Title Page

Lesson Eight

John 1:1-6

John 1:1-61 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.2 The same was in the beginning with God.3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

John 1:7-11

John 1:7-117 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

John 1:12-14

John 1:12-1412 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Focus Verse

John 8:24

I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye

shall die in your sins.

Focus Thought

Jehovah has been revealed as Jesus Christ.

IntroductionIntroduction

According to the Columbia Encyclopedia, the Feast of Epiphany was “a prime Christian feast, celebrated January 6, also called Twelfth Day or Little Christmas.” In popular celebration, the Feast of Epiphany is far more ancient than Christmas and technically more important, ranking only after Easter and Pentecost. The word epiphany itself means “a manifestation of a divine or supernatural being” (New Oxford American Dictionary). Thus an epiphany may also refer to the appearance of God to Moses in the burning bush or to the time when one receives a moment of divine revelation.

IntroductionSome people approach Jesus Christ as a learning exercise—gathering data, organizing and analyzing it, and then making an assumption or assertion based on confirmed information in logical sequence. While these represent good study skills and can merit much in the acquisition of academic knowledge, Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “But ye have not so learned Christ” (Ephesians 4:20).

IntroductionOur ability to acquire knowledge includes divine revelation that transcends methods, techniques, and logic. It is one thing to consider and process information to a level of understanding, but it is another matter to receive divine revelation. Revelation allows us to use and apply understanding in a new and profound way. It would be like opening a door at the top of a hidden stairway previously lost in the darkness. Suddenly, the door becomes an accessible portal of opportunity.

I. God Revealed in Creation A

God Revealedin Creation

A. Created the Heavens and the Earth

The statement is bold and authoritative: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). However, this statement is one that we have to accept by faith. We cannot literally prove that God created the heaven and the earth, but we see the evidence and characteristics of our Creator in His works.

I. God Revealed in Creation AAn art expert can identify an artist’s work by the

brush strokes on a canvas, the lighting effects, the choice of paints, and the object and its treatment. Such indicators assure a person of the identity of the work’s artist. The painting may be missing the artist’s signature, but the unmistakable evidence of the creative process leads one to conclude the identity of its creator.

I. God Revealed in Creation ASome people never are able to see God at work. We

could say, “They just don’t get it.” No matter how much we can see the “hand of God” or the “work of the Spirit” or the “beauty of God’s will,” someone else will despair with, “How can this be God?” or “That’s just a coincidence” or “That’s just nature at work.” Somehow it never clicks in their minds that something greater is at work than physical laws and random order.

I. God Revealed in Creation B

B. The Heavens Declarethe Glory of God

When we confess the same glory in the Creation that the psalmists saw, we often are overwhelmed because of our relative ignorance. How could anyone equate the finite limitations of personal knowledge and wisdom with God’s infinite wisdom? The apostle John wrote that the world could not contain the books that could be written about Jesus (John 21:25).

I. God Revealed in Creation BIt is amazing that some people settle for so little of

God’s abundance. Presumptions that we make based on personal faith and our limited knowledge are sometimes false and inadequate at best. The wonder of space and science is that experts continue to discover there is no limit to what we can find. If we search the heavens, God is still beyond our reach. If we search inward to the component parts of molecules and atoms, we are unable to comprehend the super microscopic details of God’s creation. What a glorious Creator!

I. God Revealed in Creation C

C. Man Made in God’sLikeness and Image

The man Christ Jesus is the ultimate human expression of God. Old Testament theophanies and angelic beings were only representations of the human form for the purpose of the divine.

I. God Revealed in Creation C

Our likeness to Christ cannot stop with the physical composition of a human body, but it also appears in our emotional, social, and mental aspects. Paul exhorted us to have the same mind as Christ. We have a mental responsibility to develop our knowledge and information so that when God wants to reveal something to us we are aware and prepared to receive it. How many times has God allowed the light of direction to shine in our path, but in our ignorance we did not comprehend His instruction?

I. God Revealed in Creation D

D. God Revealedin the Tabernacle

The Tabernacle in the wilderness bore numerous types and shadows of God and His plan. Jewish religious leaders, however, were so absorbed in the material, the design, and the schedules of the Tabernacle that they missed the Messiah. It is dangerous to become so engrossed in the routines of our own devotions that we miss the object of our devotions. Unfortunately, such seems to be part of the human condition. We become so intent on the methods of our observation that we forget the purpose and point of those methods.

