Responding to the Real Jesus
Fortifying the Foundations #2
John 1:1-18
3-9-03
Intro:
John 1:1-18
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. 6There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. 10He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God- 13children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. 14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, `He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’" 16From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. 17For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known. NIV
If you could have one wish and only one wish granted in your whole lifetime, what would that request be? There are many things that immediately come to mind.
Health—some say, “If you’ve got your health, you’ve got the most important thing.”
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to go through life with perfect health—never sick, never depressed, never sore.
Money—we always need money. There are a lot of things you can do with money. You can buy a house. You can invest in more education. You can get the bills paid. Money is nice to have.
Family and friends are perhaps more important than those things. Would you choose to have children? Would you choose to have many close friends or a loving spouse.
If I had only one wish I wouldn’t choose anything that is temporal, no matter how valuable it is. “What good is it if a man gains the whose world and looses his own soul?” [1] I would choose eternal life in God and all that comes with that.
That’s what the Gospel of John is all about. That’s what is being offered us in this book. John 20:31 “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” NIV
In these first 18 verses John summarizes the message he is about to give us in his gospel.[2] It is a message about Jesus. It is a message about Who Jesus is and how we can have eternal life. What a wealth of revelation we have in these first 18 verses--far too much for one sermon. But this morning I would like for us to three areas of consideration from the text:
I. Reverence for Christ: It is God Himself Who has come to us.
II. Revelation through Christ: In His coming He has revealed to us the heart of God.
III. Response to Christ. Such a revelation requires a response on our part.
I. Reverence for Christ: Verse 14 “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.” This is no archangel. This is no resurrected saint. This is not an alien from another planet. This is God Himself coming to us. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” The Creator of the galaxies, the Creator of the earth and all that is in it—became a man! He condescended to become one of us. For all eternity Christ always has been and always will be God. But 2000 years ago he also became a man: fully God and fully man—not half God and half man—fully God and fully man.
God, the Son became something he had never been before. He continued to be God but because of His love for us He also became a man. And He will always be a man. When Jesus was resurrected He did not cease to be a human. He continues to be a High Priest touched with the feelings of our infirmities.[3] This all-powerful God Who could anything He wants to do, so loves you and me, so identifies with us in His heart, that He chose to become one of us. We know that was necessary for our salvation. It was the man, Jesus Christ, who suffered and died on the cross in our place. It was the man, Jesus Christ, Who poured out His blood in payment for our salvation. But can you comprehend it? The Eternal God, Christ Jesus will dwell in a resurrected, human body forever! When we get to heaven we will see Him. The scars of His resurrection will be eternal reminders of His love for us.
“The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us…”—“skenoo: tabernacled [4] among us. Surely John remembered the Tabernacle in the Wilderness as he wrote those words. God had directed Moses to build it as a place where the Lord would meet with His people. There His glory was manifested between the Cherubim on the mercy seat. It was a prediction of the perfect meeting place in Christ.[5] It was a glimpse of better things to come. Jesus has made His dwelling among us. He is Emmanuel, God with us.
Listen to John’s testimony in verse 14 of our text: “We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John describes Jesus as “the One and Only” --the Only begotten of the Father. That is His eternal relationship with the Father in the Trinity. Who can fully know what that means? He is unique and distinct above all others. He stands in relationship to the Father that no other human being has ever had or ever will have. I heard a preacher on TV the other day talking about how great we are as children of God. His bragging finally focused on himself and the ability of his spirit to contain God. That was not John’s focus. John does not brag on how great he is himself. He brags on how great Jesus is. What God has done for us in Christ is wonderful. Jesus even condescends to call us brethren.[6] But He is the One and Only who came from the Father. He has made us partakers of the divine nature[7]
but we are not divine; we are not God. Jesus is God. That is an important distinction to remember.
John says, I’ve seen His glory! I’ve seen it in the perfect life he lived.
I’ve seen it in the miracles of mercy He performed. I’ve seen it in His prayers. I’ve seen it manifest on the Mt. of Transfiguration. I’ve seen it in His loving sacrifice of Calvary.
I’ve seen it in His resurrection and ascension. I’ve seen His glory—and it is the glory of the unique, only begotten Son of God. He is glorious in power. He is glorious in His moral perfection. He is glorious in His love.[8]
John describes the glory of Christ in these terms: “full of grace and truth”.
That description brings us to our 2nd consideration this morning.
