John 1:1-18

Well, do open your Bibles to John 1. It's a new series that hopefully is going to take us through this academic year. John chapter 1.

John 1 · chapter mention

We're looking at the first 18 verses. We could be here until Christmas, at least, in these verses, but I thought it would be good to get a kind of overview and to kind of really get into it.

Last month, there were 55 beached whales on a beach in Scotland. I don't know if you saw that news story.

There was one washed up in County Down yesterday afternoon, without wishing to be kind of like news round, but it's a tragedy, isn't it, when whales are washed up on the beach?

Beautiful things that thrive in the depth of the ocean. Magnificent, so powerful beings.

And yet on the beach, they're reduced to kind of wheezing, limp, cold, massive, rotting flesh.

A beached whale is a dying and dead whale. A whale thrives in the water, in the deep, but out of its natural environment, it dies.

And as we begin a new series in John's Gospel, John tells us his purpose for writing.

His purpose for writing, it's all about life and death. It's all about Jesus' life and his death.

He doesn't leave you in any doubt as to why he's written his Gospel.

John 20, verse 30, listen to what he says.

John 20:30

These things are written so that you, you are reading it, you are listening to it preached, may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,

and that by believing, you may have life in his name.

That's John's purpose. Life in Jesus' name.

Life, I think, is the major theme of John's Gospel.

It comes up 37 times as a word, but many more times as a concept.

And having life is what John's Gospel is all about.

And what John shows you and I is that life is not what we often think it's about.

He shows us that life is actually all about knowing God.

Just before, in chapter 20, a few chapters before that,

John gives to us the words of the Lord Jesus.

In John 17, verse 3, we kind of eavesdrop, listen in on his prayer, and he prays this.

John 17:3

He says, this is eternal life, that you may know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you've sent.

So back to the whales for a moment.

The Bible teaches us, well, life teaches us, that those whales were made for the ocean.

And just like the whales, you and I as human beings, we were made for a relationship with God.

You and I were made to know God.

Human beings were made, the most important thing we can do in life is to glorify and enjoy God.

You were made to know God.

You were made to know that purpose that comes from knowing God.

That is the reason for your existence.

That's the reason you've been put on this planet.

It's the environment for which you were made.

Like a whale is made for the ocean,

you were made to have a relationship with your maker, to know God.

And that life is not just physical life that lasts in this world.

But the life that John's Gospel is offering you through the Lord Jesus

is a life that goes on into eternity in relationship with your creator.

The tragedy is this, isn't it?

If you're familiar with your Bible, you'll know this.

That is not the way life is now.

We were made for this relationship,

but actually what we've done, every single one of us,

is we've turned away from God.

We thought it was a burst for freedom.

We actually thought that to get God out of our lives

and for us to take control actually would be a removal of the shackles.

But what it actually is, is a beaching of ourselves,

apart from God.

The God for whom we were made.

And that is our world today.

A city that looks so alive

and so vibrant in so many ways,

in reality is desperate.

Gasping.

Gasping and in the throes of death.

Isaiah the prophet tells us

that we live in a world that is under the shadow of death.

In fact, biblically speaking,

we are all, by nature,

the moment we are born dead.

It's often said, well, like cut flowers.

You know, you get cut flowers.

And you give flowers to someone.

Outwardly, those cut flowers,

they look alive, don't they?

They look vibrant.

You see the colors, so beautiful.

Outwardly full of life.

But then they begin to droop.

They flourish,

and then they begin to decay

and rot.

And things begin to fall off them.

Outwardly full of life.

But in reality, they're cut off, aren't they,

those flowers,

from the source of life.

And that's what we're like.

Outwardly full of life.

Outwardly flourishing, maybe.

Outwardly very beautiful.

But the rot has set in.

You're about to decay.

Things might drop off.

Think about Adam and Eve in the garden.

God's curse on them.

Do you remember what God said to them?

God said to them,

on the day that you eat of it,

what was forbidden, that fruit,

on that day you will surely die.

