a few comments on the subject,
His Name, the Word of God. His Name, the Word of God. Now, they tell me that every
epistle has a prominent and dominant theme. For example, the theme
of Romans would be justification by faith. I think that's the
thread running through the book of Romans, justified by faith. I believe running through the
book of James, the dominant theme, prominent theme is the justification
of our faith. He said, faith without works
is dead, and he proceeds to deal with that. Through the book of 1 John, I
believe it's assurance. John uses that word so frequently. We know. We know that the Son
of God has come. We know that we've passed from
death unto life. We know. Assurance. Well, and
they tell me that the book of Matthew, the theme of the book
of Matthew is Christ, King of the Jews. King of the Jews, the
Messiah, the Christ, the fulfillment of every Old Testament type,
promise, and picture. And the book of Mark, probably
the theme is Christ the servant. Behold my servant. And the book
of Luke, the Son of Man, the Son of Man. And here in John,
it's the Son of God. the Word, the Son of God. His name, the Word of God. But you know 10,000 books couldn't
do justice to that subject. 10,000 books could not do justice
to his glorious person and his magnificent work. I believe that
we will spend an eternity discovering more and more, more and more
of his glory, his majesty, his mercy, his holiness, his power. But in these opening verses,
which Brother Jim read for us, the first 14 verses, John gives
us a look, a good look, at the Son of God, the Son of God. the Son of God. And I want to
tell the story in five parts. I'm going to divide the first
14 verses into five parts. And the first one, the first
part, is the Son of God, the Word. It says in verse 1, in
the beginning was the Word. You'll notice that word is capitalized,
the Word. In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Why is He called
the Word? Why is our Messiah, our Lord
and Savior, the Son of God, called the Word of God? He's called
the Word of God. Turn to Revelation. That is His
name. That's the reason I entitled
this message, His name, the Word of God. It says here in Revelation
19, look at that with me. Revelation 19, verse 11, And
I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and he that sat
upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness
he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire,
and on his head were many crowns. And he had a name written that
no man knew but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture,
clothed with a vesture dipped in blood, and his name, the Word
of God. That's Christ, the Word of God. Well, I'll tell you why he's
called the Word of God primarily. Just briefly, a word, what is
a word? A word is an expression of a
thought. That's what I'm doing right now.
I'm revealing to you my thoughts. I'm revealing to you my beliefs. I'm revealing to you actually
my character, because I believe what I preach. And that's what
a word is. A word is an expression of a
thought. A word is the revelation of a
person's character. Christ talked about the devil
being a liar. And because he's a liar, he speaks
lies. And the word reveals a person's character, reveals his will and
his purpose. And that's why Christ is called
the Word of God, because he reveals God. He's an expression and revelation
of God himself. Look at Hebrews 1. He is the
Word of God, that is, He's the revelation of God's character,
of God's purpose, of God's will. In Hebrews 1, verse 1, it says,
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times
past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last
days spoken unto us. He has spoken unto us by His
Son. whom he hath appointed heir of
all things, by whom also he made the world, who being the brightness
of his glory, and the express, expression, exact image of his
person." He's the Word of God. That's the reason he said to
the disciples, when you see me, you see my Father. When you hear
me, you've heard my Father. He's the Word of God. He's the
whole alphabet. of God, Alpha and Omega. Alpha is the first letter in
the Greek alphabet and Omega is the last one. He's Alpha and
Omega, the last, first and the last. He's the final word. God will speak no more except
through Christ. He hath in these last days spoken
to us by his Son, last days, last messenger. And judgment
is based on our response to what He says. Let me show you that
in Deuteronomy chapter 18. Judgment, our future, and how
we will be judged before God depends on how we respond to
the Word of God, the person of Christ. Deuteronomy 18, verse
18, I'll raise up a prophet from among their brethren like unto
thee, Moses, and I'll put my words in his mouth, and he'll
speak to them all that I shall command him. And it shall come
to pass that whosoever will not hearken to my words which he
shall speak in my name, I require it of him. That's the reason
Christ said my word will judge you. Under this heading now, the Son
of God, the Word. It says here in verse 1 of John,
John 1, go back to the text, in the beginning was the Word,
the Son of God's relation to time. In the beginning was the
Word. Christ was not from the beginning.
