Sermons From John - The Pre-Existence Of Christ (1:1-5)

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                          "THE GOSPEL OF JOHN"

                  The Pre-existence Of Christ (1:1-5)

INTRODUCTION

1. The gospel of John was written for a simple purpose...
   a. To produce faith in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God - Jn 20:
      30-31a
   b. To share the "life" that comes through such faith - Jn 20:31b

2. To encourage us to have faith in Jesus Christ...
   a. John begins his gospel with a prologue - Jn 1:1-18
   b. In which he makes several claims as to who Jesus was
      1) He refers to Jesus in this prologue as "the Word"
      2) That he refers to Jesus is evident from verses 14-18

3. The very first claim pertains to the pre-existence of Christ...
   a. That He existed in the beginning, long before being born of Mary
      - cf. Jn 1:1-2
   b. That His work in the beginning has great significance for us - cf.
      Jn 1:3-5

[John is not alone in proclaiming "The Pre-Existence Of Christ."
Elsewhere in the Scriptures we find...]

I. EVIDENCE FOR THE PRE-EXISTENCE OF CHRIST

   A. FORETOLD BY THE PROPHETS...
      1. Micah prophesied of the pre-existence of the Messiah to come
         - Mic 5:2
      2. Isaiah spoke of the King to come as "Everlasting Father" - Isa
         9:6-7
      3. Zechariah recorded the Messiah's own promise to come - Zech 2:
         10-11

   B. AFFIRMED BY JESUS HIMSELF...
      1. In His claim to have existed in Abraham's day - Jn 8:56-58
      2. In His prayer shortly before His arrest and crucifixion - Jn
         17:4-5,24
      3. In the revelation He gave to John - Re 22:13

   C. DECLARED BY HIS APOSTLES...
      1. By John in his gospel, and also his epistle - Jn 1:1-4; 1Jn 2:
         14
      2. By Paul in his epistles
         a. To the church in Corinth - 1Co 10:1-4; 2Co 8:9
         b. To the church in Philippi - Php 2:5-8
         c. To the church in Colosse - Col 1:16-17

   D. ILLUSTRATED BY THE CREATION...
      1. All things were created by Jesus - Jn 1:3; He 1:2-3
      2. Necessitating His existence before creation - Col 1:16-17
      3. Implying His own eternal power and divine nature - Ro 1:20

[These are remarkable claims concerning Jesus, even blasphemous if not
true.  Yet if true (and John's gospel is design to prove that it is),
consider...]

II. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PRE-EXISTENCE OF CHRIST

   A. HE IS DEITY...!
      1. Especially when we consider the nature of His pre-existence
         a. His going forths were "from everlasting" - cf. Mic 5:2
         b. He was the eternal "I Am" - Jn 8:58; cf. Exo 3:13-14
      2. As made clear in John's prologue - Jn 1:1-2
         a. He was "with" God (implying a personal communion with God)
         b. He "was" God (explicitly stating His deity)
      -- Thus He is worthy of our love and adoration - cf. Jn 20:28

   B. HE IS LIFE...!
      1. By virtue of being the Creator and the Sustainer of life
         a. All things were made by Him - Col 1:16
         b. All things are held together (NASV, NRSV) by Him - Col 1:17
      2. Again, as John makes clear in his prologue - Jn 1:3-4
         a. Without Him, nothing was made
         b. In Him was life itself
      -- Thus He gives us hope for our own resurrection! - cf. Jn 5:21;
         11:25

   C. HE IS LIGHT...!
      1. We live in a world of darkness...
         a. Where people spend their lives stumbling in ignorance
         b. Alienated from the life of God because of their ignorance
            - cf. Ep 4:17-19
      2. As the Creator and Sustainer of life itself...
         a. Jesus is uniquely qualified to bring light into the world
            - Jn 1:4
         b. He calls for us to believe that we might become "sons of
            light" - Jn 12:35-36
      -- Thus Jesus offers us the "light of life" - Jn 8:12

CONCLUSION

1. Sadly, many resist the life and light Jesus offers...
   a. Some tried to destroy Him, but did not succeed - cf. Jn 1:5 (NRSV)
   b. Many try to avoid Him, knowing that it will mean changes to their
      lifestyle - cf. Jn 3:19-20

2. But for those willing to come to Jesus...
   a. He offers us hope and guidance in this life - cf. Mic 5:4-5a
   b. He is capable of fulfilling His promises - cf. Mt 11:28-30

For He is no mere man, whose existence began when born by Mary, but
"whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting." - Mic 5:2
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