Latest / Providence Baptist Church - Sermons / Easter 2025 - John 1:1-5 (Part 2)

Transcript

Easter 2025 - John 1:1-5 (Part 2) · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

0:00
Well, a very good morning to you. I didn't manage to hear the welcome, so at the risk of redundancy, I want to extend a warm welcome to you all.
0:12
! We are grateful that the Lord saw fit to bring us together this morning to praise the resurrected Christ. A couple of weeks ago, we began a study through the book of John.
0:24
It's our normative habit to go verse by verse through books of the Bible. And so, this morning, we will look once again at John chapter 1, verses 1 through 5.
0:37
I hope that it will become apparent to you why in just a moment. So if you would, please take your copy of God's Word and join me in John chapter 1.
0:54
I'll read the first five verses. Before I do, let me remind you, beloved, that this is God's Word to us.
1:01
It was written for His glory and our good that we might believe its promises, obey its commands, and have affection for its author.
1:12
May we hear it and respond accordingly to it.
1:16
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
1:25
He was in the beginning with God.
1:28
All things were made through Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made.
1:34
In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
1:38
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
1:44
In the opening words of John's Gospel account, he introduces Jesus to us without His name.
1:54
In fact, he won't write the name Jesus until verse 17 of chapter 1.
2:01
In the first five verses, John introduces to us Jesus with three titles and two characteristics.
2:10
Number one, Jesus is the Word.
2:15
That's a title, a name given to Him.
2:17
Number two, Jesus is preexistent, a characteristic.
2:23
Number three, another title.
2:25
Jesus is the Creator.
2:28
Number four, a characteristic.
2:31
Jesus is self-existent.
2:34
And then number five, and lastly, Jesus is the unquenchable light.
2:41
The name light, and I'm adding unquenchable to it.
2:46
We spent our time together last week considering the first four of these points,
2:51
and I saved the last one for today.
2:54
I think you will be able to see now why this is a good text for resurrection, Lord's Day.
3:02
But before we tackle this last point, bear with me as I make some introductory and summary comments.
3:11
First, it is good for us to contemplate Christ.
3:18
We fill our minds with so many things coming at us, 100 miles an hour,
3:25
and many of them are fleeting and pointless.
3:29
To set our minds on Jesus, the Jesus revealed to us in the Scripture,
3:35
not some Jesus of our own imagination, is always of great benefit.
3:43
The Puritan John Owen wrote in his book entitled,
3:45
The Glory of Christ, the following, which I read to you last week.
3:50
I think it's worth another read.
3:52
Quote,
3:53
The revelation made of Christ in the blessed gospel is far more excellent,
4:00
more glorious, more filled with rays of divine wisdom and goodness
4:05
that the whole creation and the just comprehension of it, if attainable,
4:10
can contain or afford.
4:13
He said, thinking about Christ and the glory of the gospel
4:16
is better than anything else we could understand.
4:19
Quote,
4:20
Without this knowledge, the mind of man,
4:22
priding itself in other inventions and discoveries,
4:25
is wrapped up in darkness and confusion.
4:30
This, therefore, deserves the severest of our thoughts,
4:33
the best of our meditations,
4:35
and our utmost diligence in them.
4:39
For if our future blessedness shall consist in living where he is
4:43
and beholding his glory,
4:45
what better preparation can there be for it
4:49
than a constant previous contemplation of that glory
4:53
as revealed in the gospel?
4:56
That by a view of it,
4:57
we may be gradually transformed into the same glory.
5:02
I love this idea of a constant previous contemplation.
5:08
The Christian eternity will be filled with the wonderment of Christ.
5:13
So we should seek to know him now
5:16
that he might be exalted in our minds and in our lives.
5:21
Second, let's take a brief tour of the first four points made from this text,
5:26
either as a reminder to you
5:28
or just as a way to get us to the fifth point,
5:31
if you're new with us to our study.
5:33
Number one, Jesus is the word.
5:37
We see this in verse one.
5:39
In the beginning was the word,
5:40
and the word was with God,
5:42
and the word was God.
5:46
Greek philosophers use this word,
5:48
word,
5:49
to refer to the abstract principle of reason and order in the universe.
5:54
It's the Greek word,
5:56
logos.
5:56
It was an unknown source of creation and wisdom.
6:01
So John, in this opening verse,
6:03
presents Jesus as the personification of creative power and reason.
6:09
John's Jewish readers knew that God spoke the world into existence with mighty words,
6:15
that he made covenants with his people with words,
6:17
gave them wisdom through the written law,
6:20
again, words,
6:21
counseled prophets and kings,
6:23
and revealed the scripture through spoken words.