Christ was in the beginning. Time, He's not in time. Time's
in Him. That's the word, the word says,
let me turn to it and read it to you over here, and you don't
turn, but I'll go and read this quickly in Hebrews 7, it says
this, listen. Without father, mother, descent,
having neither beginning of days, nor end of life, but made like
unto the Son of God, abideth a priest continually. In beginning,
in the beginning God, in the beginning the Word of God. He
said, glorify me with the glory which I had with thee before
the beginning the world was made. And then, let's go back to my
text, the relationship of the Son of God with time in the beginning
was the Word, the relationship of the Son of God with the Godhead.
The Word was with God. What's that saying? He was with
God. He's with the Father. Let me show you that. 1 John 1, 2. You can put the
word Father in there. 1 John 1, 2. Listen. In verse 2 of 1 John 1, For the
life was manifested, we've seen it, bear witness, shown to you,
that eternal life which was with the Father. In beginning was
the Word. He's with the Father. He said,
I and my Father are one. He said over in 1 John 5, there
are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word,
and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one. One God. The relationship of the Son of
God, the Word of God, with time, He is, He was in the beginning,
with God. Now thirdly, the Son of God in
the universe. Look at the next verse. The same
was in the beginning with God, verse 3. And all things were
made by Him. All things were made by Jesus
Christ. Only God can create. Men discover. God creates. And all that exists,
the whole creation, it says here, was made by the Lord Jesus Christ. God, the Word. God said, let
there be light. God said, separate the light
from the darkness. The sun, the moon. God said,
let us make man. It was all done. Peter said in
the book of 2 Peter, the world was framed by the what? Word
of God. And the best text on that is,
of course, Colossians 1. Look at this. You need to look
at this. The Lord Jesus Christ, in the
beginning, with the Father, all things were made by Him. Now
look at this. Colossians 1, 16. Verse 15 says He's the image
of the invisible God. He's the firstborn of every creature.
Colossians 1, 16. And by Him were all things created
that are in heaven, that are in earth, 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, all power over all things,
because He's the Creator of all things. Principalities, powers,
rulers of the darkness, everything, visible and invisible. All right,
now then verse 4 of John 1, back to the text, all things were
made by him. Without him was not anything made that was made.
Now verse 4, in him was life. I just isolate those four words,
in him was life, L-I-F-E. Well, first, in him is divine
life, the same life of the Father and the Holy Spirit. He lived
before incarnation. And listen, and before incarnation,
before he came to this earth, he lived as our Redeemer. Job
saw him as the living Redeemer. And Job, we're told, is the first
book written. Job saw it. He said, I know my
Redeemer. He lived in Him as divine life,
and He lived as our Mediator and our Redeemer, yea, even before
He became the Son of Man incarnate. In Him is life, all right, divine
life. Secondly, in Him is the life of all living. He's the
fountain of natural life, whether it's whether it's animal or whether
it's human. Everything that lives got life from Him. That's right. In Him was life. Nowhere else. In Him was life. Thirdly, in
Him is spiritual life. His elect, because of the fall,
are dead. You hath He quickened who were
dead. in trespasses and sin. By one
man, sin entered the world, and death by sin. So death passed
upon all men, and his elect were dead, and cannot quicken themselves,
and there's no one else in all of the universe who can quicken
them. Only He. And that because He
won for them, and accomplished for them, and purchased for them. This life which He sovereignly
gifts to them, the Son quickeneth whom He will. In Him is life. And in Him, divine life. In Him, all life. In Him, spiritual
life. And in Him, eternal life. Not
the purpose only, but the very gift of it. Christ is our life. Christ didn't just make life
possible, He is our life. Christ didn't just give us life,
He came into us, dwelt in us, and He is our life. When Christ,
who is our life, shall appear, then shall we appear with Him.
