John 1:14-18 (Who is Jesus, Part
2)
Who
was Jesus? What did men see when they looked at him, when they heard him teach,
when they followed him and lived with him?
A)Many
opinions & many images of Christ
today.
B)They range all the way
from "gentle Jesus meek and mild"
1)
to a
fiery-eyed radical, all set to burn everything to the ground and
overthrow the establishment.
Many other ideas in between
C) In the midst of these
contradictory images, we want to say "Will the
real Jesus please stand up?"
1)That,
is who we are looking at in the Gospel of
D)
See John answers that question loud and clear in His gospel. { He begins boldly
when he says:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the
Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made
through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life,
and the life was the light of men.
E)
And then in V.14 – John declares And the Word became flesh and Dwelt among us., and
we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,
full of grace and truth.
SO the One who was in the Beginning with God, and who is God.
A)He
is the Creator and Sustainer of all things in Heaven and Earth,
nothing was made apart from Him.
B)He
is the Author of Life because He Himself is Life.
C)
This One, this Exalted One, did the most
amazing thing,
He became Flesh and Dwelt among us.
D)And then in v.18 He gives the Purpose of this visitation No one has seen God at any time. The only
begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
He
Came for this purpose To Declare the
Father
A)Declare = Exegesis / Exposit - He came to show us the Father
–
B)Phillip declared - Show us the
Father and it will be sufficient for us –
1) don’t you know – Seen me seen the father
C) The Word became flesh and dwelt among us to
declare to us the father – show us God
1) Idea is Face to face contact – Closeness intimacy
I
only let certain people touch my face
A)Came up – what are you doing man – My Face!
B) My parents /
My wife can touch my face - / My kids 1) Amanda – Butterfly Kisses {
Eye lash thing
C) Bob Carlisle song –
Butterfly Kisses / daughter – growing up { little girl 16 / then she is getting married – { Still
cry when I hear that
D) Stop it Bob you are
killing me – They are not supposed to grow up
Little girls are always supposed to be 7 yrs
old.
E) Amanda she can touch my
face – every morning first thing Kiss
That
is what God is saying here: The Word became flesh – touch his face – see His
heart – Have that intimacy – Know he could
identify with us.
A)In the Greek text those
two words appear side by side: "the logos became sarx".
B) Sarx is the Greek word
for flesh; the meat, the soft, yielding flesh of our human bodies.
C) Flesh
Like us{
experienced Pain, fatigue, sorrow, rejection, temptation.
1) he ate, drank, slept, he cried.
2)He suffered & shed His blood, really
died, was really buried, really rose again, ascended up into heaven.
And
yet all this time He was God as well as man!
One nature did not swallow up the other.
A)The two natures remained
perfect and distinct.
Aa) He didn’t have to become less God, so He could become more of a
B) The divinity of Christ
was never for a moment laid aside,
1)
and Yet the manhood of Christ, during His life-time, was never for a moment
unlike our own
C) Now Paul declared in
1)
Literally He
emptied himself in becoming a man.
The question then becomes, what did Jesus
set aside, what did Jesus empty Himself of?
A)Jesus
did empty Himself of His position in heaven.
B)He set aside His exalted position
at the Right Hand of the Father.
C)
We also know that Jesus set aside His heavenly possessions.
1)
The Apostle Paul wrote this in
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He
was rich, yet for your sakes, He became poor, that you through His poverty
might become rich.
He
lived in Poverty – no permanent place to lay his head.
A)He
borrowed a
manger to be born in – Boat to preach from /
donkey to ride on / upper room for Passover / Cross / Tomb to be placed in
B) He laid aside his heavenly possessions
C)And He also laid aside his
Heavenly Privilege –
1)
He was the creator of the universe – All powerful
2)
As a man He made Himself dependent upon His Father – Dependent upon the
empowering of the HS
D) And
as a Man – His glory was veiled in His humanity.
1)
That is what happened when the Word / the Logos became flesh.
Now
John draws upon a very interesting OT picture when He says – the word became
flesh and Dwelt among us.
A)The
word John uses here for Dwelt literally means to tabernacle, or to pitch One’s
tent among us.
B)The
obvious reference here is to the Tab
which was built to be the house of God during
the time that
C)
Tabernacle is an amazing Study{
It is interesting
that 13 Chapters are given to the pattern for the Tab
A)I find that interesting because the Lord gives two Chapters in His word to
the subject of CREATION
B) The Creation of the Stars – just 6 words And He made the stars also – but when it comes to
this tent – in the wilderness 13 Chapters – WHY?
