eye-witnesses

MYSTERY SOLVED, EXPLANATION BEGINS – John 1:18

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Do you like a mystery?  Do you enjoy reading a mystery novel or watching a mystery program or movie?  Each generation has its own mystery writers, and the ones from previous generations are still classics.  There are more and more mystery programs on the television these days because the viewing audience and the ratings for a good mystery program are so high.  Why this interest in mysteries?  They appeal to our curiosity.  A good mystery usually shows good prevailing over evil.  It also has interesting characters, often reminding us of ourselves or people we know, having motives that aren’t always clear.

Secondly, and more importantly, mysteries are appealing because people like to solve things.  Look at all the cross-word puzzles and other kinds of puzzles in our newspapers and magazines.  A mystery is like a puzzle.  It challenges our problem-solving abilities.  The goal in everyone’s mind is to try to solve the mystery before the solution is given;  to figure out the “whodunit” before it’s done.  This challenge causes us to immerse ourselves in the plot and the action.  The majority of mystery stories are solved at the end, but there are exceptions.  People want a solution, so when there is no solution given, everyone makes up their own minds about the solution, or the character who committed the crime.  As the saying goes about mystery writers:  “You don’t always have to give the answer, but you always have to raise the question.”

The apostle John began his gospel much like a mystery writer would begin a mystery novel.  And why not?  He appeals to the curiosity of his readers by presenting a mystery, using terms they are familiar with, but in a way that is unfamiliar.  “Who is this Logos?”, his readers are wondering.  “What are all these things that you are saying about him?”

Can you remember these words being directed at you:  “I demand an explanation!”  The person who said those words probably had the right and authority to say them.  If you heard those words as a kid, you knew that you had to either confess the truth or come up with a really good alibi in a hurry!  When John’s readers say or think those words, “I demand an explanation”, they are being drawn into reading the rest of his gospel to find out if a satisfactory explanation is going to be given in order to satisfy  their curiosity and remove their confusion.

In this particular mystery, John revealed the identity of the Logos in chapter l, verse 17.  The Logos is the Lord Jesus Christ.  But it’s going to take twenty-two chapters to explain the solution to this mystery.  They are going to read about many of the miracles that Jesus performed and see Jesus’ description of Himself.  They are also going to read the testimonies of many eye-witnesses who responded to what they saw and heard and experienced.   John’s desire is that his readers might come to the right conclusion about Jesus Christ by the grace of God.  I have chosen to focus my study on just one verse, John 1:18, because John uses this verse to give a short, concise description of the Lord Jesus Christ from the perspective of eternity and the Old Testament scriptures.  He is preparing us for what will follow.  The mystery still remains a mystery to our human minds and imaginations.

I.  THE INVISIBLE GOD (John 1:18a)

The apostle John begins verse 18 by saying, “No man has seen God at any time”.  We might take issue with that statement.  “Didn’t God appear to many people in the Bible?”  “Jesus is God, and thousands of people saw Him,”  Those comments are true, but John is referring here to the fullness of God’s glory.  His Greek and Hebrew readers knew what he was talking about.  As commentator William Barclay puts it, “In the ancient world men were fascinated and depressed and frustrated by what they regarded as the infinite distance and the utter unknowability of God.”  The Greek philosopher Plato said, “Never man and God can meet.”  The Jews also remembered what God said to Moses in the Old Testament:  “You cannot see My face, for no one may see me and live” (Exodus 33:20).  So both Jews and Greeks would have agreed with John’s statement.  Later, the apostle Paul said, “God dwells in unapproachable light” (I Timothy 6:16).  Jesus Himself made that clear to His listeners when He said of Himself in John 6:46, “Not that any man has seen the Father, except the One who is from God; He has seen the Father.” 

Let’s take another look at that first phrase in John 1:18.  The NIV says, “No man has ever seen God.”  The literal Greek translation gets the point across more strongly.  It says, “God no man has seen never“.  This phrase is referred to as an “absolute negative”.  To put it into American English:  “Absolutely no one has ever seen God, period!”  What he means is that no man has seen God in a full and complete way, in all His glory.  I think John is getting his point across to his readers and listeners!

There is a story about a kindergarten teacher who asked a boy what he was drawing.  Without pausing to look up, he said, “A picture of God”.  The teacher smiled and responded, “But nobody knows what God looks like.”  The boy carefully put down his crayon, looked her squarely in the eye, and declared, “After I’m finished here they will.”

He must have had a clear picture of God in his mind!  I would like to have seen the finished drawing.  It may have been very insightful!