I'm crucified, Paul said, nevertheless I live, yet not I. The life which
I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God.
Christ in you. That's the hope of glory, and
that's the reason Paul said to the church at Galatia, I prevail
till Christ be formed in you. You can have a doctrine and perish. You can have a law and perish.
You can have an experience and perish. But you cannot have Christ
and perish because He lives. He is life. In Him is life. Now look at the next line. And the life was the light of
men. Now when Adam was created, this
life is the light of men. When Christ the Word breathed
into Adam, the breath of life. Adam was filled with knowledge,
understanding, the ability to reason and to think. Life, the life that God gives,
is the light of knowledge and the power to think and reason
and understand. But when Adam and fell. He died spiritually. Death and
darkness flooded his soul, and while he retained the light of
natural knowledge, which the animals do not have, which the
plants do not have, but which men have, though he retained
the light of natural understanding and natural knowledge, he lost
That light of God's perfection, which he at one time had, but
lost. And that light of God's glory
and presence, and that understanding of God's grace and love. And
though now, verse 5, the light shined, man's fall didn't do
away with the light of God. Because I'm dead doesn't mean
The light's not there. It's there. The light is there. The light of His glory, His perfection,
His purpose, His will, His person, His Son is there. And the light
shines upon our darkness, the world's darkness. You're not
in darkness, but the world is. And the darkness doesn't understand. Oh, they understand how to make
a boat. They understand what makes it
float. They know how to make a plane and how to make it fly. They know how to build a house,
build a dam, dam up water, make electricity, all these natural
things. They have life, and that life
is light and understanding and reason and power. But when the
real wisdom comes in their ears, it goes right out that way. That's right. He lost it. He lost it. This is condemnation. Light is coming to this world.
Men love darkness because their deeds are evil. The darkness
comprehends it not. If our gospel be hid, it's hid
to them that are lost, in whom the God of this world hath blinded
their minds. That's the glorious light of
the knowledge of God should shine unto them, and they'd be saved. Turn to Matthew 13. This is what
our Lord said about that life, life, that life, in Him is life,
and that life is the light of men, knowledge, reason, power
to understand and think, but not holy things, because they're
dead in sin. In Matthew 13, Our Lord said
in verse 14, Matthew 13, 14, "...in them is fulfilled the
prophecy of Isaiah, which said, By hearing you shall hear and
not understand." They understand natural things
better than we do, some of them. By seeing you shall see and not
perceive, not understand. This people's heart is waxed
gross. Their ears are dull of hearing.
Their eyes, if they close, lest at any time they should see with
their eyes and hear with their ears, should understand, comprehend
with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal
them. But blessed are your eyes, they see, and your ears, they
hear." God made the difference. God made the difference. That's
what it says in the next verse of our text, John chapter 1. The Son of God. The second part
is His witnesses. It says there was a man sent
from God whose name was John. The Son of God has some witnesses.
You know, the Lord is good to us, kind to us. Jim prayed a
while ago thanking God for His mercy in opening our eyes and
ears and revealing the gospel to us. He didn't have to. He
doesn't owe us anything. God's not obligated to you and
me, but He has been pleased to send us witnesses, witnesses
of His Redeemer, witnesses of the Son of God who is to come. and who has come and who will
come. Job was a witness. Job was a
witness way back yonder when he was sitting there under all
of the afflictions and trials and troubles surrounded by these
friends. Oh, he said, amid all of this,
though he slay me, I'll trust him. And I know my Redeemer lives. And on this earth he'll stand
at the latter day. And though worms destroy this
body, yet in my flesh I'll see God, whom I shall see for myself
and not another." Witnesses. Abraham was a witness. Moses
was a witness. Moses wrote with me, Christ said.
David was a witness. All the Psalms. Isaiah was a
witness. And here comes this man, John.
There was a man sent from God, a man to speak our language,
a man like we are. God sent a man. In the same verse
7, why did he come? He came for a witness, to bear
witness of the light, that all men through him might believe.
