The Word of Life - John 1:1-18

The first book we’re going to look through together is the gospel of John. The gospel of John is probably the most well-known gospel. Not only that, but the Apostle John is very explicit in his purpose. John says that he wrote it in chapter 20 so “that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

Direct. Clear. Simple. That’s where I want this body to begin - with the gospel. I want all of us to have a clear understanding of the good news of Jesus Christ.

And so, I’m excited to get started in the book of John. Just so you know, we’re going to be in John for the next several years. This will probably be a two to three year project. But let’s continue to pray that the Lord will bless each of us through it.

Likewise, I know everyone here has a burning passion for Presbyterian church history. I can think of at least one person that finds it interesting… me! In all seriousness, just like all history, there are wonderful lessons to be gleaned.

In 1924, over 1,000 ministers from the Presbyterian Church in USA (which is a different denomination from the denomination this church body is a part of!) signed a document that is commonly known as the Auburn Affirmation.

Basically, the Auburn Affirmation sought to give pastors doctrinal leniency. One of the doctrines that ministers sought leniency on was the virgin birth. Some thought that because miracles defy the natural world, Christians should seek natural, rational explanations for the miracles and by doing so, Christians could have more cultural influence and respectability.

But you can probably quickly spot the issue with this: the virgin birth is central to Christianity because it speaks directly to the deity of Christ. The fact that it was a miracle that defied the natural world is the point!

Christianity isn’t a buffet where you get to pick and choose what you like. It’s a cohesive, indivisible unit. It’s an all or nothing faith. The moment you begin to pick and choose the doctrines that you like, is the moment you lose Christianity.

John goes out of his way in the first 18 verses to make the point that strikes at the very heart of Christianity: Jesus is God. John demonstrates that Jesus is God by showing that Jesus is with God in verses 1-5, that Jesus is recognized as God in verses 6-13, and lastly that Jesus reveals God in verses 14-18.

Jesus is with God (vv.1-5)

If you were writing a gospel, how would you introduce it? A genealogy? Just jump right into the story? Those are approaches other gospel writers like Matthew and Mark take, but John takes a very unique approach. It really stands out among all the gospels.

The opening verses of John mirror the opening verses of the book of Genesis. Genesis 1:1 - “in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” The opening verse of the Bible states, “in the beginning God…” and what does John say? “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

Clearly John wants to show that Jesus is God. He’s always been God. He was there at the creation of the world. When Genesis says, “in the beginning God” - we’re being told to understand that Jesus was there.

But John refers to Jesus in a really interesting way. He calls him, “the Word.” That’s really what the first 18 verses of John are really known for. He refers to Jesus as “the Word” three times in the first verse and then later in verse 14.

It’s somewhat indirect though. At first, it’s not abundantly clear who John is talking about. Have you ever wondered why doesn’t John just come out with it and refer to Jesus directly? Why “the Word?”

I think the answer is because Jesus is too narrow. When we hear reference to Jesus we simply think of the man who lived 2,000 years ago.

Jesus was a man, but not an ordinary man. Referring to Jesus as “the Word” conjures up something greater, something more significant.

The Greek word for “the Word” is “Logos.” The idea attached to the word “logos” is reason, logic, or bringing order out of chaos. The logos brings harmony and order to the universe.

This should give you a bigger vision for who Jesus is.

In other words, Jesus makes sense to this world. A worldview that doesn’t include Jesus Christ is deficient. It’s incomplete.

Atheism can’t make sense of this world. I’ve never heard an atheist explain morality to me in a way that makes any sense. According to the atheist, why is murder wrong? Because it’s not good for humanity? Who gets to decide what is or isn’t good for humanity? There are psychopaths out there that enjoy killing people - why are they wrong?

The atheistic worldview is deficient. It’s incomplete.

Christianity confirms what we already know - that there is a higher moral code that transcends humanity because it’s embedded in the character of a holy God.

The Word, the logos, Jesus Christ makes sense of this world and it’s always been that way. This isn’t anything new. This is simply the way it’s always been.

But John goes into detail about Jesus being of the same substance with the Father. Notice that Jesus is at the beginning - a reference to him being present at creation, he was with God - a reference to co-equal position in the holy Trinity, and he was God - a reference to being fully God and fully human.

