Well, this morning we begin a series in the Gospel of John. I invite you to turn there with me, the Gospel of John, chapter 1. Introductions have always been somewhat, that's found on page 1127 in your Bibles in front of you, Gospel of John. Introductions sometimes are a challenge for me, I feel they're overdone often, and there's so much emphasis on the disputes of the book and the things that for instance who is the author of this book and generally the whole church has received that it is the apostle john son of zebedee you'll notice very distinct things in the book that he says what is interesting is his name is never mentioned in the book so that leads people to endlessly speculate who this author might be. And after volumes and volumes and volumes written, nobody still knows. So I don't understand the importance of spending endless time on it, other than to say that there are markers in it that should not make us doubt the classic interpretation that this is John the disciple, the son of Zebedee. Numerous times he says in the book that he is the disciple whom Jesus loved. So there are markers there, a unique way of speaking. John was so taken by the love of the Savior, that's how he wanted to be designated. And I think that's an absolute beautiful thing. You think of yourself as the disciple whom Jesus loved? John had that kind of confidence. And John had that kind of confidence because the thesis of the book is that you would believe these things. So John is going to write this even in 1 John where he says this, that he desires, the Lord desires that we have real assurance in this life, that we'll be able to stand with boldness on that day. But you have to know Jesus. And that is John's goal in this book, that he would introduce you to the Son of God in a wonderful way, a unique way to demonstrate his deity and his power, and that there would not be doubts as to who he is. So this morning, we're just going to break this open a bit. In the first five verses, I'll read the first 14, this wonderful prologue of John. Actually, I'll read through verse 18. And this will give us some context, but the first five verses this morning is what we will consider together. This is the word of the Lord. In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. he was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God whose name was John, he came as a witness to bear witness about the light that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive Him, who believe in His name, He gave the right to become children of God, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelled among us, and we have seen His glory, the glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John bore witness about Him and cried out, This was He of whom I said, He who comes after Me ranks before Me, because He was before Me. For from His fullness we have all received grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses. Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, the only God, who is at the Father's side. He has made him known. And there ends the reading of the Word of God. Well, every believer in the course of their lives comes to, I think, times and places of real doubt. Doubt or even crises of faith. Sometimes even as if God is really there or God really exists. I don't know how many of you have had those kind of struggles along the way. but wonder, especially in a world that seems to be spinning out of control and what seems to be darkness and chaos flourishing, is there really a God who made all of this and controls all of this and holds all of this? One of the things that we're starting to see in evangelicalism is it coming apart, raveling apart right now. There are pastors, major pastors who are defecting, big-name pastors who are defecting from the faith and rejecting Christianity altogether, Josh Harris and others. We're seeing more and more of this, and I think we're going to see a lot more of this. The Lord said, the Scriptures have told us that before the end will come the great falling away. And I think many of us are going to see this in our times in light of the things that are happening. We're going to see a great falling away from the faith of people people who've sat in church their whole lives so it's it's perplexing it's it's confusing for us and how do we handle that how do we understand that that's why this book is so important one of the things that i have always felt at least for me the great proofs that god's revelation is true is the assessment of the world and the darkness in which we live how can anyone disagree with that i don't know anyone who disagrees today and says we're living in a really whole healthy happy world is anyone saying that no one's saying that this is broken this is broken terribly and at this point i think in our times and a lot of this is contributing factors are social media and news 24 7 is that now we're almost to the point where we can't even handle it anymore The brokenness of it all and the constant effect of the brokenness hitting us from every single direction is affecting us terribly. How mad is the world becoming? It really feels like madness right now. How great is this present darkness that we're in? Anyone who comes to me and says, well, I believe in the goodness of the human heart. I believe that humanity is basically good and that there's a good spirit in humanity. I think most people think they're off their rocker today. Anyone who says that? I don't hear it much anymore. I really don't hear it much anymore. For all of you 80s music lovers, you probably still sing Belinda Carlyle's song, don't you? Heaven is a place on earth. Only you laughing sing it. That's why you're