C)
That tabernacle was a picture of Jesus – quickly consider – some ways
#1
Humble in appearance – From the
outside it was just a tent – made of Badger skins –
A)Beams made of solid gold –
overlaid with acacia wood Looked very
ordinary –
B) Inside housed the Glory
of God – Holy of Holies
C)Perfect Picture of Jesus –
Outside ordinary –
D)So
too Jesus had a very Humble outward appearance
( Peoples 50 most beautiful people)
#2 Although humble in appearance – The Tabernacle
was the Dwelling place of God among men
A)It
was there in the mist of
B) There in
the Holy of Holies the glory of God DWELT –
C) No lamps in the Holy of
Holies because the Glory of God Lit up the room
1)
The Tab. Was the dwelling place of God among men
So too although Jesus was so ordinary in
His outward appearance that He would stand out in a group of men
A)He
was literally the dwelling place of God amongst men !!!
B)
2Corinthians 5:19 “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself.”
C)
The Eternal
God / the maker of heaven and earth – literally Tabernacled among men – We beheld His
glory
#3 Not only was the Tab the Dwelling
place of God among men but it was Also The meeting place
of God with man.
A)44
times in scripture the Tab is also called the Tent of meeting – it is where God
met w/ man in the wilderness
B) How
perfect is this lovely type! Christ is the meeting place between God and
men.
1) No man comes unto the
Father but by Him:
C)
There is but one Mediator between God and men—the Man Christ Jesus (
Lastly
– Tab was the
A)Balaam
– couldn’t curse – Jesus became Curse – He is the Center of the camp /
B)We
are gathered here tonight around Him
1) Center of the Church - Lord lead us !!!!
And so here, John harkens back to that
Structure and says that again, God is going to dwell among us, only this time
it would not be in a tent , but in a Body.
A)The OT Tab was a picture
or a shadow of the real thing - Jesus
B)See what really caught John’s attention was not
the tent – but the glory that he saw inside.
1)
John says and we beheld his glory:
C)Now
It was on the Mount of Transfiguration when
Peter
…. John / Elijah and Moses showed up
1) that Jesus’ face became
as bright as the Sun and his clothing became as pure light.
D)
The glory that was on
the inside just couldn’t be contained.
1)
Peter referring to that event –
We
saw him glow and we heard the voice of the father.
A) But John has a broader
picture in mind here than just the MT of transfiguration –
B)He is referring to the
Glory that was seen throughout his life.
1) He
defines that glory in this way: It was full of Grace and truth.
C) Two very descriptive
words - Consider these two words for a moment –
Grace
= Undeserved favor –
A)God
has Chosen to deal favorably with you even though you don’t deserve it.
B) Grace
is the generosity of love. It is love giving itself to those undeserving of
love.
C)I have always liked the
acrostic that defines grace: -- G-R-A-C-E. God's
Riches At Christ's Expense
Truth is the manifestation
of reality, the unveiling of what is actually there.
A)the
stripping off of all the illusions, veils, shams, phoniness, the facades, &
getting down to the real thing
B)Real truth can hurt ! –
Example:
Wife
asked you this question: Does this dress look ok? – Real truth – well yea it looks ok
1)That
is what she asked does it look ok! – if you are smart – change the subject
right there
Bb) See you don’t want to
answer the next question guys- Does it make me look fat?
1)
You don’t want to go there – Change the subject – you can’t lie and you can’t
win
C)
She will throw you out w/ the dog – we don’t have a dog – she will buy one to
take your place in the house.
1)
I have learned that a woman doesn’t want truth in that situation –
D) You say looks
great and she says but what about this and what about here. –
1)
Change the Subject – Padres – offer to go to dinner
Truth
can be harsh it can hurt –Truth is that
which is right and pure – Jesus was full of truth
A) One
of the things about Jesus is He is not afraid to tell us the truth about
ourselves
B) Tab preserved the law -
Jesus kept the law perfectly
1)
We take a look at him – The perfect man – see our flaws
C)
Bible is truth Like a mirror it reveals what is wrong
1)
You get up in the morning – look in the mirror ladies – what is your reaction-
TRUTH
D) You say I need to put on
some make up – Interesting word – Make up – { Implies – Not real
1)
Women put on Cover up – another interesting word – something to hide { Blemishes
Jesus
being full of truth is like that mirror – Yea you don’t look to good. –
A)But
then he says watch what I can do – Better than make up / cover up –
Transformation
B) Full of Grace & truth
– Perfect blending and balance of the two.
1) Truth points
out the problem/ Grace supplies the
Solution
Consider
3 quick examples of this perfect blending of grace and truth that we will see
in John’s gospel.
