Jesus Christ is Life John 1:4

All right, well, good morning. Welcome to faith Bible Church. We're glad you're here and hello to our church family at home this morning as well. We wish you were here, but The Lord is everywhere. And so we're all part of his family.

So We're together in spirit. So this morning Besides being blessed by the Lord's Day. I wanted to reiterate last week. Well first first announcement the ladies Bible study is on the 20th. So ladies Come out to that Bart's birthday.

And.

We'd like to just so that's on the 20th we also announced last week that we've We're presenting gentlemen, Il Jin Cho for the position of pastor if this is. He's in from Illinois, Chicago. He's a seminary student and a church Bible teacher and really a sweet young man and So we we're gonna bring him out on Resurrection Sunday that weekend.

Fly him in on Thursday. And then they'll be in the area to get a sense of things be here fellowshipping with us on Sunday. He'll be preaching. Also that morning we're gonna gather ahead of the service at 930 just to have some refreshments and to have an opportunity to get a little closer to Il Jin and To meet him and his wife Lauren.

So that'll be a sweet time. I'm sure. So remember that this is you know, they're looking they're checking things out. Likewise, we are also interested in them. We're all pursuing the Lord's will and Through it all and this may not be the Lord's will but it might be so we're making Ourselves available.

We're being faithful to what God has set before us and We need to do that. So We're blessed that God has brought this man before us. And so just let's continue to keep them in prayer. Keep our church in prayer and this is a collective effort here.

This is not just the elders and and that's it. It's you the congregation that that there will they're involved in this and that will. And if it comes to fruition, there's needs to be some stepping up to as far as responsibility goes.

So just keep that in mind so.

And.

So I wanted to read A verse before we go to the Lord in prayer. This is from 1st Thessalonians 5 16. Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing in everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

You know, sometimes we ask what's the Lord's will well His revealed word will is right here. We have it right in front of us. It's in our hands. And So Let's remember that that we need to give thanks and rejoice always and that's what we we want to do this morning.

So would you join with me in prayer? Lord God, we thank you for this gathering this morning father that we are weak vessels Lord, but In our weakness you are made strong. And so Lord we call upon you to guide us to shepherd us To lead us in our service this morning.

We pray for pastor John as he shares from the word father and The heart that you have given him and the commitment to to share the gospel message the good news father. We're so grateful and Lord so strengthen him father.

Thank you for the musicians and that faithfully every week Share their gifts with us Lord strengthen them guide us them as well also in our in our worship this morning. May we set aside those things that encumber us father that we would look to you the great and mighty Glorious God that you are because you are why we are here today father.

It's not because of ourselves. We need to set our selves aside and put you on On the throne father where you belong and so Lord, we thank you that we can commit our time to you this morning. Just creating us a clean heart father and renew our spirits father through this time Lord we commit it to your care in Christ's name.

We pray. Amen.

Good morning, everyone let's stand and sing and Worship his majesty our Lord our King Jesus Christ our Lord.

Thank you David.

Open your Bibles and go to the gospel of John gospel of John chapter 1 and. We return this morning to this mini series we're doing. Leading up to Resurrection Sunday, you know, it's right around the corner.

So we're gonna have Palm Sunday coming which is a day that we remember Jesus is triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Where they were they were laying palm branches down. He Wrote in directly and fulfillment of prophecy on the back of a young foal.

Just many many things happened that last week and then of course Good Friday. He goes to the cross and obedience to his father's will. He's buried three days later. He raises again. So we have Palm Sunday coming up and then Resurrection Sunday.

I'm sure ilgen is going to be preaching a message on the resurrection of Jesus Christ, right. Without the resurrection. There is no Christianity. So we're looking forward to that. So this is kind of a real fitting lead-in up until Palm Sunday and Resurrection Sunday if you think about it.

What more wonderful subject can we be studying in God's Word than Jesus Christ? Amen, I mean what more wonderful look at verse 14 John chapter 1.

The Word.

Became 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. What a more wonderful subject Than Jesus Christ the only begotten Son of God. I want to read verses 1 through 14.