6:27
So John introduces Jesus as the incarnation of divine power and revelation.
6:35
John, in introducing Jesus as the word,
6:38
draws straight lines to his divinity.
6:44
The condescension of Christ is a great wonder.
6:48
That Jesus should humble himself to take the form of a man
6:53
in order to suffer his father's wrath for our sin
6:56
should captivate our minds.
7:00
And I'll say that his incarnation should not be divorced from his resurrection.
7:07
Secondly, Jesus is preexistent, a characteristic.
7:11
We see this in verse two and on into the beginning,
7:14
I'm sorry,
7:15
verse one and on to the beginning of verse two.
7:18
The word was God.
7:20
He was in the beginning with God.
7:24
Jesus, John tells us,
7:26
as God was in the beginning in both of these verses.
7:30
This Greek word means source or origin
7:34
and refers to time before the universe began.
7:39
The verb was in the imperfect tense
7:42
describes continual action in the past.
7:47
So, verse two could be translated,
7:52
he was always being in the beginning with God.
7:57
These two verses in no way suggest that Jesus was created,
8:02
but that he just is.
8:05
He has always existed.
8:08
Paul writes in the first part of Colossians 1 and verse 17,
8:12
Jesus is before all things.
8:19
Incredible.
8:20
Pre-existence.
8:22
No beginning and no end.
8:26
Thirdly, we see Jesus introduced as the creator.
8:31
We see this in verse three.
8:32
All things were made through him
8:34
and without him was not anything made that was made.
8:38
Just to be clear,
8:41
John tells us,
8:42
everything was made
8:43
and nothing wasn't made without him.
8:48
Jesus Christ, John tells us,
8:49
is the creator of all things.
8:52
Everything we can see and everything that we cannot see
8:55
were created by him.
8:58
What opportunity we have to set our minds on the creator Christ
9:03
as we go about our days.
9:06
This past week has just been beautiful
9:08
to be outside and to consider
9:10
Christ made this.
9:14
The entire universe was created by him
9:16
and it was created for him.
9:19
To what end?
9:20
We thought about some of this last week.
9:23
For his praise.
9:26
We can read Psalm 19, verse 1.
9:28
The heavens declare the glory of God
9:30
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
9:36
Pay attention to all that has been created
9:39
and be in awe.
9:42
Fourthly, Jesus is self-existent.
9:46
The beginning of verse 4 says,
9:49
In him was life.
9:54
Ontology is the study of the nature of being.
9:59
The beginning of verse 4 is a brilliant ontological statement.
10:04
In him was life.
10:08
The word translated life is used all throughout John's gospel
10:12
and always refers to spiritual and eternal life.
10:18
Jesus possesses within himself life.
10:23
This is sometimes referred to as his auseity.
10:26
It's from the Latin.
10:27
Jesus is of self.
10:30
Everything that has been created
10:32
needs some power source to sustain it.
10:36
creation cannot sustain itself.
10:41
Not so with Jesus.
10:43
He is self-existent.
10:46
His divine nature needs no inputs to go on.
10:50
No fuel.
10:51
No energy input.
10:52
Always existing.
10:54
Never created.
10:56
He just is.
10:58
Everything in the universe is becoming,
11:02
it's moving from one state to another.
11:06
Jesus is.
11:09
These realities demand our attention.
11:13
You must do something with this, Jesus.
11:17
John means for us to pay attention
11:19
that our minds and affections might be fixed on him.
11:23
So, brief summary of last week.
11:28
I hope that you are with me
11:30
in the contemplation of Christ.
11:33
So let's proceed to spend the rest of our time together
11:35
on the final way that John introduces Jesus
11:39
in these opening words,
11:41
in this prologue of his gospel.
11:44
So the fifth point of this part one and two,
11:47
Jesus, is the unquenchable light.
11:51
It's a light that does not get put out.
11:56
The last half of verse four, right?
11:58
The first half says,
11:59
In him was life,
12:00
and the life was the light of men.
12:04
In verse five,
12:05
The light shines in the darkness,
12:08
and the darkness has not overcome it.
12:13
The themes of life and light
12:16
are prominent in John's gospel.
12:18
Here we see the two clearly connected
12:21
in a metaphor that speaks to the contrast of Jesus
12:25
against all that is evil in the world.
12:28
The word light appears 24 times in this book,
12:33
seven of those times in chapter one.
12:37
And because we will spend the coming weeks in chapter one,
12:40
let's step out of it just a bit
12:42
to see the theme further in John's writing.
12:46
So, in John chapter eight,
12:49
in verse 12,
12:51
Jesus said,
12:52
I am the light of the world.
