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John 1

1; In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

When all things began, this Word was there with God. The Bible teaches in Genesis 1:1 that God existed before all things began. Genesis 1:1 – In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The opening verse in all of Scripture teaches that God existed before anything was created and it was God who brought everything into existence. John 1:1 tells us that this Word was not only present with God when He created everything, but it goes on to equate this Word to God – “the Word was God”. This Word existed with God before anything was ever created – “He (now the Word is personified as HE) was in the beginning with God. He, the Word was not created. He, the Word existed AS God prior to the creation – “and the Word WAS God”. He, the Word, was active in the creation on all things – “All things were made through him”. Nothing that was created was created without him – “without him was not anything made that was made”. John 1:10 furthers this thought by stating “He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.”

So we have this Word personified, equated with God and so active in creation that nothing was created without him. He, this Word, then, in verse 14 is said to have “became flesh and dwelt among us”. This Word became flesh. He became like one of us, human. He dwelt among us. He lived among people. He walked with them, talked with them, touched them and was touched by them. How amazing is this! Here is the embodiment of God doing in real life what was said about Moses in Exodus 33:11 – “Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.” The embodiment of God, who in multiple places in the book of Exodus is described as being in the tabernacle – His glory filling it in Exodus 40:34, physically, in real space and real time, living among human beings! The author of this Gospel, John the Apostle states that he and others are eyewitnesses to this by saying “and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth”. Hebrews 1:3 says “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature.” This verse also says “He upholds all things by the word of His power.”

This One, God Himself, who created everything and upholds everything, left real footprints on the dusty roads of 1^st century Israel. He went to John the Baptist, another witness to Who He is, and was baptized in the Jordan river. When He came out of the water he was actually wet and dripping drops of real water. Matthew records this in Chapter 3 of his gospel – “13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

This Jesus is referred to as equal to God, active in creation, upholding all things and the Son of God (by no less than God Himself). Matthew in chapter 28 of his gospel records that Jesus said of Himself – “18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” He said all authority with no exceptions. There is no person, place or thing outside His authority. None.

Back to John the Apostle. This same Apostle wrote the last book of the New Testament, the book of Revelation. In it, he states in chapter 19 – “11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems (a reference to authority), and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God (remember John 1:1). 14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.”

The complete lordship of Christ is evident in Scripture. The biblical claim the Jesus Is Lord is not a weak statement. It has a depth of meaning we cannot fully grasp nor fully, in our fallible human selves, fully live. But Scripture makes it plain that the statement on bumper stickers saying “Jesus is Lord” is not just a Christian cliché. It may be viewed as one given the frequency they are seen. Sadly, this is how many Christians express their faith. Single statements or verses printed on a variety of items and displayed publicly in a way that screams “I am a Christian”. It’s almost, if not absolutely arrogant. It’s not inviting to most. It’s not a way to open the door to an opportunity to share the Gospel and point to Christ. Those doors can be opened, however, by displaying a Christ-like life. None of us are perfect, including Christians, and we need to be honest about it. We have our struggles just like everyone else. The difference is that we have a hope, a confident assurance, that Christ is always at work in us to make us more like Him. We need to be able to give honest, legitimate answers to honest, legitimate questions with kindness and compassion. That does not mean we back away from truth. It does mean we lean into it and be ready to explain it. Peter puts it well in his 1^st letter , chapter 3 – “15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect”. Peter was not writing to an individual, he was writing to churches and members of those churches.

Paul wrote the following to his protege, Timothy, but there is a principle we can all draw on – “6 If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. 7 Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; 8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 9 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. 10 For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe. 11 Command and teach these things. 12 Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. 14 Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. 15 Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. 16 Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.

In the same letter to Timothy, Paul also encourages him (and us) to “pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called.” In his 2^nd letter, he also says to “do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth”.

The goal of every Christian should be, and it is actually commanded by our Lord Himself, going and making “disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. We have one mission as Christians. We all have different gifts, different talents, different skills but they all are to work together to accomplish that one mission.

