Text: Jn 1:1-18

Intro:

1. If the Book of Acts may be classified as a Book of conversions, then the Book of John should be classified as the book for conversion.

2. The main purpose of the Book of John is to prove that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God (Jn 20:30-31).

3. The first 18 verses of John is much like the first speech of a debate, where John presents his evidence and defends his proposition.

4. Illustrate from Warren/Ballard debate: In Ballard’s first speech, he clouded the air and made one wonder a little if Baptism was a must. However, when Warren opened his first speech by defining his proposition and setting forth four evidences that would prove that baptism was for the remission of sin, it was all over but the crying.

5. Likewise, some of John’s readers may have been persuaded to doubt that this human Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God. But, John sets forth six evidences that he will use to accurately prove that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.

I. Jesus is the Eternal Word (Vs. 1-2)

A. Jesus existed before the beginning.

1. The words “in the beginning was” do not merely mean that Jesus was present at creation. The force of the Greek is “In the beginning already was.”

2. From this we infer the eternality of the Word (Jn 8:58; 17:5, 24).

B. The “Word”.

1. The Greek word logos is used to represent Christ for a significant reason. When studying the history of this word I found that it had a dual meaning applying to Christ:

a. The inward thought and ideas in the mind of God.

b. The outspoken manifestation of these thoughts through the voice and person of the human Christ.

2. Christ taught that He was the very expression of God’s ideas and thoughts (Jn 6:38; Jn 7:16-17, Jn 14:24)

C. The eternal Word is God.

1. John affirmed this (Jn 10:30; 20:28).

2. The rest of the Bible teaches this (Gen 1:26, Col 2:9).

II. Jesus is Creator (Vs. 3).

A. While the purpose of the 7 signs may have been to confirm the person and teachings of Christ, John may have also used them to prove that Jesus is the Creator.

B. Notice how the 7 signs all point us to Christ as the creator.

1. Water to Wine – Woman from Man (sign # 1).

2. Nobleman’s son and Lame man healed- Jesus spoke his health into existence, God spoke the world into existence (sign # 2-3).

III. Jesus is the Life and Light of men (vs. 4-5).

A. Jesus is life.

1. The term life does not merely mean that Jesus came that we might have a good physical life only (Jn 10:10).

2. The term here refers to eternal life (Jn 17:3, Jn 14:6, 5:21, 11:25).

B. Jesus is Light.

1. Just as a plant feeds off of light for its growth and needs light to remain, so Christ is our spiritual sustenance.

2. Jesus is our spiritual illumination (Jn 8:12, 3:19-21, 12:46).

IV. The Witness of John the Immerser (vs. 6-9).

A. John’s acceptance by the people and God made His testimony undeniable.

1. John’s acceptance by the people (Mk 1:5, Matt. 21:26).

2. John’s acceptance by God (Jn 5:35; Matt 11:7-11).

B. The witness of John (Jn 1:29-34).

V. Man’s decision about Christ (vs. 10-13).

A. How do men’s decisions about Jesus prove Him to be the Christ? As John relates to us the people who accepted and rejected Christ, he also shows us how they were presented with the facts and what their motives were. For those who did not accept Christ out of envy and pride, this would further prove to the reader that Jesus must really be the Christ, God’s Son. Illustrate how Ballard failed to accepted and deal with the evidence and how this further confirmed Warren’s facts in your mind. Not a problem of the understanding, but of the will.

B. Notice how mans’ acceptance and rejection of Christ prove Him to be true.

1. Rejection—Jn 12:42-43

2. Acceptance—Jn 4:42

3. Rejection—Jn 8:43-44

4. Acceptance—Jn 9:35-38

VI. The Incarnate Christ (Vs. 14-18).

A. The eternal Word and Creator is none other than the human Jesus.

B. In becoming incarnate Jesus manifested two things:

1. God’s grace—2 Timothy 2:1, Eph 1:3, 2 Cor 8:9

2. God’s truth--Jn 14:6, Jn 17:17

Conclusion: After the evidence has been presented we should all have the attitude of Thomas: “My Lord and My God” (Jn 20:28, 30-31).