12:55
Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness,
12:58
but will have the light of life.
13:03
In chapter eight, verse 12,
13:05
Jesus calls himself the light of the world
13:08
and teaches that our pursuit of him and his ways,
13:11
what is often called our walk,
13:14
will not be in the darkness,
13:16
but in the light.
13:18
Here, Jesus so clearly reinforces the connection
13:21
that John makes between life and light
13:24
with the phrase,
13:26
the light of life.
13:29
The word translated life
13:31
is used all throughout John's gospel,
13:34
and as I said before,
13:35
refers to spiritual and eternal life.
13:40
How are these themes to be understood?
13:44
Let's take a stab at it.
13:47
Light by its very nature
13:49
causes darkness to scatter.
13:54
Darkness, in fact,
13:55
cannot be quantifiably measured.
13:58
It is merely the absence of light.
14:04
We take light for granted in our day,
14:07
but if you lived in a time
14:08
when the only source of light
14:09
was from a flame,
14:12
this metaphor would likely have
14:13
a more felt impact for you.
14:18
Darkness and light,
14:20
significant theme,
14:22
even for survival,
14:24
if it's not a plenty.
14:27
Where there is light,
14:29
there is not darkness.
14:32
darkness.
14:33
The two are opposites,
14:34
and one has expulsory power
14:36
over the other.
14:38
This week,
14:39
I very proudly taught my computer
14:41
the word expulsory.
14:43
If we back up a bit in John 3,
14:45
we can see this idea at work
14:47
in the negative.
14:49
So join me in John 3,
14:52
verse 20.
14:56
There Jesus says,
14:57
For everyone who does wicked things
15:02
hates the light
15:03
and does not come to the light,
15:06
lest his works should be exposed.
15:12
Wickedness is associated with darkness
15:14
in this text,
15:15
a darkness that does not want
15:17
the exposure of light.
15:21
Wickedness produces shame,
15:23
and it produces death.
15:25
It is the opposite,
15:27
the antithesis of the light of life
15:31
that we saw in John 8,
15:33
verse 12.
15:36
Let's press the metaphor
15:37
just a bit further and clearer.
15:41
Note especially
15:42
who the light is.
15:46
I am saying that John introduces Jesus
15:48
as the unquenchable light
15:51
in verses 4 and 5.
15:54
Jesus says in chapter 8,
15:57
in verse 12,
15:57
that he is the light
15:59
of the world.
16:03
And now in John 11,
16:04
verse 9 and 10,
16:06
Jesus there says,
16:09
Are there not 12 hours
16:11
in the day?
16:12
If anyone walks in the day,
16:14
he does not stumble
16:15
because he sees
16:16
the light of this world.
16:19
But if anyone walks in the night,
16:21
he stumbles
16:22
because the light
16:23
is not in him.
16:27
I suggest to you
16:28
that the stumbling
16:29
that Jesus here refers to
16:31
is not a slight trip,
16:34
that's the way we tend to use
16:35
the word stumble,
16:36
but a stumble
16:38
that causes one
16:38
to fall headlong
16:40
and to not rise again.
16:44
Verse 10 says
16:45
that the person
16:46
whose life is characterized
16:47
by wickedness
16:48
is dead
16:50
because Jesus Christ,
16:52
the light,
16:53
is not in him.
16:57
Okay.
16:58
So this is where
16:59
the theme develops.
17:01
It's where it works itself out
17:03
in the book of John.
17:05
But let's go back again
17:07
to where it starts
17:09
with all of that
17:10
in our minds.
17:12
Verse 5 of chapter 1,
17:13
the light shines
17:15
in the darkness
17:15
and the darkness
17:17
has not
17:18
overcome it.
17:21
Perhaps this metaphor
17:22
of Jesus as light
17:24
set against
17:25
darkness
17:27
now lives more
17:28
vividly
17:29
in your mind.
17:31
Now here's the astounding
17:33
thing about
17:33
verse 5.
17:36
There's a very good chance
17:38
that John 1,
17:39
verse 5,
17:40
has become my
17:40
new favorite verse
17:42
after spending
17:42
the past two weeks
17:44
in it.
17:45
John,
17:46
in this great
17:47
economy of words,
17:49
has in mind
17:50
the incarnate Jesus,
17:52
the crucified Jesus,
17:55
the resurrected Jesus,
17:57
and the reigning Jesus.
18:00
With some understanding
18:02
of what he means,
18:03
developing this theme
18:04
of light,
18:06
he has all the good news
18:08
of Jesus
18:08
packed into
18:09
these 13 words.