I. God Revealed in Creation D

All year, the rituals of the Tabernacle anticipated the Day of Atonement when life and death would face off over the mercy seat. A whole year of practice came to fruition through a single application of blood.

I. God Revealed in Creation D

Jesus Christ became the one true sacrifice, giving His blood for our redemption. The early church struggled mightily with how many of the rituals to keep and how many to impose on the new Gentile believers. It seems the revelation of a living God has always been difficult to comprehend.

II. God Revealed in Prophecy A

God Revealedin Prophecy

A. Prophecies of Christ’s Birth

The doctrine of God becoming flesh and dwelling among us is disputed to this day. It is inconceivable and unfathomable to many that the divine would condescend to a human form and subject Himself to certain human limitations. Our natural understanding of salvation and redemption would suggest that the rescuer is one who would come on the scene as a hero who would direct, implement, and compel the desired results.

II. God Revealed in Prophecy ARather than providing an external solution, God

saw from the beginning that He would provide salvation through the very channel of His own creation—from among mankind. Consequently, the woman that God created would conceive supernaturally and by virgin birth she would bear the Son of God, Emmanuel, our Savior.

II. God Revealed in Prophecy AWho would choose the lowly town of Bethlehem

for the regal presentation of a king? Human understanding seeks the elaborate and the noteworthy for such an entrance. Our formalities for openings, our plans for appearances, and our displays for giving center on the flash and dazzle of excitement and wonder.

II. God Revealed in Prophecy AHowever, God’s wonder of redemption came

simply and to a remote location. When the Savior was born, there was no special room, no pomp, and no presumption. The heavenly display of a brilliant star and the announcement of angels were virtually lost except to a few Magi and a small group of shepherds. The sages of Herod’s courts knew the prophecy and the place, yet they missed the presentation. Knowledge of the Word of God does not guarantee right action; only wisdom from above can bring a proper response as we apply the Word.

II. God Revealed in Prophecy B

B. Prophecies of Christ’s Sovereignty

Do fulfilled prophecies duly amaze us, or do their sensational aspects only excite us? Genesis contains a prophecy that suggests the Messiah would come from the tribe of Judah. Although the genealogy of Jesus reveals unexpected characters—a prostitute, a Gentile, and an adulteress—the scepter did not depart from Judah.

II. God Revealed in Prophecy B

God moved through generations, wars, kingdoms, human failures, and outright disbelief to accomplish His Word. We would have changed the prophecy to fit the persons, but God changed the persons to fit the prophecy. The immutability of God’s Word is not limited by the faults and shortcomings of mortals, but His Word will accomplish what it has set forth to do.

II. God Revealed in Prophecy B

The Son of David will sit on the throne. This prophecy would seem to be unfulfilled if we were to judge it simply by human perception. The world’s last picture of Jesus was that of a broken human suffering in agony. His crown was of thorns and His robe, a mockery. His scepter was a cross that lifted Him to the only prominence earth could afford Him.

II. God Revealed in Prophecy B

Is it a stretch to believe that He is the King of Judah, David’s descendant? Does it take a legal proclamation to understand that His throne is not a throne of Israel or of any kingdom in this world, but that His is an everlasting kingdom without end? He has taken the keys of death and of hell. He rules in majesty—the Son of David who sits on the throne of heaven.

II. God Revealed in Prophecy C

C. Prophecies of Christ’s Purpose

John’s Gospel credits John the Baptist as the one who revealed Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God (John 1:29). He was the propitiatory Lamb for the sins of the world, the sacrifice and atonement that forever settled the accounts of mankind’s separation from God, and only a few realized it. His blood touched the mercy seat of heaven to bring salvation to all, but only a handful perceived it. Jesus Christ is the perfect Lamb. No more sacrifice is needed, for no other blood can duplicate the redemption provided by the Lamb of God.

II. God Revealed in Prophecy C

In the Jewish traditions handed down from generation to generation, no person could be both a king and a priest. Only once in the Old Testament narrative did that ever occur. Melchisedec was the king of Salem whom Abraham visited after his war with five kings. Abraham gave Melchisedec tithes and received from him a blessing. (See Genesis 14:18-20; Hebrews 7:1-2.) God guided these two men to actions that foreshadowed the drama of redemption with a sincere display of humility and mutual benefit—all without the aid of written instructions.

