"Who Is Jesus?"
John 1:1-4
Pastor Rick Bartosik
Mililani Community Church
January 2, 2000

Children’s message: I brought some bread with me today. Would you like a taste? (Give the children each a taste of Hawaiian Sweet Bread). In Bible times bread was one of the most important parts of the meal, just as it is today. One day Jesus was sitting on a hillside, and 5000 people came to listen to him. When it got to be lunch time, a little boy gave Jesus his lunch of 5 little loaves and two small fish, and Jesus performed a miracle by multiplying the loaves and fish so that they fed all 5000 people with plenty left over. When Jesus left, the people began to follow after him. But they were following him only to get more bread, not because they had really believed in Him as their Messiah (John 6:26-29, 30-35 Living Bible). Jesus explained that they needed something else more than they needed bread. They needed him, because he is the Bread of Life. God sent him to us as the true Bread from heaven. When we trust in Jesus as our Savior he gives us eternal life and a home in heaven with him. Jesus explained that they needed to believe in Him as their Savior. Each day when you eat bread at meal time, remember that Jesus is the only One who can satisfy your need for salvation. Let’s say our verse together: "Jesus replied, 'I am the Bread of Life. No one coming to me will ever be hungry again.' " (Children return to their seats).

Many, many people in the world today are like the people of Jesus day. They are grasping after the things which are perishable, and only give temporary satisfaction. The real treasure in life that truly satisfies our deepest needs and longings is a person–Jesus. He is the Bread from Heaven. The One the Father sent from heaven to give life to the world.

Today we are beginning the study of a book that tells us all about Jesus. John tells us what his purpose was in writing this gospel in John 20:30-31: "Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." He wants to prove to us that Jesus is the eternal Son of God who became man and that through faith in Him we can have life in his name.

This morning we are just going to look at the first four verses, where John summarizes the thesis of his whole book. The question he is answering here is "Who is Jesus?" This is the most important question anyone could ask. Our whole eternal destiny depends upon our answer to that question. If Jesus was a mere man, we can afford to forget him. If Jesus was who he claimed to be–God incarnate who entered time a space to save us from our sins, then we must receive him, yield your lives to him, worship him and serve him.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men" (John 1:1-4)

We learn five great facts about Jesus in these verses.

The first great fact revealed about Jesus is …

1. Jesus Has Always Existed As The Eternal Son Of God

"In the beginning was the Word." Here John is telling us that there never was a time when Jesus did not exist. The word "was" is the Greek word eimi which refers to existence without reference to time. We could translate this: "In the beginning already was the Word." When the beginning began, he was already there. There never was a time when he did not exist. He is not a created being. When you go back beyond the beginnings of creation, back into eternity–Jesus was already there. He is the eternal Son of God.

Notice that Jesus is called here "the Word." In Greek "word" is logos. It occurs in verse 1 and verse 14. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us." Why is Jesus called "the Word"? The answer has to do with God revealing himself. If you want to know my thoughts I must reveal them in words. Jesus is here called "the Word" because God has perfectly and fully revealed Himself to us by Him.

The ancient Greek philosophers, were very familiar with the term logos. They believed that the logos was the great mind behind the universe controlling all things. They wrote about it down through the centuries. John takes this term which they were very familiar with and says: "Listen you Greeks, the very thing that has occupied your philosophical thought and about which you have all been writing for centuries–the logos of God–this controlling power of the universe and of man’s mind–this logos has come to earth as a man and we have beheld his glory."

Plato once turned to the group of philosophers and students that gathered around him in Athens, and said: "It may be that some day there will come forth from God a Word, a Logos, who will reveal all mysteries and make everything plain." John is saying: "Yes, Plato, and the logos HAS come. Now God is perfectly revealed to us."

The second great fact about Jesus which is revealed in John 1:1 is …

John tells us, "and the Word was with God." Literally this says, "The Word was toward God." The Greek preposition has the idea of nearness along with a sense of movement toward God. Not only did Jesus exist eternally, but he existed in the closest possible connection with the Father. The Father and the Son are two persons and yet their glory is equal. For all eternity he has existed in the deepest equality and intimacy in the Holy Trinity.

