John Ch1v1-18 - Introducing Jesus

In our Bibles, please, to Genesis chapter 1.

Genesis 1 · chapter mention

We have two readings today, and the first one is in Genesis.

Genesis.

Genesis chapter 1.

Genesis 1 · chapter mention

Genesis chapter 1.

Genesis 1 · chapter mention

We are starting a new series, The Gospel of John.

You may be wondering why we're starting in Genesis.

Well, you'll see in just a minute, so be patient.

But there's a little booklet here which will give you a summary of the whole gospel.

So you don't have to read it all at once, but you can take your copy on your way out,

read a section at a time, and dip into it at any time through our series just to remind

ourselves of what the big picture is, what it's all about.

So that's John's Gospel.

It'll be sitting on the table as you leave this morning.

So Genesis 1, you'll see the connection in just a minute.

We're going to read the first few verses.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

Now the earth was formless and empty.

Darkness was over the surface of the deep.

And the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

And God said, let there be light.

And there was light.

Now let's turn to John's Gospel, Chapter 1.

John's Gospel, Chapter 1, starting at verse 1 through to 18.

And see if you can make the connection.

In the beginning was the Word.

And the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

He was with God in the beginning.

Through him, all things were made.

Without him, nothing was made that has been made.

In him was life.

And that life was the light of all mankind.

The light shines in the darkness.

And the darkness has not overcome it.

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

Now this John is not to be confused with the writer of John's Gospel.

John's Gospel, the writer, was a disciple of Jesus.

This John here in verse 6 is John the Baptist.

The last prophet who came speaking about Jesus.

Verse 7.

He came as a witness to testify concerning that light,

so that through him all might believe.

He himself was not the light.

He came only as a witness to the light.

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

He was in the world.

And though the world was made through him,

the world did not recognize him.

He came to that which was his own,

but his own did not receive him.

Yet to all who did receive 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 Word became flesh

and made his dwelling among us.

We have seen his glory,

the glory of the one and only Son

who came from the Father

full of grace and truth.

John, that's John the Baptist,

testified concerning him.

He cried out saying,

This is the one I spoke about when I said,

He who comes after me

has surpassed me

because he was before me.

Out of his fullness,

we have all received grace

in place of grace

already given.

For the law was given through Moses.

Grace and truth

came through Jesus Christ.

No one has ever seen God,

but the one and only Son

who is himself God

and is in the closest relationship

with the Father

has made him known.

Well, let's pray.

Our Father God,

we ask for one simple thing,

that through your Word now

and by your Spirit,

you would reveal afresh to us

who you are,

how we can know you

and what you have done for us.

Be our teacher

and help us, we pray.

Amen.

I want you to think

and imagine with me.

Suppose for a moment

you don't know me.

You don't know

there is a Johnny Grant.

Think about it.

You could spend

your whole life

oblivious

of my existence.

Now, some of you

might be thinking

that's a wonderful thing.

I would disagree.

As far as you are concerned,

I'm just not here.

You see,

the only way

for you to know me

is if I am to

introduce myself to you,

to tell you something

about myself.

I reveal myself

to you

by my

word,

by what I

say.

Now, think about this.

Is there a God?

If there is a God,

how do you know?

Is it possible

to even know

this God?

And is there any way

at all of finding out

anything

about God?

Well, John helps us

because he begins

his gospel

by introducing

God

to us.

Look at verse 1.

In the beginning

was the word

and the word

was with God

and the word

was God.

Now, it seems

a little complex.

Why does he keep

saying word?

Why couldn't John

just simply say

in the beginning

was God?

Well, the word

is God's

self-revelation

of himself.

God makes

himself known

to us

through his

word.

word.

And that word,

the word

that he speaks,

is not just

spoken word

or speech

or language.

That very

word

is a person.

Verse 14.

The word

became

flesh,

became a

human being

and made

his dwelling

among us.

Who is

that word?

Well, look

at verse 18.

No one

has ever

seen God

but the one

and only

Son,

that's Jesus

Christ,

who is

himself God

and is in

the closest

relationship

with the

Father,

has made

God

known.

You see,

God introduces

himself to

us by

introducing

himself to

us through

Jesus,

who is

the word.

So three

things we're

going to look

at through

this introduction.

Jesus is

our God,

Jesus reveals

God to

us,

and Jesus

makes us

children

of God.

God.

So first,

Jesus

is our

God.

John gives

us four

stunning

truths about

Jesus for

us to

reflect on

together.

First,

Jesus is

our eternal

God.

John begins

this gospel,

doesn't he,

with the

familiar phrase,

in the

beginning.

He's taking

us right

back,

all the way

back,

to the

very first

words of

the Bible,

which we

read just

a moment

ago,

Genesis

Genesis 1:1

1,

verse 1,

in the

beginning,

God.

