Last week, we spoke about God’s offer and our response to either walk in darkness or walk in His light.
Today in John 1 we see some questions posed to who Jesus is in reality.
So who is Jesus? According to the Bible, Jesus is God, the second Person of the Trinity - He always was and is. He never changes. As God, He is the creator of the universe and holds everything together by the Word of His power. He is so different from His creation, infinitely so, because He cannot be contained by anything or anyone, He is outside of His creation but wholly present in it. He is the Logos - the Living Word, He is the logic, the ultimate truth and reason for why every and anything exists at all, the reason you and I exist.
This all-powerful, everywhere present God came to this broken world and offered us salvation and all we need to do is to respond to His offer.
What is interesting in today's society is that people are aware that something is definitely wrong in this world, there are a lot of protests for change, we can see people are desperately seeking for someone to make things right. That is why society tends to put powerful people on pedestals and why there is such a fascination with Hollywood figures such as superheroes. Yet today’s superheroes, like the mythological Greek gods of old, have their own issues to deal with, they have limitations and their own weaknesses.
We see that people today are looking for someone they can identify with and will identify with them. Someone they feel can make the world a better place. This is why today’s passage is so relevant. John is pointing us to the only Person who has identified with us, who is infinitely superior to us and absolutely perfect in every way and who will completely transform this World. He makes it very clear “The eternal One I have been speaking about, the One everyone was waiting for, the Messiah, the Savior of the world stepped into time and lived among us.”
Turn in your Bibles with me to John 1:14-18 (SL 2)
14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and we saw His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John testified about Him and called out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who is coming after me has proved to be my superior, because He existed before me.’”(SL 3) 16 For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. 17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time; God the only Son, who is in the arms of the Father, He has explained Him (John 1:16-18).
When we read this passage it raises 3 questions:
Who do we see?
What do we follow?
Where does it lead?
Who do we see?
John testified that the Word became flesh. This is what we call the incarnation. God took on human flesh. He didn’t just appear like He had flesh and bones as the Gnostics believed. God did not merely dwell in a man or endow some person with superpowers to represent the Messiah. Paul tells us under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that the divine Savior left the glory of heaven and became a human, becoming like us in all things, except for a sin nature. Like ourselves, he developed and grew inside a woman’s womb and was born, however, in a miraculous, supernatural way. Even though Jesus was 100% man, He was also 100% God. As CS Lewis put it, "Once in our world, a stable had something in it that was bigger than our whole world."
Yet like ourselves, He grew from infancy to boyhood and from boyhood to man’s estate, both in wisdom and in stature (Luke 2:52). Like ourselves, He experienced hunger, thirst, tiredness, and so ate, drank, and slept. He felt pain, and experienced human emotions such as sadness, grief, joy, amazement, anger, and compassion. He prayed, read the Scriptures, suffered temptation, both loved and was loved by people but also experienced rejection and shame. He could identify with us in everything. As a man, He totally depended on God and in the midst of all His earthly experiences yet in every situation He never sinned (Heb 4:15) but rather submitted His human will to the will of God the Father.
And, finally, in the same body, He really suffered, shed His blood, really died, was really buried, really rose again, and really ascended up into heaven. He did all of this in order to take our sin and judgment. Jesus became wholly human so that He could redeem the whole of who we are. Never at any point in time was He ever less than fully human and or less than fully God. Some saw him as only a good man, a good example or a prophet.
The question is: (SL 6) Who is He to you?
In Matthew’s Gospel he records the following conversation between Jesus and His disciples:
He asked His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they answered, “Some say John the Baptist; others, Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah, or [just] one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), the Son of the living God” (Matt 16:13-16 AMP).