In Matthew 27:46 (also recorded in Mark 15 and Luke 23) Jesus utters, from the cross, the words “Eli, Eli, lama sabacthani?” which is Aramaic for “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? Why these words?
There are at least two reasons for asking this question. The first being that this statement quotes Psalm 22:1, a prophetic, Messianic Psalm written by King David. David, you will remember, received the promise from God that a son from his line would sit on the throne forever. Jesus is the final fulfillment of the Davidic covenant. By quoting Psalm 22:1, Jesus is drawing attention to the fact that He is the one of whom the Psalm is speaking. He is drawing attention to the fact that He is the promised Messiah. How many times did He indicate that the OT Scriptures pointed to none other than Himself? Using just one example, in Luke 24:18 He was asked by Cleopas on the Emmaus Road, “Are you the only person in Jerusalem who does not know what has happened there”? After further dialogue He responded (Luke 24:25-27) “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. By “all the Scripture” He clearly refers to the OT, as the NT was still yet to be written. The teaching is plain, the OT points forward to Him.
The event recorded in Matthew 27 during which Jesus quoted Psalm 22:1 is His Crucifixion, His very public execution. As Paul later stated to Festus in regards to King Agrippa (Acts 26:26 KJV)
“For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner.” The Crucifixion took place during the Passover, a time when thousands of Jewish people would have come to Jerusalem. The location of His Crucifixion was on a hill near a main road into the city. The Scriptures speak of the crowds around Him during the event. (Luke 23:27) And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him. (Luke 23:48) And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned.
(John 19:20) Many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek. Multitudes witnessed the event. These witnesses were primarily Jewish. Some were Pharisees, some scribes. All would have been familiar with the words of Psalm 22, as the Psalms were liturgical to the Jews and used extensively in Jewish worship in their synagogues. His utterance of the opening verse of Psalm 22 should have taken their minds to the rest of the Psalm, which prophetically speaks of the very events that were playing out before their eyes. Had their blind eyes been open and their hearts unhardened, they would have recognized the piercing of His hands and feet (Ps. 22:16), the casting of lots for His garments (Ps. 22:18, Matt. 27:35), the scorn, laughter, and wagging of heads (Ps. 22:7, Matt. 27:39), and a near direct quote of Ps. 22:8 coming in Matthew 27:43 from the chief priests, scribes and elders. PS.22:8 “ He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him”. Matt:27:43, “He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him”.
But, the quotation of Ps:22:1 goes much further than that. Think about the words “Why hast thou forsaken me”? Focus on the word “forsaken”. What does it mean to be forsaken by God? God completely withdrawing His presence and goodness from you? There are those who claim they don’t believe God exists. Some say they don’t or can’t know whether or not God exists. Most simply don’t acknowledge His presence in and governance of their lives. They do not understand that the triune God is the absolute and utter sovereign LORD over all creation. This is a fact that cannot be negated by refusal to accept it or believe it. Yet none of them have ever really felt the impact of being forsaken by the one and only sovereign God. They have not felt the impact of it because none of us have. We can’t, while we are biologically alive at least, feel what being forsaken by God truly means. The Bible teaches that all good things come from God, (James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Saved or unsaved, you got up this morning. It is a gift from God. If you have a roof over your head, food on your table, clothes on your back and people you love and care about in your life, it is a gift from God. No matter how good or bad your life is right now, you are alive and that is a gift from God. We cannot know what it means to be forsaken by God in this life. Some of us will never know because we have been saved by God’s grace, but some of us will know exactly what it means to be forsaken by God if stubborn unrepentance remains in your heart and you pass from this life in that state.
Imagine dying in your stubborn refusal to take God at His word and turn to Him in repentance and trust. The Bible, whether you want to believe it or not, teaches that dying in that state means an eternity in hell completely cut off from the goodness of God. You may not think that is a big deal. You may think you will have friends there that you can spend your time socializing with. In our culture, if you think hell exists at all, it has been made to be a caricature of what it really is. Friends used to joke about meeting in hell,having drinks together, and enjoying the time there. What a terrifying misunderstanding that is! What a mockery has been made of the reality of eternal condemnation!
Think that through with a biblical perspective. Hell is a place created for the devil and his angels, (Matthew 25:41) Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. Break this verse down. 1). Depart – in the Greek it means to go away from, to leave, and it can mean die! Think about it in those terms…:Die, ye cursed”! 2). Cursed – or those being cursed – meaning doomed. 3). Everlasting – age-long, practically eternal, unending, lasting forever. Forever. 4). Fire – fire, strife, trials. Put this another way. Go away from me those who are doomed to unending fire, strife and trials. That is the essence of what Jesus says to those who refuse Him. Hell is a place of everlasting torment, a place where the worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched (Mark 9:48). Hell is a place devoid of the presence of God and, as such, it is bereft of all the good things God gives. The only thing you will have in hell is you and the torment of sin’s just punishment. Remember Luke 16:19-31, the story of the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man, being in Hell and torment, cried to Abraham to send Lazarus to dip his finger in cool water and bring a drop to cool his burning tongue. You, in your unrepentance, will be your own rich man with no one to cry out to. There will be no one to hear your cries. This is what it means to be forsaken by God. You will know it, feel it, and understand that, because of your sin and refusal to repent, you deserve it. You will not question that you rightfully belong there, but you also will not question that you will be there for eternity. The question now becomes, do you want to risk that to hang onto the false belief that YOU are the master of your own life? You may think yourself the master, but are you really? Have not the last few weeks shown you that you have no real control over anything? Do YOU want to gamble on your etenity when you don’t need to, when you don’t have to?
