God the Son

Keep your Bibles open to the John passage that Tim read out first.

That would be really helpful.

We are going to have a bit of a look at that.

I am going to jump around a bit tonight, so consider yourself forewarned.

And it's okay.

If you want to have a go at keeping up, you're welcome to.

But if not, I'll let you know the references and you can have a look at them later on.

I'm going to pray and then we'll get stuck into it.

Father God, we thank you for the chance to open your word tonight.

We thank you for, so far in this series, being reminded that you're a God who wants to be known

and that you're a God who is majestic and that you're a God for us.

There is just so much of you for us to discover.

God, we pray tonight that as we look at Jesus, as we look at the Son,

that you would give us eyes to see him clearly,

that you would enable us to understand what it is we're wrestling with,

but more importantly, that as we see him, that it would affect us

and the people that you have made us to be.

Amen.

I have to confess that writing this series that we've been working through for the last few weeks

and that we're going through for the next couple of weeks has been a fairly difficult task.

Not because I didn't want to write this series.

I was involved in the decision to do it.

But we are trying to take a look at God.

We are trying to focus in and understand the distinction that is in God,

the Father and the Son and the Spirit.

Later on in this series, we will focus more in on the oneness of God.

But at the moment, we're trying to emphasize the distinction.

And so we've got a distinction that's there, but at the same time, we've got a unity.

And so I found myself trying to write a sermon today

and feeling like I was saying a lot of things that I said last week that were also true of the Father.

And that is both the challenge and the wonder of God that there is distinction there

and that distinction is important, but that that distinction exists in a perfect unity somehow.

Thankfully, as it's getting more difficult, I've handballed next week to the bishop

so he can struggle to come up with fresh stuff as we look at the Spirit next week.

But despite the difficulty in wrestling with this, the facts are the testimony of Scripture

is that our God is Father, Son and Spirit.

And those distinctions are there.

They exist.

So it's worth trying to understand them.

They wouldn't be there if they didn't matter or if they weren't helpful

or if they didn't make a difference to us knowing God.

And so it is worth us wrestling with them.

Now, just like last week, I want to begin this week

by telling you four things that we believe to be true as Christians.

Firstly, there is one God.

Secondly, that God is three persons, Father, Son and Spirit.

Thirdly, each member of that Trinity is equally God, eternally God and fully God.

And lastly, each member of that Trinity is a distinct personal expression

of the one undivided nature.

Now, if that sounds a lot and complicated, you're right.

God as Trinity is something that is incomprehensible, but it's important.

It's something that is not easy, but it's true.

And so we're going to wrestle with it.

Last week, we looked at God the Father, as Janet's already reminded us.

We were confronted with His supremacy in all things.

We were encouraged with His abundant love towards the Son and the Spirit

and, of course, to us as well.

And we were encouraged that He includes the Son and the Spirit in the Father's work

and we have the joy of being included in His work as well.

But today, we get to the Son.

What is it that makes God the Son distinct?

Now, again, I want to qualify this sermon like I have so far to say that what we're going to look at tonight

isn't everything.

It's not exhaustive.

It's not the whole list on God the Son,

but it's a few things that I think might help us in understanding God the Son

and how that affects us having a relationship with our God,

who is Father, Son, and Spirit.

So keep John chapter 1 in front of you

John 1 · chapter mention

and we're going to try and look at four things that I believe John chapter 1 teaches us

John 1 · chapter mention

about God the Son.

Firstly, and maybe this is a bit obvious,

what makes God the Son God the Son is that He shows up.

What makes Him unique from the Father and the Spirit

is that the Son is the one who becomes a man.

The Son is the one who becomes human.

God wants to be known.

The Father wants us to know Him.

In John chapter 1, we read this.

John 1 · chapter mention

Verse 1,

In the beginning was the Word,

and the Word was with God,

and the Word was God.

Down to verse 14,

The 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.

John goes on in this little section that was read out

to make it really clear,

if we've missed,

because it's kind of some circular language,

that the Word in flesh is Jesus.

The point of this first chapter of John's Gospel is to say,

Jesus is more than an impressive guy.

He's more than just a miracle worker.

He is God.

Now, when we talk about God the Son,

we never mean less than Jesus,

but this part of John 1 tells us that we mean more than Jesus.

I'll say that again.

When we're talking about God the Son,

we never mean less than Jesus,

but we actually are talking about more than the man Jesus.

Because God the Son was there before Jesus was born.

It's there in John in the first verse.

In the beginning was the Word,

the Word was with God,

and the Word was God.

