John 1 – A New Genesis

Transcript

all right so uh John chapter 1 uh x entitled the uh the word site a new x genesis x uh when we read John 1 uh the first x three verses it says in the beginning x was the word and the Word was with God x and the Word was God the same was in the x beginning with God all things were made x by him and without him was not anything x made that was made so you have this uh x really interesting uh introduction to x John's gospel x obviously the first three words out of x the uh gospel are in the beginning and a x clear reference back to Genesis chapter x 1 verse one uh talk about that in a sec x and Then followed with this uh x kind of uh mystical uh x interesting uh phrases where uh in the x beginning was the word and the Word was x with God and the Word was God kind of uh x a bit uh hard to get your your head x around or at least it is for me x um x like I said the the whole thing both the x the words in the beginning God created x the Heaven and the Earth in the x beginning refers back to Genesis this x idea of x the word being God and with God was in x the beginning and everything being made x by him so it's this real clear reference x back to Genesis chapter one x so you ask yourself what is John trying x to say here what what is his what is his x purpose for for x uh beginning his gospel message this way x so x um x you know sometimes growing up on amended x I I'm not really sure what all the other x Chris dolphins are x uh what's the the normal uh way of x interpreting uh some passages uh I'm x just gonna guess that the way I was x raised is probably pretty similar to um x the way most of us x have been x um it's kind of the general x Christadelphian View and I think among x most Christians that he's he's referring x back to the physical creation of the x world in the beginning x uh God created the heavens and the Earth x is uh x what uh what John is expressing uh and x then the the meanings of the word and x the light and the uh life uh you know x you've got to kind of parse that out uh x instead what I think John is really x doing here is he's contrasting x uh what he's what he's putting forward x as a new genesis with the the old x Genesis right so we're going to look at x a few of those uh x um x subjects that he kind of reviews in x those first few verses the beginning the x word the light and the Darkness the life x these are subjects that not only does he x address right here in the opening to his x uh gospel message but throughout his x book really and we're going to kind of x look at that x and uh x when we understand or at least in my own x view what I understand the beginning x he's talking about he's not x he's not saying in Genesis 1 1 uh x the Word was God and the Word was with x God and everything was made through him x I really think what he's saying is x in for BC or whatever date that was when x Christ began his ministry excuse me it'd x be more like 29 A.D x um that's the beginning x he was the word uh at that beginning x we'll talk about that he was the light x shining in the darkness and he was the x the light that brought life uh anyone's x uh you start seeing the introduction to x John that way uh x for me it kind of opens my eyes to uh x how much of John points to Christ how he x supersedes what came before it's a lot x like uh when we read Hebrews how Christ x supersedes the angels He supersedes x Moses uh and John here we actually have x John saying uh his creation his this new x beginning this light Dawning on a dark x world uh is is the most important x the more important creation and then uh x there's a parallel message that runs x through John's Gospel of uh you know an x opportunity for us uh opportunity for us x at a new beginning a new birth uh a new x a New Day Dawning for uh all mankind so x we're gonna x look at that this morning this evening x hopefully x so you know Genesis 1 1 in the beginning x God created the Heaven and the Earth x it's interesting to me when you look at x John that first uh chapter he actually x and you can't prove anything by this but x I think it's interesting he he he lays x out a pattern for a seven day uh x Creation in the beginning of Jesus x ministry John 1 and 19. x it says this is the record of John uh x that's this is what I'm calling day one x that's my that's that's not a new x translation that's x my addition there when the Jews sent x priests and Levites from Jerusalem to x ask him who are you x John answered them saying I baptized x with water but there stands among you x one you know not x he it is who's coming after me it's x preferred performing whose shoes latched x I am not worthy to unloose x um you even see there this uh kind of x allusion to the one that comes later is x the one that is preferred uh just like x it is with uh x Jacob and Esau and uh x you see that that theme throughout the x scripture all the time and John's x pointing out here and I think uh John x the author of of this gospel is is x pointing out that this second creation x is is preferred above the first x uh so if you follow through Jones just x kind of Bounce It Around uh day two John x lays us all out next day John sees Jesus x coming and says Behold the Lamb of x which takes away the sin of the world x John 135 again the next day after John x stood and two of his disciples and John x looking Upon Jesus as he walked said x Behold the Lamb of God x we skip to the next day x verse 43 the day following Jesus would x go forth into Galilee and finds Philip x and says to him follow me uh x and then John 2 and 1 we skip ahead x three days you know it says on the third x day from then x I'm adding to that but day seven there's x a marriage in Cana of Galilee and the x mother of Jesus was there and both Jesus x was called