John tells us that Jesus wasn’t merely a passive bystander at creation, but as a member of the Trinity, He was active in the creation of the universe.

And Jesus, who is fully God, an active participant in the creation of the world, went to the cross for your salvation.

Jesus Christ helps you and me make sense of the world around us. He enlightens your mind. A life apart from Christ is one of darkness. You can’t see where you’re going or what you're doing.

It’s really sad, because a lot of times, you can tell when someone is living in darkness. And they’re really struggling to make sense of their lives, their meaning or purpose.

And so they’re just blindly, chasing pleasure.

Notice how John states that life is in him, and if you’re in him, if you're living for Christ you’ll stand out. You’ll be a bright light in a dark world.

Christians should stand out not because they're weirdos who wear pocket protectors and jean skirts that touch the ground. Unless that’s your thing.

But the light of Christ should shine brightly in the Christian’s life. If you’re a Christian, people should know it not because you try to work it into every conversation just to make someone feel uncomfortable, but because you live differently. You don’t participate in every vice of the world. You don’t blindly accept every cultural trend. Why? Because you have the light of Christ.

And ultimately, you live in this way because your allegiance is to something higher than the next good time. The Christian has Christ! What could possibly be better?

Jesus is recognized as God (vv. 6-13).

But not only is Jesus fully God, He was recognized as being fully God by those around Him here on earth.

That’s why the Apostle John points us to John the Baptist in verse 6. He tells us that John was sent from God to bear witness of the light, that all might believe through him.

John the Baptist recognized Jesus as God. But John the Baptist’s mission wasn’t to merely recognize who Jesus was, like recognizing who the best player is on the court.

He wasn’t supposed to merely state who Jesus was. Rather, his mission was to bear witness about Jesus.

His mission was to make sure everyone within earshot knew that Jesus was the Savior of the World! Notice that John clearly tells us that, “[John the Baptist] was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.”

A theme that John jumps to here in his gospel, but in his epistles as well, is the theme of light and darkness. The theme of light and darkness is really a metaphor for spiritual light and spiritual darkness. Being alive in Christ or being dead in your trespasses. That’s what the Apostle John has in view here.

And so the point that he drives home about John the Baptist is that, John the Baptist’s job was to point people where to go in order to “see the light.” He was supposed to point to Jesus. That’s it. Go to Christ to see the light. That’s where you need to go if you want a spiritual awakening.

“Bearing witness about the light” is such a helpful framing for evangelism.

As a Christian you can’t argue someone into the kingdom of heaven. At least I’ve never seen it done. But the reason that doesn’t work is because it’s not the Christian’s job.

The Christian cannot convince or convert. God does that. God saves people. God converts people. Rather, just like John the Baptist, the Christian’s job is to bear witness about the light.

“Bearing witness about the light” is often just being willing to tell the truth about Christ.

When the opportunity presents itself, bear witness about the light. How well it’s articulated or how well it’s received is irrelevant. Did you bear witness about the light?

Because Jesus is the true light. He is eternal truth. And in spite of being fully God and fully man, in spite of taking part in the creation of the world, in spite of being the Logos - prior to John the Baptist, no one knew the name of Jesus. Obviously, his parents knew his name, but his name wasn’t famous. The name of Jesus wasn’t widespread, but John was a testimony or witness about the light.

And he was rejected by his own people. Look at verse 11. “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.”

Despite being God and being recognized as God, he was still rejected by his own people.

Jesus, a Jewish man, was rejected by the Jewish people.

I hope most of us know that our ethnicity has no bearing on our salvation. Salvation comes through “believing in his name” as verse 12 tells us. And it’s believing in his name that makes you a child of God.

You see, the Jewish people thought they were God’s children because the Israelites were God’s chosen people.

They thought their ethnicity was what would save them. John addresses this in verse 12. He said people became children of God “not [by] blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

Your family doesn’t make you right with God. Your family cannot atone for your sins.

But that has always been a misunderstanding of the gospel. The Jewish people thought they were entitled to salvation because of their ethnicity.

The gospel is a gift. Salvation comes by grace through faith, and it’s always been that way.