And they did die as soon as they ate it,

but they were alive.

Because they died in the fact that they were cut off.

They were separate from God.

They were out of a relationship with God.

They didn't know God,

and therefore they were alive but dead.

Biblically, theologically, truly dead.

And that's our world.

That's our city.

A city that is beached.

A city that was made for something greater.

A city that is gasping for breath.

And that's where Jesus Christ comes in.

This is the great message of John's Gospel.

That Jesus has come into our world

to bring us back to life.

To give us life,

which is a relationship with God

that only comes in him and through him.

And in him alone.

That's what John's Gospel is all about.

It's about coming to know the Lord Jesus,

the giver of life.

Some of you, I hope, through this series,

as we go through it over this winter,

will come to know that for the first time.

That you will receive the life

that you desperately need.

But for most of us here,

who gather Sunday by Sunday,

we have this glorious life, isn't it?

And what I hope is that John's Gospel

will help you and I

to understand it more deeply

and more profoundly.

And we'll experience more richly

what we've been so graciously given

by the Lord Jesus Christ

that we may have life.

That is the purpose of this book.

Life that comes through Jesus Christ.

And that is where John begins

his account with Jesus.

It's an introduction.

It's an epic introduction.

It's more than that.

It's a prologue,

but it's greater than that.

It's an overture.

And it picks up the themes

that are touched on

at the start of John 1,

but will be filled out through the Gospel.

So what I want to do is draw that out.

Three headings

to help us understand

what John is saying about Jesus.

First of all,

Jesus' identity.

The question there is,

who is he?

His identity, who is he?

And then there's Jesus' mission.

Why has he come?

And then thirdly,

the response.

Our response.

How should we receive him?

So number one,

Jesus' identity.

Who actually is he?

Who is this Jesus?

And the answer is mind-blowing.

It's extraordinary.

Look at verse one.

In the beginning was the Word,

and the Word was with God.

And the Word was God.

He was in the beginning with God.

And if you're into English literature,

you will recognize

that this is a literary masterpiece

in the way that John writes.

Notice Jesus isn't actually named,

is he,

until verse 17.

And so what happens is

there's this extraordinary build-up.

And finally,

there's this unveiling

of who the Word is.

This incredible character.

And so in the first three verses,

so much is packed in.

So much of what we know

about who Jesus is.

Just into a few words,

let me point out a few things.

First of all,

we learn that this Word is eternal.

He is eternal.

He starts off, doesn't he,

his Gospel,

in the beginning.

And that phrase

deliberately picks up,

it deliberately echoes

the first words of the Bible,

Genesis 1.1.

In the beginning.

In the beginning,

God created the heavens

and the earth.

And what John is saying

was that in the beginning,

the Word,

this Word,

was there.

In the beginning

was the Word.

He was in the beginning

with God.

And so before there was anything,

before time itself,

before anything

came into existence,

while there was nothing,

God was there.

and so was this Word.

This Word is eternal.

He doesn't belong

in this world.

The Word exists

outside and beyond.

First, He's eternal.

Secondly,

He is divine.

Look at verse 1.

The Word was

with God

and the Word

was

God.

He's not some

lesser being,

a kind of

few inches

below God.

He's not a

subservient

angel.

He's not a

divinish

creature.

creature.

He's not a

creature made

by God

to do His bidding,

like the cults

tell you.

But the Bible

is very clear

that the Word

was God.

He's a person

distinct

from God,

yes,

but 100%

God.

An eternal

and divine

being.

Eternal,

divine,

but can you see

verse 2?

He's also

the creator.

All things

were made

through Him.

As John

so often

does

when we get

familiar with

the way that

he writes

as we study

his gospel,

he cuts off

any other

possibilities.

I love it

how John

writes.

He writes

the necessary

negatives.

It's written

for dummies

like me.

And so if I

was going to

say to you,

I'm going to

meet you at

the clock

at Waterloo,

you get to

Waterloo,

how many clocks

are there?