and his disciples to the x marriage so you have x seven days in John's creation and it's x interesting that day seven uh x uh is a is a marriage feast x which you know I think is kind of kind x of interesting there's there's a x you know you can make a weak argument x for each of these days and what they x represent and I don't know why day five x and six are missing but uh you know you x add it up and you get seven so I think x it's it's kind of x um an interesting aspect of his his x introduction to his gospel x so we're going to look at the the x beginning x um x when we look at first John which when x you read first John and John uh together x are back to back you see a lot of uh x themes uh that arise and I forget which x brother uh brought this up to my x attention but uh you know there's an x idea that first John is like a a cover x letter accompanying the gospel x which makes a lot of sense because John x first John 1 1 x starts with that which was from the x beginning so John 1 and John first John x 1 1. x talk about the beginning which we have x heard which we have seen with our eyes x which we've looked upon in our hands x have handled of the Word of Life in this x I highlighted in in that orange color uh x uh these themes x Word Life Light Darkness x um lies and truth that all pop up in in x John 1 uh x so you've got that he's definitely x referencing the same themes and then if x you look at the the underlined verses x here on the line sections x John says what we have heard what we x have seen with our eyes what we have x looked upon and our hands have handled x so when he's talking about the beginning x here x he's not talking about the physical x Creation in Genesis 1. he's talking x about the spiritual creation that he x himself witnessed he heard and he saw x with his own eyes he looked upon and he x had touched with his own hands mark one x and one uh it's interesting there's you x know if the four gospels Matthew and x Luke they start their uh their story x with the birth of Christ and his lineage x and and how he came to be but uh x interestingly enough Mark and and John x skip right to the beginning of his x ministry and so in Mark you also have x the beginning of the Gospel of Jesus x Christ the son of God that's the I think x that's the reference point that that x John won his his leading with so then x you have uh the word x um John x begins in the beginning was the word and x the Word was with God and the Word was x God and x you know I think we we kind of uh I x personally x you know Bach at this all the time it x feels uncomfortable this idea x um we have this trinitarian idea in the x back of our minds that we're constantly x kind of fighting against x um x and we want uh first John 1 to say x something slightly different than it x does x but I think there's some important links x he makes here going back to Genesis x it says in the Earth was without form x and void and darkness was upon the face x of the deep and the spirit of God moved x upon the face of the waters and God said x let there be light and there was light x um x so here in verse 3 you've got the word x of God and it brings into being x uh x the world as we know it right and David x in the Psalms x really kind of points this out x um eloquently it's really kind of a x beautiful uh uh meditation on what x Genesis 1 to 3 tells us it says by the x word of the Lord where the heavens made x and all the hosts of them by the breath x of his mouth he gathered the Waters of x the sea together as a heap he lays the x deep in the storehouses let all the x Earth fear the lord let all the x inhabitants of the world stand in awe of x him for he spake and it was done he x commanded and it stood fast so you have x this this sense of the power and Majesty x of God is such that by his words things x come into being x and you have a similar x theme in John 1 1. that the in the x beginning was the word and it was with x God and the Word was God and all things x were made by him and without him was not x anything made that was made x you skip down to verse nine x um you know the traditional Christian x idea is that that word there logos the x Greek word means both word and idea and x and plan and purpose x um and that you know Christ was uh in x Genesis was x part of the plan and purpose of God and x that's what John's referring to I think x what John's saying is in the beginning x of Christ's Ministry he was creating x something entirely new x um x bringing uh into the world something x that had not existed before John 1 and 9 x refers to him as the True Light x which was lights every man that comes x into the world he was in the world and x the world was made by him and the world x knew him not so both the word and the x light are these creative agents in the x beginning of John's gospel that recreate x everything x um I think it's interesting when you go x back to Matthew x the there's the Centurion that we read x about whose servant is healed and Christ x commends him as having faith unlike he x had seen anywhere in Israel and when we x look at what the Centurion says x um since you're an answered and said x Lord I am not worthy that you should x come under my roof and to me that was x always the part that I kind of uh x latched on to was his humility x um being a centurion he would be a x pretty uh x well-respected highly ranked individual x so that that level of humility is is x striking but even more so I think now x where he says but speak the word only x and my servant will be healed it's it it x follows up on that same idea of of x God's creative power in Genesis he spoke x in it and it came to be he said for I'm x a man under Authority I have soldiers x under me and I say to this man go and he x goes and another come