God the Son who becomes Jesus was there

when God the Father was creating.

In fact, John 1 tells us that it was through Him

that creation happened.

Verse 3,

Through Him all things were made.

Without Him nothing was made that has been made.

God the Son is more than just the man Jesus.

He is eternal.

He was there in the beginning.

He always was.

Part of who God is is that He never begun.

He never started.

And so God the Son too is fully God

and has no beginning.

What happened 2,000 years ago

and gave us a public holiday in December

was not the beginning of God the Son.

It was His arrival.

It was His showing up so that we might see Him.

And so Jesus' birth in the manger is significant,

but it's not the beginning.

It's the showing up of God in human form.

Now don't let the significance of that slip by you.

I'm not saying the incarnation is less impressive

because God the Son always was.

It actually makes it more important.

When you understand that God the Son is eternal

and all-knowing and all-powerful,

it's the Philippians passage that was read out for us.

It's poetic in that it shows this movement.

God the Son is in very nature God.

He is God.

He is eternal, powerful, majestic, creator.

And in the birth of Jesus,

He enters into human history for our sake.

I mean, we get very excited around Easter

and rightfully so as we look at the death of Jesus.

But the birth of Jesus is easily as significant.

The eternal God becomes a man when Jesus is born.

I have said in sermons before that Christmas exists for Easter.

What I'm getting at by that, obviously,

is that Jesus came because He was going to die.

But that plays down just how significant it is

that God would enter into human history.

That the one who sits over all creation,

the one who, it says, He created everything

and without Him nothing was made,

the fact that He would become a creature

is more than significant.

God the Son has this unique role within the Trinity

of being sent by the Father to become a man

so that we might call God the Father our Father.

First thing that we need to grab about God the Son

is that He shows up.

Second thing, God the Son reveals.

The Son here in John chapter 1

John 1 · chapter mention

is shown to be the revealer of God.

His task is to point us to God.

Verse 18,

No one has ever seen God,

but God the one and only that's talking about Jesus

who is at the Father's side has made Him known.

And maybe even more significantly,

if you skip back to verse 11,

He came to that which was His own.

His own did not receive Him.

Yet, to all who received Him,

to those who believed in His name,

He gave the right to become children of God.

Children born not of natural descent,

nor of human decision or a husband's will,

but born of God.

The Son reveals the Father

so that we can become children of God.

Before the Son comes and points us to the Father,

we cannot know Him as Father.

The Son is the only one,

according to verse 18,

who has seen God

and who therefore is qualified to come

from the Father's side as human

and make Him known to us.

In John chapter 17,

John 17 · chapter mention

just before Jesus is about to face the cross,

Jesus prays to His Father.

And in His prayer,

He explains that He has completed the work

that He was given.

And His work,

according to John 17, verse 6,

John 17:6

is to reveal the Father

to those who belong to Him.

Now, don't get me wrong

when I say that the Son shows up

and the Son reveals.

The Father is absolutely committed

to having a relationship with us.

He cares about restoring the break

that was forced by sin.

The Spirit is absolutely committed

to bringing people back

into a relationship with God,

but it is the Son

who reveals the Father

that we might know Him,

that we might have a relationship with Him.

John 14,

we looked at it a couple of weeks ago,

verse 6,

Jesus says,

I am the way,

the truth,

and the life.

No one comes to the Father

except through me.

I remember I was on a holiday

a few years ago,

just before,

no, I turned 21,

and for my birthday,

I got given an overseas ticket

and I was silly enough

to take a credit card as well

because I didn't have any savings.

So I just went overseas

and kind of made up my holiday

as I went.

And travelling through

a bit of France

and Paris in particular,

basically what you can do there

is the Eiffel Tower

and galleries.

That's all there is.

And so I wandered around doing it.

Hey, I've been there twice.

It's all there is.

So I did the Eiffel Tower.

That was covered.

And then I started going around

a few galleries.

And I was in the Louvre

because that's the one

you have to go to

because it's got that tiny little

unimpressive picture

of that woman.

But as I was walking through there,

they had a power failure,

which was very exciting,

obviously,

because they were panicking,

thinking stuff might get stolen

or damaged.

And there's certain rooms in there

that have no windows,

no skylights,

no natural light whatsoever.

And so in those rooms,

it was fairly dangerous

trying to navigate your way

while the power was out.

And I was stuck in one of these rooms

for a few minutes.

I figured it was safer

to just sit

than maybe do some

really, really expensive damage.

So I was sitting,

waiting for the lights to come on,

completely oblivious

to what was around me.