Believe it or not. We're only looking at one verse today. The sermon title if you have the notes is Jesus Christ is life. But I'm going to get our minds fixed again on this passage. Where will be the next few weeks?

John chapter 1 verse 1. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him and without him. Nothing was made that was made in him was life and the life was the light of men and The light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it.

There was a man sent from God whose name was John. This man came for a witness to bear witness of the light That all through him might believe. He was not that light. But he was sent to bear witness of that light.

That was the true light which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world and the world was made through him and the world did not know him. He came to his own and his own did not receive him.

But as many as received him To them he gave the right to become children of God to those who believe in his name. Who were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word became flesh and dwelled among us and we beheld his glory the glory as Of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth. John bore witness of him and cried out saying this was he of whom I said he who comes after me is preferred before me for he was before me and of his fullness we have all received and grace for grace.

May God add his blessing To the reading of his word. Let's go to the Lord in prayer. Father we thank you this morning for for Christian fellowship for corporate worship. Being together on the Lord's Day.

Starting our week Father God worshiping you as a church family as brothers and sisters in Christ we're so thankful for that God and And Lord, we do commit the preaching of your word to your care. We do ask father God that you might be pleased by the power of the Holy Spirit to help us to understand your word to to Plant it as a seed in our heart that has been prepared before you God Lord that you might be exalted that Christ might be exalted that the gospel would be clear that our Understanding of you would be enriched and in Poland and and just father God Seeing you.

As we haven't seen you before We commit this time to you God we commit this time In the preaching of the Word of God the living Word of God in Jesus name. Amen so we've seen Looking back that God's holy Inspired.

Sufficient.

Without error.

Authoritative Scripture clearly teaches that when Jesus Christ came to the earth. He was 100 human. He was a man. And the Holy Scriptures also teach us from Genesis all the way to Revelation that Jesus is also God 100 God.

And Theologians refer to this mystery. They came up with a fantastic word. You got to go to seminary to learn it or Google it. They came up with this big word 50 cent word. Hypostatic union. Remember that it'll be on the test next week.

So the hypostatic union this person in the flesh 100 God and 100 man at the same time and. This morning we will examine consider how Jesus is.

Life.

The opening verses of the Gospel of John are so important. They're foundational to why God the Holy Spirit Directed and guided the Apostle John to write it. They're also foundational to the clear and overall purpose of that.

John wrote this gospel. We read it last week. It's in John 20 verse 30. Truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that by believing You may have listened carefully.

You may have life in his name. Now verse 4 John 1 in him was Life and the life was a light of men. So not only was and is and always will be Jesus Christ the Son of God not only was he fully man during his time on the earth born of a woman and Not only has God More fully revealed himself and spoken through Jesus Christ in verse 4.

We learned that in him.

In.

Christ was life. Now if you've ever been to any kind of college level English class composition literature studied literature. At the beginning of any well-written or important work of literature and even music the writer Or the composer will often declare a theme and then allow that theme To recur again and again throughout the book or the musical composition.

Sometimes an author will do this through a visual image. You ready the catcher in the rye. What do you think the book is about The catcher in the rye. How about this one? I mean this is gonna be a tough one.

Ready. This is college level. The grapes of wrath. You think it might be about wrath? The Holy Bible, ah. Now sometimes you see the same thing in music. You listen to Beethoven or Mozart or.

Or.

Any of those great composers, right. Sometimes it's done by means of a word or a concept and this is what we have here in verse 4 here We have the introduction to two of the great themes of this gospel one is that Jesus was life and Secondly next week Jesus Was and is the light so he's both the life and the light these two words in these two concepts occur in a variety of ways and So frequently that we need to take time to examine them.

So today I want to consider and study the significance of Jesus Christ Being the life and that is why if you have the sermon notes at the very top simple title Jesus Christ is life. Today we'll look at the claim that Jesus is the life of the world and Then God willing next week. We'll look at this claim that Jesus is the light of the world.

Jesus Christ is the life. What is the significance of this truth? What does it mean for us and the rest of the world? I want to dig into some of the answers to these questions and one of the first things we want to understand is to see how a Prominent theme this idea and the truth that Jesus is the life how it is in this gospel.

