Do You Hear What I Hear?
John 1:14-18
John 1:14-18
Introduction
What’s the good word?
Our world seems obsessed with
communication. We have phones that are not for making calls only, but are also
used to surf the internet, to send text messages, to even read books and watch
movies!
All around us we are bombarded by
some sort of communication—billboards, text messages, commercials, even pop up
ads on-line.
We are a people drowning in
information who at times seem to be longing for meaningful communication.
We want to hear a “good word,”
something that is helpful or communicates hope. We want to hear some good news.
Have you ever noticed how often
“words” play a role in Scripture?
1. In the beginning, God “said” or “spoke”
and there was ______________
2. God spoke to Adam and Eve in the
morning
3. God spoke the Law to Moses
4. God spoke to the Jews through
prophets (Hebrews 1)
5. On the first Christmas, God spoke
through dreams and angels
6. God speaks to us today through his Son the Word and
through his written Word—Scripture
Whenever God wants to make something
known, he speaks
God likes to communicate, he wants
us to know what is going on
Three elements in communication—the
speaker, the message, the hearer
For good communication to happen,
all three have to function properly
What happens when God communicates?
God is the speaker, and he reveals
himself to us by his message (i.e., his Word)
God is infallible, and his Word is
perfect, so that puts the emphasis on the hearers
God speaks, but are we listening?
This Christmas, God offers us a
Word—that Word is his self-disclosure, his speaking of himself through his Son
When God speaks, we should listen
Do you hear what I hear?
John 1:14-18
In this passage I hear God saying
three things. Let’s see if we hear the same thing.
1. I hear that the Word is among
us, vv. 14, 18 (The Word Among Us)
2. I hear that The Word is Before
Us, v. 15 (The World Before Us)
3. I hear that The Word is full
of Grace, vv. 16-17 (The Word of Grace)
First, I hear that the Word is
among us, vv. 14, 18 (The Word Among Us)
a. The Word became “flesh”—when God
spoke, it was personal and a bit messy. God spoke in these last days to us
through his Son (Heb. 1:1-3). This “Word” takes on flesh (Romans 8:3). The word
“flesh” here is not a pretty word. God doesn’t say that his “Word” became
simply “human.” No, Jesus became “flesh,” he took on our situation; he
identified with us; he was tempted like us (yet without sin—cf. Heb. 2:14-18;
4:14-16; 2 Cor. 5:20-21). Jesus got involved in our messy existence and by
doing so offered a means to clean up our mess. By being one of us, Jesus healed
and redeemed our situation. Do you hear what I hear?
b. The Word dwelt among us
(tabernacle)—When God spoke, he didn’t do it from a distance. He came among us.
In the OT, God’s presence among his people was signified by the tabernacle and
its three chambers. The inner chamber (where God’s glory dwelt) was only
accessible once a year by one person on the Day of Atonement. Jesus’ coming as
God’s Word makes that glory accessible to all of us by pitching his tent
(taking up his dwelling place) among us. He lives with us, he lives among us.
He has not left us nor forsaken us. Do you hear what I hear?
c. The Word is full of glory—When
God spoke, he made his glory known. When Jesus came, we saw God’s glory. In the
OT, God’s glory was hidden (remember Moses and the Tabernacle), but with the
birth of Jesus God’s glory now becomes obvious to all. God makes himself known
in Jesus. Do you hear what I hear?
d. This Word was never seen before,
but now we see him—He who was invisible has now become visible (Colossians
1:15-17; cf. Rom. 1:18-20). In Jesus we see the invisible attributes of God.
Jesus makes God visible and known. Do you hear what I hear?
e. The Word has explained God—Jesus
showed the way to God, he exegeted God. He explained God. Jesus made God
understandable. What was inexplicable now is explained. What was inscrutable is
now “scrutable.” In Jesus God is capable of being understood. Do you hear what
I hear?
When God speaks, we should listen
Do you hear what I hear?
