JOHN 1:1-5
BEFORE BIRTH
Life of Christ #1
Here’s a “Quickie” Quiz.
1. Which happened first - The Sermon on the Mount or the Olivet Discourse?
2. Which one of these people was not one of the 12 Apostles: Matthew, John, Mark, Nathaniel?
3. What was Jesus trying to do when he talked to the “Woman at the Well”?
4. How did Blind Bartimaeus get Jesus’ attention?
5. How many lepers were cleansed when only one came back to give thanks?
6. In what town did they try to push Jesus off a cliff?
7. Where was Jesus when he offered living water to his listeners?
Is Jesus your Lord?
Is Jesus your Savior?
Is Jesus your God?
If He is, shouldn’t you know as much about His life and ministry and how it affects your life as possible?
1 John 2:6 - He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
Luke 6:40 - The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.
How can we walk as he walked if we don’t know how he walked?
How can we be like our Master if we don’t know what our Master is like?
Usually when we study the life of the Lord Jesus it is through a single sermon or a series on one of the Gospels.
It is rare when an actual study is made on the life of Christ.
Such a study would try to look at the life of the Lord Jesus in some sort of Chronological order and include studying in all the Gospels.
I have never preached such a series, but feel that now is the time to do so. This will take a long time, but it will help you become more familiar with the life of the one we call Lord and Master. In this study we will not go into much detail on the various sermons, but will emphasize the events and briefer teachings that were part of His life and ministry.
As we read this morning, the life of Jesus did not begin at birth or even conception. The Lord Jesus had a very active life before He ever came to earth. It is important that we understand this, because it helps us grasp just who this person is whom we call “LORD” Jesus!
This morning we are considering a genealogy of sorts. A genealogy is a record of where someone came from. There are two genealogies for Jesus in Matthew 1 and Luke 3.
A genealogy is all of the “begats”.
These genealogies actually came through Joseph and perhaps Mary. It was a human genealogy.
But in John 1:1-5 we see Jesus’ true genealogy. We find out that Jesus came from Heaven where He existed as “The Word”.
Why is He is called "The Word"?
What is the purpose of words?
Words express a thought, or an action or an object or an idea.
If I want you to understand what I think about a subject, such as the superiority of Christ, I use words.
If I want you to visualize an object, such as a banana, a boat,
a house, or a car, I use specific words.
If I want you to have an idea of what I am like or how I feel, I use words.
God wants us to understand who He is.
So, He has given us not only His written word, but his incarnate Word, the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Lord Jesus is the expression, the thought the idea, of who God is!
John 14:8-9 - Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. [9] Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
We know more about God, because he is revealed through The Word, The Son of God!
As we look at our Lord’s history before birth, we are looking at Him as “the Word”. Let’s consider:
THE PREEXISTENCE OF THE WORD – Vss. 1-2
THE PRESENCE OF THE WORD - Vss. 1-2
THE POSITION OF THE WORD - Vs. 1
THE POWER OF THE WORD - Vs. 3
THE PROVISION OF THE WORD - Vss. 4-5
THE PREEXISTENCE OF THE WORD – Vss. 1-2
John 1:1-2 - In the beginning was the Word…The same was in the beginning with God.
If you are going to worship the Lord Jesus, He should be superior to you.
There is a specific time you started living. At conception you became alive in your mother’s womb.
For Jesus there was no such starting time. He is eternal. He has always existed. He is superior to you.
In the beginning was the Word…
This beginning goes back before creation into eternity past.
In the Greek language the word was means “was continuing”.
There was never a time when Jesus did not exist.
Micah 5:2 - But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
Colossians 1:17 - And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
Revelation 22:13 - I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
THE PREEXISTENCE OF THE WORD – Vss. 1-2
THE PRESENCE OF THE WORD - Vss. 1
John 1:1-2 - … and the Word was with God… The same was in the beginning with God.
Jesus was with God in eternity past. He was present.
Jesus was with God in Heaven. He was present.
According to R. Kent Hughes – ”Next the apostle adds, ‘and the Word was with God.’ Literally, ‘the Word was continually toward God.’ The Father and the Son were continually face to face. The preposition “with” bears the idea of nearness, along with a sense of movement toward God. That is to say, there has always existed the deepest equality and intimacy in the Holy Trinity.” R. Kent Hughes,
Preaching the Word, John – That You May Believe, (Wheaton Illinois, Crossway Books, 1999) p. 16
I once took my sister to a John Denver concert.
I could honestly say that I was with John Denver.
Even though, I could hardly see him because we sat so far away!
On the other hand I can say that for a couple of brief minutes I was with the late Glen Payne of the Cathedrals. I looked at him face to face and talked to him.
If I were ushered into the presence of God the father, I would be on my knees. I would not be on the same level as He.
Jesus however, is able to look at God face to face, because He is on the same level.