See when you read the gospel of John Dave has been studying it listening to more than just me and Any careful reader will of this gospel will see that the word life is an important one. For John often speaks of life in connection with Jesus Christ and the eternal life that he offered to mankind to some extent the gospel both ends Begins and ends with this theme.

He declares in him was life and The life was the light of men. Then when you get to chapter 20 verse 31 these things have been written That you may believe that Jesus is the Christ listen carefully and that in him right in him that Believing that Jesus is a Christ you may have what?

Life.

Look at John 14 6. Jesus says I Am the way the truth and the what life. No one comes to the Father but through me. Chapter 5 verse 40. Chapter 5 verse 40, but you are not willing to come to me. That you may have life.

Chapter 10 verse 28. My sheep hear my voice verse 27. And I know them and they follow me and here it is. I give them eternal life and They shall never Perish neither shall anyone snatch them out of my hand.

Verse 10 same chapter the thief does not come Except to steal and to kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life and That they may have life more abundantly. So without going to all 50 references or so 35 nouns at least 15 verb forms of the word life.

Since this word is so significant. Let's better understand how it's used and its significance listen its significance to the gospel and To our understanding of Jesus Christ because that's what this is all about, right?

Jesus is a hundred percent God. He's a hundred percent man, and he is now what life?

So this word.

Occurs, like I said some 35 times in a noun form 15 times in the verb. What does John mean? What is he referring to when he repeatedly uses the word life? First of all. This one is kind of interesting.

First of all when John uses the word life that Jesus is back in chapter 1. When he says over and over That in him was life He's referring to the fact that Jesus Christ gives physical life. Physical life.

What is the significance of This repeated word life in this gospel. And what does it mean that? Jesus is the source of life or that he is the life. And in answer to this first question John under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is referring to physical life.

Now physical life is The life that takes us back to the opening pages of the book of Genesis and therefore to the role Listen the role of the Lord Jesus Christ in giving life to all living things in the world back in Genesis 1.

It can be challenging To wrap our minds around all that the Bible teaches on this truth about the role of Jesus Christ in giving life to all things. Because the Bible does teach listen the Bible does teach that our physical life.

Does come from.

The triune God through Jesus Christ. There are three persons in the Godhead. All three persons have a distinct role. God the Father has given physical life Through Jesus Christ. Because when John says in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.

He's going back to the very first verse of God's Word. This is the reference. Look. In the beginning God created the heavens and the worth. Now listen. Follow this. It's so amazing. John says in the beginning was what the Word and the Word was with God and.

The Word.

Was God now watch this Verse 3 Genesis 1 then God what said? Let there be light and See back in John 1 John says the same thing. Look what he says in verse 3. All things Were made through him and without him.

Nothing was made that was made. Can you get a hold of that. In other words through the word through Jesus all things were made through him and Without him nothing That was made was made. So Jesus Christ was is and always will be God and God is most glorified in his Son.

And what these verses are talking about here in John 1 and in Genesis 1 is Jesus's role in creation. So instantly with these words our mind should go to the life that went forth out of God to bring life to Inanimate matter at the beginning of the creation of the world.

God just spoke and it happened. So one truth about Jesus that John is saying here. Is that our physical life comes from God through Jesus Christ.

Now.

It's important. So I want to go back again to Genesis hold your place in John and let me show you something else. Because I went many years as a Christian Obviously reading Genesis 1 and God said let there be light and I was always thinking what God the Father right?

I wasn't making this distinction. I Wasn't looking to understand the deity of Jesus Christ the fact that he is God. But take a look at this because it just keeps building. Verse 7 Genesis 2 The Lord God Formed a man out of the dust of the ground and Breathed into his nostrils.

The breath of life and the man became a living being. Now all the terms in this verse from Genesis are important and For one we're told here that God formed man From the dust of the earth. Now often In Scripture when God does a work in human history He uses common substances or common people So that the glory might be to his name and not man's.

You understand Peter was a common fisherman. Matthew was a tax gatherer. The most hated go through the disciples and See we see this principle in his choice of people like Abraham Moses who could barely talk.

Slow of speech David.

