Fix Your Thoughts On Jesus

This month of December, we've had a focus on the person of Jesus Christ, and it's been such a joy.

Normally, our method is to work through a book of the Bible, so we'll pick that up in January.

We're going through the book of 1 Samuel and especially seeing how this prepares the way for Jesus Christ, the Messiah, how it points to him.

For today, please turn to the Gospel of John.

The Gospel according to John and our sermon passage is in chapter 1.

All right, well, for the sermon today, we have a narrow focus, and with God's help, we'll be able to go deeply in just a couple of verses, but I do want to read a broader passage.

So let's do both, so you can know what the focus will be, and then also hear the context.

Let's start by reading John chapter 1, verse 14 and verse 18, and that'll be the focus of the exposition of our sermon today.

John 1:14

I'll read this trusting that it's God's inspired, inerrant, infallible, clear, sufficient word.

It's God's very own word for you and me, his people.

John 1, verse 14, and this is in the New King James.

John 1:14

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.

Verse 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.

Amen.

Now let's hear this in context.

Let's read verses 1 through 18 as well.

In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God, and he was in the beginning with God.

All things were made through him.

Without him, nothing was made that was made.

In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness does not comprehend it.

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

This man came as a witness to bear witness of the light that all through him might believe.

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

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

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

He came to his own, and his own did not receive him.

But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become children of God.

To those who believe in his name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

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.

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.

And of his fullness we have all received the grace for grace.

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

No one has seen God at any time.

The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him.

The word of God for the people of God.

Thanks be to God.

Please be seated.

Let's pray.

Lord, we ask that the light of God himself will shine into darkness.

Lord, we pray that you will give us the gift of faith.

That faith will be poured out mightily in a powerful way upon your people, Lord.

Upon all who hear the gospel of Jesus and the words you've given us.

Please help us to take the faith you put in our hearts and minds

and lift it back up to you.

As Calvin put it, like a beggar's open hand and freely receive Jesus Christ,

our Savior and our Lord.

We ask this for your glory.

Amen.

Neurologists have observed that a person's ability to concentrate

is influenced by a complex interplay of factors.

It's hard to fix our minds on even a worthy subject

when we are feeling strong emotions,

when we are sleep deprived,

when we are physically fatigued,

or when we have many problems that we're supposed to solve.

Can you relate to that this past week?

It's hard to fix our minds on even a worthy object, isn't it?

And these are times when we're also most weak and vulnerable

and susceptible to temptations, to attacks, and to sin.

So what do we do?

I love the clear, straightforward, encouraging command we have

in Hebrews chapter 3, verse 1.

Hebrews 3:1

Therefore, holy brothers and sisters who share in the heavenly calling,

fix your thoughts on Jesus.

Fix your thoughts on Jesus.

That's the title of today's sermon.

In centuries past, a fellow Christian like you and me,

battling this, exclaimed,

Oh, there is a sweet blessedness in contemplating Jesus.

When we meditate on him and his sin-atoning wounds,

we are melted in repentance.

When we contemplate his righteousness,

we are filled with assurance.

When we consider his sovereign reign,

we are strengthened with hope.

When we behold him coming in glory,

we are stirred to holiness.

Amen.

Let's fix our thoughts today

on three glorious truths

that every Christian must learn to believe about Jesus.

Number one,

fix your thoughts on Jesus

because he is the eternal word of God.

Jesus is the eternal word of God.

What I want to emphasize under this heading

is that Jesus is the very creator God himself.

He is the eternal word of God.

Please look at verse 14.

We're told the word became flesh

and dwelt among us

and we beheld his glory,

glory as of the only begotten of the Father,

full of grace and truth.

We don't need to resurrect an ancient heresy,

a wrong teaching from past centuries

because this is all around us.

In this area,

there are very,

very disciplined,

works-based missionaries

by a church that is not Christian

and it's the Latter-day Saints.

They go by Mormon.

They teach that Christ's divinity was achieved,

that God the Son had to achieve,

he had to work and eventually accomplish a divine status,

that Jesus is not God in the same way as the Father,

that he progressed to become God.

They say that all worthy humans

have this same potential

to achieve a similar,

even if it's lower,

divine status as Jesus Christ.

Christ,

this is all around us.

