Pastor Nate continues our study through the Bible in the book of John.
[00:00:00] You are listening to the Through the Bible Studio Series with Pastor Nate Holdridge.
[00:00:06] Join us as we continue our study through the New Testament book of John.
[00:00:12] Here's Nate.
[00:00:13] The Gospel of John is one of the most beautiful books in the Bible.
[00:00:22] I think one of the things that makes the book of John so incredibly beautiful is its
[00:00:26] incredible diversity.
[00:00:29] And by diversity, what I mean is that this book has been used in a myriad of ways in people's
[00:00:37] lives.
[00:00:38] In other words, this book has been used by college students and intellectuals in order
[00:00:45] to discover the truth about Jesus Christ.
[00:00:50] This book has been used to comfort the sick and lift up a discouraged soul.
[00:00:59] This book has some of the most famous verses that a child would understand or that a child
[00:01:06] would memorize, that God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever
[00:01:11] believes in him would not perish but have everlasting life.
[00:01:15] John 3 verse 16.
[00:01:17] The book of John is a wonderfully diverse and beautiful book.
[00:01:22] And inside of it, John is in so many points almost poetic as he records the life and the
[00:01:31] ministry of Jesus.
[00:01:32] He gives us pictures of Jesus as the bread of life, as the light of the world, as the
[00:01:38] good shepherd, and as the vine with us as the branches.
[00:01:42] It is a marvelous book and a wonderful journey that we get an opportunity to embark on
[00:01:48] and looking at this beautiful Gospel.
[00:01:52] Now it is a Gospel that is remarkably different from the synoptic Gospels, Matthew, Mark and
[00:02:02] Luke.
[00:02:04] There are many differences but some of them that are I think worth noting is that in the
[00:02:08] Gospel of John there are no parables mentioned as in the other Gospels.
[00:02:14] The transfiguration, a very important moment in the life of Christ is not mentioned.
[00:02:20] The Last Supper and the institution of communion, that part of the Last Supper is not mentioned
[00:02:26] in the book of John.
[00:02:28] You don't see in the Gospel of John Jesus casting out demons and you don't see the
[00:02:33] moments of temptation.
[00:02:36] You do receive some of Jesus's longer teachings which happens from time to time
[00:02:43] in the other Gospels.
[00:02:45] But these are different longer teachings than Matthew, Mark and Luke record for us.
[00:02:51] Matthew, Mark and Luke were very concerned with the theme of the kingdom of God or the
[00:02:57] kingdom of heaven.
[00:02:59] And John seemingly is unconcerned with that particular theme and instead includes new
[00:03:05] material, water turned to wine, Jesus's ministry in the region of Samaria, the raising
[00:03:12] of Lazarus.
[00:03:14] And so it's a unique book for many reasons and so I deeply love the Gospel of John.
[00:03:22] And before we embark on the first verse, I think a thing to encourage you with is from
[00:03:27] John 20 verse 30 and 31.
[00:03:30] John loves to record for us the reason that he writes his book and his epistles and he
[00:03:37] says in John 20 verse 30 and 31 he says now Jesus did many other signs in the presence
[00:03:43] of the disciples which are not written in this book.
[00:03:47] But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and
[00:03:56] that by believing you may have life in his name.
[00:04:01] And so a study of the Gospel of John is wonderful because it helps us see who Jesus
[00:04:07] is and upon seeing who Jesus is we can then believe in who he is and upon believing and
[00:04:16] receiving who he is we can then have life in his name.
[00:04:21] And I think John understood this to be more than just a get out of hell free card or
[00:04:27] a ticket to heaven.
[00:04:29] I think that John when he thought of life in the name of Jesus, he thought of an
[00:04:34] abundant, glorious kind of life.
[00:04:38] And so let us now turn to the book of John and discover what John has to say to us about
[00:04:46] the life of Jesus.
[00:04:47] Now really the first 18 verses set you up for the rest of the Gospel of John.
[00:04:52] This is the prologue to the book where John is going to introduce major themes that he
[00:04:59] will then unfold and unravel throughout the rest of this Gospel.
[00:05:06] In other words, the things that we'll briefly touch on in these first 18 verses, John is
[00:05:11] going to expand upon and expound upon later on in the book.
[00:05:17] The first theme and really this first section all hinges on this particular idea and really
[00:05:23] the Gospel of John hinges upon this idea.
[00:05:26] John chapter 1 verse 1, in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word
[00:05:37] was God.
[00:05:39] He was in the beginning with God.
