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SERMON NOTES

The Word Became Flesh
John 1:1-18
Dr. Tony Chute, Lead Pastor

Overview: The prologue to John’s gospel provides a rich theological backdrop to the Christmas story. John informs us that Jesus is the Word of God who was in the beginning with God and is, in fact, no less than God as too He is the creator and giver of life. The author’s description of John the Baptist coming as a witness to the light gives further evidence to Jesus’ divine status. While still fully God, Jesus became fully human, being born to a human family and coming to redeem humanity from their sins. His divine and human natures uniquely enable Jesus to embody the glory of God and to give all who believe the right to become children of God. Jesus is not only the reason for the season, He is also the reason for our hope of eternal life.

01. The person of Jesus is equally important as the work of Jesus; therefore, let us confess that He is fully God and fully man.

02. The incarnation of Jesus is necessary for us to become children of God; therefore, let us receive Him in our hearts and point others to believe in Him.

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION AND DISCOVERY

1. What is John’s purpose in using the phrase “in the beginning” with reference to Jesus? How does this wording from Genesis point to the eternal nature of Jesus? What other evidence can you find in this text that points directly to the divinity of Jesus?

2. How would you respond to someone who claims to be a Christian but denies the deity of Jesus? How would you respond to a Jehovah’s Witness or Mormon who claims that Jesus is “a god” or like God? What key doctrines are lost when the divinity of Jesus is denied?

3. Why was it important for John the author to distinguish John the Baptist from Jesus? Why did people hold John the Baptist in such high esteem? In what ways did John the Baptist point others to Jesus? How does his example encourage you to point others to Jesus?

4. What does John mean when he states that Jesus “came to his own and his own people did not receive him”? Have you talked with anyone about Jesus who does not believe in Him? What reasons did they give for not receiving Him?

5. Discuss what John means by contrasting the law through Moses with the grace and truth through Jesus. How do we know that John views Jesus as the fulfillment to God’s plan of salvation? Why is it wrong to assume that there were two different ways of salvation in the Old and New Testaments?

For Further Reading: Stephen Wellum, The Person of Christ: An Introduction (Crossway, 2021)