Grace Bible Church

Preaching the Living Word through the Written Word

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FROM BEGINNING TO BIRTH - Part 1

(Jn 1:1-5) 11/30/14

Grace Bible Church, Gillette, Wyoming

Pastor Daryl Hilbert

 

I.     THE BIRTH OF CHRIST FROM THE GOSPELS

 

A.    Matthew

1.     The Legal Genealogy through Joseph (Mt 1:1-17)

2.     The Birth of Christ (Mt 1:18-25)

3.     The Visit of the Magi (Mt 2:1-12)

4.     The Escape to Egypt (Mt 2:13-15)

5.     The Massacre of the Infants (Mt 2:16-18)

6.     The Return from Egypt (Mt 2:19-23)

B.    Luke

1.     The Birth of Christ Foretold (Lk 1:26-38)

2.     Mary Visits Elizabeth (Lk 1:39-45)

3.     Mary's Song of Praise (Lk 1:46-56) 

4.     The Birth of Jesus (Lk 2:1-7)

5.     The Shepherds and the Angels (Lk 2:8-20)

6.     Jesus Is Named (Lk 2:21)

7.     Jesus Is Presented in the Temple (Lk 2:22-38)

8.     The Return to Nazareth (Lk 2:39-40)

9.     The Natural Genealogy through Mary (Lk 3:23-38)

 

II.    THE GOSPEL OF JOHN TELLS OF CHRIST’S ORIGIN

 

A.    Christ’s Origin is Eternal

1.     John portrays Christ as Eternal, as the Logos, as Creator, and as God. Christ had no beginning because He was the eternal God.

2.     The eternal Logos added humanity to His deity at the time of His birth. He was fully God and perfect humanity and without sin.

B.    Deity of Christ from the Gospels

1.     Sceptics have said that John invented the deity of Christ. They maintain that the other Gospels do not depict Christ as God.

2.     This claim is absolutely false. True, John’s Gospel makes Christ’s deity a major theme, but Christ’s deity is also found in the other Gospels.

a)    As “Son of God”

(1)   Called Son of God by author (Mk 1:1)

(2)   Called Son of God at birth (Lk 1:32, 35)

(3)   Called Son by God (Mt 3:17; Mk 9:7; Lk 3:22)

(4)   Son of God tempted (Mt 4:3, 6; Lk 4:3, 9)

(5)   Called Son of God by demons (Mt 8:29; Mk 3:11; Lk 4:41)

(6)   Identified as Son of God at trial (Mt 26:63-64; Lk 22:70)

(7)   Called Son of God by Centurion (Mk 15:39)

b)    As “Son of Man”

(1)   Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath (Mt 12:8; Mk 2:28)

(2)   Son Man will return in the Clouds (Mt 24:30; Mk 8:38; Lk 9:26)

(3)   Son of Man at right hand of God (Mt 26:64-65; Mk 14:62; Lk 22:69)

(4)   Son of Man written about by prophets (Lk 18:31 cf. Is 9:6-7)

(5)   Son of man crucified and rise from the dead (Mt 26:2; Mk 9:31; Lk 24:7)

c)     As Transfigured (Mt 17:2; Mk 9:2)

d)    As Worshipped (Mt 14:33; 28:9; Lk 24:51-52)

e)     As Forgiving sin (Mt 9:2-3; Mk 2:10; Lk 5:24)

 

III.  THE EXPOSITION OF JOHN 1:1-5

1.     Christ Was in the Beginning (Jn 1:1a)

a)    The first phrase in John’s description of Christ was that He already existed from the beginning. The word for “beginning” (archā) is without an article. It implies before there was “any beginning” whatsoever, Christ existed.

b)    It is the same phrase used with reference to God in Ge 1:1. Before the beginning of anything as we know it, God and Christ eternally existed.

c)     In order for John to state this theologically correct, he used the imperfect tense of the eimi (to be) verb. Had John used ginomai (became), it would have meant that Christ came into existence with the rest of creation. The imperfect tense indicates the continuous action of existing (being) in the past. Christ was and is eternal and existed eternally “with” (pros - facing toward) God.

