Well, as it sometimes happens,
I went to bed real late last night. Actually, real early this
morning. And thought I had everything
lined up pretty well. And I got up early this morning
again and started reading John's Gospel. And I believe the Lord's
given me a message for you. So you turn with me to John chapter
1. Just hold your Bibles open at
John chapter 1. I've just jotted down a few thoughts
from this glorious, glorious passage. Ten or 15 years ago, a friend
of mine sent me a Christmas card and a note that I thought was
worth keeping. I have read you a portion of
that note on two or three occasions. I look at it frequently. He said, Christmas is a time
for the Lord's people to reset their compasses, to redirect
our lives to the one who gives our past days and the year to
come meaning. The only thing that gives meaning
to life is Christ. Oh, would to God we half believe
that. He continued, God has a purpose
behind the insanity of the world and the sentimentality of religious
people during this season. I suspect that one purpose is
to rekindle in our hearts the joy of the Lord by reminding
us that the incarnation of Christ was requisite for His crucifixion,
and thus for our ultimate glorification. And I am thankful that God in
His wise and good providence has given us this one season
in the year which compels all men, regardless of their ethnicity,
regardless of their religious perversity, all men are compelled
at least this one season in the year, throughout the world, they
are compelled to remember that there was a time when God Almighty
took on Himself human flesh and invaded the world He had made.
A time when God Almighty took on himself and took into union
with himself, took into an indivisible, everlasting union with himself,
our humanity. And so all men everywhere, all
men are compelled, at least for the next few days, to acknowledge
that fact. There are few in the world, few
in this country, few in this town, who have any idea who Jesus
Christ is, why he came, or what he accomplished. Folks sing about
the child Jesus and the babe in Bethlehem, and they send out
cards that are just full of sentiments at best and idolatry at worst
with pictures and halos and angels and all that nonsense. But there
are few, few. who know the meaning of the incarnation. Few who know anything at all
about the character of that one who was born at Bethlehem 2,000
years ago. The Son of God came here to redeem
and save his people. That's why he was born at Bethlehem. He was incarnate that he might
die as the God-man to put away sin. He came here because before
the world began, he is looked upon and declared to be the Lamb
of God, slain from the foundation of the world. Never before and
never since has such an event occurred as that which took place
better than 2,000 years ago in Bethlehem. Whose birth? Whose birth was ever foretold
by such a long, unbroken history of prophecy? whose birth was
ever longed for by so many for so long? Who but Emmanuel can
claim a forerunner to announce his birth, both the character
of his birth and the purpose of his coming? Who before or
since did angels come to sing about and engage in a midnight
song? When else did God Almighty hang
a new star in the heavens? When was there another one born
other than the God-man whose birth is the hope of fallen men? Well, indeed, might the earth
rejoice. It is well, indeed, that the
nations of the world all come to a halt and pause from commerce
and business for at least a day and recognize the fact God came
down here. Now, what does that mean? Let's
look in John chapter 1. And let me show you. I want to
talk to you for a little while about our all-glorious Savior. In this first chapter of John's
Gospel, writing by divine inspiration, the Apostle John describes him
so clearly, so exquisitely, so simply, that none can misunderstand
his language. Let me tell you who he is. Number
one. Jesus of Nazareth is himself the eternal God. He is not a God. He is not merely
a representation of God. He is not merely an emanation
from God. Jesus of Nazareth, that man,
is himself God, the eternal God. Look here in verse 1. In the
beginning Everything begins in the beginning. Everything except
he who has no beginning. And what John is telling us here
is that when time began, when God said, let there be light
and there was light from the very beginning, the Word was
the Word and the Word was with God. Now that word, Word, is
a unique Greek term translated in our English Bibles, but the
word has the idea of expression. It has the idea of revelation. The Lord Jesus Christ is particularly
called by John, the word, because Jesus Christ is the living word
by whom God is revealed, of whom all the written word speaks.