Remember David and Goliath. Do you remember what's this little boy gonna do and David like? What are you talking about this giant over here? He he's mocking the God of Israel. Remember that. What's he gonna do against Goliath and then even Goliath?

What are you doing sending this little boy to me, right? This is God. We can't say it's all gonna point to his glory. It is just. I mean if you don't get goose pimples right now, man. Sorry, how about John the Baptist?

What kind of nutcase runs around the wilderness in burlap and eats locusts and honey you want some locusts for lunch? No, thanks. I'll take in and out first. Corinthians chapter 1. Listen carefully for consider your calling brethren.

That there were not many wise according to the flesh not many mighty not many noble. But God has chosen the foolish things of this world. To shame the wise and God has chosen the weak things of this world to shame the things which are strong and the base things of this world the murderers the adulterers.

He's chosen them the prisoners. The base things of the world the despised God has chosen and the things that are not that he may nullify the things that are. So that no man may boast before the Lord. You see we have the same principle in the opening verses of the Bible when God formed man.

What did he use did he use gold silver uranium? No, what did he use?

Dirt.

The most common substance.

But God did what?

He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and this dirt. This dust became a living being so even though we may be fearfully and wonderfully made. That's what the psalmist says in Psalm 139. Nevertheless, the glory is God's and there's nothing in us which about which man can boast.

Here's what one well-known scholar said about this truth.

So low is the dust.

That Job uses the word 20 times To describe the littleness of man in his misery it is to dust That all bodies return in death. Dust that exalts itself is hateful, but.

Dust.

That acknowledges its dustiness finds favor in the sight of the Lord. The fact that God in Christ made life out of dust is a humble and Remarkable truth. Have you thought about this. What are we now. Secondly, there's another important point in verse 7 and that is the word breath.

It is the breath of Almighty God in Christ Jesus that makes dust. What? Live and breathe. The breath of God makes the dust. What is God's breath? It is that which goes forth out of his mouth. It is his spirit the Holy Spirit and it is associated with his spoken word in in English.

The words breath spirit and word are unrelated, but this is not true in the Hebrew language. Which is what the Old Testament most of the Old Testament is written in. There's parts of Daniel that are written in Aramaic, but the same Hebrew word.

That is translated spirit is translated breath. And what is more significant in Hebrew. Thought the breath of God or the breath of man. Listen the breath of God or the breath of man in Hebrew thought and culture for thousands of years.

The breath of man is associated with the person's spoken words as a man speaks. We know by means of it. Now put this all together when you think about the physical life given to Jesus Christ when we put these ideas together.

When we find that God brought forth life in man by speaking the word of life. Which God has already identified with Jesus Christ in such a way that the spirit of life Which is his Holy Spirit? Passes into man and causes him to breathe.

In other words. These terms provide an illustration of the role of each member of the Trinity in in Creation. Look at verse 26 chapter 1, by the way, don't argue this with a Jehovah Witness when they come knocking on your door.

Okay, you're not going to convince them and ain't anything else. The only thing that convinces any cult is the gospel. They need to hear the gospel not why God is a Trinity. But look at verse 26 God said let us Make man in our image according to our likeness.

See that so you have the building of the doctrine of the Trinity over in 1st Corinthians 15. As we head back to the New Testament The significance of man's created nature is seen most clearly When he is contrasted with the Lord Jesus Christ in 1st Corinthians 15.

Which is a great chapter on resurrection. 1st Corinthians 15 verse 45. So it is written the first man Adam became a living being the last Adam became. What a life-giving spirit? So back to the Gospel of John, I don't have time to go to all the other verses in Colossians.

Where I mean I do this in science when I teach science because you know the scientists they can look at an atom and they Know that there's three parts right electrons protons neutrons. You understand and then they have this huge thing in Switzerland called the large haldron collider and they smash protons together and they they're looking for things smaller than the size of a proton and They found them.

There's all kinds of things when they smash the when you smash two rocks together. Do you get the same two rocks? No, they do this like it as fast as it can be. It's in a vacuum tube. It's very I forget the the my the the feet off the top of my head.