Now as

mind-boggling

as that is,

the Bible

is telling

us straight

out that

before

anything

existed,

there was

God.

God

simply

exists.

There was

never a

time,

no matter

how far

you could

travel back,

that God

was not

there,

that God

did not

exist.

He has

always

been.

Now John

wants us

to know

that that's

exactly the

same with

Jesus.

Look at

verse 1,

in the

beginning

was the

word.

Jesus

isn't

created,

he

exists,

he has

no beginning

and no

end,

he is

our

eternal

God.

God.

But he's

not just

our

eternal

God,

he's

also

our

creator

God.

Genesis

tells us

that in

the beginning

God

created the

heavens and

the earth.

He brought

things into

existence by

speaking his

word.

Remember

what we

read,

God said,

let there

be light.

And there

was light.

light.

Now John

makes it

clear that

the word

that God

spoke at

the very

beginning of

creation is

not just

language,

but is

also a

person.

Verse 3,

through

him all

things were

made.

Without

him nothing

was made

that has

been made.

Now it's a

bit mind

bending,

isn't it,

all of this

thought?

Jesus

designed and

shaped and

formed all

things.

Jesus created

the vastness

of the

universe.

The sun

that we

feel,

that object,

burning object

behind the

clouds that

we get to

experience once

a month,

is only

one of

a hundred

thousand

million

star-like

suns

in our

galaxy.

Wow!

In fact,

our galaxy

is only

one of

a hundred

thousand

million

galaxies.

Now I know

that's blowing

your mind.

We can't

comprehend the

vastness,

but God,

Jesus,

spoke it,

brought it

all into

existence.

humans.

But he

also created

the invisible

to the

naked eye,

tiny

algae-like

creatures.

If you

were to

take a

teaspoon

from a

lake of

water,

you would

count one

million

algae

in that

little

teaspoon.

And yet,

gather them

all together

around the

world.

they

produced

35%

of the

world's

oxygen.

Jesus

made the

planets,

and he

made the

unseen

algae.

He's our

creator

God.

And he's

our life-giving

God.

Verse 4,

in him

was life,

and that

life was

the light

of mankind.

Light is

needed for

life.

Without

light,

everything

falls apart.

So,

when Jesus

is described

in verse

4 as

life and

light,

it's telling

us that he

is the

source of

all life,

that in

him is

life,

and that

he sustains

all of

life.

Jesus

doesn't

just create

everything,

he also

keeps

everything

going.

He is

the one

who created

the sun,

that great

ball of

fire way

out there

that provides

just the

right amount

of light

to keep

the algae

producing

the oxygen

that you

and I

are breathing

right now

to live.

if Jesus

stopped,

the

universe

would

collapse

into

nothingness.

You and

I would

cease

to exist.

But more

than this,

and perhaps

more amazingly,

Jesus is

our relational

God.

Look at

verse 1

with me

again.

in the

beginning

was the

word,

and the

word was

with God,

and the

word was

God.

It's telling

us Jesus

is God,

and yet he

is also

distinct

from God.

But yet at

the same

time, he

is with

God,

verse 2,

he was

with God

in the

beginning.

There is

only one

God.

But here

we're told

that Jesus,

who is

God,

enjoys a

relationship

with God

the Father.

We see

that explicitly

in verse

18.

Read with

me verse

18.

No one

has ever

seen God,

but the

one and

only Son,

who is

himself

God,

and is

in the

closest

relationship

with the

Father,

has made

him known.

So,

from before

time began,

before there

was anything,

God the

Father,

was in

enjoying a

relationship

with God

the Son.

They lived

in communion

with each

other,

relating

to one

another.

Jesus

is our

relational

God.

You see,

the word

is the

eternal,

creating,

life-giving

God.

He's not

just a

thought or

an idea

or the

result of

our

imaginations.

He is

God who

has always

existed and

the God

who made

you and

I.

But more

wonderful than

all of these

big ideas

is that God

is both

personal

and relational.

He's not

some distant

way out

there force.

He exists

in community

with himself

and amazingly

invites you

and I to

say,

come and

be part

of that

relationship

with the

Father and

with the

Son and

as we will

see in

time,

by the

Spirit.

So first,

big idea

that John

wants to

get across

to us is

Jesus

is our

God.

And related

to that,

second,

is Jesus

reveals God

to us.

You see,

the wonderful

truth is

God doesn't

wait for us

scurrying

around here

on planet

earth to

come up

and find

God.

No,

he's the

God who

made us

and takes

the initiative

to come

to us

so that

we can

be in

relationship

with him.

three things

show this.

First,

light for

the world.

Verse 9,

the true

light that

gives light

to everyone

was coming

into the

world.

