Published: April 20, 2023, 7 a.m.
Welcome to Day 2134 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom The Gospel of John \u2013 2 \u2013 Christ is the Eternal Word \u2013 Daily Wisdom Putnam Church Message \u2013 01/30/2022 The Gospel of John \u2013 Christ the Eternal Word Today we continue our new Good News series according to John the Apostle. This message will present Jesus Christ as the author of all creation. John\u2019s prologue offers four reasons to believe that Jesus Christ, the Word, is God:
- The Word is eternal; He had no beginning, and He will have no end (1:1\u20132).
- The Word is the Creator; all things were made through Him (1:3).
- The Word is the Source of life; nothing remains alive apart from Him (1:4\u201313).
- The Word, though completely human, fully reveals the Father (1:14\u201318).
\xa0 Before we examine these reasons in detail, I will read John 1:1\u201318 in the NLT; if you wish to follow along, it is on Pages 1645-1646 in the Pew Bible. \xa0Take note of John\u2019s deliberate progression from infinity and eternity down to the single individual, Christ, in whom all that is infinite and eternal resides. I would recommend keeping this passage open as we go throughout the message today: John 1:1-18 In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. God sent a man, John the Baptist, to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony.\xa0John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He came into the very world he created, but the world didn\u2019t recognize him.\xa0He came to his own people, and even they rejected him.\xa0But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.\xa0 They are reborn\u2014not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father\u2019s one and only Son. John testified about him when he shouted to the crowds, \u201cThis is the one I was talking about when I said, \u2018Someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.\u2019\u201d From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses, but God\u2019s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. \xa0No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father\u2019s heart. He has revealed God to us. \xa0 The Word is eternal; He had no beginning, and He will have no end. In eternity past, before the beginning of anything\u2014space, time, matter\u2014in the indefinite expanse of timeless existence, in the beginning, He that had no beginning, \u201cthe Word\u201d was existing in an eternal, infinite \u201cpresent.\u201d \xa0The NLT\xa0 is a literal rendering of John\u2019s first...