I was literally within inches

of world famous,

really expensive,

really impressive,

detailed artworks.

I couldn't tell you

what they were,

but I was very close to them

and I had absolutely no idea.

The absolutely essential ingredient

for me to appreciate

those artworks

and see the detail

that was there

was light.

Without light,

it doesn't matter

how impressive they are,

there is something

that holds me back

from being able

to appreciate them

and see them.

And the testimony

of Scripture

is that Jesus

is the light

of the world.

Without Him,

it doesn't matter

how hard we look,

it doesn't matter

how close we come,

we cannot see

the glory

of our Heavenly Father.

It doesn't matter

what else you have,

you need Jesus.

You need the Son

to come in flesh

because He is the light

that illuminates

the Father in Heaven.

Through Jesus

and Jesus alone,

we are given

the opportunity

to be called,

verse 12,

children of God.

Through Jesus,

we have this amazing gift

that we are actually

drawn into the relationship

of the Trinity.

We are going to get

to that relationship

more in a couple

of weeks' time,

but last week

we talked about

how the Father

and the Son

love one another

and know one another

intimately.

What it means

to be a child of God

is to be drawn

into that relationship

where the Father

loves us

and cares for us

and where we love

Him back

and we marvel

and rejoice

in His glory

and majesty.

There is an amazing

phrase in the prayer

that Jesus is praying

in John 17.

He says these words

in verse 20,

My prayer is not

for them alone,

talking about His disciples.

I pray also

for those who will

believe in Me

through their message.

That's us.

Here's the bit.

That all of them

may be one,

Father,

just as You are in Me

and I am in You.

May they also be in Us

so that the world

may believe

that You have sent Me.

The relationship

that God wants

with you

is not a distant relationship.

Jesus came

so that you might

know the Father

intimately.

Jesus died

and rose again

so that we would

be drawn into

the relationship

where He is

our Father.

Not a distant God

but our Father.

Father.

And the gift

of Jesus

and the other thing,

the third thing

that makes Him

unique as the Son

is that He shows us

what it means

to live

as children

of our Heavenly Father.

He shows us

what is required

now that we have

been drawn in

to this relationship

and the third thing

that makes the Son

unique

is that God

the Son

submits.

Last week

we were encouraged

and excited

to see the supremacy

of our Heavenly Father

and that's really

easy to affirm.

Of course

God is supreme.

Of course

God is in control.

Of course

God has authority.

But in the Son

we see that

the God

who is supreme

also

submits.

The God

who has all authority

also humbles Himself.

God the Son

eternally

and perfectly

submits

to His Heavenly Father.

in creation

the Son

submits to the Father

and serves

as His agent.

In His earthly mission

He arrives

with the Father's purpose

of seeking

and saving the lost.

In every temptation

He faces

in every challenge

He perfectly

obeys

His Father.

That doesn't mean

it was easy.

There's this amazing

picture in the Gospels

of Jesus

just before

His crucifixion

horrified

by what comes next.

Crying out

to His Father

saying

if there's another way

please

but He finishes

that prayer

by saying

not what I will

but what you will.

It wasn't easy

for the Son

to perfectly submit.

Jesus in human form

faced the temptations

that we face

but perfectly

obeyed

even to death

and death

on the cross.

Many scholars

and atheists

throughout history

have referred

to the sacrifice

of Jesus

by God

as divine

child abuse.

They think

it is

unthinkable

that a loving

Father

would send

His Son

His innocent Son

to pay the price.

But this

completely

misunderstands

the Son's

submission.

Last week

we saw

that the Father

was supreme

but only

when we now

look at the Son

can we see

that supremacy

going hand in hand

with submission.

Submission

for Jesus

isn't a burden.

He doesn't

submit to the Father

out of some sense

of I'm supposed to

because I'm the Son.

He submits

to the Father

because He loves

the Father.

Having explained

that He gives

access to the Father

in John 14

Jesus goes on

to say why

He lays down

His life.

Verse 31

of John 14

The world

must learn

that I love

the Father

and I do

exactly what

my Father

has commanded

me.

It is out of

love for His

Heavenly Father

that Jesus

submits.

His submission

is not a

controlling thing

where the Son

is forced

to go to the

cross.

In John 10

Jesus says this

The reason

my Father

loves me

is that I

lay down

my life

only to

take it

up again.

Verse 18

No one

takes it

from me

but I

lay it

down

of my

own

accord.

I have

authority

to lay

it

down

and

authority

to

take

it

up

again.