There's loads,

isn't it?

Which clock?

I love to

say to you,

not the

clock at

Platform 2,

not the

clock at

Platform 21,

the clock in

the middle

of the

concourse.

And so you

have to know

the necessary

negatives.

And John

gives that

all the

time,

we'll see

it.

People like

me need

the negative

explained to

them.

You sit

here,

not there,

but here.

Can you

see what it

says?

All things

were made

through Him

and without

Him,

nothing was

made.

there was

nothing that's

been made

that has not

been made

by Him.

Without Him

nothing was

made.

It was the

Word who was

with God

in the

beginning,

who spoke

life into

existence.

everything

from the

stars in

the sky

all the

way down

to the

depths of

the ocean.

And so

every person

in this

room,

every person

who has

ever existed,

who has

ever lived,

has come

through the

creative work

of this

Word.

He is

eternal,

He is

divine,

He is

the Creator,

but He's

also,

verse 4,

the source

of all

life.

Can you

see that?

In Him

was life.

And what

John is

saying is

not only

did He

bring all

things into

existence,

He is

the source

of all

life.

He is

the source

of all

life in

the beginning,

but He's

also the

sustaining

source of

life.

He's not

like my

watch,

I've got a

wind-up

watch,

I wind

it up in

the morning

and I

don't have

to do

anything

to it.

It just

ticks again

and then I

have to

wind it

up again.

God is

not like

that with

our world.

It's not

that He

is the

source and

then just

lets it

go.

No,

He is

the

sustaining

source of

our lives.

So this

says to

you,

you are,

whether you

like to

admit it

or not,

a dependent

being.

You

actually

know that.

You

cannot

exist in

and of

yourself.

We

depend on

others to

keep us

going,

but ultimately

we are a

dependent

creature because

we've been

made by

the God

who is the

source of

all things.

you and

I are

dependent

creatures,

but not

so this

word.

This

word of

John 1,

He is

self-sustaining.

He doesn't

need you

to exist.

He doesn't

depend on us

or anything

else.

All physical

life, all

spiritual life

comes from

Him.

He is

eternal,

He is

divine,

He is the

creator,

He is the

source of

all life.

And did

you see

verse 4,

He is the

source of

all light.

Verse 4,

in Him was

life and

the life

was the

light of

man.

The light

shines in

the darkness

and the

darkness has

not overcome

it.

He is

getting

light.

I noticed

this morning

sunrise at

6.15am.

It's

pitch black.

And then

you look

out,

don't you,

and you

see the

sun just

peeping

its head

over the

horizon.

And then

very quickly

the darkness

is dispelled,

it is

overcome,

and the

light

triumphs.

Here we

get in

John's

Gospel,

the first

hint that

everything is

not right

with our

world.

This

theme comes

up again

and again

and again

in John's

Gospel.

It is this

theme that

the world

is in

darkness.

Light

and darkness.

And the

darkness here

speaks of

evil and

of ignorance.

Just flick

over the

page with

me to

John 3

in verse

19.

So what

John writes,

this is

the judgment

that light

has come

into the

world

and people

loved the

darkness

rather than

the light

because their

words,

because their

deeds

are evil.

Their

works were

evil.

And so

here's the

truth,

the world

is not

neutral when

it comes

to God.

It's a

world that

has many,

many good

things but

the characteristic

of this

world is

that it

is evil.

It's a

world that

is deliberately

and culpably

ignorant.

But then

comes the

word, the

word that

opposes the

darkness.

The light

shines in the

darkness and

the darkness

has not

overcome it,

not smothered

it.

Well,

these are

epic verses,

aren't they?

Who is

he?

And the

answer is

he is the

word, but

so much is

packed into

that.

He is the

eternal divine

creator, the

source of all

life and the

source of all

light.

But did you

see verse

14?

It's not

just that he's

the eternal

word,

he is,

verse 14,

the word

made flesh.

The word

became flesh.

