John 1:6-13

Good morning. Please take your copy of God's Word. Join me in John chapter 1. Our text for this morning is John chapter 1.

John 1 · chapter mention John 1 · chapter mention

A little over a year. On the first Lord's Day, I introduced the book and gave a summary of it. We spent the last two Sundays looking at John's prologue where he introduces Jesus to us with three titles and two characteristics.

First, we see that Jesus is the Word, the physical representation of God. We see that he is preexistent, that he is the creator, that he is self-existent, and that he is the unquenchable light.

God stands, conquers darkness. John spends the first five verses establishing Jesus' deity. This is the aim of what he is doing in the prologue.

Jesus is God. It is a decorative statement. This is what he is trying to accomplish.

C.S. Lewis, speaking in 1942 and then published in Mere Christianity in 1952, gave the following argument concerning Christ.

And I quote,

I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Jesus.

I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept his claim to be God.

That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher.

He would either be a lunatic on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg, or else he would be the devil of hell.

You must make your choice. Either this man was and is the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse.

You can't shut him up for a fool. You can spit at him and kill him as a demon, or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God.

But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher.

He has not left that open to us.

He did not intend to.

Now it seems to me obvious that he was neither a lunatic nor a friend, and consequently, however strange or terrifying or unlikely it may seem,

I have to accept the view that he was and is God.

End quote.

John makes some audacious claims in the first five verses, and they are claims that Jesus is going to reinforce again and again and again across the book.

How we respond to these claims makes all the difference in the world.

And we're going to see two responses to these claims in our text today.

Before I read it, I want to remind you, beloved, that this is God's word to us.

It was written for his glory and our good.

That we might believe its promises, obey its commands, and have affection for its author.

May we hear it and respond accordingly to it.

John chapter 1, verse 6 and following.

John 1:6

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

He came as a witness to bear witness about the light that all might believe through him.

He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

The true light which gives light to everyone was coming into the world.

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

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

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,

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

So we see in our text today three simple points.

Number one, a reliable witness.

And we're going to see witnesses again and again and again.

Sometimes Jesus himself, sometimes his works, sometimes people saying things about him,

and that's the case this morning.

We're going to see then rejecters of who Jesus is, and then we're going to see believers.

So first, a reliable witness.

And we can see this in verses 6 through 9.

And John continues to pick up this language of light.

So when we're seeing all of this language about light, we're thinking about Jesus.

Jesus is the light of the world.

And there we see a man sent from God whose name was John.

A different John than the John that wrote this.

That's John the Apostle.

Here we're talking about John the Baptist.

I think it'd be better to say John the Baptizer, although I don't mind claiming him at all.

So we will call him John the Baptist.

And he comes as a witness.

Witness to what?

To Jesus.

To who Jesus is.

That people would believe.

John the Baptist's intention, his point of his ministry, was the very same as that of John the Apostle.

That people would repent and believe in Christ, have deliverance from their sin, and eternal life in him.

John the Baptist, I'm making the case, was a reliable witness to Jesus as the Christ.

Because he was divinely appointed.

He was sent by God to be a witness to Jesus as the Christ.

We see that there in verse 6.

There was a man sent from God.

John the Apostle is telling us that John the Baptist was sent by God himself.

We can read a bit of John the Baptist's ministry and then his predicted birth.

Matthew chapter 3, verse 1 through 3 says,

Matthew 3:1–3

In those days, John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea,

Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 40, verse 3.

Isaiah 40:3

The voice of one crying in the wilderness,

Prepare the way of the Lord.

Make his paths straight.

So Matthew tells us that this is the prophet of Isaiah chapter 40 and verse 3.

Isaiah 40 · chapter mention

Sent from God.

And in Luke chapter 1, verse 13 and following, we can learn,

Luke 1:13

An angel says to Zachariah, John the Baptist's father,

Your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son,

and you shall call his name John.

And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.

For he will be great before the Lord.

And he must not drink wine or strong drink,

and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.

And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.

And he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah

to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children

and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just

to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.