II. The Revelation that comes to us through Christ. He has shown us the heart of the Father. Verse 18 “No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.” NIV
We have a need to know the Father. What is God really like? There are all kinds of concepts of God floating around in the earth. Primitive tribes try to appease Him because they think He is “ticked off” and somewhat impulsive. “Perhaps if I give Him something it will buy Him off and get Him off my case.” In the modern world many sophisticate that somewhat but retain the basic idea. They go to church; they give some money; and they try to be good hoping somehow to appease God. It is a legalistic lifestyle founded upon a wrong concept of God. On the other side of the situation, there are those who think God is a complete “push over”—a marginal factor in a busy, self-centered life. “I can do whatever I want to do, whenever I want to do it—and all I have to do is give God a few token words of repentance and everything will be just fine.” But the God of the Bible will not be mocked in such a way.[9] He has the capacity to look deep in the hearts of every one of us and know exactly what our motives and intentions are.[10]
John describes Jesus a One “full of grace and truth”. His character carries a perfect blend of grace and truth. He is full of grace—favor granted just because of love, favor not earned but given, kindness shown to both the kind and unkind, the gift of love not based upon performance but based upon the character of the giver. Truth that operates in reality—is never deceived and never tries to deceive—discernment beyond the surface to the heart of the matter, doing and declaring only what is right, just and real[11] “…full of grace and truth. As God works in our lives we become a people of grace and truth. But that is already and is always what God is like.
“No man has seen God.” No mere mortal can tell us what God is like. It took God Himself to show us that. It took the One Who inhabits eternity in a face-to-face relationship with the Father to really make Him known to us. Nature declares something of the power and majesty of God. To have spoken the world into existence God must really be something! To have brought forth the stars and planets of the galaxies God must be awesome in His power. But creation tells us little about the heart of God.
The Law, the Old Testament, reveals much about the holiness of God. There are glimpses of His grace throughout. There are wonderful indications of His loving kindness. But the Scribes and Pharisees read and reread the Old Testament and from it could not discern God’s heart. Jesus did not just tell us about grace and truth. He Himself is Truth—to know Him is to know truth. He Himself is the perfect expression of grace, because grace in its fullness dwells in Him.
The disciples once asked Him (John 14:8), “Show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” How those words must have pierced the heart of Christ. That was exactly what He had been doing—and still they didn’t see it. Jesus answered, “Don’t you know, Phillip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father.”
There hangs Christ suffering on the cross. The burden He bears is beyond comprehension. How will He respond to such infinite stress? Will He chastise the repentant thief beside Him for bothering Him at such a time? No, He turns to the thief’s need and grants him forgiveness. Will He curse those who so unjustly persecute Him? No, His prayer is, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” That is the heart of God. God is love. God is filled with compassion and pity toward us. God is willing to go to the ends of the earth and beyond to save us from destruction.
III. That Revelation Requires a Response on our part.
Verse 11 “He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.” NIV
If God has gone to such lengths to reveal Himself to us—to invite us into relationship with Him, what an insult it is to simply ignore Him. Yet this is the response some people think is acceptable. Oh how unacceptable it really is.
Imagine this scenario with me. You have fallen very ill and somehow President Bush has found out about your sickness. He calls you and tells you how concerned he is about your condition. He promises to come see you at 2:30 PM tomorrow. Later he boards the presidential plane with all his entourage of assistants and secret service agents and comes to Springfield. He comes to your home with every intention of helping you in every possible way. He will spare no expense to help you get well. He has only one thing in mind: your well-being. Can you imagine, when the doorbell rings not even answering the door. Your favorite TV program is on and you don’t want to be disturbed so you simply ignore the doorbell. The bell rings again and again. All those around the President are amazed that no one answers. One of the assistants calls your phone number from his cell. But you don’t answer the phone either. You are busy.
We would be appalled if such a thing happened—amazed that anyone would respond to such kindness with such apathy and ingratitude.
That’s the kind of amazement John expresses in verse 11 of our text.
“He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.” NIV
Could the One Who created us—Who created all things—could He be simply ignored when He comes.
Verse 10 “He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.” NIV
“But I didn’t know it was President Bush at the door.” He told you he was coming. Didn’t you believe him? Throughout the Old Testament God promised Messiah would come. Israel’s whole culture revolved around that promise. There was an expectation built into their faith of His coming. But when He came they did not recognize Him for Who He was. It’s not enough to just recognize there was a man in Nazareth named Jesus 2000 years ago. We must recognize Him for Who He is.
John marvels at the general reception Christ experienced when He came. Here is the Creator of all things, full of grace and truth, offering Himself to those in desperate need. And they don’t receive Him! He created them. He died for them. But they ignore Him, they reject Him, they go their own way, they receive Him not. What a disheartening thought.
