GOD'S WRITTEN WORD: John 13:1-18 SERMON NOTES: “CREATOR, NEIGHBOR, SAVIOR”
I. John tells us that Jesus Christ is eternal God who came into this sinful world to make known His Father’s righteousness & grace. v 18
II. How does John tell us that Jesus Christ is the eternal God who came into this sinful world to make known His Father’s righteousness & grace.
III. John tells us that Jesus Christ makes known His Father’s righteousness & grace in this sinful world as the:
Jesus makes known His Father’s righteousness & grace in three ways: as the Word of God, the Flesh of God & as the Way to God.
Let’s look at the first way Jesus makes this known.
A. “Word” of God. “Creator” GOD vv 1-5
Illustration:
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.... 1:3 And God said, Let there be light, and there was light.
“In the beginning” – eternal
“Word” – Greeks (Logos -rational principle that governs all things); Jews (God)
Application:
Jesus is the Word of God and the Word of God is the Bible.
When we read our Bibles we get to know Jesus as eternal God and see his reflection of God’s righteousness and grace.
How well are we able to see Jesus reflecting God’s righteousness and grace in our lives at this time?
He wants us to see it, He provides the Words to makes this happen.
Will we read them?, Will we let them change us? Will we let them heal us?
Transition:
The second way Christ makes known His Father’s righteousness & grace is as:
B. “Flesh” of God. “Neighbor” GOD vv 14
Illustration:
John 6:51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
John 10:11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.
Application:
Jesus died on the cross for our sins so we can live. His flesh was sacrificed and he completely gave his life for us.
How have we responded to what he has done for us?
How would we respond if someone saved us from a burning house, a car crash, a near drowning, an illness?
Do we need to respond to what he has done today?
Transition:
The third and final way Christ makes known His Father’s righteousness & grace is as:
C. “Way“ to God. “Savior” GOD vv 6-13, 15-17
Illustration:
“believe” – this word is used 98 X’s in Gospel of John
John 1:12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
John 20:30-31 Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
Application:
Jesus has been offered as a “gift” by God – to all who “received” him (v 12)
We receive the “gift” God offers us by “believing” in his name (v 12)
His name is “Jesus Christ”, i.e. Jesus = Yahweh Saves, Christ = Messiah (Savior).
Do we “believe” Jesus Christ is the Savior, the One Yahweh (God) sent into the world to save it (3:16)?
If so, how are we going to respond to this gift from God? How do we respond when we are given other gifts?
If you accept the gift given to you, you receive it.
We are told we receive God’s gift of Eternal Life by believing in His Son’s name:
“Jesus Christ” – because of what his name represents who he is and what he has done
Jesus Christ is Yahweh Saves, the Messiah, the Savior,
He is the eternal God who in the Flesh died on the cross for our sins to save us.
Transition:
In conclusion, Jesus makes known his Father’s righteousness and grace in three ways as: the Word of God, the Flesh of God, and as the Way to God.
As the Word of God he created us.
As the Flesh of God he died for us.
As the Way to God he saved us.
Do we believe in his name?
Do we believe who he is, The Word, the Flesh, the Way?
Do we believe he is your Creator, your Neighbor, your Savior?
Do we believe what he has done?
Do we believe as eternal God in the flesh he was crucified on a cross for our sins?
Have we responded? Have we received God’s gift of “life to the full” and his gift of eternal life?
Have we received these?
In the name of the Father, Son & Holy Spirit. Amen.
PRAYER
Our Father, we thank You and give You praise for Your Son, Jesus Christ, the Word, who is eternal, who is God, who was with You from the beginning, and who is the Creator of all things.
Our Father, we praise You for the Life and Light he brought into the world and we ask Your forgiveness when we hide in the darkness of this world, when instead of coming into his Light and Life, we try to cover our sins because of our shame.
Our Father, we ask that Your righteousness which we have received when we believed in Your Son’s Name, in the Name of Jesus Christ – that Your grace that we have received, lead us to repentance and to not fear returning to the Light and Life that Your Son has brought to our lives.
Our Father, we thank You that Your Son made his dwelling place among us, became our neighbor and with our belief in his Name makes his dwelling place within us, within our hearts through the power of Your Holy Spirit so that we are never separated from Your Love.
Our Father, we thank You for making Yourself known to us through the grace and truth we have received from Your Son’s sacrifice for our sins, for the Eternal Life that this brings and for the darkness that this brings us out of and the Light that this brings us into.
Our Father, we pray all of these things in the Name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.
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