Jesus the Word. by JAH
Jesus the Word
John 1:1-14
1. Have you noticed what Satan is doing?
(1) I don't mean murder, or rape, or even war.
(2) I mean how he tries to discredit Jesus.
2. He uses a number of different methods to accomplish his goal, and he has been using them since time began.
3. Speaking of which, measuring time is a product of mankind. (If we are slaves to the clock, then we are slaves to our own invention).
4. John's Gospel gives us aspects of Jesus' life on earth and of His personality. Some of these are not included in the other Gospels.
5. I think we should see at least six things about Jesus in these first 14 verses, and we will mention a thing or two that Satan has done and is doing.
6. I've given you a copy of those 14 verses as they were originally written.
(1) An exception to that is that many of the original copies were done with no spaces between words and no punctuation probably because writing materials were hard to come by.
(2) The lighter shades would be different colors if I had owned a color printer.
(3) The whole Greek New Testament is available to you if you have a computer connected to the internet. It can be found in various formats. Just go to Google and type in "Greek Bible."
7. I gave you this copy so that you can picture in your mind how hard it was for the early church leaders to translate the Bible into English, and because I want to point out something Satan tries to do when people translate Scripture.
8. Let's begin with verse 1 in the New International Version. ( READ Each verse as you discuss it).
I. Verse One and Two.
1. "In the beginning"
(1) "The" is understood because "beginning" is in the dative locative instrumental case).
(2) Whatever, whenever, wherever anything began is the idea here.
2. "was the Word." This is the first thing to note about Jesus. When everything we know began, He was there! The omicron before logos is equivalent to our "the." It shows John is talking about a specific word, and from v 14, we know it was Jesus. There the Word is spoken of as "the One and Only, who came from the Father." It is obviously Jesus. Refer to John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
3. We see nothing of Satan in this, but if you read at least one other translation, you will find it saying something like this: In the beginning was a word, and a word was with a god, and a word was a god. He was with a god in the beginning.
(1) The use of an indefinite article is foreign to the common Greek of the New Testament. They did not use any indefinite articles.
(2) In the second place, it is an obvious attempt doubtlessly fostered by Satan to picture Jesus as less than God.
(3) I've talked to other people of other religions who also would have us believe Jesus is a prophet (only), or perhaps a noteworthy person in history.
(4) Anything that lowers Jesus' His true position as God the Father's One and Only is instigated by Satan whether is a Christian who does it, or not.
(5) Much more could be said about this, but our subject today concerns the superlative greatness of Jesus.
4. How long has Jesus lived?
(1) We assume eternally.
(2) The least we can say is that He was there with the Father when everything began!
(3) Beyond that, verse 1 concludes by saying, "the Word was God." That's the second thing this says about Jesus.
II. Verses Three Through Five.
1. The third thing John tells us about Jesus is that He was the Agent through whom everything made was made, and nothing at all was created except through Him!
2. V. 4; Life is in Jesus.
(1) Doesn't that remind you of John 14:6? Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
(2) His life is also the light of men. We often picture a light bulb coming on to represent a new idea, and that's a good way to do it. When we have constructive ideas flash into our minds, we should remember all light comes from Jesus!
5. In v 5, I suspect John had the Jews in mind when he used the word "darkness," and it is certain in v 13, but most of the world was in spiritual darkness then and still is now. I Corinthians 2:14 seconds this: "The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned."
III. Verses Six through Nine.
1. At the time these verses were written, there were people who thought John the Baptist was the Christ/Messiah.
2. These verses clarify John's position and task.
(1) V 6; John truly came from God and was sent by God on a particular mission.
(2) He came to bear witness to the light, Jesus.
(3) V 7; His assignment was to promote belief in Jesus.
3. V 8; He was not God's light. He was a witness to God's light in Christ Jesus.
4. V 9; His witness was that God's light was in the process of being revealed for all mankind!
III. Verses Ten Through Fourteen.
1. Vv. 10,11; To me, these are two of the saddest verses in the Bible: Jesus came to His Own people, the Jews, and they refused to receive Him.
(1) We can determine some reasons by history within and since the writing of Scripture.
(2) They formed their own picture of what Jesus would be like, and what He would do.
(3) They were so wrong that they could not see the truth before them even with John's witness, the witness of the miracles, and the witness of the lives changed before they eyes.
(4) For many Jews, it would mean changing their lives and repudiating a lot of their history. They couldn't do it!
2. Vv. 12, 13 soften the blow.
(1) John, and all the apostles were Jews, and they received Jesus and were saved.
(2) The way opened then is still open and some Jews meet Jesus today just like Gentiles do. In Acts 15: 11, Peter stated, "We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they (the Gentiles) are."
3. The last part of 12, and all of verse 13 is so beautiful and clear, let's read it as it is: "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 bon of God."
