Go back with me to John chapter
one. A brother read from this chapter
in the study last Wednesday night. And it was such a blessing to
my heart, I started looking at it Thursday morning. We know this chapter so well. We know this so well. Some of
these verses are our most quoted verses. But the more I started looking
at this and I was entering into this as he was reading it last
Wednesday night. As I looked at this, I started
seeing the honor and the glory and the praise given to The Lord
Jesus Christ right here. What a privilege it is to just
praise Him. Just magnify Him. What a privilege that is. All
of the reverence and the glory that's given to our Lord in this
chapter. You cannot hardly go four or
five words without His name being mentioned again. Verse one, let's read this again. It says, in the beginning was
the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning
with God. All things were made by Him.
And without him was not anything made that was made. In him was
life. And the life was the light of
men. All that's Christ. And the light
shineth in darkness. And the darkness comprehended
it not. There was a man sent from God whose name was John. The same came for a witness to
bear witness of the light that all men through him might believe. John was not that light, but
was sent to bear witness of that light. That was the true light
which lighted every man that cometh into the world. He was
in the world and the world was made by him. And the world knew
him not. 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.
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. I titled this, The
Word, the Life, and the Light. The Word, the Life, and the Light.
And in this, I want us to see Christ, and I want us to see
our salvation. I just want to Glory in him for
just a minute. Just glory in him. And tell of
his excellent greatness. Now, verse one calls the Lord
Jesus Christ God. God, verse one says in the beginning
was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. And verse 14 says, the Word was
made flesh and dwelt among us. So that tells us that the Word
is the Lord Jesus Christ. The Word was made flesh and dwelt
among us. The Word is the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, why does it say that the
Lord Jesus Christ was God? It says that because the Lord Jesus
Christ is God. He is God. Mankind naturally
knows that there is a God. But mankind does not naturally
know who God is. To the mortal mind, God is an
unknown person. He's an unknown person. And Jesus
Christ is this unknown person's son. And I can't know who God
is right now, but Jesus Christ can get me to Him. And one day
I'll find out who God is. That's what the natural mind
thinks. Here's the only problem with
that train of thought. If we leave this world not knowing
who God is, not knowing who God is, In the great day that we stand
before, as the people in Athens said to the unknown God, they
had all those idols. One of them was to the unknown
God. If we go stand before an unknown God, we will die in our
sins. Here's the reason why. Look at
John 17. John 17 verse 1 says, These words
spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father,
the hour is come, glorify thy son, that thy son also may glorify
thee. As thou hast given him power
over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many
as thou hast given him, And this is life eternal, that they might
know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast
sent. If we do not know the true God,
we will not receive eternal life. This is life eternal, that we
might know Thee, truly know Thee. Look with me at Luke 10. Luke chapter 10 verse 21 says, in that hour, Jesus rejoiced
in spirit and said, I thank the old father, Lord of heaven and
earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent
and has revealed them unto babes. And I'm going to tell you more
truth has never been spoken. The Lord has hid these things. Men and women. It amazes me sometimes
I enter into how blessed we are that God has revealed to us who
God is. How blessed we are. He said these
things are hid from the wise and the prudent. Those who want
to argue doctrine and argue doctrine argue doctrine and they're they're
coming they're pouring in through our TV broadcast they're coming
you want to argue doctrine he said you've hid these things
from the wise and prudent and revealed them unto babes who
God is he said in verse 21 he went on to say even so father
for so it seemed good in thy sight All things are delivered
to me of my father, and no man knoweth who the son is but the
father, and who the father is but the son, and he to whom the
son will reveal him. And he turned him unto his disciples
and said privately, blessed are the eyes which see the things
that you see. For I tell you that many prophets
and kings have desired to see those things which you see and
have not seen them and to hear those things which you hear and
have not heard them. They've desired, but they have
not seen them. They have not heard them. He
said, it's such a great blessing that God has revealed who Christ
is, and Christ has revealed who the Father is. When the work
of salvation comes to a sinner, when the quickening of the Spirit
comes to a sinner, the Son reveals the Father, and the Father reveals
the Son. All of a sudden the sinner knows
God, sees God, This is life eternal that they
might know the only true God. Look with me at John 14. John
14 verse 8 says, Philip said unto him, Lord, show
us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, have
I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me,
Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen
the Father. And how sayest thou then, show
us the Father? Why are you saying, show us the
Father? He said, have I been so long
time with you? I'm right here. Lord, show us
the Father and it'll suffice us. He said, I'm right here.