laughing. oh heaven is a place on earth they say in heaven love comes first well we'll make heaven a place on earth oh heaven is a place on earth all the world's a lot and the world's alive with the sound of kids on the street outside really that's been taken away by the way no more kids are playing outside that was always a judgment in the scriptures you don't hear the kids playing anymore in this world we're just beginning to understand the miracle of living baby i was afraid before but i'm not afraid anymore is anyone making money on a song like that today no everyone knows it at least with christian eyes we can see the emptiness and darkness of people's lives and stop and read the Bible if we're honest and say God has given us a very accurate description of the world and the state of things. Nobody else has given this kind of assessment of things and it's spot on. I can look at evil and say I know today that what God has said is true. That has always been the issue for us. The difference today is what is the answer? what is the answer? And there is a deep search going on right now for answers. This is playing out in every single way, and people are pushing hard to find the answers and think that these answers are going to bring true and lasting happiness. And they are absolutely, you're going to see, they are going to crush the fabric of society. Society is not going to be able to function with what they think are the answers. What do we think we need most? Christians have to consider this too, for we have really been guilty in many ways of not being clear about the answer anymore. I was struck reading a series of sermons on John's Gospel by Martin Lloyd-Jones, who obviously wrote in the middle of the 20th century. And he wrote this that I found striking. Christians today think that what we need most is just comfort. In the ultimate sense, he says that's true. But he says, I'm beginning to think that the modern church is dying of comfort. Most think of the church now just as a nice place, and Christians are just to be a bunch of nice people. The pastor is just there to make people more comfortable and happy while they are in church. He says, do you wonder why? Think of when he wrote this. The churches died in Europe. They emptied out in Europe. Do you wonder why the churches are emptying and dead today? Why are we so ineffective in the world? Because all the churches have become and are a bunch of sentimental people wanting sentimental and emotional comfort. That's what the average person comes to church to want in America today. It's all they want. That's not the church. What he's saying is the church itself has forgotten the answer. What a claim. God's answer to the present darkness that we're in. And if we no longer are clear about it, If we no longer are preaching it, if we no longer are strong in it, it's no wonder that people are groping around in darkness and that things are getting darker and darker in the world. What do you expect? That's what we're living. That's what we're seeing. They look at us and think, you offer nothing. You're a club. You're nice people. You just gather around your own. But you don't care about the real thing. They see that. They see that. The author here is John the Apostle. He has none of this. He has one purpose in this book, to write about what? The only true light that gives light and life in this darkness. That's his whole purpose here. The only light in this world. The only life in this world. There is only one way. There has always ever been only one way. There is only one way of escaping the darkness that is invading the world, a darkness that Jesus says continues right on into eternity. And that's his purpose here. His purpose in the book is one of the best theses you could have. It's the theses of everything, really, but it's what he's aiming for. It's what he wrote at the end of the book in John 20, verse 31. These things are written that you would believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and believing that you would have life in His name. That's the whole point. That's what He's going to unpack. And He's going to show you the riches of Jesus and He's going to show you His glory. And we're supposed to stand back and say, wow, that is the Son of God. There is the answer. There is the light and life. This book is about life through the only one to whom life is possible. And this is God's answer. So what is revealed here is enough to bring you out of all of your pain, out of all of your sorrow, out of all of your darkness. And what is revealed here is able to give you everlasting light right now, right on into eternity. A light that only gets brighter and brighter and brighter for you. So John is not interested in sentimentalism. or to put bandages over darkness he is intensely interested in introducing you to this one that's the purpose here and that's where he begins the prologue here is one of the most grand descriptions written to introduce you to god's gift to the world this is what he's introducing you to who he's introducing you to god's gift to the world and you know there's going to be wonderful statements in this book. The one we all love, that God so loved the world that he gave this gift. In the first five verses, we have all the themes really converge together in this book, and that he is going to unpack for us and help us to understand, introducing him as the Logos of God, the Word of God. So we're looking here briefly this morning at his identity, his power, and his mission. His identity, his power, and his mission. And that's just in the first few verses to help us through his whole direction in the book. You'll notice the book begins by saying, in the