He is not the light. Moses wasn't the light. He bore
witness to the light. David wasn't the light. David,
Peter, sits in the grave. Isaiah wasn't the light. John,
he said, I'm not the Christ. I'm not worthy to unlace his
shoes. He was sent to bear witness of
that light. Christ is the true light, which
lighteth every man that cometh into the world. And God has sent
his witnesses. And he told his disciples, if
they hear you, they'll hear me. His witnesses. He still has them. He has not left Himself without
a witness. Turn to John 5. Let me show you
something about these witnesses. God has sent us witnesses. In John chapter 5, verse 31,
the Lord Jesus said, Now if I bear witness of myself, A witness
is not true. The Word says, let every word
be established by the mouth of two or three witnesses. But verse
32, there's another that beareth witness of me. I know that the
witness that he witnesseth of me is true. You sent unto John,
he beareth witness unto the truth. But I receive not testimony from
man, but these things I say that you might be saved. John was
a burning, a shining light, and you were willing for a season
to rejoice in his light, but I have a greater witness than
that of John. For the works the Father hath given me to finish,
the same works that I do bear witness of me." The works he
did. Nicodemus said, no man could
do these things except God be with him. Verse 37, And the Father
himself which hath sent me hath borne witness of me. You have neither heard His voice
at any time nor seen His shape, and you have not His Word abiding
in you, for whom He has sent Him you believe not." Now watch
verse 39, "...you search the Scriptures, for in the Scriptures
you think you have eternal life, and there they which testify
of Me." Oh, how good, how kind, how gracious our God is to not
leave us without a witness. Continually, He speaks. Continually. I tell you, we're
without excuse. The light is there. The witnesses
are there. All right, thirdly, the Son of
God and His incarnation. Look at verse 10. He was in the world. Isn't that
remarkable? You go back up there to that
other scripture, in the beginning was the Word, The Word was with
God, and the Word was God, and all things were made by Him,
and He was in the world. Who was in the world? He was
in the world, one who made the world, was in the world. How can this be? I don't know. John called it, without controversy,
the mystery of godliness. Great is the mystery of godliness. whom whose throne is in the heavens
and the earth is his footstool, yet he was in the world. He was in
the world, seen of angels, justified in the Spirit, preached to the
Gentiles. The angels called him Immanuel,
God with us. Isaiah couldn't find anybody
who believed it. That's right, he couldn't find
anybody that believed God was in the world. He said, who hath believed our
report? To whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? He'll grow
up as a tender plant, as a root out of a dry ground. He hath
no form, no comeliness, no beauty that we should desire him. He's
despised and rejected of men, a man of sovereigns, acquainted
with greed. And we hid, as it were, our faces
from him. Who believes that? He couldn't find anybody. Who
believes our witness? Our report is our witness. God
not left himself without a witness. There was a man sent from God,
a lot of men sent from God, who bore witness of this life. And
he was in this world. But the darkness comprehended
him. But John found a way to make it plain for us. I want
you to look at this. I've shown you this before, but
I'll do it again. Verse 1. John 1, verse 1, and
verse 14. Verse 1 says, In the beginning
was the Word. Look down at verse 14. And the
Word was made flesh. Now back up to verse 1. And the
Word was actually with God, with the Father, and was God. And
down here it says, and He dwelt among us, verse 14. And the Word was God. And down
here in verse 14, and we beheld His glory. We actually beheld
His glory. The Son of God incarnate. He was in the world. Well, here's
the fourth picture. He was in the world. The world
was made by Him. I told you that, John said. I
told you who He is. And what was His reception? The
world knew Him not. They didn't know Him. Paul wrote in Corinthians, if
they had known Him, they wouldn't have crucified Him. They knew
Him not. Verse 11, He came to His own,
His own, listen, His own nation. These Jews, these Israelites
had talked about the coming Messiah for 4,000 years, 2,000 years
from Moses and back before Moses. They talked about it, but when
He came, they wouldn't receive it. He came the seed of woman, the
seed of Abraham, son of David, If they had taken the time to
look up the records, that's the reason Joseph and Mary went to
Bethlehem to be taxed. That was their city. They were
from the tribe of Judah, David's lineage. They said, who is the
Christ? He's the son of David. Well,
why didn't you check on this woman, Mary and Joseph, and find
out that they were of the house of David? Now they didn't receive
him. They weren't looking for a savior.