Conclusion:
1. Satan has worked so hard trying to lower Jesus in our estimation that it is hard for us to see the true Jesus, but God's Holy Spirit reveals Him in all His glory when we let Him.
2. Jesus was there at the beginning, and He has always been and always will be God!
3. Everything that we can see, everything we can detect with microscopes, telescopes and in any other way, was created through Him.
4. Romans tells us that all creation suffers with all of us sinners as a result of the original fall in the Garden of Eden. God sent His One and Only Son to light up this old dark world, to shine in the hearts of all those who trust Him.
5. Jesus died for us taking our sins to the cross with Him to fulfill God's requirement for forgiving our sins.
6. When we trust Him for forgiveness and salvation, we become God's children with the light of God shining through our old sinful bodies and brightening the world.
7. God's Gift of adoption into His family, of forgiveness, of life everlasting is waiting for you.
8. All you need to do is admit you are a sinner, accept Christ as your Savior and to depend on Him to change you completely into someone who will bring glory to God in His presence! And by the way, that will be glory for you, too!
posted by Emmanuel @ 3:54 PM
1 Comments:
"Let There Be Light"
"In The Beginning" The Creator(Our Father) said,
"Let There Be Light, and There Was Light"
"Let There Be Light!"
"The Beginning of The Creation of GOD!"
And the revelation that The Messiah received of
Our Father and gave unto the apostle John bore
witness to The Truth that The Messiah, was
"The Beginning of the Creation of GOD(Our
Father, Creator of ALL)"! (Rev 1:1, 3:14)
And The Messiah bore witness to His Brethren
when He testified, "My GOD is your GOD and My
Father(Creator) is your Father(Creator)."(Jn 20:17)
The Messiah testified "I have sent My angel to
you with this testimony for the assemblies. I am
the root and the offspring of David. I am the bright,
Morning Star(Light)"! (Rev 22:16) ) Peter testified
"We have the more sure word of prophecy; and
you do well to take heed, as to a lamp shining in a
dark place, until the day dawns, and The Morning
Star(Light) arises in your hearts."(2Pt 1:19) "But
you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood,
a holy nation, HIS own special people, that you
may proclaim the praises of HIM who called you
out of darkness into His marvelous Light."(1Pt2:9)
And the evening(darkness) and The Morning
(Light) was the First Day." (Gen 1:5)
"The Beginning of The Creation of GOD"!
It is very important to both know and experience
The Messiah as He Is, Was and always Will Be,
and also to know the "glory He had with Our
Father" before He was born in "the likeness of
sinful flesh". (John 17:5, Rom 8:3) For what The
Messiah Was and Is, Is that which He will always
Will Be."The Only Begotten Son" of "Our Father"!
First, let me simply state that I do not believe the
"catholic" and "christian" theo'ry'logical doctrines
concerning "The Only True GOD, Father ALL". For
they "image"ine a three-headed "god" they call
their "trinity", or they declare their "christ" to be
their "god and father", or they believe that The
Messiah was but an exalted messenger(angel)
or prophet.
John The Baptist testified, "And I saw, and bare
record that The Messiah is the Son of GOD(Our
Father)."(John 1:34) Peter testified, "You are The
Messiah, The Son of The Living GOD(Father of
ALL)"!(Matt 16:16) And the Ethiopian eunuch
testified, "I believe that The Messiah is The Son
of GOD(Our Father)". (Acts 8:37) "Seeing then
that we have a great high priest, that is passed
into the Heavens, The Messiah, The Son of
GOD(Our Father), let us hold fast our profession."
(Heb 4:14) "These things are written so that you
might believe that The Messiah is The Son of GOD
(Our Father)". (John 20:31) The Messiah testified
that He was "The Son of GOD", and that His GOD
was "The Only True GOD(Father of ALL)".
(John 10:36,17:3)
And The Messiah also testified that He was the
"Son of man" and "The Light of the world".
(Matt 26:64, John 8:12)
It is needful to believe that The Messiah Was, Is
and always Will Be "The Son of The Living GOD",
and that there is but "One GOD, HE WHO is
Father of ALL". (Mat 16:16, Eph 4:6) The Messiah
bore witness to His Brethren when He testified
after being "raised from among the dead", "My GOD
is your GOD and My Father(Creator) is your Father
(Creator)" (John 20:17)
Is The Messiah's GOD and Father your GOD
and Father?
Who are The Brethren of The Messiah?
"Let There Be Light"
Once again, It is very important to both know and
experience The Messiah as He Was, Is and always
Will Be. The Messiah simply testified in John 17:5
"And now O Father, glorify Me with YOUR own self
with the glory that I had with YOU before the world
began".
