The Light-Bearing Word Of God Revealed Series

"The Light-Bearing Word of God Revealed"

Sterling C. Franklin

Given October 17, 2010 at Glorious King Jesus Christian Church

Scripture Reading: John 1:1-14

John 1:1-14 (NKJV)

1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 He was in the beginning with God.

3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.

8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.

10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.

11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.

12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:

13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

15 John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, ’He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ "

16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.

17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

Prayer

Background:

The Gospel according to John is a very rich book focusing on a close disciple’s view of His Savior, Jesus. Let’s first take a look at the writer:

Who was John?

- Son of Zebedee, brother of James

- One of the Twelve Apostles

- Disciple of Jesus

- Close Disciple of Jesus (Matthew 17:1, Matthew 26:37, Mark 5:37, Luke 22:8, John 13:23-25)

- Beloved friend - Took care of Jesus’ mother after Crucifixion (John 19:26-27)

- Elder - In 2 & 3 John, he uses that title

- Writer of John, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, and Revelation

Why did John write this Gospel?

John 20:30-31 (NKJV)

30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book;

31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

- To record the works of Jesus

- To foster belief (or faith) in the reader

- To lead the reader to life through Jesus

- John was quite possibly the only Apostle who died of natural causes.

- A man exiled to Patmos, who was boiled in oil, yet survived through it. Tertullian records this boiling in oil:

"How happy is its church, on which apostles poured forth all their doctrine along with their blood! Where Peter endures a passion like his Lord’s! Where Paul wins his crown in a death like John’s where the Apostle John was first plunged, unhurt, into boiling oil, and thence remitted to his island-exile! See what she has learned, what taught, what fellowship has had with even (our) churches in Africa!"

- Tertullian, Prescription against Heretics, Chapter 38

Many of the followers of Christ went through other serious forms of torture and martyrdom for being believers. Even today, many people are martyred for their faith in Jesus.

Mentioned in Scripture:

James - put to death by the sword at Herod’s command (Acts 12:1-2)

Stephen - Stoned to death (Acts 7)

If what is recorded later by early church fathers as the deaths of some of the other apostles, many of them also died as martyrs, giving their life for the sake of Jesus in various painful ways.

Many devoted and even gave their lives to make Jesus known. The purpose of this study is to make Jesus known, both to those who have not begun a relationship with Him, and to those who love Him and want to know Him more. Scripture speaks deeply about the person of Jesus. He isn’t a figure who simply lived 2,000 years ago in a humble Jewish town. He is the Savior of the world, who lives even today, and who promises to return for those who trust in Him in due time.