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Matthew, Mark,
Luke and John, bless the bed that I lie on…
That’s the most many people know about the gospel writers - that there
are 4! But what they did eludes most people these days!
There are 4
gospels in our NT—Matthew, Mark, Luke and John: 4 different writers of the one
gospel story.
Who is ‘John’?
The apostle
John—the fisherman brother of James, son of Zebedee
was one of the ‘inner cabinet’ close to Jesus. He describes himself as ‘the one whom Jesus
loved’ and clearly felt he was drawn into a special relationship with Jesus—and
it is through that relationship and what Jesus shared with John so closely that
we see Jesus.
John knew about
the other 3 gospel writers. Now if you knew 3 others (at least) had all written
about the life of Jesus—and you wanted to write—how would you approach it?
I don’t think
you’d want to just repeat what the others had done. So, for example, John knew
the others had all written about the last supper, so he doesn’t but he adds
information about Jesus washing the disciples’ feet—and particularly lets us
know how Christ’s nature as divine and human works in this events.
In what other ways is John
different?
It would be wrong
to say that the other three are the same or that they just give a
straightforward event by event narrative—their comment and purpose is there—and
they each have their own perspective —but John even more so.
His different perspective on Jesus
led him to focus more on what Jesus said about himself—who he is—why he
came—what he came to do - what would happen later—than the others.
He also emphasises the work of the
Holy Spirit more
John uses the OT in a different way in his gospel. He
doesn’t use it piecemeal but as a backcloth to the whole gospel particularly in
his use of 7 titles of Jesus—the I AMs.
John’s gospel is more reflective—perhaps even
more theological - than the others which are more biographical. John includes
quite a bit of reflection on abstract concepts like the Word, or Glory, t
However, he states very clearly the
reason he wrote—
John 20:30-31—
states that Jesus is the Christ—the Messiah—that you may believe and have life!
He wants people to find faith through his writing. And it is our desire that as
we go through this series some of our hearers may find Jesus—- may come to
faith—and receive eternal life.
So let’s
look at how John begins - John 1:1-14.
John begins with
a close reminder of Genesis 1:1—the start of the whole Bible—Gen 1:1-4 In the beginning
God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty,
darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering
over the waters. And God said, "Let there be light," and there was
light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the
darkness.
John tells us
that Jesus was there - the very expression of God—the living Word of God. He
states directly that Jesus was God. (Those who want to split hairs over
linguistics can try but John—a Jew - would not have countenanced the idea that
Jesus might be a god among others.)
Here was
Jesus—the source and power of all life which shines like a pure, piercing laser
on the dead lives of humanity. And the amazing thing is—says John, who walked
with Jesus for 3 years and was so close to him—this man, this human being, this
one who ate with us and drank, who led us over hill and vale through deserts
and cities, among hurt and hurting people and went to the cross—this Jesus was
the living Word—the expression of God to mankind. Verse 14 The Word became flesh and made his
dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and t
However, John not
only tells us about the nature of Jesus as the expression, life, light and
glory of God. He also tells us about what happened when Jesus came into the
world. Yes there were angels, yes there was glory but there was an obstacle too.
Just as the
purity of the creation of God met with frustration in man’s fall, so the purity
and life-giving property of Christ’s life met with an obstacle in the darkness
which has followed that fall.
There are 2 ways of translating verse
5...
1:5 The light
of life shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
That is true. How
on earth could it ever happen? And who on earth is this?! The
world—what is not of the light—can never come to grips with it.
You might as well
try telling a tadpole about the air, dry, sun, wind. These are words he just
has no concept of. But let him change into a frog and he realises that these
are realities!
Yes, Jesus was in
the world—a world made by him—one he owned yet it was blindfolded to him—it
didn’t understand or see. His own failed to receive him—human beings—even the
Jewish priests and people were all in the same boat!
But look at what
he offers those who will receive Him!
If you believe on
Jesus he makes you His children—you are reborn as children of God! - a
spiritual change takes place and you start anew , a spiritual life with a
different goal—not in darkness but in light, not leading to death but leading
to life—as John goes on to open up later in his gospel!
There is a second way of translating
the words in verse 5—just as possible.
1:5 The light of life shines in the darkness, but the darkness
has not overcome it— has not defeated it!
·
Jesus is the Light—they may hide from the light but they
can’t stop it shining
·
Jesus is the Lord, people may not receive him but he will
not be defeated!
·
Jesus is the King—the world may be against him but
he will never be dethroned.
·
Jesus is the resurrection and the life—- the world may
reject, torture, crucify and kill him and hope he’s gone for ever. But He will
never be destroyed.
And neither will his children—
·
they bear on their bodies His fatherly
likeness,
·
there pulses within
their veins the same resurrection life,
·
there beats beneath
their breast the same heart of compassion and love for God and man that beats
in Christ.
John shows us
that the new life in Christ—while strange to the world is also never defeated
by the world. He calls us now to follow Jesus, receive life, and go on to live
for him in victory knowing that neither death nor life, neither angels nor
demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor
depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the
love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39).
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Home groups or personal thought: Read
John 1:1-14 – and briefly summarise the notes above. Use
a selection of the following to prompt discussion. 1.
If you were
asked to write a ‘five page gospel’ what would you include? Why? Why would
other people in your group write ‘different’ gospels? 2.
What, for you,
particularly demonstrates ‘his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.’?
( 3.
What examples
from your own or others experience do you have of the light shining in the
darkness. Have others been unable to understand it / recognise it … or put it
out? (1:5) 4.
What was it that
blinded the people to Jesus? What blinds people today to Jesus? 5.
Is there
anything we can do to help them see or hear? 6. Read John 3:1-9. What does being ‘born of God’ ( |