So John the Baptist's entire mission

was to prepare the way for the Messiah, for the Christ,

and point others to him, not to himself.

John the Apostle, who wrote the text before us,

is careful to note in verse 8,

he was not the light.

John the Baptist, not the light,

but came to bear witness about the light.

John the Baptist was also clear on this matter.

He famously declared in John chapter 3 and verse 30,

John 3 · chapter mention

He, Christ, must increase, but I must decrease.

He sought to magnify Christ with his life.

John fearlessly called people to repentance and faith.

John the Baptist suffered and died

rather than compromising the truth.

In every way, John's testimony calls us

to look away from ourselves

and behold the true light, Jesus Christ.

John the Baptist's ministry

was about drawing people's gaze to behold Jesus.

And John the Apostle employs him

in what fairly could be framed

as the introduction to this book

to do that very same thing,

to draw our attention off ourselves

and draw our gaze toward Christ.

So we see a reliable witness,

and we'll see that pattern again and again

throughout John the Apostle's book.

Secondly, though, we see responses to this declaration,

Jesus is the Christ.

We see rejecters, verses 10 and 11.

There it says,

He was in the world,

and the world was made through him,

yet the world did not know him.

He came to his own,

and his own people did not receive him.

This is a theme developed through John's writing,

the tragic rejection of the divine Jesus as the Christ,

specifically the rejection of him by the Jewish people.

Praise God, not all Jewish people rejected Christ.

You can even back up a little bit to what Luke had to say

about John the Baptist and the people being prepared.

But largely, there was a rejection of Jesus as the Christ

by the Jewish people.

Let me just show you with some selected texts throughout John.

There's a pattern that repeats again and again,

a theme that's being developed,

and I believe it's being developed,

that we would not be a people who reject Jesus as the Christ.

So John chapter 5 and verse 18,

John 5 · chapter mention

this is why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him,

because not only was he breaking the Sabbath,

but he was even calling God his own Father,

making himself equal with God.

That was a blasphemy in their mind,

and it would have been if it wasn't true.

The Spirit who gives life, verse 63 and following.

There it says,

It is the Spirit who gives life.

The flesh is no help at all.

The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.

But there are some of you who do not believe,

for Jesus knew from the beginning

who those were who did not believe,

and who it was who would betray him.

And he said,

This is why I told you that no one can come to me

unless it is granted him by the Father.

And then verse 66 says,

After this, many of his disciples turned back

and no longer walked with him.

So when the teaching got difficult,

they bailed.

John chapter 7, verse 28 and following.

John 7:28

Jesus proclaimed as he taught in the temple,

You know me and you know where I come from,

but I have not come of my own accord.

He who sent me is true,

and him you do not know.

I know him, for I come from him,

and he sent me.

So they were seeking to arrest him.

But no one laid a hand on him,

because his hour had not had come.

He says,

You don't know God,

but I do,

because I came from him.

God sent me,

and they sought to kill him as a result.

John chapter 10, verse 20.

John 10:20

Many of them said,

He has a demon and is insane.

Why?

Listen to him.

John chapter 12, verse 37.

John 12:37

Though he had done so many signs before them,

they still did not believe in him.

And this rejection, we know,

ends in Christ's suffering and death on the cross.

Widespread by the Jewish people,

and in our day,

this rejection of Jesus,

of the Christ.

Why does this happen?

Paul tells us in Romans chapter 1,

Romans 1:18

verse 18 and beyond says,

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven

against all ungodliness

and unrighteousness of men,

who by their unrighteousness

suppress the truth.

For what can be known about God

is plain to them,

because God has shown it to them.

For his invisible attributes,

namely his eternal power and divine nature,

have been clearly perceived

ever since the creation of the world

and the things that have been made.

So they are without excuse.

Darkness doesn't love light.

Light causes darkness to scatter.

And so man in his sinful state

wants to hide away from Jesus

that their sins would not be exposed.

And this category of people,

if you want to reduce us most simply,

we have those who will reject Jesus

as the Christ

and those who will receive Jesus

as the Christ.

which brings us to our third

and more expansive point.