I'm right here. He said in John 10, I and my
Father are one. Do you ever find yourself in
prayer, praying to the Father as we were told to do? And then
you find yourself praying to the Son. And then you find yourself
praying to the Father. And then you find yourself praying
to the Son. They are one. It's okay. It's
okay. It's okay. Yes. All right. Do you ever find yourself
doing that? It's okay. They are one. Our Lord said, you pray to the
Father. The Father said, if you don't honor the Son, you're not
honoring me. They're one. They're one. They're truly one. He said, I am in, right here
in verse 10. He said, I am in the Father,
and the Father's in me. Do you want to see the Father?
We're gonna go stand before a throne. The Father, the Son, the Spirit,
seated on one throne. I'm in the Father. You want to
see the Father? See me. Do you want to know the
Father? Know me. John 5 is where he said, He that
honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father. And that's because
they're one. They're one. Hold your place
right here and look at Isaiah 9. Isaiah 9, this is amazing. It
takes faith to believe this. Isaiah 9, verse 6. For unto us a child is born. Unto us a son is given. I heard something this morning.
Somebody told me a statement that a pastor made years ago. And he said, at Christmas time,
everybody loves the little baby in the manger because he's a
little baby. And they can do with him whatever
they want to. They can pick him up. They can put him down. They
can do with him as they want. This says, Unto us a child is
born. Unto us a Son is given, and the
government shall be upon His shoulder. John 5 says, The Father
judgeth no man, but has committed all judgment to the Son. And
it goes on to say, The government shall be upon His shoulder, and
His name shall be called Wonderful. Call this child, this little
child Wonderful. Verse six says, counselor, call
that little child counselor. Verse six goes on to say, the
mighty God. Call that little child, the mighty
God. It goes on to say, the everlasting
father, this child that was born into the world. Call that child
the everlasting father and call that child the prince of peace. In him truly dwells all the fullness
of the Godhead bodily. 1 Timothy 3.16 says, God was
manifest in the flesh. God was manifest in the flesh. God came down. God suffered for
us. God stood in our place. Is that
not amazing? The judge we have to answer to
the judge that is so angry with our sin is the one who came down. And stood in our place. And if you'll go back with me
to John, this time go to John chapter 20. John 20 verse 26, it says, And after eight days again his
disciples were within, and Thomas with them, Then came Jesus, the
doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be
unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach
hither thy finger, and behold my hands, and reach hither thy
hand, and thrust it into my side, and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said
unto him, My Lord and my God. My Lord and my God. Jesus saith
unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed,
blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed. Salvation came to that man. And
if we have not physically seen him, but believe him to be who
God says he is, we are blessed. We are blessed. To see Christ
is to see the true and living God. To know Christ is to know
the true and living God. Now, is there a father, a son,
and a spirit? Yes, there is. Are there three gods? No, there
are not. Ephesians 4 says there is one
God. These three are one. Somebody
will say, can you explain this to me? Is there a father and
is there a son? Yes. Can you explain that to
me? No. No, I cannot. That is so far above our our
comprehending. It cannot be explained. All it
can be is believed just like Thomas. He said, Thomas, just
believe it. Just believe it. The only reason that we can believe
it is because God has revealed it to us through his word, and
he's given us faith to believe his word. Now, this is a good
thing. I love this, but I hear from
the parents here, that these young children have to say after
each message one thing they remember about the message. And I'm hearing
what things they remember. And so they listen. They have
to tell their parents. They ask them, tell me one thing
you remember after the message is over. Well, tonight I'm going
to help you all out. All right? I'm going to help
you out. I'm going to give you something to say. When they say,
tell me one thing you remember about the message. Tell them
this, okay? The Lord Jesus Christ is God. The Lord Jesus Christ is God. If the adults could just get
a hold of that. If these children could get a
hold of the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ is God, they'd know
more than the Pope. They'd have all the doctrine
they need. The Lord Jesus Christ is God. Go with me back to John
1. In these first 14 verses, the
Lord our God is called the Word, He's called the Life, and He's
called the Light. In just a few more verses, He's
going to be called the Lamb. But right here in the text, He's
called the Word, the Life, and the Light. That's who He is.
Christ is the Word. We call this Bible the Word of
God. That's what we call this, the
word of God. Well, Christ is the word. This is the word of Christ, every
page. Is the word of Christ, every
page I am wrote this book. I am, Moses said, who should
I say is sending me, he said, you tell him I am. is sending
you. You tell him I am God and beside
me there's none else. The Lord Jesus Christ said in
John 8 verse 58 before Abraham was I am. I am. Christ is the word. Christ is
the life. Christ is the life. He is not the one who can get
us to the life. We're waiting for the life. I
cannot explain this. I can't even enter into this.