Prior to that testimony The Messiah had testified,
"Yet a little while is The Light with you. Walk while
you have The Light, lest darkness comes upon
you: for he that walks in darkness does not know
where he goes. While you have Light, believe in
The Light, that you may be the children of Light."
(John 12:35-36)
And the apostle John testified: "In the beginning
was the Word, and the Word was with GOD, and
The Word was GOD. (John did not testify that
The Word is GOD)The same was in the beginning
with GOD. All things were made by Him, and
without Him was not any thing made that was
made. In Him was Life; and The Life was The
Light of men. And The Light shined in darkness;
and the darkness comprehended it not. There
was a man sent from GOD, whose name was
John. The same came for a witness, to bear
witness of The Light, that all men through Him
might believe. He(John the baptist) was not that
Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
That was the True Light, which enlightens every
man that comes into the world. He(The Messiah)
was in the world, and the world was made by
Him, and the world knew Him not. He came unto
His own, and His own received Him not. But as
many as received Him, to them He gave power
to become the sons of GOD, even to them that
believe on His name: Which were born, not of
blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will
of man, but of "The Only True GOD, Father of
ALL"." (John 1:1-13)
It is needful to realize that The Messiah testified
of "The Only True GOD" in John 17:3, and so it is
that The GOD and Father of The Messiah IS,
WAS and always WILL BE "The Only True GOD".
"The Only True GOD" is "Father of ALL".
And "The Father of ALL" is "Our Father", HE WHO
IS "The Only True GOD" and Father of The Messiah
and His Brethren.
And the apostle John testified in John 3:17-21:
"For Our Father sent not his Son into the world
to condemn the world; but that the world through
Him might be saved. He that believes on Him is
not condemned: but he that believes not is
condemned already, because he has not believed
in the name of the only begotten Son of GOD(Our
Father). And this is the condemnation, that Light is
come into the world, and men loved darkness
rather than Light, because their deeds were evil.
For every one that does evil hates The Light,
neither comes to The Light, lest his deeds should
be reproved. But he that does Truth comes to The
Light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that
they are wrought in GOD(Our Father)."
In John 12:34 the people asked, "Who is this Son
of man? Then in John 12:35-36, "The Messiah said
unto them, yet a little while is The Light with you.
Walk while you have The Light, lest darkness come
upon you: for he that walks in darkness does not
know where he goes. While you have Light, believe
in The Light, that you may be the children of Light.
The Messiah spoke these things, and departed,
and hid Himself from them."
Simply, "In The Beginning" The Only True GOD
spoke The Word, "Let There Be Light", "And there
was Light"! "And there was evening(darkness) and
there was morning (Light), The First Day". (Gen 1:5)
Certainly such "Light" was not "natural" light, for
"natural" light, the sun, moon, and stars were not
created until the "fourth day". (Gen 1:14-19)
"In the beginning", "The First Day", The Father of
All created "The Light", without which Creation and
Life, as we now know and experience it, could not
have been.
The First Day, "The Light", The Messiah, "The
beginning of the Creation of GOD(HE WHO is
The Only True GOD and Father of ALL)"!
(Gen 1:3, Rev 3:14, John 17:3, Eph 4:6)
And "The Only True GOD" created all "things" by,
through, and for "The Light", The Messiah, "The
Son of The Living GOD" and "Son of man".
(Col 1:15, Eph 3:9, Mat 16:16, Mat 12:32)
And "The True Light which enlightens every man
coming into the world", was born as a child
destined to be The Messiah. (John 1:9, Mat 1:21)
The Messiah, "The Light of the world".
(John 8:12, 9:5)
The Messiah, "The firstborn of every creature
(all creation)". (Col 1:15)
The Messiah, "Begotten of Our Father",
"The firstborn among many Brethren".
(Heb 1:5) (Ps 2:7) (Rom 8:29)
The Messiah, "A servant of The Only True GOD
(Father of ALL)". (Isa 42:1-7)
The Messiah, "The Lamb of GOD".
(John 1:29,36)
The Messiah, "The firstborn from among the dead".
(Col 1:18)
Once again: "In The Beginning" Our Father, "The
Only True GOD" spoke: "Let there be Light, and
there was Light"! The Messiah, "The Beginning of
the Creation of GOD", "the firstborn of every
creature(all creation)". (Gen 1:3, John 17:3,
Rev 3:14, Col 1:15)
Thanks Be To "Our Father"!
The Messiah, The Creation of "The Only True
GOD, Father of ALL"! (Rev 3:14)
The Messiah, "made so much better than the
angels"! (Heb 1:4)
The Messiah, "The Light of the world"!
(John 8:12, 9:5)
"The Lamb of GOD", "The Light of The New
Heavenly Jerusalem"! (Rev 21:22-23)
Paul experienced "The Light " on the road to
Damascus. "And it came to pass, that, as I
made my journey, and came near unto
Damascus about noontime, suddenly a great
Light from Heaven shone round about me.