They were looking for a king. They weren't looking for a heavenly
kingdom. They were looking for an earthly kingdom. And they
said, give us Barabbas. We'll take a thief and crucify
this Jesus. He was in the world, and what
kind of reception did he get? The world didn't know him. He
came to his own temple over here Malachi said this,
listen to this. Malachi, behold, this is before
Christ came. Now this is Malachi, the last
chapter in the Old Testament. Behold, I'll send my messenger,
John the Baptist. He shall prepare the way before
me, and the Lord whom you seek. They read this on Sabbath day
in the synagogue. And the Lord whom you seek will
suddenly come to his temple. the messenger of the covenant,
whom you delight in. Behold, he'll come, saith the
Lord of hosts." And he did. They said, we won't have him.
We're not going to have him. He fits every pattern, picture,
type. But see, their table and their
sacrifices had become stumbling blocks and not stepping stones. Christ is the way. Without Him,
we're hopelessly lost. Christ is the truth. Without
Him, we can't know God. Christ is the life. Without Him,
we're dead. Christ is the light. Without
Him, we walk in darkness. Christ is the rock. Without Him,
we build on sand. Christ is the atonement. Without
Him, there's no reconciliation, no forgiveness. Christ is the
only mediator. Without Him, we stand alone.
when the books are open. So why did they refuse him? Why did they not know him? Why did they not flock to him
and receive him? Why do they not now? This message
is so clear, it meets our need, it meets I give you four reasons why men
do not come to Christ. Here's the first one. They do
not need Him. He's a Savior and they're not
sinners. He's a Redeemer and they're not
lost. He's a sacrifice for sin and
they don't have any. We be not sinners. You see, lost
men cry for help. Drowning men cry for help. And
the reason they don't come to Christ is they don't need Him.
They don't need life. They need just a little help,
a little assistance. That's what people need today.
They just need a shove. They don't need to be raised
from the grave. They're not dead. That's what
those Jews told Him. We'd be not in bondage to any
man. God's our Father. They don't need Christ. Secondly,
I'll tell you why men do not come to Christ. They don't need
Him. And secondly, they don't see God's need for Christ. What
do you mean by that, preacher? I mean this, if God is going
to be just and justify, He's got to have a sacrifice. Every Old Testament priest who
came before God to represent the people and to gain Reconciliation
or forgiveness for the people brought a blood sacrifice, a
blood offering. They brought an atonement. And
this man, our mediator, our high priest, when he comes before
God, he's got to have an atonement. Not animal blood, but his blood. Not a temporary sacrifice, but
the supreme offering. He's got to have somewhat to
offer in order that God may be just and justified. Preachers don't talk that language,
therefore their people don't talk that language. Christ came
and died just for the unjust that he might bring us to God.
And when he brought us to God, he brought us to God reconciled,
forgiven, accepted, and holy with a perfect righteousness.
God accepts us. We need Him to be accepted. And God needs Him to accept us. That's right. This generation
doesn't know anything about that. Third reason why men do not come
to Christ is they do not come to Christ because they've already
got a refuge. They've already established.
Their kinfolks did it for them a long time ago. They established
religious traditions and denominations and refuges in which they hide. And through these religious traditions
and refuges and experiences and decisions and professions and
baptisms and all these ordinances, they have established a righteousness
that shields them from judgment. And they said, we're in agreement
with hell. We're not afraid to die. When
the overflowing judgment of God sweeps through, it won't come
to us. We have a refuge. I'm saved. I'm a church member. I'm a Catholic. I'm a Baptist. I'm a Methodist. I'm a Pentecostal. I'm this. Nazarene. I'm that.
