IMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCH SERIES: JOHN: GOSPEL OF TRUTH LESSON: THE WORD BECAME FLESH 10/4/20 JOHN 1:10-18

Church News

Teacher: Share any relevant news from the church with your class.

MAIN POINT

The Word became flesh.

INTRODUCTION

As your group time begins, use this section to introduce the topic of discussion.

John 1:10 summarizes Jesus coming into the world but does not expound on the details that Matthew or Luke do. Can you recall some elements of how Jesus entered into the world? (virgin birth, born in Bethlehem as fulfillment of prophesy, descendent of David which also fulfills prophesy)

In our lesson today, we will discover that Jesus entered the world, yet his very own creation did not receive him. However, despite that the world rejected Christ, some received him by believing in his name. Those who believe are called children of God. We also will see how Jesus came. Jesus, who is God, became man and dwelt among us. His glory was evident. Amazingly, Jesus’ coming was not marked by fury or wrath. Instead he came with grace and truth. In doing so, he accurately represented his Father.

EXPLANATION

Unpack the biblical text to discover what the Scripture says.

HAVE A VOLUNTEER READ JOHN 1:10-13

Jesus was in the world. If we are not careful, we can miss the gravity of this reality. Jesus, the Word who created all things (1:3) and the one who is the true light (1:9), entered into his creation. It is startling to realize it, but people did not receive Jesus when he came into the world. It’s embarrassing to think that the world and his own people, the Jews, did not receive their Creator. John speaks of their rejection in verses 1:10-11, and their rejection becomes more evident as he writes the rest of his gospel.

As has been mentioned in this curriculum, John records 7 miraculous signs that Jesus performs. Once again, these include Jesus turning water into wine (2:1-12), healing an official son (4:46-54), healing a man who was lame for 38 years (5:1-17), feeding 5 thousand with a few loaves of bread (6:1-15), walking on water (6:16-21), healing a man born blind (9:1-41), and raising Lazarus from the dead (11:1-44). John records these 7 signs in the first 11 chapters and then remarks the Jews’ rejection in John 12:37: “Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him.” Broadly speaking, the world and his own people did not receive him.

Yet, there are some that chose to receive him. Verse 12 communicates that some received him by believing in him. In the language of John, receiving Christ = believing in Christ. In fact, John wrote the gospel in order to stir up belief in his readers. John 20:31 reminds us of the purpose of the gospel when it reads, “But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and that by believing you might have life in his name.” It is

amazing to think that as God came down to earth, he came not with the expectation that people “work” in order to receive him, “pay” in order to receive him, or “perform” religious rituals. Instead, we receive by believing.

For those who believe, God gives the right to become children of God. There is an interesting, almost ironic, distinction between “his own people” in v. 10 and “children” in v. 13. In a few passages in the Old Testament, God refers to the Israelites as “sons.” In Exodus 4:22-23, Moses speaks before Pharaoh: “Thus says the LORD, Israel is my firstborn son. . . Let my son go that he may serve me.” Also, Deuteronomy 14:1 reads, “You are sons of the LORD your God.” Yet, John reveals that the true children of God are those who believe. One is not a child based off blood, nor the will of flesh, or will of men (1:13). Belief alone grants one the right to be a child of God.

Furthermore, since belief is the way to receive Christ, and not through blood or will, anyone can gain acceptance. John says in v. 12, “to all who did receive him.” The good news of Jesus may be received by all.

John 1:10 says that the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. What are some modern-day cultural concepts of God that you encounter? What stands out to you about the relationship between a father and child as it relates to believers being called children of God?

HAVE A VOLUNTEER READ JOHN 1:14

The Word became flesh. Jesus became a man and he dwelt among us. The word dwelt has the meaning of “the tabernacle[d] among us.” In the Old Testament period from Exodus to 1 Samuel, God dwelt with his people in a tabernacle, a tent-like structure. But now, John records that God dwelt among them in the person of Jesus. John is a witness. As mentioned in our introduction lesson, John was a beloved disciple of Jesus. In fact, he was one of three disciples that had the privilege to witness Jesus in some special events that not all the other disciple had the chance to see. So, when John says that “We have seen his glory, glory from the only Son from the Father” (1:14), he has literally seen it with his eyes. When John remarks about Jesus’ glory, he likely has in mind the miraculous signs that Jesus performed that revealed he was the Son of God. As already mentioned, John records 7 miraculous signs. To John, these miracles gives evidence that Jesus shares the same glory as God the Father. In fact, Jesus said in John 5:36, “For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me.” So also, Jesus said, “If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; but If I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father” (10:37-38). Jesus revealed a specific God-like glory that was undeniable to John and other disciples.

Concerning the miracles Jesus performed, he did them with “grace and truth” (1:14). By referring to Jesus as full of grace and truth, John communicates that his miracles were acts of grace, meaning, Jesus performed them because of his genuine love and compassion. People did not receive miraculous healing because they “earned” it from Jesus. Rather, Jesus bestowed to them healing because of his grace. For example, Jesus didn’t turn water into wine because the groom honored him at the wedding. Jesus did it because his mother simply asked him (2:4-5). Likewise, Jesus told the official simply to believe in order for him to heal his son (4:49-50). Jesus healed the man lame for 38 years out of Jesus’ own gracious initiative (5:6-9). Jesus fed the 5 thousand because he had compassion for them as they were hungry (6:4-5; Mark 6:34). Likewise, he healed the man born blind without the man even asking to be healed (9:1-7). And of course, Lazarus could not have done anything in order to merit Jesus raising him from the dead---He was dead! In fact, Jesus’ reason for healing Lazarus he says was “for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it” (11:4). Jesus’ ministry was marked by grace. Jesus’ ministry was also marked by truth. In fact, the miracles were meant to point people to a truth about Jesus and were typically followed by Jesus teaching about himself. For the lame man healed, Jesus teaches that he works on the Sabbath just like his Father is always working (5:17). When Jesus feeds the 5 thousand with bread, he goes on to say that he is the bread of life (6:35). When Jesus heals the blind man, he teaches that he is the light of the world (9:5) and that apart him people will remain in spiritual blindness (9:39). When Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead, he teaches that he is the resurrection and the life (11:25). Indeed, apart from Jesus one does not know truth. Jesus pointedly stated in John 8:31-32, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” When we know Jesus, we know truth.