And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice
saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why do you
persecute Me? And I answered, "Who are
You, Master"? And He said unto me, I am
Yehowshuwa'(Yahshua, Joshua) of Nazareth,
Whom you persecute. And they that were
with me saw The Light, and were afraid; but
they did not hear the voice of Him that spoke
to me. And I said, "What shall I do, Master"?
And He said unto me, arise and go into
Damascus, and there you shall be told all
things which are appointed for you to do.
And when I could not see for the glory of
that Light, I was led by the hand into
Damascus." (Acts 22:6-11)
Paul also testified, "At midday I saw in the
way a Light from Heaven, ABOVE THE
BRIGHTNESS OF THE SUN, shining round
about me and those who journeyed with me.
And when we were all fallen to the earth, I
heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying
in the HEBREW tongue, Saul, Saul, why do
you persecute Me? It is hard for you to kick
against the pricks." (The Messiah could not
have told Paul, "I am jesus" for He spoke in
the "HEBREW tongue") (Acts 26:13-14)
Paul saw "The Light" that was The Messiah
and he was blinded(naturally, not Spiritually)
for a time. Now when The Messiah was in
the "likeness of sinful flesh", born as "the
Son of man", He could only reflect "The
Light", liken unto the moon which but reflects
the light of the natural sun.
"Let There Be Light"
The Messiah, "The Light of the world"!
And consider the natural light provided by the
sun, which was Created on the fourth day.
Does not the natural light of the sun reveal
outwardly, all the earthly, natural things?
Consider what happens when that which you
thought was clean is exposed to the light of
the sun? Is not the least outward particle of
uncleanness readily seen in the light of the
sun? And so it is with "The Light" that is The
Messiah. For His Life, "The Life", reveals
and exposes all the uncleanness in "our"
life, the life that is of "our" own creation,
which is the "I(ego, id)" in all of us, the
product of "our" own vain "imag"inations!
So it needs be that "The Light" penetrates
deeply, even into the innermost recesses
of the heart, "rightly dividing the soul and
spirit", exposing all the darkness that the
"I" in all of us did not want to "see"!
Yet for such a cleansing to begin one must
"experience The Messiah(The Light) and
The Power that raised Him from among the
dead"!(Php 3:10) Oh, there are many who
know of a "messiah", yet who has
experienced "The Light"? For "The Light"
was "The Beginning of Creation" both the
old, which was natural and earthly and The
New, which is of The Spirit and Heavenly.
Those who "love this world and it's things"
yet desire that which "decayed, waxed
old and vanished away" (Heb 8:13) They
are of those "whose 'god' is their belly,
and whose glory is in their shame, for
they mind earthly things". (Phlp 3:19)
Sadly, those who "love this world and it's
things" yet love darkness more than The
Light and they will abide in the darkness
they loved forever ;-( (1Jn2:15,Jn3:19-20)
Sadder yet, systems of religion that are of
this world, such as "catholicism", "christianity",
"judaism", "islam", etc., have so perverted
The Testimonies, that today, as in the two
thousand or so, years gone by, "The Way
of Truth is evil spoken of"! All because of
the theo'ry'logical, heretical doctrines that
are of men! And especially those
theo'ry'logical doctrines which seek to
define "The Only True GOD, Father of All".
(2Peter 2:1-2)
All such doctrines are but the product of
mankind's "imag"ination and mankind's
"imag"ination is destroying and perverting
Creation(land, air, water, creatures, Light,
Truth, Love, Peace, Joy, Hope, .etc.)
Yes, sadly ;-( Creation is being destroyed
by self-willed men who could care less
about that which is of The Truth(What Is,
Was, and always Will Be), and care even
less about those things which they can
not comprehend apart from their
"natural" senses and mental processes ;-(
And The Truth testifies, The Creator "will
destroy those who destroy the earth(HIS
Creation)"(Rev 11:18).
Sadly, in this wicked world, those who
seek profit will naturally overcome those
who do not ;-(
Yet, There Is Hope!
For The Life is of The Spirit!
And Miracles do happen!
And Faith rejoices against profit(greed)
and theo'ry'logy(logic)!
Hope is there would be those who experience
The Miracle that is receiving "a love of The
Truth" for they will "see" "The Light".
(2Thes 2:10, John 8:12, 9:5)
And they will receive peace, in spite of the
dis-ease(no-peace) that is of this world, for
they will clearly "see" that "The WHOLE
world is under the control of the evil one".
(1John 5:19) And they will clearly "see"
things as they are and not as "imag"inative,
world-loving humans would have others
believe them to be, for they will "see" The
Light that is The Messiah....... francisco
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