We continue in our series, dare to be different, and this month across our group of churches our focus is has been on faith.
At the start of the New Testament are the four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
Each of the Gospel writers had the same faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. But each of the four Gospels is written from a different perspective.
When you read the Gospel of Matthew, it is like looking through the eyes of a devout disciple.
When you read Mark & Luke, you look through the eyes of dedicated believers who knew and loved Jesus and a lot of their writing comes through the eyewitness testimony of others.
The Gospel of John was written by the Apostle John one of the closest disciples to Jesus.
When you read the Gospel of John, you read the words of the disciple who was one of the inner circle with James & Peter who were with Jesus in his most intimate circumstances and moments.
John was one of Jesus closest friends and he seems to have personally seen and heard more than the other Gospel writers.
The Gospel of John was one of the last books of the New Testament to be written.
Bible Scholars will tell you that the Gospel of John was written in the city of Ephesus, where John served as pastor after the destruction of the Jerusalem temple in 70 AD.
John probably wrote these words toward the end of the 1st century.
The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke had already been written and circulated around the early church - and the letters of Paul and Peter were also in circulation.
That’s probably why John does not retrace many of the events already described in the other Gospels.
John’s Gospel is not a chronological biography of the life of Jesus. John’s purpose is to provide specific important details about the ministry of Jesus. John is selective in what he includes, and his selections point to a distinct perspective, a distinct purpose, one he mentions in John 20:30-31, The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book. But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God and that by believing in Him you will have life by the power of His name.
The two primary reasons for John in writing was that those reading this letter, this book, might believe Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God, and that in believing you may have eternal life.
The John centers on telling us who Jesus is and why we should believe in Him. Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God and we should believe in Him because of who He is and because He provides life to those who believe in Him.
Right from the start, John addresses the question, “who is Jesus?” Listen to the first five verses of John Chapter 1, In the beginning, the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through Him, and nothing was created except through Him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and His life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. (John 1:1-5)
If we continued on and read the first 18 verses of John Chapter 1 we would find a summary of who John knew Jesus was. John focuses upon the central fact of our Christian faith: Christianity is not a philosophy, it is about a Person, and that Person is fundamental to our faith.
Think about the religions in the world today. Religion focuses on the teachings, ideas, and philosophies of their founders and teachers. Christianity is about a personal relationship with a Person. That is why Jesus Christ is the most astonishing individual in human history.
More books have been written, more music composed, more pictures painted, and more drama performed about Jesus than any other person in history. Yet so many still don’t know who Jesus is and many refuse to find out for themselves the truth about who Jesus is.
Christianity is all about a personal relationship with Jesus and believing that Jesus is Lord and Saviour. Let me share with you 3 reasons why we should have faith in Jesus.
1st because He is God (1:1-2).
2nd because He is the Creator (3).
and 3rd because He is the Originator of light and life (4-5).
Have faith in Jesus because He is God (1:1-2).
John begins his Gospel in an unusual way. The other Gospel writers begin their account of Jesus in a historical context, John opens his Gospel in eternity.
John was not content to begin his story as Mark did with the story of John the Baptist. Nor was it enough to do as Luke did to go back to the birth narratives of John The Baptist and Jesus.
John goes even further back than Matthew, beyond the genealogy of Abraham and the roots of Israel, and further than Luke with the beginning of the human race in Adam.
John goes before and beyond human history. He starts “in the beginning.” Do those words sound familiar? They take us back to Genesis 1.1: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”
John starts with God.
In the Bible, you can’t go any further back than God, and that is where John begins, in eternity past with God’s eternal purpose.
And what does he tell us? In the beginning, was the Word. The Word, one of the many names used to describe Jesus.
Recognize the significance of what John says here: In the beginning, from all eternity, the Word has existed. In other words, Jesus has eternally existed. It does not take an intelligent person to recognize the importance of this statement.
So why did John choose to refer to Jesus as the Word instead of just giving us His name? Let’s talk briefly about this term, “the Word.”
In the original Greek text that our Bible is translated from, the word in the original text is Logos. Logos is not a word we use in everyday English but, it was very common in 1st century Greek. Logos is a word John uses to capture the attention of the diverse audience that would read his gospel.
To the Greeks, the Logos represented the soul of the universe. It was the rational principle from which everything came, a creative stabilizing governing force of the universe.
To the Hebrews, the Logos was identified with the Word of God. In the Old Testament, the word of God is connected with God’s active power.
His word represented His actions in creation (Gen. 1.1; Ps. 33.6), God’s word came in revelation - for example when God’s word came to the prophets. God’s word brought deliverance (Ps. 107.20), God’s word spoke of covenant, guidance, and judgment.
In the Old Testament, the Word of God represented His actions, His self-revelation, how God revealed Himself and acted. So when John uses the term Logos, it is a term that both the Greek and the Hebrew could understand. It is a term that captured the attention of the Greek philosophers, the Jewish scholars, and the average citizens. It was familiar to all.