John's gospel

is divided in

two, it's a

bit of a

rough division

really, but

if you think

of John's

gospel in

verses,

chapter 1

verses 1

to 18,

you've got the

introduction.

And then from

then on to

chapter 10,

you've got God

the Son coming

all the way

down, he is the

word from the

Father.

And then from

chapter 11 to

chapter 20,

it's the return

of the Son to

the Father,

with chapter 21

as the

conclusion.

And so that

first movement,

which we're

going to see

this term,

is all about

his coming

into the

world and

becoming

flesh.

John, the

writer,

introduces John

the Baptist

to us in

verse 6.

Did you see

him?

We'll find

out more

about him

next week.

But in

introducing

John the

Baptist to

us,

Jesus'

cousin,

John,

the author,

begins to

take us

from eternity

past,

and he brings

us right into

time,

into space,

and this

world.

And that

movement into

our world is

picked up on

in verse 9,

who was

coming into

the world.

And then

verse 10,

he was in

the world.

Verse 11,

he came to

his own

people.

And then

this epic

statement that

John zeroes

in on,

in verse 14.

This word,

this eternal,

divine,

supreme being,

is the one

who became

flesh.

I need to

dwell to

man.

He

dwelt

among us.

And we,

that's the

eyewitnesses,

have seen

his glory,

glory as

the only

son from

the father

full of

grace and

truth.

And in

those few

words,

John is

summarizing

the stupendous

truth of the

incarnation,

that God

became man,

that the

word took

on flesh.

The word

became flesh.

What John

is saying to

you there is

that he

took on a

human nature.

He became

one of us.

The eternal,

divine,

the creator

of all

things,

the one who

flung stars

into space,

came down,

down,

down,

down,

down into

our world.

And so at

one point he

is the size

of a tiny

seed in his

mother's womb.

At another

point he

is the size

for strawberry

that you'll

eat for

dessert.

At another

point you

could have

held the

eternal

word in

your arms

if he'd

been there.

Let me

read to you

these incredible

words from

Thomas Watson.

He was

poor that

he might

make us

rich.

He was

born of

a virgin

that we

might be

born of

God.

He took

our flesh

that he

might give

us his

spirit.

He lay

in the

manger

that we

may lay

in

paradise.

He came

down from

heaven that

he might

bring us

to heaven

that the

ancient of

days should

be born

that he

who thunders

in the

heavens should

cry in the

cradle that

he who rules

the stars

should suck

the breast

that a

virgin should

conceive

that Christ

should be

made of a

woman and

of that

woman which

he himself

made that

the branch

should bear

the vine that

the mother

should be

younger than

the child

she bore

and the

child in the

womb bigger

than the

mother but

the human

nature should

not be

God yet

one with

God.

The miracle

that the

word became

flesh.

It's not

that there was

like a divine

mixture.

It's not like

when you kind

of mix water

and flour

and it

becomes

I think the

technical word

is sludge

but this

baby

is 100%

man

and 100%

God

at the same

time.

The Athanasian

creed says

that our

Lord Jesus

Christ the

Son of God

is God

and man

God of the

substance of

the Father

begotten

before the

worlds

and man of

the substance

of his

mother

born in

the world

completely

God

completely

man.

And though

he is God

and man

he is not

two

but he is

one Christ.

And if you're

sitting here

scratching your

head

you're doing

the right

thing

because it

is beyond

our human

understanding.

our small

little

creaturely

minds

cannot

comprehend

it

but it

is true

and it

is glorious

and we

will see

it on the

pages of

John's

Gospel.

One who

has the

almighty

power of

God

who can

turn water

into wine

as we'll

see in a

couple of

chapters

who is

able to

be raised

from the

dead

and yet

at the

same time

a man

who suffers

and bleeds

and dies

for his

people.

The eternal

word

taking on

flesh.

Flesh is a

word that

speaks of

his humanity

but also

in John's

Gospel

it's got

echoes of

something more

humble

than that.