II.  THE REVEALER OF GOD (John 1:18b)

If God is invisible, how can we know Him personally?  The author of Hebrews begins his epistle with these words:  “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways . . . “.  God revealed His presence, his character and His will through the prophets and through “visual aids” (miracles, visions, pillar of cloud, pillar of fire, the ark of the covenant, the “angel of the Lord”).  Hebrews 1:2,3 says, “In these last days has spoken to us in His Son . . . And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature . . . “. 

In John 1:18, the apostle John calls Jesus “the only begotten God, who is in the bosom of the Father”.  That description requires some explanation.  Only John uses this title for Jesus.  As the “only begotten God”, the Lord Jesus Christ is unique and existed from all eternity as God.  The Lord Jesus is the God-man, reminding us of John’s words in verse 1:  “In the beginning was the Word . . . and the Word was God”, and “the Word became flesh” (verse 14).

The phrase “in the bosom of the Father” is an expression that conveys the closest of relationships, and the deepest love for one another and enjoyment of one another’s presence.  This figure of speech was used elsewhere in Scripture to describe the relationship of a husband and wife (Deuteronomy 13:6), of a nurse carrying a nursing infant-child (Numbers 11:12), and of the affectionate protection and rest afforded to Lazarus in Paradise (Luke 16:23) (Vincent’s Word Studies).  The phrase also reminds us of John’s words in John 1:1-2,  “And the word was with God . . . He was in the beginning with God.”

Because of Jesus’ identity as God, and His closeness to the Father, He is the only One qualified to reveal and explain the Father to us. In chapter 14, Jesus said to Thomas, “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.”  Philip then asks, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.”  (They still don’t understand what Jesus is saying to them.)  So Jesus replies, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip?  He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how do you say, ‘Show us the Father’?  Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me?”    It is a difficult concept for them, and us, to understand.  They are both God, and inseparable in their relationship to one another.

CONCLUSION:

God is still invisible in the sense that we cannot see Him today with our physical eyes.  In the same way, the Lord Jesus is also invisible to our eyes.  He left us no visible, physical image of Himself.  He didn’t pose for a painting or sculpture of Himself while He was on this earth.  All of His eye-witnesses are dead and none of them made a sketch of him or gave a detailed description of His physical appearance.  But even though we can’t see Him, He sees us and is with us always.  His character, His actions, His attitude, and His obedience to the Father have been written down for us by eye-witnesses.  Some of them were with Him day and night for a period of three years, and also witnessed His death, His post-resurrection appearances, and His ascension into heaven.  Because of their closeness to Jesus Christ while He was here on this earth, their understanding of God increased immensely, and they have shared that understanding with us.  Their belief in Him became firmly established and most of them were martyred because of their faith in Him.

We don’t need any more explanation.  It’s all there in the Scriptures, and evident in the lives of those who have entrusted their lives to Him.  There are no excuses for not having a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.  If you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, are you giving others an explanation for the hope and joy that is in you?  If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, don’t you think it’s time that you did?  It’s the one decision you could never regret, and will forever enjoy!

 

CONSTRUCTION SITE:

There are many other completed projects on this site and you are welcome to visit them all.  It’s always “Open House” here.  Thanks for visiting.  May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be your continuing source of joy and strength.

 

A WITNESS TO THE LIGHT – John 1:6-8

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In verse 6 the apostle John introduces another witness besides himself.  He is continuing to build his case that Jesus Christ is truly the Logos, the Light that came into the world.  This next witness is John the Baptist (or baptizer).  Here in verses 6-9, the apostle John gives us an introductory description of him.

I.  A MAN SENT FROM GOD (verse 6)

John begins his description of John the Baptist by calling him “a man sent from God”.  The prophet Malachi, who lived about 450 years earlier, predicted his coming when he prophesied these words from the Lord, “Behold I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me”  (Malachi 3:1).  It was obvious to the parents of John the Baptist that their son was sent from God.  The angel Gabriel appeared to Zecharias telling him that he and his wife Elizabeth would have a son in their old age.  He also told Zecharias the name that should be given to the child, some details about his upbringing and filling with the Holy Spirit, and his occupation or ministry on this earth.  What follows are some of the words the angel used to describe their son.

“Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God.  And he will go on before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous – to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”  (Luke 1:16-17, NIV translation)

John the Baptist was “sent from God” alright!  There is no doubt about that!  But there is more meaning to those words.  The Greek word used here is “apestalmenos”. It was used in the Greek culture to refer to an envoy:  a personal representative with full authority to represent his master.  The Greeks used the word to refer to a representative of a king or of one of their Greek gods.  So John the Baptist was authorized by God to represent Him.  The word “apostle” comes from a form of this word.