Third, believers.

Believers.

Verses 12 and 13.

There John writes,

But to all who did receive him,

who believed in his name,

he gave the right to become children of God,

who were born not of blood

nor of the will of the flesh,

nor of the will of man,

but of God.

Now I was careful here

to use the word believers

rather than receivers,

which is in the text.

I so wanted to alliterate my point,

reliable witness,

rejecters,

receivers,

that work so well together.

But I think clarity

is very necessary at this point,

and I think that John thought so too.

He states in verse 11,

his own people

did not receive him,

or as I've said,

rejected him.

And then at the beginning of verse 12,

he turns his attention

to others,

the other group

who did not reject,

but received him.

At this moment, however,

he does something peculiar.

He qualifies

his previous statement.

He doesn't just leave off there,

but who did receive him,

he gave the right

to become children of God.

He could have done that.

I think he certainly

could have,

but he qualifies

and he adds clarity

to what he means.

And I think we should

especially stop

when things like that happen

in the scripture.

Why?

Why?

It feels like a redundancy,

doesn't it?

What's he doing here?

What does it mean

to receive Jesus?

John's telling us

that very thing.

If we are to receive him,

then we need to

believe in his name.

That's what it means

to receive Jesus.

It is to believe

in his name.

The word rendered,

believe,

is the Greek verb

pistou,

which conveys

far more

than mere intellectual

agreement

with a set

of facts.

It's far more

than that.

The original readers

would have understood

the word

in that way,

but we tend

not to.

It carries

the kind of idea

that we're so

confident

in a thing

that it's going to

shape how we act

in relation

to that thing.

It's not

just an assent.

It's just not

intellectual agreement.

There's so many

people today

who will go,

I believe in Jesus.

Just saying it

with your words

doesn't necessarily

mean

you believe

the way the Bible

uses this

word.

This is critical.

We need such

careful clarity

at this point.

To believe

carries the idea

of full trust,

personal reliance,

and wholehearted

commitment.

You may have

heard the example

before of the

parachute.

I did this

with my boys

on our couch

where we jumped

off the couch

like we were

jumping out

of a plane.

Well,

catch me

if I fall

on the ground

is an easy

thing to do.

It's different

altogether

when you're

the next one

out the door.

It's that kind

of confidence.

You put it on

and you know

it's going to

do the thing

that it's

designed to do.

That's how

we're to believe

in Jesus.

To believe

is not simply

to acknowledge

the historical

existence

of Jesus

but to

entrust

yourself

entirely

to him.

All that

his name

represents

his person

and his

work

his saving

power

and implies

a surrender

of the will

a confidence

that Jesus

alone

can save

and an

active

ongoing

dependence

upon him.

That word

is packed

full

of meaning

in the original.

The text

before us

doesn't mention

it

but we also

must be sure

to understand

that true

pistuo

is in

step 14

and 15.

Now,

after John

the Baptist

was arrested,

Jesus came

into Galilee

proclaiming

the gospel

of God.

Listen to the

words that

Jesus says,

proclaiming

the gospel

of God

as Mark

records it

for us.

This is the

good news.

The time

is fulfilled

and the

kingdom of

God

is at hand.

Repent

and believe

in the gospel.

Now,

there's much

to be said

about what

the gospel

itself is

but what

are Jesus'

instructions

in response

to the gospel?

The way

he calls

people

as he says,

repent

and believe

in the gospel.

Repentance,

that word

at its very

core

means to

change

one's mind.

So,

contextually

we understand

that it is

a turning

away

from sin.

It's a

rejecting

of the

way

of this

world

and belief

is what

we're

turning

to.

So,

we're

turning

away

from

sin.

Repentance

rejects

the world.

Belief

takes

hold

of,

receives

Christ.

Belief

is not

passive

ascent

but active,

living faith

that transforms

the heart

and produces

obedience.

Biblical

belief

is the

very

foundation

of saving

grace,

a total

entrusting

of oneself

to Christ

as Lord

and Savior.

So,

why all

the time

on this

matter?

Why be so

careful at

this point?

