"Prologue: The Deity of Christ"

Sermon Scripture:  John 1:1-3

Sermon Notes are available for you to follow along below, or for download here.

Sermon Notes:

A New Beginning

• John’s prologue introduces the major themes of his book, primarily the identity of Jesus.
  • He is writing to _____________ faith in unbelievers.
  • He is writing to _____________ faith in believers.
• John’s gospel begins with a purposeful reference to the book of Genesis.
  • Genesis introduces God’s work of _______________.
  • John introduces God’s work of ________________.
• John uses the Greek word Logos to describe Jesus as the “Word.”
  • For Greeks, the logos was an impersonal force.
  • For John, the Logos is an eternal _____________.
    • In the OT, it was the creative Word of God who made the heavens and the earth. (Ps. 33:6)
    • For Greeks, the logos was the unifying principle of the universe that held everything together.
    • In the NT, John explains that this eternal Word of God became a __________.

The Deity of Christ (1:1-3)

• Jesus is the eternal, personal, divine Word of God, and he existed with God before the beginning. (1)
  • Eternal: The Word “WAS.” He has always existed and did not come into existence at a point in time.
    • This verb is imperfect, and it speaks of a continuous action in the past.
    • In relation to the beginning, Jesus has no point of origin.
      • The Word is not a ______________.
      • The Word is eternal.
    • When all things began, the Word already _________.
      • Jesus did not begin when the beginning began. He ___________ the beginning!
      • Jesus did not start when start got started. He ____________ start.
  • Personal: The Word was “WITH GOD.” He is not a force, but a person, and that eternally. He has always been in communion with the Father.
    • John is not describing two eternal Beings.
      • There is one _________.
      • There are three co-existent, co-eternal _____________ in the Godhead.
    • The Word was literally face-to-face with God.
    • “With” implies an intimate relationship between God and the Word.
    • The Word was not _________ in eternity past.
  • Divine: The Word “WAS GOD.” The Word is God as to his nature.
    • John clearly distinguishes between God and the Word, yet emphasizes that both are fully God.
    • The point here is to reveal the nature of the Word.
      • The Word shares the nature of God.
      • “What God was, the Word was.”
• All things were _____________ through the Word. (2-3)
  • Jesus Christ was God the Father’s agent involved in creating everything in the universe.
  • In other words, God carried out his creative works through the activity of the Son. (Heb. 1:1-3)
• If Jesus is truly God and truly equal with God, then…
  • He is of infinite _____________.
  • He is worthy of eternal _____________.