DESTINATION GOD

COME AND SEE

In the beginning was the Word, and the word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1)

1. Jesus is the WORD

John used the word logos to identify Jesus as the pre-existent God, Creator of the universe. This word, logos, would have had a very specific connotation to both Jews and Greeks.

• To the Jews, logos was the personal, transcendent being; the wisdom of God personified
• To the Greeks, logos was the ultimate of rational power; the mind of God personified

Both the Jews and Greeks were very familiar with the idea of logos. The Greeks, in particular, were fascinated by the idea. They looked at creation and saw tremendous order and knew the logos, or mind of God was responsible.John took this fascination and used it to tell them Jesus was that "mind of God" come to life.

In Greek thought the physical world was " a nice place to visit but they didn't want to live here". They saw our world as a faint copy of the ideal; a spiritual world which, to them, was the true reality. But they didn't know how to make the connection between this world and that one. John presents Jesus as that connection. Throughout his Gospel John refers to Jesus as the "real" something: True light (1:9), real life (3:15), real bread (6:32), and the real vine (15:1).

2. Jesus is the LIFE

Life began by Him. His Life was the Light of for men. (John 1:4)

Zoe, the Greek word for life, is used over 35 times in John. And zen, the Greek verb for "to live" or "to have life" is used more than 15 times. This life involves more than just the physical functioning of the body. It involves personal relationship and meaning.

In another paradox, John clearly presents the idea that the only way to have this full life is through Jesus' death. Verse 4 says that life began with Him, and verse 31 of chapter 20 says that we can have life that lasts forever through Him.

3. Jesus is the LIGHT

The Light shines in the darkness. The darkness has never been able to put out the Light. (John 1:5)

The idea of "light" was very important to Jews, and also to John. He used the word light at least 21 times to describe Jesus.The clear connection of verse 5 is back to Genesis 1:3, when God said, "Let there be light" and the chaos that had existed in verses 1 and 2 was swept away. The same is true with Jesus. His Light in our lives keeps our lives from being chaotic.

In the physical sense, light destroys darkness. Darkness cannot exist where there is light. In a spiritual sense, Jesus' light also destroys darkness, the darkness of those who hate the good. Jesus is referred to as a revealing light (3:19-20) and a guiding light (12:36, 46). The Gospels tell the stories of many people who sought out Jesus. All of them asked, in effect, "What am I supposed to do?" They asked this of Jesus because His Light will show the way out of darkness.

4.  Jesus is the LAMB

The next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29)

As much impact as calling Jesus the Word would have on the Greeks, calling Jesus the Lamb would have a greater impact on the Jews. The Jewish people were very aware of the symbolism of the lamb. Their entire religious system was based on sacrificing a lamb in order to receive forgiveness for their sins. To call Jesus the "Lamb of God" would have a very clear meaning to those people. Because of sin, our relationship with God is fractured. To the Jews, only a sacrifice could restore that relationship. The sacrifice of a lamb had to be repeated regularly. Jesus is presented as the one and only sacrifice needed to permanently do that.

5.  Jesus is the SON

Nathaniel said to Him, "Teacher, You are the Son of God. You are the King of the Jews." (John 1:49)

There is a legend that tells that when Jesus was a boy in Nazareth He met a young Roman man named Fidus. Fidus had come looking for Joseph, the carpenter, in order to be his apprentice.

As Fidus watched and learned form Joseph, Jesus told him of a great King who would one day be raised up on a throne so high that all the world could see.

Fidus wanted to be the one who would build that throne for the Great King.

Jesus told him he would, indeed, be the one to build that throne.

Years passed and Fidus went on to practice his trade with honor. He happened to be in Jerusalem one day, and as he passed the gate of Pilate's palace he was asked by a soldier who knew of his skill to finish building a cross, as they were one short for the crucifixions scheduled that day.

He put all his skill into making the cross, and viewed his finished product with pride. He went outside the town, following the crowd, and looked up to see the boy from Nazareth hanging on the "throne" Fidus had made. It was then his eyes were opened to the truth.

All throughout John's Gospel Jesus is presented as the Son of God. Check out 3;16-18, 3:35, 5:19-21, 5:23, 10:37-38, and 17:1 for just a few of the instances. But the religious leaders refused to accept this because they expected the Son of God (Messiah)  to be and act much different than Jesus did. They expected a warrior king who would destroy the Roman Empire, not a Suffering Servant whose stated purpose was to destroy the influence of sin in a person's life. Isn't it just a bit ironic that one of the chief reasons for the end of the Roman Empire was the influence Christianity had on their society? Seems like Jesus did exactly what the Jewish leaders had wanted Him to do, just not when or like they thought He would. Probably a lesson in there somewhere for us, don't you think?

When the first disciples first approached Jesus with an interest in following Him, He told them to "Come and See". He was not just inviting them to talk, as other Rabbis routinely did, but also to investigate His claims and find out things only He could reveal. Gospel rock pioneer Larry Norman captured that idea in a song called, Why Don't You Look Into Jesus, He's Got The Answer. Take a look at a sampling of phrases from that song:

• Sippin' whiskey from a paper cup; you drown your sorrows 'till you can't stand up...
• Yellow-fingered from your cigarettes; your hands are shaking while your body sweats...
• HIV on Valentine's Day (a later cover version)...
• Things have changed, you're much older now; if you're unhappy an you don't know how
• WHY DON'T YOU LOOK INTO JESUS, HE'S GOT THE ANSWER

Jesus invites us to "Come and See". To let Him show us things only He can show us. To let Him give us things only He can give us. Let's do that as we study the Gospel of John.

Check out Free Stuff for more information about what Jesus can do for you.

Next in this series is Miracle Worker.