A)First
B) Jesus cuts to the Truth –
He answers the unasked question that was really on – Nic’s heart
1)
Unless a man is born again – he cannot enter the
2)Truth { You
need a spiritual birth – Problem how – what mean
C) Grace –
1)
That is how you are born again
Example
#2 – Jesus meets a woman with a shady past at a well in
A)Grace is seen he being a
man talks to her – Culturally not normal
B) Grace is also seen in the
fact that He being a Jew spoke to her a Samaritan – again culturally not
normal
C) In the mist of the
conversation: Jesus exposes her 1) He simply says – go get your husband – she says I
don’t have a husband –
2)Here
comes the truth – Jesus says – You are
right –
Been married 5
times and the man you are living in sin with right now is not your husband
D) She is exposed – OUCH – how would you like it if you met someone –
simply says –
1)
Here is your life – thinking now – this is going on.
But
Jesus doesn’t leave her there
A)Grace is seen She becomes the first person a Samaritan
woman that he personally reveals himself as the messiah –
B)And
He tells her if she believes in Him – He will satisfy the thirst for love and
acceptance in her heart
C) Her life would no longer
have to be marked by one broken relationship after another . – Grace
One
more
A) And they say to Jesus,
the Law and Moses [ THE TRUTH] say to stone her to death, what do you say?
B)
Jesus sees threw this – he knows it is a set
up.
1)Expose
him for being too gracious.
C) SO Jesus bends down and begins to write in the
dirt, and he says to the men,
1)
let him who has no sin among you cast the first stone.
D)And then Jesus stoops back
down and begins to write in the dirt again.
1)Was
Jesus listing out each man’s sin?
It is Possible because here
is what happened –
Starting
from the oldest to the youngest, the men dropped their stones and left.
A)Jesus
said to the woman, “where are your accusers, does no one condemn you “And she says “ no
one sir” And Jesus says, “neither do I”
B) That was grace, unmerited favor,
the only one that had to the right to accuser her didn’t.
1)
But it doesn’t stop there, Jesus says, “go and sin no more”
C) Here is God’s heart – He
doesn’t want you to get stoned – He wants to see you set free.
Because
the grace that He was showing to her and the grace that would be displayed in
the Cross
A)This is what Jesus was
saying to this woman and anyone else who has ever struggled in sexual sin
B)Your
forgiven, but stop sinning. Don’t let sexual sin master you.
1)It
will wipe you out, it will destroy you, so put it out of your life.” But I want you to be Free !
C)Jesus was the perfect balance
of grace and truth.
1) One of the things that I would like you to watch
for as we go through this Gospel is this perfect balance of grace and truth as seen in the life of Jesus
Greatest
example – the Cross – Truth – The wages of sin is death – the soul that sins
will surely die
A)The TRUTH said – Doomed –
DAMMED – LOST
B) Grace says but here is
the answer – My son will die in your place.
Notice what
John says in v. 16 And of His fullness we have all
received, grace for grace.
A)The
Greek word that John uses here for “fullness” is really interesting, it’s
the Greek word play'-ro-mah
B)
It referred to a ship that was fully loaded with cargo and fully
staffed with crew.
1)
All that you have to do is to walk on board and it is ready to go. Cruise ship – Eat / Shows
C)
That’s what we have in Christ, everything that we need, in abundance.
1)
It’s all there and ready to go. Enough
grace for whatever your situation is!
D)You
get the picture here that what we have in Jesus is a sea of resources that
cannot be exhausted.
1) Think
of it as, wave after wave of grace.
A surfer’s worst night mare is a big
swell with
close intervals
between the waves.
A)What
you want is a big swell with nice long intervals between waves so you can
get out.
B)Other
wise, you go under one wave, and wham ,
another
one breaks on top of you and then another and you just keep getting pushed back
to the beach.
C)
For a surfer that is an incredible bummer – but put that in the context of
God’s grace –
1)
We are talking great Blessing here.
It is like Pipeline or Mavericks on a Giant day.
A)But then you put this in the
context of God’s Grace you have one wave of blessing breaking over you and then another.
B) You are just about recovering from the one
wave and Kaboom – another – More Blessing
1) One set followed by
another - It’s
more then you can take.
C) But
that is the way that Jesus wants it to be.
Wave
after wave of His goodness and grace washing over your life.
1)
Wave after wave of His Blessings pouring into our lives.
From
His Fullness we have received necessary Grace
A)Salvation Grace –
B)Everyday
Grace – Just enough to get thru the day. Enough for each day
C) Marriage
grace – Love your wife / love your husband
1) Grace for parenting
D) Grace
for ministry
E) People grace – grace for
difficult grace- Wave after wave coming out of His fullness