I think

that John's

being very

careful

at this

point.

Because the

gospel of

Jesus Christ

needs to

be

clear.

If we're

going to be

sorted into

two categories,

those who

receive

Jesus Christ,

those who

reject

Jesus Christ,

and this

message is

the saving

message,

we have

to be

so

clear.

The

gospel is

by itself

an offense.

Just by

itself,

the gospel

is

offensive.

It first

kills

so that

we can

live.

It first

shows us

how wretched

we are

so that

we turn

from that

wretchedness,

we repent,

and we

turn to

the

righteousness

of Christ.

When we

get it

just right,

it's

offensive.

We should

not add

to that

a lack

of clarity

or a

lack of

depth.

We should

be so

careful here.

I worry,

and I mean

this from the

very bottom

of my

heart,

I worry

with great

anguish,

probably more

than I

should,

that much

of our

modern

Christian

practice

is creating

vast

swaths

of false

converts.

And I'm

not suggesting

that we're

immune to

this.

False

converts,

people who

think that

they are in

Christ and

they are not.

I am grieved

to think that

this morning

there are

many well-meaning

people giving

lip service

to God,

but their

hearts are

far from

Him.

And that

there are

churches

that don't

seem to be

pressing against

that at

all.

Just think

with me for

a moment

about some

of the

language used

in calling

people to

saving faith.

So,

if you back

your mind

up just

for a

moment,

I met

you from

Mark

Mark 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1

and verse

15,

how is it

that Jesus

called people

repent and

believe in

the gospel?

This is what

he said

said,

but we

get phrases

like,

say yes

to Jesus.

Salvation

is a

miraculous,

divinely

wrought

miracle

worked in

the heart,

not a

casual

agreement.

Ephesians

Ephesians 2:1

chapter 2

verse 1

and following,

Paul there

writes,

and you

were dead

in the

trespasses

and sins

in which

you once

walked,

following

the course

of this

world,

following

the prince

of the

power

of the

air,

the spirit

that is

now at

work in

the sons

of disobedience,

among whom

we all once

lived in the

passions of

our flesh,

carrying out

the desires

of the body

and the

mind,

and were

by nature

children of

wrath like

the rest

of mankind.

That should

hit.

If you

were not

in Christ,

that should

convict your

heart.

If you

are,

you should

remember,

yes,

that's who

I once

was,

dead,

a servant

of the

devil,

and destined

for wrath.

And then you

get this

beautiful

conjunction

in verse

4,

but God,

being rich

in mercy,

because of the

great love

with which he

loved us,

even when we

were dead

in our

trespasses,

made us

alive together

with Christ.

By grace,

you have

been saved.

This is a

miraculous,

divinely wrought,

beautiful

thing that

happens in

all those who

believe in

Christ.

To say

yes to

Jesus makes

it so

paltry.

Ask Jesus

into your

heart.

That's another

phrase.

The Bible

nowhere portrays

Jesus as

some destitute

stranger that

needs your

invitation to

do anything

He is the

Lord of the

universe.

Think about

how He's

been introduced

to us in

John chapter

John 1 · chapter mention

1.

He's not

asking your

permission.

I don't care

how you work

out God's

sovereignty and

all the details

of your life.

He doesn't

need you to

ask Him to

do the things

He intends

to do.

John chapter

John 10:27

10,

verse 27

and following,

My sheep

hear my voice

and I know

them and they

follow me.

I give them

eternal life

and they

will never

perish and

no one

will snatch

them out

of my

hand.

My

Father who

has given

them to

me is

greater than

all and

no one is

able to

snatch them

out of the

Father's

hand.

That's a

declaration of

power to

save.

You have

not once,

nor will you

ever,

we don't have

sheep around

here,

you'll never

see a sheep

asking a

shepherd for

anything.

Another one,

make a decision

for Christ.

I won't

unpack the

problems with

this phrase

at the

moment,

but today's

text has

something to

say concerning

it, which

we will

address

momentarily.

And then

my final

example,

this brings

us back to

our text,

receive Jesus

into your

heart.

