Bible Study: "Who is Jesus", John 1:1-14

   

WHO IS JESUS

John 1:1-14

READING THE WORD IS READING JESUS

V:1-2 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning.

A. Jesus defines himself as the Word.

     1. In the Greek, Word is Logos, His divine thought.

     1. The entire Bible is the thought of Jesus.

     2. Jesus describes Himself as God.

     3. Jesus describes Himself as being with God.

     4. Jesus describes Himself as being with the person of God.

     5. Jesus describes Himself as the person of the Son.

        

B. Jesus describes Himself as being eternal.

    1. The problem we have is with the word “beginning”.

    2. In the Greek, beginning is defined as order, time, place or

        rank. The King James describes beginning as at the first

        estate.

    3. The beginning suggests a starting point.

            Let me suggest that the beginning is from eternity past.

           Prov 8:23

         I was appointedd from eternity,

        from the beginning, before the world began.

    4. Throughout the Old Testament, God describes Himself

        as eternal.

    5. In Revelations 1:8, God describes Himself as Alpha and

       Omega, the First and the Last.

   5. Psalms 90:2, God describes Himself as from everlasting to

       everlasting.

   6. Jesus said, I and the Father are one.

   7. Therefore the beginning is eternity past

JESUS IS THE DESIGNER OF CREATION

V:3-5 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understooda it.

A. Jesus describes Himself as the creator

    1. Not surprising because He and the Father are one.

    2. Life is described as knowledge of the Word.

    3. Two types of life are suggested.

       a. Life with the Word which is eternal.

       b. Life without the Word which is damnation.

B. Some will be enlighten by the Word.

    1. Others who reject the Word will be

        left in the darkness.

        a. Darkness represents sin

        b. Darkness represents ignorance of the Word.

    2. The light is made available to everyone.

    3. Receiving or rejecting the light is a personal

        choice.

THE JOB OF A BELIEVER IS A WITNESS FOR CHRIST

V:6-8 There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

1.    The commission of believers is to be a witness for Jesus

Christ.

     2. We did not come to be believers on our own.

     3. We came to Christ by God’s grace and mercy.

         

     The door of election

     John 14:6-7

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No  

one comes to the Father except through me.

     Election is permanent

     John 6:37-38

All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever    

comes to me I will never drive away.

     Election is eternal

     John 6:44

    No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent    

    me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

The job of believers is to spread the word about the light, so that

those in the dark can be drawn to the light.

V: 9 The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.b 

Christ gives everyone that is born a conscience to be

convinced of sin, of righteousness and of judgement.

No one can claim that they don’t know right from wrong

   

 John 16:7-11

for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but   

if I depart, I will send him unto you.

 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of

 righteousness, and of judgment:

 Of sin, because they believe not on me;

 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me  

 no more;

 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

THE WORLD IS A PLACE OF DARKNESS

V:10-13 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent,c nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.

A. Jesus has two natures; a divine nature and a human

     nature

    1. When He came into the world He took on human flesh

        and thus a human nature.

    2. He was still divine, because He and the Father are one.

       

        John 14:9-11

   how can you say, 'Show us the Father'? 10 Don't you believe  

   that  I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The

   words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the

   Father, living  in me, who is doing his work.

  

        John 10:30

        I and the Father are one."

Darkness is a divine guided personal choice.

Light is a divine guided personal choice.

  “to all who receive Him” … personal choice

 “He gave the right to become children of God” …divine

   election.

“children born of God” … transformation and redemption

The Israelites didn’t recognize Jesus as the Messiah, because

They knew His family.

   

     Matt 13:55-57

"Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother's name Mary, and  

 aren't his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? 56 Aren't

 all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these

 things?" 57 And they took offense at him.

 But Jesus said to them, "Only in his hometown and in his own   

 house is a prophet without honor."

Second, the Jews couldn’t recognize Jesus as the Messiah

Because He had no formal education.

       John 7:15

The Jews were amazed and asked, "How did this man get such  

learning without having studied?"

RECOGNIZE JESUS IN YOUR SURROUNDINGS

V:14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only,d who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

1.     The Word, the logos, the Bible is a divine expression of

    Christ.  If you want to know Christ, study and meditate on

    His Word.

2. Jesus took on a human nature so He could look like us,

    feel our emotions and frustrations and show us

    compassion.

    He took on flesh and blood so He could experience our

    Life on earth.

3. Jesus took on human flesh, so that His shed blood would

    be the payment for the sins of all mankind.

4. His human nature was acceptable for preaching, teaching

    and conversation. Jesus came with full knowledge of the

    scriptures and with the power to perform miracles and

    signs that only God could do.

5. Those who knew and experienced Jesus, recognized His

    deity.

   

        Mark 8:29

    But who do you say that I am?" aPeter *answered and *said to    

    Him, "You are 1the Christ."

6. Those who rejected Jesus did not know the Father.

    By God’s divine choice, some are excluded from His

    Divine election.

   

    Matt 15:8-9

  "'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far   

   from me.

  They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.'

   

    1 Cor 2:14

   But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of   

   God:  for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know

   them, because they are spiritually discerned.

7. You cannot understand the Bible with the Holy Spirit     

    enlighten.

 8. You cannot receive the Holy Spirit without accepting Jesus

As Lord and Savior.

9. You cannot receive Jesus without being drawn to Him by

    The Father.

THANK GOD FOR JESUS

Rev. M. Mitchell

Asst Pastor Of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church