The Book of John - 6
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction: At the conclusion of the Epilogue John gives us a summary.
Beginning in verse 10 through verse 14, this summary declares what we will find in the rest of this Gospel record.
There will be those who receive the Lord Jesus Christ and there will be those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ.
In verses 12 and 13 we see two parts concerning Salvation.
In verse 12, we see that man is responsible for the light that He is given by the Lord Jesus Christ.
Two things must be noted concerning the True Light.
The first, is that the light of the Lord Jesus Christ reveals to man where he stands in accountability to God.
The holiness of Christ reveals the truth that is found in Romans 3:23 “23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”
What we find in the Gospel records is that the Lord Jesus Christ lived a sinless perfect life.
The Bible says in Hebrews 4:14-15 “14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”
In Matthew chapter 5:17 the Lord stated “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.”
The Lord Jesus Christ not only reveals to us our accountability in light of our sinfulness, but he also by His Light reveals to us His perfection.
When we think about this blessed fact, we come to realize that the Lord Jesus Christ:
- Walked righteously fulfilling all principles and precepts of the Law.
- The Lord Jesus Christ fulfills all prophecies concerning God’s redemptive plan and the Messiah
There are indeed certain prophecies that still await fulfillment concerning the Lord (ex: His millennial reign), but just as those speaking of His birth, life, death, burial and resurrection have been fulfilled, all others will be fulfilled as well.
- All pictures and types are fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ. i.e. The Ark, The Tabernacle, The Sacrificial Lamb, The person of Joseph, The person of Isaac etc...
- All that is spoken about concerning the wisdom of God given in the Psalms and Proverbs is fulfilled by the Lord Jesus Christ.
In sum, what we are basically restating is that Lord Jesus Christ is perfect in all ways.
He thus fulfilled all righteousness. (Matthew 3:15 - deals with the Lord Jesus Christ’s baptism, but expresses this particular phrase.)
We finished up last week looking at the not only man’s responsibility to the True Light, but also the work that God does in Salvation.
This matter of being born-again is a work that only God can perform.
It is stated that it is not of blood, not by the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
In verse 13 if you were to take out the three negative statements, you would see the positive statement which is “Which were born....of God...”
And so the right or authority to be become a son of God is based upon receiving the Lord Jesus Christ, believing on His name, but the actual transaction, being born of God is the work of God.
Then as we continued through this passage we came to this last great and profound summary statement.
v14 And the Word was made 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.”
10. The Word was made Flesh.
This is certainly a profound mystery concerning the Lord Jesus Christ.
God became man without ceasing to be God.
And while we understand this truth because of what is revealed to us in the Bible, it is hard to comprehend.
As we discussed already there are four statements made here in this verse.
The Word was made flesh.
The Word by His incarnation dwelt among us.
The Lord Jesus Christ’s glory was beheld and this glory was as of the only begotten of the Father.
The Lord Jesus Christ is full of grace and truth.
Each one of these four statements are important for us to consider.
The first we discussed finishing up last weeks lesson; that is the Word was made flesh.
This does not denote a beginning of existence for the second person of the Trinity, but rather Him taking upon himself humanity (the incarnation).
In technical terms, theologians call this the hypostatic union. The Lord is fully God but He is also fully man. Two natures, one person.
The Bible says in speaking about the Lord’s marvelous humility, “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.” II Corinthians 8:9
When was it that He became poor? When he stooped down from eternity to humanity for the time and purpose of going to the cross of calvary.
It is often referred to as His humiliation.
And this truth, that the Lord Jesus Christ came in the flesh, being made in the flesh, is vital.
Notice these two verses that speak to the importance of this statement:
I John 4:3 “And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.”
II John 1:7 “For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.”
This very statement according to the word of God is vital. Man cannot be redeemed by the sacrifice of an angel, He must be redeemed by a man---- the God-man. For the decree of death was given to man by God because of sin.
We see not only that the Word was made flesh, but notice secondly,
11. The Word by His incarnation dwelt among us.
This would seem to be an obvious statement that is accepted by folks. However, it is not just any one that dwelt with us, but rather it is that God dwelt with us.
It is easy for the lost world to accept that there was a person by the name of Jesus who was called the Christ that dwelt among us.
But for folks to grasp that this was Immanuel God with us is something most people have trouble with.