and he comes and x to my servant do this and he does it x um you know he recognized the power of x of Christ x in his day and age you know going back x to Psalm 33 and 9 for he spake and it x was done he commanded and it stood fast x and that was the faith that the x Centurion had in in Christ's ability x um x I think one of the other things I about x this understanding that kind of uh helps x me is you look at other difficult x passages like the one in Colossians x um you know Paul writing I'll skip the x first few verses we'll just pick up at x 16. I I wrote them so that you could see x this uh theme of light and darkness x shows up here as well x um x but Paul kind of refers to this creative x power if you read the whole passage you x see that he's he's talking about Christ x for by him were all things created that x are in heaven and on Earth visible and x invisible x um x all things were created by Him and for x him I skipped the blue letters because x you know sometimes you read that and you x think oh this is talking about Genesis 1 x again this is uh going back to the the x physical creation of the world but x in the blue letters you see uh he's x actually talking about uh x governments uh Thrones dominions x principalities Powers he's really kind x of uh focusing what he's talking about x in terms of the creative power of Christ x that he's he's bringing into being the x world as it is as opposed to as it was x uh Hebrews 1 and x verses one and two you know go along the x same lines gato at sundry times in the x diverse men are spake and time passed to x the fathers by the prophet at these last x days spoken unto us by his son whom he x has appointed heir of All Things by whom x also he made the worlds or the age x sometimes x better translated age to come but that's x uh x the creative power of Christ uh as an x agent for his father bringing into being x things that that did not exist x um and things that will exist x so that's the the word that that theme x that that John brings out from Genesis 1 x and also the light you know we go back x to Genesis the very first thing God x creates is is a light God said let there x be light and there was light and God saw x the light and it was good and God x divided the light from the darkness x so John obviously picks up on this x we get to verse four and he says in him x was life and the life was the light of x men the light shined in the darkness and x the Darkness comprehended and not x that was the True Light which lighteth x every man that cometh into the world he x was in the world and the world was made x by him and the world knew him not x so yeah you know if you read this and x think that isama uh the world made by x him was the one uh x back 4 000 years before he was born it x changes the way he might read this but x he was the the light Dawning on a dark x world uh in Galilee x at the time that this was written and x the the world rejected him the world x that he was creating x um you know obviously fulfills Isaiah 9 x 2 the people walked in darkness and x they've seen a great lake they had dwell x in the land of the shadow of death upon x them half the light shined uh for those x who listened that's exactly what x happened and those who chose to continue x to live in darkness x perished in darkness x we see later on uh John 8 verse 12 Jesus x spoke saying I am the light of the world x he that follows me shall not walk in x darkness but shall have the light of x life so again he's echoing uh it's as x though the narrator or John as he writes x his Preamble reflects on on this passage x and and introduces it into the the x beginning because it fits so well with x uh his theme of a new a new creation x and then finally the theme of life x says uh John 1 4 in him was life and the x life was the light of men uh when you go x back to the creation in Genesis uh x and God brings forth uh moving creatures x that have life x Genesis 1 24 the living creatures x in Genesis 2 and 7 God informed man of x the Dust of the ground and breathed into x his mouth the Breath of Life a Man x became a living Soul so you have the x same theme that Christ brings life x to the world and uh x it's a reflection of what God did in x Genesis x so uh from here x having kind of addressed those those x themes that I think John wanted to talk x about I'm going to talk about uh x how Christ uh x the the light that's shown in the x darkness in in Galilee was a better x Genesis than the one from before x we're going to see throughout uh x John uh really quickly I'm going to go x through this quickly I think I think x there's a whole other class in this but x uh x we're just going to touch on it x there's the the two statements John the x Baptist makes in the first chapter about x who Christ is being the Lamb of God and x then we're going to follow up by looking x at seven uh statements Christ makes x about uh and they all start with I am x they're all I am statements and x basically x with each one he kind of challenges x either the perception of the the people x of his day the Pharisees of his day the x uh apostles who uh traveled with him x he's x constantly telling them I am something x better than what you expected x so in John 1 and 29 you look at the uh x the Jewish history and and their x expectation and you know when you talk x about a sacrificial lamb they had a very x specific idea in mind x and here Christ is the real Lamb of God x the real sacrifice that takes away the x sin of the world x in John 6 x Jesus says unto them Pharrell I sent you x Moses gave you not that bread from x heaven but my father gives you the true x bread from heaven x I am the bread of life uh you know again x so it's this idea of you you're you're x fixated on x these things in the past