John 1 - 2

John 1-2

1)      Existed in the beginning 2)      Existed in close relation to God (as a separate person) 3)      Existed as God

 Jesus is God  1)      1:1 in his pre-incarnate state 2)      1:14 in his incarnate state  3)      20:28 in his resurrected state

 John 1:1

-The word means “beginning, origin, first cause.” – beginning of history (before man) / born again (spiritual)

- Two beginnings -  eternity past and beginning of man/spirit  – Gen. 1:26  God said let us make man in our image….                                                                                                                     

• Who was God talking to?
• Connect to Genesis … light / darkness (1:5)
• The Word is part of creation
• Never was a time when Jesus was not
• Jesus is God

 1: 3-5

After describing the relationship to the Father, the Word’s relationship to creation is stated. The Word is equal with God, but superior to creation. …. The Word is not part of creation.

Proverbs 8:12-9:12 is an OT description of “the Word.” John states here clearly what the OT had been alluding to in the use of “word”

John addresses the first manifestation of “The Word” communicating with man:   Creation.

• In creation God gave one of his greatest revelations of himself (Romans 1)
• Jesus was the one who created everything:      1 Cor. 8:6 ,      Col. 1:16,  Heb. 1:2, Rev. 3:14
• Life as refer to Jesus = Total 135x

1:5

“light shines” is present tense here for the first time.  The manifestation of this light into the world and into the hearts of men is a continuous action that continues even today. But, the shining of the light that occurred at creation and at the incarnation is still occurring today by that same Word. God’s manifestation of his revelation is not over and historically recorded.  It is recorded, but it is still shining in life and light today

This was not a dual between two equal powers.  Just as light is always greater than darkness, Jesus, the creator is always greater than darkness.

Nature reveals this truth.

a)      We turn on a light switch which drives away the darkness.

b)      The sun drives out the darkness in the morning.  The only reason darkness returns; the sun sets and leaves our view.

c)      We can create light with bulbs.  We cannot create dark bulbs.

d)      Darkness never drives out the light in any natural occurrence.  Darkness only occurs when light is removed or absent.

This theme will reach its highlight in the crucifixion.  This was the darkest moment. 

The darkest event completely disappears, though in the light of the resurrection.

 What John introduces in these three verses continues throughout the book.

• Jesus authority in Creation both physically and spiritually
• Parallels of light and darkness which represent:
• Revelation and salvation (light)
• Ignorance and sin (darkness)

The Seven Witnesses

In the gospel of John there are 7 witnesses

1)      The Father 5:31-32, 34, 37; 8:18

2)      Christ 8:14, 18; 3:11, 32; 8:37

3)      The Holy Spirit 15:26; 16:14

4)      Jesus’ Works 5:36; 19:25; 14:11; 15:24

5)      Scripture 5:39; 5:45-46

6)      John the Baptist 1:7; 1:8; 1:15; 1:19; 1:32; 1:34; 3:26; 5:33

7)      Human witnesses:

a.       Disciples 15:27; 19:35; 21:24

b.      Samaritan woman 4:39

c.       Multitude 12:17

The Prophet was sent by God,  Prophets had to have evidence, No evidence proves they were false

 There Must Be Evidence to Verify the Truth

• It is important to have credible witnesses to the truth.

• God and John are not going to ask you to believe something without verifying its truthfulness.

• To have faith (confidence) in something there must be some evidence or proof of facts.

• Again, faith is not blind faith.Bible teaching itself should be logical and make sense in the world we live. - secular history as well as archology

John 3:1-18

• Pray
• Text passage John 3:1-18

John 3

Born from Above

1-2   There was a man of the Pharisee sect, Nicodemus, a prominent leader among the Jews. Late one night he visited Jesus and said, "Rabbi, we all know you're a teacher straight from God. No one could do all the God-pointing, God-revealing acts you do if God weren't in on it."

-          Pharisees num. About 6000 in Israel

-          Very important to them to show outward religion (fasting, praying, ceremonial washing –etc)

-          Knew messiah coming

-          Very opposed to Jesus

-          Jesus very critical of them

-          Many theories on why he went at night but I think so no one would see him

-          Evidently, the Pharisees had drawn a conclusion about Jesus.

-          Called him teacher out of respect / I think he knew who Jesus was (John 7:50,51 & 19:39)

3     Jesus said, "You're absolutely right (about being a teacher – knowing more than you). Take it from me: Unless a person is born from above, it's not possible to see what I'm pointing to—to God's kingdom."

-         No kidding

-         Very well could have taken the attitude of “don’t even try to think of yourself as equal, but I believe Jesus Knew Nic. knew who Jesus was.

-         Everything Jesus did pointed to God’s Kingdom & He wanted to get across not only to Nic. But to you and me that we must accept the salvation God is giving to us. Eph 2:8-9

4     "How can anyone," said Nicodemus, "be born who has already been born and grown up? You can't re-enter your mother's womb and be born again. What are you saying with this 'born-from-above' talk?"

