The Gospel of John Prologue

Reading …

• In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. …John 1;1-2…
• The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and only…John 1;14

Introduction …

• Last week we centered our thoughts on John's purpose in writing …
  • That you may know that Jesus is the Christ, the Son  of God and that believing you may have life in his name… John 20;31
  • Is this man a believer…read quote… who is he.
• We said that involved 2 things …
  • Consider the claims …
  • And counting them worthy of trust
• Today we want to have a look at the first section of John’s gospel which translators  have entitled the Prologue …

Prologue …

• A prologue is 
  • A summary of the main teaching to come. 
  • It is a bit like what we see on Netflix and Showmax when they advertise movies and show trailers… Based on fact.  
    • Trainers are designed to raise your awareness and interest. 
• Here it is a trailer of the truths that John is wanting to convey …
  • They concern the claims made by Jesus in his lifetime. 
• So as we go through this prologue we will see exactly what John believes concerning Jesus. 
  • And his purpose is to encourage you to accept these beliefs. 
• Today the world is very divided on what to believe and what to reject about Jesus
  • The real issue is … What is truth .
• Clement of Alexander … 2 nd century quotes an atheist Platonic philosopher as he comments on the Gospel of John …
  • This barbarian hath comprised more stupendous stuff in 3 lines than we have in all our voluminous discourses. 
• And of course he was reading John 1;1
  • In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning .
  • Thru him all things were made; without him nothing was made that was made. 
  • In him was life and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not understood it. 
• Many commentators believe that the most profound and important truth in the universe is taught in verse 14 …
  • The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth… John 1;14
• Clearly for us to have any level of understanding we must break it down so that we can build it up, 

In the Beginning …Arche …

• What beginning are we talking about. 
  • Arche means the first in relation to time. 
  • And beginning refers to the inception of time …  
• It is not eternity because there is no time in eternity. 
  • It has no beginning or end. 
• It has to be talking about creation …
  • Creation was the beginning of time …Genesis 1;3-5
    • On the first day God separated the light from the darkness calling it day and night, evening and morning… The first day

Was …En

• Was … This is written in the imperfect tense …
  • Which depicts  continual existence… a Continuous state.
    • No beginning … no end. 
      • Not a completed past. 
  • The Word is pre-existent to time…
    • Before Abraham was … I am.
  • He pre-existed time …
    • And therefore was able to be present at creation.
    • And was able to create time … Col 1;16
      • All things were created by Him and for Him.
    • By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible … Heb 11;3
• Athanasius said …
  • There never was when he was not.
• The problem was that even at this very early stage there were so called teachers that were infiltrating the church and teaching false doctrine and heresy about Jesus. 
  • And John is making it very clear that Jesus is pre-existent and eternal.

Word …Logos …

• John’s purpose is to create belief in Jesus the giver of life …
  • And so he establishes WHO Jesus is And WHAT he did. 
• The use of the term Word is not something we are too familiar with …
  • But to Jews and Greeks of the day it was meaningful …
    • Greeks believed that logos was a bridge between the creator God and material man. 
      • A mediator or agent of God 
      • But their philosophy was always in a state of flux and dispute 
        • With changes and new beliefs coming up all the time. 
    • Jews believed that God was revealed by his word. 
      • And through the Old Testament they already had a knowledge of God and his promise of a Messiah. 
  • John says the Word is the point of revelation about God…and Messiah
    • Philip says to Jesus… 
      • Lord show us the father and that will be enough …
    • Jesus replies … 
      • Don’t you know me even after I have been with you for so long… 
      • Anyone who has seen me has seen the father… John 14;9
    • The entire point of Jesus' ministry was to reveal God to the people.
      • John says … vs 14
        • Jesus dwelt among us and we have seen … 
          • The glory of the One and Only … The Father
      • The Father revealed through the Word… Jesus
  • We will not learn anything more about the father than what is already revealed by the Son.
• We use words to convey messages, ideas, truths, beliefs, feelings. 
  • To assist with understanding …teaching
• God desires to reveal himself to us …
  • So he sends the Word to do that …Math 11;27
    • No one knows the father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.  
  • He also does that by his Spirit …  1Cor 2;7-10
    • But God has revealed it (The gospel) to us by his Spirit. 

