JOHN 1:1-5

BEFORE BIRTH

Life of Christ #1

Is Jesus your Lord?

Is Jesus your Savior?

Is Jesus your God?

If He is, shouldn’t you know as much about His life and ministry and how it affects your life as possible?

1 John 2:6 - He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

Luke 6:40 - The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.

How can we walk as he walked if we don’t know how he walked?

How can we be like our Master if we don’t know what our Master is like?

Usually when we study the life of the Lord Jesus it is through a single sermon or a series on one of the Gospels. It is rare when an actual study is made on the life of Christ. Such a study would try to look at the life of the Lord Jesus in some sort of Chronological order and include studying in all the Gospels.

I have never preached such a series, but feel that now is the time to do so. This will take a long time, but it will help you become more familiar with the life of the one we call Lord and Master. In this study we will not go into much detail on the various sermons, but will emphasize the events and briefer teachings that were part of His life and ministry.

The life of Jesus did not begin at birth or even conception. The Lord Jesus had a very active life before He ever came to earth. It is important that we understand this, because it helps us grasp just who this person is whom we call “LORD” Jesus!

In John 1:1-5 we see Jesus’ true genealogy. We find out that Jesus came from Heaven where He existed as “The Word”.

Why is He is called "The Word"?

What is the purpose of words?

Words express a thought, or an action or an object or an idea.

The Lord Jesus is the “word”, the expression, the thought the idea, of who God is! John 14:8-9

We know more about God, because he is revealed through The Word, The Son of God!

As we look at our Lord’s history before birth, we are looking at Him as “the Word”. Let’s consider:

THE PREEXISTENCE OF THE WORD – Vss. 1-2

John 1:1-2 - In the beginning was the Word…The same was in the beginning with God.

If you are going to worship the Lord Jesus, He should be superior to you.

There is a specific time you started living. At conception you became alive in your mother’s womb.

For Jesus there was no such starting time. He is eternal. He has always existed. He is superior to you.

In the beginning was the Word…

This beginning goes back before creation into eternity past.

In the Greek language the word was means “was continuing”.

There was never a time when Jesus did not exist. Micah 5:2, Colossians 1:17, Revelation 22:13

THE PRESENCE OF THE WORD - Vss. 1

John 1:1-2 - … and the Word was with God… The same was in the beginning with God.

Jesus was with God in eternity past. He was present.

Jesus was with God in Heaven. He was present.

According to R. Kent Hughes – ”Next the apostle adds, ‘and the Word was with God.’ Literally, ‘the Word was continually toward God.’ The Father and the Son were continually face to face. The preposition “with” bears the idea of nearness, along with a sense of movement toward God. That is to say, there has always existed the deepest equality and intimacy in the Holy Trinity.” R. Kent Hughes,

Preaching the Word, John – That You May Believe, (Wheaton Illinois, Crossway Books, 1999) p. 16

If I were ushered into the presence of God the father, I would be on my knees. I would not be on the same level as He. Jesus however, is able to look at God face to face, because He is on the same level.

Think of this. The very Son of God was on equal level with the Father. He could look God in the eye, so to speak. And He left this position of power and importance to be born of a virgin and go to the cross to die for our sins. WHAT LOVE! Philippians 2:5-9

THE POSITION OF THE WORD - Vss. 1

John 1:1 - …and the Word was God. Isaiah 9:6

You might have heard it said, that Jesus never claimed to be God. That is not true. John 8:56-59

The Jews understood that Jesus claimed to be “I AM” or Jehovah, the preexistent God.

THE POWER OF THE WORD - Vs. 3

John 1:3 - All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. Colossians 1:16-17, Hebrews 1:1-2

God the Father created the universe through His Word, who is His Son. So Jesus was the instrument of creation. Psalm 139:14

THE PROVISION OF THE WORD - Vss. 4-5

John 1:4 - In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

Before Jesus came He had two qualities mentioned here that He has shared with man. This is his provision for us.

· LIFE

There are three aspects of life that Jesus gave to man.

1. Physical Life – Because he is creator, He has given you and every other individual “life”. If for no other reason, we should be indebted to Christ!

Eternal Life – Jesus came to earth with eternal life. He came to live a perfect life and then to die in our places for our sins. John 3:14-18

2. Abundant Life

John 10:10 - The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Jesus not only came to give you eternal life, but He came to give you abundant life, right now.

Life before your conversion to Christ was marked with failure.

Life after your conversion to Christ should be marked with victory.

Because Christ has come we have abundant life in several ways. Here are four of them:

1. Abundance of Christ’s presence Matthew 28:20, John 15:4-5

Abundance of Christ’s peace John 14:27

2. Abundance of Christ’s provision Philippians 4:19

Abundance of Christ’s power Philippians 4:13, John 14:13-14

John 1:4 - In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

· LIGHT

With His life comes His light.

Jesus is God. God is light. Psalm 104:1-2

1 John 1:5 - This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

This old world is entrenched in the darkness of sin. Jesus came into the world to give it light, to point people to the God of light. John 8:12

John tells us in John 1:5 - And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

This is great news.

The light is in the world and the world can not comprehend it. It does not understand the light.

The light is in the world and world can not overpower it, which is another meaning for the word “comprehend” in the Greek.

Since Jesus was born Satan and the world have tried to overtake or overpower His light. They can’t do it.

Light overpowers darkness.

Satan will never be able to overcome the Light.

We are on the winning team if we know Jesus as our Savior!

BEFORE BIRTH:

THE PREEXISTENCE OF THE WORD – Vss. 1-2

THE PRESENCE OF THE WORD - Vss. 1-2

THE POSITION OF THE WORD - Vs. 1

THE POWER OF THE WORD - Vs. 3

THE PROVISION OF THE WORD - Vss. 4-5

· LIFE

· LIGHT

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