history of thought. I find that statement astonishing considering that Ferry was a proponent of secular humanism .
Early Greek culture, believed that the universe had a rational and moral order to it and this order of nature they called the Logos. It seems that John intentionally used the Greek term Logos and says this about Jesus:
In the beginning was the Word (Logos), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind… 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 and truth. - John 1:1-4, 14 NIV
Long after King Solomon’s question a marvelous thing happened. After centuries of doubt and wonder God’s glory is revealed through the pen of John to Jew and Gentile, alike. This was a watershed moment in history.
Like the Greek philosophers of the day (and unlike many contemporary philosophers today) John affirms there is a telos, or purpose to our lives – something that we were made for – that we must recognize and honor in order to live well and freely.
John proclaims to everyone that we are not here by blind chance or random evolution. The Bible, as God’s inspired Word insists that the meaning of life is not found in some human equation or principle or abstract rational construct. John declares that the meaning of life is found in a person – the person of Jesus Christ.
Philosophers of the day thought it was insanity. And people today continue to dismiss Jesus and God’s Word as reality. But, these words of John struck like lightening into the ancient world of philosophy.
John’s message was a revolutionary message. If Christianity were true, a life of meaning and purpose was not grounded in philosophical contemplation and intellectual pursuits, which excluded the vast majority of the people in that day.
John heralds the person of Jesus and a life-changing relationship with him as God’s Son that was available to everyone and anywhere, regardless of race or gender. This opened up a whole new concept in a world of nationality and exclusion.
John contrasts the philosophical teaching model of the day, where students attached themselves to teachers and followed them around each day. With Jesus, his message was different and it was available to everyone.
The Synoptic Gospels deal largely with ministry and parables. John’s gospel introduces us to several different people. Furthermore, some of our most memorable Gospel phrases are not found in the Synoptics, but only in John: “In the beginning was the Word.” “Behold the Lamb of God!” “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.” “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” “I am the vine.” “What is truth?” “It is finished!” “So send I you.”
By some estimates about 90% of the material found in John is not found in the Synoptic Gospels .
Even in Jesus day there were skeptics and doubters. Notice Nathaniel’s encounter with Jesus;
The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.” Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip. When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.” Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.” Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” He then added, “Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’ the Son of Man.” - John 1:43-51 NIV
Let’s look at Nathaniel’s problem – he demonstrates intellectual snobbery and maybe even bigotry as he sneers the name Nazareth! He reflects the culture of his day – people from Jerusalem looked down on folk from Galilee. This was well grounded tradition because Nazareth was a No place: it is never mentioned in the Old Testament, the Jewish Talmud and Midrash, nor in any extant pagan writings. Jesus’ residence in Nazareth is like his birth in a stable, his crucifixion, or his burial in a borrowed tomb. But in reality, the best thing in the universe came out of Nazareth!
Nathaniel’s attitude is representative of the human race. Some neighborhoods have always looked down at other neighborhoods. There have always been certain people who lived on “the wrong side of the tracks.” And how do people who are looked down upon deal with it? They look at other segments of society that they can look down upon.
Society hasn’t changed much. Just a few weeks ago, a young minister in AL was fired because he challenged children in his congregation to bring their friends to VBS. The only problem was the neighborhood around the church building was 80% black and church members didn’t want blacks in their church.
Even though, Nathaniel was not from Jerusalem but from another part of Galilee, he felt he could look down on a place like Nazareth, which was considered to be just a notch higher up than Samaria. Nathaniel could not believe that somebody from a place like Nazareth could answer the really big questions of life. As you look at v 46, you can visualize Nathaniel rolling his eyes and saying, “He’s from Nazareth? Really?”
Many people today view Christianity much like Nathaniel. People love to roll their eyes and say, “Really? You don’t believe that. Do you?” I had a conversation recently with a lady who rolled her eyes and said, “I grew up in church and had to listen to that nonsense, but since I’ve been able to think for myself and read so much that debunks what the Bible says – I don’t need that.”