d)    While the word archā in this context means “beginning,” it can carry a more philosophical meaning. To ancient Greek philosophers, The Archā meant the “first principle” or the “source” of all things. In this sense, Christ is The Archā. He is the beginning and the source of all things (Col 1:18; Re 3:14; Re 21:6). It can also mean “rule or ruler” which is also realized in the fact that Christ rules the universe and holds all things together (Col 1:16-18; 2:10; Ep 1:20-22 cf. Php 2:9-11)

2.     Christ Was the Word (Logos) (Jn 1:1a, 14)

a)    Christ was called “the Word” (ho logos). Logos can mean “speech,” “sayings,” “reason,” or “expression.” To the philosophers, the Logos was the Divine Mind, Intellect, or Wisdom behind the created universe.

b)    John identified the “Word” (logos) as Christ in Jn 1:14 where the “Word became flesh, and dwelt among us.”

c)     To John, the Logos was Christ who was the eternal expression and revelation of the being and mind of God (Col 1:15; He 1:3).

d)    This revelation was ultimately expressed to mankind in Christ’s incarnation (Jn 14:8-9; He 1:1-2).

e)     In addition, logos was the term used in the phrases “word of the Lord” or the “word of God” (2Ti 4:2; He 4:12). The Scriptures are the written “Word of God” and reveal the living “Word of God” (Christ) (Re 19:13).

3.     Christ Was God (Jn 1:1c-2)

a)    The reason Christ could express God’s essence and nature is because He is God.

b)    This is one of the clearest Scriptures on Christ’s deity, i.e. the Word “was” (ān - used three times in this verse and means “equivalent to”) “God” (theos) (cf. Php 2:6; Col 1:19; 2:9).

c)     This verse is a basis for the Trinity, though only representing two members (Father and Son). John writes in such a way that he depicts the Word (Christ) in nature and essence of God, yet a separate Person.

4.     Christ Was Creator of All Things (Jn 1:3)

a)    The Logos is also Creator because He brought all things into “being” (ginomai).

b)    To give additional clarification that the Logos was the eternal Creator and not a creature, John states, “apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In other words, the Logos could not have been brought into existence because He brought everything into existence (Col 1:16; He 1:2).

5.     Christ Is the Life and Light (Jn 1:4)

a)    Christ, being the eternal Logos and Creator possesses life and self-existence (aseity). Since He was not created nor given life, He is the source of life.

b)    Christ is also the source of spiritual life, which comes through spiritual understanding and revelation of Christ (i.e. “light” cf. Jn 8:12; 1Jn 2:8).

6.     Christ’s Light is not Grasped (Jn 1:5)

a)    Christ’s light of revelation and salvation shines in the darkness of this sinful world.

b)    However, man’s sin keeps him from understanding that Christ is God and has brought salvation. However, darkness does not overcome the Light.

IV.  OBSERVATIONS AND APPLICATIONS

 

A.    Must view the baby Jesus as God

1.     Simply wrong to view Jesus in manger without knowing He is God.

2.     John’s description applies to the Christmas narrative because it teaches Christ’s origin. But your concept of the babe in the manger will never be the same.

B.    Sinful man does not comprehend Him

1.     Commercialized

2.     Doesn’t comprehend Christ’s salvation

3.     Man is blind - most everyone celebrates Christmas, but few understand its true significance. They do not understand Christ to be the eternal Logos, Creator, and God

C.    Only the God-Man can give eternal life

1.     As Man, Christ was able to die.

2.     As God, Christ was able to be acceptable sacrifice

3.     As God, Christ is able to forgive sin

4.     As God, Christ is able to give eternal life

5.     Because of His birth, He is able to do all these things

 

 

 

 

Grace Bible Church · 4000 E. Collins Rd ·  PO Box #3762 · Gillette, WY · (307) 686-1516