John 1:14-18 (Part 1)

Intending to debate that out this morning, but in fact, God the Son became a man, but also to clarify the nature of it.

! What is the reality of this God-man?

!

Since the beginning, all of those errors that I mentioned to you, Christians have gathered together and they have made statements to make it clear what the Bible teaches about the Incarnation.

An example, in 451, in the former city of Chalcedon, now part of Istanbul, a council convened for just this purpose and adopted the Chalcedonian Creed.

I'm going to read to you an English translation of it.

I'll try to do so carefully for your edification, and then I'm also going to lay out some summary points to clarify.

But listen to what they wrote. This is the translation of it.

We then, following the Holy Fathers, all with one consent, teach men to confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

The same perfect in Godhead and also perfect in manhood.

Here's a key phrase.

Truly God and truly man.

Of a reasonable soul and body, co-substantial with us according to the manhood, in all things like unto us without sin.

Begotten before all ages of the Father according to the Godhead, and in these latter days for us and for our salvation.

Born of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God.

According to the manhood.

One and the same Christ, Son, Lord only.

Unchangeable, indivisibly, inseparably.

The distinction of nature's being by no means taken away by the union, but rather the property of each nature being preserved.

And concurring in one person and one subsistence.

Interexistence.

This is called the hypostasis or hypostatic union of Christ.

Not parted or divided into two persons, but one and the same Son and only begotten, God the Word, the Lord Jesus Christ, as the prophets from the beginning have declared concerning him.

And the Lord Jesus Christ himself taught us, and the creed of the Holy Fathers has handed down to us.

End quote.

Now, you go, I didn't catch any of that.

That's fine.

The point being, they were very careful in defining the nature of the embodied Christ.

They saw it as important.

They were pushing back against unbiblical falsehoods, and we need to do the very same thing.

So, six summary points that we can derive from the Chalcedonian Creed, which is coming from the scriptures.

Number one, Jesus Christ is one person, one being, with two natures.

Once again, he is truly God and truly man.

Some people will say fully God and fully man.

Like 200%.

Not half God, half man, but completely, fully both.

The divine nature was not diluted by the incarnation, nor was the human nature somehow abstract or incomplete.

Right?

Truly both at the same time.

Number two, two natures united without confusion, change, division, or separation.

Divine and human natures are distinct yet united in one person.

This is a mystery, to be clear.

Right?

Again, this is the hypostatic union.

It's a thing for us to marvel over.

I don't know that we're going to fully comprehend it, this side of glory.

But we should try as best we can to understand this nature of Christ.

They are not mixed, not divided, and not reduced to a third nature.

Thirdly, the human nature was fully assumed.

Jesus had a real human body, mind, soul, and will.

Everything essential to true humanity.

Right?

He was like us in that way, and the clarification is, yet without sin.

That's the part of the human nature that he did not take on.

Right?

Born of a virgin, he didn't inherit the line, the sin line and the sin nature.

That we have.

Fourthly, the divine nature remained fully intact.

So even though he took on human flesh, at the incarnation, Christ did not lay aside his divine attributes.

Fifthly, the person of the Son is the subject of both natures.

Right?

By that I mean, Jesus is not two persons or a split consciousness.

Right?

The eternal Son is the acting subject of both divine and human experiences.

So, to make that more real for you, he hungered as a man.

He got tired as a man.

He experienced the pain of suffering as a man.

And yet he worked miracles.

He walked on water.

He raised people from the dead.

He forgave sins as God.

Yet, always as one person who we most often call the Son of God, as we're thinking about his incarnation.

The incarnation, sixthly, was for our salvation.

And we'll talk about that more in our third point.

But, briefly here, Jesus became man, not merely to reveal God, but to redeem sinners through his substitutionary death and victorious resurrection.

The unity of his person ensures the efficacy.

Right?

That it actually worked.

That his work was the work that he said it was.

Yes, only one who is God could save and only one who is man could die in our place.

Again, the incarnation is not easy to grasp.

But it is good.

And it is a necessary reality to be grasped.

In order for us to be saved, we must repent of our sins and place faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

I don't know if that phrase has ever puzzled you.

I say it all the time.

What do we place faith in?

Not just the work, but the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Because if Jesus is not who he said he is, then the work itself wasn't effectual.

Right?

Jesus has to be who the scripture says that he is in order for it to have its proper effect.