I am reminded of a dear church member who shortly after Shannon and I started full time on staff here stopped coming.
The reason why, was because He could not believe that Jesus Christ was God in the flesh.
I tried even to share with Him video from my Bible Doctrine class in college, thinking maybe if he saw plainly from the Scriptures from the mouth of someone else He would receive this biblical truth.
But in the end, he would not receive this vital part of doctrine concerning the Lord Jesus Christ and because of this, I believe he stopped coming to this church.
In this verse, the Holy Spirit gives us a precious key to understanding this truth by backing the Lord’s advent with all the history of the Scriptures.
You might be thinking, what do you mean by that?
As we go backwards into the Old Testament and study the Scriptures we come to a particular part of Scriptures when God formed and called a nation out of Egypt. We rightly call them the nation of Israel.
In Genesis 15:12-14 “And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him. And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.”
That nation surely came out the loins of Abraham and out Egypt according to God’s promise in Genesis 15.
God raised up the man Moses to lead them. And the nation came to Mount Sinai where God made a covenant with His people.
In Exodus 19:3-6 the Bible says, “And Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel; Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself. Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.”
In the midst of all of this, time period God commanded them to build and erect a Tabernacle.
This tabernacle was were the people of God met with God.
And it was specifically patterned by God…
In Exodus 25:39-40 “According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it. And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.”
And so, the idea is simply this, that this meeting place this tent was of God’s design, it was specific to His pattern.
In the book of Hebrews we come to see the real significance of this for the Bible says this,
Hebrews 9:8-12 “The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing: Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation. But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.”
This better more perfect tabernacle was of God’s making.
God pitched His tent with man when the Word was made flesh.
The Bible word used here that is translated as dwelt as was stated before literally means to take up residence with....
And so we see this blessed truth, that God dwelt among man…being made flesh.
Then thirdly, notice remarkably that the Bible says, “…(and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father)....
What is meant by this?
David Sorenson in his commentary stated this, “They live with Him and from personal experience they knew Him well. That is powerful testimony.
They beheld His glory. The word translated as glory (doxa) has the sense of “brilliant light” to the point of blinding. Not only was Jesus the light of the world spiritually, on more than one occasion, the disciples saw His physical light (on the mount of transfiguration, and the Road to Damascus, for example.) His glory revealed Him to be the only begotten of the Father.”
That word beheld gives the idea of continual examination or gazing.
This looking upon Christ with intent to know Him.
We are reminded again of John’s testimony in I John where he states “1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;” (I John 1:1)
Just as the shekinah glory rested upon the Tabernacle the Lord of glory dwelt among us, and these disciples beheld Him.
What did they discover in their examination of the Lord Jesus Christ?
Was He an imposter?
Was He a blasphemer?
Was He a wine-bibber?
Was He a trouble maker?
No, the Bible says, He is “...full of grace and truth.”
We might think of this phrase this way, in the fullest He is the sum of divine revelation.
This brings us to the last statement.
11. The Lord Jesus Christ is full of grace and truth.
John Philips in His expository comments stated this, “Grace corresponds with the revelation that God is love truth corresponds with revelation of God as light.”
Truth without grace gives us condemnation. The letter of the Law spelled condemnation for man. And this my friend is truth.
It is a true thing to behold the perfect and holy law of God.
It expresses His perfection. It is expresses that there is absolute right according the moral lawgiver of all creation.
The law is just and holy, but the Lord Jesus Christ is not was not just full of truth, but He thank the Lord is full of grace… unending grace.
So much so we find these words in summary of John the Baptist testimony in verse 16, “And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.”
Literally this means grace heaped upon grace....overflowing marvelous grace.
We see He is full of truth.... perfection to the infinite degree… and grace to the infinite degree as well.
Oh how wonderful and marvelous the Savior is!!!
We all are like doubting Thomas… seeing this marvelous truth and exclaiming with all with have, “My Lord and My God!”
I like what one theologian said by way of example, “When a child asked, “What is God like?” the apostle indisputably answered “Jesus.” When the philosophers and theologians debated, argued, and asked, “What does God say?” the same apostle unhesitatingly replied, “Let Jesus tell you.””
Speaking of this revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ being full of grace and truth, “Neither Moses nor the prophets could bring these in their fulness”
Next week when we come back we will begin to unfold the testimony of the witnesses and continue on in our exposition of the book of John.