The Eternal Word Becomes Flesh
THE WORD: IN THE BEGINNING WITH GOD
John 1:1-2
Rev. Todd G. Leupold Perth Bible Church Sunday, 12/2/07 AM
INTRODUCTION:
I think this year, we should start off our Season with a Christmas Quiz (Brian Bill, sermoncentral.com). Don’t stress, it’s just one question.
“In what books of the Bible can you find what has come to be known and loved as ’the Christmas story’?”
a.) Matthew, Mark, Luke & John
b.) Matthew & Luke
c.) Mark & Matthew
d.) Matthew, Mark & Luke
And . . . the answer . . . is . . . “B – Matthew & Luke.” Only these two gospels describe the events of Jesus’ birth. Mark begins with Jesus’ baptism before His cousin, John the Baptist, and keeps looking forward rather than back. The Gospel of John, on the other hand, starts by taking us waaay back – to the real beginning long before the nativity. He then jets ahead, past Jesus’ birth and childhood and right up to The Baptist’s preparations for the emergence of the adult God-in-the-flesh Messiah. But why? Doesn’t ’the Jesus story’ begin with the ’Immaculate Conception’?
Actually, no, it does not. The Holy Spirit used the apostle John to reveal that there is really a much different beginning. In fact, to use the words of Brian Bill, “He takes us back to the beginning to show us that He had no beginning.” This year, we will celebrate Jesus’ birth on earth by reflecting on the eternal story unwrapped in the prologue to John’s Gospel.
SCRIPTURE: JOHN 1:1-2
PRAYER
I.) WHAT’S WITH “THE WORD”?
A.) ENGLISH
- How about we just agree that we all have a basic understanding that in our English “word” can have many different meanings used in many different ways?
Great, so which meaning – if any - is the Bible talking about here? Is John trying to be ambiguous? Maybe it would be more helpful to look at it as John originally wrote it, in . . .
B.) GREEK: LOGOS
Greek philosophy of this time was ruled by thought and reason. Mere sounds, noise, syllables were called lalia. Simple vocalization was called phone, from which we get “phonics.” Intelligent speech, or utterances which express intelligence, however, were given the designation logos. The concept of logos was understood as an expression of power or force from the mind through thought or speech. In a larger sense, it was taught that all that is, all that is real, all that has power is somehow connected to a singular, impersonal power of thought and reason called Logos. All other expressions of thought, reason or power are but smaller emanations from the Grand Logos. You might think of it as something akin to “The Force” in Star Wars or the New Age idea of a ’Universal Mind.’
As such, the Logos was recognized as being the origin and source of all creation, all that is real, and all that is ’right’, and that brings order and meaning to all things.
Is this, then, what John was really trying to tell us?
No! We need to understand that John himself and his original audience were Scripture believing Jewish people who by force lived within a broader Greco-Roman culture. However, they were and remained Jews first and foremost.
C.) JOHN
Context clearly tells us that John took this profound and powerful Greek term and then personified it as an expression of the firm, personal One who is the True Mind, Force, Creator, Sustainer and Lord of the Universe!
Essentially, He is expressing that this Mind & Power which the philosophers could see only through dirty distorted glasses, is indeed a personal and singularly unique deity who is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The Word/Logos is, therefore, the Person of God who is Creator, Sustainer and Lord of ALL!
As we read through the rest of John’s words here we quickly see that this Word is indeed Jesus Himself!
II.) WHAT DOES THIS ’SAY’ ABOUT JESUS?
It tells us WHO He truly is and always has been:
A.) ETERNAL EXISTENCE
“In the beginning was the Word”
A clear and unmistakable reference to Genesis 1:1 and the beginning of all creation.
When there was a beginning, Jesus already “was.” That is, He has existed eternally with no beginning or end!
The verb translated “was” is the imperfect tense of the verb “I AM” that God so often used to refer to Himself. In the imperfect tense, it refers to something that “continually was.” By contrast, when referring to the creation of the Universe in v. 3, a very different verb is used that refers to the “coming into existence” of something. Put another way, John’s Greek speaking audience would have immediately understood this series of statements to refer to God who already existed before anything was brought into existence.