Beloved,

we need to

use biblical

language when

calling people

to respond

to the

saving

message

of the

gospel.

Yes,

people need

to respond

to a

call,

but a

call to

what?

Repentance

and faith.

Repent

and believe.

This is the

language we

use because

it's the

language that

the Bible

uses.

It's the

language that

Jesus uses.

We ought

to call

people to

repentance

and faith

with great

earnestness

and explain

with great

care what

repentance

is and

what belief

is.

We have

to be sure

the gospel

of Jesus

Christ is

clear and

the way

people should

respond to

it is

also

clear.

Now,

John says

that those

who believe

in his

name,

Jesus gave

the right

to become

children

of God.

to be a

child of

God is

to be

lifted from

the ash

heap of

sin and

set among

the princes

of heaven.

He who

was once

a rebel

is now

called

beloved.

He who

was once

far off

is brought

near and

has a

forever

home.

The child

of God

is adopted

into the

divine

family,

clothed

with Christ's

righteousness,

loved with

an unshakable

love and

granted an

inheritance

that neither

time nor

any power

can take

away.

To be

God's

child is

to walk

under his

smile,

to rest

in his

promises,

to bear

his discipline

with hope,

and to

await his

glorious

appearing

with joy.

To be a

child of

God is

not an

abstract

principle,

but a

felt

reality.

Oh, I

hope you

feel what

it means

to be

a child

of God.

How good

it is

to belong.

Oh, how

wonderful to

have God

look at

you and

declare

mine.

Those who

believe in

Jesus' name,

he gives

the right

to become

children

of God.

God

how?

How?

How does

this happen?

What is

the impulse

for it?

John doesn't

pull any

punches

here.

He wastes

no time

dropping his

plum into

the depths

of God's

magnificent

grace.

John tells

us in

verse 13

that those

who Jesus

gave the

right to

become

children of

God

became

children,

not of

blood,

nor of

the will

of the

flesh,

nor of

the will

of man,

but of

God.

John makes

three negative

statements and

one positive

in answering

this question.

How is a

person born

again?

He says,

negative

statements,

not of

blood.

No ethnic

or national

claims can

save us.

Can't say we

belong to a

certain people

group and

therefore,

we are

saved.

He says,

nor of

the will

of the

flesh.

No desire

of the

will,

apart from

grace,

can save

us.

You can't

effort your

way.

I'm going

to do it.

I desire to

do it,

therefore I'm

going to

do it.

You need

the grace

to respond

in faith

to the

call of

the gospel.

Nor of

the will

man.

No religious

system can

save us.

Not following

the rules and

checking the

boxes.

How is a

person born

again?

He makes

one positive

statement and

he needs

only one,

as he says

summarily,

but of

God.

those three

little words

could take

up our

time for

the rest

of the

spring and

on into

the summer.

In fact,

I could argue

that those

three little

words will

be our

awe-filled

contemplation

for all

of

eternity.

The point

is,

we have

not nearly

the time

this morning

to unpack

them.

And,

frankly,

I don't

think John

would want

us to

delay too

long

here.

He's going

to give

us plenty

of opportunity

in his

writing to

consider the

doctrine of

divine

election.

So,

for our

attention to

verse 13

this morning,

I want to

address those

of you who

may have

your fists

up at the

very idea

that God

does all

the saving

work,

that we

contribute

nothing to

our salvation.

Just put

them down.

I think

that the

doctrine of

divine

election

has been

the focal

point of

so much

unnecessary

division.

So,

just keep

your hands

at your

side and

let me

ask you

a couple

of

questions.

Let's

see if

you answer

them the

same way

that I

do.

I'm asking

you the

questions,

I'm going

to answer

my own

questions.

Number

one,

apart

from

Christ,

apart from

Christ,

are you

utterly

sinful?

Left to

yourself,

do you

possess

within you

any

good?

Apart

from

Christ,

are you

utterly

sinful?

And I

would say

yes.

Apart

from

Christ,

apart from

his saving

work,

apart from

his imputed

righteousness

given to

me,

I am

utterly

sinful.

