The Carpenter's Chapel (5)

Freedom, Liberty, your posts go hand-in-hand brethren, thanks.

 

Saturday September 4, 2004

The Gospel of Jesus Christ according to John

An Introduction

Now we come to our look at the last of the Gospel records; the one recorded for us by the Apostle John. Perhaps it is best called, “The Gospel of Jesus Christ according to John,” because it seems more befitting. The title, “The Gospel of John,” would seem to leave the impression that it is the, “Good News” about the writer, when it is not. It is indeed the, “Good News” about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

THE WRITER
We will face some matters of controversy in our study and I hope, as best as God will help me with these matters, I will deal with them faithfully. So it is, we have right here the first matter of contention: Did the Apostle John, indeed write this gospel account? Nineteenth century liberals argued that it was written 300 years after Christ, by someone other than John. But the “discovery of papyrus fragments of John’s gospel dating from early in the second century” (Morris p. 1130) give credence to John’s authorship. J. Vernon McGee writes, “One of the reasons it was felt that John might not be the writer was because Papias was thought to have never mentioned the authorship of John. But Professor Tischendorf, the German who found the Codex Sinaiticus, which is probably our best manuscript of the Old Testament…was working in the Vatican library when he came upon an old manuscript that has a quotation from Papias, in which it was made clear that John was the author of this Gospel. I personally wouldn’t want any better authority than that.” (McGee; p. viii)
Then there is the evidence given within the text: John 21:24: “This is the disciple who testifies of these things, and wrote these things; and we know that his testimony is true.” Within the context of this passage, it can only be John.
One may ask, “Why is this important?” It is important that we know that God’s word was written down by those who knew what they were talking about. This Gospel was given, not only under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, but it was written by someone who was there, he knew quite well about what he was writing. So it is that you can put your trust in it, as well as the rest of the Bible.

THE DATE
Probably about 90 A.D. This Gospel was written to a newer generation, compared to the other three, by the last remaining Apostle. A new generation that needed to hear from an eyewitness of the accounts dealing with the life and death of Jesus Christ.

THE AUDIENCE
 Matthew’s record was written to the Jews and portrays Christ as the King of the Jews.
 Mark wrote his account to the Romans and portrays Christ as the Servant.
 Luke was written for Greeks and emphasizes Christ as the, “Son of Man.”
 John, however, was written to the whole world and portrays Christ as the, “Son of God.”

THE PURPOSE
The Gospel according to John is not a history or a record of every detail of the life of Christ. The synoptic gospels give more historical details. You will not find a Babe lying in a manger, or a twelve-year old in Jerusalem. John has a deliberate testimony intended to proclaim the “Good News” of salvation in Christ.
As John himself would say: (John 20:31) “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”

KEY WORDS
 “Believe” used 98 times; Matthew to Luke: 35 times.
 “Love” used 48 times; Matthew to Luke: 28 times.
 “Truth” used 22 times; Matthew to Luke: 11 times.
 “Eternal” used 9 times; Matthew to Luke: 7 times.
 “Know” used 78 times; Matthew to Luke: 71 times.
 “Life” used 38 times; Matthew to Luke: 32 times.
Also, we will pay close attention to “I Am,” which is used 7 times

THE OUTLINE
1. The Foundation: The deity of Christ and His mission. 1:1 to 1:34
2. His ministry to the world. 1:35 through Chapter 12
3. His ministry to “His own” Chapters 13 through 17
4. His mission: His suffering and glory. 18:1 to 20:29
5. His purpose and our mission. 20:30-21:25

 

Sunday September 5, 2004

I. The Foundation 1:1 – 1:34

Chapter 1

(John 1:1) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
(John 1:2) The same was in the beginning with God.
(John 1:3) All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