In fact, commonly, there is a different word translated whenever the
scriptures speak about the written word or about anyone else's written
word than another word is used. We try to translate it word in
our English Bible, but it's a different word altogether. This word refers
distinctly and uniquely to Jesus Christ, who is God the Son. Now
read the text as it ought to be read. In the beginning was
the word, And the Word was with God, and God was the Word. Now, if you should happen to
have some Russellites or Mormons come into your house, and they
turn to John chapter 1 and verse 1, and they read your different
translation, and they'll read it like this. In the beginning
was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a
God. Now they'll say, now that's justified
because there is no indefinite article in the, or no definite
article before this word God here. The word was a God, and
it should be read as an indefinite article. What they deceitfully
fail to tell you, or ignorantly fail to tell you, is that in
the Greek language there's no such thing as an indefinite article.
So whenever you don't have a definite article, you just translate it
with an indefinite article commonly. But this case doesn't bear that
out at all. Because a very proper reading
of this is, in the beginning was the Word, and God was the
Word. Jesus Christ, that man, born
at Bethlehem, is himself God. Totally God. Fully God. Completely God. All there is
of God. Hold your hands here and turn
to Colossians chapter 2. Colossians 2. Now this is familiar
to you, but look at it. Colossians 2. Pastor, are you saying that that
little child, whose body being subject to the elements, must
be wrapped in clothes to keep it warm? That little child, whose
life was sustained by the milk of his mother's breast, that
little child, while he lay in the Bethlehem manger, was himself
God Almighty, over all, blessed forever, the Lord, the King,
who rules in heaven and earth, and none can stay His hand. You're
saying to him, what doest thou? Well, of course I am. Of course
I am. He was a real man, but He is
God Almighty. Look here in Colossians 2, verse
9. Paul is describing the glory
of our Savior. And he says, In Him dwelleth,
permanently dwelleth, all the fullness of the Godhead. What
does that mean? What does that mean? All the
fullness of the Godhead. All that God is, David, all that
God is dwells in him. Now watch this bodily. In the
body of that man seated yonder in glory resides all the fullness
of the eternal, infinite, incomprehensible God. In no way is he limited
by his body, but in that man resides all that God is. Well, no man can understand that.
I never pretended a man could understand God. In Him resides all that God is. All right, back here in John
chapter 1. In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God, and God was the Word. The same was
in the beginning with God. Face to face with God. One with
God, equal with God, on a par with God, the same as God, for
He is God. Now look at verse 3. All things were made by Him,
and without Him was not anything made. This One who is the eternal
God is the divine Creator. He made this universe. In the beginning, God created
the heavens and the earth, everything. Well, how did God do that? Through
Christ, the God-man mediator. But Pastor, he wasn't a man from
eternity. I'm fully aware of that. But
he was looked upon as the covenant man from eternity. And everything
that God has ever done or ever will do in this world or for
this world was done through the mediation of the God-man, Christ
Jesus. So when God spoke the world into
being, he spoke the world into being through the mediation of
Christ, the Creator. For by him were all things created,
that are in earth and that are in heaven, visible and invisible,
whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers,
all things were created by him and for him. And he's before
all things, and by him all things consist. What does that mean? That means he wasn't made. That
means He didn't come into existence at some later time after God
came into existence. But rather, He is Himself the
eternal God who made everything. Made by Him and made for Him. Made by His power and made for
His glory. Everything. The Lord has made
all things for Himself. Yea, even the wicked for the
day of evil. Back here in John again, verse 4. Who is Jesus
Christ? He is the eternal God. He is
the divine creator. And He is life. Life. Eternal life. In Him was life. He is Himself life. He has life, and He gives life. Well, is that talking about physical
life, or spiritual life, or eternal life? Yes. There is no life apart
from Him. God, the man God, Christ our
Redeemer, our Mediator, the representative man, breathed into Adam's nostrils,
and Adam became a living soul. And He gives life now. The reason
you breathe is because He gives you breath. The reason you continue
to breathe is because He gives you breath. And the reason you
quit breathing is because He's going to put His hand over your
mouth and you're going to quit. And that's all there is to it.
Life is in Him. The same is true of eternal life.
If ever you have life before God, Only Christ can give it
to you, and you can get it only by being joined to Him. You've
got to be grafted into the vine. I forgot who it was. I think
it was Buddy just recently read back in the office from John
15. The Lord Jesus speaks of Himself as the vine and of us
as the branches. How does the branch live? It
draws life. The sap of life from the vine. And if you cut it off from the
vine, there's no life. Jesus Christ is life. Look in John chapter 5. John
the 5th chapter. Verse 25. But verily, verily, I say unto
you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear
the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live.