We are concerned with the person of Jesus because it makes possible the work of Jesus.

And so we need to believe in both.

And we need to be clear about what the scripture says those things are.

Cyril of Alexandria, who was a 5th century church leader.

He died a couple of years before the Council of Chalcedon.

I think he would have been there had he not passed a few years before.

Said this, and this is the quote on the back of your bulletin today.

He said,

And I love this quote particularly for the phrase,

And I love this quote particularly for the phrase,

They're inexpressible and inexplicable concurrence into unity.

That person has made possible the work.

And it's by that, both person and work, that we declare Jesus the Lord and Son of God.

God.

The word became flesh.

Not only that, but it became flesh and dwelt among us.

Dwelt is a form of a Greek verb that means literally to live in a tent.

We can read in Exodus the account of God tenting with Israel as his glory dwelt in the tabernacle.

Of course, later this same presence dwelt, same word usage in Hebrew, in the temple.

God dwelt among us in the incarnate Christ, and he will dwell with his people again.

John picks up this language in Revelation chapter 21.

Revelation 21 · chapter mention

Verse 3 and following, he says,

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,

Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man.

The tenting place of God is with man.

He will dwell with them, and they will be his people.

And God himself will be with them as their God.

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more.

Neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore.

For the former things have passed away.

He came and he dwelt.

He dwells in us now by his Spirit, and one day fully we will dwell together with him.

John goes on to say,

He dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory.

Glory as of the only Son from the Father.

Jesus manifested God's glory during his earthly existence in a more magnificent way than ever before.

Right?

I mentioned a couple of these ways that God's glory dwelt.

Right?

In the tabernacle, and then in the temple.

But now in person, in flesh.

Jesus' tenting was more glorious than previous tenting,

but still a shadow of the things to come.

Jesus' human flesh still veiled his full glory.

John, the author of the words that we're reading,

along with Peter and James,

were invited to see Jesus' unveiled glory at the transfiguration.

That's what's so significant about it.

Interestingly, John doesn't record anything about the transfiguration.

I'd like to wrap my head around why.

But we can read in Matthew chapter 17 and verse 2,

Matthew 17 · chapter mention

Jesus was transfigured before them,

and his face shone like the sun,

and his clothes became white as light.

John and Peter and James beheld God's glory.

His magnificence.

This was glory as of the only Son from the Father,

because the Son and the Father have the same nature.

So I think when John says,

we, we have beheld his glory,

we have seen his glory,

he is most certainly referring to himself

and Peter and James.

He has to have that in his mind.

But he is also,

although perhaps unwittingly,

maybe it's just that he's being carried along by the Spirit,

he's referring to all of us who have seen Christ

in the Scriptures

and placed our faith in him.

Why can I make such a claim?

That we,

we share in this we

that he's talking about here,

beholding the glory.

If there is an event in history,

I think I would want to be on that mount

and see the transfigured Christ.

I think that's the one I would want to be whisked away to,

to witness.

But listen to the astounding thing

that Peter says

with reference to that very same event

in 2 Peter chapter 1.

2 Peter 1 · chapter mention

You may enjoy joining me there.

It's a little bit longer text.

This is verse 16

and following.

Listen to what Peter says.

For we do not follow

cleverly devised myths

when we made known to you

the power and coming

of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We weren't following just some teaching

when we told you about

the power and coming of Christ.

Why?

But we were eyewitnesses

of his majesty.

We were eyewitnesses

of his glory.

How do I know he's talking

about the transfiguration?

Because he goes on in verse 17.

For when he received

honor and glory

from God the Father

and the voice was born to him

by the majestic glory,

this is my beloved son

with whom I am well pleased.

We ourselves heard this very voice

born from heaven

for we were with him

on the holy mountain.

Right?

So he's talking about

the transfiguration there.

He's talking about the voice

that's recorded for us

that came from heaven.

He's saying we heard

that very voice.

So we're not appealing to you.

We're not trying to teach you

Christ about his power

and his coming

because we heard

somebody else say it.

We were actually there.

We were eyewitnesses

of the transfiguration

of Christ.

And then he says this.

How I read the Bible

as a young man,

read it through

time and time again

and wasn't arrested

by this,

I do not know.

But when it arrested me,

boy, did it.

Verse 19.

Peter says this.

And we have

the prophetic word

more fully confirmed.