II. God Revealed in Prophecy C

Jesus Christ has come in the same role of King and High Priest for us. If we understand this, then we should humble ourselves in His presence. He is the sovereign authority for our lives and the mediator between heaven and earth for each individual.

III. God Revealed through His Name A

God Revealedthrough His Name

A. Names of God in the Old Testament

Throughout the Old Testament, sincere worshipers prayed and sang, extolling the virtues and character of the divine being. Tyndale’s Bible Dictionary states that Hebrew expressions beginning with El in words such as Elohim highlight the nature of God as a “doer” and a “producer.” This dynamic quality is expressed in the plural, not in the sense of quantity or number pertaining to God, but in the understanding of intensity.

III. God Revealed through His Name AThe Anchor Bible Dictionary explains this use of

the plural as a device used to indicate absoluteness, a superlative of the superlative. The God of all gods indicates that no matter what we think our god to be or whatever our revelation of “God” might be, there is more to understand. The half has not been told; the universe gets bigger and our God becomes greater. Our revelation of God should expand and grow to comprehend the vastness and unlimited qualities of this King of kings and Lord of lords. He is the El-Elyon—God Most High.

III. God Revealed through His Name AWhen John equated the Word with the Creator and

the Light with the Savior, he was respecting the Jewish regard for names. The Anchor Bible Dictionary reveals that the word name means “distinguishing mark.” Varying names for God do not indicate different persons but reveal His actions and character as an involved and powerful entity. Imagine a God that could make all things, and then as the same person in a new action, redeem all things. John observed the fact that the darkness could not comprehend this divine process.

III. God Revealed through His Name B

B. The Name of Jesus

God’s names reveal His character, His intention, and His essence. By His name Jesus, we know the Almighty as Savior—literally, Jehovah has become salvation.

Acts 4:12II Timothy 2:2

“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name

under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved”

(Acts 4:12).

III. God Revealed through His Name BThe dynamic of salvation comes in the name of

Jesus. It is an action, a production, a momentous force of unreserved energy intended to teach, guide, and seal the person who respects His name. In his letter to the Colossians, Paul emphasized the power of His name: “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Colossians 3:17). Certainly, Jesus’ name is the abiding authority and power of our daily lives.

IV. God Revealed in the Son—Incarnation A

God Revealed in the Son—Incarnation

Jesus utilized numerous images or word pictures to convey many of His divine attributes. They reveal many truths and aspects of His character as demonstrated through the Incarnation. 

IV. God Revealed in the Son—Incarnation A

A. I Am the Bread of Life

The desire for material and carnal signs is a part of the human condition, but at what point do we comprehend that “man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4)? (See Luke 4:4.) The truth is that even though Jesus miraculously fed the crowds, healed them, and had compassion for them, they did not know He was the Bread of Life (John 6:35). He had the capacity to feed them with understanding and truth if they would only receive Him. 

IV. God Revealed in the Son—Incarnation B

B. I Am the Light of the World

John revisited his declaration of the dilemma of uncomprehending darkness in the eighth chapter of his Gospel with a direct quote from Jesus: “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12).

IV. God Revealed in the Son—Incarnation BWe may not always know the path we have to walk,

and we may not always know the end of that path. We may not even understand the environment of our daily walk and often question the circumstances of our steps, but we should never doubt who our leader is and His desired destination for our lives. We must not take our eyes off the true Light, lest darkness overtake us and we begin to stumble off the path. 

IV. God Revealed in the Son—Incarnation C

C. I Am the Door

Allegorically, there is a central processor for all of our actions—the man Christ Jesus. The drill of considering, “What would Jesus do?” is not completely lost in marketing and cultural transitions. However, perhaps it is more accurate to ask, “What would Jesus have me do?” Every human decision should pass that portal and endure the scrutiny of the Shepherd’s eye. Opening our hearts and minds to the searching of His divine purpose and direction will make life more fulfilling and rewarding if we perceive that Christ is the Door and we walk through Him with every action. (See John 10:7-9.)