There are many people who think they are Christians

who believe that.

We must contend for the truths

necessarily contained in the Bible.

In 1 Corinthians 2.13,

we are told that what we impart in words,

it's not something that came up to us by human wisdom,

but it's taught by the Spirit,

interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.

We need to fix our eyes on the truth

that the Spirit communicates

through his word to Christians.

We read how Jesus is the one

who reveals the glory of God,

full of grace and truth.

Look back at John 1, verses 1-3.

John 1:1–3

We're told that all things were made through him.

Without him, nothing was made that was made.

This truth is reinforced in Colossians 1, 15-17.

By him, all things were created

that are in heaven, the spiritual realm,

and that are on earth,

visible and invisible,

whether thrones or dominions

or principalities or powers.

All things were created through him

and for him.

He is before all things.

And in him, all things consist.

See, everything that exists in this world

falls into one of two categories.

Is it creator

or is it created?

And the person of Jesus Christ

is not a created or lesser being.

Jesus Christ is very God of very God.

He is God the creator.

The divinity of God the Son

is absolute and eternal.

There was never a time

when the Son was not God.

Thomas Watson commented,

we must look at Christ

not only as the Lamb of God,

but as the great God.

If Jesus Christ were less than God,

here's what it comes down to.

You and I would still be unredeemed.

As God's eternal word,

with the human nature,

Jesus Christ accomplished

all that God requires

and all that we need.

That's what's at stake.

There's a theological concept

used to describe this great mystery.

And we don't want to pry in

beyond what God has laid before us

and revealed.

But we do need to contend

for the glory of Jesus Christ

as our Redeemer.

The term of this concept,

it helps us to not make errors

or make less errors

and be careful with our words.

It's called the communication of properties.

There's a theologian in the 1600s

named John Norton

who I found very clear and helpful.

He explained how the communication

of properties attributes

an action belonging to one nature,

either his divine or his human nature

of Jesus Christ.

And whatever either nature does

can be correctly attributed

to his whole person.

And this is something we can relate to

in a way.

I would say that this morning,

you or I ate a piece of bread.

It was your person

who ate a piece of bread.

And we know that the person

is body and soul.

So even though the soul

doesn't have a tongue

or a mouth or a stomach,

it was your whole person

that ate the bread

through the body.

Think about how the scripture

talks about Jesus Christ.

In Mark chapter 1 verse 14,

Mark 1:14

we're told Jesus proclaimed

the kingdom of heaven.

This means God the Son,

the eternal word of God,

in his flesh,

was preaching.

What a glorious revelation.

This is God

through the person of the Son

with vocal cords

and a mouth and lungs

preaching truth,

full of grace and truth,

proclaiming the kingdom of heaven.

In 1 Corinthians 2.8,

we're told that the Lord of glory

was crucified.

The Lord of glory crucified.

This means that Jesus Christ's

human body suffered crucifixion.

And the scripture teaches us

to attribute this

to the Lord of glory himself.

Acts chapter 2 verse 28,

Acts 2:28

one of my favorite verses.

We're told that God

purchased the church

with his own blood.

Well, God is a spirit.

He's the creator.

He's not creaturely.

And blood is a creaturely thing.

But it was

in the person of Jesus Christ,

God the Son,

our Savior,

who truly bled.

And this is attributed to God

because Jesus Christ

is the eternal word of God.

Fix your eyes on Jesus.

He is the eternal word of God.

You and I

may feel accused right now

before the holy God.

On the other hand,

we may view ourselves

as good enough people.

But we cannot pay

an eternal debt we owe

to a holy, eternal God.

We can't do it.

We fix our eyes

on the only mediator

between the eternal God

and sinful men

like me and you.

The blood that ran down

the cross of Calvary

wasn't the blood

of an angel

that took on a body

or a lesser deity

that took on a body.

Not a man alone

as a martyr.

It was the blood,

as Acts 20 verse 28 says,

Acts 20:28

of God.

God.

Because Jesus Christ

is God,

he swallows up

the judgment

that would have drowned

you and me.

And if you are

in Jesus Christ

by faith alone,

because of who he is,

your security

is ironclad.

It can't be shaken.

Do you see who Jesus is?

