Sermon Tone Analysis

Outline

Main Idea: Jesus came in the flesh, full of grace and truth, so that He would be revealed.

Outline

1.

The Incarnation of Jesus (v.14)

2. The Preexistence of Jesus (v.15)

3. The Fullness of Jesus (v.16-17)

4. The Revealing of Jesus (v.18)

1.

The Incarnation of Jesus (v.14)

Verse 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Verse 14 contains in it the central theme in what is called a prologue.

A prologue is an opening to a story that establishes the context and gives background details of a main story.

John begins with details, namely, that Jesus is the Word who was with God in the beginning and is Himself God.

This is the context to all of the gospel of John.

The Word that became flesh establishes at the foundation of this gospel the truth about Jesus Christ.

Verse 14 is the highlight of the prologue in this gospel.

Verse 14a And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us

Verse 14 begins with the incarnation and how Jesus dwelt among people.

This is what is called the mystery of godliness!

This mystery, that was hidden or partially seen, was finally revealed in the incarnation of Jesus Christ.

God the Son became a man and He dwelled among people.

God “tabernacled” among people in the incarnation.

The Word (Logos) became a man and manifested Himself to man.

This is foundational when reading this gospel.

Confirmation with true belief of this truth affirms genuine faith.

Denial of this affirms one’s condemnation.

The incarnation is a non-negotiable.

Examples of heresies that undermine understanding the truth of the incarnation.

Adoptionism - God granted Jesus powers and then adopted him as a Son.

Reincarnation and two gods: one good and other evil.Apollinarianism - Jesus' divine will overshadowed and replaced the human.Arianism - Jesus was a lesser, created being.Docetism - Jesus was divine but only seemed to be human.Donatism - Validity of sacraments depends on character of the minister.Eutychianism - Jesus finite human nature is swallowed up in His infinite divine nature.Gnosticism - Dualism of good and bad and special knowledge for salvation.Kenosis - Jesus gave up some divine attributes while on earth.Marcionism - An evil God of the O.T., good God of the N.T. 11, books in the CanonModalism - God is one person in three modes.Monarchianism - God is one person.Monophysitism - Jesus had only one nature: divine.Nestorianism - Jesus was two persons.Patripassionism - The Father suffered on the cross.Pelagianism - Man is unaffected by the fall and can keep all of God's laws.Semi-Pelagianism - Man and God cooperate to achieve man's salvation.Socinianism - Denial of the Trinity.

Jesus is a deified man.Subordinationism - The Son is lesser than the Father in essence and or attributes.Tritheism - The Trinity is really three separate gods.

Apollinarianism - Jesus' divine will overshadowed and replaced the human.

Reincarnation and two gods: one good and other evil.Apollinarianism - Jesus' divine will overshadowed and replaced the human.Arianism - Jesus was a lesser, created being.Docetism - Jesus was divine but only seemed to be human.Donatism - Validity of sacraments depends on character of the minister.Eutychianism - Jesus finite human nature is swallowed up in His infinite divine nature.Gnosticism - Dualism of good and bad and special knowledge for salvation.Kenosis - Jesus gave up some divine attributes while on earth.Marcionism - An evil God of the O.T., good God of the N.T. 11, books in the CanonModalism - God is one person in three modes.Monarchianism - God is one person.Monophysitism - Jesus had only one nature: divine.Nestorianism - Jesus was two persons.Patripassionism - The Father suffered on the cross.Pelagianism - Man is unaffected by the fall and can keep all of God's laws.Semi-Pelagianism - Man and God cooperate to achieve man's salvation.Socinianism - Denial of the Trinity.

Jesus is a deified man.Subordinationism - The Son is lesser than the Father in essence and or attributes.Tritheism - The Trinity is really three separate gods.

Arianism - Jesus was a lesser, created being.

Docetism - Jesus was divine but only seemed to be human.

