Who Is This Jesus?
John 1:1-18
September 11/12, 2004
Don Jaques
INTRO:
TRIVIA QUESTIONS
Who was the 2nd president of the United States?
John Adams
Who is the American League leader in batting percentage?
Ichiro Suzuki
Which movie won the Oscar for Best Movie in 2004?
Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
How many bones are there in an adult human skeleton (within 10)?
206
Trivial pursuit is fun – but it doesn’t change our lives and ultimately it’s really a waste of time! But there are other questions that really make a difference in our lives. Where will I live? Who will I marry? What career is right for me?
But when it all comes down – the most important question you’ll ever need to answer is this: Who is Jesus?
So many people think they know. But what is their answer based upon? Too often it is based upon fuzzy ideas put together from TV talk shows, old Sunday school memories, and our own opinions. The best way to get started is to read the parts of the Bible that were written to give us the answer. We owe it to ourselves.
Gospel of John provides some of the clearest explanations of who he was, who he claimed to be, and what he asked of his followers.
We’re going to spend the next couple months taking a look at this book, written for the sole purpose of helping people to know who Jesus is: 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
Along the way we’ll ask ourselves: Do I believe this? If not, why not? If so, what response is required of us – how then should we live?
Let’s read John 1:1-18. Before I do I want to give you a bit of intro.
First of all, why is this called the Gospel of John. Gospel simply means “good news”. This book is the “good news” about who Jesus is and what he did while on earth. It’s one of 4 biographies of Jesus of Nazareth. The author of it is a man named John – who was one of the original 12 disciples. (Not John the Baptist) He was one of the closest disciples to Jesus’ heart, known as “the disciple Jesus loved”.
John was a Jew, living in Galilee as a fisherman with his brother James, when Jesus called him to leave behind that life and follow him.
As we read the first few verses of this book – commonly known as the “prologue” to the gospel, John does a very interesting thing. Rather than starting with the story of Mary and Joseph and Jesus’ birth, John starts at the very beginning of time, and he introduces a concept well known to the people of his day but which is a bit confusing for us.
“the word” – the logos.
Logos
A Greek term meaning both "word" and "reason," used by Greek philosophers to denote the rational principle that creates and informs the universe. It was associated in Hellenistic Jewish thought with divine wisdom, as God’s creative presence.
For us – perhaps the idea of “the force” is the closest thing we can come to understanding this concept of “the logos” or “the word”
Put yourself into the mindset of a 1st century Greek, as John begins talking about this philosophical concept taking human form! In order to help you understand how John’s contemporaries would have interpreted John’s meaning, I’ve taken the liberty of changing some of the pronouns.
John 1:1-18
In the beginning was the [logos], and the [logos] was with God, and the [logos] was God. 2[The logos] was with God in the beginning. 3Through [the logos] all things were made; without [the logos] nothing was made that has been made. 4In [the logos] 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. 10[The logos] was in the world, and though the world was made through [the logos], the world did not recognize [the logos]. 11[The logos] came to that which was [its] own, but [its] own did not receive [it]. 12Yet to all who received [the logos], to those who believed in [the name of the logos], [the logos] 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 [logos] 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.
So what do we learn about Jesus from this introduction – this prologue?
1. Jesus is God.
He is not an angel. He is not a man with a “messiah-complex”. He is not a prophet.
Right here at the very beginning of this biography, John wants to make one thing very clear – Jesus was and is God.
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.
He was with God in the beginning. But more than that He IS God.
He is the source of life – everything that was made was made through Him.
Right away the question comes to mind: Where do I go for my strength? What is my source of life? What is my source of “light” in the midst of the confusion and darkness of this life?
We go to our psychiatrists, and we read books, and we go to the workout, and we go to self-help seminars, and we try and eat right – but though these are helpful ultimately our life will miss the target unless we train ourselves to come to the source of life – Jesus Christ!
ILLUS: Matt Emmons had the gold medal in sight. He was one shot away from claiming victory in the 2004 Olympic 50-meter three-position rifle event. He didn’t even need a bull’s-eye to win. His final shot merely needed to be on target.
Normally, the shot he made would have received a score of 8.1, more than enough for a gold medal. But in what was described as "an extremely rare mistake in elite competition," Emmons fired at the wrong target. Standing in lane two, he fired at the target in lane three. His score for a good shot at the wrong target?—0. Instead of a medal, Emmons ended up in eighth place.
