Vital Truths of a Viable Saviour
Text: John 1:14
The title ‘The Word’ is exclusively used by the Apostle John to refer to the Son of God. John, 1 John & Revelation.
We noted that John begins deliberately connecting his thoughts with the first lines of Genesis, and He shows us that when it states ‘and God said’, John wants us to know that right there we have the activity of the Son of God, or as he calls Him, the Word.
The Prophet of God – Jesus Christ is the Great Prophet above all other prophets, “The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken” Deut 18:15. He is the last word from God in the NT age, “God hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son” Heb 1:2.
We reject the notion of extra-biblical revelation. As AW Tozer said, if an angel comes to you with a message, ask for book, chapter and verse.
The Revealer of God – God has to be revealed. We cannot find God by our own vain attempts.
The Message of God – He not only brings God’s message, He IS God’s message. He is Alpha and Omega (Rev 1). The first and final letter of the Greek alphabet. He is the beginning and ending of the revelation of God, and everything in between. God has nothing to say outside Jesus Christ.
It’s not only God’s message to men, but there is no other message. He is exclusively the message for salvation. And that’s an unpopular statement. When we take this position we basically say that every other religion has no worth, and we make no apology for making such a statement, because that’s precisely what Jesus Christ declared and it’s what this title declares.
Our world is a place of darkness and confusion, and that’s made worse by those that cry there are many other ways. But, God in His mercy brings clarity by revealing only ONE way. And the gospel of grace stands as a unique beacon to sinners. And those pulpits that fudge on this issue are damning the souls of men.
This text shows how the gospel is the only message that saves.
I. HIS MIRACULOUS INCARNATION – “And the Word was made flesh”
The word was made flesh. To save man, God must take man’s nature. And that’s exactly what He did. He became flesh. It took a miraculous person to save men from their sins. It required the hypostatic union of God and man – two distinct natures in one person. Without this we are all lost!
If this didn’t happen there’s no way to heaven. Of course, this doctrine is hated. Men don’t believe in the Virgin Birth of our blessed Saviour. And this was one of the reasons the FPC of Ulster came about, because the Irish Presbyterian Church venerated Professor Davey from their college and made him Moderator of their denomination. A man who unashamedly denied the Virgin Birth of Christ. A man who denies this doctrine preaches a false gospel. Any who deny the deity of Christ preach a false gospel.
This is the miracles of all miracles. Paul states, “great is the mystery of godliness, God was manifest in the flesh”. That’s more wonderful that the very act of Creation out of nothing. “Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” Lk 1:34-35.
Mary is confused as to how it could happen, knowing her own purity. But the text shows that there was no humanity in the Word before this event, but that the Holy Ghost would take of the substance of Mary’s womb and form the humanity that joined in union with the Son of God in her womb, so that He was both God and man. Why? “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” 1 Tim 2:5.
This truth is the bedrock of our salvation. Only God had the attributes to save a lost soul, and so God had to become man while retaining His deity in order to save man.
What condescension there is here. v1 shows us that the Word never BECAME the Word, the Word always was the Word. He was there at the beginning. In our first message we noticed from v1 the Eternality, Personality, and Divinity of Christ as the Word. What is revealed is not for us to explain, it is for us to accept. You cannot go to heaven denying anything stated in v1. This is foundational. v1 states that Christ is God, and the entire Gospel of John proves He is God.
And I run over these things again to drive home the point of this text – the Word became flesh. This eternal Word became flesh. The incarnation of the Son of God is the greatest condescension ever! I tell you beloved that text ought to amaze us. We should be dumbfounded reading v14. To assume our humanity and to retain it forever in order to save our eternal souls.
II. HIS MARVELLOUS VISITATION – “and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory…)”
This is God stepping in to intervene to save man. God stepping into time.
a) Coming to destroy the works of the devil. 1 Jn 3:8.
b) To reverse the effects of the Fall Rev 21:4-5
c) To satisfy the demands of God’s Law Heb 10:5,10.
‘dwelt as in a tabernacle among us’ – He lived as God in a human tabernacle. Just as Moses built a Tabernacle, the place where God met with men. And men meet with God in Jesus Christ. Oh sinner, do you see it? Do you recognize that you must get rightly related to God only through Jesus Christ? In that Tabernacle there was a section called the Holiest of All, where was the Ark of the Covenant covered by the Mercy Seat, and the High Priest went once a year and the glory of God would come down and the only reason he was accepted was because he carried with him the blood of the sacrifice.
And God meets with men because of the sacrifice of Christ. He is all the furniture and sacrifice of the Tabernacle and He stands as our Great High Priest to bring us to God.
Do you want to be right with God? Your hope can only be in Christ. You must get yourself to Him. And if you believe in Christ God will accept you. ‘the glory as of the only begotten of the Father’
III. HIS MERCIFUL PROVISION – “full of grace and truth”
Is this not man’s great need? Grace and truth? This is the need for all sinners. It’s not a religion you need my friend. A religion can’t provide grace and truth. A set of rules and regulations can’t provide grace and truth. Only a person can provide grace and truth, and only a divine person can be FULL of grace and truth to provide it to all men who seek Him.
Oh sinner, do you not feel empty? Do you not sense fear of the judgment of God? What will your answer? Come and speak to us tonight. Make it know that you’re troubled, and let us point you to Christ.