IV. God Revealed in the Son—Incarnation D

D. I Am the Good Shepherd

Not only did Jesus describe Himself as the door to the sheepfold, but He declared that He was the “good shepherd” (John 10:14).

IV. God Revealed in the Son—Incarnation DThe crowds were angry and fed up with leaders who declared they were doing things on behalf of the needs of the people, only to watch as their taxes increased, their lives diminished, and their hopes were quashed. The futility of their insignificant lives was always challenged with someone wanting to lead them.

IV. God Revealed in the Son—Incarnation DThe idea of a “good shepherd” was as foreign as the idea of a “benevolent dictator.” Whom would they trust, or whom could they trust? They could have been thinking, Are there paths through the valley of death? Are there green pastures beside the still waters? Is there a table in the presence of my enemies? When do goodness and mercy ever cross my path?

IV. God Revealed in the Son—Incarnation DThe dilemma was evident in the crowds, the disciples, and the early church, and it still presents itself in the church today. Peter addressed that dilemma in his first letter, exhorting the elders to focus on feeding God’s flock, and the Chief Shepherd would reward them accordingly. (See I Peter 5:1-4.) 

IV. God Revealed in the Son—Incarnation E

E. I Am the Resurrectionand the Life

Jesus asked Martha a hard question as she stood before the tomb that held her brother who had died four days earlier. As she faced the friend who was intimate, trusted, and powerful enough to heal, He said, “I am the resurrection, and the life . . . whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?” (John 11:25-26). Hers was a society of oppression and destruction that manifested itself every day in disease, hunger, despair, and the cruelty of a vulgar occupying government. Her experiences did not encourage her to believe, but her trust in this dear friend, Jesus, compelled her to believe and have hope. Through Jesus Christ she believed.

IV. God Revealed in the Son—Incarnation F

F. I Am the Way

It may seem simplistic to proclaim, “Jesus is the way,” but it is true. He is the only way of salvation. (See John 14:6; Acts 4:12.)

IV. God Revealed in the Son—Incarnation FThe will of God is the “light” and the “door” of our existence. We follow and trust the Shepherd, never blindly, but certainly without full understanding for the most part. We take the “Bread” and sustain ourselves, believing the words of Job, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him” (Job 13:15).

IV. God Revealed in the Son—Incarnation FNo matter how much we know and learn, or how ignorantly we maintain our understanding, there is still an overarching submission and commitment to Jesus Christ. Our acquisition of knowledge can never substitute for our relationship with the Savior.  

IV. God Revealed in the Son—Incarnation FThe more we learn, the more we realize how grand, magnificent, and glorious Jesus Christ is. He is the way to wisdom and all knowledge, and He is the “Word” of all creation. 

IV. God Revealed in the Son—Incarnation G

G. I Am the Vine

Jesus’ depiction as the “vine” is more than just being a connection between what is divine and what is of the earth. (See John 15:5.) Jesus is also the Mediator, reconciling the created with the Creator. In His discourse, He made the distinction between the “true vine” and “branches.” It involves the flow of life-giving sap through the vine to the branches for the production of fruit—the conductivity of the Spirit for revival, growth, and abundance.

IV. God Revealed in the Son—Incarnation GJesus was the God-man, the unique blend of the human and divine who became the mediator between God and mankind. As the “true vine,” He is not merely a branch but both the branch and the root, or the trunk. In our desire to grow and help others in God’s kingdom, we should retain this source of divine connection.

V. God Revealed in the Church—Holy Ghost A

God Revealed in the Church—Holy Ghost

A. The Comforter

Jesus knew that His followers would recoil at the loss of their sustainer and friend after the Crucifixion, and that they would not have His fleshly presence after the Resurrection. Therefore, He promised His disciples a Comforter who would assuage their sorrow and satisfy their emptiness.

V. God Revealed in the Church—Holy Ghost A

The human condition demands intimacy. Babies that are not touched and held suffer detachment issues for the rest of their lives. Loneliness can become a disease that eats at the core of contentment and devours the soul of purpose. We need an abiding companion and Comforter—the Shepherd and “friend that sticketh closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24). Therefore, Jesus gave us the Holy Ghost as our Comforter (John 14:26). 

