Grace Bible Church
Pastor-Teacher
Robert R. McLaughlin
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
A Basic Survey of the Gospel of John
ROM 1:19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.
ROM 1:20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made.
“Dad, God has to get really small in order to come see us, huh?’
Verse 14 is about God becoming really small so He could come see us.
The verb for “to be” or existence in verses 1 and 2 has been the verb eimi in the imperfect tense, indicating the eternity of Christ as God.
Ginomai
= to become something you were not before. The Son of God became flesh. Aorist tense = the point of time of the Virgin Birth.
This is the incarnation. God taking on a human nature. The eternal second Person of the Trinity took on Himself humanity.
JOB 19:25 “As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, And at the last He will take His stand on the earth.”
JOH 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.
Skenoo = to tent or encamp, i.e. (figuratively) to occupy (as a mansion) or (specifically) to reside (as God did in the Tabernacle of old, a symbol of protection and communion)
“The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us”
The tabernacle had a typical significance because it foreshadowed God the Son incarnate.
Skenoo = the portable wilderness tabernacle or temple of the Hebrew nation.
The tabernacle was moved from place to place during the journeys of the children of Israel.
The tabernacle was unattractive in appearance.
The tabernacle was the dwelling place of God.
The tabernacle was the gathering place for Israel.
It was the place where God met with man.
Jesus Christ explains and displays the essence of God to man, and through His cross has reconciled all mankind to God.
1PE 2:24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.
Whenever you find the word “glory” in the Bible it generally refers to the essence of God.
When Jesus Christ pitched His tent among us, He did so in order that men and women might see Him and thus come to know God.
In fact, we have a better view of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ than those disciples did who lived in the first century!
2CO 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.
We have a better view of the glory of God than they did because we have it in writing in the Bible!
Doctrine is the revelation of the glory of God.
God became man so He could go to the cross and die in our place for our sins. God cannot die; eternal life cannot die.
The place where God’s glory was revealed in its mysterious fullness was at the cross.
For man, the noblest destiny in life is the glorification of God by the sacrifice of himself.
The Glory of God is revealed by the truth of the word of God, Bible doctrine, and the word of God reveals the policy of God, which is grace.
The place where God dwells among us is a place created for grace and truth.
Grace is the limitless favor God is free to bestow on undeserving sinners because He is completely satisfied with the Person and Work of His beloved Son Jesus Christ.
Grace and doctrine is what sustained Him in His earthly ministry and grace and truth are our sustenance in our earthly visit as well.
Truth is part of the essence of God.
Ps 51:6 Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.
COL 3:16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you,
The truth about man is that man carries his greatest problem within himself, his OSN.
God is love, truth, justice and He cared enough about men to come and die for them in order to bring them back to Himself.
Jesus Christ paid the penalty and suffered for us in order that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.
Your eternal destiny and eternal rewards will depend upon your response to grace and truth!
He has stored all His glorious resources into the nature of the man Jesus Christ.