First, the Gospel begins by boldly declaring the Deity of Jesus Christ. “The Word” is the first of many names to be used to describe Jesus Christ. He is the revelation and manifestation of God. F.B. Meyer said, “As words utter thought, so does Christ utter God.” By the reference to Genesis 1:1, the gospel places Christ before creation, before time, before anything. It therefore demands that He is uncreated and equal with God. A proper understanding of John 1:1 can dismantle many false cults.
a. The Mormons believe God achieved godhead and was awarded earth. Father God and mother god begat Jesus who, through obedience, became a god as well.
b. The J.W.’s believe that Jesus was God’s firstborn created being and connect Jesus to Michael the archangel. Jesus, through His obedience, was promoted to a lower level god, but not equal with Jehovah.

Second, 1:1 states that the “Word was with God.” This implies that the Word is distinct from God the Father, giving credence to the doctrine of the Trinity.

Third, 1:1 tells us that “the Word was God” this plainly declares the Deity of Jesus Christ. He was not just an angel, or a lower level god, He is equal to God the Father. Verse 2 re-emphasizes that He was in the very beginning with God.
Jesus was not only present "in the beginning," but was active in the work of creation Psalms 33:6: “By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.” Ephesians 3:9: “And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.” Col. 1:16: “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him.”
Hebrews 1:10: “And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands.”

He was also active in the creation of life as well; 1John 1:1-2: "That which from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us.)"
We can never fully comprehend the condescension of the infinite Creator when He became man. He who was "very God of very God", humbled Himself and was made many things for the sake of man's redemption.
And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. (Phi 2:8)
Note the following remarkable summation of what He "became."
"The word was God," and yet "the Word became flesh." He had created human flesh for Adam, then finally for Himself-not sinful flesh, of course, but only "in the likeness of sinful flesh." (Romans 8:3)
He was so completely human as to be "born of a woman," (Galatians 4:4), thus partaking of the complete human experience (apart from sin) from conception to death.
He was also "born under the law," though He, as the lawgiver, was above the law.
Although He completely fulfilled the law He "become a curse for us" in order to redeem us "from the curse of the law." (Galatians 3:13)

 

Tuesday, 7th September, 2004

The text for today is Daniel chapter 4v1-8.

In historical context it is obvious that there is quite a stir in the Chaldean empire. In this chapter Nebuchadnezzar sends out a letter to his people to explain what was going on to them.

It is obvious from the very start there as been a change, even as the king introduces his letter. “I though it good to show to you the signs and wonders that the High God hath wrought toward me. How great are His signs! And how mighty are His works! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion from generation to generation.”

Something had happened in the king’s life, before this he recognised no king but himself.

We have another indication of something being different in the king’s life. In verse he says – “And Daniel came in before me.” It is interesting to note that he chooses to call Daniel by his Hebrew name, instead of the pagan name which had been granted to him. Nebuchadnezzar then had to identify Daniel and explained that this is the “one who name was Belteshazzar, after the name of my god.”

We have an amazing event happened. God has made us privy to the His working in the heart of one of the most powerful men of his time. We will find out later about what God actually did the get Nebuchadnezzar’s attention.

The key lesson for us is this. God had been working in Nebuchadnezzar’s heart for a long time. Now, God’s timing is right and we are going to share in God dealing with a man and will be privileged to see how that man’s mind is changed to come to know the One True God.

 

Thursday, 9th September, 2004

The Teaching of Grace

“Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;”
(Titus 2v12-13)

Just a couple of brief thoughts this morning. I believe that Jesus Christ is coming back at any moment to receive his saints to glory. I think that Titus supports that and that in these verses the Holy Spirit instructs us in our we are to live in the light of that fact.

Verse 11 tells us that “the grace of God hath appeared” then verse 12-13 tell us what grace teaches us.