As an aside, have you ever wondered when John the Baptist came to the realization that he would be the forerunner of Jesus Christ, paving the way for His ministry?  Luke 1:41 tells us what happened when Mary, who was pregnant with Jesus, paid Elizabeth a visit:  “And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe (John) leaped in her womb.”  It’s doubtful whether John remembered that experience after he was born, but his mother may have told him about it later on.  John and Jesus were probably playmates at the family gatherings.  I would imagine that their parents wanted them to get to know each other.  I can also  imagine that as a child, John had many questions to ask his parents; questions such as:  “How come you and daddy are so much older than the other kid’s parents?”; “How come you never cut my hair?”; “How come I’m not allowed to eat grapes or drink grape juice?”; “How come you gave me the name John (which means “gift from God”)?”  I’m sure his parents gave honest answers to his questions and he began to gain understanding.  Luke 1:80 says “The child grew and became strong in spirit, and lived in the desert until he appeared publicly to Israel.”

The defining moment came for John in Luke 3:2, “The Word of the Lord came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.”  John was then given his commission, his instructions, and the spirit of Elijah.  Apparently he was also told to wear the same clothing as Elijah.  We will be going into more detail about John the Baptist when we study verses 19 and following.

II.  A WITNESS (verses 7 and 8)

The apostle John is the only gospel writer to use the word “witness” to describe John the Baptist.  The Greek word is “martyrian”.  We get the English word “martyr” from that Greek word.  It is a legal term, referring to the verbal testimony which is given in a court of law, and to the person who gives that testimony.

Verse 8 stresses that “John the Baptist was not that light, but was sent to bear witness to that light.”  John the Baptist’s relation to Jesus is somewhat like the relationship of the moon to the sun in terms of the light that each sheds on the earth.  The moon does not have a glimmer of light of its own.  The work of the moon is to act as a giant reflector in the sky, picking up the light of the sun and relaying that light to the earth.  The moon’s function is only temporary, for the day is coming.  The sun sheds its light directly on the earth during the day, dispelling the darkness in a way that the moon cannot do.  As we shall see, John the Baptist’s desire was to reflect the light of the Lord Jesus Christ.  As verse 7 says, John’s objective was “that all through him might believe”.

Our lives are also God’s gift to us.  What we do with our lives is our gift to God.  May our lives become more beautiful and pleasing in God’s sight each day as we grow in our knowledge of Him and as we give our lives wholehearted in service to Him/

 

BEHOLD YOUR GOD – Background and Survey of the Gospel of John

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FORWARD:

This study through the Gospel of John is going to keep us busy for over a year, and possibly over two years.  The apostle John says in I John 1:1, “From the very first day, we were there, taking it all in – we heard it with our own ears, saw it with our own eyes, verified it with our own hands.  The Word of Life appeared right before our eyes; we saw it happen! (The Message).

Have you ever wondered what it must have been like to see the Lord Jesus face-to-face, to hear His voice, to hear Him call you by name, to embrace Him, to watch the expressions on His face, and to observe all the things He said and did while He was on this earth?  Does thinking about that fill your hearts with joy and excitement?  My desire is to try to imagine and simulate that first-hand experience as I study the text.  I plan to incorporate more of the Old Testament scriptures and the other three Gospels into the study, where appropriate, so that we might see Him in as much detail, and with as much clarity as possible.

I.  INTRODUCTION:

Was there ever a time in your life when you asked yourself the question:  “Which book of the Bible should I read first?”  Has anybody ever asked you that same question, seeking your advice?  A question that is often asked by Bible translation teams is “Which book of the Bible should we translate first?”  The answer to those two questions is often the same:  the Gospel of John.

William MacDonald made this observation:  “The Gospel of John is the most familiar and perhaps the best loved book in the Bible.  Charles R. Erdman says of this Gospel:  “It has induced more people to follow Christ, it has inspired more believers to loyal service, it has presented to scholars more difficult problems, than any other book that could be named.”

II.  WHY ARE THERE FOUR GOSPELS?

That’s a commonly asked question also:  “Why are there four gospels?”  Actually, there is one gospel, written from the perspective of four different men who were moved by the Holy Spirit to write what they wrote.

Matthew, formerly named Levi, was a Jewish tax collector who became a follower of Christ.  His purpose in writing was to demonstrate to his fellow-Jews that Jesus was the promised Messiah, the “anointed One”, whose coming was prophesied in the Old Testament scriptures.  He begins his gospel with a genealogy of Jesus going back to Abraham, the father of the Jewish nation.  Matthew also quotes from the Old Testament scriptures more often than any other gospel-writer.  His intention is to show that Jesus fulfilled the prophesies that were written concerning the coming Messiah.

