Jesus, God Embodied
Notes
Transcript
Handout
John 1:3.
3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.
Jesus is the Creator, as the Incarnate Word John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” The OT idea is in Psalm 33:4–9 and Proverbs 8:30.
3 Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.
4 For the word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness.
5 He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.
6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.
7 He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap; he puts the deeps in storehouses.
8 Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!
9 For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.
30 then I was beside him, like a master workman, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always,
Jesus as God is a theme through the book of John. Paul says it this way in Colossians 1:16.
16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.
What phrase is repeated in John 1:3 and Colossians 1:16?
The phrase is “all things”.
Does this leave anything out? No, all things is all things.
What significance is there in Jesus being the Creator?
First, it is proof that he is God, the second person of the Trinity.
Second, it validates all his power. I think of Psalm 135:5–7.
5 For I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all gods.
6 Whatever the Lord pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.
7 He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth, who makes lightnings for the rain and brings forth the wind from his storehouses.
Third, it proves that he will do all that he has promised his people, as Paul said in 2 Corinthians 1:20–22.
20 For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.
21 And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us,
22 and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.
Fourth, it reminds us that we are creatures, created for his glory. We, therefore, are to choose to live for his glory, as Paul instructs us in 1 Corinthians 10:31.
As Jesus’ creatures, how do we live for his glory?
Humility is a key ingredient to applying this. Humility is not self degradation, but a proper assessment of the new creation he has made us through his death and resurrection. So in humility we choose to seek his agenda rather than our own.
John 1:4.
4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
As Creator, he is the source of all life.
As Messiah, he is the source of all redeemed life.
How did Jesus shine his light into the world?
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John will use light as a metaphor for Jesus throughout the book. Here, Jesus is the originator of life as the light of men.
He will also use darkness to represent the fallen physical and spiritual world.
Mills writes “In the Bible, light frequently indicates people or things are righteous, pure, godly, or good. Darkness indicates the opposite—wickedness, impurity, immorality, and evil. Light is associated with life, especially a life of blessing and prosperity; darkness is associated with suffering, death, and decay (Pss 36:9; 56:13; Job 10:21; 17:13; 18:18; 33:30). (Mills, Donald. “Light and Darkness.” Lexham Theological Wordbook, edited by Douglas Mangum et al., Lexham Press, 2014.)
Light is also used to symbolizes the glory of God, which Jesus embodies. (John 1:14).
What are some of the ways Jesus is the light of men?
6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
He is the light of men in that he brings the life of salvation, the knowledge of God’s glory. This makes me think of John 8:12; 14:6.
12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 1:5.
5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Here we are reminded that neither Satan nor the chaos or brokenness of this world can overcome Jesus, the Light of Life. May we receive him and rest in the life that he has freely given us.