Grace teaches us to:

Live denying – we are told to deny ungodliness and worldly lust. Too often today Christians have found excuses to embracing rather than denying ungodliness. We are still called to a higher calling than the world around us.
Live soberly- under self-control
Live righteously – the original English word here is “rightwiseness” – living rightly
Live godly – a life which mimics God as opposed to worldly
Live looking – Everyday I am to live looking for blessed hope and glorious appearing of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

If I am living daily looking for His appearing then all the rest should fall into place. Years ago, when I was a child, we received word that my dad was coming home unexpectedly from Vietnam. He was at the airport only two hours away. Knowing he was on his way we were busy preparing for his return. We rushed to get haircuts, clean the house, and wash the cars. Then there was indeed a type of “glorious appearing” when Dad got to the door.

How are you doing in the light of the expected appearing of our Saviour? Are you living in the light of His coming?

[ September 09, 2004, 01:15 AM: Message edited by: Bible-boy ]

 

Thinks guys.
Roger, I agree whole-heartedly.

 

Very good point Jim and wasting time, at least once in awhile, is one area I sure fall short in.

 

Saturday September 11, 2004

(John 1:4) In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
(John 1:5) And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
Jesus was not only present “in the beginning,” but was active in the work of creation:
By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. (Psa. 33:6) And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: (Eph. 3:9) For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: (Col. 1:16) And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: (Heb. 1:10)

He is also the source of all life: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us” (1John 1-2)
He is the giver and the source of life. Also, realize that life began with God, not with some evolutionary process. John, in this Gospel, as well as his first epistle, will speak of three great attributes of God: life, light and love. Life and light are often within the context of the other. (John 3:15-18, 8:12, 1John 1:1-5).
Dr. Henry Morris defined "light" in relation to creation: "As the Spirit of God moved, so now the Word of God speaks in Genesis 1:3. The result is light, the energizing of the vast cosmos through the marvelous electro-magnetic force system which maintains all structures and processes in matter. These varied energies include not only visible light, but also all the short-wave radiation’s (ultra-violet, x-rays, etc.) and the long-wave radiation’s (infra-red, radio waves, etc.), as well as heat, sound, electricity, magnetism, molecular inter-actions, etc. 'Light,' the most basic form of energy, is mentioned specifically, but its existence necessarily implies the activation of all forms of electro-magnetic energies. Light was not created, since God Himself dwells in light." He goes on to say, "The existence of visible light prior to the establishment of the sun, moon and stars (Genesis 1:16) emphasizes the fact that light (energy) is more fundamental than light givers."
(Dr Henry Morris, The Defenders Study Bible, p. 4)
1John 1:5: "This then is the message we have heard of Him, an declare unto you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all."
The light is a "witness" to the darkness as it shines forth, but he darkness "comprehended it not." (John 3: 19-21)
Therefore, the second name used to describe Jesus as the Son of God is the light (1:4-9). As Dr. Morris said, light is "the most basic form of energy." Jesus, as the Light, displays Him as Omnipotent (All-powerful) Also notice that John wrote of scientific principles a long time before modern science figured it out!

It is curious that this should come up on this, the third anniversary of the horrific events in 2001. Last night on one of the news channels was a panel of people talking about the events of that day. One thing they all agreed on was the fact that those who do such things have no regard for the victims at all. Without the Light of Life, the Lord Jesus Christ, man is in a dark state indeed.

 

(John 1:6) There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
(John 1:7) The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
(John 1:8) He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
H.A. Ironside says: “Now John came for a witness. That is what every minister should be-a witness. A witness does not tell the things he thinks, but the things he knows. He came for a witness-to bear witness of the light. Does light need a witness? Yes, in a dark world like this, where men are blind. They cannot see, and they need a witness to the fact that light has come. John knew that the world was blind and he came to tell men of the Light, and the wonderful thing was this: when men received and believed the message, they lost their blindness and were able to see. They beheld Christ, the Light, “that all men through Him might believe.” (John p. 24-25)

John never claimed to be the Messiah, nor did he perceive himself to be Elijah. Yet, there are passages referring to him as Elijah:
“Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.” (Mat. 11-14)
“And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.” (Mat. 17: 11-12)
“And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1:17)