Donatism - Validity of sacraments depends on character of the minister.Eutychianism - Jesus finite human nature is swallowed up in His infinite divine nature.Gnosticism - Dualism of good and bad and special knowledge for salvation.Kenosis - Jesus gave up some divine attributes while on earth.Marcionism - An evil God of the O.T., good God of the N.T. 11, books in the CanonModalism - God is one person in three modes.Monarchianism - God is one person.Monophysitism - Jesus had only one nature: divine.Nestorianism - Jesus was two persons.Patripassionism - The Father suffered on the cross.Pelagianism - Man is unaffected by the fall and can keep all of God's laws.Semi-Pelagianism - Man and God cooperate to achieve man's salvation.Socinianism - Denial of the Trinity.

Jesus is a deified man.Subordinationism - The Son is lesser than the Father in essence and or attributes.Tritheism - The Trinity is really three separate gods.

Eutychianism - Jesus finite human nature is swallowed up in His infinite divine nature.

Gnosticism - Dualism of good and bad and special knowledge for salvation.

Kenosis - Jesus gave up some divine attributes while on earth.

Marcionism - An evil God of the O.T., good God of the N.T. 11, books in the Canon

Modalism - God is one person in three modes.

Monarchianism - God is one person.

Monophysitism - Jesus had only one nature: divine.

Nestorianism - Jesus was two persons.

Patripassionism - The Father suffered on the cross.

Pelagianism - Man is unaffected by the fall and can keep all of God's laws.

Semi-Pelagianism - Man and God cooperate to achieve man's salvation.Socinianism - Denial of the Trinity.

Jesus is a deified man.Subordinationism - The Son is lesser than the Father in essence and or attributes.Tritheism - The Trinity is really three separate gods.

Socinianism - Denial of the Trinity.

Jesus is a deified man.

Subordinationism - The Son is lesser than the Father in essence and or attributes.

Tritheism - The Trinity is really three separate gods.

Concluding on these beliefs about the incarnation denies what the Holy Scriptures teach.

God became a man and He dwelled amongst people.

God became a man and He dwelled amongst people.

God dwelled among men.

The gospel of John is all about Jesus Christ dwelling among people.

And it is an account that bears witness of Him.

And it is an account that bears witness of Him.

Read Verse 14b and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John speaks of seeing His glory.

In first John the same author tells us what He means here.

John has seen Him and touched Him.

During His earthly ministry and afterwards in the resurrection.

Then, John claims Jesus as the only Son from the Father.

Which is a point John wanted to make.

That Jesus is not an angel sent by God nor just a prophet.

He is the Son.

God the Son who was wit God in the beginning!

This highlights the importance of knowing Christ as greater.

Christ is greater than angels

Christ is greater than Moses

Christ is greater than prophets

Christ is greater than priests

Christ is greater than kings

Christ is greater than the manna eaten in the wilderness

Christ is greater than the Old Testament sacrifices

Christ is greater than the tabernacle because Christ would dwell in His people

Christ is greater than the patriarchs

Christ is greater than

Christ is greater than any human institution

Christ is greater than persecution

Christ is greater than any nation that tries to exalt itself above Him

Christ is greater

He is the only Son sent by the Father who was Himself God.

This is John’s point when speaking of Christ as the only Son from the Father.

The only Son from the Father who is full of grace and truth.

Question: What does it mean for Jesus to be full of grace and truth?

J.C Ryle Said this

"This constant undivided union of two perfect natures in Christ's Person is exactly that which gives infinite value to His mediation and qualifies Him to be the very Mediator that sinners need.

Our Mediator is One who can sympathize with us, because He is very MAN.

And yet, at the same time, He is One who can deal with the Father for us on equal terms, because He is very GOD."

What John was writing and bearing witness of is that Jesus was completely full of grace and truth because Jesus was God.

Jesus in the incarnation was fully God.

Which means that Jesus in the incarnation revealed Himself as the source of grace and truth.

Jesus didn’t just have grace or truth.

Jesus was Himself of grace and truth.

Meaning the source of grace and truth.

grace n. — goodwill freely disseminated (by God); especially to the benefit of the recipient regardless of the benefit accrued to the disseminator.