6.11.17~John 1:14-18, Jesus Exegetes the Father.
Revelation 1:8, “I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” 17c-18a, “I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever!”
John 1:3-4 tells us the Word is the Creator of all things, and the full embodiment of life from God, the revelation of God to all mankind (Genesis 1:1).
John 1:11-12 says all those who believe in the Word, Christ, become spiritual and eternal children of God, (v. 13) being born-again by the Spirit of God.
John 3:6-7, Jesus says to Nicodemus, “Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.’”
See John 1:14... God, the Creator and life giver, put on flesh and lived among His creation. God became fully man, yet remaining fully God.
1Timothy 3:16, “Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.
God was in the flesh of Jesus, and the glory of God was clearly evidenced in Him, for He is God the Son, who came from God the Father and made His dwelling lived in a tent, i.e. tented) among us.
In the OT God lived (tented) among Israel: in the Tabernacle (Exodus 40:34-35;) and in the Temple (1Kings 8:10-11). In eternity God will dwell (tent) with His people (Revelation 21:3-4).
Jesus (God in the flesh, Immanuel) revealed God’s glory, although not fully, due to His flesh, but it was still magnificent. Up on the mountain, with Peter, James and John, when Christ was transfigured, we are told (Matthew 17:2), “His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.”
God was in Jesus’ Body, full of grace and truth...
Grace = unmerited mercy, blessing & favor of God.
Ephesians 2:8-9, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Titus 2:11, “the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.”
Truth = without error, as things really are, were and will be...
Ephesians 1:13, “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the
word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.”
Ephesians 4:21, “Surely you heard of Him and were taught in Him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus.”
1Timothy 2:3-4, “God our Savior [who] wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” (John 8:32, the truth will set you free)
Back in verse 7 we read that the Baptizer was a witness to testify (that the Word, Jesus Christ, is the exact representation of God), in order that we might believe in God through Him, who said:
John 5:22-23, “The Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent Him.”
John 8:23-24, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am [the one I claim to be], you will indeed die in your sins."
John 10:30, “I and the Father are one.”
In 1John 2:23 we read, “No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.”
See John 1:15... The Baptizer said, “This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me because He was before me.'"
Jesus was born six months later than the Baptizer
Jesus came to the Jordan River after the Baptizer
Jesus eternally exists and has always existed; yet, He was the One (Micah
5:2) who was coming as, “ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times,” (NASB) “His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity.” Yet He was still to come: birth, death, returns, King, Judge...
He has always existed
See John 1:16... God’s grace provides everything we need, bringing blessing after blessing (see 2Peter 1:2-4).
See John 1:17... God’s Law saves no one!
Please turn to Romans 3:19-22, “Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in His sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.”
The Law is not grace, but instead, God’s grace is granted to law breaking sinners who repent, bringing forgiveness through Christ’s sacrifice. The Law convicts us and condemns us - making evident our need for the grace and truth that has come through Christ the Lord (Galatians 3:24), “So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith.” See John 1:18... No one has ever seen God, except for God’s Son, the Word of God who came from the Father.
It is through Jesus that we have seen God; for it is Christ who shows us, revealing and making known the Father.
Please turn to Colossians 1:15-20, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross.”
“No one has ever seen God, except God the One and Only, at the Father's side, who has made Him known.” “At the Father’s side” [in the bosom of the Father], is very similar to what is expressed in John 1:1-2; in that, the Son was with the Father in intimate fellowship since the beginning - and so, only the Son can reveal the Father to us.
Please turn to John 14:6-7, “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him.’”
9 “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.”
11 “Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.”
Matthew 11:27, “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.”
The Word of God’s main purpose was to exegete the Father, i.e., to show, reveal, make known. explain and interpret the Father for us, that we might hear and believe in God’s Son, the Savior who has provided forgiveness for sins and eternal life.
From the very beginning, upon creating life, God revealed Himself to His creation, humankind:
- He walked in the garden with Adam and Eve
- He spoke to people of faith throughout history, e.g., Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David...
- He sent prophets to speak to the Jews
- He was present with the Jews in the desert as a pillar of smoke/fire, in the Tabernacle, the Temple...
- Then God left the Jews for 400 years
- He again broke the silence with His Son
God Himself came to earth, putting on flesh, living among humankind,
proclaiming the way of salvation, becoming the payment for our sins, taking our punishment, redeeming all who believe in Him.
Jesus said:
John 6:40, “For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”
John 6:46-47, “No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only He has seen the Father. I tell you the truth, he who believes [in Him] has everlasting life.”
What a gracious God we have, of all the people on the earth, we, God’s children ought to be thankful.
Pastor Mike <‘(((><