Think of this. The very Son of God was on equal level with the Father. He could look God in the eye, so to speak. And He left this position of power and importance to be born of a virgin and go to the cross to die for our sins. WHAT LOVE!
Philippians 2:5-9 - Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: [6] Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: [7] But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: [8] And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. [9] Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
THE PREEXISTENCE OF THE WORD – Vss. 1-2
THE PRESENCE OF THE WORD - Vs. 1
THE POSITION OF THE WORD - Vss. 1
John 1:1 - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Jehovah’s Witnesses will try to tell you that this should be translated “and the word was a God”. That just isn’t so. This verse is stating that Jesus is God.
Isaiah 9:6 - For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
You might have heard it said, that Jesus never claimed to be God. That is not true.
John 8:56-59 - Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. [57] Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? [58] Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. [59] Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
The Jews understood that Jesus claimed to be “I AM” or Jehovah, the preexistent God.
As someone has said, there are only three possibilities as to the identity of Jesus.
1. He was a liar.
2. He was a madman, insane and disillusioned.
3. He was who he claimed to be, God in the flesh.
Do you believe that Jesus is God?
Be careful how you address Him. “Lord” is preferred.
Be careful how you joke about Him. Don’t.
Be careful that you not take His name in vain and use it as a cuss word.
THE PREEXISTENCE OF THE WORD – Vss. 1-2
THE PRESENCE OF THE WORD - Vss. 1-2
THE POSITION OF THE WORD - Vs. 1
THE POWER OF THE WORD - Vs. 3
John 1:3 - All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
Colossians 1:16-17 - For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: [17] And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
Hebrews 1:1-2 - God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, [2] Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
God the Father created the universe through His Word, who is His Son. So Jesus was the instrument of creation.
We really can’t fathom how large the universe is.
According to Kent Hughes, “There are about 100 billion stars in the average galaxy, and there are at least one hundred million galaxies in know space. Einstein believed that we have scanned with our largest telescopes only one billionth of the oretical space. This means that there probably something like ten octilian stars in space. That’s 10 with 27 zeroes after it.” Hughes p. 17
The Lord Jesus created all of that plus all the flowers, plants, animals and insects large and small.
And He created us!
Psalm 139:14 - I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
We already saw that Jesus is God! That’s why Jesus has all the power!
THE PREEXISTENCE OF THE WORD – Vss. 1-2
THE PRESENCE OF THE WORD - Vss. 1-2
THE POSITION OF THE WORD - Vs. 1
THE POWER OF THE WORD - Vs. 3
THE PROVISION OF THE WORD - Vss. 4-5
John 1:4 - In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
Before Jesus came He had two qualities mentioned here that He has shared with man. This is his provision for us.
· LIFE
There are three aspects of life that Jesus gave to man.
1. Physical Life – Because he is creator, He has given you and every other individual “life”. If for no other reason, we should be indebted to Christ!
2. Eternal Life – Jesus came to earth with eternal life. He came to live a perfect life and then to die in our places for our sins.
John 3:14-18 - And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: [15] That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. [16] For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. [17] For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
[18] He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
3. Abundant Life
John 10:10 - The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
Jesus not only came to give you eternal life, but He came to give you abundant life, right now.
Life before your conversion to Christ was marked with failure.
Life after your conversion to Christ should be marked with victory.
Because Christ has come we have abundant life in several ways. Here are four of them:
1. Abundance of Christ’s presence
Matthew 28:20 - …and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
John 15:4-5 - Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. [5] I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
2. Abundance of Christ’s peace
John 14:27 - Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
3. Abundance of Christ’s provision
Philippians 4:19 - But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
4. Abundance of Christ’s power
Philippians 4:13 - I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
John 14:13-14 - And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. [14] If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
John 1:4 - In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
· LIGHT
With His life comes His light.
Jesus is God. God is light.
Psalm 104:1-2 - Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty. [2] Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain:
1 John 1:5 - This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
This old world is entrenched in the darkness of sin. Jesus came into the world to give it light, to point people to the God of light.
John 8:12 - Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
John tells us in John 1:5 - And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
This is great news.
The light is in the world and the world can not comprehend it. It does not understand the light.
The light is in the world and world can not overpower it, which is another meaning for the word “comprehend” in the Greek.
Since Jesus was born Satan and the world have tried to overtake or overpower His light. They can’t do it.
Light overpowers darkness.
Satan will never be able to overcome the Light.
We are on the winning team if we know Jesus as our Savior!
BEFORE BIRTH:
THE PREEXISTENCE OF THE WORD – Vss. 1-2
THE PRESENCE OF THE WORD - Vss. 1-2
THE POSITION OF THE WORD - Vs. 1
THE POWER OF THE WORD - Vs. 3
THE PROVISION OF THE WORD - Vss. 4-5
· LIFE
· LIGHT