Marriage counselors are trained to look for rolling-eyes in counseling sessions because it is a definitive warning sign that the marriage partnership is in trouble. The same is true if that is one’s attitude toward Christianity. First, that kind of dismissiveness is deadly because it negates positive problem-solving and creativity.
The second issue is more substantial. By dismissing Christianity you sever the living taproot to conscience and core values. A basic tenet of Christianity is to love your enemies. God’s Word declares that all persons are equal in God’s sight. The founding principles of America embraced the biblical philosophy of equal human rights for all people. It is a principle that our society continues to wrestle with, even today.
Another view, taken for granted today, that came from the Bible, is that you should take care of the poor. In the early days of Christianity, the elite segment of society thought that loving your enemies and taking care of the poor was crazy. Early detractors of Christianity said that society would fall apart because that’s not the way the world works. But, the teachings of Jesus revolutionized pagan Europe by stressing the dignity of the person, the primacy of love which included loving enemies and taking care of the poor, widows and orphans.
Some people today dismiss this as an historical argument, that is rooted in church history and they will say, “I can believe in good moral values without believing in Christianity.” On one level that may be true but here is why I think it is short-sighted.
When you go to the very first book of the Bible – Genesis –it is a window into what cultures were like before the revelation of the Bible. One thing that we see almost immediately is the widespread practice of primogeniture – the eldest son inherited most all the wealth. That is how the family retained its status in society. The second or third son got very little.
Yet, throughout the pages of the OT we find God working through the younger siblings. He chose Cain over Abel. Isaac over Ishmael. Jacob over Esau. And David over all eleven of his brothers. God chose the very ones that society did not expect to be rewarded.
Another ancient cultural tradition revealed in the book of Genesis was the esteem for women who had many children. If a wife had many children it meant economic success, and military respect, and higher odds of carrying on the family name. So women who had no or few children were shamed and looked down upon. Yet, God did not subscribe to this principle as we see Him over and over again using women who were barren for His purposes. He chose Sarah, Rebecca, Hannah and Elizabeth for special roles in His divine plan.
Skeptics might say that they appreciate God being for the underdog, but that they just can’t get past all of the blood, guts and gore of the OT. But, God works in the supernatural to convince us of His power in order for us to see His glory.
The heart and core of the unique message of the Bible is that the transcendent, immortal God came to earth himself and became weak – even suffering an unimaginable death – to take the punishment that human-beings deserved – to atone for our sins. It is the most astonishing and radical act of self-giving and loving sacrifice that can be imagined!
What made Christian ethics so unique was not that Jesus and his followers were such nice people in making the world such a nice place in which to live. All of history was condensed into the essence of the Gospel – the Good News – that revolutionized how people saw and treated each other.
Every other religion or human philosophy says if you want to make the world right or make yourself right – then summon all your reason and strength and then live in a prescribed way.
Christianity says the exact opposite. The marvelous reality of God’s plan is that he has done the work instead of us. Jesus Christ came to this earth to do what we could not do for ourselves. Christianity is available to everyone, everywhere. It is for those who recognize that they need a savior because without Jesus there is no hope.
The very genius of Christianity is that it’s not about, “Here’s what you have to do to find God.” Christianity is about God coming to earth in flesh and blood and dying on a cross to find us.
We can benefit from Nathaniel’s encounter with Jesus. Don’t let your pride or prejudice prevent you from a personal encounter with Jesus. Some people dismiss the Bible as outdated, irrelevant and unsophisticated. Don’t allow contempt cause you to dismiss some of the fundamental questions of life.
In his scoffing, Nathaniel didn’t even realize that he had a deep spiritual need. “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Those were his words one moment and then he had an encounter with Jesus. And after that encounter he was saying, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are the King of Israel.”
When presented with credible evidence, Nathaniel changes his allegiances very quickly – in fact, probably too quickly. For many skeptics and doubters today there is also an underlying stream of spiritual searching. Despite his scorn and ridicule, Nathaniel went with his brother Philip to find Jesus.