that were x Shadows of what is to come I'm the true x bread x uh we've already touched on this but in x John 8 I am the light of the world he x that follows me shall not walk in x darkness but shall have the right the x light of life it's it's striking the the x first few of these are x are spoken on occasions where he's x really pushing the the people and the x and the Pharisees to adjust their um x thank you expectations of what the x Christ is and who he is and what his x mission was and and reevaluate their x thinking x John 10 and 7 I am the door of the Sheep x you know you x if you don't know my voice you can't x come in I am the Good Shepherd the Good x Shepherd gives his life for the Sheep x you know the one the the Lamb of God x ready to make the sacrifice x to give life to his servants x at the death of Lazarus you've got x Christ x uh talking to Martha and I've always x been struck by x um x in Christ probing her about her faith x and and Martha's saying well I know in x the end at the resurrection he'll stand x again x um which is like x the perfect Chris adelphian answer right x the x um x and I know he's going to be raised at x the last day x and Christ's answer to her is almost x rebuking I am the resurrection and the x life and he that believes in me though x he were dead yet shall he live that x Christ's point of view even to to a x Believer who who believed in the x resurrection uh is look I am the x resurrection I am the life going back to x that uh passage at the beginning x um I'm the bringer of life and to me I x find it very interesting x um this might be controversial but x you know as Chris elfians we obsess over x you know the resurrection who and and x how and x and when x um x but I think one of the interesting x things about when Christ says this is x he then proceeds to raise Lazarus from x the dead not at the resurrection like he x proves his point here that I in terms of x the resurrection and giving life I do it x to whom I want when I want I'm not bound x by your preconceptions of of how it's x going to go x John 14 and 6 I am the way the truth and x the life and no man comes to the father x but by me you know there's no way around x him if you were living in his time maybe x you wanted to to take the Moses path and x follow the law and and take a different x way to God x um today maybe it's a different path x looks tempting but uh there is no other x way than the Lord Jesus Christ x and finally in John 15 he says I'm the x True Vine and my father is the husband x and I am the vine you are the branches x it's kind of like a uh x he's challenging his disciples you can't x you can't do any of this without me you x need to abide in me you need to be x attached to me you need to get your x nutrients from me and then and as the x first ends the same brings forth much x fruit for without me you can do nothing x right so he's challenging them to be to x remain in him x follow this teaching following what he x says and uh and bear fruit x all this kind of goes along with uh you x know we talked about Hebrews how Christ x and and his way supersedes Melchizedek x and Moses and the angels who delivered x the law x um John kind of in first John x States the same kind of idea where x brother and I write you no new x commandment but an old commandment which x you had from the beginning the old x commandment is the word which you have x heard from the beginning x and again a new commandment I write to x you which thing is true in him and in x you because the darkness has passed and x the True Light now shines x he that says he is in the light and x hates his brother is in darkness even x until now he that loves his brother x abides in the light and there's no x occasion of stumbling in him that x this kind of confusing statement John x makes here about old Commandments and x new Commandments it it falls in line x with what he says in his gospel right x God created the heavens and the Earth x and he brought light into the world back x in Genesis x um and through his son he did it to a x greater extent x when Christ came into the world and this x law this Commandment that that he gave x uh comes right out of John 15 where we x just read about the the vine uh and and x the fine producing fruit and and being x in Christ uh and and Christ clarifies x that he says here's my commandment this x is the thing that John's referring to x later on x if you abide in my love even as I have x kept my father's Commandments and abide x in his love these things I've spoken to x you that my joy might remain in you and x that your joy might be full this is my x commandment that you love one another as x I have loved you Greater Love is no man x than this that a man lay down his life x my friends if you do whatsoever I x command these things I command you that x you love one another I put that whole x thing in there because he just says it x so many times love one another love one x another like I loved you love one x another x love has no man than this and he lays x down his life for his friends and you x are my friends if you do this Commander x so you know John's message is that this x is the basically it's the the message x you've been getting from the beginning x love the Lord with all your God glory x heart all your soul and all your x strength love your neighbor as yourself x and Christ just x turns that up to another level x uh First John 3 11 from this message x that you've heard from the beginning x that we should love one another x um x as much as that goes back to Genesis it x really goes back to the beginning that x John was talking about that he saw and x heard and handled with his own hands x foreign x so how does this affect us x you know what's what's the message for x us what's the the