The Word became flesh (3) (John 1:1-4, 9-14)

The Word became flesh (3)

 

 

[John 1:1-4, 9-14]

 

 

                The Bible says that the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who is “the Word,” is also God.  Look at John 1:1 – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  The Bible says that Jesus Christ, who is “the Word,” is “God.”  Look at Isaiah 9:6 – “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”  This is the word prophesied by the prophet Isaiah about the birth (incarnation) of the Son Jesus, and refers to Jesus who will come as “Mighty God.”  Look at 1 John 5:20 – “And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ This is the true God and eternal life.”  The Bible says, “Jesus Christ is the true God and eternal life” (v. 20).

 

                The Bible says that Jesus Christ, “the Word,” also has the nature (attributes) that only God has:

 

(1)    Jesus Christ is unchanging:

 

Although all things change, the God who created them does not change.  Look at Hebrews 1:11-12: “They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment.  You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed. But you remain the same, and your years will never end.”  The Bible says that the Lord will remain the same.  Look at Hebrews 13:8 – “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”  Look at James 1:17 – “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.”  d

 

(1)    Jesus Christ is eternal.

 

Look at Isaiah 9:6 – “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”  The Bible says that Jesus Christ, who will come, is “Eternal Father” (v. 6).

 

(2)    Jesus Christ is everywhere (omnipresent).

 

                  Look at Matthew 18:20 – “For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”  God is where two or three gather in the name of Jesus.  But Satan cannot be everywhere. Satan can never be omnipresent.  The reason is because Satan is a creature of God.  Therefore, Satan cannot be in me, nor can he be around me.  It is not Satan who tempts us all around us, but his minions.

 

                The Bible says that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who is “the Word,” also does what only God can do:

 

(1)    Jesus Christ creates:

 

                  Look at John 1:3 – “All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.”  Here, “Him” refers to the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who is “the Word” and God (v. 1).  The Bible says that everything was created through the Son of God, Jesus Christ (v. 3), who is “the Word” (v. 1).  Look at Hebrews 1:2 – “in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.”  The Bible says that Jesus Christ, the Son of God who is “the Word,” created all the worlds together with God the Father.

 

(2)    Jesus Christ resurrects:

                  Look at John 11:25 – “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies.’”  The Son of God Jesus Christ, who is the Word and God, not only said, “I am the resurrection,” but also said, “He who believes in me will live, even if he dies.”  Here, “even if he dies” refers to resurrection.  Look at 1 Thessalonians 4:14, 16: “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.  …  For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.”  Here, “Jesus died and rose again” (v. 14) refers to the resurrection of Jesus.  Here, the verb “rose again” is not a passive voice, but an active and automatic voice, which means that Jesus died and rose again. 

 

Jesus has the power of resurrection.  Look at John 10:18 – “No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again This commandment I received from My Father.”  Here, the word “dead in Christ” (1 Thess.4:16) refers to the saints (believers) who died in Christ.  And the word “will rise first” means that they will live again (resurrect).  When God and the Son Jesus come (v. 14), that is, when the Lord returns, the saints who died in Christ will be resurrected.  The phrase “the Lord Himself … with a shout” (v. 16) means that the dead live again because the Lord shouts (commands).  Jesus went to the tomb of Lazarus, who had already been dead for 4 days (Jn. 11:39) and called out (commanded) with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth” (v. 43).  As a result, the dead man Lazarus came forth, bounded hand and foot with wrappings (v. 44).  When the Lord returns and commands the dead saints to “rise,” they will be resurrected with glorious bodies.  Until then, living saints will be transformed into glorified bodies.  In this way, Jesus Christ, who is the Word and God, will also raise (resurrects) the dead saints with a glorious body.

 

            (3) Jesus Christ gives eternal life:

 

Look at John 14:6 – “Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”  The Bible says that Jesus Christ, the Son of God who is “the Word,” is “life,” that is, eternal life.  And the Bible says that God the Son, who is eternal life, gives eternal life.  Look at John 10:28 – “and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.”  The Bible says that God the Son, “the Word,” gives eternal life.

 

The Bible says that God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit are all God and all are equal, and that God is one.  In other words, the Bible says that God the Father, the Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are three persons and one God.  Look at 2 Corinthians 13:14 – “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.”  During the Sunday service, when the pastors give a benediction, they pray with “the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.”  The Bible says that the Lord Jesus Christ, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit are all God and all are equal, and that God is one.  Look at Matthew 28:19 – “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”  When pastors baptize, they baptize 'in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit'.  According to a theologian, the reason why the Bible commands us to baptize “in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” rather than telling us to baptize ‘in the name of the Father and in the name of the Son and in the name of the Holy Spirit’ is because the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit is one.  Look at Philippians 2:6 – “who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped.”  The Bible says that “He,” that is, Christ Jesus, is “the form of God” and ‘equal with God.’  However, Jesus Christ, the Son, who is the Word and God, “did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped” (v. 7; Jn. 1:14).  Look at John 10:30 – “I and the Father are one.”  The Bible says that "I", the Son Jesus Christ, is one with Heavenly Father.

 

                The Bible says that “the Word,” the Son Jesus Christ, is also God (the Holy Spirit is also God).  The Bible says that the Son, Jesus Christ, who is the Word, is God, and that the Son, Jesus Christ, who is the Word, has the character (attributes) that only God has.  The Bible says that God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit are all God and all are equal, and that there is only one God.  In other words, the Bible says that God the Father, the Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are three persons and one God.  We must be convinced of the triune God spoken of in the Bible and stand firm in the doctrine of Trinity (the triune God).  Therefore, when heresies attack and deceive us, we must not be shaken, but rather help them to go the right way.