Jesus, the Word

Those who follow Jesus Christ never tire of hearing about him were never bored with our Lord Jesus Christ and human relationship. Sometimes we get bored with people. Sometimes we bought ourselves almost but with Christ, we are never bored. Paul says that he preaches the unsearchable riches of Christ, is why we love to worship our Savior is why we counter a privilege to serve him enthusiastically to following closely each day together eyes on Jesus, there is none like him, nor will there ever be anyone like over this Christmas season we've been focusing on some of the names of the designations given to Jesus we thought of Jesus as a decaying Jesus as the Messiah. Last Sunday Jesus as Emmanuelle God with us Christmas Eve with the end of Jesus, the Savior week from the Lord willingly think of Jesus as the light of the world's morning were thinking of Jesus as the word's open your Bibles to John chapter 100 in the first 18 verses of John one which is the prologue to his gospel and is a majestic prologue and seminary women learning Greek.

The first passage that we actually read from the New Testament is John one and the first 18 verses the Greek is relatively simple. The thought of course is tremendously profound and John writes, not just to give us theological information.

Although he does that he wants us as he's going to tell us over and over again in his gospel to believe in this one that we will have life in him that there is none like him and John is going to presentment magnificently in the 21 chapters of John the wonder of this match was one that we know is Jesus. The word of the trust that as we read and reflect on these ancient scriptures that your love for the Savior will grow that you be drawn to him that you'll have a fresh appreciation of him, and that today and tomorrow and for the rest of your life will keep your eyes on Jesus in this crazy world, a world of darkness, how wonderful it is to know that whatever happens, we have Christ the wonderful to be a follower of Jesus. For those of us who follow Jesus.

We can't imagine it any other life, and if you're not following Jesus. I wonder present them to you so that you turn from your selfish life and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ I John one verses one through 18 is really a microcosm of his gospel John gospel is different from Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Sunday mornings would be studying Matthew, John gives us no shepherds, no wise man not Mary or Joseph is going to present Christ in a unique way. In John's Gospel there are no parables. There's no genealogy.

How can there be a genealogy of the eternal God, there's no sermon on the Mount, when you present this majestically the person of the Lord Jesus Christ in theology. Recall that Christology that is the truth in theology about our Lord Jesus going to deflect on the foundational truths of the Christian faith. I firmly believe in life. Whether you're learning this Florida musical instruments on a particular skill or profession that the fundamentals are all important that the foundation must be laid and John is laying a strong foundation. This is unorthodox Christianity. This is what it means to be a Christian.

John one then? Your Bible there.

John one 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 all things were made through him and without him was not made anything that was made in him was life and the life was the light of men.

The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God's 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 them 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, not of the will of the flash not of the will of man, but of God. The word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only son from the father full of grace and truth. John bore witness about him and cried. I this was he of whom I said, he who comes after me ranks before me because he was before me from his fullness we have all received grace upon grace for the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

No one has ever seen God. The only God is at the father's side, he has made him known as the prologue to John's wonderful gospel want to learn first of all that Jesus is the word and reveals God.

Jesus on the say the word log draws Jesus and the word is God.

John, as he begins to write the gospel of Jesus Christ immediately. He identifies the word in the opening verses he's declaring the Jesus the word is God is what he says the Word was God. Jesus, God's only son is God that is essential to the Christian faith and affirmation that Jesus is Lord Jesus is God. Jesus is eternally God and therefore as he is eternally God is equal with God's overrides the beginning. There's one was the Word and the Word was with God and the word was God think of that before anything existed before the worlds were created before the Angels, or principalities, or powers of anything existed was the word and the word was, says John with God. He was face to face with God. And so the Scriptures present this one true God, the true living God, the eternal God is exists in three distinct persons, God the father, God the son and God the Holy Spirit.

Here is eternal existence. The existence of Jesus. John is saying didn't begin with his birth in Bethlehem know this one log loss, one whose God is the word has eternal existence is from everlasting to everlasting. There is no beginning to his being. He is the first and the last of the Alpha and the Omega, he is. John says he is the creator are not created verse three.

All things were made through him and without him was not anything made that was made that is not one thing that was made. Apart from our Lord Jesus Christ's stars, the moon, the planets you and me. Everything that ever existed was made by the word. Sometimes, often on a Saturday in the knock at the door there's two people there and there the Jehovah's Witnesses. They want to convince you, once you say that your followed Jesus Christ they want to convince your that Jesus is not God. But Jesus is not eternally God that Jesus is a created being rather than the creator.

That of course is absolute heresy. Jesus is not created is not a lesson God is not at first it was Jehovah as a preacher and then he creates Jesus no that is not one thing that exists apart from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul says in Romans nine verse five, the Christ, who is God overall blessed forever. Jesus is God. Jesus is Lord.