Mark, also called John Mark, focuses on the Lord Jesus as a servant.  A theme verse is Mark 10:45 where Jesus says, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His live as a ransom for many.” (NIV)  We find no genealogy in Mark’s gospel, but we see Jesus involved in the lives of people.

Luke is writing to the Greeks, and looks at Jesus as a man.  Many of the Greek gods and goddesses had a pretty-sordid history and didn’t relate well to people.  The genealogy in Luke’s gospel goes all the way back to Adam, showing that Jesus was truly a member of the human race.  Luke also gives more insights into the birth and childhood of Jesus than any other gospel writer.

John looks at Jesus as God.  He focuses on the deity of Christ.  John’s gospel contains no details about the birth or the childhood of Christ.  It also contains no parables, no temptation scene, no Gethsemane, and no mention of scribes, publicans, lepers, or demoniacs.

III.  WHO WAS THE AUTHOR?

The writer of this account of the life and teachings of Christ was John, the son of Zebedee.  He and his brother James were fishermen along with their father.  While James and John were mending their nets, Jesus came by and called out to them, asking them to come and follow Him (Mt. 4:21-22; Mk. 1:19-20; Lk. 5:9-11).  They both immediately left their nets and followed Him.  John outlived the other disciples and wrote three letters.  He also wrote “The Revelation of Jesus Christ” while living as an exile on the island of Patmos.  In this writing, John gives a message to each of the seven churches in Asia and writes down a description of the visions he received from God

IV.  WHAT WAS JOHN’S PURPOSE?

We find John’s purpose for writing his gospel near the end of his book.  John 20:30-31 says, “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.”  (NIV)  John’s purpose was to provide the answer to these two questions:  First, “Who is Jesus Christ?”  And secondly, “What is to be our proper response to Him on the basis of who He is?”

Since John’s Gospel was the last to be written, and the others were already being copied and distributed, it makes me wonder whether Matthew, Mark, and Luke might have met with John concerning certain events which were not included in their accounts.  If so, the apostle John did a good job of “filling in the blanks” as well as focusing his attention on the deity of Christ!

There are three key words in John 20:30-31, and they need a bit of an explanation:

“Signs” – John recorded six miracles that are not recorded in the other gospels:  the water changed into wine (chapter 2), the nobleman’s son healed (chapter 4), the paralyzed man healed (chapter 5), the healing of the man born blind (chapter 9), the raising of Lazarus from the dead (chapter 11), and the second great catch of fish (chapter 21).  Each one of these miracles, or signs, demonstrates Christ’s deity and authority.  These signs were performed on other people or for the benefit of other people.

“Believe” – is the response that these signs were intended to produce.  The word is used 98 times in John’s gospel, and refers to a personal commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord.  We find in John’s gospel that those who believed in Jesus Christ became His followers, whereas those who refused to believe became His opponents.

“Life” – refers to the result that belief brings.  In John 5:24 Jesus said, “i tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.” (NIV)  Eternal life begins at the moment that we invite Jesus Christ to come into our lives and be our Savior and Lord.  John 10:10 says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that you may have life, and have it to the full.”  Jesus said that we can have an abundant and fulfilling life right now if we belong to Him.

V.  WHAT WERE JOHN’S METHODS?

John records the testimonies of seven eye-witnesses:

John the Baptist – “After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me. . . . And I have seen, and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”  (John 1:30-34)

Nathanael – “Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel”  (John 1:49)

The Samaritan woman – “Come, see a man who told me all the things I have done; this is not the Christ, is it”? . . . And from that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all the things that I have done.”  (John 4:29, 39).

Peter –  “Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  And we have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.”  (John 6:68-69).

Martha – Yes, Lord, I have believed that you are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world.”  (John 11:27)

Thomas – “Thomas answered and said to Him, ‘My Lord and my God’ “.  (John 20:28).

John – “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God”. (John 20:31)

Each of these people had personal conversations with Jesus and proclaimed that Jesus was God.

John also records the seven “I am’s” of Jesus, (Jesus reveals Himself seven times using the words “I am”).