Number two,

I invite you to fix

your thoughts

on Jesus.

Not only is he very God,

he is uncreated.

He is the uncreated

co-equal God.

And what I want to emphasize

is that he is

of the same substance,

not in any way

subordinate

to the Father.

The alternative

is this,

that

in eternity

past,

so to speak,

God the Son

was in a servant

position

to God the Father

so that

they have a different

will

as God.

Another way

that this has been

slightly nuanced,

twisted

is called

functional subordination,

that

God is really

a society,

and the Father

has ultimately

more authority

than the Son.

And so when it comes

to the decree

of God

to redeem sinners,

the Son really

has no will

to do so.

He's really

forced

to go to the cross.

That Jesus Christ

did not

freely choose

to take

what Philippians 2

tells us,

the form

of a servant

out of divine love,

but because

God the Father

made him

to do it.

Jesus is called

in our passage

today,

look at verses

14 and 18,

he's called

the only begotten

of the Father.

Verse 18 repeats,

the only begotten

Son,

in some Greek

manuscripts

have the word

God

instead,

who is in the

bosom

of the Father.

John Calvin

takes a passage

like this

and says,

this is God

giving us

language to

grasp what

is a mystery.

It's really

incomprehensible

in its glory.

Calvin called it

baby talk.

It's God

like trying

to break it

down for

his dear

children

and we

don't want

to go

beyond that

but we

also have

to stand

on the

shoulders

of giants.

The church

has handed

down the

correct

distinctions

over time.

Not only

is our

Lord Jesus

Christ

eternal,

he is

also

uncreated,

co-equal

of the same

authority,

the same

divinity,

the same

substance

as God

the Father.

The term

only begotten

which we

also hear

in John

3.16

for God

so loved

the world

that he

gave his

only begotten

son.

It compounds

two terms

manos

which means

only

and genos

and you

know that

from you

can even

picture like

a species

or a genos

you know

and it

means he

is one

of a kind.

that's what

the sense

of begotten

is in

this context.

It reveals

to us

God the

son is

unique.

There are

no earthly

comparisons we

can throw

back up on

a holy God

that's a

creator.

Our language

will always

fall short

of his

glory.

But how

is the

word referred

to in

relation to

God?

The word

is God

we read

in verse

14 as

of the only

begotten

of the

father.

And this

is an

allusion

back to

psalm

Psalms 2 · chapter mention

chapter 2

which we

read

where God

says

referring of

the son

he says

today I

have begotten

thee

today.

It's also

mysterious

but it

stretches

our

faith

to receive

God as

he is.

The word

is God

and at the

same time

there is a

relation

among

father

son.

Today

in psalm

2 it

means

always

constantly

in the

present

tense

eternally

outside

of time

and space

and from

God the

word

God the

father

the word

has

eternally

proceeded

in relation

one to

the other

as a

father

to the

son.

Sometimes

what our

own language

trying to

teach

clearly

fails to

do

and as

I feel

like I'm

failing

right now

hymns

that the

church has

received by

faith and

sung poetically

capture it

just as

well.

Think of

this line

of the

father's

love

begotten

before the

worlds

began to

be

he is

alpha

and omega

he the

source

the ending

he

of the

things that

are

that have

been

and that

future

years

shall

see.

This is

our Lord

Jesus

Christ

the

uncreated

co-equal

same

substance

God.

I'll try

one more

category

to help

us and

this is

learning from

centuries

past

of the

orthodox

meaning

upholding

the truth

of the

Bible

church

and it's

a difference

between

substance

and

subsistence.

it's a

difference

between

his

essence

and his

persons.

Essence

answers the

question

what is

God?

What is

the essence

of God

as he's

revealed himself

in all of

scripture?