That was the basic confession of the hourly church that this Jesus is normally profit normative medical worker.

He in fact is God, and John is writing his gospel to prove that Jesus is God and that there will be a response that we then will believe in Jesus the Christ the son of God and as we believe will have life in his name, and as you read and study the gospel of John and I commended to you. Always read John's Gospel and the light of verse one of chapter 1 in the beginning was the word and the Word was with God and the word was God and John that I love this.

He doesn't just make a claim he is going to establish in his gospel who Jesus is. He tells us he's God. And then he's going to give it gives seven signs seven evidence is that Jesus is God and Jesus displays the glory of God going to see the glory of God. You can look at Jesus was the first sign in John's Gospel, the turning of water into wine. Interesting.

So the wedding weddings or times of joy and celebration. Jesus is demonstrating that he comes and he's going to give John a notice what John writes in chapter 2 verse 11. If you got your Bible, you can turn their John to verse 11. Jesus has turned the water into wine. It was wonderful wine glass that ever has been. Chapter 2 verse 11. This the first of his signs Jesus there that Cana and Galilee and notice what John says and manifested his glory and his disciples believed in him as the disciples saw this wonderful miracle of water being turned into wine. This was not just a conjuring trick. This is not a magician doing something. This was not a performance know this. In fact, was the very manifestation of the glory of God. When you love to be in their and as the disciples saw it, they responded as John wants his readers to respond as he wants you and me to response. They believed in him. How could you not, that is, the display of the very glory of God and his disciples believed in him is the first side with the second sign the healing of the officials son in chapter 4 was the third sign the healing of the finalize minded Bethesda member is an invalid finalize for 38 years Jesus comes as impressive as in the establishing that he is God for sign John chapter 6 is the feeding of the 5000 Jesus walks on water manifestation of the glory of God the six sign John nine the healing of the blind man will think of that next week and then the final sign the seven sign member.

What is the raising of Lazarus from the dead. This one. Not only can turn water into wine. Not only can you walk on water that is a man called Lazarus was dead for four days and Jesus.

Shall Lazarus come forth and I'm dead man comes for that is the manifestation of the glory of God.

These are not just medicals.

There are signs that his medicals with the meaning revealing the glory of God, but only to those who have eyes to see and ears to hear some people only saw the outward medical some people were quite happy to take Brad under fish.

Some people were quite happy to drink the wonderful wine at their wedding, but they failed to see that in their midst was God himself.

That was the glory of God over in your Bibles to John 11 and will see this. John 11 John 11 is the raising of Lazarus from the dead. The seven sign notice what Jesus says in John 11 verse 440 but Martha did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory. If you if you did not believe you did not see the glory of God. Here is Jesus.

God incarnate, and yet man and woman saw him touch them took the lion took the bread took the fish and yet they failed to see the glory of the wonderful as a result.

Chapter 1 verse 14 John says regarding himself and his disciples, but we have seen his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth.

John, as he writes, as he thinks of the person of our Lord Jesus Christ is no as we looked at him, saw glory and the glory of God would get impressed by the Hollywood show and the pop concert with all of that the lights in the razzmatazz and that we live in Paris, see a wee bit of the glory of God. You see, when you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ truly believe something supernatural happens, your eyes are open your your ears are open. You have a fresh hunger and a new hunger to hear the word of God through the story before, for that matter, they stayed for a few weeks with a widow and asked her how she came to Christ to live in a small island. Most of her life.

When the north of Scotland I island of Bresee and that she was in her 80s lysate was poor and her cooking was awful but she was a lovely person and she's not with the Lord and she said John Prichard had come to and she is a young woman in her early 20s. I think that you trusted Christ was it was it was marvelous. She says the next day I'm going on the boats from the small island where she lived to the island.

The main island where she worked as a as a young woman. She said that was different from different that the CC McClure was more fascinated by the birds of any sky was different.

She was looking at life differently. She was looking at it as it were, with godly perspective that the unbeliever just sees Stalin but for followers of Christ, the more we follow Christ and the closer we see Christ.

Even the very happens around us and our relationships with others.

Everything is transformed and as we worship God as we express our love for God at a time like this. Even as we sing old Carls is the true that as we saying in this we reflect on the wonder of God's grace we can say to some extent, my eyes have seen the glory of God trust you experience that you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ Jesus as God reveals God he's described, perhaps in a strange way as the word I'm standing here with many thoughts in my mind, but the less I express my thoughts and words you've no idea what I'm saying.

