A Study of John's Gospel: Pt. 4 The Word became flesh to save us.
Good morning ....
Malachi 3:1 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the LORD whom ye seek shall suddenly come to His temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come saith the LORD of hosts.
John the Baptist is introduced.
John 1:6-9 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
After showing us that Jesus Christ is the eternal Word of God the apostle John introduces us to John the Baptist. John the baptist was sent by God to be the forerunner of Christ. In doing so, John the Baptist fulfilled several Old Testament prophecies.
Isaiah 40:3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah would have a forerunner going before Him to prepare the people for their King. His message would be a message of repentance calling for people to come clean of their sins. (See Malachi 3:1; 4:5)
The apostle John tells us the specific mission of John the Baptist was bearing witness of the true Light so that all people might hear and believe. Thus, John the Baptist will point all his listeners to Jesus Christ, the Light of God who came into the world.
Two responses to the Word of God.
John 1:10-13 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Unbelief & condemnation
The first response of man to hearing or reading the Word of God is UNBELIEF. Jesus Christ, the Word and the Light of the world was in the world in which He had made but those in the world (Gentiles) did not know Him. They did not hear and believe.
This same Word and Light of the world came to His own people (The Jews) and they did not receive Him. God's people, Israel had the benefit from the prophets consistently telling them that their Messiah would come but most did not believe the preaching of John.
A major theme in John's gospel is light placed in contrast to darkness. He will show us that those who stay in darkness hate the light and will ultimately be condemned.
Belief and new birth.
The other response of man to hearing or reading the Word of God is to BELIEVE. There were some who did believe John the Baptist and each one that received Christ and believed were given power to become the sons of God. This refers to being born again or regenerated by the Spirit of God.
John makes believing on His name a key theme in his gospel. 7 times John records the need to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. The apostle John makes it clear that this new birth is not by the will of man nor is it from having the correct ancestry (of blood). IT IS OF GOD.
John 6:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
The Word was made flesh.
John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
This text is foundational to understanding the gospel of John. It is a powerful theological truth. The eternal Word that John introduced to us in John 1:1 was made flesh. The word "made" is the same word we looked at earlier when we learned the "Word" created all things. It is Divine Power unleashed as God enters the space, matter and time continuum through the virgin birth of Jesus Christ.
John tells us that he witnessed the glory of Jesus Christ that He shared with the Father in heaven. Then, John tells us that this same "Word" which was made flesh was full of grace and truth. The Word brought grace and truth into the world.
Grace is unmerited favor from God because Christ would be sacrificed for our sins and He would endure God's wrath so that grace might come to us. Grace is God offering to mankind favor that we do not deserve and that we cannot earn. It is a free gift of salvation through believing on the Lord Jesus Christ.
We need unchangeable, perfect truth from God to hear and heed, to read and believe. The truth of the Word is an anchor for our soul that bonds us into the body of Christ through faith.
Thoughts to Ponder...
The wisdom of God sent a forerunner into the world to make things ready for the "Word" of God to enter into His earthly ministries. John was a truth teller and a faithful witness for Christ.
Are we faithful witnesses for Christ? Do we seek to speak truth rather than opinion?
We noted that there are two choices any man can make when hearing the truth of God's Word. Unbelief is the most prevalent response in almost every generation but belief is the needed response. John is leading us to believe God's truth about His Son.
Are we believing on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ? Do we take God at His word and believe it?
The Word became flesh. Our first thought should be why did the Word become flesh? The answer is that He came into the world living a sinless life and then dying for all mankind taking all of our sins to the cross so that we might have salvation made available through faith in Christ. The Word became flesh and paid our sin debt and rose from the dead to justify all who believe on Christ.
Have we called upon the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation? Are we living in a way that reflects the goodness and grace of God given to us because of Christ?
May we honor God with our response to His Word today.
Bob
Malachi 3:1 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the LORD whom ye seek shall suddenly come to His temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come saith the LORD of hosts.
John the Baptist is introduced.
John 1:6-9 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
After showing us that Jesus Christ is the eternal Word of God the apostle John introduces us to John the Baptist. John the baptist was sent by God to be the forerunner of Christ. In doing so, John the Baptist fulfilled several Old Testament prophecies.
Isaiah 40:3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah would have a forerunner going before Him to prepare the people for their King. His message would be a message of repentance calling for people to come clean of their sins. (See Malachi 3:1; 4:5)
The apostle John tells us the specific mission of John the Baptist was bearing witness of the true Light so that all people might hear and believe. Thus, John the Baptist will point all his listeners to Jesus Christ, the Light of God who came into the world.
Two responses to the Word of God.
John 1:10-13 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Unbelief & condemnation
The first response of man to hearing or reading the Word of God is UNBELIEF. Jesus Christ, the Word and the Light of the world was in the world in which He had made but those in the world (Gentiles) did not know Him. They did not hear and believe.
This same Word and Light of the world came to His own people (The Jews) and they did not receive Him. God's people, Israel had the benefit from the prophets consistently telling them that their Messiah would come but most did not believe the preaching of John.
A major theme in John's gospel is light placed in contrast to darkness. He will show us that those who stay in darkness hate the light and will ultimately be condemned.
Belief and new birth.
The other response of man to hearing or reading the Word of God is to BELIEVE. There were some who did believe John the Baptist and each one that received Christ and believed were given power to become the sons of God. This refers to being born again or regenerated by the Spirit of God.
John makes believing on His name a key theme in his gospel. 7 times John records the need to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. The apostle John makes it clear that this new birth is not by the will of man nor is it from having the correct ancestry (of blood). IT IS OF GOD.
John 6:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
The Word was made flesh.
John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
This text is foundational to understanding the gospel of John. It is a powerful theological truth. The eternal Word that John introduced to us in John 1:1 was made flesh. The word "made" is the same word we looked at earlier when we learned the "Word" created all things. It is Divine Power unleashed as God enters the space, matter and time continuum through the virgin birth of Jesus Christ.
John tells us that he witnessed the glory of Jesus Christ that He shared with the Father in heaven. Then, John tells us that this same "Word" which was made flesh was full of grace and truth. The Word brought grace and truth into the world.
Grace is unmerited favor from God because Christ would be sacrificed for our sins and He would endure God's wrath so that grace might come to us. Grace is God offering to mankind favor that we do not deserve and that we cannot earn. It is a free gift of salvation through believing on the Lord Jesus Christ.
We need unchangeable, perfect truth from God to hear and heed, to read and believe. The truth of the Word is an anchor for our soul that bonds us into the body of Christ through faith.
Thoughts to Ponder...
The wisdom of God sent a forerunner into the world to make things ready for the "Word" of God to enter into His earthly ministries. John was a truth teller and a faithful witness for Christ.
Are we faithful witnesses for Christ? Do we seek to speak truth rather than opinion?
We noted that there are two choices any man can make when hearing the truth of God's Word. Unbelief is the most prevalent response in almost every generation but belief is the needed response. John is leading us to believe God's truth about His Son.
Are we believing on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ? Do we take God at His word and believe it?
The Word became flesh. Our first thought should be why did the Word become flesh? The answer is that He came into the world living a sinless life and then dying for all mankind taking all of our sins to the cross so that we might have salvation made available through faith in Christ. The Word became flesh and paid our sin debt and rose from the dead to justify all who believe on Christ.
Have we called upon the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation? Are we living in a way that reflects the goodness and grace of God given to us because of Christ?
May we honor God with our response to His Word today.
Bob
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