People often ask me how do you preach week in and week
out? How do you have something to say each week? Well, I do have an
inexhaustible resource in the Word of God – but it remains a challenge –
what should I preach on each week?
Of course many preaching professors will tell his or
her students to preach with the newspaper in one hand and the Bible in the
other. Always start with human need. And that’s easy enough. We know the
world situation. The economy is sinking lower than any of us can do the
limbo. Jobs are being slashed, reduced, cut at an alarming rate. There is
a state of stress and worry through the whole culture. The media constantly
reminds us, “We have not seen anything like this since 1990, 1982, the great
depression.” These are difficult times. What does the word of God say about
such times?
And materialism. Did you hear about the crowd that
gathered at a Walmart in New Jersey during Black Friday? They lined up
outside the store at 5 am. They then took the doors off the hinges at 6
proceeded to stampede into the store – in the process they crushed an
employee to death.
Or we could turn our attention closer to home. In our
own church. I still see before me a church divided. Misunderstandings
continue to wreak havoc in relationships. Hot and angry words are being
spoken or not spoken – depending on how you handle conflict. There is a
lack of understanding about the fact that we are a body and there is no
person or committee that drives our church – it is the body working together
– depending on God together – listening to God together and each person
brings their ideas to the table and participates in the conversation there
is communication and we move forward together.
Maybe that’s where to start – maybe that is what is
needed a series of “How-to sermons” - they are popular in our day. Everyone
wants a series of steps. One, two, three and the issue is addressed and
the problem is fixed.
Where to begin? Certainly whenever I think of that
question, the guiding story for my preaching always comes to mind. The
story goes that there was a young pastor who was facing the same question.
He began his sermon in much the same way that I have this morning and he
stood up on a Sunday morning and confessed, “I’m not sure what to preach
about. I’m not sure where to begin.”
And a voice from the back of the sanctuary cried out –
“Preach Christ, son - preach Christ.” Good words to follow.
There was a popular bumper sticker some time ago that
read Jesus is the answer. Of course that was ridiculed and people said –
What is the question?
But as much as I dislike bumper sticker theology there
is some truth to the statement. There is in Jesus an answer to our human
need for God. There is in Jesus an answer for our hunger for things. There
is in Jesus an answer for the human need for stability, for purpose, for
guidance, for help in our relationships – for life – life to the full.
There is in Jesus an answer to the issues faced in our world, and the
challenges we face as a church.
And so John begins his gospel – not by outlining the
problems of the day, not by addressing the conflicts in the church – but he
points a steady finger at Jesus. He directs our thoughts and minds to the
amazing miracle of the incarnation, and in so doing he addresses many of the
questions and difficulties we face in life.
The controlling verse of this passage is verse 14 – “The
Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We have seen his glory, glory as of
the one and only who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
This is the proclamation – God has visited the earth in
the person of Jesus Christ.
And if I think I had trouble starting a sermon, think
of the difficulty John had in writing this.
I believe in the divine inspiration of Scripture. We
have the word of God in our hands, but surely God did not by his Holy Spirit
mechanically dictate the words to the authors. There is a clearly a
cooperation of Spirit and personality in the Scriptures – so surely John
wrestled with just the right words. Indeed, scholars tell us that these
first 18 verses were probably written after the rest of the gospel was
completed. That’s not strange – and it doesn’t reduce the authority of
these words. Go to any preaching class and they will tell you to write out
the body of your sermon first and then write your introduction.
If John did write this introduction last, it does show
that he didn’t just scribble it off on the back of a napkin – he wrestled
with it.
And is it any wonder? How do you describe the
awesomeness of the truth that God became a man in the person of Jesus
Christ? How does one describe the marvel of the incarnation – how does one
convey the marvelous news that God became flesh and dwelt among us?
We can see that he begins by describing the complete
otherness of Jesus Christ. (And we know that he is describing Jesus Christ
– verse 14 links grace and truth with the Word. Verse 17 links grace and
truth with Jesus Christ. Clearly Jesus Christ is the Word that John is
speaking of.)
We can see where John begins – he starts in the
hallways of eternity. He takes us back to the beginning – a time before
time – in that timeless zone and tells us that the word was with God – that
is He was equally God - and the Word was God – that is He was essentially
God.
And notice the verb “was” - that’s in the Greek
imperfect tense – which refers to something not past or present or future
but something on going. Not only is the Word equally God and essentially
God, He is eternally God.