The third awesome fact about Jesus…

3. Jesus Is God

The final phrase of this verse is "and the Word was God." Though He is a separate person from the Father, yet He is not a created angel or a being inferior to God the Father. He is nothing less than God, equal to the Father. He existed from all eternity as God, in perfect fellowship with God the Father and (though not mentioned here) God the Holy Spirit. This is the mystery of the Trinity (see diagram on overhead). Three persons of the Triune God are God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. All three are equally God.

The fourth momentous fact about Jesus…

4. Jesus Is The Creator Of The Universe

"Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made." This means that all created things were brought into being through him. Everything owes its existence to him. Colossians 1:16-17 says, "for by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together." Hebrews 1:2-3 adds: "…in these last days God has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe." Revelation 4:11 says of Jesus: "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being."

There are about 100 billion stars in the average galaxy, and there are at least one hundred million galaxies in known space. Einstein believed that we have scanned with our largest telescopes only one billionth of theoretical space. This means that there are probably something like ten octillion stars in space. How many is that? 1,000 thousands equals a million; 1,000 millions equals a billion; 1,000 billions equals a trillion; 1,000 trillions equals a quadrillion; 1,000 quadrillions equals a quintillion; 1,000 quintillions equals a sextillion; 1,000 sextillions equals a septillion; 1000 septillions equals and octillion. Ten octillion is a 10 with 27 zeros behind it. And Jesus created them all. Not only that, the Bible says he has a name for each one of them!

The fifth wonderful fact about Jesus…

5. Jesus Is The Source Of All Spiritual Life And Light

"In him was life, and that life was the light of men." John says that life is found in Jesus. Remember that in 20:30-31 he concludes, "and many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written, that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you might have LIFE through his name."

• In John 14:6 Jesus declares that he is the source of life: "I am the way, the truth and the LIFE; no man comes to the Father but by me."
• In John 10:28 Jesus says of those who do come, "and I give unto them eternal LIFE; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand."
• John 10:10 says, "the thief comes not but to steal, and to kill, and to destroy; I am come that they might have LIFE and that they might have it more abundantly."

What does it mean to say that Jesus is the source of life and that he is the life?

The first thing that means is that he has given physical life to all living things in the world. In other words John is saying that our physical life comes from God through the Lord Jesus. We literally owe our lives to him. But secondly, he is not only the source of our physical life, He is also the source of the spiritual life we receive when we believe on Him.

Paul reminds us in Ephesians 2:1-6 that before we are made spiritually alive through faith in Christ we are dead in trespasses and sins: "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient…" Man is dead in sin and needs a new life. Jesus gives us eternal life. It can never be lost. John 10:28-29: "…I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish."

The life that Jesus gives is not only eternal life; but he also gives us an abundant life right now in our present circumstances. Jesus says in John 10:10: "the thief comes not but to steal, and to kill, and to destroy; I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." God does not intend any of us to live a miserable life. He came to save us from sin, and he meant for us to have abundant joy-filled lives.

Brad Watanabe came over to our house this past week. He had received Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance as a Christmas present, and wanted to learn how to use it to do word studies in the Bible. We studied Habakkuk 3:17-18: "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior." In the context things are not going well for Habakkuk. Circumstances are about as bad as they can be. Yet he says, "I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior."

Brad wanted to know what the words "rejoice" and "be joyful," mean. We looked them up in his concordance. We found out they are very special Hebrew words. The Hebrew word for "rejoice" used here is a very strong word. It means to literally jump for joy.

The Hebrew word for "be joyful" is another Hebrew word that refers to an emotion of joy that takes over the whole person. This second word implies that a person’s whole being is so filled with joy that he spins around in circles for joy. So Habakkuk says, even though my circumstances look very bleak, I am jumping up and down and spinning around in circles for joy!! HOW? Because his confidence and faith are in the LORD and not in his circumstances.

CONCLUSION

So when John introduces his gospel he wants us to understand that the One he is going to talk about, this amazing man from Nazareth, is God himself become Man. He is the Creator, the Originator of life. He holds it all together by his mighty power. He offers eternal life and abundant life to all that put their trust in Him. If you know HIM as your Savior and your Lord, you can jump up and down and spin around with great joy in all circumstances. No wonder the angel said, "Behold I bring you good tidings of GREAT JOY–for unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior which is Christ the Lord."

Copyright © 1999-2006 Rick Bartosik

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