The Word was God …

• Herein lies the gulf between cult and truth …
  • J.W.’s say … the Word was a (Another) god…
    • They insert the article a and use a small g for god. 
      • So denying his true identity.
  • The Mormons believe that Jesus and God were 2 distinctly different persons. 
    • That also denies his true identity.
  • Many so-called evangelical churches do not teach Jesus as the only way 
    • Lakewood Church …Joel Osteen …
      • The largest congregation in the U.S.A.
• However here is what Jesus says … John 8;24
  • If you do not believe I am (He)… you will die in your sins …
    • Beware of your translation here …
    • Because the HE is not in the Greek text. 
• I am … Ego eimi …Present tense
  • Ego … I
  • Eimi … to be ( existent ) 
    • I continually exist (Self existent one)
      • Always was and always will be.
  • Jesus to the Jews who claimed they believed in Jesus … John 8;31
    • I tell you the truth, before Abraham was born I am… John 8;54
  • How did the Jews react …
    • They picked up stones to stone him because they believed his claims were blasphemous.
    • They had no doubts about the fact that Jesus was claiming to be the self-existent God.
• And as we pointed out this is the crux of the matter…  
  • If you do not believe who I am  …John 8;24
• The incredible truth is …
  • The eternal God took on flesh and dwelt among us revealing his glory to us… John 1;14…

Who is the Word …

• The context of this chapter makes it very clear who it is …
  • John the Baptist makes it clear who it is … 
    • He says I am not that light that gives life …
      • My purpose is to point you to him … vs 6-9
    • The very next day he saw Jesus and said …
      • Look, there he is, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin world … 29
  • As Jesus calls Nathanael to discipleship what does he say …
    • You are the Son of God the King of Israel … vs 49
      • He is going back to Old Testament promises of a Messiah and confirms who Jesus is. 
• Once you believe that the rest is easy. 

Through him all things were made …vs 3

• So the triune Godhead says …
  • Let us make man in our own image …
• This is a conversation within the Godhead …
  • But it is easy to accept because the living, eternal,  self-existent God can do whatever he thinks. 
  • And as we saw in Hebrews he makes it all out of nothing. 
    • He speaks and so it is. 
• And so in the beginning God the Father, Son and Spirit create all things …
  • Every single thing that exists is made by them for their purposes.
• The problem arises when we the creation move outside of their purposes.
  • And we have to be brought back in line. 
    • And to achieve that repositioning Jesus comes as the savior of mankind. 

Light and life … vs 4

• We are talking about the self-existent, eternal God the creator of all things 
  • Of course he is light and life …
  • Without that there is no creation and he is not God. 
• He has the knowledge to create…
  • He imparts life by breathing into  mankind the breath of life .
• Ours is a world of darkness …
  • They are attempting to destroy the light of Gods word. 
  • But they solve nothing and only create problems …
    • Politically, financially, socially. 
• So John the Baptist points to Jesus and says …
  • He is the true light who enlightens man… vs 9

There is a problem …

• But here is the problem …
  • He was in the world, and though the world was made by him, the world did not recognise him… vs 10
• He comes to his own people…as the Messiah, Christ, the Word.
  • To a people who have received so much light throughout the Old Testament era …
    • But they do not recognise him …
      • They will not recognise him …
        • Away with him, we will not have this man rule over us.
• Do you get it …
  • Nathanael … you are the King of Israel …
    • They say we don't recognise him as king
  • John says … the Word was God
    • They say this man 
  • Jesus says … Because you do not believe in me you will die in your sin.

Summary …

• So what is John saying …
  • The eternal Godhead creates all things including time. 
  • They reveal themselves to mankind thru…
    • The written word … the scriptures, the law of Moses.
    • The spoken word … the prophets
    • And eventually the ultimate revelation comes thru the Word …
      • God himself in flesh …
      • Revealing all he is in and thru Jesus the Christ the Son of God.
      • Full of grace and truth. 
  • And this is what Napoleon found to be unequalled.
• The question is …
  • Do you believe.