For as the Father hath life in Himself, so hath He given to
the Son to have life in Himself. and hath given him authority
to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of Man, the mediator. In him is life, that eternal
life we have seen, we have tasted, our hands have handled the word
of life. All right, look back at chapter
1 of John, verse 4 again. In him was life, And the life
was the light of men. The light shineth in darkness,
and the darkness comprehended it not. Light gives life. And the light shines in darkness,
just continually shines. It continually shines. And the
darkness never comprehends it. Now, that means two things. It
means, first, that though the light shines, The gospel of God's
grace is preached. The light is held forth before
men. Christ shines in His providence. He shines in His creation. He
shines in the hearts of men by the knowledge of God that He
stamped on the hearts of all men by creation. And He shines
through the preaching of the gospel. But men never see the
light. They never see it. But it means
more than that. The darkness comprehended it
now. The darkness doesn't engulf it
and dispel it. The darkness doesn't hinder it.
The light shines because the light is God. The light shines
among men and continues to shine no matter who opposes it, no
matter who stands against it, no matter what tradition tries
to veil it. The light shines and none comprehend it. All right,
look back at the text again, verse 6. Now John speaks about John the
Baptist, the forerunner. He is Elijah who was sent to
foretell the coming of the Messiah. There was a man sent from God
whose name was John. And here is what every man sent
from God is sent to do. The same came for a witness.
A witness. To do what? To bear witness of
the light. I've seen the light, have you?
Bear witness of the light that all men, not every man in the
world, that was never the intent of the preaching of the gospel,
but men and women scattered in all parts of the world, that
all men through him might believe. He was not that light. Oh no! But was sent to bear witness
of that light. Verse 9. That was the true light that
lighteth every man that cometh into the world. Now watch this.
He was in the world. And the world was made by Him.
And the world knew Him not. The Lord Jesus Christ, God Almighty,
came down here and assumed human flesh and walked on the earth. Just exactly like I'm right here
with you. Just exactly like you're here
with me. Here he was. He was in the world. The world
was made by him. And the world knew him not. They
didn't have a clue who he was. They didn't have a clue who he
was. Still don't. didn't have a clue. Somehow, we have our thinking
so perverted, so twisted by religious tradition, that we can't begin
to grasp even the plain revelation, much less the subtle hints that
are in this book concerning true godliness and faith. I want folks to see Jesus in
me. They didn't see him in him. I want people to see God in me. They didn't see God in God when
he walked among them. His own kinsmen said, well, he's
lost his marbles. He's a madman. Go lock him up.
We don't know what's going on with him. Knew him not. Verse 11, he came unto his own. His own creation, His own people,
His own things, and His own received Him not. No room for Him in the
inn, no room for Him in the hearts of men, no room for Him in the
lives of men. His own received Him not, but,
oh, thank God, as many as received Him. Faith is described in a lot of
ways in Scripture. Perhaps none is more descriptive
and understandable than this word receive. Now, in order for
a sinner to receive life from God, he's got to receive it just
like that glass received water. How did that glass receive any
water? Reach out and grab it? Go back to the water fountain
and get it? Somebody came and poured some water in. And that
word is used frequently in the scriptures. It means to receive
as an empty vessel, passive, doing nothing. And you must receive
life that way, else you'll never have it, because a dead man can't
do anything to give himself life. But if God gives life, here's
another word, and that's the word that's used here. Lindsay,
you have to receive it. And faith does. Faith does. You want a drink of water? Now I'm not thirsty. I am. I believe I'll receive another. You want Christ? Do you want
Him? Do you want eternal life through
the merits of God's darling Son? Do you want righteousness before
God? Do you want the pardon of sin?
Now a preacher ain't interested. I understand. I understand. Oh yeah, I want
Him. Are you thirsty? Take a drink. Now watch this. As many as received Him, to them,
to them and nobody else, to them and all of them, gave He power,
the word power means authority, the right, to become the sons
of God. Who on earth? Even to them that
believe on His name? Well, how did you come to believe
on His name? How did you come to receive Him?