[00:05:43] So the Gospel of John starts off with a bang with the phrase in the beginning.
[00:05:48] This may be reminiscent of Genesis chapter 1 verse 1, in the beginning God created
[00:05:53] the heavens and the earth.
[00:05:56] And so what John is referring to is this moment.
[00:05:59] There was a moment in eternity past and in that beginning when creation occurred, at
[00:06:06] that point in time there was a situation, a personality that was already existent at
[00:06:15] the beginning of the existence of all that was created.
[00:06:19] And that thing or that person, that reality that was already present, he says in verse
[00:06:25] 1 is the word.
[00:06:27] In the beginning was the word.
[00:06:31] Now we know that this word is more than just the simple word of God in the sense
[00:06:37] of the written word of God.
[00:06:39] It says in verse 2 that he, this word was in the beginning with God and in verse
[00:06:44] 14 of course we discover that the word became flesh and dwelt among us and we have seen or
[00:06:52] we have beheld his glory.
[00:06:55] So we know that the word is the person of Jesus Christ.
[00:07:01] So now this phrase, the word, this is the Greek word logos or logos and in John's day
[00:07:08] it did have a particular meaning.
[00:07:12] I don't know that there's a lot of agreement on what the particular meaning was but in John's
[00:07:18] day the Greeks had a certain use for this word.
[00:07:22] The Jews had a certain use for this word.
[00:07:25] It was a philosophical word to the Greeks.
[00:07:28] It would indicate perhaps inner thought or reason or science or a God of reason and
[00:07:35] logic to the Jew.
[00:07:36] It could indicate the power of the word of God, the Old Testament revelation of God's word
[00:07:43] in the sense that sometimes God's word even in the Old Testament is personified.
[00:07:49] Takes on personality.
[00:07:51] It says in Proverbs 8 verse 12 I wisdom dwell with prudence and I find knowledge and discretion.
[00:07:59] If you read the rest of Proverbs chapter 8 you see the personification of wisdom.
[00:08:05] And so some Jews would have thought of the logos of God's word as the personification
[00:08:11] of the word of God.
[00:08:13] But really to understand what John wanted to use this word for you just need to keep
[00:08:19] reading the Gospel of John.
[00:08:23] He says in verse 18 when he returns back to the theme of the word who is this word
[00:08:27] and what does he do?
[00:08:28] It says no one has ever seen God, the only God who is at the Father's side.
[00:08:34] He, that being Jesus has made him known.
[00:08:39] So if you want to know in the heart and the mind of John what the goal or the reason for
[00:08:45] the word in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God.
[00:08:51] In other words John in his mind and in his heart he thinks of Jesus as the perfect
[00:08:57] expression of God himself.
[00:09:00] By looking at Jesus a person is able to know God.
[00:09:05] And for all that God has revealed to us of himself through general revelation, the creation
[00:09:10] and the like, through the revelation of the Holy Word, the scripture.
[00:09:15] Those are wonderful revelations of God to man but they are nothing in comparison to
[00:09:21] the revelation of the word who was God, Jesus Christ the righteous.
[00:09:28] So here in this first verse we discover a few things about Jesus.
[00:09:33] First of all he is present in the beginning, verse 1.
[00:09:37] And so the word Jesus is pre-existent.
[00:09:41] It means that he is eternal.
[00:09:44] Number two we see that the word was with God.
[00:09:48] In other words Jesus is a person who is distinct from the Father.
[00:09:55] At the same time however verse 1 we also see that the word was God.
[00:10:01] In other words Jesus although distinct from the Father is also God himself.
[00:10:08] And so we have here in verse 1 and 2 shades of the Trinity.
[00:10:14] Just a beautiful doctrine and a beautiful introduction from John and really the whole
[00:10:19] gospel of John is about verse 1.
[00:10:22] There is this word and verse 18.
[00:10:26] There is this Jesus who came to make God known.
[00:10:30] And so when you're studying the book of John really what you're into is a study
[00:10:34] of Christ.
[00:10:35] You're looking at Christology and in looking at Christology you have an
[00:10:40] opportunity to see who God is.
[00:10:43] And what better way to discover the nature of God than through the gospel
[00:10:47] and how can you discover the gospel apart from Jesus.
[00:10:50] And so a wonderful opportunity that we have to discover the heart and the
[00:10:54] reality of who God is through the gospel of John.
[00:10:59] He moves on in verse 3 and he talks about the creative power of this word.
[00:11:04] He says all things were made through him and without him was not anything made
[00:11:13] that was made.