It is a great mystery and our puny little minds can
barely grasp it – that God is one in essence but three in persons. And it
is the second person of the Godhead that is being spoken of here. Jesus
Christ is essentially God.
So when we read verse 14 – the Word became flesh and
dwelt among us – we are meant to catch our breath. For it is clear that
this Jesus is incomparable in His being. There is no one like Him. He has
existed before time – He comes from a dateless past. He is God in the
flesh.
And so when we think of application – we must ask
ourselves – to whom are you going to compare Jesus?
We think, “Well, we have these problems in the world
and the church faces these challenges – who will see us through? These
problems are way too big for our Lord – we know He is the head of the church
but He has gotten Himself in way too deep.”
Really? Are you aware that in the beginning was the
Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God? The problem is too big
for Him - really?
Then John continues. Verse 3 - “All things were
created through him and without him nothing was made that has been made”.
All things in heaven and on earth were created through
Him – all things – every single thing was created by Him. Think of the
sheer number of things. Can you count the stars in heaven? We can’t even
guess how many billions there are.
Think of the size – did you know that there is a star
called “Antares” which could hold sixty-four million suns the size of ours.
In the constellation Hercules is a star that could contain one hundred
million stars the size of Antares. Our galaxy, the Milky Way is 100,000
light years in diameter. It revolves at a speed of two hundred miles an
hour. It takes two million years to complete one revolution on its axis.
Or consider the intricacy of creation. Do you know our
planet does not travel in a true circle? It travels in three directions at
the same time. It revolves on its axis, it travels around the sun, and its
path is deflected by other planets. Yet it does not lose more than one one-hundreth
of a second every one hundred years.1
“Through him all things were created – and without
him nothing was made that has been made.” Is it any wonder that John
points a steady finger toward Jesus. For not only is He incomparable in His
being – He is incomparable in His power.
Do you understand why we have spent these forty days in
prayer? It’s not because we believe prayer if powerful – it’s not. Prayer
is not powerful. All power belongs to our Lord – prayer is like the clutch
in your car. What is powerful is the engine – not the clutch. The clutch
only engages the engine. So with prayer – it’s not powerful. Our Lord is
powerful – prayer is only a means by which we tap into the power of our
God. And God forgive us if after these forty days we say – O well, done
that, did that. We’ve done our forty days. No, no, no. Not to our own
dreams, not to our own ideas, but to Him. Looking to Him, admitting our
weakness, admitting our inability, for when we are weak we are strong.
Our Lord is incomparable in His power.
Indeed our text goes on to say verse 4 – In Him is life
– that is, He is the source of all life – from Him springs all life. There
is no life – physical, spiritual, eternal – outside of Him. He is the giver
of life and the sustainer of life.
“And that life is the light of all people,” says
the text. My mother has Alzheimer’s. She is hardly there mentally. When we
visit she will often sit and pick at a button on her sweater, lost in her
own world. But if we bring a baby into the room, mom’s face lights up! She
is lifted out of the darkness of Alzheimer’s for a moment.
And so the presence of Christ – in Him is life and when
He is comes into our presence our dead spiritual lives are brought to light.
There is an awakening. His life is such a quality, such a radiance that we
are brought out of darkness into light and we are able to see. The darkness
is lifted - so John will say at verse 14 – we have seen His glory!
And then again at verse 18, he will say, “No one has
ever seen God – but God, the one and only who is at the Father’s side, he
has made him known.”
A light has dawned. The darkness has been pushed back
and there is this light then - the ability to spiritually see clearly. He
is the one who gives the light and He Himself is the light that we are able
to see.
He is incomparable in His power to create, all things,
in His ability to give life and thus light. And then verse 5 His power is
so great that even the darkness has not been able to understand it. That’s
how the NIV reads. The NRSV the version in your pews reads, “and the
darkness has not been able to overcome it.”
Both translations are correct – the verb has a double
meaning but given the context the NRSV is more correct. But I wonder, and I
haven’t found any commentator to verify this, but I wonder if when we use
the word understand – it doesn’t mean the darkness is standing there
scratching its head saying, “I don’t get it.” I think it means that the
darkness is not able to comprehend it and so to master it and control it and
even destroy it.
Whatever translation you take, the point is that the
light that our Lord gives to us is so powerful that it stands against the
darkness and cannot be overcome by the darkness.