I'm

sinful to

my very

core

before that

happened,

before he

gave me

his

righteousness.

I believe

this because

of Ephesians

Ephesians 2:1

2 verse

1, I

read it to

you earlier,

you were

dead in

the trespasses

and sins.

Secondly,

do you

think that

apart from

Christ?

You can

recommend

yourself to

God by

anything

that you

have done.

If you

were to

stand before

God and

plead your

case before

him,

why do

you not

deserve

eternal

damnation?

Why do

you instead

deserve to

be his

child?

Do you

have anything

in you that

you have

done that

you think

you could

actually stand

before him

and make

a reasonable

case?

To that,

I would

say no.

I would

say no.

I need

the righteousness

of Christ.

I need my

penalty paid

by his

death.

I need

his perfect

life given

to me in

that beautiful

thing called

the great

exchange where

I am

justified.

That way I

can be

declared in

God's

court.

Not guilty.

Not only

not guilty,

but perfect.

You have

kept my

law and

you are

welcome here.

I can't

plead my

own case.

All I can

plead is

Christ.

He did it.

He

accomplished

it on

my

behalf.

So do

you think,

apart from

Christ,

you can

recommend

yourself to

God by

anything you

have done?

I derive

this in

Ephesians

Ephesians 2:8

chapter 2

verse 8 and

9.

For by grace

you have been

saved through

faith and

this is not

your own

doing.

It is the

gift of

God,

not a

result of

works,

so that

no one

may boast.

I have

nothing to

boast in

in myself

except

Christ.

Thirdly,

if you

have been

saved by

Christ,

are you

now meant

to sustain

your faith

by your

own

power?

I would

answer to

that question

no.

I was

saved by

him.

His

spirit made

me alive.

I was

capable of

turning from

my sin and

turning to

him.

He saved

me and

I now am

sustained by

that very

same power.

He didn't

save me and

then leave me

alone to my

own devices.

Praise God.

Paul says in

Philippians 1.6,

I'm sure of

this, that he

who began a

good work in

you will

bring it to

completion at

the day of

Jesus Christ.

If you have

been saved by

Christ, are

you now

meant to

sustain your

faith by

your own

power?

No.

Fourth, if

you have been

saved by

Christ, are

you being

kept by

grace until

God calls

you home

or Christ

returns?

If you have

been saved by

Christ, are

you being

kept by

grace, by

Christ, until

God calls you

home or

Christ returns?

And to this

I would say

yes.

John 10,

John 10:27–29

verse 27

through 29, I

read it to

you already.

My sheep

are my

voice and I

know them and

they follow

me.

I give them

eternal life and

they will never

perish and no

one will snatch

them out of my

hand.

My Father who

has given them

to me is

greater than

all and no

one is able to

snatch them out

of the

Father's hand.

God

now

there are a

lot of people

who would

answer these

questions differently.

There are people

who claim to be

Christ followers

who would answer

them differently

and that opens

up all sorts

of problems.

I hope

you answer these

questions the

same way that

I did and

if you did

then we have

much to

agree upon.

We can get

into the nuance

of it all but

at the end of

the day this

is my understanding

of deprivity,

divine election,

justification by

grace alone

through faith alone

in Christ alone

and my perseverance

and preservation

to the end.

That's it.

If you answer

those questions

the way I answer

those questions

we are on the

same page.

So preserve

your armaments

for real battles

and settle into

John's gospel

account with me

as we observe

reliable witness

again and again

truth

and find

yourself

believing.

Jesus is

the Christ

the anointed

one sent

by God

that by grace

through faith

in him

we would be

called

his

children.

This is after

all why

John wrote

this book.

He's going to say

some stark things

to us

but don't

forget

John 20

John 20:30

verse 30

and 31

and I'll read

this and then

we'll pray.

Now Jesus

did many other

signs in the

presence of the

disciples

which are not

written in this

book

but these are

written so that

you may believe

that Jesus

is the Christ

the Son of God

and that by

believing

you may have

life

in his name.

Let's pray

together.