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The Gospel of John, The Word, Part III - Lesson 4
The Prologue
We have discussed "The Word and Deity" "The Word and Creation" "The Word and Life" "The Word and the World"
(Discuss the chronology of this passage. John desires that we clearly understand the eternality of Jesus Christ-The Word=Jesus
We continue our study with "The Word and Men"
Read John 1:11-13, He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
He came as the Word, the Logos, the wisdom, the light, but now comes to his own peculiar people in his proper surroundings, his home, where he fir, but his own did not receive him, "He was despised and rejected of men" we esteemed him not,
He offered liberty form the chains of sin, but they loved their sin instead.
He promised to make them "poor in spirit: holy and happy"
But they did not know they were wretched, miserable, poor blind and naked. Revelation 3:17.
He came to a people "stiff necked and uncircumcised in heart.
But he will be glorious in spite of the rejection of Israel as:
Isaiah 49:5, And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength.
Van Doren says:
a) He came as a Savior offering deliverance but they denied their danger b) He came to redeem but they denied their bondage c) He came to offer eternal life as a gift, they denied their fear of any loss by death. d) He came to make them sons of God but they refused him who alone could give them this power. e) He came to be a fountain, but they denied their need of cleansing. f) He came to be their physician, they denied that they were sick.
God will have the victory as we see in verse 12.
John 1:12, But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
Here we see reception as opposed to rejection:
As many - no limit to opportunity, God is not a respecter of persons, whosoever still stands true in my Bible
As received Him - He came home and is welcomed in.
He is trusted as as a friend, not rejected as a stranger.
The door is open and he is asked in.
He is received as you would recieve a loved one into your home.
This verse starts with receive and concludes with believe.
Receiving and believing then are equivalent terms.
Receiving is to take as a thing offered or sesnt.
To believe on is to trust, to place full confidence in, to rest upon with faith.
If you receive someone into your home you do so with confidence and trust in that person.
You place your well being in their hands.
Those that you won't do this with you do not trust.
If you will not receive Jesus Christ you do not believe on Him.
Receiving the Word brings a new relationship-the right of entry into the family of God.
"to them (to those that receive) gave he power to become the sons of God.
Power means delegated authority and ability
God does not create them sons, he gives them power to become sons.
This power does not only refer to salvation but in a deeper sense it refers to the lifetime work that God is doing in his children.
Being born is only the beginning of a life in the physical sense and likewise being born again is only the beginning in a spiritual sense.
You are born a son of God but God then does a work in you to fully make you a son of God, conforming you to His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.
This is what John 6:29 refers to:
John 6:29, Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
Also Romans 8:29, For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Also Phil 1:6, Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
Whose work is it them? Is it your work?
No! It is God's work!
Note: Water of the Word
We plant, we water- We water ourselves with water (of the word)
But it is God who gives the increase
Eat of the Bread of Life
Drink of the water of the Word
Why then are we so impatient with each other, especially a new believer?
He or she is God's work and not our work or the flesh's work.
Be not impatient with yourself either-wait on God-he is doing the growing.
It is God that gives the increase.
Example: A child who tries to grow by exerting his mind or wishing to grow by his own efforts.
Cannot be done, must wait for the right time.
New believers may not know this-they may think they grow themselves by the will of man or by the will of the flesh.
Faith will bring you to this place, wait I say!
As is clearly shown in verse 13: John 1:13, Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
The human family relationship is established through birth.
God's family relationship is established by a new birth, by divine impartation, thru God's power.
John emphasizes this divine intervention by 3 negatives to arrive at the positive, "but of God"
Not of Blood-Shows the superiority of the spiritual birth over the natural birth, you are not born a Christian at birth, you are not a Christian because of your family relationship, your racial or national ties.
Fallen man begat a son in his own likeness.
Nor of the will of the flesh-The flesh does not understand this birth, nor have any power to gain this birth.
This birth is traceable to no human power or instrument.
Nor of the will of man-this will brings power, rank, and nobility on this earth but these have no eternal value.
The new birth is not brought about by descent, by desire, or by human power.
Not of blood, the flesh, the will, but of God.
The Word Incarnate
Verse John 1:14, And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
This is the last time John the Evangelist uses the term "Word".
After this it is Jesus or Lord. He has tied the Word and Jesus to ONE.
This is the event that John has been leading up to in this beautiful Prologue, the Word became flesh.
Here John affirms that the Word did not take a bodily form or some heavenly humanity but he took our human nature (apart from sin) (in the likeness of sinful flesh Romans 8:3)
God had sent his word in a variety of ways as we have seen but now at last (and this is last) made himself known as a real historical human person, when the word became flesh, God became man!
John ignores the beautiful Christmas stories, he ignores the scene in Bethlehem, the Sheppard, the virgin birth, he brings the Word out of eternity instead of Bethlehem, from God instead of Mary.
"And dwelt among us"
Means he pitched his tent among you
He pitched his tabernacle among us
As the tabernacle of Exodus was erected by God's command in order that his dwelling place might be established with his people, now in a fuller sense he has taken up residence on earth in the Word made flesh.
In Ex. 40:34, "the cloud covered the tent of meeting" and at the dedication of Solomon's temple "a cloud filled the house of the Lord....for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord" 1 Kings 8:10.
When the Word became flesh the glorious presence of God was embodied in him for he is the true Shekinah (residence)
He is our residence "For in Him we live, and move, and have our being." Acts 17:28
John then looks back across the years since Jesus left the Earth and recalls the glory of the incarnate Word, the sacrifice on the cross which crowned his career and the glory which he beheld on the mountain top at the transfiguration which Peter, James and John witnessed. Mark 9:3
His glory full of grace and truth.
Full means that he could not have any more grace and truth then he had. He had it all in bodily form.
For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in Him.... Col 2:9,10a.
The Word brought it all with Him in Jesus Christ |