18:13
It's 13 words
18:14
in my English
18:15
translations.
18:16
It's 13 words
18:17
in the original
18:18
language.
18:20
The whole gospel
18:21
packed in
18:22
right here
18:24
in this
18:25
one
18:26
verse.
18:28
Let's walk through
18:29
all that is
18:30
explicit
18:31
and implicit
18:32
here.
18:34
Firstly,
18:35
the incarnate
18:37
Jesus.
18:38
Verse 5,
18:39
the very beginning,
18:40
the light
18:41
shines
18:43
in the darkness.
18:46
God become
18:47
flesh,
18:48
right?
18:49
Comes into
18:50
the world
18:51
to illuminate it.
18:53
Look at the verses
18:54
that follow.
18:55
Verse 5,
18:56
this is verse 6
18:57
and following.
18:59
There was a man
19:00
sent from God
19:01
whose name
19:02
was John.
19:03
Not the same John
19:04
that authored this.
19:05
This is the John
19:05
who we often call
19:06
John the Baptist
19:07
although we would do
19:08
well to say
19:08
John the Baptizer
19:10
to ease
19:10
confusion.
19:12
Verse 7,
19:13
he came as a witness
19:14
to bear witness
19:15
about the light
19:17
that all might
19:18
believe through
19:19
him,
19:20
the light,
19:21
Jesus Christ.
19:23
He was not the light
19:24
but came to bear witness
19:26
about the light,
19:26
the true light
19:27
which gives light
19:28
to everyone
19:29
was coming
19:30
into the world.
19:32
We understand this
19:33
to be John's
19:35
introduction,
19:36
the incarnation
19:36
of Christ,
19:38
him becoming
19:39
flesh
19:40
and dwelling
19:41
amongst us.
19:43
And then verse 14,
19:45
this is where that
19:45
gets developed further.
19:46
John goes back
19:47
to the word title
19:49
and writes,
19:50
and the word became
19:51
flesh
19:51
and dwelt
19:52
among us
19:53
and we have seen
19:55
his glory,
19:55
glory as of the only
19:57
son from the father,
19:58
full of grace
20:00
and truth.
20:02
The light
20:02
shines
20:04
in the darkness.
20:05
We see here
20:06
the incarnate
20:07
Jesus.
20:10
We also see,
20:11
secondly,
20:11
the crucified Jesus
20:12
and the resurrected
20:14
Jesus.
20:16
All of that
20:16
packed into
20:17
the last part
20:18
of the verse.
20:20
And the darkness
20:21
has not
20:23
overcome it.
20:25
The darkness
20:26
doesn't win
20:27
over the light.
20:28
before I say
20:30
anything else
20:31
about this phrase,
20:31
I want to address
20:32
a quick translation
20:34
question.
20:35
Some of you
20:36
may have a translation
20:37
that says,
20:38
and the darkness
20:38
did not
20:39
comprehend it.
20:42
The Greek word
20:43
can mean
20:44
to grasp
20:45
in the sense
20:46
of understanding
20:47
or to seize
20:48
in the sense
20:49
of capture.
20:52
So it carries
20:52
that idea
20:53
with it.
20:54
I think the
20:55
did not
20:56
comprehend
20:57
translation
20:58
is looking
20:59
to the rejection
21:00
of Jesus
21:00
as the Christ
21:01
in verses 10
21:02
and 11
21:03
and throughout
21:04
the rest
21:05
of the book.
21:06
It's a theme
21:07
that's developed,
21:07
the tragic rejection
21:08
of Jesus
21:09
by the Jewish
21:10
people.
21:12
And that makes
21:12
it a fair
21:13
word to use.
21:15
Many good
21:15
translations
21:16
use the word
21:17
comprehend.
21:19
But I think
21:21
it misses
21:21
the overall
21:22
thrust
21:23
of John's
21:24
prologue.
21:25
I'm quick
21:26
to pick
21:26
on the
21:27
English
21:27
standard
21:28
version,
21:29
but not
21:29
in this
21:29
case.
21:30
I am so
21:31
very happy
21:31
that it's
21:32
rendered in
21:33
the ESV
21:34
and the
21:34
darkness
21:35
has not
21:36
overcome it,
21:37
has not
21:38
seized it,
21:39
has not
21:39
won a
21:40
victory
21:41
over it.
21:44
Satan
21:44
plotted
21:45
through the
21:45
intentions
21:46
of evil
21:47
men
21:47
to see
21:48
Jesus
21:49
laid
21:50
in the
21:51
grave.