A couple

of years

ago,

I had the

great experience

of going

caving in

the Burren,

led by an

experienced

guide.

as we

descended

down into

that cave,

the light

became less

and the

darkness

became more.

And once

we were in

the belly

of the

cave,

what we

had to

do was

turn off

our torches

and it

became

pitch

black.

You

couldn't see

your hand

in front

of your

face.

You

couldn't

guess

who

anyone

was.

We

would bump

into each

other and

touch and

feel.

Who is

this?

We

didn't

know.

We

became

disorientated

walking into

the sides

of the

cave and

into each

other.

But then

turning on

the torch,

ha,

I can

see.

Now we're

all in the

dark about

God.

None of us

can know

him unless

he gives

us light.

without

the light

coming,

we just

stumble

about in

the darkness,

trying to

figure things

out.

We become

disorientated.

Well,

God provides

the light

that we

need so

we can

know him.

And what

is that

light?

Well,

it becomes

clear in

verse 14,

doesn't it?

Second,

God becomes

man.

Verse 14,

the word

became

flesh

and made

his dwelling

among us.

The word

that spoke

the light

into existence

is the

light that

now comes

into the

world.

Jesus is

the light.

He reveals

God to us.

He is

God in

human

form.

God

One writer

put it

like this,

the word

became

flesh,

a real

human

baby.

He had

not ceased

to be

God.

He was

no less

God than

before,

but he

had begun

to be

a man.

He was

not God

minus

some elements

of his

deity or

his

godness,

but God

plus

all that

is

humanity.

It's

extraordinary,

isn't it?

The eternal

God

enters into

the history

and time.

The creator

God

becomes a

baby

in the womb

of his

mother

Mary.

The

life-giving

God

cries out

for food

and water.

The

relational

God

becomes

one of

us.

He

moves

into

our

neighbourhoods.

And as

the word

became

flesh,

so God

was on

display

in human

form.

Verse

14,

the word

became

flesh

and made

his dwelling

among us.

We,

says John,

have seen

his glory,

the glory

of the

one and

only Son

who came

from the

Father,

full of

grace

and truth.

God

became

one of

us.

Flesh

that you

could poke

and feel

in the

person of

Jesus so

that we

could see

God

and know

him.

God

and

God

and

God

was

alive

when

Jesus

walked

the

earth.

He

could

sit

down

and

have

a

meal

with

him.

He

could

go

swimming

with

him.

He

could

have

food

with

him.

But

I

mean,

what

about

us

today?

How

do

we

get

to

see

God?

How

can

we

know

God?

Well,

I've

jumped

ahead.

You

can

see

it

there

on

the

screen.

We

see

Jesus

in

the

scriptures.

We

can't

see

God

in

the

flesh.

We're

not

going

to

meet

Jesus

if

we

went

down

to

Barry

Collins

for

our

shopping.

But

we

can

and

we

do

meet

him

in

the

Bible.

Jump

with

me

please

to

chapter

20.

Towards

the

end.

here

Thomas

who

was

to

become

one

of

Jesus'

disciples

has

known

and

heard

that

Jesus

has

died

and

some

have

come

to

tell

Thomas

that

Jesus

has

risen

and

here

Thomas

has

an

encounter

with

the

risen

Jesus.