My words are inaudible expression of my thoughts. Once I speak you then know this is what John is talking about. Jesus is the word Jesus declares who God is and what God is like and what God is doing. He is the word of God in action is of course the voice of God. When Jesus makes God is speaking, he is the very revelation of God. John 118 no one has ever seen God, the only dog or the only begotten son of God who is at the father's side.

He has declared him.

You look at Jesus and you're looking at God, he reveals the heart of God. He reveals the glory of God. He displays God's glory and meets face to face with us so that we could know God that we can understand who God is, as I know, my Lord Jesus Christ. God is revealed himself in many ways the Old Testament God revealed himself to give the law their angel speaking prophet speaking this different so the writer of Hebrews says Hebrews 1 verse one is ago long ago it many times I did many ways, God spoke to our fathers through the prophets, but not in these last days has spoken to us in his son. Yes, God spoke in the Old Testament here. Jeremiah is Isaiah revelation of God. God communicating his will to his people and to the world, and I was different. God has not communicated in his son is the final communication. This is God. He is the personal word of God gracious of God's what were celebrating Christmas again. John one verse 14 I think you're right to choose one verse in the Bible that is so profound and so astonishing, so staggering in its implications. I think many of us would choose this verse John one verse 14. Think of the word became dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only son from the father full of grace and truth.

We call this the in car nation term coming from Latin meaning clothes and flashed the act of assuming flash motors are careful.

John is the word and never became God. Jesus always was and is and shall be God. But now, here is the preventers of Christmas. Now the one who was God is not becoming a man. After this is a great church father put it this way, he became what he was. Not he continued to be what it always was well done. Athanasius children to understand that students understand that talking by their Savior. He became more.

He was not. What did you become what he was not became a he continued to me while he always wants. What did he continue to be what he always was answer God's right.

The word became flesh by becoming man, the second person of the Trinity did not cease to be God. Here is the mystery of the incarnation that our Lord Jesus Christ is fully God and is fully man is and how can that be.

That's the mystery of the incarnation that the eternal God through everything is created. The eternal God who exists from everlasting to everlasting.

Now at this specific point in time in human history in an insignificant little time called Bethlehem. The word becomes incarnation is a staggering event is without parallel in human the great eternal God, who is the creator of all things. In fact, he saw bank that the whole universe can contain these infinite in his silence. These are my present all of God is everywhere as a "non-becomes a little baby word comes both as adverse to first Timothy 316 God manifested in the flesh, the one who inhabits eternity now comes into time into human history and this becomes, he displays the glory of God that when the medicals display the glory of God. Where do we see the glory of God that his greatest across wasn't what we come today to the communion table the very center of our faith. Why we celebrate and rightly so. The arrival of God's son into this world that the word become flesh the very center of our faith is the cross of Christ.

Turn with me to John 12 that I think John tells us this John 12 verse 23. Interestingly, isn't it the glory of God member. These clicks come and see Sirs, we wish to see Jesus say say that we want to see, and so on. Verse 23 Jesus answered them, the hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Was he referring to the cross. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless I grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone, but if it dies, it bears much here again is a prediction by the Lord of his death, his dad that is going to be much fruit. And God is glorified at the cross of Christ what to the world was an act of shame. A Roman cross was to God, and most of all who believe demonstration a wonderful demonstration glory of God unbelievably to the cross, tragic to buy the when wrong. The believer sees the glory. Jesus is the word he reveals God here want to make it personal to personally know Jesus. The word is then to experience a life of hope.

Wish we could grasp this. Satan tells of the very opposite. Satan tells us that life is is doing your own thing is making herself at the center of the universe with into our dark world comes Jesus the light comes to give us life becomes to give us hope and true fulfillment.

Only Jesus can meet your deepest needs. Think of it, God made you in his image. We believe that God created you, God made you, he was holding you putting you think that even then your mother's womb. David says in Psalm 139, and as our creator.

We are created to answer to God to find fulfillment in God. God created you for a purpose not random lay in love he created you in his image and you will find your greatest fulfillment, not in living a life apart from God, but rather the verse. The reverse you'll find fulfillment in life by embracing Jesus is God, yet these in the long long inner desires that we have been in the longings we try to fill this with all kinds of falls God so pleasure popularity power ambition. All of these things we think if we get that we will be fulfilled in life.

Yet as we pursue them and even to a certain extent, as we may achieve them to become whole know our Lord Jesus Christ comes at the comes to give us life in John's Gospel not only of their seventh signs that are seven I statement the reason very quickly but wanted to listen to them and think of this that our Lord Jesus Christ comes to change your life and all of your longings are fulfilled in Jesus. The word is coming to reveal God's coming to demonstrate the glory of God is the first one John chapter 6 you spiritually hungry spiritual needs. Heart feel there's something else in life rather than the physical. Jesus says I am Brad anyone is hungry. The bread of life from then says in John chapter 8 verse 12. I am the light of the find yourself in a confusing situation by yourself. You don't know where to turn you for guidance in life. Jesus is on the light of the world, the one who follows me shall not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.

