the prologue - Part 3
Text: John 1:1-13
From the opening verses of John 1 (John 1:1-13), John makes it clear that the Word (Jesus) is not just the beginning but the beginning of the beginning. He was there in the beginning before anything was, establishing Him as part of the Trinity and, therefore, the promised Messiah (John 20:31).
John's entire ministry was to preach and teach that the Messiah had come. In John 1, he uses the illustration of Jesus as the light, bringing hope to a dark world, saying, "The true light (kosmos) that enlightens everyone was coming into the world" (John 1:9). This is a powerful statement. "Kosmos" refers to a world in rebellion against God—one in darkness. The fact that the light comes into the kosmos or that God loves the kosmos (John 3:16) demonstrates God's capacity for love and His desire to provide the "true light" to a fallen creation.
Later, in 2 Timothy 4:2-4, the Apostle Paul cautions believers a time is coming when sound doctrine won't be endured, and humanity will choose false teachers over the truth of the gospel. This is foreshadowed in John 1:10 when "His own did not know Him…nor did they receive Him." However, as believers in the Light, though we see ourselves as sinners, we also see God as the truly loving and forgiving God he is.
God is so forgiving and merciful that through Jesus' sacrifice, His blood, through Christ's blood, doesn't just save us; it transforms our identity. No longer are we foreigners and aliens to God, but we are adopted into His family as his beloved children (John 1:12-13; Romans 8:16-17; Galatians 4:4-7; 1 John 3:1)
The gospel is this: We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time, we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope. This is the only kind of relationship that will really transform us. Love without truth is sentimentality; it supports and affirms us but keeps us in denial about our flaws. Truth without love is harshness; it gives us information but in such a way that we cannot really hear it. God's saving love in Christ, however, is marked by both radical truthfulness about who we are and yet also radical, unconditional commitment to us. The merciful commitment strengthens us to see the truth about ourselves and repent. The conviction and repentance move us to cling to and rest in God's mercy and grace. - Timothy Keller
Discussion Questions
How did God speak to you through the scripture and the sermon this week?
What does it mean to walk in darkness? We are all sinners, so do we all walk in darkness? What clues can we get from the phrase "practice the truth"?
Looking at John the Baptist's ministry, was there a person in your life that pointed you to Jesus? What about them or their story drew you to faith?
How does John 1:5 give us hope and help us understand why Jesus can be such a source of encouragement for those who follow him and yet are also misunderstood and rejected by those who do not (John 1:10-11)?
Over the years, many prominent Christian leaders have been in the news for their "moral failures." (e.g., Jim Baker, Bill Hybels, Carl Lentz, Mark Driscoll, Ravi Zacharias, Brian Houston). How should we respond to those who refuse to hear sound doctrine or see the Light because they see Christians as hypocrites and the truth of the gospel as a lie?
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Worship Set: My Testimony l Overcome l Worthy l Here As in Heaven