It doesn’t matter how accurate you are if you are aiming at the wrong goal! And when it comes to discovering your true purpose and potential in life – anytime we follow anything other than the giver of life and light – Jesus – we’re destined to fail!
Jesus, “the word made flesh”, is that true source of life! He was God in the flesh.
TRANS: And as such, we learn the next important answer to the question , “Who is this Jesus?”
2. Jesus shows us the nature of God. (v. 14)
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.
18No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.
Jesus – or as John refers to him here, “the word”, “God the one and only” – came to earth to show us what God is like. If the people of his day wanted to know God’s nature and God’s character all they had to do was study the life and words of Jesus.
And how was he described? He is full of grace and truth.
Some think God is all truth. Results:
- relationship with God replaced with rule following. Must keep the laws!
- God is seen as a stern judge who in his holiness must be feared and obeyed without question.
- Overemphasis on MY part in earning my salvation, with an underemphasis on God’s part
Some think God is all grace. Results:
- I can do whatever I want and He’ll forgive me.
- God simply becomes “the man upstairs” or “the big guy”
- Overemphasis on God’s part in providing salvation, with an underemphasis on my part in living a holy life and repenting of sin.
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Jesus Christ, the re-presentation of God in human form, brings us GRACE and TRUTH.
ILLUS:Remember the Lite beer commercials: great taste, less filling. The whole thing was based on the thought that you couldn’t possibly have both at the same time.
Jesus Christ was full of grace – and he was full of truth, and as such he gives us reason for encouragement in our spiritual journey and the accountability we need to keep growing toward the goal of becoming like him.
Sometimes we need his grace. Sometimes we need the truth – however hard it may be to hear. But we always need God!
TRANS: So who is this Jesus? So far we’ve discovered that he is God, and that in him we see a true representation of God’s nature and character. But what difference does this make?
John answers it in verse 12 and from it we find perhaps the most important answer to the question “Who is this Jesus?”
3. We can become children of God by receiving Jesus. (v. 12)
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.
Not by earning his favor.
Not by doing good works.
Not by giving money or time.
We must receive him and believe in his name.
What does this mean?
Believe in his name = believe that he is who John is portraying him to be: God in the flesh.
ILLUS: Commercials for American Express. Some celebrity is trying to purchase something, but the person doesn’t recognize them and is giving them a hard time about accepting a check just with their name on it. But when they pull out the American Express card – the name is recognized, accepted, and the transaction is approved. They are believing in the name of American Express to fulfill their obligations to pay for the purchase.
For us to “believe in his name” is to accept as good his claims to be the Son of God.
If we do this we’ll do what this verse instructs us to do: we’ll RECEIVE him.
ILLUS: Talking with Lily about the choir teacher at the high school last year. He was hired after the long-time choir teacher was fired amidst some controversy. The man who was hired only lasted a year – and Lily said there were many in the class who refused to follow his direction. They refused to receive him.
In that case receiving meant allowing themselves to be subordinate to a teacher. Letting someone else teach and lead them.
With Jesus Christ it is no different. We’ve been given the greatest offer in the world – to become a child of God – but the price we pay for it is receiving him as the absolute authority over our lives that he truly is. We must willingly hand over the controls of our lives and allow Him to call the shots.
CONCLUSION:
Where are you today? If I asked you the question, “Who is this Jesus?”, what would you say?
Perhaps you’d say – He is God.
Perhaps you’d say – He is an example of God’s nature.
But can you say – “He is my Lord.”
ILLUS: Imagine for a minute that you have a friend in debt–so much debt that he’s facing bankruptcy – only he already filed once and can’t do it again.
Bill Gates hears about his plight, and he hires a limo and comes to your friend’s door, ready not only to wipe out their debt, but to put a million dollars into their account – so they won’t have to worry about money again. The only thing he asks is that your friend let him manage his money for him from that time forward.
He comes to your friend’s door. But instead of answering the door and letting him in, he stays inside, stubbornly acting like he’s not home. Gates shouts through the door – “Are you there? I’ve got an incredible offer for you! Financial freedom! Won’t you accept my offer?” But instead of taking the offer, your friend’s pride rises up and he refuses to take it.
Sadly, Mr Gates walks back to his limo and is driven back home.
What would you say to such a friend?
Friend, some of you here have done just that. Not with money – but with the offer of salvation, eternal life, and adoption into God’s family that Jesus Christ has made for you.
He stands ready to bless your life in ways you can’t imagine – but he asks you to do two things: believe he is the Son of God, and receive him as the master or lord of your life.
How will you respond today?
Let’s pray.