Imagine following this one is going to lead me always in the light of what I want that is God is on the let me is the third one. Jesus says in John 10 verse seven. I am the door to get into heaven. The secret of life. Jesus, as I am. If you lost wandering like a lost sheep.

John 10 verse 11 Jesus says I am the good shepherd which comes takes a sheep's shoulders, which feeling that when what happens after you die with all of this covert with all of the uncertainty of life as if you go call yesterday morning. Spoke to a friend of mine mutual friend of ours family 60s very successful individual in worldly terms that I suddenly July of beating this man for a long time get a hold of all kinds of questions about Scripture about the resurrection. It was a lawyer and I met with him week after we could come with all of these questions from reading the Scriptures, till finally he placed his faith in Christ. My friend sent me sent me his obituary in the picture. He said he been extremely successful in real estate development and obviously made a lot of money and but he said he was known by his religious defaulted notes that we would not use the word religious, but my friend was saying even the secular world use this man was marching to the beat of a different drum and there is with God. Jesus is the resurrection life you want to know that what I do. I know that if a car hits me out if I died of a heart attack or something else happens. If I get covert and die that my life is indissolubly linked with the word, the one who is the revelation of God and that his life has become my life and he stands and says we listen to them. I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me shall never die. Resurrection life was the last day. John 15 verse five Jesus says I am the vine, you are the branches. The point is that the more I know Christ, the more I trust Christ the more fruitful.

My life will be these divine I one of the branches unconnected to the true vine, drawing strength and wisdom because people whose life is is been withered. The complaining people in the fool of this is the Christian life is is life close sometime just as like unfair gas is life is our business appointments and ministries. Yes. But Jesus stands and says I am the vine, you are the branches.

You see, only Jesus Christ gives us life is one of the great themes of John's Gospel, the Greek word for life is only used 54 times in John's Gospel turned to the end of the gospel in chapter 20, and John tells us why he is writing, we are setting up a good Bible asked what's the point of the book and sometimes the key is that the end is that sometimes the house to believe that the key the back row John's goodness. The key to the book of the back was what he says in John 20 verse 30 John 20 verse 30 Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book.

But these are written, John has chosen them very carefully. These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the son of God, and that by believing it is. You may have life in his name Jesus doesn't derive his life from anyone. You and I do will dependent on God. He doesn't derive his life from everyone here is life is God extinguishes live in no the wonder of his grace.

Think of it that he comes from heaven. The word becomes flesh demonstrates his glory makes these incredible statements dies for our sins on the cross we see the majestic glory of God rises from the dead, says that if you come to me. I'll give you life is told us chapter 1 right and there's a 12 and 13 that it's those who receive him. He gives the right to become the children of God who are born, not of blood, not of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God's not joining a church is not going through some religious ritualism. This is a living faith in the living Christ a personal encounter with Jesus changes us and we receive his life in our soul is again and that life is available to you. John five verse 24 truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life does not come into judgment, but is passed from death to life. The grace of God I can stand here and say I have eternal life. Not that I hope for it. Not that I will have it wasn't these true I will have it, but I haven't. It's a present possession present tense you believe he doesn't come into judgment with the spa side of death to life, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has present possession eternal life after life. I don't get it. Reviewing what did you become man for your salvation. No one else can forgive your sins. No one else continued to.

He is the door is the only door of the saying which I forgot John 14 verse six what does it say ion the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the father apart from the Christmas God not only came to earth, he came to us he dwell with us so that we can have eternal union with that we can believe into is you trust. You believe in him never to do that today. Turn from your sin and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you are a follower of Jesus Christ. I know many of you say you are.

As we break bread with an opportunity to reaffirm that this open my eyes went to see Jesus to understand more and more the glory of God that you see the Lord Jesus Christ and you see life through the eyes of Jesus. He is word we taste and see that the Lord is good to see John. Life is difficult for me.

I notice the vehicle for many of us sing to you this time that the difficult circumstances. Some essays taste and see that the Lord father, help us to become the communion table become humbly to feed on Christ bread to drink afresh of the living waters to be filled with your Holy Spirit father four eyes were sometimes known see clearly for eyes to be completely open for years, which sometimes are plugged up with spiritual wax to be clean for Hartford sometimes are hardened to be softened as we look at the match was Christ word becoming flesh so help us to come, we seek to be faithful as we come. Christ