Jesus reveals God (vv. 14-18).

But not only is Jesus recognized as God, but he reveals the very person of God as well.

The logos, this holy, transcendent being, became a living person dwelt among us. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…”

The word “dwelt” in the Greek means “to pitch a tent” or “tabernacle.” Here’s the idea that John is communicating to each of us: The living God didn’t come down and simply make a pit stop on earth. He didn’t simply pass through. He experienced what it means to be human.

In Ezekiel 10, the glory of God leaves the Temple. It was this dramatic symbol of the Lord pulling his presence away from His chosen people.

But he returned, but not in a symbolic way. He returned in a literal, physical way. He returned in the person of Jesus Christ.

That’s why that Joan Osborne song is so ridiculous! Do you know what song I’m talking about? What if God was one of us?

What if God was one of us?
Just a slob like one of us
Just a stranger on the bus
Tryin' to make his way home?

God was one of us and his name is Jesus Christ. The very Word of God, the Logos, the reason, logic, order, and communication of God became a real living, breathing, person.

Think about that: We don’t pray to a God that doesn’t understand what we’re going through, rather, we pray to a God who knows exactly what we’re going through. The transcendent holy, perfect God became near. He’s near and close while at the same time being perfect and holy.

There’s nothing like this in other religions. According to Islam, Allah is unknowable. I spoke to a young muslim girl once about Islam and I was struck by this fact. She was unable to describe the character of Allah because she didn’t really know what he’s like. How can you please a God you can’t understand?

That’s not the case for Christianity! The incarnation is an incredible truth! God became man! We need to capture the significance of this doctrine.

But too often we take it for granted. All of us do it! If you grew up in and around church you’re probably numb to it. We’re flippant about Jesus. We denigrate the person of Jesus Christ.

We use the name of Jesus as a curse word!

Jesus is holy! He is perfect!

John makes this point in verse 14. He is the “glory as of the only (or unique) Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Jesus is God! Even John the Baptist recognized the preexistence or eternality of Jesus Christ. That’s why he says, “He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.”

And it’s through Jesus Christ you and I have received grace upon grace. We know Jesus, we know the extent of the gospel, we know that we must put our faith and trust in him in order to be saved - you see this is all grace.

The Old Testament was gracious as well. Old Testament believers need to look outside of themselves to be saved. But because we have the full-revelation of Jesus Christ, meaning we know his name, we know about his sacrifice on the cross, you and me have received grace upon grace.

There was grace and truth in Moses’s day, but that grace and truth was more fully realized through Jesus Christ.

And even more, God is a spirit invisible to our eyes, and frankly we’d die if we were able to see God because our sinfulness could not stand in the midst of God’s perfect holiness. But we can see him through Jesus who is fully God.

It’s grace upon grace because of Jesus.

John begins his gospel outside of time. He begins in eternity.

He has one mission in these first 18 verses. To convince you that Jesus is God.

But why? Really why does any of this matter?

Someone once told me that before she became a Christian she would have said she believed in God, but never really understood what Jesus had to do with any of it. Why did she have to put her faith in Jesus Christ?

She believed in God, but didn’t really understand what Jesus had to do with it. You might think, because Jesus died for your sins! I believe that’s true, but how do we know that Jesus actually died for our sins? How do we know Jesus’s sacrifice was sufficient?

Because he is fully God. Only a sinless, perfect sacrifice can atone for your sins. There’s no hope for salvation outside of Christ, because he lived a perfect sinless life.

If Jesus is just a regular person, his death is meaningless and we have no hope in our sins being forgiven.

Your salvation hinges on Jesus being fully God.

And if you change who Jesus is in any way, you change the message of the gospel. That’s why it was such a big deal for ministers to shrug their shoulders at the virgin birth. You strip away the virgin birth, you strip away the atonement, which means you’ve stripped away the gospel. You no longer have Christianity. The divinity of Christ is everything!

Christianity hinges on it.

What a glorious message for those of us that recognize our insufficiencies, our sinfulness, and live in regret of mistakes we’ve made. There is grace, mercy, and forgiveness in Jesus Christ!

It’s because of the incarnation, God in flesh, you and I can have hope that our sins will be cast as far as the east is from the west!