We have the scripture

more fully confirmed

then standing on the mountain

and watching Christ

be transfigured

and a voice from heaven

saying,

this is my beloved son

with whom I am well pleased.

We have the prophetic word

more fully confirmed.

Why?

How is that possible?

Right?

Have I experienced

God's word in the way

it must have been

to stand on that mountain?

It's hard to say

that I have.

He says,

to which you will do well

to pay attention

as a lamp shining

in a dark place

until the day

dawns

and the morning star

rises in your hearts

knowing this first of all

that no prophecy

of scripture

comes from someone's

own interpretation

for no prophecy

was ever produced

by the will of man

but men spoke

from God

as they were carried along

by the Holy Spirit.

So how do we have

the word more fully confirmed?

Right?

It was written

by the Spirit of Christ

and the Spirit of Christ

illuminates him to us

as we take it up

and we read.

That's incredible.

Right?

We get to behold

the glory of God

in the Son

as we take up

and read

and understand

who he is.

We have seen

his glory.

Glory as of the only

son

from

the Father.

We live in an age

of great consumerism.

Emotions

lead the charge.

We're looking for

experiences

all the time

and I just want to say

to you

beloved Christians

do not

downplay

the ordinary

means

of grace.

God has given to us

the gathering

of his church

the opening

of his word

the singing

of true songs

the praying

in and day out

week by week

by week.

This is regularly

normatively

how God grows

his people.

Just because

you're not having

a transfiguration

kind of moment

when you come

to the church

week in

and week out

recognize

that Christ

is being exalted

from the text

and Peter says

this is better

than standing

on the mountain.

Now I would like

to make a little

translation note

at this point.

I'm preaching

from an English

Standard Version

we've kind of

encouraged others

to have the same

some of you

may not have

the same

translation.

Some of your

translations

in the place

of only son

as I have it

before me

may say

only begotten

God

or some

variation

of that.

And if your

translation says

that it's actually

a more

word for word

translation

from the Greek.

So I want to

commend the

translation

for doing

that.

ESV is

trying to

tidy up

some potential

confusion

at that point.

We could argue

whether that's

a good thing

or not.

To always be

clear

the original

text is the

inspired text.

These are just

translations of

that inspired

text.

So we've got

to do work

as we come

across things

like this

in the text.

Again that

only begotten

son is a

more literal

translation of

the Greek

phrase

found there.

But it

does bring

to the

surface

this word

begotten.

This word

begotten.

If you are

a careful

listener

perhaps you

heard the

same word

used in

the Chalcedonian

Creed

although I

imagine you

glazed over

as I was

reading that.

But maybe

you heard

that word

found there

as well.

The challenge

of the word

is that it

can mean

to generate

or create.

It can

mean just

simply that.

It could

be said

that my

sons,

my earthly

sons are

begotten.

They were

created.

A misunderstanding

here has

led to all

sorts of

error

concerning the

incarnation.

A lot of

Greek words

have a lot

of elasticity

to them.

We have

English words

that are

the very

same.

This

Greek word

can also

mean

unique,

radically

different,

and without

equal.

So what

John is

doing

is

distinguishing

Jesus

as the

Son of

God

from others

who by

faith will

be called

Sons of

God.

I can't

remember which

song it was

but we sang a

song just

earlier this

morning about

being called

children of

God.

By faith

that's what's

accomplished.

We,

believing in

the Son of

God,

have the

privilege of

being adopted

sons of

God.

And ladies,

you want to

be sons of

God because

you want

inheritance in

him.

The language

is communicating

to us.

But we

will never

possess the

status that

he possesses.

He is

unique,

radically

different,

and without

equal.

He is the

Son of

God.

And when

you see

that word

begotten,

that's what

it's

communicating

to us.

Not that

he was

created,

but that

as he

is God

the Son,

he is

different.

That title

is not

given to

anybody

else in

that way.

And John

goes on,

just after

this,

to say

that he

is full

of grace

and truth.

More on

this in a

minute,

that Jesus

is the

full

expression

of God's

grace

and the

necessary

truth

for us

to place

our faith

in and

be saved.

It's

found in

his

person

and

his

work.

We

need

not

look

further.

Jesus,

full

of

grace

and

truth.

Second

point,

the witness

to the

incarnation.