The good news is that on the cross Jesus, who lived a perfectly righteous life before God that not one of us can ever accomplish, suffered being forsaken by God so you don’t have to. He took your punishment and mine so that, by repentance and faith in Him we can be justified, made righteous, before a holy God. He took our place so we, who like the thief on the cross next to Him can rightly say (Luke 23:40-41) “we are under the same sentence of condemnation and indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds”, can be made righteous by turning from our sin and trusting in His atoning sacrifice.
Jesus Christ, the man who never sinned, the only Son of God, was crushed for your sin and mine. Take a look at (Isaiah 53:4-5) Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. There are several words in these 2 verses to focus on. Stricken, smitten, afflicted, wounded and bruised. All of these apply to Christ on the cross. Individually they each give us a picture of His suffering there. Collectively they paint a vivid picture of the extent of His suffering.
1. Stricken – Hebrew naga- to touch, reach, or strike. The word as used conveys a violent act. Its origins are in the word(s) for punish, defeat and destroy.
2. Smitten – Hebrew nakah- to smite. Again a word that is used in a violent context. It’s usage includes beat, give wound, kill, slaughter, punish.
3. Afflicted – Hebrew anah – to be bowed down. Not used in as violent a context, but still conveys the idea of suffering. It’s usage includes chasten or chastise, deal hardly with, exercise force on.
4. Wounded – Hebrew chalal- to bore, pierce, break. Again, this is a word that conveys violence.
5. Bruised – Hebrew daka – to crush, crumble, break, beat to pieces, destroy. This word conveys the image of extreme violence.
Verse 5 of Isaiah 53 states “the chastisement of our peace was upon Him”. This verse could also be translated “the chastisement that brought us peace was upon Him”. In context clearly we are talking about peace with God and not just a general feeling of calmness. It is our sin, or iniquities, that put us in a state of enmity toward God and it is those iniquities that must be resolved before we can be in a state of peace with God. This peace is a lack of warfare with God, not a state of calmness with God. His chastisement, or His musar (His discipline, correction) is what ended our warfare with God. He was punished in our place to bring us out of warfare and into peace with God the Father. Our guilt before a holy God deserved punishment. That punishment was carried out upon Christ. His wounds (stripes) have restored (healed) our relationship to God. It had to be so. Born separated from God by sin, no human being can even approach God, nor can he heal his own relationship to God. It is God’s own action through Jesus Christ that does that. Jesus knew this was what it would take to reconcile man to God before He ever came in the flesh. This was the plan from before the foundation of the world. The temporary forsaking of Christ by God was absolutely necessary to accomplish man’s redemption. Christ knew it beforehand. This is why He prayed in Matthew 26:38-39 Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” What was “this cup” He spoke of? It was the full measure of God’s wrath and His forsaking of humanity because of sin. “This cup” is the cup of God’s wrath against human sin and Christ drank it to the dregs. Before He died on the cross He said “It is finished”. It is finished. God’s just wrath has been satisfied. Christ satisfied it according to the plan of God so that through Him you and I can be reconciled to God. There is no other way. You can try all you want, but apart from putting you trust in Christ alone, you will remain separated from God and face eternal judgement that includes the crushing effects of being forsaken by God.
Those of you who have been saved, think about your conversion. Did you not feel conviction? Do you remember the heaviness of that conviction, the weight of your guilt in a palpable sense? You had a small taste of what Christ felt in those forsaken moments. You had a sense of what you faced if you remained unsaved. Do you remember what it felt like when that weight was lifted? How sweet the feeling of peace! How sweet knowing, without doubt, your undeserved pardon! Because of Christ, all because of Christ.
There is no other way. Jesus said of Himself in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me.” You can try any or all of the other world religions, human philosophies, mental health programs, physical health programs, self-help techniques, etc., etc., etc. All of them have some good qualities. All of them may help you live a better life for a time. But none of them offer help in what really matters. They cannot and do not help man where he cannot and will not help himself. Only the Gospel can help man where nothing else can or will.

Welcome to Passion For The Scriptures. First, let me say that I am not a scholar. I have no seminary background. I am merely a person who love’s the Lord and His Word. Reading, studying and teaching His Word is my passion and I pray your’s too.

This is my first ever site so please be patient with me as I attempt to grow and share my passion with you. Here I plan to post what I learn through study of God’s Word, personal thoughts, favorite quotes, and sermons I have or plan to preach. I may include video from time to time.