I'm the other. I have a refuge. And they're
going about to establish their own righteousness, and even at
the judgment they say, now hang on here just a minute, wait a
minute, we preached in your name, did many wonderful works in your
name, cast out devils in your name. I never knew you. I never knew you. You had no
Savior, Redeemer, Atonement. I never knew you. I never stood
for you. They do not come to Christ because
they already have a refuge. And I'll tell you, in order to
interest anyone in Him as a refuge and a rock and a hiding place,
they're going to have to be routed out of that false refuge. God's
the only one who can do it. Fourthly, men do not come to
Christ because of fear. Let me read you three verses. John
7, verse 13. John 7, verse 13. They fear. They're afraid to be different.
They're afraid of public opinion. They're afraid of the offense
of the cross. John 7, verse 13, No man spake openly of him for
fear of the Jews. The Jews were a powerful outfit.
They controlled a man's whole life, that denomination religion
did. Look at John 9, verse 22. This
is the man that was born blind and Christ healed him. John 9,
22, these words spake his parents because they feared the Jews.
The Jews had already agreed, agreed already. If any man did
confess that he was the Christ, they would put him out of the
synagogue. Christ told his disciples that. They would put you out
of the synagogue. And people that killed you would think they
would do God a favor. And people are afraid of the
offense. isolation, the harassment, the persecution, they just pray.
Look at John 19. This man Joseph of Arimathea. And they'll do a lot of religious
things. They'll even talk about Jesus. In John 19, 38, listen. After this, Joseph of Arimathea
being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews. assault Pilate, he would take
away the body of Jesus, that he might take it away, and Pilate
gave him leave. And he came, therefore, and took
the body of Jesus and buried it in his tomb. But he was afraid. See, the gospel is offensive,
and people are not willing to bear the offense. They're not
willing to be not conformed to this world. But there's no shortcut. Christ said, He that forsaketh
not all that he hath cannot be my disciple." Now, fifthly, in
closing, the Son of God, back to my text, John 1. We've looked
at the Son of God, the Word. We've looked at the Son of God
incarnate. We've looked at the Son of God,
His witnesses, and the Son of God, His rejection. And now the
Son of God, His victory. I like to end on this note. Verse
10 said, He was in the world, the world was made by Him and
the world knew Him not. He came unto His own, His own
received Him not but, thank God, but as many as received Him. As many as embraced Him, believed
Him, trusted Him. rested in it. As many as. Who
are these? Did I ever show you this? As
many as. Look back here, look back at
Matthew 14. It's used several times. As many
as Matthew 14, 36. You'll appreciate this. Matthew 14, verse 35, And when
the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all
that country round about him, brought unto him all that were
diseased, and besought him that they might only touch the hem
of his garment. And as many as touched him were
made whole. That's who they are, the ones
that touch him. As many as touched Him. And He
touched them. Let me show you another verse. John 17. John 17. As many as. As many as. John 17. Listen. Verse 2. As thou hast given Him power
over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many
as. touched Him, and thou hast given
Him His elect. Who is going to be saved? As
many as received Him, as many as touched Him, as many as the
Father gave Him. Now let me show you another one.
In Acts 2, listen to this one. This is beautiful here. Acts
chapter 2. Acts 2 verse 39. It is all a
glorious victory. He shall not fail. Verse 39 of
Acts 2 says, For the promise is unto you, and to your children,
and to all that are far off, even as many as the Lord our
God doth call. That's who they are. This old
world spits on him, turns thumbs down on him, despises him, but
as many as received him, touch As many as the Lord our God doth
call, as many as the Lord God gave him. Now the last one, Acts
13, verse 48. Listen to this. Acts 13, verse
48. And when the Gentiles heard this
glorious gospel of the Son of God, they were so glad, and they
glorified the word of the Lord, and as many as were ordained
alive, they believed. Now, brother, there you are.