[00:11:14] And so we learn secondly here that Jesus created all things.
[00:11:20] Paul records this for us in Colossians 1 verse 16 and 17 when he says,
[00:11:24] For by him being Jesus all things were created in heaven and on earth
[00:11:30] visible and invisible whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities
[00:11:35] all things were created through him and for him.
[00:11:39] And he is before all things and in him all things hold together.
[00:11:44] In Hebrews chapter 1 verse 2 says in these last days God has spoken to us
[00:11:50] by his son whom he appointed the heir of all things through whom also he created
[00:11:56] the world.
[00:11:57] And so the question then would be how did the world get here?
[00:12:02] How did what we see come to be?
[00:12:04] And the answer is Jesus.
[00:12:07] Jesus was actually involved in before the incarnation.
[00:12:11] He was involved in the creation of mankind.
[00:12:16] And of course we live in a world that is attempting to declare to us that
[00:12:21] the human species or race is an accident and that we are the
[00:12:26] fullest evolved animal around.
[00:12:30] And I think if a human being just inspects their heart for a moment
[00:12:34] they would discover that those ideas are absolutely repulsive.
[00:12:39] The truth is that we are not just simply the highest order of the animal kingdom
[00:12:44] but that God has put a spirit inside of us.
[00:12:47] A soul inside of us, a capability of communion with the God of the universe.
[00:12:53] And the wonderful design and intricacy in us and our bodies and in the world
[00:12:58] that we live in indicates that we are not accidental
[00:13:02] but that there is a purpose for all of this and Jesus was involved
[00:13:06] in that purpose.
[00:13:09] Then in verse 4 John goes on and declares not only that Jesus is the creator
[00:13:14] and the eternal God but that he is the life and light.
[00:13:17] Notice how he says it in verse 4.
[00:13:19] These two verses are actually, I read one author who said they are intentionally ambiguous.
[00:13:25] In other words they're just mysterious enough to wet your taste buds
[00:13:31] for what is to come.
[00:13:34] And this is how he says it.
[00:13:35] In verse 4,
[00:13:36] In him was life and the life was the light of men.
[00:13:40] The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.
[00:13:47] And so John then now begins to talk about Jesus as the life
[00:13:52] and the life leading to the light of men and the light shining in the darkness
[00:13:57] and that darkness not overcoming it.
[00:14:00] And so as I said in that phrase it's semi-mysterious exactly what John is speaking of.
[00:14:08] But all I know is that as he speaks of these things and of course we understand
[00:14:12] that when he talks about Jesus as the life it comes through belief in him
[00:14:16] and when he talks about Jesus as the light of all men
[00:14:19] it's something that occurs when you believe in him.
[00:14:21] There's an illumination that takes place in the human heart.
[00:14:25] But here these words life and light, these were words that in that culture
[00:14:30] were absolute powder-kigs of thought and idea.
[00:14:35] And so for John to say them like I said it is truly wetting the appetite
[00:14:39] of that which is to come.
[00:14:43] For me I got three wonderful daughters and in their younger years there were times
[00:14:51] and still are times where there perhaps is a movie that we want to take them to
[00:14:55] in the movie theater.
[00:14:57] And they don't always know what's playing in the theater or what isn't
[00:15:00] but inevitably when it's time to take them.
[00:15:06] One of the things that I love to do is I love to at home I love to show them
[00:15:10] a preview you know a trailer that gives them an indication
[00:15:16] of what is to come.
[00:15:18] Without telling them that we're going to the movie
[00:15:20] I ask them would you like to watch a preview of a movie that is in the theater
[00:15:26] right now and inevitably they'll watch the preview.
[00:15:29] They'll begin to get excited and then they'll say please please please can we go
[00:15:35] watch the movie.
[00:15:36] And knowing that I already intended to take them I look at them and I say
[00:15:41] yes we can.
[00:15:42] That preview established an anticipation inside of them
[00:15:48] an excitement inside of them that caused them to desire to see the rest of the story.
[00:15:54] And that's really what John I think is doing in verse four and five.
[00:15:57] He's saying listen there is this life and there is this light do you want to know him.
[00:16:03] Now you see in verse four and five a little microcosm of the gospel right
[00:16:08] because he says in him Jesus was life.
[00:16:13] You know you discover Jesus you get Jesus you get the blood you get the
[00:16:16] cross and you get life.
[00:16:18] And then he says the light shines in the darkness this is exactly what Jesus has
[00:16:24] done and is continuing to do through the church as the light of the world.