Anyway, the point is in Colossians. It says Jesus holds everything together. I mean right now if Jesus wasn't holding everything together We would have the biggest atomic blast you've ever seen and it'd be the end of the world.

So first of all when it comes to Jesus Christ being life, there is a physical life. We can't fully or totally explain this truth. But Jesus was the creative agent in in creation yet each part of the Trinity had a role in creation.

Okay, number two. Jesus Christ is the one who not only gives physical life. He also gives spiritual life so the physical life that all human beings have is only the beginning of our Understanding of what John intends in verse 4 in him was life.

Not only the physical life but also the spiritual life and this is the groundwork for the spiritual Interpretation of the word that he unfolds in this gospel. See John is speaking of physical life here.

But as he goes on through the book, he transitions to spiritual life. One reason why he tells Nicodemus you must be what born again? Not physically. What was Nicodemus thinking? Come on, he's like us you mean I got to go back into my mom.

How can I go back into my mother's womb? I'm 45 years old. How can I go back in my mother's womb and be born again? Jesus is like you don't get it. You don't get it. That's me. I don't get it. Hit me over the head with a baseball bat.

The point is just as Jesus is a source of physical life. So he is a source of spiritual life that a believer receives when they by grace through faith receive him now. Here's where this really begins to get traction.

We have to realize that apart from the spiritual life that Jesus Christ gives. Every man woman boy or girl born since Adam and Eve Listen are spiritually dead.

Now this.

Aspect of the condition of man apart from saving faith. We read over it, but too often. It's it's not fully appreciated or it's partially understood. The Bible is very clear That unbelievers are dead in their trespasses and sin unbelievers are.

As un.

Responsive to God. Listen as The dust was Before God breathed life into it. Do you understand what can dust do? Well, you might kick it around right. Go to Ephesians chapter 2. Ephesians chapter 2 Really appreciate the spiritual life that Jesus gives.

You have to understand that apart from saving faith. Every man woman boy or girl born since the fall since Adam and Eve are dead look at Ephesians chapter 2 verse 1 and You he made alive.

Who were.

Dead in. Trespasses and sins by the way in the Greek. You want to guess what dead means. Not breathing not living. What do we mean by dead? Ready for the cemetery. Isn't that what we mean? I Mean, we got some dead weeds.

We are grateful. We have some dead weeds roundup kills them. Guess what? They have no more life, right and you were made alive. Who were dead in? Trespasses and sin in which you once walked according to the course of this world.

According to the Prince of the power of the air the Spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience. Among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh Fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind and were by nature children of wrath just as the others.

By the way, you want a little fuller understanding of what's going on in the world today. I Had a conversation just in the past two weeks with somebody and they were like, this is a Christian they were shocked.

There's only two kinds of people in the world. According to God's Word. There's only two kinds of people in the world. There's not white black Chinese Taiwanese African. There's only two kinds of people children of God or children of the devil.

Children of wrath or children of love spiritually dead or spiritually alive. That's what's going on in this world. Look at what it says. We were this way verse three. We were fulfilling right the desires of the flesh.

We were by nature children of wrath. But look at this but God Who is rich in mercy? Because of his great love with which he loved us. Even when we were dead in trespasses made us alive together with Christ for by grace you have been saved and Raised us up together and made us sit in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

What a past what a condition. What is everyone's condition apart from saving faith. Everyone is as dead as the dirt under our feet dead in their sin. They might be breathing. Their heart might be pumping blood, but according to God in their relationship with God.

They're dead. And this is one of the miracles of salvation in our natural state. We can't do anything to improve ourselves.

Spiritually.

Apart from Christ. No one has breathed one breath towards God nor had one Spiritual heartbeat. Man is dead in their sin. Man is spiritually dead in his sin. So he needs a new life and this is why Jesus said to Nicodemus you must be born again.

I don't care that you're a Pharisee. I don't care that you have kept the law. What did he say to the rich young ruler? You've lacked one thing oh. You're doing all good stuff. Whack one thing. Being born agains means receiving a new life from God through the Lord Jesus Christ by faith in him and where people.