21:52
Peter says
21:53
in Acts
21:53
chapter 2
21:54
verse 22
21:54
and following,
21:57
Men of Israel,
21:57
hear these
21:58
words.
21:59
Jesus of
22:00
Nazareth,
22:01
a man
22:01
attested
22:02
to you
22:02
by God
22:03
with mighty
22:03
works
22:04
and wonders
22:04
and signs
22:05
that God
22:06
did through
22:06
him in
22:07
your midst
22:07
as you
22:08
yourselves
22:08
know.
22:10
This
22:10
Jesus
22:11
delivered up
22:11
according
22:12
to the
22:12
definite
22:13
plan
22:13
and foreknowledge
22:15
of God,
22:15
you crucified
22:16
and killed
22:17
by the hands
22:18
of lawless
22:19
men.
22:21
We imagine
22:22
the enemy
22:23
thought he
22:23
had won
22:24
the final
22:25
victory
22:25
as Jesus
22:26
suffered
22:27
crucifixion
22:28
on the
22:29
cross.
22:30
But Satan
22:31
is not
22:31
omniscient
22:32
and could
22:33
not prevent
22:34
God's mighty
22:35
intentions
22:36
in the death
22:37
of his
22:37
son.
22:38
Never be
22:39
mistaken,
22:40
the death
22:41
of Christ
22:41
was the
22:42
greatest
22:43
crime
22:43
in all
22:45
of history.
22:47
Jesus
22:47
was
22:47
entirely
22:49
innocent.
22:51
But it
22:52
did not
22:52
occur
22:53
outside
22:54
divine
22:55
providence.
22:58
I have
22:59
a dear
22:59
friend
22:59
who
23:00
many
23:01
years
23:01
ago
23:01
served
23:03
time
23:04
for some
23:05
drug
23:06
with intent
23:06
to
23:07
distribute
23:07
charges
23:10
and
23:11
the entire
23:12
case was
23:12
fabricated
23:13
against him.
23:14
Like people
23:14
witnessed against
23:14
him that he
23:15
had never
23:15
even met.
23:16
and I
23:17
asked him,
23:17
I said,
23:17
did it not
23:18
just make
23:18
you so
23:19
mad?
23:20
They said,
23:20
well,
23:21
the system
23:21
makes me
23:22
mad,
23:22
but I
23:23
was totally
23:23
guilty of
23:24
the crime.
23:24
Like,
23:25
I was
23:25
entirely
23:25
guilty.
23:26
They
23:26
just had
23:26
to
23:26
fabricate
23:27
a case
23:27
against
23:29
me.
23:29
He
23:29
had
23:30
done
23:30
the
23:30
things
23:30
that he
23:31
was
23:32
convicted
23:32
of doing,
23:33
just
23:33
wasn't
23:34
done
23:34
in the
23:34
proper
23:35
way.
23:36
Not
23:36
so
23:36
was
23:36
Christ.
23:37
Entirely
23:38
innocent,
23:38
not guilty
23:39
of anything
23:40
at all,
23:41
and yet
23:42
crucified.
23:43
And this
23:44
did not
23:44
happen
23:45
outside
23:46
of God's
23:47
providential
23:48
work.
23:50
Listen to
23:50
what Jesus
23:51
says of
23:51
his death
23:52
and following
23:52
resurrection
23:53
in John
23:54
chapter 10.
23:56
This is
23:56
part of
23:56
verse 17
23:57
and into
23:57
18.
23:58
He says,
23:59
I lay
24:00
down
24:00
my life
24:01
that I
24:02
may take
24:03
it up
24:03
again.
24:05
No one
24:06
takes it
24:06
from me,
24:07
but I lay
24:08
it down
24:08
of my
24:08
own
24:09
accord.
24:09
I have
24:09
authority.
24:11
The darkness
24:12
thought,
24:13
it had
24:13
overcome
24:14
the light.
24:16
On
24:17
Friday
24:17
afternoon,
24:18
Jesus,
24:19
the light
24:20
of life,
24:20
was laid
24:21
in a
24:22
dark
24:22
tomb.
24:24
But on
24:24
Sunday
24:25
morning,
24:26
oh,
24:26
on that
24:27
most amazing
24:28
of Sunday
24:29
mornings,
24:30
the light
24:31
burst
24:32
back
24:32
onto
24:33
the scene.
24:34
The darkness
24:35
has not
24:36
overcome
24:37
it.
24:39
We will
24:39
do well
24:40
at this
24:40
point to
24:41
read John's
24:42
account.
24:43
of the
24:44
resurrection.
24:45
So please
24:45
turn with
24:45
me to
24:46
John
24:46
chapter
24:47
20.