[00:16:30] And the darkness he says has not overcome it and the darkness never will fully
[00:16:36] overcome Jesus Christ.
[00:16:39] Now in verse six you have a bit of parentheses which is still a part of the preview
[00:16:45] and he says there was a man sent from God whose name was John.
[00:16:51] He came as a witness to bear witness about the light that all might believe through him.
[00:16:59] He was not the light but came to bear witness about the light.
[00:17:05] So here we're introduced to John the Baptist and we're not really at this point told
[00:17:11] anything about his style, his mannerisms, his birth which was miraculous, his
[00:17:17] upbringing, his lifestyle which was wild.
[00:17:21] We're not really told much about his ministry at this point but what we are
[00:17:25] told is his function and his function it's a word that's
[00:17:30] repeated three times in those three verses was to bear witness to
[00:17:35] witness of Jesus to testify of Christ and so the preparatory ministry of John
[00:17:42] the Baptist. Like I said this is part of the preview.
[00:17:46] You're going to discover John the Baptist in just a few moments later
[00:17:50] on in this first chapter. Now the true light verse nine which
[00:17:55] enlightens everyone was coming into the world.
[00:18:01] He was in the world and the world was made through him
[00:18:06] yet the world did not know him. He came to his own and his own people
[00:18:12] did not receive him. So now John expounds for a little bit about this
[00:18:19] light and the first thing that he talks about is the effect of this light
[00:18:22] and the promise of the coming of this light. He says the true light which
[00:18:26] enlightens everyone was coming into the world verse nine.
[00:18:31] Now that phrase that this light who is Jesus that he gives light and
[00:18:37] enlightens everyone it's an interesting phrase.
[00:18:42] You know some people take this to mean some
[00:18:45] version of general revelation. We saw that Jesus
[00:18:49] through him all things were made and through him without him not anything
[00:18:54] was made that was made. He was involved in creation
[00:18:58] and so some people say well this light which enlightens
[00:19:01] everyone that's general creation it's just the world
[00:19:04] that we can observe and look at. Paul affirmed this idea in Romans
[00:19:09] one verse 19 and 20 when he said for what can be known about God is
[00:19:14] plain to the world because God has shown it to them.
[00:19:18] Where did he show it to them? He says verse 20 for his invisible attributes
[00:19:22] namely his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly perceived
[00:19:27] ever since the creation of the world in the things that have been made
[00:19:32] so they are without excuse. And so there is this
[00:19:36] revelation that is given to all man through creation and perhaps that's
[00:19:40] what John is referring to. But I think any believer understands
[00:19:45] that there are moments where the Lord himself enlightens your heart.
[00:19:49] Sort of an inner illumination not just a general revelation but an inner
[00:19:54] illumination. Paul said it this way in 2nd Corinthians
[00:19:58] 4 verse 6 he said for God who said let light shine out of darkness or let
[00:20:03] there be light has shown in our hearts to give the
[00:20:07] light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
[00:20:12] In other words Paul said when God said let there be light
[00:20:16] on that first day of creation we can relate to that
[00:20:20] because that's what it felt like when our hearts were opened up to
[00:20:23] the gospel and maybe that's what's happening in verse 9 when John says
[00:20:27] the true light which enlightens everyone. But to me there's something greater
[00:20:33] and grander going on than either of those things. Perhaps it is those
[00:20:38] things perhaps that is what John is referring to
[00:20:42] but it seems as if John is referring to in some sense the way that the light of
[00:20:47] Jesus Christ messes with everyone and Jesus will interact
[00:20:53] with every human being on earth in one way or another. At some point every
[00:20:58] knee, will bow and every tongue will confess
[00:21:02] that Jesus Christ is Lord. And so I think this is some kind of worldwide
[00:21:06] ministry from Christ not a universal salvation
[00:21:10] but a ministry of Christ somehow to all men. Now you learn in verse 10 and 11
[00:21:18] here in John's prologue that when Jesus came first of all verse 10 the world
[00:21:23] did not know him and then in verse 11 you discover that his own people
[00:21:29] did not receive him. In general the world rejected Christ
[00:21:35] and in general Israel rejected Christ not everyone in the world
[00:21:40] and not everyone in Israel. I mean his disciples were Israelites there were many
[00:21:46] in Israel who received the Lord. 3,000 Jews on the day of Pentecost gave their
[00:21:50] lives and hearts to Christ so well there may be a remnant
[00:21:55] in general there was rejection but in verse 12 he says it this way he says
[00:21:59] but to all who did receive him there are those who received the Lord