This

command

I

received

from my

Father.

Did you

catch that?

It feels

like a tension

when you read

it at first.

It says

no one

takes it

from me

I lay

it

down

of my

own

accord

I

have

authority

and then

at the

end

this

command

I

received

from

my

Father.

How does

that work?

For Jesus

to say

I do

it

but the

Father

commands

me

to do

it.

It's

the

Father's

will

that the

Son

comes

and gives

up his

life

for us

to know

him.

It is

the

Father's

command

that

Jesus

comes

and lay

down

his

life

but it

is

out

of

love

for

the

Son

that

the

Father

chooses

him

for

this

task.

I'll

say

that

again

it's

out

of

love

for

the

Son

that

the

Father

sends

Jesus

to

the

cross.

The

laying

down

of

his

life

is

the

path

to

being

exalted

above

all

things

on

heaven

and

on

earth.

Philippians

2

the

end

point

of

Jesus

obedience

and

submission

is

that

he

is

exalted

above

every

other

name.

There

is

no

greater

honor

and

out

of

all

that

he

could

have

chosen

the

Father

chooses

the

Son

in

such a

way that

Jesus

knows

that

the

Father

wants

him

to

do

for

our

sake

but

it's

what

he

wants

to

do

out

of

love

for

his

father

and

out

of

love

for

us.

The

Son

looks

at

the

plan

that

God

has

laid

out

for

redemption

and

he

says

I

want

that.

The

cross

and

the

sacrifice

of

Jesus

is

what

the

Son

wants

to

do.

What

he

chooses

to

do.

As

he

says

he

lays

down

his

life

of

his

own

authority.

Even

though

fulfilling

that

mission

was

not

easy

it

was

a

delight

to

Jesus.

It

was

his

joy

to

perfectly

obey

his

father

and

to

draw

us

back

into

a

relationship

with

God

by

his

blood.

It

is

what

the

son

wanted

as

much

as

it

is

what

the

father

wanted.

The

amazing

joy

of the

relationship

between

father

and

son

is

that

they

are

so

united

and

connected

that

the

son

loves

what

the

father

loves.

And

so

the

son

loves

you

just

like

the

father

does.

And

the

son

joyfully

lays

down

the

father

and

begin

to

know

and

rejoice

in

the

forgiveness

that

only

he

can

offer.

The

submission

of

Jesus

to

his

father

is

even

more

amazing

when

we

remember

where

we

started

tonight.

Jesus

is

the

eternal

son.

Jesus

is

divine.

Jesus

is

all

knowing,

all

powerful.

He

and

the

father

are

one

and

yet

he

willingly

and

joyfully

submits.

I had

the joy

yesterday

of being

a part

of

Ange

and

Rob's

wedding.

Many

of you

guys

were

there.

And

I

shared

as I

began

to

speak

they

gave

me

the

passage

in

Ephesians

5

that

encourages

wives

to

submit

to

husbands.

And

I

expressed

that I

thought

that was

a

hospital

pass

in

our

current

culture.

I

did

a bit

of

googling

beforehand

and

found

that

around

the

whole

idea

of

submission

and

particularly

in

our

context

of

being

Anglicans

in

Sydney.

We

are

known

as

being

sexist.

We

are

known

as

oppressing

women

and

all

sorts

of

other

things

because

we

expect

them

to

submit

to

their

husbands.

It

is

amazing

that

the

world

around

us

is

negative

about

submission

even

though

it

doesn't

fully

understand

how

submission

works.

But

I

was

also

reflecting

that

in

my

time

as

a

minister

I

am

yet

to

go

to

a

wedding.

Actually

there is

one

fantastic

exception

sitting

in

this

room

but

other

than

that

one

exception

I

am

yet

to

go

to

a

wedding

a

Christian

wedding

where

the

husband

and

wife

have

wanted

to

articulate

that

submission

would

be

a

good

thing

in

their

marriage.

Now

that

could

be

ignorance

that

could

be

a

whole

bunch

of

factors

but

I

think

the

reality

is

even

for

us

submission

sounds

demeaning.

We're

really

nervous

about

a

word

like

that.

Authority

fantastic

but

submission

there is

a

significant

challenge

for us

tonight

as we

look

at

God

the

Son

because

tonight

God

is

saying

that

submission

is

part

of

who

I

am.

Submission

is not

lowly

or

unimpressive

submission

is not

negative

submission

is

God

like.

We

are

called

as

his

followers

to be

imitators

of

God

and

our

God

is

a

God

who

submits.

