Sermon Tone Analysis

Sermon Text

Title: The Word was with God.

About the writer

John was one of the 12 apostles of Jesus.

JOHN THE APOSTLE (Ἰωάννης, Iōannēs).

One of the 12 apostles of Jesus.

A fisherman at the Sea of Galilee who was called by Jesus and became a disciple and an apostle, along with his brother James.

Possibly the author of the Gospel of John, 1–3 John, and Revelation.

JOHN THE APOSTLE (Ἰωάννης, Iōannēs).

One of the 12 apostles of Jesus.

A fisherman at the Sea of Galilee who was called by Jesus and became a disciple and an apostle, along with his brother James.

Possibly the author of the Gospel of John, 1–3 John, and Revelation.

He was a fisherman at the Sea of Galilee who was called by Jesus and became a disciple and an apostle, along with his brother James.

It has been tradition that John the Apostle was the writer of this account.

A quick fact about this account is that John and his brother James are never mentioned.

A quick fact about this account is that John and his brother James are never mentioned.

John wrote five New Testament books.

He wrote the gospel of John, the three short epistles that also have his name and the book of Revelation.

John wrote five New Testament books.

He wrote the gospel of John, the three short epistles that also have his name and the book of Revelation.

John was 1 of three, out of the twelve, that were closest to Jesus.

John witnessed the transfiguration of Jesus who was with Moses and Elijah on the mount.

Found in .

James and John were called the sons of thunder.

part of Jesus’ “inner circle” and, along with Peter and James, John was given the privilege of witnessing Jesus’ conversation with Moses and Elijah on the mount of the transfiguration ().

His importance in the twelve grew as he matured, and after the crucifixion, he became a “pillar” in the Jerusalem church (), ministered with Peter (, , ), and finally was exiled to the island of Patmos by the Romans, where he received from God the majestic visions that comprise the book of Revelation.

Some have pointed out that this was descriptive of their personality.

An example of this can be found in

Another example can be found in .

Even though John struggled with his zeal, we see in the book of Acts that he became a “pillar” in the Jerusalem church ().

He also ministered with Peter who had similar issues himself.

We see him in forbidding a man to cast out demons in Jesus’ name because he was not part of the twelve ().

Jesus gently rebuked him, saying no one could cast out demons in Jesus’ name and then turn around and speak evil of Him.

In , we see the brothers wanting to call down fire from heaven to destroy the Samaritans who refused to welcome Jesus.

Again, Jesus had to rebuke them for their intolerance and lack of genuine love for the lost.

John’s zeal for Jesus was also influenced by his natural ambition, as seen in his request (through his mother) that he and his brother be seated on Jesus’ right and left hands in the kingdom, an incident that caused a temporary rift between the brothers and the other disciples ().

and finally was exiled to the island of Patmos by the Romans, where he received from God the majestic visions that comprise the book of Revelation.

We see in the book of Acts that he became a “pillar” in the Jerusalem church ().

He also ministered with Peter.

Some have noted that in the passages where it mentions “the disciple whom Jesus loved” that this was John.

Not to be confused with John the Baptist, the Apostle John is the brother of James, another of the twelve disciples of Jesus.

Together, they were called by Jesus “Boanerges,” which means “sons of thunder,” and therein we find a key to John’s personality.

It may have been as some believed.

And if so, then we can say that John was the one left with Mary at the crucifixion

We do know that John was exiled to the island of Patmos by the Romans, where he received from God the visions that were recorded in the book of Revelation.

We do know directly from the author the reason for this book.

Outline

We should not pass over the curious fact that in this Gospel John and his brother James are never mentioned.

A quick fact about this account is that John and his brother James are never mentioned.

We should not pass over the curious fact that in this Gospel John and his brother James are never mentioned.

Outline

1: The Word (recap from last week)

2: Our focus: The Word Was with God

1: The Word (v.1)

Last week we talked about why John used “the Word” here to describe Jesus.

In Greek philosophy, the term “word” or as they would say “logos,” was used to describe a principle that would bring everything together which would give everyone the wisdom to live.

They believed that by finding THE PRINCIPLE that this would unify and make sense of everything.

Thus giving man the means to be one.

Speaking to the Greeks, John spoke of Jesus being the living principle who would bring everything together and that He is the One who holds all things together.

To the Jews who knew the Word as “the word of the Lord” spoken in the Old Testament, John was showing them that Jesus was not just a prophet.

He was and is the Word of God Himself.

Making Him far better than any prophet before Him.

Calling Jesus the Word was an admission that Jesus was there in the beginning.

Before anything that was made there was God and the Word was God and was with God from the beginning.

By inspiration of the Holy Spirit, John is writing of Jesus as God in whom all things were made.

The Word which holds everything together is Jesus Christ.

And the implication here is that since Jesus is God and because all things were made for Him, we can trust Him through anything.

That is what we arrived to when reading, “In the beginning was the Word.”

The second point which is our main focus today speaks of the Word being with God.

2: The Word was with God (v.1)

This part of the verse shows us that Jesus who was and is the Word was with God.

Meaning that Jesus the Son of God was with God.

Meaning that Jesus the Son of God was with God.

This is a good reminder of the doctrine of the Trinity.

In Article 2 - The Trinity

2-1.

There are three persons in the Godhead: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

These three are one God, the same in substance, eternally equal in power and glory.

This is also a reminder to guard ourselves from what is called Binitarianism.

Binitarianism is the belief that the one true God exists only as two Persons (the Father and the Son).

And it teaches that the Holy Spirit is actually just another name for Jesus.

Binitarianism is the belief that the one true God exists as two Persons (the Father and the Son).

It teaches that the Holy Spirit is actually just another name for Jesus.

It also asserts that since the Holy Spirit is Jesus Christ it means then that the Holy Spirit came into the flesh.

This is not what the bible teaches.

Binitarianism teaches that the Holy Spirit is actually just another name for Jesus—more to the point, that Jesus is simply the Spirit incarnate.

The Word is clearly Jesus Christ, not the Holy Spirit.

In the incarnation we see the Son being sent by God the Father and the Son being led by God the Holy Spirit.

Which immediately refutes the Binitarian heresy.

What I want to do today is focus our attention to “the Word was with God.”

First, I want to look at the relationship of the Father and the Son.

Secondly, we will look at the relationship with the Son and the Holy Spirit.

It is very important to note that we cannot separate the Godhead.

Nor can we divide them.

What we will do today is see distinctions according to Scripture.

A: The Father and the Son

The first in looking into the relationship of the Father and the Son, is that they are equal in substance.

As with the Holy Spirit.

It is important to note that Jesus and the Father are eternally equal in substance.

Meaning that though they are distinct persons, The Father and the Son are God.

The Holy Spirit is God and He shares equally with them the same substance.