But then, that is not everybody’s response. I think John’s heart soared in verse 12 “Yet”! Hallelujah. “Yet --to all who received him…”. Have you received Him? Do you choose to receive Him? What does it mean to receive Him? It means to believe on His name. His name represents His authority and His character. I am Pastor Richard Tow. The word “Pastor” conveys something about my office. “Richard Tow’ identifies me specifically as an individual. The name “Christ” is His office—the Anointed One, the Messiah, God manifested in the flesh—that’s His authority and ability. “Jesus of Nazareth” identifies Him as a specific person. He is that Jesus who was born in Bethlehem of a virgin. He is that Jesus who “went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed of the devil”.[12] He is that Jesus who loves you and gave Himself on the cross for you salvation.[13] Do you believe on Him? Do you trust in Him? Do you rely upon Him to take care of you now and for all eternity? “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name…” I am so glad I can say, by the grace of God, I am one of those. Now here it is, “to all those who believed in His name, He gave”—He gave, He gave. We didn’t earn it. We can’t earn it. We could never pay for it. We didn’t buy it on the installment plan. There is a subtle form of legalism that says to get eternal life you have to keep making payments of good deeds. “If I’m good enough maybe when I die God will receive me.” I’ve got good news. If you receive Him for Who He is, He will receive you right now. He has already made all the payments. His death on the cross has already paid the price. John has been very clear about Who He is—He is Lord. He’s not a little value added to my life. He’s not my servant; I’m His servant. He doesn’t obey me; I obey Him. But when I bow to Him—when I receive Him as Lord and Savior my sins are washed away. Don’t live your life trying to pay for your past. Live your life loving the One Who has forgiven your past.
“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God- 13children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” He gave to you and me the right—the authority, the power, to become. We stress ourselves out trying to become something—something people will respect—something we ourselves can respect and feel good about. But the real power to become is a gift from God. Get in right relationship with Him and you will become what you were designed to become.
“…children of God…”: We have heard that phrase so much we take it for granted. The privilege, the gift, exceeds our wildest dreams. Children are favored by their parents. Children are cared for by their parents. Children grow up to be like their parents. Oh to be a child of God—to belong to Him—to become like Him. We are each unique individuals. But each and every person here has a place in God’s heart that is very, very special. He has created us for Himself and there is nothing He likes better than to lavish His love upon us. Don’t take it for granted. Ponder the magnitude of those simple words—“children of God”—born of the Spirit, by the will of God, born into the family of God.
Many today do not recognize, do not receive the Christ John speaks of in our text. It breaks the heart of God and it carries eternal consequences for all who reject God’s provision of salvation. “Yet-- to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”
There are only two possible responses to the real Jesus: we either Reject Him or we Receive Him. To ignore Him after all He has done is to reject Him.
Are you one of those who have received Him? If you are, I trust gratitude as been stirred in your heart toward Him. He has given you the one thing you need above all else. Don’t take for granted the privilege. Lay aside the cares of life. Lay aside the temporal issues for the moment and thank Him that your names are written in heaven.[14]
If you have never made a clear and definite choice to receive Christ as your Lord and Savior, now is the time to do that. It is not something you want to put off. When Christ comes knocking on our heart’s door—we are to answer Him and invite Him into our lives. I ask those who choose to make that commitment this morning to simply stand where you are. This is your opportunity to receive Him. Stand right now as you make that choice. I invite those standing to pray this prayer from your heart.
Dear Jesus,
Thank you for coming and laying down your life for me on the cross. I confess my sin to you. I ask you to forgive me for my sin. I open my heart to you. I give myself to you without reservation. I receive you as my Lord and Savior. Come into my heart right now.
Now let’s all thank Him for this great salvation.
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[1] Matthew 16:26 NIV
[2] G. Campbell Morgan, The Gospel According to John, Fleming Revell Company, Los Angeles, CA, p 17-18. Campbell offers an excellent outline of this prologue focusing on statements (I) in verse 1, (II) in verse 14, and (III) in verse 18. His insight on the Hebrew philosophy of Logos verses Greek philosophy is also very helpful on page 21.
[3] Hebrews 4:15
[4] Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance
[5] Hebrews 8 and 9
[6] Hebrews 2:11
[7] II Peter 1:4
[8] Barnes Notes
[9] Galatians 6:7
[10] Hebrews 4:12
[11] Ray Stedman sermon entitled “The Stranger of Galilee”
[12] Acts 10:38
[13] Galatians 2:20: Titus 2:14
[14] Luke 10:20
Richard Tow
Grace Chapel Foursquare Church
Springfield, MO
www.gracechapelchurch.org