“I am the bread of life” (chapter 6)

“I am the light of the world” (chapters 8 and 9)

“I am the door”  (chapter 10)

“I am the good shepherd”  (chapter 10)

“I am the resurrection and the life” (chapter 11)

“I am the way, the truth, and the life” (chapter 14)

“I am the true vine”  (chapter 15)

In each of these descriptions of Himself, Jesus points to His deity, and thus His ability to meet their deepest needs.  Also, each time Jesus uses that format to describe Himself, He is bringing to their minds the question that Moses asked the voice that was coming from the burning bush, and the answer he received.  In Exodus 3:!3, Moses said to God, “behold I am going to the sons of Israel, and I shall say to them, ‘the God of your fathers has sent me to you.’  “Now they may say to me, ”What is His name?’  What shall I say to them?”  In verse 14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, “I AM has sent me to you.  That was God’s covenant name to the Jewish people, and Jesus is using it to refer to Himself (YHWH, usually pronounced as  Yahweh or Jehovah).

Finally, John records 27 personal interviews with Jesus.  Some of them were extensive and some were very brief.  The Lord Jesus wanted people of all belief systems and all walks of life to know who He really is, and that He cares for them.

If the things that John is saying about Jesus Christ are hard for you to believe at this point in your life, you are not alone.  John will be giving more and more evidence to verify Jesus’ claims.  Please continue to study this book with me and give it some thought and reflection.  I have personally observed that many people, including myself, have had an unclear concept of Jesus Christ and His teachings.  The Gospel of John, more than any other New Testament book, cleared my mind and changed my heart.  That is one of the reasons why I want to study it again.

It’s time to move on to the next construction site:  John 1:1-3.  I hope to see you there!

 

EVIDENCE FOR CHRIST’S RESURRECTION – I Corinthians 15:1-11

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INTRODUCTION:

The most extensive treatment of the doctrine of the resurrection in all of Scripture is found here in I Corinthians 15.  Verse 1 tells us that the doctrinal problem in the church at Corinth was not their disbelief in the resurrection of Christ.  Their confusion was concerning their own resurrection from the dead.  In verses 1-11 Paul reviews the evidence for Christ’s resurrection so that he could later show how their own hope for resurrection is tied to the fact of Christ’s resurrection from the dead.  Paul gives us five evidences here for the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

I.  THE CORINTHIAN CHURCH (verses 1-2)

Paul’s first evidence for the resurrection of Christ is the Corinthian Church, the recipients of this letter.  The fact that these Corinthian Christians had received the Gospel message, believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, and were living changed lives, is a strong evidence for the resurrection of Christ.  Every group of believers across the face of the earth that meets together for worship is evidence that Jesus Christ is alive and is building His church.

II.  THE OLD TESTAMENT SCRIPTURES (verses 3-4)

The second evidence for the resurrection of Christ is the Old Testament Scriptures.  They clearly predicted Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection.  In Luke’s Gospel, chapter 24, Jesus used the Old Testament Scriptures to identify Himself as their risen Lord.  For example, Luke 24:27 says, “And beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures”.  Psalm 22:16-18 is one of the Scripture passages that prophesies Christ’s crucifixion, and Psalm 16:10 prophesies His resurrection.  The prophet Isaiah says in Isaiah 25:8, “He will swallow up death for all time.”

III.  THE TESTIMONY OF EYE-WITNESSES (verses 5-7)

The third evidence for the resurrection of Christ is the testimony of eye-witnesses of the resurrected Christ.  The list given in verses 5-7 is not exhaustive, but includes those who were most prominent in the Church at that time.  Peter is mentioned, as well as the twelve apostles, more than 500 brethren at one time and place, James, and all the apostles over a period of 40 days.  A prominent lawyer, Sir Edward Clarke, did a prolonged study of the resurrection of Christ.  He said, “To me, the evidence is conclusive, and over and over again in the High Court, I have secured the verdict on evidence not nearly as compelling.”

IV.  THE APOSTLE PAUL (verses 8-10)

The fourth evidence for the resurrection of Christ is the testimony of the writer himself:  the apostle Paul.  He refers to himself as “one untimely born”.  He was too late to be one of the 12 apostles, and yet he was called by Christ to be an apostle.  What a turn-around in his life!  What a testimony to the truth and power of Christ’s resurrection!

V.  THE TESTIMONY OF A COMMON MESSAGE (verse 11)

The fifth evidence for the resurrection of Christ is the testimony of a common message.  Without exception, the teaching and preaching of the New Testament church centered around the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.  This message was declared as objective facts based on the testimony of eye-witnesses, and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

CONCLUSION:

But there is a sixth evidence that isn’t mentioned specifically in this passage of Scripture.  That evidence is our own lives.  Have you repented of your sins, turned your life over to Jesus Christ, and invited Him to be your Savior and Lord?  If so, is your joy, your peace of mind and heart, and the power of the resurrected Christ obvious to those around you?  If the answer is “yes”, then you are a living, visible evidence of the resurrection of Christ to the world around you.