Do you see? Our Lord is incomparable in His power. And
so, what situation can we bring Him - that would stump Him? What problem do
we face that is too big for Him? What issue in the church is beyond His
healing power? What life situation do you face that is beyond our Lord –
through Him all things were made. In Him is life. And we bring Him these
little prayers. And like the father of the demon possessed boy we say, “If
you can do anything take pity on us and help us.” And Jesus
incredulously says, “If you can?” (Mark 9:14-23)
Our Lord is incomparable in His being and in His
power. And there is no force, there is no situation, there is no problem
that is bigger than our Lord. So we can be bold in our witness. We can be
bold in our prayers. We can have assurance that while the current economic
situation may shake our world, it does not shake His. He is still in
control.
He is incomparable in His being and in His power.
And so John testifies to the fact – verses 5-9 - He
came as a witness to the light. But sadly, and incredibly verses 10 and 11
many do not believe the witness of John.
And then look at verse 12 for here it is again – the
incomparable greatness of our Lord. Our Lord is incomparable in His ability
to transform lives. “Yet to all who received him to those who believed
in his name he gave the right become children of God!”
It is such an incredible statement – we dare not read
it with a yawn in our voice.
To receive this one and to believe in His name we
become children of God? Children of God. That means that we become
heirs of God. I don’t think it’s too shabby that I’m a Cullen – that’s a
good name in the Toronto area, it’s got a good reputation. It’s not too bad
and apparently author Stephanie Meyer thinks it’s a good name too as she has
named her vampire family in the novel series Twilight Cullen. It’s
not bad to be part of the Cullen family. But as good as that is, it is
infinitely better be called a child of God. To be an heir of God. That
means we have been taken out of one family and adopted into God’s family.
Think of all the ramifications of this truth.
That means that we are given a fresh start, a new image
to bear, we are reborn, remade. It is possible to start all over again and
be what we were created to be in the first place, image bearers of the
almighty God.
And think of the inheritance - this means that we don’t
need to crash down the doors of Wal-mart to get the latest bargains. We are
heirs of God. That means that we truly don’t need to worry about what we
will wear or what we will eat – because we are children of God.
Think of the family we now have – that means that all
of us are knit together as brothers and sisters. We dare not treat another
with harshness. We dare not gossip about another. We dare not slander
another. Because if we do we are gossiping and slandering a child of God,
royalty! A fellow heir of God. You dare not speak of another Christian in
a poor manner.
It is all so astounding and we think – our Lord is
incomparable in His being, in His power and in His ability to transform
lives – how can we possibly draw near to such a being? How can we possibly
get near to receive Him and believe in Him – He is far above us? Far beyond
us.
And then we read the bombshell of a verse – verse 14 –
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us …” And we have to stop
and say, what? What? This is just getting more astounding! The
incomparable Word has become flesh and dwelt among us? Miracle of
miracles. He has pitched His tent in our midst, He has tabernacled amongst
us. That’s what the Greek says there.
Come on – God wouldn’t do that. No one has ever seen
God. And John says at verse 18 – I know! No one has ever seen God but God,
the one and only who is at the Father’s side has made him known.
Oh. That’s amazing. Are you sure, John? Yes, he says in
verse 14 – We have seen his glory – O it would be glory – to see the Word
become flesh –
Yes, glory as of the one and only who came from the
Father, full of … “wrath?” “No”, says John, “Full of grace and truth.”
O that’s how it’s possible for me to be a child of God
– in Jesus Christ is grace – unmerited favour. And not just a trickle but
grace in all its fullness so that from the fullness of His grace we have
received blessing after blessing.
And truth – the truth about myself – I am a sinner in
need of a Saviour – and the truth about God – He is the Saviour that I need.
But John, that’s only your testimony – and John says
no. Verse 16 - John the Baptist testifies about Him and verse 17 – the law
of Moses testifies about Him – before grace and truth came through Jesus
Christ, the law pointed to Jesus Christ. Jesus is the fulfillment of the
law, not a contradiction to the law.
Jesus Christ truly is incomparable. For not only is
our Lord incomparable in His being, incomparable in His power, incomparable
in His ability to transform lives – He is incomparable in His revelation of
God Himself.
Do you see? I pray you do. Because when you see our
incomparable Lord, all the things of this world, its stresses, its strains,
its difficulties, all the struggles of the church grow strangely dim and all
we can do is bend our knees in worship, in obedience.
Copyright MBC and Rev. Dr. Tom Cullen -
November
2008
-
John Phillips, Exploring the Gospels, John (Neptune,
New Jersey: Loizeaux Brothers, 1989) 19.