Does the fact that Jesus dwelt among us, make him more fitting to be a Savior for us? Why or why not? (Notice that Hebrews 4:15 reminds us, “We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize our weaknesses, but one who in every way was tempted as we are, yet without sin.”)

Think through the balance of grace and truth. What would happen if Jesus only came in grace, but not truth? Or what would happen if Jesus had only come in truth, but not grace? Can you share a time where you experienced God’s grace and also learned a truth about Jesus in the process?

HAVE A VOLUNTEER READ JOHN 1:16-17

For those who receive Jesus, John said they receive “grace upon grace” (1:16). The phrasing of “grace upon grace” may seem confusing. While there are several ways of interpreting, one likely interpretation is to see Jesus’ ministry as a greater revelation of grace than what God previously revealed through Moses. Through Moses, God gave the law (1:17). It is not that the giving of the law was void of grace. In fact, it was gracious of God to choose the Israelites and make his ways known before them. However, as the story of the Bible reveals, the Israelites failed to keep the law and thus faced God’s judgment. Being under God’s judgment, the only way for their sins to be atoned for is through a greater display of God’s grace and truth that is found in Jesus. With Jesus, we have the fullness of God’s grace displayed. To summarize, “grace upon grace” means that God showed grace to Jews by giving them the law, but now God has shown an even greater grace through Jesus.

HAVE A VOLUNTEER READ JOHN 1:18

No one has seen God. The Bible informs us that God is Spirit (Jn. 4:24), meaning (in part) that he does not have a physical body. Since God is Spirit, we cannot look upon Him like we would look upon another person. Despite that we cannot see him, it does not mean that we cannot know him because Jesus has made him known. This is marvelous! Jesus reveals to us accurately and completely everything that we need to know about God.

APPLICATION

Help your group identify how the truths from the Scripture passage apply directly to their lives.

John said that Jesus came full of grace and truth. On a scale from 1-10, how would you rate your balance of grace and truth? Do you think you embody grace and truth to people?

For you, do your words need to be more gracious or more truthful?

For you, do your actions need to be more gracious or more truthful?

What stands out to you from the verses’ we look at that gives you greater clarity about faith in Jesus?

Jesus performed miracles and also followed those miracles with teaching others about himself. So too, we often show grace and love but also want to be sure to communicate truth in those instances. On a scale from 1-10, does our group show grace and truth?

PRAYER

Close in prayer, asking God to press this truth on the hearts of all church members—that a vertical relationship with God leads to horizontal relationships with others.

COMMENTARY / RESOURCES

JOHN 1:10-18

1:10, Jesus entering into the world contrasts with a worldview called Deism. Deism is the belief that God created the world, but after creating it, He chose not to involve himself in his creation. In the worldview, God is absent and distant allowing people to function on their own. However, Jesus is the ultimate expression of God choosing to involve himself in his creation. Jesus entered into the world and as John 1:14 says, Jesus “became flesh and dwelt among us” (1:14). Jesus became a man. 1:12. In his name. John says that one receives Jesus when he or she believes in his name. To believe in the name of Jesus means that you believe in the entirety of His revelation about himself. Biblical scholar Andreas Köstenberger explains, “Yet the phrase ‘believe in the name of Jesus’ may place particular emphasis on the fact that in order to believe in Jesus, one must believe that he bears the divine name. For John, then, believing in Jesus entails accepting him ‘to the full extent of his self-revelation.’” 1:12-13. Those who believe. . . [and yet . . . are born not of will of flesh, but God. This phrase conveys the balance between man’s responsibility to believe and yet God’s sovereignty since they are born of God, not simply by the will of man. 1:13. Not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man. It is probably good to understand this verse in light of a contrast to the way Jews would have thought someone became a child of God. Jews considered Abraham to be both their ancestral and spiritual father (Jn. 8:33, 39). Jews were blood descendants from him and assumed they were right with God based off this fact. However, John explains that one is a true child of God by receiving Jesus, not because of biological birth. “Will of flesh” could be a reference to determined effort or even sexual procreation. “Will of man” could be a reference to a husband’s will for his family or, like will of flesh, could be a way of communicating that not any human volition whatsoever is involved. (Leon Morris). John 3:6-8 expresses a similar idea when it reads, “That which is born of flesh is flesh, and that which is born of Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

1:16. Translations differ in how to translate “grace upon grace.” The Greek is “charin anti charitos.” The preposition anti can have a variety of meanings depending on the context like “instead of, in return for, over against, opposite, in exchange for, as a substitute for, (b) on my behalf, (c) wherefore, because.” Translations include:

• NIV - “grace in place of grace already given” • KJV - “grace for grace” • ESV – “grace upon grace” • CSB – “grace upon grace” • HCSB – “grace after grace”

Another interpretation of the phrase is that John means “blessing upon blessing.” This phrasing wants to communicate that Jesus exceeds with blessing. Just like we might use the terminology of wave after wave, so too, Jesus gives blessing after blessing.

1:18. Note we have another verse supporting the doctrine of the Trinity. John says there is the “only God.” This phrase indicates that there is one God. He also communicates that Jesus is with God and is able to make Him known.