25:03
Now,
25:03
on the
25:03
first day
25:04
of the
25:04
week,
25:05
Mary Magdalene
25:06
came to
25:06
the tomb
25:07
early while
25:07
it was
25:07
still dark
25:08
and saw
25:08
that the
25:09
stone had
25:09
been taken
25:10
away from
25:11
the tomb.
25:12
So she
25:13
ran and
25:13
went to
25:14
Simon Peter
25:14
and the
25:14
other
25:15
disciple,
25:16
the one
25:16
whom Jesus
25:16
loved,
25:18
this is
25:18
John,
25:19
and said
25:19
to them,
25:20
they have
25:21
taken the
25:21
Lord out
25:22
of the
25:22
tomb,
25:23
and we
25:23
do not
25:23
know
25:24
where they
25:24
have laid
25:24
him.
25:26
So Peter
25:26
went out
25:26
with the
25:27
other
25:27
disciple,
25:28
and they
25:28
were going
25:29
toward the
25:29
tomb.
25:30
Both of
25:31
them were
25:31
running
25:31
together,
25:32
but the
25:32
other
25:32
disciple
25:33
outran
25:33
Peter
25:34
and reached
25:34
the tomb
25:35
first.
25:36
And stooping
25:37
to look
25:38
in,
25:38
he saw
25:38
the linen
25:39
cloths
25:40
lying there,
25:41
but he
25:41
did not
25:42
go in.
25:43
Then Simon
25:43
Peter came
25:44
following him
25:45
and went
25:45
into the
25:46
tomb.
25:46
He saw
25:46
the linen
25:47
cloths
25:47
lying there,
25:48
and the
25:49
face cloth,
25:49
which had
25:50
been on
25:50
Jesus'
25:51
head,
25:51
not lying
25:52
with the
25:52
linen
25:52
cloths,
25:53
but folded
25:54
up in a
25:54
place by
25:55
itself.
25:57
Then the
25:57
other
25:58
disciple,
25:58
who had
25:59
reached the
25:59
tomb first,
26:00
also went
26:00
in,
26:01
and he
26:01
saw and
26:03
believed.
26:04
For as
26:05
yet they
26:05
did not
26:05
understand
26:06
the
26:06
scripture,
26:07
that he
26:07
must rise
26:08
from the
26:09
dead.
26:10
Then the
26:11
disciples went
26:11
back to
26:13
their homes.
26:14
But Mary
26:15
stood weeping
26:15
outside the
26:16
tomb,
26:16
and as she
26:17
wept,
26:17
she stooped
26:18
to look
26:18
into the
26:19
tomb,
26:20
and she
26:20
saw two
26:21
angels in
26:21
white,
26:22
sitting where
26:22
the body
26:23
of Jesus
26:23
had lain,
26:24
one at
26:25
the head
26:25
and one
26:26
at the
26:27
feet.
26:28
They said
26:28
to her,
26:29
woman,
26:29
why are
26:30
you weeping?
26:31
She said
26:32
to them,
26:32
they have
26:32
taken away
26:33
my Lord,
26:33
and I do
26:34
not know
26:34
where,
26:35
they have
26:35
laid him.
26:37
Having said
26:38
this,
26:38
she turned
26:38
around and
26:39
saw Jesus
26:40
standing,
26:41
but she
26:41
did not
26:42
know that
26:42
it was
26:43
Jesus.
26:44
Jesus said
26:45
to her,
26:45
woman,
26:46
why are
26:46
you weeping?
26:47
Whom are
26:48
you seeking?
26:49
Supposing him
26:50
to be the
26:50
gardener,
26:51
she said to
26:51
him,
26:52
sir,
26:52
if you
26:52
have carried
26:53
him away,
26:53
tell me
26:53
where you
26:54
have laid
26:54
him,
26:55
and I
26:55
will take
26:55
him away.
26:57
Jesus
26:58
said to
26:58
her,
26:59
Mary.
26:59
Mary.
27:01
She
27:01
turned
27:01
and said
27:02
to him
27:02
in Aramaic,
27:04
Rabbani,
27:05
which means
27:06
teacher.
27:08
Jesus
27:09
said to
27:09
her,
27:10
do not
27:11
cling to
27:11
me,
27:12
for I
27:12
have not
27:12
yet ascended
27:13
to the
27:13
Father,
27:14
but go to
27:14
my brothers
27:15
and say
27:15
to them,
27:16
I am
27:16
ascending
27:16
to my
27:17
father
27:17
and your
27:17
father,
27:18
to my
27:18
God
27:19
and your
27:19
God.