beginning was the word, the logos of God. John knew just what he was doing to the Jews, the word of God, the word even throughout the Old Testament meant everything. It took on creative attributes for the Jews. So it was a very important concept for them. The Greeks were obsessed with the term logos. Heraclitus lived in Ephesus a few thousand years ago. He would speak of life being in a constant state of change. And he says, there's a reason that our existence is not in total chaos. There is this principle that orders things. He said, it's the logos. Plato would say something similar, that the Logos reveals all the mysteries and makes everything plain. So they believe that the Logos in general, and this led to many heresies that the early church would be faced with, that in general there was this principle that controlled the universe and even our minds. There was much obsession with the word Logos. Obsession with the word. So you had these absurd ideas that would come about that would affect the early church. John has all this on his mind. John knows the background of this. In fact, James Boyce said something interesting when he commented on this. He said, it's as if John says, listen, you Greeks. The very thing that has occupied your philosophical thoughts about which you have been writing for centuries, the Logos of God, has come to earth as a man. And we've seen them. That's the effect of this. John is using the Logos to describe our Savior. But here we come to rich Christology. In these beautiful words, listen to what's said to you right at the beginning. In the beginning was the Word. All of this, it takes us back to the original creation, doesn't it? John is intentional in this. He has creation on his mind. He wants us to think about creation. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. At the beginning moment, as we understand time, God created, God made the heavens and the earth. If there's anything that ever struck me about the original creation account, it is the absolute matter-of-factness of it. It's the way that Scripture comes at us with it. God did this, period. To which any reader would stand back who wasn't a believer and came in contact with the Scriptures, and the first thing they would say is, well, who is God? Who is God? Who is this God who was before the creation? That's a hard thing for us to grasp, isn't it? You have a created head and mind, and there are bounds. Who is this that was before the creation? Who created everything out of nothing? And who is uncreated himself? That's a remarkable thing, isn't it? In the way the first line of the Bible reads. Who is this? Who is this God? And he says it in a way that makes no case even to prove his existence to you. He's not too interested in that. Oh, I'm really worried. You poor humans, I really want to make a case that I exist. His answer is, the fool says in his heart I don't exist. You want to look at the creation and say that? You're a fool. And he has the last word. Notice what John just did. This is why setting the two side by side is absolutely fascinating. What John just did, he took this and he said, In the beginning was the Logos, the Word. He didn't just say, as every heresy in the church has tried to say, in the beginning the Word was created. You catch that? What he said was, when the created world was made, the Logos was. Oh, says the Greek, well, okay, we can accept that. The Logos is an eternal principle. Many philosophers believe that. He's a principle. But he goes on. he's building to crush these views the word was with god really before the face of god he's made a distinction in the godhead hasn't he whatever he is he is alongside of and before god so so greeks might be somewhat happy with this at this point uh he thinks yes well god made this imminent power and this imminent principle philo said that that's no different from our movies today the matrix and movies that think that there's just this great principle or uh this cosmic computer chip impersonal that everything runs on that generated all of this and john keeps going In the beginning was the Word. Before creation, the Word was. The Word was before the face of God. The Word was God. Let it sink in. Wow. Wow. Every cult has tried to attack that. Every cult has tried to disarm that. The cult has tried to retranslate that. It's impossible. John just took the creation account and told us at creation, there's the word used before the face of God. He's God. It keeps building in anticipation. It's as if he gives a lot more detail to keep us then in anticipation. And this is where I think we've read these things so often and so much that it just loses the punch of it. But John was building and building and building to this giant, beautiful crescendo in chapter 14 where he says this. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we've seen His glory. The glory of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. It's not a what. It's a who. He became one of us. He walked with us. We're going to look at it. He tabernacled with us. And we saw His glory. And John says, we saw Him for who He is. We understood who He is. It was not unclear to us. As all of you, it seems to be, all the philosophers and all the people who would question the deity of Jesus ever throughout time, it was not unclear to them. He's not just some principle. He's not just some reason. He is Jesus. God's eternal Son. Truly God. Put it together. When Jesus, when the worlds were made, He was not created, not made. The Son of God with His Father. And behold, He is God. When you understand that the Jews wanted to kill Him, none of us runs around saying, in who we are, I am the Son of God. We say that we're