One of our

catechisms

that we

use and

reinforce

with children

and grown-ups

alike

says this

answer

God is

the creator

and sustainer

of everyone

and everything

he is eternal

infinite

and unchangeable

in his

power and

perfection

goodness

and glory

wisdom

justice

and truth

this is

God

this is

his essence

this is

the substance

of God

to be very

clear

father son

and holy

spirit

are one

true

God

the same

essence

Jesus is

very God

of very

God

Colossians

117

he is

before all

things

and in

him

all things

consist

the

Athanasian

creed

which we

read not

too long

ago

as part

of our

public

profession

it

powerfully

declares

this

glorious

mystery

of God's

unity

and

distinction

as a

triune

God

quote

in this

trinity

none

is before

or after

other

none

is greater

or less

than another

but in the

three persons

they are

co-equal

and co-eternal

we also

confess as a

church

the Nicene

creed

that

Jesus

is

God

from God

light

from light

true

God

from true

God

begotten

not made

being of

one

substance

with

the

father

so this

is of

God's

substance

his

essence

his

unity

now the

distinction

is among

the persons

or the

subsistence

of God

and

subsistence

is a

term

I think

it's worth

you

learning about

this

and me

too

to stretch

us

and to

help us

a little

bit

it's a

term

carefully

used

over

the

centuries

to

rigorously

guard

against

tritheism

on one

side

that

there

are

three

gods

Christians

are not

polytheists

worshipping

three different

gods

but on

the other

side

it guards

against

modalism

saying

that there

is only

one

God

that

uses

three

different

modes

or

displays

himself

in

three

roles

no

there

are

three

distinct

subsistences

in

God

a

subsistence

is the

essence

of God

so all

three persons

have the

essence

plus a

relational

property

I know

this sounds

technical

but it's

important that

we understand

we can

easily use

language

that is

making us

think

creaturely

thoughts

about a

holy

God

that's

creator

he's

different

than

anything

in this

world

the

second

London

confession

of

faith

chapter

two

paragraph

three

upholds

this

truth

in

the

one

divine

and

infinite

being

God

the

creator

there

are

three

subsistences

or three

persons

the

father

the

word

or

son

and

the

holy

spirit

this

mysterious

truth

that we

confess

about

Jesus

these

are

important

doctrines

because

they

draw

good

lines

it

excludes

those

who

reject

the

full

glory

of

God

in

our

Lord

Jesus

Christ

but

at

the

same

time

these

good

lines

unite

all

Christians

who

stand

on

this

common

ground

of

Nicene

Trinitarianism

we can

call it

John

Norton

again

affirmed

truth

and then

backed off

very quickly

at this

glorious

mystery

he wrote

this

mystery

is from

the

perspective

of the

internal

action

of the

Godhead

this

generation

is not

temporary

but

eternal

not

carnal

but

spiritual

not

of

necessity

but

ineffable

and that

means

too

great

to

describe

in

words

Romans

11

33

echoes

that same

sentiment

oh

the

depth

of the

riches

and

wisdom

and

knowledge

of

God

how

unsearchable

are his

judgments

how

inscrutable

his ways

we receive it

with a

childlike

faith

it's

impossible

for us

to understand

fully

or comprehend

completely

because

our minds

and our

words are

limited

we are

created

creatures

we are

so

creaturely

aren't

we

one

time

someone

asked

me

how

should

we

try

to

teach

our

children

about

father

son

and

holy

spirit

the

mystery

of

the

trinity

and

you

know

the

question

was

should

we

use

illustrations

like

an

egg

or

water

and

it's

different

stages

stuff

like

that

I

at

the

time

I

didn't

give

the

best

answer

so

I

want

to

tell

you

that

and

add

to

it

we

are

told

to

have

a

child

like

faith

receive

God's

word

as

he's

given

it

and

we

trust

him

in

this

glorious

mystery

so

think

of

that

simple

passage

in

the

beginning

meaning

before

time

and

space

were

even

created

God

the

one

creator

God

he

sent

his

only

begotten

son

there's

a

father

the

son

that

whosoever

the

whole

world

needs

to hear

this

glorious

gospel

and

whoever

the

spirit

will

draw

whosoever

believes

that's

the

Holy

Spirit

there's

father

son

and

spirit

will

have

eternal

life

how

can

sinners

have

eternal

life

because

of

the

work

of

God

to

save

us

through

the

person

of

Jesus

Christ

I

want

to

add

to

that

answer

though

I

don't

think

we

should

use

illustrations

to

speak

of

the

Trinity

because

every

single

one

will

train

our

brains

the

wrong

way

to

think

of

a

holy

God

I

do

think

though

we

need

to

use

scripture

with

scripture

we

also

need

to

use

hymns

that

capture

the

truth

of

scripture

and

help

melt

our

hearts

and

receive

this

in

a

childlike

way

and

we

also

make

it

our

practice

as

a

church

as

we've

done

today

to

systematically

profess

our

faith

together

to

read

these

creeds

from

the

early

centuries

of

the

church

the

Nicene

creed

chalcedonian

!