27:22
Mary Magdalene
27:22
went and
27:23
announced to
27:23
the disciples,
27:24
I have
27:25
seen the
27:25
Lord,
27:26
and that he
27:27
had said
27:27
these things
27:27
to her.
27:29
On the
27:29
evening of
27:30
that day,
27:30
the first
27:30
day of
27:31
the week,
27:31
the doors
27:31
being locked
27:32
where the
27:32
disciples were
27:33
for fear
27:34
of the
27:34
Jews,
27:34
Jesus
27:35
came and
27:35
stood among
27:36
them and
27:37
said to
27:37
them,
27:38
peace be
27:39
with you.
27:40
When he
27:40
had said
27:41
this,
27:41
he showed
27:41
them his
27:42
hands and
27:43
his side.
27:43
Then the
27:44
disciples were
27:44
glad when
27:45
they saw
27:45
the Lord.
27:47
Jesus
27:47
said to
27:48
them again,
27:49
peace be
27:49
with you,
27:50
as the
27:50
father has
27:51
sent me,
27:52
even so
27:52
I am
27:53
sending
27:53
you.
27:55
And when
27:55
he had
27:55
said this,
27:56
he breathed
27:57
on them
27:57
and said
27:57
to
27:58
them,
27:58
receive
27:59
the
28:00
Holy
28:00
Spirit.
28:01
If you
28:02
forgive the
28:02
sins of
28:02
any,
28:03
they are
28:03
forgiven
28:03
them.
28:03
If you
28:04
withhold
28:04
forgiveness
28:05
from any,
28:05
it is
28:06
withheld.
28:07
Now
28:08
Thomas,
28:08
one of
28:08
the
28:09
twelve,
28:09
called the
28:09
twin,
28:10
was not
28:10
with them
28:10
when Jesus
28:11
came.
28:12
So the
28:12
other
28:12
disciples
28:12
told him,
28:13
we have
28:13
seen
28:14
the
28:14
Lord.
28:15
But he
28:15
said to
28:16
them,
28:16
unless I
28:16
see in
28:17
his
28:17
hands
28:18
the marks
28:18
of the
28:18
nails,
28:19
and place
28:19
my
28:19
finger
28:20
into the
28:20
mark
28:21
of the
28:21
nails,
28:21
and place
28:22
my hand
28:22
into his
28:23
side,
28:23
I will
28:24
never
28:24
believe.
28:26
Eight days
28:27
later,
28:27
his disciples
28:28
were inside
28:29
again,
28:30
and Thomas
28:31
was with
28:31
them.
28:32
That must
28:32
have been
28:32
an agonizing
28:33
week for
28:33
Thomas.
28:34
Although the
28:35
doors were
28:35
locked,
28:35
Jesus came
28:36
and stood
28:36
among them
28:37
and said,
28:37
peace be
28:38
with you.
28:40
Then he
28:40
said to
28:40
Thomas,
28:41
put your
28:41
fingers
28:42
here,
28:42
and see
28:42
my hands,
28:43
and put
28:43
out your
28:44
hand,
28:44
and place
28:45
it in
28:45
my side.
28:47
Do
28:47
not
28:47
disbelieve,
28:49
but believe.
28:50
Thomas
28:51
answered
28:51
him,
28:52
my
28:52
Lord,
28:53
and my
28:53
God.
28:55
Jesus
28:55
said to
28:56
him,
28:56
have you
28:57
believed
28:57
because
28:57
you
28:57
have
28:58
seen
28:58
me?
28:59
Blessed
28:59
are
28:59
those
28:59
who
29:00
have
29:00
not
29:00
seen
29:01
and
29:01
yet
29:02
have
29:02
believed.
29:04
Now,
29:04
Jesus did
29:05
many other
29:05
signs in
29:05
the presence
29:06
of the
29:06
disciples,
29:07
which are
29:07
not
29:07
written
29:08
in this
29:09
book,
29:10
but these
29:11
are written
29:11
so that
29:12
you may
29:13
believe
29:13
that Jesus
29:14
is the
29:15
Christ,
29:15
the Son
29:15
of God,
29:16
and that
29:17
by believing
29:18
you may
29:19
have life
29:20
in his
29:21
name.
29:21
So,
29:22
it's an
29:23
astounding
29:23
thing there,
29:23
like the
29:24
whole summary
29:24
of John's
29:26
letter given
29:26
to us,
29:27
the purpose
29:27
of it,
29:28
right,
29:28
these things
29:29
written down
29:30
so that you
29:30
may believe
29:31
that Jesus
29:32
is the
29:32
Christ,
29:33
the Son
29:33
of God,
29:33
and that
29:34
by believing
29:35
you may
29:36
have life,
29:37
right,
29:37
the light
29:37
of life
29:38
in you,
29:39
in his
29:40
name.
