Who You Believe: Who Is “the Word”? (Session 3) Series

Who is “The Word”?

How can the personality and life of Jesus Christ help us to know the Eternal God?

Many people have had their lives changed by encountering Jesus Christ, the rich, the poor, the famous, the unknown, the proud, the humble, people like you and me. For over two thousand years, the teaching and truth of His words continue to influence and change lives around the world. In fact His words have even become part of the everyday speech of people who do not even acknowledge He existed. Many know the sayings but not the truth behind them.

Can you think of any of Jesus sayings that have become part of everyday speech? For example, A baptism of fire (Luke 3:16) or the blind leading the blind (Matthew 15:14),

John 1:1-18 The Word Became Flesh

1In 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.

Jesus teachings touch the world today

In the last session we looked at the fact that the coming of Jesus Christ is the centre of history. His birth split time into two. One simple birth, in a stable of all places, changed the world. People around the world use calendars and diaries with dates based on the number of years that have passed since the birth of Jesus Christ - even atheists and agnostics!

Every year millions of people around the world celebrate Christmas with only a passing acknowledgement to it being the time to remember the birth of Jesus Christ.

In a short earthly life of just thirty-three years Jesus impacted many lives. For only three years He preached and taught His disciples and crowds of people the truth. One gospel writer said “The large crowd listened to Him with delight” (Mark 12:37).

His 12 disciples were ordinary men, common people, fishermen, outcasts (even then the people disliked the taxman). He spoke to the rejected, the despised, the sick, the broken and people were changed. His words were scrutinised by the intellectual, the religious leaders and the proud.

Are there specific teachings of Jesus that have a special meaning to you?

At His birth He was given the name Jesus which means “Saviour”, to express the special office He would fulfil: “He will save His people from their sins” Matthew 1:21.

His title is Christ means “Anointed One”, someone who is appointed to a special position or service. The Apostle Peter said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” Matthew 16:16. The title Messiah carries the same meaning and is used in both the Old and New Testaments.

Jesus, God incarnate

If I said to you, “If you know me, you know God”, your response may be that I need some serious medical help. You probably would not take my statement seriously.

When Jesus said “If you know me, you know God”, why did people take Him seriously?

Jesus made many statements regarding who He was, “I and the Father [God] are one” John 10:30. “If you knew me, you would also know my Father” John 8:19. “To see me is to see the Father” John 14:9 (The Message). “I am the way and the truth and the life” John 14:6.