  

 5-6 Jesus said, "You're not listening. Let me say it again. Unless a person submits to this original creation—the 'wind-hovering-over-the-water' creation,(Gen. 1:1) the invisible moving the visible, a baptism into a new life—it's not possible to enter God's kingdom. When you look at a baby, it's just that: a body you can look at and touch. But the person who takes shape within is formed by something you can't see and touch—the Spirit—and becomes a living spirit.
 7-8 "So don't be so surprised when I tell you that you have to be 'born from above'—out of this world, so to speak. You know well enough how the wind blows this way and that. You hear it rustling through the trees, but you have no idea where it comes from or where it's headed next. That's the way it is with everyone 'born from above' by the wind of God, the Spirit of God."
 9 Nicodemus asked, "What do you mean by this? How does this happen?"
 10-12 Jesus said, "You're a respected teacher of Israel and you don't know these basics? Listen carefully. I'm speaking sober truth to you. I speak only of what I know by experience; I give witness only to what I have seen with my own eyes. There is nothing secondhand here, no hearsay. Yet instead of facing the evidence and accepting it, you procrastinate with questions. If I tell you things that are plain as the hand before your face and you don't believe me, what use is there in telling you of things you can't see, the things of God?
 13-15 "No one has ever gone up into the presence of God except the One who came down from that Presence, the Son of Man. In the same way that Moses lifted the serpent in the desert (a type of Jesus Num 21:6-9 )so people could have something to see and then believe, it is necessary for the Son of Man to be lifted up—and everyone who looks up to him, trusting and expectant, will gain a real life, eternal life.
 16-18 "This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person's failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him. (Message)

God’s purpose now is to re-establish Kingdom, in doing, He, sacrificed His Son to “buy back”

          - Jesus came 1^st time as a Savior, not a Judge

-         Jews in those days believed Messiah would judge mankind – they had reason to believe that (Psalm 98:9, Isaiah 3:13)

they rejected Jesus, so salvation had to come from non-Jews (gentiles)Jews did not see Church age (we are in now) – Gospel supposed to come through Jews:
16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 "For God ⁾did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

-          notice He does not save by love – He saves by belief - loves all unconditionally - saved or not: God will love us even going to hell.

He saves by Grace – His Grace comes by faith in His Word, Eph 2:8-9 – you must be born again (John 3) by accepting and relying on His Word
Ephesian 1:5-6 – He chose us to be adopted sons through (because of)Jesus
John 14:6 – way, truth , light
Heb 2:9-11   - Captain = Gr. archegegos >author >take the lead
Jesus makes it clear that only through Him can we enter into God’s family (children of)

 18 "^(AC)He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of ^(AD)the only begotten Son of God.

- You never surprise God

                        - penalty is always (with God) pre-determined
(NKJV)

Romans 10:9-11

9That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 11As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame."^[

God's Pursuit Of Man

 _______________________________________________________________________

• ·   Gen :1-3  God created heaven and earth – note The Spirit brooded over the waters – caring / salvation. God is good…..all the time…..that’s the way God is - the model for all parents dealing with their children.

·        

•  even before man’s existence God cared for and planned to take care of mankind to begin pursuit

•  Dictionary.com definition of “pursuit”

1. The act or an instance of chasing or pursuing.

2.  The act of striving: the pursuit of higher education.

3.  An activity, such as a vocation or hobby, engaged in regularly.

•  out of desire for fellowship and deep caring - established first a place for man and gave him everything he needed – you only pursue what you care about.

examples -

Adam / Eve – Disobedience in Garden

·         Gen 3:9  “where are you?” – among God’s first dealing’s/man – He had relationship (Gen 3:21) – walked in cool of day

·         When Adam disobeyed, God started relentless pursuit of mankind

                  

Dictionary.com

re·lent·less–adjective   - that does not relent; unyieldingly severe, strict, or harsh; unrelenting:   —Synonyms 

 rigid, unbending, obdurate, adamant, unyielding.

unrelenting, unyielding pursuit 

•  God without giving up – does not care about emotion – unyielding – does not give up

·         Adam said “we are hiding because we are naked” – at that point (they didn’t realize it) they were spiritually naked – without God – vulnerable.

·           Gen. 3:21 - God took care of them – made clothes for them from animal skins – already taking care of them. Begins pursuit – even though fallen state.

·         Gen. 22:7-8  Abraham knew God would provide either through his son or His Son – Abraham did not know specifically about Jesus, but knew God would reward obedience and provide one way or other.

·         Gen. 22:10-13 – Abraham / Isaac – God provided sacrifice (His compassion – He found one man faithful) – Was God bound to sac. Jesus since Abe willing to sac. Isaac? (would God be outdone – “no man is greater than his master”)

·         Took care of Noah (preserve Noah and family – as well as pursuing and preserving mankind) 

·         God takes care of man, throughout  history, in ALL dealings with mankind regardless of degree of  Love. God is Love – 1 John 4:8 – everything He does - whether it seems like it or not, is done out of love. – IT HIS NATURE!

·         rescued nation from Egypt

·         provided means for escape – Pharaoh – Red Sea

·         gave them manna, quail, water

·         Duet 30:19 told them what was good for them and then told them what to choose/do

(life-death - choose life)….not  only physical but spiritual

·         even though trip took longer than it should have God took care of them and got them there

·         Through tough love – a cycle of God punishing and man coming back and the falling away again - etc. etc. He (God) pursued (pursues) man relentlessly because of unquenchable desire to have relationship with him.

·         God made final sacrifice for us – taking care of and providing sacrifice in His Son (Him) for us – we can not be good enough or take care of ourselves.

·         How to accept His help – Rom 10:9…Eph 2:-9

·         His pursuit so relentless He made it about Him – not us

·         He knew and we proved time and time again He would have to do redemptive work for us.

·         One final plea for us – Rev 3:20 (door of heart and knock) (pursue/knock example)

·         Rev 22:13 – Alpha & Omega – 1^st and last to say about our lives –

·          Eph 1:4 foundations of earth 1^st thing to say

·         John 3:17-18 – last thing (JUDGED ALREADY)

·         God does not know time – past, present and future are all the same. So “where are you”

has same relevance today to us as it did to Adam

·         He always pursues us – it’s His Nature / up to us to answer call (at the door of our hearts) –

·         Heb 11:6-7 - When we respond the circle of pursuit begins

He rewards us with his presence

·         throughout the Bible God seems less interested in proving existence but more interested in showing what He is like.