Finding Life in Jesus Christ

Finding Life in Jesus Christ

John 1:1-13  

 

Illus. The Life.

 

1 John 5:12, The one who has the Son has the life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.

 

The book of John was written by a man named John, who was one of Jesus’ twelve disciples (Mark 3:17), one of His closest disciples, in a group referred to as the inner circle, which included Peter, James, and John (Mark 5:37-38; 9:2-3). At the time John met and was called by Jesus to follow Him, he was a fisherman working with his dad and brother James (Mt 4:21-22). John and his brother James were referred to by Jesus as the “Sons of Thunder” (Mark 3:17). They were brothers, and throughout Jesus’ ministry they were seen asking Jesus to call down fire from heaven to take out the Samaritans who would not welcome Him, which Jesus did not do (Luke 9:53-54). It was John and his brother James who once went to Jesus and asked Him to “do for them whatever they ask.” Then they requested seats of honor in His kingdom… Jesus responded, “you don’t know what you are asking,” and the other disciples were upset with their request (Mark 10:35-44).

Though there are several stories surrounding John’s introduction to Jesus and his journey as a disciple of Jesus, it is clear that Jesus did a transforming work in John’s life. He went from a “son of thunder” to the one known as the “disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 21:7). John sat next to Jesus at the last supper (John 13:23-24), and he would also stand near the cross when Jesus was crucified (John 19:26-27). John was one of the first to run to the tomb after Jesus’ resurrection and hearing the news that it was empty (John 20:1-8). In John 20:7, we read that John saw and believed!

Jesus had changed John’s life. From Galatians 2:9, we know that John became an important leader in the early church. From church history, we learn that he would minister in Ephesus, and it is believed that he wrote this book while there. John would also write the books of 1, 2, and 3 John and then the book of Revelation after being exiled to the Island of Patmos. The book was written AD 85-90 and was the last gospel to be written.

Leading up to the book of John, we have the books of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Each of the books gives the story of Jesus coming to Earth, His life, His ministry, His death, and His resurrection. Each gospel writer comes from a different angle, but Matthew, Mark, and Luke are known as the synoptic gospels because they are all very similar in approach. Mark begins with Jesus’ early days in public ministry and baptism, Matthew and Luke begin with Jesus’ genealogy, but the book of John jumps right in with theology! Each book began with a target audience and a purpose that we understand as we study them, but the book of John is the only one of them where the stated purpose is written…

 

John 20:31, These have been written 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.

 

John makes it known through his writings repeatedly that Jesus is the life. John himself had found life in Jesus Christ, and this morning, as we turn to The Gospel According to John, we will see that the understanding that life was in Jesus Christ was not just something he believed personally, but something he desired all to see so they might believe.

John used the verb “to believe” 98 times, compared to 11 times in Matthew, 12 times in Mark, and 11 times in Luke. John uses that verb 3 times as many times as all of them combined…Why? He had found life in Jesus Christ and wanted others to know they could find the same!

 

John 1:1-13

 

John begins chapter one with the emphasis of his book, which is the identity and deity of Jesus Christ. He spells out who he knew Jesus to be. So that those who find life in Jesus Christ know exactly who they are finding, and when they believe, exactly who they are believing in. John tells us, Jesus is the life, and he begins immediately by telling us why…           

 

John 1:1-3, 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 came into being through Him, and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being.

 

1. Start by Understanding He Was the Word in the Beginning

 

• If you go to Matthew chapter 1, you will find that gospel begins with Jesus’ genealogy going all the way back to Abraham. If you go to Luke 3, you will see that Luke goes all the way back to Adam. Mark will inform you of the beginnings of Jesus’ ministry. but here in John 1, we are directed all the way back to the beginning.

 

• The first three words of the chapter grab the attention of the reader. They surely would have grabbed the attention of the readers in his day by starting that way… Why? It is the way the entire Bible begins.

 

Genesis 1:1, In the beginning God….

 

John 1:1, In the beginning was the Word…

 

• John introduces Jesus as the “Word” who was in the beginning.