Listen, this is where people get hung up and confused. When the Bible says that all men are dead Spiritually it's not Suggesting that everybody is in the same. Listen to me same state of corruption and This can be a real point of misunderstanding when we talk about being spiritually dead when the Bible declares in no uncertain terms That all men are dead spiritually.

It's not saying that every single man woman boy or girl is in the same condition of corruption. There are good people in the world that are not saved. But they're spiritually dead understand. They're spiritually dead if they die.

It doesn't matter how good they are if they die. They go to hell not heaven. They're morally good. Mother Teresa Amazing woman did many things. They can be morally good and they can be better in sense of the murderer or the adulterer or that that that serial killer that sits on death row and We see this in God's Word.

Remember Jairus. He comes to Jesus because his little girl is sick. She'd been dead for just a few minutes when the Lord reached her father's house, but she was dead. She was lifeless. No doubt a sweet young girl in the eyes of her beloved parents.

And even though there wasn't the corruption that there might have been in years later. What was she? Dead in the same way everyone born since Adam are all genuinely dead. Apart from the life-giving Spirit of Jesus Christ.

There might be degrees of corruption. There's many many good people. I Talked to anybody I Mean do this. Pray that God gives you an opportunity to share the gospel this week and ask the person. Do you consider yourself a good person?

Ask him. What what a ninety nine point nine nine nine nine nine nine percent of people say unless they're in prison for murdering a hundred people. I'm a good person and Then what I love to say next well, you mind if I give you a test.

Sure good. Okay. Have you ever told a lie? Seriously, try it pray that God give you a chance to share the gospel this week. That God brings an unbeliever into your life and you can say well do you consider yes, well, have you ever told a lie.

And They'll go. Well Yeah.

Everybody has.

What's that make you?

No.

No, they're not gonna say that they're gonna say human just like everybody else. Try it. I've done it 50 times or more. Human no, no. No. What's that make you? Just like everybody else then I say, okay if I told you a lie, what would you call me?

Liar. And. Then the light comes on boy. I could go down that rabbit trail. Where does spiritual life come from? It comes from Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the life of the world because we were guilty of sin.

God sent Jesus to be the propitiation of our sin by Bearing them on his own body on the cross because we were dead in our sins. God sent Jesus Christ to give us new life. So God in Jesus Christ gives man physical life and he also gives man what?

Spiritual life. Okay, and then finally if you're following in your notes Jesus Christ also gives eternal life and we can camp here. Seriously, we could camp here for the next 45 minutes easily and I'll try to Try to squeeze it down eternal life.

For one the the life that God gives through Jesus Christ is Not merely an earthly life or a life that that that can be lost. Listen. But eternal life that can never be lost. So the life we see we receive from God in the moment of our belief in Jesus Christ is the same life.

That we will be living with God for all eternity in What we could call Unending millions of years. What is eternal life? Eternal life is life without what an end there's no period at the end of the sentence if it could be lost which believe it or not, there are Christians and Bible colleges and theologians that actually teach That you can lose this eternal life, which by definition is what?

Eternal you mean it's eternal but it's not Ask. I mean, it's hysterical. If it could be lost what?

It can't be eternal.

Amen, can I have at least one? Amen? God said He didn't say it's gonna last a million years. He said it's eternal. If God said that he was going to give us 1 ,000 years then the life could not be lost before the end of a thousand years if he said it's a hundred years.

Then.

What God says stands, but he says it's eternal life. We thank God That he has given us not merely a hundred years or a thousand years or a million years. He's given us what eternal everlasting life in Jesus Christ.

First John 5 first John 5 11.

Oh.

Fantastic verse. Mark it in your Bible if you're a Bible marker. This is the testimony that God has given us eternal life and This life is in his Son. So number one. Eternal life forever. Back in John.

John chapter 10 now. The second truth is that God has not only given us eternal life that no one can take from us He also has given us a life that is meant to be abundant even in our present Circumstances.

Look at chapter 10. John chapter 10 verse 10 the thief Does not come except to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come that they may have life and That they may have it more abundantly. So with verses like these and others we learn that Christians are meant to live lives of joy and Exuberance.

So much so that their life is a light pointing to the life. This is not an abundant life is not a million dollars in the bank. That's what some people think. In fact if you turn on Christian television.