Very

briefly,

we see

this insertion,

verse 15,

John bore

witness about

him and

cried out,

this was

he of

whom I

said,

he who

comes after

me ranks

before me

because he

was before

me.

John the

apostle inserts

this parenthetical

about John the

Baptist bearing

witness to the

fact that Jesus

is the

Christ.

This, I

think, is a

summary of the

witness that

will be detailed

more fully

beginning in

verse 19,

so we don't

need to spend

much of our

precious time

here this

morning.

something worth

noting,

though.

When John

the apostle

wrote his

gospel,

there was

still a

group that

claimed John

the Baptist

as the

Messiah.

It wasn't a

very large

group as far

as we can

tell, but

there was

still a

John the

Baptist cult

out there.

So John

seems to be

addressing that

here at the

very beginning

of this

account.

John makes

clear in

verses 7

and 8

that John

the Baptist

was not

the Christ.

He was not

the light.

He came to

bear witness

about the

light.

And he

does so

again here

in verse

15, but

this time

he does

it in

John's

own words.

So perhaps

to some

of these

John the

Baptist

followers

of the

day,

they may

have taken

up this

writing and

seen that

John himself

said,

John the

Baptist,

this was

he of

whom I

said,

he who

comes after

me ranks

before me

because he

was before

me.

The one

whose

ministry

starts after

my ministry

is actually

greater than

me.

John the

Baptist

acknowledged

the supremacy

of Jesus

Christ and

boldly

proclaimed so

by appealing

to his

eternal

preexistence.

Jesus was

born six

months after

John.

So he

can't possibly

be referring

to their

birth order.

He

recognizes

that Jesus

is the

eternal

God.

So I

think John

the apostle

is being

careful

inserting that

here at

this point

and he

takes back

up what

he's trying

to teach

us of

Christ.

In our

third point,

the

accomplishment

of the

incarnation.

There is so

much to

unpack here.

Here is

what we

are going

to do.

It is

almost

noon.

We are

going to

do a

part two

of John

John 1:14–18

chapter 1

verse 14

through 18

because I

don't want

to rush

through this.

It's way

too good

to rush

through it.

I want to

carefully show

you why

the

incarnation,

the proper

understanding

of it

matters for

all of the

work that

it accomplishes

on our

behalf.

Let me

try to

give you

a really

quick.

I'll do

a brief.

Let's

focus in

on verse

17 for

just a

moment.

John

says,

the law

was given

through

Moses.

Grace

and truth

came

through

Jesus

Christ.

Two

characters

bringing

different

things

to the

table.

The law

is given

through

Moses to

bring about

the conviction

of sin

not the

salvation

of souls.

We'll

unpack that

more next

week.

The law

comes to

bring about

the conviction

of sin,

show us

our need

of salvation,

our need

of a

Savior.

Jesus

Christ

is that

Savior.

It's meant

to aim

us at

him.

Here's a

text that

may help

us understand

that.

Paul

writes in

Galatians

Galatians 3:23–26

chapter 3

verse 23

through 26,

Now before

faith came,

we were

held captive

under the

law.

imprisoned

until the

coming

faith

would be

revealed.

So then,

he says in

verse 24,

the law

was our

guardian

until

Christ

came.

And the

picture of

guardian is

like a

schoolmaster

meant to

teach us

something.

A guardian,

this Greek

word would

have been

used of

a father,

a wealthy

father,

hiring somebody

kind of like

a tutor

for his

son.

Like while

he's a

child,

he's meant

to help

him,

nudge

him along,

take him

towards

manhood.

That's the

unpacking of

that word

in brief.

So the

law serves

as that

for us,

pushes us

toward,

shows us

our need

of Christ.

The rest of

verse 24

says,

in order

that we

might be

justified

by faith.

The law

being

insufficient

to save

us,

but showing

us our

need of

salvation,

it could

never

justify us.

How are

we to be

justified,

declared

righteous

before God,

restored to

relationship

with him,

saved from

the penalty

of our

sin,

delivered to

life forever

by faith.

By faith,

believing in

the person

and work

of Christ.

So verse 25

says,

but now that

faith has

come,

we are no

longer under

a guardian,

for in

Christ Jesus

you are all

sons of

God,

lowercase

sons of

God,

through

faith.

So the law

was given

through Moses.

Grace and

truth came

through Jesus

Christ.

So I have

up here with

me in

closing my

two favorite

books.