Which were born, not of blood, nor the will of the flesh, nor
the will of man. You mean, Pastor, that God never
saves anybody because they're akin to somebody else? Never.
You mean, Pastor, God never saves anybody because their mamas and
daddies wanted to be saved? Never. Even pastor, God never
saves anybody because they choose to be saved? Never. But of God. That's how many women are born
again. They're born not by power of men, but by power of God. Not by the will of men, but by
the will of God. And being born of God, they receive
Christ gladly, just as the thirsty man receives water. Look at verse
14. Who is this? Jesus of Nazareth,
He is the God-Man. Let me see if I can put it another
way. He is the Man-God. You see, it is absolutely essential
that Jesus Christ be both God and Man. If He is not both God
and Man, then his birth is no more significant than the birth
of any other great and noble man. His birth has nothing to
do with us. His birth accomplishes nothing
for us. His death is of no value to us. Because only one who is God and
man in one glorious person is able to fully satisfy all the
demands of the infinite God as a man. Jesus Christ being the
perfect man who is God, lived in perfect obedience to God as
a man who is God. That makes his righteousness,
Ron Wood, to be of infinite worth before God. And he died at Calvary,
that man who is God. He who hangs on the tree felt the excruciating pain and
agony of crucifixion just like any other man would. He who hanged
on that tree was made to be seen and felt and knew the horror
of hell's torments. Just like any other man cast
into hell, abandoned of God. But that man is God Almighty
who gives the soldiers the power to pierce his side. He's God
Almighty who made the vinegar they gave him to drink. He's
God Almighty whose justice he is satisfied. And because this
man dies as a man, yet dies as the God-man, the man who is God. His death is of infinite merit
to satisfy the justice of the holy God for the sins of His
people. And Jesus Christ, by His one
great sacrifice, has put away our sins forever. Who is this
one Jesus Christ? Look here in John again. Let
me skip down to verse 29. John tells us in verse 15, the
Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. We beheld His glory. The glory is the only begotten
of the Father, full of grace and truth. He says, I saw it. I saw the Spirit of God descending
like a dove on Him. And then he says in verse 29,
the next day, just after John got through bearing witness of
him, the next day John seeth Jesus come in to him and saith,
Behold, the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. Behold Him. That's the one I've
been talking about. He's the Lamb of God. Back yonder in Genesis, when
God sacrificed a lamb and clothed Adam and Eve, God was saying there's a lamb
going to be sacrificed. Remember when Abel brought the
firstling of the flock and the Lord accepted him and his sacrifice? A lamb. Do you remember when
Abraham offered his son on Mount Moriah and he said to his son,
my son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering?
Do you remember when the Lord was about to deliver Israel out
of Egyptian bondage? He required that every man sacrifice
a lamb and put the blood on the door post and the lintel? Do
you remember how that Aaron on the day of atonement would bring
the lamb? and lay His hands upon the head
of the Lamb, and slit the throat of the Lamb, who had the sins
of the people imputed to Him, and take the blood of the Lamb,
and go into the Holy of Holies on that one day, and sprinkle
the mercy seed, and cover the broken law of God, and God Almighty
would come out and said, Aaron, now go out and bless My people,
because I blessed them because of the blood of the Lamb. Behold
the Lamb of God. This is what it takes to satisfy
the justice of God. This is what it takes to put
away sin. Who is this baby Bethlehem? Who is this child born 2,000
years ago? Who is this one of whom the world
makes so much and knows so little? He's the Lamb of God! And not
just a sacrifice. He is the Lamb of God by whose
sacrifice the sins of His people throughout all the world were
once and for all taken away. They're gone. They're gone. Now,
once in the end of the world, hath He appeared to put away
sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And He put them away. He put
them away. This Jesus of Nazareth, He is
the Lamb of God. And yet, He's more than that.
He's more than that. Read on. Let's begin at verse
35. The next day, after John stood
and two of his disciples, and looking upon Jesus as he walked,
he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! There he is! There he is
again! And the two disciples heard him
speak, and they followed Jesus. John should be upset with that.