 

• Let’s first look at why John referred to Jesus as “the Word.”

 

• It was a term that readers in his day would have been familiar with. The Greek word translated “Word” is “Logos.” It was a common term used in Greek philosophy and Jewish thought in that day.

 

• Out of respect, reverence, and the fear of God, Jewish people in the Old Testament would not use God’s given name Yahweh YHWH as they did not want to mistakenly take His name in vain. They considered it too holy to write or pronounce.

 

• Instead, they would say or write Adonai which means “lord” or “master,” or they would say, “Hashem” which means “the name.”

 

• Rabbis would use the term “Memra,” which means “word” in their Aramaic translations of the Hebrew Bible as a substitute for the name of God, also to avoid taking God’s name in vain.

 

• In commentaries of the Old Testament, “memra,” was a term used as a designation of God Himself.

 

Illus. Examples.

 

• In Greek thought, while slightly different, the term “Logos,” would have also been a significant word to use.

 

• A Greek speaking culture had a deep understanding of the word Logos. It can mean word, speech, thought, or principle…

 

• In Greek philosophy, however, it also meant divine reason.

 

• It was their belief that the logos was the foundational principle of the universe, the ultimate source of knowledge, and order.

 

• It represented both a creative force and source of wisdom They saw the logos as the power that puts sense into the world. A reference to an eternal, pre-exiting principle of divine reason and creating.

 

Illus. Thought of design.

 

• Logos is also used in reference to the Word of God, the Scriptures.

 

Romans 10:17, Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.

 

Revelation 19:13, He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.

 

• John would later write 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd John where he referred to Jesus not only as the Word, but the Word of Life!

 

1 John 1:1-2, What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life— and the life was revealed, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was revealed to us.

 

• With all of these thoughts in mind, John goes ahead and defines the Logos, the Word, more clearly and for all to see…It is not a theory, it is a He, and His name is Jesus Christ.

 

• When referencing the personal aspects of God, He would be referred to as His Word.

 

• Regarding Jesus, the Word, John wrote: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…

 

• When John wrote, “in the beginning was the Word.” The word “beginning,” draws our attention back to Genesis 1, to the beginning of the Bible. John takes us back to that point, to a defined point in time, the earliest point in history that we can possibly think of and tells us that Jesus existed before creation, or even time.

 

• He was there. John didn’t write, “at the beginning,” or “from the beginning,” but he wrote “in the beginning” Jesus was…

 

John 17:5, And now You, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world existed.

 

• John wrote, the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

 

• John wrote “with God,” which is distinct from “in God,” it is a word that depicts togetherness, being toward, or at the side of.

 

• Then he wrote, the Word was God.

 

• This verse drives to the theological understand of the Trinity. God is three persons in one nature. Jesus was with God and He was God.

 

• In the Bible, we have references to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. We also know, however, that God is One.

Deuteronomy 6:4-5, “Hear, Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

 

John 1:3, All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being.

 

Colossians 1:16-17, By Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or rulers, or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

 

• Jesus, then is not created, rather, He created. Jesus did not come into existence, He always existed. Jesus did not become God, rather He was, is, and always will be God.

 

• When John wrote the Word “was” in the beginning, the Word “was” with God, and the Word “was” God. It is the word “eimi.” (eye-mee)

 

• In our English language the word “was” is written past tense. But in the Greek, it was written in what is called the imperfect indicative active, which conveys continuous action or ongoing existence.

 

• John introduces Jesus to us the Word in the beginning. If we are going to find Jesus personally, the understanding that He was, is and will forever be God is essential to our understanding.

 

John 1:4-5, In Him was life, and the life was the Light of mankind. And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not grasp it.

 

1. Know His Life and Light Still Shines for All to See

 

• Regarding the word “life,” the Greek language has separate words for our single word translated “life.”

 

• Word number one is the word bios. It means biological life. We get our term biology from that term bios. It’s physical biological life.

 

• Second word is psyche (Psoo khay) and it means psychological life. psyche is where we get our word psychology from. It is a reference to ones thought life, inner life, or hidden part of a person. 