chapter

20

verse

28

and

upon

seeing

Jesus

verse

28

Thomas

said

to

him

my

Lord

and

my

God

then

Jesus

told

him

because

you

have

seen

me

you

have

believed

blessed

are

those

who

have

not

seen

and

yet

have

believed

so

there

were

some

who

saw

and

believed

and

now

he's

saying

Jesus

saying

well

look

there

are

those

who

won't

see

me

but

they

also

will

believe

how's

that

possible

well

read

on

verse

30

Jesus

performed

many

other

signs

in the

presence

of his

disciples

which

are not

recorded

in this

book

but

these

are

written

and

have

been

recorded

that

you

may

believe

that

Jesus

is

the

Messiah

the

Son

of

God

and

that

by

believing

you

may

have

life

in

his

name

John

was

one

of

the

first

eyewitnesses

of

Jesus

who

wrote

down

what

he

saw

and

what

he

heard

so

that

you

and

I

here

today

could

know

God

you

see

everything

that

God

has

to

say

about

himself

is

revealed

in

the

person

of

Jesus

and

everything

that

we

need

to

know

about

Jesus

has

been

recorded

in

scripture

in

other

words

there's

nothing

more

we need

to

know

about

God

than

what

we

see

in

the

person

of

Jesus

and

there's

nothing

more

to

know

about

Jesus

than

what

we

read

in

the

Bible

so

Jesus

reveals

God

to

us

he

comes

in

the

flesh

and

his

account

his

story

who

he

is

is

written

down

so

that

you

and

I

today

can

personally

and

relationally

know

God

well

how does

all that

happen

how can

I know

God

in a

personal

and

intimate

way

well

imagine

imagine

if Jesus

did

turn up

in

Carragaline

this

afternoon

imagine

that

Jesus

moved

into

number

12

to drive

water

park

imagine

if

Jesus

was

your

next

door

neighbour

that

he

lived

next

door

to

you

imagine

he

was

one

of

your

work

colleagues

that

you

took

the

bus

with

every

day

imagine

that

he

was

your

football

coach

every

time

you

saw

him

you

would

be

looking

at

God

every

time

you

talked

with

him

you

would

be

hearing

God

would

you

would

you

welcome

him

would

you

believe

in

him

would

you

treat

him

as

God

of

your

life

well

as we

know

from

John's

gospel

Jesus

did

once

2000

years

ago

come

into

this

world

he

was

somebody's

neighbor

he

did

sit

and

talk

and

chat

and

eat

with

people

and

yet

shockingly

and

surprisingly

people

refused

Jesus

look at

verse 9

again

the true

light

that gives

light to

everyone

was coming

into the

world

but surely

if God

came to

the world

everybody

would want

to follow

verse 10

he was

in the

world

and

though

the world

was made

through

him

the world

didn't

recognize

him

they

didn't

want

him

he

came

verse 11

to that

which was

his own

that is

to his

own race

to his

own

people

but even

his own

people

didn't

receive

him

how could

that be

possible

as Jesus

walked the

streets of

Nazareth

as he

performed his

miracles

as he healed

the sick

and raised

the dead

as Jesus

called people

and said

believe in me

and you will

have life

in all its

fullness

they didn't

recognize

Jesus

they didn't

receive him

as God

well it's

still the

same

today

people are

not bothered

with the

person of

Jesus

even when

they're

confronted

with his

claims

they do

not want

Jesus to

be God

of their

life

and I'm

no different

and you

are no

different

look at

chapter 3

verse 19

we'll get to

this later

in our

studies

but just

very quickly

chapter 3

verse 19

this is

what he

says about

us

this is

the verdict

light

has come

into the

world

but people

loved

darkness

instead of

light

because their

deeds were

evil

it's a

damning

verdict

isn't it

we actually

prefer to

live in our

own darkness

wandering

around as it

were in the

belly of a

cave

bumping into

things trying to

figure life

out

disorientated

living life as

if I

am God

back to

chapter 1

but

not everyone

rejected him

verse 12

yet to all

who did

receive him

to those who

believed in his

name he gave

the right to

become children

of God

many of you

here today

have believed

and trusted

and you

have come to

experience life

with Jesus

a life that

is satisfying

and fulfilling

that you are

his child

and you have

that relationship

with the

father

but how did

it happen

well let's be

clear it's not

something that we

just decided for

ourselves I

didn't wake up

one day and

decide you know

what I think

today I'm

going to become

God's child

or I'm

going to become

part of God's

family

no becoming a

child of God

is something God

does for us

look at verse

13

pick it up

rather at the

end of verse

12 he gave

the right to

become children

of God

children born

not of natural

descent so

not of our

own well

being or

our own

ancestry or

anything else

nor of human

decision or

a husband's

will but

born of God

just as I

had no say

in my

parents decision

to have a

child so I

had no

influence in

becoming God's

child

child we

must be

end of verse

13 be

born of

God God

must give

us a new

spiritual life

I cannot

just make it

happen

on the

14th of

December

1971

a most

marvelous thing

happened

I was

born

long before

I had a

conscious

thought or

made an

audible

sound my

parents had

decided to

have a

child from

that very

first moment

I was loved

and cared

for they

provided for

me they

made decisions

for my best

they sacrificed

and served

they gave me

a name

Jonathan

and they

delighted over

me I was

treasured

and nurtured

and blessed

I experienced

their warmth

embrace

I was

their child

and I

received the

rights and

privileges of

the family

I belonged

never to be

disowned

I was safe

and secure

now tell

me

what part

did I

play

in making

any of

that happen

what did

I bring

to exchange

for such

love

well it

was all

freely

given

and all

freely

received

it was a

gift of

grace

grace

and that

is just

a tiny

glimpse

of what

God does

for us

so if it

is God's

work

that I

become a

child of

God

well then

how do I

how do we

become

children

well it's

simply

admitting

that I

cannot

become

God's

child

by my

own

effort

and

desire

I

must

come

in

humble

dependence

on

God

and trust

that he

alone

makes me

his

own

there's

no pride

no arrogance

no superiority

you see

left to

ourselves

we would

never know

God

we would

be stumbling

about in

the darkness

but in

love

God came

to us

in the

person of

Jesus

Christ

the

lights

shone

so that

we could

see and

believe

and have

the joy