No, that's why he pointed to it. They followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned and saw them
following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? And they said unto
him, Rabbi, teacher, master, prophet, which is to say by interpretation,
master, where dwellest thou? Where do you reside permanently? And he saith unto them, come
and see. Now, let me see if I can help
you with this. That's not come, and if he has
eyes enough and you're wise enough and smart enough, you'll see. But rather, come. Come to me. Come on. Come to
me. and you shall see." Come, and
you'll see. Now, I know that's talking about
our Lord taking them physically to the place where He dwelt,
but I know it's talking about more than that. The only way you will ever understand
anything about Him, the only way you'll ever understand anything
revealed in this book, The only way you'll ever understand anything
of the gospel of His grace is to believe on Him. Come. Come on. Come on. You'll see. Come on. You'll see. Where dwellest
thou? Right here in this book. Where
dwellest thou? On the throne of God, behold the Lamb. Where
dwellest thou? Right here with my people. Come. Come. You'll see. Divine truth cannot be understood apart from
divine revelation, apart from a God-given faith in Christ. I don't care how educated you
are. I don't care how smart you are. I don't care how bright
you are. I don't care how many books you've
read. I don't care how logical you are. You can't understand
anything in this book except you come to Christ. Believe? Oh, I see that. I used to have some difficulty. I wasn't like everybody else.
when you're a rebel or whatever your situation is, you're going
to argue with folks about religion, argue with folks about things.
I believe this. I believe that. You young people
don't try to argue your mom and dad's religion. Don't do it.
You just make a mess of things. Don't do it. But you try to argue
with them. And I used to have trouble understanding
creation. How'd that work? Now, I had a lot of trouble understanding
evolution. I had a lot of trouble with that, but understanding
it, just exactly how'd that work? until I came and come in. I see. I see. I'm not in trouble. Creation, well, that's a piece
of cake. Redemption is the trouble. Creation,
well, that's a piece of cake. If you ever believe God, if you
ever believe God, no trouble. But how do you explain all these
things? Don't need to. But I know this, God made Adam,
and when he made him, he was an old man. He was full grown. And if God wants to make this
world look like a real old world when it's real young, he has
no trouble doing it. No difficulty at all. Well, why
would he do that? Because that's what he wants
to do. He's God. Don't you understand
that? Come, you'll see. Come. I used to have trouble
understanding how folks could say, All things work together
for good. How can this be good? Until I
came. In coming I say. One more thing. Look at verse 40. One of the two which heard John
speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. And he
findeth his own brother Simon and saith unto him, what's this?
We have found the Messiah. Who is He? He's the Messiah. He's the Christ. He's the hope
of Israel. We have found the Messiah, which
being interpreted is the Christ. And He brought Him to Jesus,
and when Jesus beheld Him, He said, Thou art Simon, the son
of Jonah. Thou shalt be called Cephas,
which by interpretation is a stone. And the day following, Jesus
would go forth into Galilee and find that Philip, and saith unto
him, follow me. And now Philip was of Bethsaida,
the city of Andrew and Peter. And Philip findeth Nathanael,
and saith unto him, we found him. We found him. We found him. Him who is the him of everything. Him from whom all things come. Him to whom all things go. Him
of whom Moses and the prophets spoke. We found him. I found Him. I found Him. No question He found me, but
I found Him. I found Him to be God Almighty,
my Creator, my Life, my Light. I found Him to be God Man, my Savior, I thank Him,
of whom the Scriptures speak, the Lamb of God, who has taken
away my sins. The most wondrous thing in this
world is God in our flesh living for
us. dying for us, ascended for us,
reigning for us. I read this hymn this morning, charted it down, thought it would
be good. It is my sweetest comfort, Lord, and will forever be, to
muse upon the sacred truth of Thy humanity. O joy there sitteth
in our flesh upon the throne of light, one of human mother
born in perfect Godhead bright! Though earth's foundations should
be moved down to their lowest deep, though all the trembling
universe into destruction sweep, forever God, forever man, My
Jesus shall endure. And fixed on Him, my hope remains
eternally secure. May God make Him yours this day. Grant to you the power, the authority,
the right to be numbered among the sons of God by giving you
faith. Believe Him, and this is yours,
eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.