When God “spoke” in Jesus, he became
one of us (flesh), he pitched his tent among us (tabernacle), he made visible
his invisible glory (we saw his glory, that which no one had seen), he offered
an explanation of God’s grace and truth, and our response is to witness his
glory and proclaim it to others
Second,
I hear that The Word is Before Us, v. 15 (The World Before Us)
a. He is superior to us because he
existed before us (John 1:1-3; Phil 2:5-8)
i. Jesus’ superiority is explained in detail in the letter
to the Hebrews
ii. Although the author of that letter dwells on Jesus’
superiority to many things and people (i.e., angels, Moses, Aaron, the Levites,
the sacrifices, etc.), he also goes out of his way to remind us that Jesus is
one of us (cf. Heb. 2:14-18; 4:14-16). He is not an alien. He is superior, yes,
but in his humanity the child in the manger brings God’s glory to all people
(remember the angels, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among
men with whom He is pleased."—Luke 2:14)
Jesus is “before” us
Do you hear what I hear?
Because of his position, we are
called to testify of his superiority and glory (this is what John does here)
b. But Jesus also lives “before” us
in the idea of being right in front of our eyes. God is not hidden, he is in
our midst. Jesus is known to us. Remember, what was unseen is now visible. The
babe in the manger makes the glory of God known to all humanity. Jesus’ very
existence has explained God to us all. He is right in front of us. Will we pay
attention?
When God speaks, we should listen
Do you hear what I hear?
When God reveals himself, he
sometimes uses the testimony of others (John), he reveals his superior nature
(he is before us and existed without us), as a result he is worthy of our
worship and our testimony
Third,
I hear that The Word is full of Grace, vv. 16-17 (The Word of Grace)
a. We have all received from his fullness (full of grace and
truth—cf. John 1:14; Col. 1:5-6)
i. Jesus is the fullness of God (Col 2:9-10)
ii. Christ is the ultimate expression of grace and truth
1. He is grace in that he was freely given for us all (John
3:16; 1 John 2:1-2)
2. He is truth in that he reveals clearly who God is and how
to get to God (John 14:6)
b. Grace stacked up on grace (cf.
Heb. 4:16)
i. The idea here is an endless supply of grace
ii. Like a warehouse with an unending supply of boxes
stacked up against each other, so Jesus offers an ongoing and never exhaustible
warehouse of grace
iii. He is grace beyond measure, He is grace yesterday,
today, and forever
iv. His grace is never shallow and is trustworthy
c. Law reveals God, but Jesus brings grace and truth to
reality (grace and truth “became” through Jesus, same word as “became” flesh)
d. We all receive his grace
i. 1 John 2:1-2 reminds us that Jesus is the propitiation
for the sins even of the whole world (i.e., in 1 John 5, the “whole world” is
described as those in the hands of the devil)
ii. The grace of God is available to all people by means of
the incarnation as Jesus reveals and explains God’s grace
iii. The grace of God is effective in the crucifixion as the
blood of Jesus is applied to the sins of humans
iv. The grace of God is sealed by the resurrection in which
God declares his work completed and finished
When God speaks, we should listen
Do you hear what I hear?
When God “spoke” the word of grace,
he provided an unlimited storehouse of the gift of grace, he made it available
to all (we “all” received it), and he makes grace and truth a reality in Jesus,
our response is to live God’s grace and truth as a tangible example of God’s
Word spoken to us—we “incarnate” God’s grace and truth in our own lives
Application/Conclusion
a. Are we listening to God during
this Christmas season? Are we paying attention to the “Word” he speaks in Jesus
and the Incarnation? Do people see his “grace and truth” in how we live in
response to God’s Word?
b. Have you experienced his grace?
What a Christmas gift you could receive today if you yield yourself to God and
receive his grace in Jesus Christ. John 1:11-13 reminds us that to those who
receive him (i.e., put their trust in him) he gives authority to be called the
children of God. (Give an overview of Gospel here, offer salvation to all).
c. For those of us who have
experienced this wonderful gift, how can we respond to this “word” from God? Do
you hear what I hear? If so, here are some suggestions for you:
i. This Christmas, testify of his
glory in the “baby Jesus”
ii. Speak of his superiority
iii. Speak of his grace and truth
iv. Take opportunity to share the
truth of God’s Incarnation during the Christmas season
When God speaks, people ought to
listen
Do you hear what I hear?
Thanks for reading!
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