If

we're

unable

to

submit

to

the

authorities

that

God

has

placed

over

us

how

will

we

submit

to

him

in

the

way

he

deserves.

If

we

cannot

honour

our

parents

if

we

cannot

honour

our

leaders

here

at

church

if

we

cannot

honour

civil

authorities

if

we

cannot

honour

husbands

if

we

cannot

honour

bosses

then how

will we

begin to

think that

we can

do it

for God?

The

submission

that God

requires

of us

as his

children

is a

submission

far beyond

what we

are capable

of within

ourselves.

It is

the

perfect

submission

of the

Son.

God

is

a

Father

and

a

Son

and

a

Spirit

is

that

in

that

Trinity

we

find

that

the

obedience

that

the

Father

requires

is

provided

in

the

Son.

that

God

remains

holy

and

supreme

he

sees

our

deficient

and

disobedient

lives

and

he

provides

the

Son

as

a

substitute

and

the

Son

goes

as

a

substitute

joyfully

God

the

Son

takes

our

place

he

cleanses

us

by

his

blood

he

covers

our

lives

with

his

perfect

life

and

then

in

the

eyes

of

our

Father

we

are

faultless

and

blameless

dearly

loved

children

relating

to a

holy

and

eternal

God

demands

perfection

the

Son

can

know

the

Father

fully

because

he

is

perfectly

obedient

but

our

Holy

God

has

provided

the

perfect

obedience

so

that

we

too

might

know

him

in

part

now

but

one

day

fully

God

the

Son

enables

us

to

know

our

Father

God

the

Son

enables

us

to

call

him

our

Father

with

confidence

God

the

Son

works

forgiveness

for us

through

his

death

and

resurrection

God

the

Son

provides

the

perfect

obedience

required

for

those

who

call

God

their

Father

and

in

him

we

have

the

freedom

to

obey

having

provided

what we

need

having

provided

perfect

obedience

we

now

are

free

not

to

do

whatever

we

want

we

are

free

to

obey

free

to

live

the

full

life

that

Jesus

lived

doing

the

will

of

our

heavenly

Father

let me

finish

by reading

to you

a passage

out of

Hebrews

Hebrews 10 · chapter mention

chapter

10

which

would

have

been

the

shortcut

to

tonight's

sermon

because

I

think

it

says

it

much

more

clearly

in

terms

of

the

role

of

the

son

Hebrews

Hebrews 10 · chapter mention

chapter

10

and

beginning

at

verse

12

when

this

priest

Jesus

had

offered

for

all

time

one

sacrifice

for

sins

he

sat

down

at

the

right

hand

of

God

since

that

time

he

waits

for

his

enemies

to

be

made

his

footstool

because

by

one

sacrifice

he

has

made

perfect

forever

those

who

are

being

made

holy

the

Holy

Spirit

also

testifies

to

us

about

this

first

he

says

this

is

the

covenant

I

will

make

with

them

after

that

I

will

remember

no

more

and

where

these

have

been

forgiven

there

is

no

longer

any

sacrifice

for

sin

therefore

brothers

since

we

have

confidence

to

enter

the

most

holy

place

by

the

blood

of

Jesus

by

a

new

and

living

way

opened

up

for

us

through

the

curtain

that

is

his

body

and

since

we

have

a

great

high

priest

over

the

house

of

God

let

us

draw

near

to

God

with

a

sincere

heart

in

full

assurance

of

faith

having

our

hearts

sprinkled

to

cleanse

us

from

a

guilty

conscience

and

having

our

bodies

washed

with

pure

water

let

us

hold

unswervingly

to the

hope

we

profess

for

he

who

promised

is

faithful

and

let

us

consider

how

we

may

spur

one

another

on

toward

love

and

good

deeds

let

us

not

give

up

meeting

together

as

some

are

in

the

habit

of

doing

but

let

us

encourage

one

another

and

all

the

more

as

you

see

the

day

approaching

the

sun

purifies

us

the

sun

reveals

the

father

to

us

the

sun

gives

us

a

sure

and

certain

hope

the

sun

represents

us

as

the

great

high

priest

the

sun

gives

us

confidence

to

call

God

our

father

and

just

there

at

the

end

the

result

of

that

not

laziness

not

do

whatever

I

want

but

in

light

of

our

savior

and

lord

jesus

christ

let

us

spur

one

another

on

let

us

look

forward

to

the

day

he

comes

back

and

with

increasing

eagerness

and

enthusiasm

encourage

one

another

that

we

may

live

those

obedient

lives

that

God

has