But I believe it. Christ is our life in everything
that means. He's the giver of it. He's the
object of it. But He is the life. I am the resurrection. He is the word. He is the life. He created life. He restores
life. His death brought life. That
life is, verse 4 says, in Him. In Him. was life. In the beginning was
the Word. The Word was with God. The Word
was God. The same was in the beginning
with God. All things were made by Him and
without Him was not anything made that was made. Who created
all of this? Who spoke this entire world into
existence and made everything? Jesus Christ did. Who walked
in the garden with Adam and Eve? Jesus Christ did. Who slew that
lamb and covered him with skin? Jesus Christ did. Who was in
the burning bush? Jesus Christ was. The Lord Jesus Christ. In Him was life, it says in verse
4. Everything was made by Him and
in Him was life. In Him, in His purpose, in His
Willingness that that is probably the most amazing thing about
the gospel to me is his willingness The life he lived the death he
died The body he broke the blood he shed the payment he made The
resurrection he accomplished the victory over sin and death
In him was life Verse 4 says, The life was the light of men. He is the light. Verse 6 says,
There was a man sent from God whose name was John. The same
came for a witness to bear witness of the light that all men through
him might believe. John was not that light, but
was sent to bear witness of the light. That was the true light
which lighted every man that cometh into the world. Christ
is the glory. Christ is the knowledge. Christ
is the understanding. He's the opener of the eyes. He's the object of the eyes.
He is this is who he is. He is the word. He is the life. He is the light. Now that is
how salvation comes to a sinner. In that exact order. In that exact order. This is
what happens when God calls sinners to Himself. This is what happens
every single time. Same way. The reason it happens
the same way is because verse five says the light shineth in
darkness. He is God. He is the word. He's the life. He's the light.
We're darkness. Nothing but darkness. That's
all we are. Genesis one says void darkness. That's all we are. The heavens
declare the glory of God, but we're so dark. We're so void. We're so empty, so lifeless.
We cannot comprehend his glory. We cannot naturally see God and
cannot naturally know God. And the horror of our nature
is we're so full of darkness, so full of the darkness of sin.
We have no desire to see God. We don't have any desire to know
God. Verse five says, the light shineth
in darkness and darkness comprehended it not. No comprehension of Christ,
who he really is. But down in verse 10, it says,
he was in the world and the world was made by him and the world
knew him not. He came unto his own and his
own received him not. Verse 12 says, but God. 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. The Word said, Let
there be light. Let there be light. That's how
salvation comes to a sinner every single time. It's in this order.
It begins with the Word. All of a sudden, the Lord brings
a sinner's eye to the Word. He brings the mind to the Word. He brings the heart to the Word. The Word comes alive. It begins
in the Word. God sends a man to preach the
Word. And the Word is what God uses. That's the means God uses to
open blind eyes. He crosses a sinner's path with
the truth of His Word. And through that Word, He gives
life. It is through that Word that
God gives life without the help of the sinner at all. It's total
darkness. And after God gives the sinner life, He turns on
the light. Life has to be there before any
understanding can come. Any knowledge can come. Any seeing
can come. For our children, our babies,
life has to be there before they can see anything or hear anything. The Word, the life, the light. It's God's doing. And they see. They see Christ. In his word,
they see Christ to be the life and the light. Verse 12 says
as many as received him to them, gave he power in the margin in
the middle, says the right or the privilege. What a privilege.
We've been given. To become the sons of God, even
to them that believe on his name, which were born not of blood,
Most people think they're born into salvation. Most people believe
that their entire family tree is saved. We're all saved. We're
just... That's not how it works. Verse 13, which we're born not
of blood nor of the will of the flesh. We don't decide to receive
the light of Christ. No child ever decided to receive
life. Never. Verse 13 says. Nor of the will
of man, somebody else can't decide it for us, they can't pray us
through and all those. Silly thing, salvation comes
one way. One way, verse 13 goes on to
say it's of God. God sends his word. God gives
the life, God turns on the light. And that's exactly what verse
14 is saying. The Word was made flesh and dwelt
among us. God sent the Word. And He was
made flesh and He dwelt among us. He united Himself with us,
gave life to us, and we beheld His glory. We saw the glory as
of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. Thank God for His Word. Thank
God for his word. We have an outline. The gospel
is an outline and we go through this outline. We start with sin.
We go through God's sovereign will and purpose and election
and we go through Christ's redemption and we go through this irresistible
call and the glory that will be revealed in the end. When
you get past that doctrine and you think about the gospel, how
amazing is it? The right or the privilege to
get to believe on Christ, to get... God crossed our path with
His Word. He gave life. We want so badly
for so many to receive life, but you cannot. We don't have
the ability to impart life. It's of God, and when He does
it, oh, we are so thankful and we ought to be so thankful because
God has shown mercy to us, given us His Word, given us His life,
and given us His light. And we thank God for Christ.
We thank God for Christ. All right, let's all stand together.