This passage shows us Peter saw the truth of who Jesus is. The other disciples were also convinced that Jesus was the Messiah and so they followed Him. However, we also see in this passage that even when Jesus was living on the earth and people encountered Him face-to-face, they still didn’t understand who He was. Even if we as Christians have so much knowledge about Jesus, may even be convinced that He is the Son of the living God, we should ask ourselves, (SL 7)
2. What do we follow?
Let’s look at the passage again in John 1:14-18. In verse 14 we see,(SL8)
And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and we saw His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
The original Greek word for “dwell or live” is the word for tabernacle. In the OT, God’s presence was in and over the tabernacle as He led the nation of Israel through the desert for 40 years. Wherever God went, the nation followed. Even though God was right in their midst, His glory was veiled within the tabernacle and the cloud. In Old Testament times, God came to meet people in the tabernacle but in New Testament times He came to meet people in the person of Jesus Christ. The tabernacle used to be the center of worship for the Jews, but once God was incarnated in the Person of Jesus, it was no longer the tabernacle but Jesus Himself that became the center of worship. God’s glory was unveiled in the Person of Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “if you have seen Me, you have seen the Father.” If you have invited Christ into your heart to be your Savior, now you are the temple of God. And if Jesus is living inside of us - are we really choosing to follow Him each day?
John said, “we saw or ‘experienced’ His glory.” What was he talking about? As the disciples followed Jesus throughout His three years on this earth - they saw the glory of who He was - His character, His power to heal. They heard His words, His wisdom, saw His mercy, goodness, compassion and righteous indignation manifested in different situations and in His encounters with people. - do we have that same encounter with Jesus?
In v. 15 John the Baptist said this is One I have been telling you about - the One who eternally existed before me (though John was born 6 months before Jesus).
The glory that was hidden in the OT was now manifested in the Son. What did Jesus manifest? The fullness of grace and truth. The word grace basically means "that which causes joy. Every person that had placed their faith in Jesus and was saved by His grace had Christ’s life in them - and this the cause of great joy. But the cause of joy was not meant to end there at salvation.
As God’s family, we are called to follow him only. Everyone follows something: friends, popular culture, family, selfish desires, or they follow God. We can only follow one thing or person at a time (Matt 6:24). When you truly take up your cross and follow Jesus by faith you will see the glory of what God’s grace and truth can accomplish through a life that is yielded to Him. John said grace and truth came by Jesus. He is pointing us not only to the Grace of God but to the truth of the complete reliability of God’s Word. Every promise made in the OT is kept in the New.
Let's look at v. 17: John is saying when Moses came he brought the law, which is right and holy but the law only amplified our sinfulness and need for a Savior. But when Jesus came He brought grace and truth. His work was not “to abolish the Law or the Prophets…but to fulfill them. He lived the perfect life and was the perfect and final sacrifice for the sin of the World.
Sadly, what we see creeping into the church is a progressive Christianity. It’s a version of Christianity that sees itself as a way to make it more attractive. On the surface it looks a lot like the Christian worldview and may seem in the eyes of many people to be more acceptable, more likable, a really more palatable version of the faith. Jesus isn’t so much the divine Son of God, but rather just a moral example for us to follow. It makes Christianity look like a form of moralistic therapeutic deism (MTD), where God doesn’t intrude on your life but simply wants you to live a good life and not be sad. It has a low view of Christ and the sinfulness of sin. There is no need for a Savior and grace, no need of faith and repentance. It has a low view of the Word, Word is inspiring but not inspired, it’s important but not absolute, therefore, every core Christian teaching is open for re-interpretation according to one’s culture or personal preferences.
Mark Sayers said the progressive vision for the world is having “the kingdom without the King.” We want all of God’s blessings—without submitting to his loving rule and reign. We want to live without dying to self. We want progress—without being changed into His image. We want justice—without his justification. We want the gospel to change society—without having it change the lives of sinners with God. We want society to conform to our standard of moral purity—without God’s standard of personal holiness. Progressive Christianity has a form of godliness but removes the power of God and His Word from the center of our faith (2 Tim 3:5).
Paul made it very clear in 2 Tim 4:3
For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine and accurate instruction [that challenges them with God’s truth]; but wanting to have their ears tickled [with something pleasing], they will accumulate for themselves [many] teachers [one after another, chosen] to satisfy their own desires and to support the errors they hold (2 Tim 4:3 AMP).