V. God Revealed in the Church—Holy Ghost B

B. The Intercessor and Advocate

The idea of a mediator is carried further by the concept of an intercessor and advocate. (See Romans 8:27; I John 2:1.) The American Heritage Dictionary defines the word intercession as an “entreaty in favor of another, especially a prayer or petition to God in behalf of another.” The same dictionary defines the word advocate as “one that argues for a cause; a supporter or defender.”

V. God Revealed in the Church—Holy Ghost B

These two words are almost synonyms but for one small distinction—one is the statement of understanding, and the other is the physical argument or rendering of the understanding. We can enlarge on that to say that it is the statement of someone who understands the circumstances and plight of someone else.

V. God Revealed in the Church—Holy Ghost B

An advocate is someone who can explain the unexplainable and does it openly and publicly. Too many times in life, people become “victims”—hapless targets of fate and conditions beyond their control. The intercessor-advocate will both verbalize this helplessness and defend the “victim” while empowering him to stand the consequences and strengthening him for the recovery. God not only gives grace, but He gives meaning and resources for a new life. This is the power of the Holy Ghost and the purpose of the church.

V. God Revealed in the Church—Holy Ghost C

C. The Empowering Forcefor Evangelism

John wanted his readers to accept the idea that “light” shining in “darkness” was a good idea. He took it as a matter of principle that light is better than darkness. Darkness should understand its inferiority and inadequacy and simply go away. However, the forces of darkness are stubborn and resistant. If the forces of darkness resist the light, how then does light overcome that resistance?

V. God Revealed in the Church—Holy Ghost C

John further explained the process when he wrote, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). We need to behold His glory that was to come later—the glory of humility and submission rather than demonstration and power. Throughout the Gospel of John, Jesus told His disciples that He was doing the will of His Father, was about the business of His Father, and His actions were fulfilling the power of His Father.

V. God Revealed in the Church—Holy Ghost C

Jesus was the example for His followers in evangelism. It was as if He were saying, “You see what I’m doing to win against the darkness? Do you see how I relate to the ignorance, the futility, the needs, and the resistance of the darkness?”

V. God Revealed in the Church—Holy Ghost C

The force of Jesus’ evangelism came from an understanding of the divine purpose: His goal was to dispel the darkness. He was modeling the function of a “light bearer.” He was setting an example of someone who triumphs over darkness in its severest form by conquering the grave and trampling death. The same purpose comes to us through the power of the Holy Ghost in our lives with the goal to win the lost and overcome their darkness. (See Acts 1:8.) 

V. God Revealed in the Church—Holy Ghost D

D. The Teacher

As an example to us, Jesus’ primary activity while He was on earth was that of a teacher. What He did is also what the Holy Ghost does for us—He teaches us and brings into our memory the things that He said. It is this exemplary pattern of His life that motivates us toward holiness. It is not holiness for the purpose of being remote and isolated, but holiness that explains the consequences of sin and the subtleties of temptation.

V. God Revealed in the Church—Holy Ghost DWe are different—not for the sake of being

different, but for the sake of teaching the world how to succeed and prosper. The goal is abundant life, not miserable masquerading. Do our lives explain our beliefs, or do our practices serve to hide and conceal the thoughts and intents of the heart? This is the message Paul conveyed to the Corinthian church. ( See I Corinthians 2:13.)

ReflectionsThe New Oxford American Dictionary defines the word epistemology as “the investigation of what distinguishes justified belief from opinion.” Basically, it is the study of how we learn. Since no one can “prove” its precepts, epistemology is a philosophy rather than a science. We know that we learn, but we just do not know how we learn. Some methods are more effective than others, but some people do not understand even with the most effective techniques. The great epistemological dilemma is that we do not know what we do not know.

ReflectionsOur need both to read our Bibles and to pray every day should be obvious. The Torah of the Jews, the prophecies of old, and the earnest desire of God’s people did not allow them to comprehend the Light. The need of new understandings, new revelations, and new comprehensions became the conflict of the disciples, the struggle of the early church, and the dilemma of the Gentiles. The only resolution was to come back to the source—the Light and the Word—the ultimate example of our salvation.

ReflectionsMoreover, we should consider the life of Jesus and in like fashion allow the Holy Ghost to actively influence and lead our lives. Furthermore, we should make the church a meeting place of darkness and light where light prevails and darkness disappears.