The Glory of the Son: Full of Grace and Truth, John 1:1-18

The Logos as the Giver of Life

 

1. Which Came First, Life or Matter?

 

1. In Him was Life
2. “Life” meaning that the Word is the very basis of existence –
   “In the beginning was the Word,” John 1:1
3. “Life” meaning that the Word is the Creator of life –
   “All things came into being through Him…” John 1:3
4. “Life” meaning that the Word lived an incredible, divine, supernatural life
   “The life was the Light of men,” John 1:4
5. “Life” meaning that the Word gives eternal, spiritual and physical life
   “The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” John 1:5
6. Use of Life in John’s Gospel

• John 1:9-13, 3:1-8, 3:15-16, 3:36, 4:14, 5:21, 5:24, 5:39-40, 6:33-35, 6:40-63, 6:68*, 8:12, 10:10, 10:28, 11:25, 14:6, 17:1-3, 20:31

1. The Use of Light and Darkness in John’s Gospel

• Jesus is Light and Jesus shines Light, John 1:4-5, John 1:9
• We by nature are in darkness and we by nature love the darkness,
  John 3:19-20, John 12:35, John 12:46

1. The Light Shines in the Darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

• The Light was visible, obvious, shining into our dark existence and our minds still could not understand or comprehend the Light.

 

Conclusion: The Son of God is the very essence of being. He is the giver of physical life. He is the perfect life liver thus enabling Him to be the giver of new life. Life and light are integrally linked as a person who is in darkness is in a state of death. When the Light shines in the life of Jesus the natural reaction is the close eyes more tightly, thus remaining in a state of darkness and ultimately in a state of death. But for some, those who open their eyes, they see light and thus receive life.

 

 

 

The Glory of the Son: Full of Grace and Truth, John 1:1-18

The Logos as the Giver of Life

Introduction: (Header Slide)

• Continue our study of John 1, I think the notes for today will likely cover this week and next week
• This week we will focus on the concept presented here by John of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Logos, as LIFE
• Next week our focus will turn to the concept in verses 4-5 of the Logos as LIGHT
• And next week we will spend some time seeing how John connects Life with Light and Darkness with death

1. Which Came First, Life or Matter?

• Read John 1:4 (Slide 2)

1. In Him was Life

• A.“Life” meaning that the Word is the very basis of existence –
• Read John 1:1 (Slide 3)
• “In the beginning was the Word,” John 1:1
• B.“Life” meaning that the Word is the Creator of life –
• Read John 1:3 (Slide 4)
• “All things came into being through Him…” John 1:3
• C.“Life” meaning that the Word lived an incredible, divine, supernatural life
• Read John 1:4 (Slide 5)
• “The life was the Light of men,” John 1:4
• D.“Life” meaning that the Word gives eternal, spiritual and physical life
• Read John 1:5 (Slide 6)
• “The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” John 1:5

1. Use of Life in John’s Gospel

• 37 times in the Gospel of John, either Jesus refers to life or John refers to life with reference to Jesus.
• John 1:9-13*, John 3:1-8, John 3:15-16, John 3:36, John 4:14, John 5:21*, John 5:24*, John 5:39-40*, John 6:33-35*, John 6:40-63, John 6:68*, John 8:12*, John 10:10*, John 10:28, John 11:25, John 14:6, John 17:1-3, John 20:31
• Read John 1:12-13 (Slide 7)
• “Born” of God – life or “new life”
• Read John 3:16 (Slide 8)
• “Eternal life” unlike mere physical life, this life, the one that the eternal Son of God grants, it last forever
• Read John 5:24 (Slide 9)
• “Passes out of death into life.” We are in a state of death, but the Word comes and a person believes in what Jesus says, that the Father has sent the Son
• In believing “My word” connects again with the title that John applies to the Son of God as the Logos, the communication of God to the world
• Read John 5:39-40 (Slide 10)
• “these that testify about Me” – again connecting the Son of God as the revelation of God the Father
• Failure to come to the Son means you remain in a state of death
• Read John 6:33-35 (Slide 11)
• After feeding of the 5000 they are following Jesus around saying give us some bread but do it like Moses did and call it down from heaven
• Jesus says, “I am the bread of life that comes down from heaven…” – hear “The Word was with God and the Word was God…”
• The greatest needs in life are not physical but spiritual and the only One capable of meeting our spiritual needs is the one who created our physical bodies
• He is the One who “gives life to the world.”
• Read John 6:67-68 (Slide 12)
• In John 6:66 we read that many people heard what Jesus was saying and they did not like it, so they left
• Jesus turns to His disciples and asks this question, “Are you going with them?”
• Here, Simon Peter connects the words of Jesus with life
• Again, invoking the very premise of John’s prologue that Jesus as the Logos is the ultimate revelation of God and by believing in Him and His words you receive life
• Read John 10:10 (Slide 13)
• The thief in this case is the false teachers and prophets who have their own self-interest in mind and not that of others
• Jesus says that He not only grants life but gives a descriptor of the type of life He is offering
• Read John 11:25 (Slide 14)
• At the death of Lazarus, Jesus now connects the spiritual life He grants with the replacement of physical life
• Now back to our original verse
• Read John 1:4 (Slide 15)
• Conclusion: The Son of God is the very essence of being. He is the giver of physical life. He is the perfect life liver thus enabling Him to be the giver of new life. By believing in Him and in His Word you have spiritual life and that spiritual life grants to you eternal spiritual and physical life