29:42
And just
29:42
before that,
29:43
right,
29:44
he has said,
29:44
verse 29,
29:45
Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.
29:53
Beloved, that's us.
29:54
Those of us who have placed faith in Christ
29:55
and have not touched his hands or put our hand at his side
29:59
and yet have believed.
30:02
We are called here blessed.
30:06
And that's why we gather today.
30:09
We are gathered today by faith to worship the risen.
30:15
Christ.
30:17
We gather every Lord's Day to worship the risen Christ.
30:22
The light that shines in the darkness
30:24
and the darkness has not overcome it.
30:29
It has been ordered that we should do this.
30:32
We are slow learners and we are quick to forget.
30:38
The risen Christ needs to be constantly held up in front of us.
30:42
All the promises of God find their yes in him
30:45
and the resurrection is the guarantee that he is who he said he is.
30:52
He is in fact the light that shines in the darkness
30:56
and the darkness has not overcome it.
31:00
The church since its founding has done this,
31:03
this regular gathering on the Lord's Day.
31:06
It's the reason we gather on Sunday
31:08
because it's the day that Christ was risen
31:11
to see and pray and preach and hear and sing the good news
31:16
of the victory of Jesus Christ.
31:20
Last week I read to you
31:23
what I think I said was the second verse.
31:25
I think it was actually the third verse
31:28
in a song written by Charles Wesley.
31:30
It's been sang by the church throughout the ages
31:32
called,
31:33
And Can It Be That I Should Gain?
31:37
This verse,
31:38
I won't tell you which verse it is
31:39
because I'm going to get it wrong,
31:41
it's on the back of your bowl.
31:42
And he wrote this,
31:43
Amazing love,
32:11
How can it be that thou, my God,
32:15
should die for me?
32:18
But the story does not end with the resurrection.
32:24
We keep church calendar days,
32:27
I think largely for cultural reasons,
32:30
but there are many other significant things
32:32
that happen in the life of Christ
32:34
that we don't give special days to.
32:39
How about his ascension?
32:41
Right?
32:42
Third point is the reigning Jesus.
32:45
This is part of this darkness
32:47
not overcoming the light.
32:51
After 40 days,
32:53
Jesus ascended
32:54
and is presently at the right hand
32:56
of God the Father
32:57
where he rules over all things.
33:02
The author of Hebrews says
33:04
in Hebrews chapter 1 and verse 3,
33:06
Jesus Christ is the radiance
33:08
of the glory of God
33:08
and the exact imprint of his nature
33:11
and he upholds the universe
33:14
by the word of his power.
33:17
After making purifications for sins,
33:20
he sat down at the right hand
33:22
of the majesty on high.
33:25
Paul says in Romans chapter 8,
33:26
he is there interceding for us.
33:30
He's praying on behalf of his people.
33:34
Paul adds to this in Colossians chapter 1,
33:38
verse 15 and following,
33:39
Jesus Christ is the image of the invisible God,
33:44
the firstborn of all creation.
33:46
For by him all things were created
33:48
in heaven and on earth,
33:50
visible and invisible,
33:51
whether thrones or dominions
33:53
or rulers or authorities,
33:55
all things were created through him
33:56
and for him.
33:59
And he is before all things
34:02
and in him all things hold together.
34:06
And he is the head of the body,
34:10
the church.
34:12
He is the beginning,
34:13
the firstborn from the dead,
34:14
that in everything he might be preeminent,
34:17
to think excellent.
34:19
For in him the fullness of God
34:21
was pleased to dwell
34:22
and through him to reconcile to himself
34:25
all things,
34:26
whether on earth or in heaven,
34:30
making peace by the blood of his cross.
34:34
Right?
34:34
Jesus reigns over all things now
34:37
and he is working to build his church.
34:41
A church that he is building
34:42
on the truth that he is the Christ.
34:46
A guaranteed church.
34:48
The gates of hell will not prevail against.
34:52
The darkness is still working
34:55
to overcome the light,
34:57
but it will not.
34:59
And John has this in mind.
35:03
The church,
35:04
under the lordship of Christ,
35:06
by the will of the Father
35:07
and the power of the Spirit,
35:11
goes on
35:12
and it goes out
35:13
in order that we might gather people
35:16
for the praise of the light.
35:19
The light shines
35:22
in the darkness
35:23
and the darkness
35:25
has not
35:26
overcome it.
35:28
Let's pray together.
35:29
Thank you.