athanasian

creed

and state

what the

church

has held

up

because

it

guards

against

error

and

on

top

of

that

we

read

a

catechism

developed

mostly

for

children

and

families

like

we

do

today

in

our

simple

baptist

catechism

from

the

1600s

so

I

think

we

can

and

should

disciple

children

even

when

they're

in

that

developmental

stage

where

their

brains

are

the

faith

he

will

help

us

to

realize

in

our

own

thinking

how

can

it

be

even

sharper

and

this

is

a

glorious

way

to

grow

in

our

discipleship

our

confession

of

faith

states

this

the

trinity

is

the

foundation

of

all

our

communion

with

God

and

comfortable

dependence

on

him

this

does

matter

all

of

our

communion

with

God

is

only

possible

because

of

this

glorious

mystery

of

the

trinity

and

it

teaches

us

a

comfortable

dependence

on

Jesus

Christ

through

whom

God

unites

us

to

himself

brothers

and

sisters

we

are

saved

by

the

gospel

of

Jesus

Christ

no

one

forced

him

it

was

for

the

joy

set

before

him

that

our

Lord

endured

the

cross

it

was

his

good

pleasure

out

of

the

abundant

!

love

of

the

one

triune

God

who

himself

became

our

sacrifice

God

himself

so

loved

us

to

redeem

us

the

will

of

God

would

never

fail

to

redeem

Jesus

Christ

according

to his

human

nature

humbled

himself

and

according

to his

human

nature

he

knew

that

the

will

of

God

would

be

done

and

he

said

joyfully

your

will

not mine

according

to my

human

nature

be done

oh

father

our

lord

jesus

despised

the

shame

of

the

cross

he

who

came

from

heavenly

unimaginable

glory

to

this

created

realm

and put

to

shame

here

in

the

darkness

and he

did

this

because

it

was

his

will

he

was

not

forced

to

do

it

it

was

the

mission

that

the

triune

God

decreed

before

time

began

do

you

see

who

jesus

christ

is

well

our

third

and

final

encouragement

is

let's

fix

our

thoughts

on

jesus

because

he

is

the

glory

of

god

revealed

let's

fix

our

thoughts

on

jesus

he

is

the

glory

of

god

revealed

what

i

hope

to

emphasize

for

you

is

that

jesus

christ

is

the

eternally

united

exegete

of

god

that's

what

these

words

literally

say

he

is

the

eternally

united

exegete

of

god

verse

14

and

18

one

more

time

we

beheld

his

glory

the

glory

of

god

the

glory

as

of

the

only

begotten

of

the

father

verse

18

no

one

has

seen

god

at

any

time

the

only

begotten

son

who

is

in

the

bosom

of

the

father

he

declared

him

it's

an

old

word

that

maybe

we

need

to

bring

back

into

our

vernacular

bosom

it

brings

to

mind

a

picture

of

a

child

held

in

a

parent's

loving

embrace

cherished

bound

almost

as if

they're

one

that's

the

picture

we

know

from

scripture

that

Jesus

Christ

is

bound

in

this

way

God

the

son

being

the

same

substance

of

God

unites

eternally

Jesus

Christ

to

the

God

head

Jesus

Christ

knew

to

abide

in

God

and

because

of

this

intimate

union

he

is

alone

the

one

who

can

perfectly

reveal

or

declare

God

in

verse

18

we're

told

that

he

has

declared

him

and

that

word

declared

that

verb

in

Greek

it's

exegete

oh

my

it's

literally

mean

he's

the

one

who

will

exegete

or

draw

out

you

hear

of

an

exegetical

sermon

it's

drawing

out

what's

contained

in

a

verse

it

means

to

unfold

or

correctly

lay

forth

narrate

who

God

is

so

Jesus

is

the

ultimate

and

excellent

declarer

of

God

the

father

since

God

is

spirit

God

is

invisible

Jesus

had

to

reveal

him