So what does John tell us about the Word in these verses? Now that he has captured the attention of his audience, John identifies the Word by describing Him. The Word is eternally God. John states, “In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
In those few words, John informs us that the Word has existed from all eternity. At the beginning of time as we understand it, the word was already there with God. The Word has existed eternally. He already “was” when time began. At creation, the Word was already present.
John tells us that the Word was with God. John indicates that the Word is separate and distinguishable from the Father God. In just a few simple but profound words, John offers a glimpse of the Trinity.
The word has existed from eternity past, yet at the same time, He is a separate Person from the Father. But Jesus, The Word is equally God. Those final five words at the end of v.1 are some of the most important words in all of the Bible. They help explain who Jesus is: “and the Word was God.” He was God. As much as the Father is God. He was with God and He was God. He is equal with the Father.
What John tells us in these short verses is that everything that makes God who He is, everything that makes God-God, Jesus, the Word, Jesus is God. The meaning of this verse is that the Word participates in the reality we call God. The Word was true deity. The Word is God. Jesus is God.
What we have here is the mystery of the Trinity. God is 3 yet 1. He is three in persons but one in essence. The Word is with God and at the same time, He is God. John informs us that Jesus is God. He is eternally God there never was a time when the Son was not God.
Second point: Have faith in Jesus because He is the Creator.
In verse 3, John moves from the Word’s relationship to the Father to His relationship with creation.
John tells us that Jesus was present at creation and He was also the agent of creation. “God created everything through Him, and nothing was created except through Him.”
Everything that exists owes its existence to the Word. He is the Creator. Apart from him, there is no existence.
God’s revelation is tied to creation, and John informs us that all of creation owes its existence to the Son of God.
So nothing is outside of his range of activity. He is in control of everything. Jesus is Lord over everything. He is the Creator of the world. Colossians 1:15-17 reminds us: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones of dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.”
Third point: Have faith in Jesus because He is the Originator of light and life (4-5). The Word gave life to everything that was created, and His life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.
John moves on from creation in general to the most significant element of creation, life itself. Life is one of John’s distinctive characteristics. He uses the word 36 times (no other New Testament book uses it more than 17x).
The spiritual concept of life is very important to John.The gift of life is important to all of us. Life is an important concept in the Gospel of John, and here in the opening verses, the apostle reminds us that only in Jesus Christ is spiritual life obtained. He is the originator of life.
Jesus is also the originator of spiritual light. Light is an important thought in John’s Gospel. Light is often contrasted spiritually with darkness. In John 8:12, Jesus identifies Himself as the Light of the world. Light represents God’s deliverance to the sinful, darkened souls of humanity.
Here in verse 5, John contrasts the light of God with the darkness of sinful humanity. The spiritual light cannot be extinguished by the darkness of this world. The contrast between light and dark represents spiritual conflict. And there is a powerful reminder of truth here - we are reminded that the darkness can never overcome or extinguish the light.
Remember John wrote this gospel after the resurrection of Jesus. John knows that Jesus Christ could not be overcome by the spiritual darkness of this world. Jesus has the victory. The light shines continually in the darkness, and the darkness will never overcome it.
Why should you have faith in Jesus? Why did John have faith in Jesus? Why do I have faith in Jesus?
Jesus is God. Jesus is eternal. Jesus is the Creator. Jesus is the Lord of everything. Jesus is the originator of life and light. Trust Him. Have faith in Him. Believe in Him. Jesus brings life to the spiritually dead hearts of sinful men and women. Jesus brings light to the darkened souls of the lost. Jesus is the Originator of life and light.
As I draw the message to a close, I want you to consider your response to Jesus. Throughout John’s Gospel there is a constant and consistent reminder that the message of Jesus demands a response:
a response of belief or unbelief.
Everyone who reads John’s Gospel needs to answer a question right from the opening words - Do I believe Jesus is who the Bible says He is?
To deny Jesus is to turn from God Himself, the Creator of the world.
To deny Jesus is to continue in spiritual darkness. Only Jesus offers true life and light.
Read on in John’s Gospel and you will discover Jesus came to save us - He came to save you.
Jesus came so that you could have a personal relationship with Him. Jesus said in John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”
Do you have a personal relationship with the Creator God, the Originator of spiritual life and light? You can.
Who is Jesus and why should you believe in Him?
He is the Son of God, God Himself.
He is the Creator of the world.
He is the Originator of Life and Light.
Believe in Him.
Have faith in Him.
Trust in Him.
There is life in Him.
Sermon audio available here: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/same-faith-different-perspective-series-dare-to-be/id1016102507?i=1000436722903 and here: https://sermons.estuaryelim.church/20190428_ram_dean_courtier(differentperspective).mp3