It's kind

of got

connotations

of him

stooping

down to

our level

taking

on our

weak and

fragile

humanity

becoming

one

with us.

I've

told you

this before

but in

1863

the

Catholic

priest

Father

Joseph

Damien

he was

inspired

by the

example

of the

Lord

Jesus

to go

and help

lepers

in a

leper

colony

on one

of the

islands

of Hawaii.

The story

is that

these

lepers

they'd

been

banished

from the

main

island

and the

community

because of

their

condition.

no one

would help

them

but

Father

Damien

came to

live with

them.

He buried

their dead

he helped

cleanse their

water system

he built

them homes

he set up

a school

and a

hospital

and two

churches.

And after

22 years

of working

amongst those

people in

1885

one morning

the lepers

were stunned

as he stood

up to begin

his sermon

and he

said

we

lepers

because he

too had

become one

of them.

he'd

stooped

down

he'd

stooped

so low

that he

became

one of

them.

The word

became

flesh

the one

who made

everything

came into

our broken

world

and he

took on

our weak

human

flesh

and he

was able

and he

is able

to say

to us

now

enthroned

in heaven

this morning

we humans

the word

became

flesh

and dwelt

amongst us

literally the word

is tabernacled

and so

if you're

familiar with

the old

testament

there's

echoes

aren't there

here

in exodus

29

God

promised

to come

and tabernacle

to be

with his

people

to come

and dwell

among his

people

it's what

happened

all those

years ago

but if you

get to the

end of

exodus

it's a

distant

impersonal

way

he dwelt

with his

people

from a

tent

but now

it's more

profound

and close

and personal

and intimate

he came

to us

and he

dwelt

with us

and think

about it

for a moment

the man

who wrote

this gospel

John

he was

an eyewitness

and he says

in verse 14

we've seen

his glory

I saw

with my

own eyes

and the

disciples

and many

many others

saw

the word

became

flesh

and dwelt

amongst us

and verse 14

we have

seen his

glory

glory

as of the

only son

from the

father

full of

grace

and truth

he's

describing

the brilliance

of God

Moses

he asked

to see

God's

glory

didn't he

in Exodus

33

do you

remember

God

put Moses

in the

cleft

of a

rock

and he

passed

by him

so that

Moses

could only

see the

back

of God

because

nobody

can see

God's

face

and live

and as

he passed

by

God

spoke

to him

and he

spoke

about

his

character

and he

revealed

it to

Moses

and he

said

the

Lord

the

Lord

a

God

merciful

and

gracious

slow

to

anger

abounding

in steadfast

love

and

faithfulness

it's a

glory

which speaks

of

the

godness

of God

of his

brilliance

his majesty

as a

creator

his

power

above

all

powers

but

even

Moses

wasn't

permitted

to

see

him

otherwise

he

would

die

but

at the

same

time

it

speaks

of

his

goodness

that

his

character

is one

that is

full of

grace

and truth

and he's

abounding

in steadfast

love

and that

glory

the

godness

of

god

the

goodness

of

god

is

seen

in

that

one

person

Jesus

Christ

and that's

who we

have

the glory

of the

only son

from the

father

who for

the first

time in

history

could be

seen

the light

who came

into the

world

lit up

the

darkness

the

character

of god

who is

overflowing

with grace

and overflowing

with truth

in a world

of lies

and John

has seen

his glory

and his

aim in

writing this

book is

so that

you would

see it

I think

John's

intention is

to blow

us away

really

with these

themes

and ideas

that in

this chapter

they come

to us

with such

an impact

that they'll

have to be

expanded

through the

rest of

the book

but the

first

application

is this

isn't it

we need

to step

back

and be

in awe

of who

Jesus

is

if you've

been a

Christian

like I

have for

some time

there is a

risk

isn't it

that you

like I

have become

far too

over familiar

with him

but here

John begins

his gospel

and he

stops us

and he

slows you

down

and he

says do

you realise

do you

quite realise

who you

have in

Jesus

that this

is not

just

Jesus

meek

and

mild

he's

not

Jesus

the

swear word

he is

Jesus

the eternal

word