that by adoption. And that's as far as we go. But the Jews understood that when Jesus took this claim, that it was blasphemy because they understood that to say that you are the Son of God meant that you're equal with God. So that in John 10, which all these things are going to show, and this is just introductory, all these things are going to show us we don't want to kill you because you've done a good work. Here's the reason we want to kill you. Because you, being a man, make yourself God. We get it. We get what you're claiming. They got it. So, not only the apostles get it, all the Jews got it. That got him on the cross. This is an important truth because we don't make up doctrines of the Trinity. We just don't do this. We don't sit around, theologians don't sit around and say, well, we got together and we make up this very hard doctrine that nobody can understand and then force it on people and say, if you don't believe it, you're not going to be saved. Who does that? You don't have the minds to create a doctrine like this. Human beings can't conceive of it. we don't even understand it fully can we it's so beyond us god is one god who exists eternally in three distinct persons father son and holy spirit and john just gave us the identity of the that search for the answer of every human being is him and he always was always will be god's divine son. Whatever is the essence of God, John says is Jesus is truly God. The fullness dwells the Godhead bodily. So now you understand a little bit and can appreciate why the authors are pretty strict about this. If anyone would ever come along and say and deny this, it's a salvation issue. What you believe about Jesus determines your eternal destiny. What you believe about Jesus determines your eternal destiny. Our understanding of who He is and who the Scriptures declare Him to be is the most important truth you will ever be confronted with in your life. It is the most important truth you will ever be confronted with in your life. What you believe about him is a matter of life and death. Now John takes it further by describing his power. Look what he says in verse 2. All things were made through him and without him was not anything made that was made striking. That is such a significant verse. how did God create well we say he did it out of nothing ex nihilo he created all things out of nothing but what strikes us about the creation account is is God speaking and God said and God said and God said and God said let there be light and there was let there be and there was let there be and there was John just said, all of the creative power of God's word which he spoke, Jesus was the one through whom he was speaking. That's what he just said. Jesus was the one through whom he was speaking at creation. Nothing was made, was done apart from him. John will go to great lengths to show us this. All creative power comes through him. And what John is about to show us, as the Gospels all show us over and over, if we stop, the prophets would say, thus saith the Lord. But Jesus didn't speak like that. Jesus said, truly, truly what I say. Because he's God. So think about the way he's going to speak in John and think about what happens when he speaks in John through this power, the power that is emphasized in verse 2. Listen to this. One man was there who had been an invalid for 38 years. That's a big infirmity in someone's life. 38 years an invalid. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, He said, do you want to be healed? Of course, he says, yeah, of course I want to be healed. Jesus said to him, get up, take up your bed, and walk. With a word, he just created life in the man's legs. That's a remarkable thing. Let me go even further with it. In John's Gospel. Creation power. Where have you laid him? They said to him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. So the Jews said, see how he loved him. Some of them said, could not he who opened the eyes of the blind also have kept this man from dying? He's going to do something much better. Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave. And a stone lay against it. Jesus said, take away the stone. Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he's been dead four days. Jesus said to her, did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God? There's a theme, believe, believe, believe. When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, Lazarus, come out! That voice at creation, let there be, let there be, let there be, and there was, just spoke and someone got out of the grave. Message, he created this world, he knows how to fix it. He created it, he can fix it and that's what he's come to do. He's bringing a brand new creation by his word and he's not going to lose any of his children. That means you. Not going to lose you. He speaks, and there's going to be one day a brand new heavens and a brand new earth where righteousness shall dwell forever. I'm constantly frustrated with the state of things. I know you are. Here's where we have much to celebrate. If your life is bad, if the state of things are bad, if you're discouraged, If you're discouraged, in which way do you want to pick? By what you see in the news? By what's going on in your life? Think about what's happening here. He speaks. Life comes. He speaks. Life comes. At the end of the day, what we're being confronted with here and the claims that we're being confronted with here tell us that we have in and of ourselves little confidence in His creative power to flip to fix things. We are running around trying to fix things. We're wearied and we're running ourselves ragged. And so we want to give up. And when things are hard, we want to run. And when the going gets tough, the tough get going. running away from it all. Listen to what John just said. Out of all of that, all of the frustrations, all of the darkness, listen to what John is saying. It's his creation. He made it. And it's his to fix. And he's going to do it. What a wonderful message. And I want to then emphasize one more thing this morning, my third point, that we see here his mission, the mission of the Logos. Notice it. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light, verse 5, shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. That's the most grandest gospel news you'll ever get. He is using metaphors of light and darkness understanding these concepts at creation and the creative bodies. Think about it. God gave light at the beginning. We need light today. What happened? The darkness here overcame the earth. And what is the darkness that he's talking about in ethical qualities? He's talking about the darkness of the human heart. The darkness that has invaded the world because of sin. We're in a world of total darkness with no answers. and whatever light we've ever had has been the lord think of the sadness the hopelessness people living under the curse all the emptiness all the misery all the pain all the sickness all the death and then they're trying to solve these problems by pushing their wills over gods some listen to me some are just better at learning to cover up the darkness of their hearts with laws and rules. You know who we call those? The Pharisees. Others have completely given up. And they're on the street corners. And they're in the prisons. You know who we call them? The tax collectors and the sinners. Every heart, no matter whether you've learned better to cover it up or whether you're out on the street corner as a prostitute. Every heart the darkness has invaded. There were two prodigal sons. There was one who went down to Vegas and lived it up and tested out all the sin he could test. Then there was the prodigal in the house. The worst attitude came from the one in the house who didn't know his father. who didn't love his father. In John's Gospel, your first public discourse is with who? Nicodemus. This is the top of the barrel. This is your good guy. This is the guy who comes to church. This is the one who has his kids at the right school. This is the one who's at all the spaghetti dinners and the pancake breakfasts. Wouldn't miss him. This is your moral guy, Nicodemus. Does everything right. Looks good. The Pharisee. You need to be born again, Nicodemus. And in the next scene, he goes to the bottom of the barrel. The woman at the well. The dirty tax collector and sinner. The prostitute in their terms. The one who had five husbands. Both fought Jesus. Both were given life. I love it. That's just it. That's a beautiful thing that John's showing us. Jesus is the light and life of the world. It's amazing what this verse says. Listen to it. In Him was life. And that life is our light. in him was life and that light is our light I just think that's the most beautiful verse and the answer that the scriptures are presenting to us the only answer you're ever going to get from God and it's the best one the greatest issue is to see first see that light and then to see that you need that light and that only from this light will you ever have real light in life. That's the theme of the book. Jesus gives life and when he gives it, there is an immediate passing from death to life and you are in the favor and love of God forever. That's the greatest news ever announced to a lost world. The light shines in the darkness, think about this, And the darkness can't overcome it. Think of all the opposition today against God and his word. Think of all the opposition against everything that is true and what is right. And the declaration is, for thousands and thousands of years, this light has never been able to be put out, and it never will be put out. And this light is going to break us into an eternal bliss of glory like you have never imagined. Nothing can stop him. He will fix this. The question is, is are you on board with that project? God commanded light to shine in the darkness. For God said, let light shine out of darkness. He has shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. That's 2 Corinthians 4. So just in a few verses this morning, you have everything you need to know. Three things must you know to live and die in the joy of this comfort. I have a lot more to say in John. but you know what you need to right here. What three things must I know to live and die in the joy of this comfort? Well, you just heard it. How great my sin and misery are. How great this darkness is of my own heart. How I'm set free from it. God's Son. Our light and life. And then how that truth will set me free to become a true worshiper in spirit and in truth, John 4, so that I might now live my whole life in thanksgiving for so great a salvation. That's just the first few verses. We'll come back next time. May you enjoy your Savior this week. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us truth and helping us in this darkness to see so clearly your answer. But it takes a great work of your Spirit to overcome the darkness of our human heart and sin that has overcome us. But what an encouragement that this light will prevail and the darkness will not overcome it. Thank you for your beloved Son. Thank you for salvation. Thank you that all things are being made new. And if anyone here does not believe today, may they be greatly convicted to kiss the Son lest they perish in the way. Hear our prayer, O Lord, and thank you for your salvation. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Thank you.