6.
John 1:15-18
Jesus, the Eternal, Gracious, Declaring, Savior
Introduction: John wrote these words that you might believe
that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that believing you might have life
through His name. We will see in this
text today that Jesus has always existed and that He is God indeed. We shall
learn of his grace and that He declares to us the God whom no one has seen.
This John is John the Baptist and
the Him is Jesus Christ. John’s job was to prepare the way for
Jesus. The prophet Isaiah had foretold
of one who would come and be a voice crying in the wilderness. Isa 40:3
The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness,
Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our
God. Notice that Isaiah referred
to Jesus as God in this verse. There can
be no doubt according to Matt. 3:3, Mark 1:3, Luke 3:4
that Isaiah was speaking of the work of John the Baptist. The one he bore witness of was Jesus. Isaiah says that the one whose way is made
strait is the Lord our God. This should
erase all doubts about the Deity of Jesus Christ.
John
sets a good example for believers today.
We are also to bare witness of Jesus Christ. John prepared the hearts of men by preaching
repentance of sin. Salvation of the soul
requires repentance of sin and belief in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Gospel is defined for us as “how that
Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures and that He was buried and
rose again the third day according to the scriptures. Like John we should bare this message to all
men that they might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that
believing they might have life through His name.
John
cried. This is the opposite of keeping
silent. He cried out loud and clearly so
that all could hear and understand. He
was not ashamed of Jesus. Baring witness
of Jesus was his life. He lived to share
the Gospel with those who were lost. All
of God’s born again children ought to have witnessing as their highest
priority. Don’t be ashamed or
embarrassed to tell others that you are a Christian and that Jesus is the
reason you live and breath.
II. “He that cometh after me is
preferred before me: for he was before me.”
John
began his public preaching during the time Jesus was living in
John
referred to Jesus as the one who is preferred before me. If you heard me play the piano and you heard
my wife play the piano you would most definitely prefer her playing to
mine. This illustrates the meaning of
the words preferred before me. Jesus call John the Baptist the greatest man to ever live. Yet he was not to be preferred over
Jesus. John the Baptist was just another
frail, sinful man. Jesus is God in human
flesh. Jesus never sinned. John the Baptist did no miracles. Jesus did many miracles. Jesus is the only one who can save men. He has always existed and will always
exist. The John who wrote this Gospel
was a disciple of John the Baptist but when Jesus came on the scene John
preferred to follow Jesus because Jesus was His savior not John the Baptist.
John
let us know the main reason Jesus is preferred before him. It is because Jesus was before him. John was born six months before Jesus. John from a human point of view was in age
older than Jesus. John tells us here a
great truth. Jesus existed before
John. Jesus existed before Adam. Jesus has always existed. Jesus is eternal God. He thus should have the highest position in
our lives. Higher in
priority to us than any human being and certainly higher than any material
possession.
III. “And of his fulness
have all we received, and grace for grace.”
The
sense of this phrase is this: “We have
all received those things of which He is filled. What ever Jesus was filled with we have also
received. He is full of Grace. We have received the grace of God. He is full of truth and we have received His
truth. God has not hidden from man His
truth but has revealed it and made it available to all. Not all believe the
truth but they certainly have received it.
Not all avail themselves of the benefit and the free gift God has provide through His grace.
But all men have been dealt with according to God’s grace. They have benefited by God’s grace and thus
have received that of which Jesus was full.
God gives us life and we do not deserve even our next breath. Men, whether they accept the fact or not have
all received the grace of God. Only
those who repent and believe in Jesus receive salvation of the soul which comes
to us by grace through faith.
The
phrase “grace for grace” can be best understood in two ways. First we receive grace because of grace and
second we receive grace upon grace. Both
of these help us to understand that we have this unmerited favor because of a
gracious God and it is abundant and freely offered to men. It is a Grace that is greater than all our
sin.
IV. “For the law was given by Moses, [but] grace and truth came by Jesus
Christ.”
There
is set forth here, by the Apostle John, a contrast. There was first the law which was given by
Moses. This Law was given to point out
the sinfulness of men and their hopelessness.
The Law point men to Jesus. It
was strict and caused those who were under it to throw themselves
upon the mercy of God. It made man’s sin
so apparent that he had no choice but to plead for mercy and receive by faith
the Lamb of God which would take away the sin of the world.
Jesus
came on the scene giving grace and truth.
He did not come to condemn men but to save them. The Law condemned and Grace saved. The law and its devices and ceremonies were
only a shadow. The real thing, the truth
came in Jesus Christ. Jesus kept the
Law. Jesus fulfilled the law. Jesus shed His blood and died to pay our sin
debt. God offers eternal life to every
man and is just in so doing because the debt has been paid. “For by grace are ye saved through faith and
that not of yourselves it is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should
boast.”
V. “No man hath seen
God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he
hath declared [him].”
Moses
did not see God. Moses saw a
manifestation of God. No man has seen God at
anytime. God is a spirit and can not be
seen. I have seen young people try to
draw a picture of God. Some of these
were cute and some profound. God can not
be seen. We shall see Jesus and when we
see Jesus we see the Father.
The
word which is translated “declared” in this text means to reveal, explain or
interpret. We get the word “exegesis”
from this Greek word. Exegesis is the
detailed, critical explanation or interpretation of scripture. Jesus came to show us the Father. He spoke the words of the Father. He did the works of the Father. Everything we need to know about God the
Father is declared to us through the Son.
Jesus said “no man cometh unto the father but by me.
Jesus
is said to be in the bosom of the Father.
This denotes a position that is reserved for the favored Son. This is a closeness
to the Father that non other can claim.
God the Father proclaimed “ this is my beloved son
in whom I am well pleased. When God the
father saw the travail of His soul he was satisfied. Jesus is the only one who could pay the price
for our sin for He was the chosen one of the Father to be the sacrifice for our
sins.
Conclusion: John wants you to read this book and to
believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that believing you might
have life through his name. Will you
accept the fact that Jesus is God, that Jesus is the Christ, the savior of
men? If you will believe you will have
life through his name. By His marvelous
grace He offers to you pardon for sin and life everlasting. Will you turn now to Jesus and ask Him to
forgive your sin and have mercy on your soul and save you from the fires of
hell? If you will believe He will give
you everlasting life.