takeaway x for ourselves x um x John introduces another uh subject x um that he's going to carry through the x rest of the the gospel message uh x verse 12 chapter one but as many as x received him x to them he gave power to become the sons x of God even to them who believed on his x name which were born out of blood nor x the will of the flesh nor the will of x man but of God so we have this this x opportunity at rebirth to become x children of God and it's really he goes x in depth in chapter three when Christ x speaks with Nicodemus x and and Jesus answered Nicodemus when he x says what do we have to do and he says x rarely saying to you except a man be x born again he cannot see the kingdom of x God x Nicodemus said unto him how can we x how can a man be born when he is old can x he enter the second time into his x mother's womb and be born x that Jesus answered verily I say unto x you except the man be born of water and x of the spirit he cannot enter into the x kingdom of God so this this whole idea x of Rebirth of a light Dawning on a dark x world uh repeats itself personally for x us individually x um notice the uh when Christ talks about x and we have to look at it but you know x he's referencing baptism in particular x but he says except the man be born of x water and a spirit and you go back to x Genesis 1 and 2. x uh x and and how does that is the the x creative process start x the uh spirit of God moving on the face x of the waters right the whole world was x was born of of water and spirit and so x uh we must be too x if you look at John 1 uh John the x Baptist when he's discussing uh this x beginning of the Gospel x it says this is x he of whom I said after he comes x after me come as a man who was preferred x before me for he was before me and I x knew him not but that he should be made x manifest to Israel therefore am I come x baptizing with water x and John bear records saying I saw the x Spirit descending from heaven like a x dove and it Abode upon him x verse 33 and I knew him not but he that x sent me to baptize with water the same x said unto me upon x whom thou see the spirit descending and x remaining on him the same as he which x baptized us with the holy spirit so you x see the the the theme there being x baptized being born again with water and x spirit x Mark puts a little more succinctly x straightway coming out of the water he x saw the heavens open in the spirit like x a dove descending upon him x so x part of John's overall message is this x opportunity to be reborn x like the the world was back in Genesis x this opportunity for light to shine in x our darkness and uh Deliver Us from x from being without form and void giving x us purpose and structure and meaning and x goals and uh x all through the love of God expressed in x the Sun x we skip ahead to to John 9 there's this x whole chapter about this man being born x blind to uh x when Christ opened his eyes and the the x he's dragged him before the Sanhedrin x and they they call on him to to reject x the man who healed him uh and it's x interesting the man answered and said to x him why hearing is a marvelous thing x that you do not know when he's from x where he's from and yet he has opened my x eyes now we know that God hears not x Sinners but if any man be a worshiper x for her God and does his will him he x hears since the world began was that not x heard that any man opened the eyes of x one that was born blind x if this man were not of God he could do x nothing x and of course then they they throw him x out x of the of the synagogue cutting him off x from from all of the the social and and x uh financial assistance that that may uh x entail and he sees Christ and x Christ addresses him and says you know x basically we x uh your faith is has healed you but x those people x who choose to live in darkness who x pretend to be able to see now they are x the ones who are blind and you who live x from the beginning x uh just like back in Genesis x uh recognize that you lived in darkness x and now through your faith light has x shined into your life and and you have x become whole x so there's a not only do we have baptism x to uh x as a theme that runs through here but x Redemption I just have two more slides x if we go back to Isaiah x um x this idea is carried through washing to x make you clean put away the evil of your x doings from before mine eyes and cease x to do evil learn to do well seek x judgment relief the oppressed judge the x fatherless plead for the Widow x come now let us reason together says the x Lord though your sins be as Scarlet they x shall be white as snow till they be red x like Crimson they shall be as wool x that God wants us to uh even if we've x returned to the darkness x he wants to shine his light upon us he x wants to to to x create a new Dawning day x he wants us to to x be like the uh prodigal son returning x um in Philippians we'll conclude with x this x Paul said Brethren I count not myself to x have apprehended but this one thing I do x forgetting those things which are behind x and reaching forth of those things which x are before I press toward the mark for x the prize of the High Calling of God in x Christ Jesus and I think that's much of x the the message of John is uh x you know every day is an opportunity x when that sun comes up to to draw closer x to God to forget the mistakes or the x accomplishments Paul here is really x referencing accomplishments in his life x but whether we're their failures or x accomplishments you know it doesn't x really matter we put all that stuff x behind it and greet the the light x shining in the darkness and press x towards the prize of a high calling of x God in Christ Jesus uh thank you all for x hearing me and uh x I hope that was helpful