Our Beliefs : Sermons : Sermon Archive - 2005 : January 2, 2005
Know God by Knowing the Word
Christmas 2
So you got your son an iPod for Christmas. And you're just glad that you're not going to hear him say, "Dad, can you help me set this up?" In the unlikely event that it would happen, you'd be racing for the owner's manual, and then you'd realize that it would be easier to understand Einstein's theory of relativity than it would be to understand the directions in the iPod owner's manual. The fact is, most computer-related gadgets today need to have a customer care center ready 24/7 to answer all your questions. Why? Because most people don't want to read the owner's manual, or because they just can't understand it. And who ends up paying for that service? We do -- just so we can talk to someone "in the flesh" so to speak. Customer service today makes or breaks a company. If your company doesn't have a way to quickly and easily serve your customers and answer their every question and concern, you just won't make it.
In the opening verses of his Gospel account, the apostle John shows us that God gave us an owner's manual for life that tells us how everything got here, where we come from, what we're doing here and where we're going. It's all in here -- the Bible. But not many people want to read it, for some reason. That seems rather foolish, don't you think? But God knew we wouldn't like reading his manual for how life works, so he set up a customer care center. But it's amazing how it works. Could you imagine having the maker of your iPod come to your door and show you how it works? Now that would be the ultimate in customer service, right? Now take it to the ultimate level -- the maker of this universe, the Almighty God, the maker of you, comes directly to you to show you how you work and how life works. It doesn't get any better than that. As a result, not only do we end up knowing what life's all about and what we're all about, but we end up knowing what God's all about. John tells us how we can Know God.
How do we see God's glory? The first way is by seeing God.
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Right off the bat, we know that John is going to be talking about some very deep and profound matters in knowing God because we can't even understand what he's talking about in his first sentence. What is "the Word" that John is talking about? Maybe we can find out from the rest of the verse. Right away, it should remind us of another verse in the Bible. Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." If God created the world and the universe and time itself, what was the only thing that existed before that? God. That's what "in the beginning" means -- it was before anything existed. Only God existed in eternity. And John tells us something was there in the beginning -- the Word. So that already gives us a good idea of what "the Word" is. The rest of the verse makes it clear: "and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." If the Word was "with God" and at the same time "was God," what mystery is John talking about? The mystery of the Trinity -- three persons in one God. John in his opening sentence pierces the mystery of the essence of God's being. It is something that is incomprehensible to us. So God had to tell us.
If you want to have a birthday party, after you decide what date it's going to be on and who's invited, how are you going to get the people to come? You have to tell them about it. How do you do that? You could talk to them or call them or write them a letter or an e-mail or send an instant message or send a carrier pigeon, but somehow you have to communicate it to them. In the same way, God tells us who he is and what he's like and what he does and wants through his Word. So every time the Bible says, "The Word of the Lord came to Jeremiah or Ezekiel" or any other prophet, or when those prophets would tell others by saying, "This is what the Lord says," we know God himself was sending the message.
So how do we see God's glory today? By seeing God's Word.
But that wasn't enough for God. The writer to the Hebrews says, "In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe." (Hebrews 1:1-2) God wasn't content to just send us an owner's manual, even though it is the very Word of God; he went one step farther: "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory." How do we really see God and God's glory? When we see the Word incarnate, which means: "in the flesh."
Most of you know that Jeff and Cindy Moehle's son Joe is serving in Iraq. He's scheduled to come back in the next few weeks. Suppose it was your son or brother who is serving in Iraq and called and said, "There's been a change in plans. But don't worry, I'll be coming home soon." You could imagine how devastating that would be. But then imagine right as he's saying he'll be coming soon that the doorbell rings. In your confusion, you answer the door, and there he is standing on the front porch "in the flesh." That's what God's incarnation means to us. God wasn't content to tell us he would save us from our sins, but he came to show us how He would do that. That's why God told Joseph to name Mary's baby, "Jesus," because "Jesus" means, "The Lord saves." That's what he had come "in the flesh" to do. So who is The Word? Jesus, God the Son.
In Galatians 4:4-5 Paul says, "When the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons."
So why did Jesus have to become a human being?
1. to live under the law perfectly in our place
2. to suffer and die in our place
How could John say, "We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth"? John was one of the apostles. In fact, with Peter and James, John was in the inner circle of disciples. They were the only ones who saw Jesus reveal his glory on the Mount of Transfiguration, where his face shone like the sun and his clothes were like rays from the sun. That showed that Jesus was none other than the almighty God himself.
So why did Jesus also have to be God? Listen to 1 John 2:2: "He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." Jesus had to be God to make his work as a man apply to all people of all time.
How awesome that must have been to see Jesus in his glory -- and that wasn't even all of his glory, because the Bible tells us that no human being can see God in all his glory and live! But through John's account, we have seen Jesus in the ultimate display of his glory. It was when he took every single sin that you or I have committed and suffered and died for it on the cross. That's where the expression that Jesus is "full of grace and truth" really takes on its full meaning. Just think of how you didn't deserve God's grace this past week. Just think how ridiculous it is for God to care about sinners like you and me when everyday we can't help but sin against him. That's what grace is: God's undeserved love for sinners. And that's the ultimate in truth also. Philosophers and religious leaders have searched the heavens, searched their deepest thoughts and hearts, and have come up with their own idea of truth or have said that ultimate truth doesn't exist. But God tells us we need only look at Jesus to find grace and truth in all its brilliance, incarnate.
John tells us one prophet who pointed to Jesus as the only and ultimate source of grace and truth. It was John the Baptist, who said, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' "
So how can we be sure Jesus is God and our Savior? By listening to the prophets.
And how does God want us to live in Jesus' grace and truth? "From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another." John paints a beautiful picture here. Not only do we receive Jesus' forgiveness through his death on the cross, but so many other blessings from Jesus as well. It's like going to the Mississippi River and spooning out water into a bucket -- how many buckets could you fill? An infinite amount. There's always more blessings and more blessings to replace the ones you've just received. God's grace is always there. And those bucketfuls of God's gracious blessings to you come in all shapes and sizes.
What blessing does Jesus give to a young mother who just had a miscarriage? Comfort, knowing God is working for her good. What blessing does Jesus give when a loved one dies in faith? Eternal life. When all the world has turned against you and you can't do one thing right? God is your friend and Father, Jesus is your brother. When you're looking for purpose in life? Jesus gives you the reason for living. When you need to eat or a place to sleep or something to wear? Jesus gives you physical blessings every day. How do we live in Jesus grace and truth? Receive his blessings. Recognize they are from God. Rejoice in them!
Especially receive, recognize and rejoice in the blessing of your sins forgiven in Jesus. "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." God worked through a mere man, a sinful man, to give us his law. Portions of that law tell us what to do and what not to do, and show us how we've failed time and time again and deserve only death. But Moses also was a prophet to spoke about a Savior to come. We have seen that Savior when we see Jesus. And Jesus is God. God couldn't take a chance that his work of salvation would fail. There was no margin for error, like a political poll. It had to be perfect. To ensure that, he knew that he had to do it himself. And he did, and we receive the blessings of it. And so John can say, "No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known."
We now see God because Jesus, God himself in the flesh, has made God known to us. So what finally must we do with God's grace and truth? Isaiah told us: "For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem's sake I will not remain quiet, till her righteousness shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch. The nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory." (Isaiah 62:1,2) Finally, we must reveal what we know about Jesus to others. Amen.