Why did he do it? The Jews were under tyrannical Roman rule. They had some belief in God, but collectively had no idea of what He was doing. The thoughts were prevalent – should they be looking for a messiah? What was their future? Were they still God’s people? Had God forsaken them? I don’t know if it was desperation or a last resort, but Nathaniel agreed to come and see, Jesus.
Today, we find people wrestling with questions:
• What is the purpose of life?
• If God is so loving, why is the world so messed up?
• In our society today, is true happiness possible?
Thankfully, many in the millennial generation are turning to friends who have had an encounter with Jesus, just like Nathaniel did. Some in the Muslim community are turning to others for answers.
Jesus, saw both the maturity and immaturity of Nathaniel’s faith. He quickly accepted the fact that Jesus was “the Son of God and the King of Israel,” but rather than probing deeper, his faith was based on Jesus’ supernatural abilities to know his character and tell of his whereabouts from a distance.
When pressed for absolute evidence, I cannot prove that Christianity is true. But, I can show you sound reasons to believe in Jesus. If you, like Nathaniel, are willing to admit the depth of your need and discover better answers to the gnawing questions of life and if you are willing to stop rolling your eyes at Christianity, I too invite you to meet the man from Nazareth.
For Jesus to say that Nathaniel was a transparent, straight-talking person was putting the best possible spin on him. Others probably saw Nathaniel as outspoken and abrasive. Jesus knew his character but he was gentle with him. There’s a cue for us today. Rather, than beating someone over the head with a Bible or belittling them for not seeing things as you do – we need to be gentle.
Can’t you picture Jesus’ gentle rebuke, “Oh, initially you were negative and skeptical and now you are ready to adopt me as your teacher.” “Before, you were rolling your eyes, and now you’re having a spiritual encounter.” “But, do you believe in me because of the supernatural or do you trust me as Messiah?”
If you are skeptical about Christianity, I would ask you for balanced reasoning. To remain a skeptic forever is morally and intellectually self-defeating. And on the other hand it is usually disappointing to surrender to the first idea that you hope will answer all your questions and solve your deep emotional needs. It is not enough to turn to Christianity simply because it meets some perceived needs. Christianity is not something you take off the shelf at a big box store.
Notice that Jesus chides Nathaniel by asking, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree?”
Yes, it is perfectly normal to come to Jesus with doubts, skepticism and questions. But when you actually encounter Jesus, he will always be far more than you ever imagined him to be.
Too often, our churches have become country-clubs with membership privileges. But as we will see in this series Jesus encountered people of every background, gender and color. What would happen if our churches today reached out to the disadvantaged … the down-trodden … those on the margins of society … and allow them to encounter Jesus today – just the way he did in the first-century?
The best illustration I can think of is that of John Newton. His tombstone in Olney, England reads, “John Newton, once an infidel and libertine, a servant of slaves in Africa, was by the rich mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ preserved, restored and appointed to preach the faith he had long labored to destroy.”
John Newton was the son of a sea captain engaged in Mediterranean trade. His mother died when he was 6, and after four years in school, he began working on his father’s ship at the age of 11. Immorality, debauchery and failure followed.
Rejected by his father and finally jailed and degraded, he later served on slave ships where he incurred the hatred of his employer’s black wife.
He was eventually brought to his senses by reading THE IMITATION OF CHRIST by Thomas a’Kempis, the great German preacher of the 13 and 1400’s. He became converted to Christ. At the age of 39 he became a minister of the gospel at the Olney Church for 15 years. He wrote many hymns and the most familiar being:
Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind but now I see.
The grace of God can save us but only if we respond to it. The grace of God can sustain us but only if we trust it. The grace of God can sanctify us but only if we surrender to it.
The invitation of Jesus is open right now to anyone who would accept it. How do you need to respond to this message today? If we can assist you in anyway, please come right now as we sing a song of encouragement.
Resources used for this sermon:
Warren Wiersbe - Bible Exposition Commentary (BE Series) - New Testament - Volume 1.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luc_Ferry
The College Press NIV Commentary – John
Timothy Keller, Encounters with Jesus. Dutton. New York, 2013, p 9