[00:22:06] but to all who believed in his name he gave the right to become children of God
[00:22:12] who were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man
[00:22:18] but of God. And so John points out that when a person does not reject the Lord
[00:22:26] but receives the Lord and don't you love that word he says
[00:22:30] he says all who did receive him who believed in his name it is belief
[00:22:38] that is reception and reception that is belief but at this reception what
[00:22:44] happens well he says that he gives a right to
[00:22:50] those people to become children of God. You see mankind is not naturally
[00:22:57] a child of God in a general sense in that God initiated us and established us in
[00:23:05] his image in that general sense someone might be able to say we are children
[00:23:11] of God but to declare yourself as his child and
[00:23:15] fellowship with him in community with him in covenant with him
[00:23:20] without Christ minus Christ is without merit. John tells us that the way that a
[00:23:29] person is born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh but the
[00:23:34] will of man but born of God and becomes a child of God
[00:23:38] is through belief in his name and reception
[00:23:42] of Jesus and so it's imperative that a person then who begins reading the
[00:23:48] Gospel of John would ask the question what is there for me to believe about Jesus
[00:23:55] what is there for me to receive about Jesus whatever it is I long to believe
[00:24:00] it and receive it that I might be called a child of God. Now in verse 14 one of the
[00:24:06] most glorious verses in all of the Bible it says that and the word you
[00:24:11] remember the word theme that John was giving earlier in verse 1 and 2 he
[00:24:16] picks it back up again leaves the light analogy and moves to the word when he
[00:24:20] says and the word became flesh and dwelt among us
[00:24:25] and we have seen his glory glory is of the only son from the father full of
[00:24:30] grace and truth so the word became flesh number one
[00:24:33] this is the incarnation Paul spoke of it when he said in Philippians 2 verse
[00:24:38] 6 that Jesus though he was in the form of God did not count
[00:24:43] equality with God a thing to be grasped or held on to
[00:24:47] but emptied himself by taking the form of a servant
[00:24:50] being born in the likeness of men and being found in human form he humbled
[00:24:55] himself by becoming obedient to the point of death even
[00:24:58] death on the cross and so in verse one of this
[00:25:02] chapter we just discover that in the beginning was
[00:25:05] the word pre-existent but in verse 14 that word that was pre-existent
[00:25:13] became something and what he became was flesh
[00:25:17] man human it's not that he gave up his deity
[00:25:23] he in a sense emptied himself and set aside the privileges of deity
[00:25:30] but he became God in the flesh and he became human
[00:25:34] fully god fully man the incarnation a glorious doctrine
[00:25:41] but beyond that it says that he dwelt among us that's a word that a jew would
[00:25:45] understand is the idea of tabernacling or
[00:25:49] camping placing or pitching a tent and the Lord
[00:25:54] dwelt he tabernacled he pitched a tent amongst mankind
[00:25:59] and john says we have seen his glory john was an eyewitness to these things
[00:26:05] now in verse 15 there's a parentheses which tells us that this glory
[00:26:10] wasn't just an obvious shining although it was expressed at
[00:26:14] moments like the amount of transfiguration but but he needed witnesses
[00:26:19] this jesus came in glory but he still needed witnesses when it says john
[00:26:23] bore witness about him and cried out this was he of whom i said
[00:26:28] he who comes after me ranks before me because he was
[00:26:33] before me so john again would affirm the deity of christ
[00:26:37] he ranks before me because he was already before me even though john was born
[00:26:42] first uh he realized that jesus was pre-existent
[00:26:47] before him and verse 16 to close out our section john says and from his fullness
[00:26:53] we have all received grace upon grace for the law was given through
[00:26:57] moses and grace and truth came through
[00:27:01] jesus christ in other words the law
[00:27:05] moses gave it to us which was grace but we have received grace upon or grace
[00:27:11] which has replaced grace there is a greater grace than the law
[00:27:16] and that grace is the gospel of jesus christ no one has ever seen god john says
[00:27:22] the only god who is at the father's side i'll that for a statement of the
[00:27:26] deity of christ the only god who is at the father's side
[00:27:31] he has made him known and so as god jesus shines brightly in this world
[00:27:38] as the perfect expression of god and our study in the gospel of john will enable
[00:27:43] us to see jesus which according to john will
[00:27:48] enable us to see god god bless you and and amen
[00:27:54] thank you for listening for additional resources and teachings
[00:27:58] or to contact us please visit us at nateholdridge.com