For example some follow the God that will make them healthy and wealthy, some follow the God of love, not the historical biblical view of love which includes God’s perfect justice or judgment. Some see only a God of judgment and have no idea about Grace. Some see God as a vending machine, you do your good work and expect a blessing in return. Or the feel good God where one’s feelings are emphasized over faith. People looking for the microwave god, place your items in there, and it is ready in seconds without any effort.
If we allow a progressive view of our faith in Christ to take over our thinking and infiltrate the church, we will lose confidence in Christ and the inerrancy and veracity of His Word. This brings me to the third point:
3. Where does it lead?
At the turn of the 20th century, William Booth, the founder of Salvation Army made this observation:(SL11)
The chief danger confronting the coming century is - religion without the Holy Spirit, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God, and heaven without hell.
This was the danger that confronted Christianity over 100 years ago and is the danger that relentlessly confronts the church today. These false gospels are in a sense, “dumbing down” God’s people, causing us to follow the wrong Jesus, and taking others to hell - that is not the good news for anyone.
Here is my question for you. What concept of Christ are you following and how do you know it is the right one? Is it based on some hand picked verses taken out of context, your favorite promises, the pastor’s point of view, on what the majority believes? Or is your understanding of Jesus Christ based on the whole counsel of God? (Act 20:27). Jesus wants us to experience the fullness of His Grace and truth, He wants us to have a precise picture, a precise understanding of the One we truly follow. In v. 18 it says:
No one has seen God at any time; God the only Son, who is in the arms of the Father, He has explained Him (John 1:18).
“In verse 18 the word “explained” is from the root word for “exegesis” which is only used six times in Scripture— carries the idea that the whole story about God has now been precisely revealed by Jesus. Jesus came to share the whole story of God and his perfect plan of redemption. This is not a new story, but in Jesus this wonderful story of grace is perfectly and fully explained.” The whole story of redemption is How Jesus is leading us back into a right relationship with God. As the unique Son of God, the only incarnation of God, he is the only way, the truth, and the life. If you know Jesus according to the Word, you will not be easily led astray by progressive ideology, neo orthodoxy and other false teachings.
This is why we preach the Scriptures exegetically and expositionally. Expositionally means that we unpack the Word, systematically, book by book, to reveal or unfold God’s Truth studying the whole counsel of God. Exegesis means to properly interpret the Bible based solely on what it says, to unpack the word according to the original language, word meaning, form, structure and context addressing both the historical and theological context. Ultimately, we teach the Bible expositionally and exegetically so that the Word is made plain and intelligible pointing people back to the Jesus of the scriptures. That is why we come to church, it’s not for the music, or the programs,(which are important) we come to church and hear the preaching of the word because we want to see Jesus and we want to experience His fulness in the body of Christ.
Jesus constantly explained His teaching to His disciples. In Luke 24:27, 45 “27 Then beginning with Moses and [throughout] all the [writings of the] prophets, He explained and interpreted for them the things referring to Himself [found] in all the Scriptures.” “45 Then He opened their minds to [help them] understand the Scriptures,” .
Peter, Paul and many others expounded the scriptures so that those who were listening could have a more precise picture of their spiritual condition, their need for Jesus Christ and so they could mature in faith.
John is making the point, when you see Him for who is, not for who you think He is or want Him to be - When you follow the God of the scriptures you will behold His glory, you will see what His Grace and truth is accomplishing and will accomplish in your life and those around you. It will lead.
We can see there is a lot going on in this world that needs to be made right. There is a lot going on in our own lives that we would like to put in order. John is saying the only one who truly knows what we are facing and can identify with all of us in all things is Jesus Christ. He is the only one who truly knows what we are facing and what we need. He is the only one with the Power and Grace to save us. He is always present, hears and answers our prayer. His words have the power to sustain us, and encourage us and motivate and direct us.
Let me ask you, When you come to church, who are you looking for? When you open the scriptures, who do you see? When was the last time you personally met with the Jesus of the Bible? What are you following? Where is it leading you? Where are you in your relationship with Him? Who is Jesus to you? This will determine how you will use your time and resources, what paths you will follow, what type of life you will live, the effect you will have on your family and friends and ultimately your final destination.