As strange and incomprehensible as it may sound, the concept of God’s eternal existence and even the pre-existence of the Messiah was nothing new. It was foretold by the prophets:
(Mic 5:2) Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are small among the clans of Judah; One will come from you to be ruler over Israel for Me. His origin is from antiquity, from eternity.
(Isa 9:6-7) For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will
be on His shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father,
Prince of Peace. The dominion will be vast, and its prosperity will never end. He will reign
on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and
righteousness from now on and forever. The zeal of the LORD of Hosts will accomplish this.
Declared by Jesus Himself:
(John 17:4-5) I have glorified You on the earth by completing the work You gave Me to do.
Now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with that glory I had with You before the world
existed.
(Rev 22:13) I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the
End.
And echoed by Paul:
(Col 1:15-17) He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation; because by
Him everything was created, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the 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 by Him all things hold together.
(Heb 1:1-2) Long ago God spoke to the fathers by the prophets at different times and in
different ways. In these last days, He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He has
appointed heir of all things and through whom He made the universe.
B.) ETERNAL PERSONALITY
“And the Word was with God”
WITH God. “With” (pros) means ’face to face.’ In fact and not just metaphorically.
Since before the beginning, then, Jesus has been in eternal fellowship with the Father.
An impersonal ’force’ cannot be ’face to face’ or in fellowship with anything. Clearly, then, both the Word and God are Persons.
Further, since they are ’with’ one another they are separate in Persons. Yet, . . .
C.) ETERNAL DEITY
“And the Word was God.”
The Word, in His essential being, IS God. Two ’Persons’ yet One God!
III.) WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE?
Okay, nice little lecture, but so what? What difference does all of this make anyway? What does it really mean that I should care about?
A.) JESUS IS GOD
1.He is All-Powerful
2.He is All-Knowing
3.He is Ever-Present
4.Through Jesus, WE can know what GOD is like
5.God has personally “walked in our shoes.”
6.His claims, teachings & actions apply to ALL
B.) GOD CARES FOR US IMMENSELY
Contrary to the opinions and assumptions of many, God is NOT an impersonal or distant figure. He did NOT just ’get this ball rolling’ or ’wind up the grand clock’ and then lose interest or wait for it to stop.
John 3:16; Romans 5:8
ILLUSTRATION:
An African boy listened carefully as his teacher explained why Christians give presents to each other on Christmas Day. “The gift is an expression of our joy over the birth of Jesus and our friendship for each other,” she said.
When Christmas day came, the boy brought the teacher a seashell of lustrous beauty. “Where did you ever find such a beautiful shell?” the teacher asked.
The youth told her that there was only one spot where such extraordinary shells could be found. When he named the place, a certain bay several miles away, the teacher was left speechless. “Why . . . why, it’s gorgeous . . . wonderful, but you shouldn’t have gone all that way to get the gift for me.”
His eyes brightening, the boy answered, “Long walk part of gift.”
God came from heaven to a manger, from a manger to a cross, from a cross to the grave and from a grave back to heaven. And we ask, “Why all this trouble, God?”
And God would say to us, “Long walk part of gift.”
(Source: Celebrating a Christ-Centered Christmas, by Sharon Jaynes)
C.) HE HAS A WONDERFUL & DIVINE PLAN FOR US
Jesus, the Word who was with God and who is God, didn’t humble Himself and come from glory in the flesh, fully Man and subject Himself to sinful humanity just for His own jollies.
He came because, from before the beginning, He had a plan. A plan which is even now being worked out. A plan that is for our sake as well as His glory. A plan that He is giving all to see through to it’s completion – even Himself!
D.) JESUS IS OUR MEDIATOR
With the Father, in His presence, now and in the Day of Judgment Christ an Advocate for those who believe in Him!
(1Jn 2:1-2) My little children, I am writing you these things so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father--Jesus Christ the righteous One. He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world.
Concluding Thoughts: WHAT TO DO WITH THIS ’WORD’?
1.ERASE IT?
2.RE-DEFINE IT?
3.REPLACE IT?
4.FORGET IT?
5.FILE IT FOR FUTURE REFERENCE?
6.INGEST & EMBRACE IT?
John 20:31
Ezekiel 3:1-3
The choice is yours to make. The results are yours to live with . . . eternally!