 

• But then there’s a third term for the word life, and that is the term that is used here, and it’s the Greek word “zoe.” It means fulness of life or everlasting life.

 

• So, when he says in Him was life, that’s the word he uses. Spiritual life, everlasting life.

 

• In verse 4, John states that in Jesus was life, he again wrote it in imperfect indicative active, meaning, in Him life was, is and will be continually present.

 

Illus. In Him.

 

John 10:10(b), … I came so that they would have life, and have it abundantly.

 

• When Jesus says, “so they would have life,” He is saying, so they would have zoe, exceeding, extraordinary, more excellent, everlasting life.

 

John 3:16, For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.

 

• Everyone who believes in Jesus will not perish, but have eternal life. How could this be? It is in Him! zoe (zo-aye)

 

John 1:4-5, In Him was life, and the life was the Light of mankind. And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not grasp it.

 

• The life in Christ was the Light of mankind.

 

John 1:6-8 A man came, one sent from God, and his name was John. He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.

 

• Verses 6 to 8 are not a reference to John the apostle, but rather, John the Baptist. We will look at him more next week. But here, a reference is made to him. He pointed people to Jesus. Some began to follow John and His teachings, perhaps they even looked at him as the one shining the light, but the apostle John declares that Jesus is the Light!

 

John 1:9, This was the true Light that, coming into the world, enlightens every person.

 

• John pointed to Jesus and said that in Him was the life, meaning life everlasting and eternal, and said that the life, was the Light of mankind.

 

• John ties the two together, life and light, in other words, Jesus brings eternal life and eternal light. This is in contrast to eternal death and eternal darkness.

 

John 1:14, And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and we saw His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

 

Illus. Light.

 

 

John 1:4-5, In Him was life, and the life was the Light of mankind. And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not grasp it.

 

• John says that Jesus’ light shines in the darkness, upon a dark world, but, the darkness did not grasp it.

 

• That word “grasp” is translated different ways, come translations read “did not comprehend it,” others read “did not overcome it.”

 

• The word here there is to lay hold of something, to obtain it, to take or accept it.

 

• It is a statement that indicates a struggle between the darkness and the light. 

 

Illus. Take hold of it?

 

John 1:9, This was the true Light that, coming into the world, enlightens every person.

 

• In other words, he flips that light on in a dark world…They have to do something about it…The light is on!

 

• The question is then, when all see, how will they end up responding?

 

John 1:10-11, He was in the world, and the world came into being through Him, and yet the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own people did not accept Him.

 

• “They did not know” means they did not acknowledge Him.

 

• Coming in the world, Jesus was the light and He brought light for all to see.

 

John 8:12 “ I am the light of the world, he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

 

• He is the light that will bring the light of life to those who believe, but John made it clear, His own people did not receive Him.

 

• It is quite the statement, Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, came to the same world He created, to the people created in His image, made to declare His glory, yet the world did not know Him.

 

• And He came to His own people, but they did not accept Him. They did not receive Him.

 

John 3:19-21, This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the Light; for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light, so that his deeds will not be exposed. But the one who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds will be revealed as having been performed in God.”

 

• While many would not accept Him generally, while some would not be willing to see the light, others would.

 

John 1:11-13, But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of a man, but of God

 

III.  Receive the Right He Brings for All Who Believe

 

• John tells us that it is not our bloodline that will save us. It is not by our own will or the desires of our parents, or grandparents, friends, or family. We aren’t born into being children of God and it is nothing we can do by way of the flesh.

 

Illus. The will.

 

• His own people did not accept Him, many would not receive Him…But for those who did, He gave the right to become Children of God.

 

• Being given the “right” means the power and the privilege of being His children.

 

Illus. Whose child are you?

 

• John powerfully declares that Jesus Christ is the life, but he doesn’t stop there, he tells us how to find life in Jesus Christ…By being one who receives Him, and believes in His name.

 

John 17:3, This is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

 

Romans 10:9, If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

 

John 1:1-13