The Bible

is my first

favorite book,

book,

and it

is my

favorite

book in

much,

much higher

order,

infinitely higher

order than

the other

book.

It is God's

inspired word.

It is his

word itself

to us.

This is to

be treasured.

I also like

The Pilgrim's

Progress by

John Bunyan.

Not nearly as

much, but I do

rather enjoy it.

And if you've

been around for

very long, I

often joke, I'll

eventually read the

entire thing to

you.

In little bits

and pieces.

If you're

unfamiliar with

it, it's such

a work.

It's so

Bible rich.

It's so

very helpful.

If you don't

like allegory,

don't do it.

But I hope I

can convince you

to really,

really love and

appreciate this

work.

I want to read

just a little

bit of it to

you.

I think I've

read this to

you before,

but I think

this helps us

think about the

law being given

through Moses

and grace and

truth coming

through Jesus

Christ.

And so,

there's an

account, the

main character's

name is

Christian and

he meets a

man named

Faithful who

travels with

him for a

portion of his

journey.

So hear this,

Faithful is

already a

Christian in

this allegory.

He's already

in Christ.

He's repented

and believed.

And so, I

don't want the

point of this

to be lost on

somebody who

has yet to

do that, but

the word here

and the

encouragement here

is for that

person who has

repented and

believed in

Christ and

yet, and

yet, still

been tempted

by their

flesh, right?

Still has that

word of Moses

working in them

to show them

their

wretchedness.

And Faithful

is recounting

some of his

journey to

Christian.

Both of them

came to a

hill called

Difficulty.

And in

Christian on his

journey, he

fell asleep on

that hill.

He took a

rest and he

left behind a

promise.

He went on

on his

journey and

had forgotten

something and

he had to go

back and

retrieve it.

You'll see a

little clue of

that in here.

But Faithful,

before he goes

up the hill

called Difficulty,

encounters a

character by

the name of

Adam the

First.

And Adam

the First

lives in

the town

of deceit.

And he

tries to

convince

Faithful to

come and

work for

him.

And Faithful

is tempted

to do that

very thing,

but then he

perceives that

Adam the First

is going to

make him

a slave.

And so he

flees from

him, he

doesn't do

it, and

he heads

up the hill

called

Difficulty,

saying,

O wretched

man, and

he heads on

up the

hill.

And then he

says this,

and I

quote,

Now when I

had climbed

about halfway

up, I

looked behind

and saw

someone coming

after me,

swift as

the wind.

Soon he

overtook me

just about

the place

where the

arbor stands,

and Krishna

interjects,

that is the

place where I

sat down to

rest, fell

asleep, and

lost my

scroll.

And Faithful

says, dear

brother, hear

me out.

So as

soon as

the man

overtook

me, without

saying a

word, he

struck me

and knocked

me down

unconscious.

When I

came to, I

asked him

why he

had thus

assaulted

me.

He said

that it

was because

of my

secret

inclination

to follow

Adam

the first.

And with

that he

struck me

with another

deadly blow

on the

chest and

beat me

down

backward,

and I

lay at

his feet

as if

I

were

dead.

So here,

this man

overtakes

him, knocks

him down

unconscious.

When he

comes to, he

says, why

did you do

that?

And he

said, because

you were

tempted by

sin.

So when

I came

to, I

cried to

him for

mercy, but

he said, I

do not know

how to show

mercy.

And with

that he

knocked me

down again.

He would

have beaten

me to

death, except

one came

by and told

him,

to stop.

Now, I'm

reading for

you, and I

know you

can't see

it, but

in my

copy, one

is capitalized

as a proper

noun.

One came

by and

told him

to stop.

So a

Christian asked

Faithful, who

was it that

told him to

stop?

Faithful went

on, I did

not recognize

him at

first, but

as he

went by, I

saw the

wounds in

his hands

and in

his side.

Then I

concluded that

he was our

Lord.

So, I

continued up

the hill.

Christian then

explained, the

man who

overtook you

was Moses.

He spares

no one, and

he does not

know how to

show mercy

to anyone

who transgresses

his law.

And Faithful

said, I know

that very well.

It was not

the first time

that he had

met with

me.

The law

was given

through Moses.

Grace and

truth came

through Jesus

Christ.

Let's pray

together.

Let's

pray together.

Let's

Thank you.