OceanSide church of Christ

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THE TEACHINGS OF CHRIST

 

John’s Prologue (4)

John 1:1-18

Victor M. Eskew

 

 

IV.     THE INCARNATION OF THE WORLD (John 1:14-18).

 

A.     Clothed in flesh (John 1:14)

 

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.

 

1.       Clothes:  flesh, “the Word was made flesh” (See Heb. 10:5)

 

Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared for me.

 

2.       Confirmed

a.       He dwelled

b.      He was beheld

3.       Character

a.       Glory

b.      Grace

c.       Truth

 

B.     Confirmed by John (John 1:15)

 

John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me:  for he was before me.

 

1.       The herald

2.       The humility

 

C.     Claimed His fullness (John 1:16)

 

And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace.

 

1.       Jesus was full of grace and truth.

2.       These things have been imparted to God’s people.  “…they ‘partook’ of the numerous blessings which he came to impart by his instructions and his death” (e-sword, Barnes).

3.       Grace for grace

a.       Having received the grace of Jesus Christ they also received other graces of the Christian life.

b.      Examples:

1)       The grace of the ministry

2)       The grace of miraculous gifts

3)       The grace of giving

 

D.    Contrasted with Moses (John 1:17)

 

For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

 

E.      Conveyed the Father (John 1:18)

 

No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

 

1.       Man’s inability:  no man hath seen God at any time

2.       Jesus’ ability:  he hath declared him

a.       His relationship:  only begotten Son

b.      His fellowship:  in the bosom of the Father

1)       This figure is taken from their cultural practice of eating in a reclined position.

2)       One could lean back on another and express his closeness and fondness for the person

3)       See John 13:23

 

Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of his disciples whom Jesus loved.

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.     This prologue is extraordinary and profound.  We have only touched the “hem of the garment” with regard to all of the information it contains.

 

B.     May each of us study it more and come to appreciate Jesus, “the incarnate Word.”