who became

flesh

and so

be in

awe

the identity

of Jesus

who he is

he's the

word made

flesh

but secondly

what's his

mission

the last

two points

are quick

what is his

mission

why did he

come all the

way from the

glory of

heaven into

our world

well John

John 20:31

20 verse 31

gives us that

clue doesn't

it

and we've

been saying

that right

from the

beginning

so that by

believing you

might have

life in his

name

and that makes

sense doesn't

it because look at

verse 4

in him was

life

he's the source

of life

he's come to

give life

he gives us

life a

relationship with

God and in

verse 12 to

13 we get a

little bit more

colour of what

that means

but to all

who did

receive him

who believed

in his

name he

gave the

right to

become

children of

God

what is

his mission

so that we

might enter

the family

of God

you might

have seen

the famous

photograph of

JFK

Jr

if you haven't

seen it's a

total waste of

time telling

this story but

anyway I

should have

put the

photograph here

but JFK

Jr he's the

son of

President

JF Kennedy

JF Kennedy

is in the

Oval Office

the office of

the President

of the USA

it's the most

important room

isn't it in

terms of

politics

and power

in the world

certainly at

that time

and JFK

is sitting

behind his

desk as the

President of

the US

but at his

feet

underneath the

desk is a

little boy

cheekily

playing and

messing around

under his

father's

desk

he's the

President of

the USA

the most

important man

in the world

in many ways

but his

son is at

his feet

messing about

under the

desk

because as

the son of

the President

as the son

of the

father he

had a right

to be there

didn't he

he had an

authority

to be there

no one

else

could have

been messing

about

under the

desk

of the

President

but JFK

Jr.

could be

relaxed

because he

was secure

in the love

and acceptance

of his

father who

was the

President

do you see

what John

is saying

here

John is

saying

that this

is what

Jesus

has come

to bring

he's come

to bring

life

which means

being a

child of

God

that you

can come

to the

eternal

God

and call

him

our

father

in heaven

you can

live in

his presence

with the

assurance

of his

love

knowing

that you

have been

accepted

as his

child

and you

don't have

the right

to do

that

and neither

do I

by nature

Jesus is

the only

natural

son of

God

isn't it

we become

sons and

daughters of

God

through

adoption

through his

death

which we'll

learn more

about in

these pages

to come

and that

is something

that happens

to us

rather than

something that

we achieve

for ourselves

did you see

that in

verse 13

it comes

through birth

or rebirth

You can't

give yourself

to it

you can't

try and

force yourself

into God's

family

it's impossible

and that's

what's being

said in

those verses

it's not

of born

of blood

which means

not becoming

a child of

God because

you belong

to a certain

race of

people

in this

case the

Jewish

people

not because

of the

will of

the

flesh

it's not

something to

do with

your own

strength

and ability

as a human

being

not by the

will of

man

it's not

something that

other people

can do for

you

I can't

do it for

you

but it's

from God

life that

comes

from God

not from the

ground up

but from

God and

his grace

coming down

and giving

you the

life that

you need

we touch

on the

identity

of Jesus

who he

is

he's

the

word

made

flesh

we've

we've

touched

on his

mission

that he

came to

give you

life and

relationship

with God

to become

a child

of God

and finally

he shows you

the right

response

and interestingly

again John

shows you the

right response

by showing you

the wrong

response

look at verse

10

he was in

the world

and the world

was made

through him

and yet the

world did

not

know him

I wonder

if you know

the story

of Jesse

Owens

Jesse

Owens

was the

star of

the 1936

Berlin Olympics

history records

that he

embarrassed

Hitler

he beat

all

Hitler's

athletes

in the

long jump

and the

sprints

much to

Hitler's

disappointment

there's a

reel that

you can see

on the

internet

of Hitler

storming out

of the

stadium

when Jesse