His ministry was to fulfill the prophecy of Isa. 40:3,4, and of Malachi 3:1.
“The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:” (Isa. 40:3-4)
“Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.” Mal. 3:1)
(John 1:9) That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
(John 1:10) He was in the world, and he made the world, and the world knew him not.
(John 1:11) He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
(John 1:12) 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:
(John 1:13) Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Jesus is not just any light, but that "true Light", He becomes a witness to every man. Creation declares that there is a God:
“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.
Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof." (Psa. 19:1-6)
“Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:” (Rom 1: 19-20)
The Scriptures revealed God. Romans. 2:14-16 tells us that even without the Bible our conscience will bear witness.
Yet, though God came to man, His creation, mankind (1:10 "the world") refused to know Him. Some, however, made the right choice and received Him as their Savior. They recognized Jesus as their Messiah and welcomed Him into their hearts. To these believers, the promise of spiritual adoption is given. These believer have the "power" or authority to be legally added to God's family! Verse 13 of chapter 1 tells us that the spiritual birth does not occur because of ancestry, or human desire. It is God's will that we become the "sons of God."

 

This is my last devotional until October 2 due to vacation. I'll be around the next few days, but I leave next weekend. My prayers are with Jim and Roger, as well as all of you.
At a Church I used to attend we always parted from the service by saying in unison to each other the quotation from Genesis 31:49.
And so I say to you:

"May the LORD watch between you and me when we are absent one from another."

 

the blood of the Lamb [Passover Lamb] is sufficient for all -- 1 Cor. 5:7-9.

 

Thanks for your contributions Charles, enjoy your holiday.

Monday, 13th September, 2004

Robinson Crusoe, Daniel Defoe

While reading Defoe recently I came across this thought by Crusoe that stirred my thoughts. As everyone knows, the story of Crusoe is that is alone on an island for over twenty years. In the story he comes to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ through reading the Scriptures and from that point his view of his condition changes. Crusoe had reached a conclusion that many of us never fully comprehend.

First, “In whatsoever state I am therewith to be content,” “Be content with such things as ye have,” and “Godliness with contentment is great gain.”

I fear that contentment is a lost art in the Church today. In many cases we have swallowed the world’s line that “more is better.” Contentment is vital before we can ever really be faithful servants of our Lord

Second, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and mind in Christ Jesus.”

Contentment and gratitude go hand in hand. May we like Crusoe, stop comparing ourselves with those who have more, learn to be content with what we have and express gratitude to the God who has given us so much. Hebrews 5v6, quoted above, says in its context with verse 6 “…be content with such things as ye have, for he [Christ] hath said, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you.’”

Let each of us, by the grace of God, adopt a Crusoe-like attitude about our possessions, or lack of them.

 

Wednesday, 15th September, 2004

Daniel 4v37

After Nebuchadnezzar’s humbling experience he was forced to acknowledge a few things about God.


1) He is the King of heaven
2) All His works are truth
3) All of His way are just
4) He is able to bring down the proud

There are several things we could ask ourselves about what Nebuchadnezzar learned.

First
God is King, not us. Christians much too often usurp God’s authority and place themselves on the throne instead of Him. We do this whenever we choose to do things our way instead of God’s way.

Second
God’s works are the true works. All else is false. Men still question the truth of what God says. It goes back to “Yea, hath God said?”

Third
All of God’s way are just and equitable. His way is ALWAYS right no matter how we perceive it.

Fourth
The denial of these truths is the epitome of pride, which God is able to bring down.

What great comfort it should be to us to know that we have a totally sovereign God Who is in control.

When combined with the truth that “God is love” and that “All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose” we should, by the grace of God be able to stand no matter what situations or circumstances may come our way.

Lord, help me to acknowledge your perfect Kingship in my life, and to comprehend that everything You do in my life is right.