I'd like to welcome you to the House of God this evening. We trust and pray that the Lord will bless our gathering together in his presence. Just remember for the incoming week, the prayer meeting on Wednesday night at 8 p.m. And then next Lord's Day, the services at 11.30 a.m. and 7 p.m. with half hour of prayer before each service. And the next Sunday night will be the second testimony night of the year. And we'll have Mr. Alfie Stewart along from our Macrafelt congregation. to speak of his testimony of the Lord's saving grace. So do remember that meeting and invite others to come in. He's got a great testimony indeed. And there'll be supper after the meeting for all, and group two will be in charge of that supper if possible. And other announcements, remember on Friday night at 8 p.m. in Lisburn Free Presbyterian Church, is the Sending Forth Service for Miss Elizabeth Edwards. So if you're free on Friday night, do go along and support that service and support our sister in the work of the Lord. Also remember to pray for the sick of the congregation, the sick associated with our congregation, and all who need the Lord's help at this time. And don't forget to pray for the mission in Ballygolly and for our Holiday Bible Club, which will take place in a few weeks' time. That's all of the announcements. We'll just commence by turning to hymn 98 on the page 216 of the hymn book. Hymn 98, there is a green hill far away without a city wall. We'll stand as we sing this hymn together, please. Where the dear Lord was crucified, who died to save us all. We may not know, we cannot tell what means he hath to bear. He died to leave us good, that we might go at last to Him, saved by His gracious grace. The only fruit of love, the gift of heaven and earth, our Savior. Amen. We'll bow in prayer together and we'll seek the Lord's face. for our gathering in His house tonight. Let us pray. Our Father in heaven, we come to Thee once again, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, acknowledging, O Heavenly Father, what the Scriptures say concerning Him, that He is the only mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, Heavenly Father, how some say there are many mediators, how some say that there are mediators who lead us to Christ, who lead us, therefore, then to God. But Heavenly Father, we reject this notion and we reject these notions, and we rejoice, O Heavenly Father, in the simplicity that there is in the Gospel, the simplicity that there is in the Scriptures, that there is only one mediator between God and man, that there is only one we need to get to and to go to if we want to have access to God, the Lord Jesus Christ. And we're thankful, O Heavenly Father, that we have free access to Him who loves sinners, to Him who gave His life for sinners, to Him who dwelled among sinners, to Him, O Heavenly Father, who came down into this sinful world in order that He might save sinners, And Lord, we thank Thee for a Saviour who loves His people and who delights to fellowship with them and who delights to hear from them by way of prayer. And Lord, we come to Thee tonight and we pray that Thou would bless us tonight as we gather in this place We thank Thee, O Heavenly Father, for the faithfulness of the people of God, not just tonight but down through the years, who have kept the doors of this place open for the proclamation of the Gospel of Christ. Heavenly Father, we pray, bless our gathering tonight. Be one of our number. Heavenly Father, we think of those men on the road to Emmaus, how when they spent that season with Christ, their hearts burned within them, And how often, Lord, our hearts get dull. And, Lord, our hearts get apathetic. And, Lord, when we hear of the things of God and the things of Christ, there's not that rejoicing. There's not that heart emotion that there should be. Heavenly Father, we pray tonight that as we meet with Christ in the Word, that we will leave this place with our hearts burning within us. Heavenly Father, we pray, give us that time of intimate fellowship with Thee tonight, especially in the Gospel. Lord, remember all who are here. Lord, may the words speak to each and every heart. Remember all who listen in online, Lord. May the words speak to them as well. Grant understanding. Grant, oh Heavenly Father, that thy spirit would come in that illuminating power and reveal the truths of the gospel to each and every one of our hearts and our souls. Heavenly Father, we pray, may this meeting be owned and blessed of God. And may this house here tonight, Lord, may it be a place where God is glorified and where God is upheld in his Son, Jesus Christ. Father, we pray, bless us. our land and nation, and our sister churches. We pray for every man who mounts the pulpit steps, Lord, that they would know that same power of the Holy Spirit. And Lord, there would be that same power of the Spirit from pew to pew. The Lord's souls would be saved tonight in our little land, even in our village here. Lord, that many souls would come to Christ. Heavenly Father, that tonight would be a night of great encouragement across our land. Lord, in days of discouragement, Lord, that thou would send encouragement to thy church and encouragement to thy people. Heavenly Father, grant tokens for good. Remember every effort in the gospel over the next number of weeks, Lord. Even remember on the 12th, Heavenly Father, as we do in open air and as we seek to evangelize on that day. Even remember, Lord, on the 12th as we Read passages of Scripture down in the field. Father, we pray that Thy Word would go forth in power. We pray, Father, that Thy Word would speak. Lord, that many who are supposedly or so-called on our side, Heavenly Father, who are blinded to the truth and blinded to the Gospel, that they would come to see the truth, that they need to be saved. Lord, that heritage doesn't matter when it comes to spiritual things. Certain things will not get you into heaven, that it's only Christ. Lord, turn many away from their religion of works, and from their reliance on other things, and draw them to the Savior. Remember the Bible club, Lord. We pray, work in the hearts of parents. As invites go out, as adverts go up, as doors are knocked, as leaflets are put through. Heavenly Father, bring the children in. Lord, we know there are many children around our land and nation, especially in the cities. especially in Belfast and Londonderry, but even here in this area, Lord, many children who grow up and they know very little about the Bible and Lord, they couldn't even tell you about the account of Noah and Noah's Ark or creation. Lord, they couldn't tell you these things that to us growing up were the bread and butter of the Bible. Heavenly Father, so much ignorance. Lord, bring the children in, that we might teach them the things of God, that we might teach them the basics of the Bible, and that Lord, we might teach them very especially about the promise that's throughout the Scripture, the promise of salvation through Christ, for all who believe. Heavenly Father, bring those little souls in. and Lord, give us those opportunities. Not just at the Bible club, but Lord, further on than that. Bring them into the children's meeting, Father. Even give us enough children to start a Sunday school, Lord. We pray, work on hearts already. We commit it before thee, Lord. We know, Lord, we can't affect change in people's lives. Lord, we can preach the truth. We can send the invite, but we need thy spirit to work. Heavenly Father, we pray, bless those efforts. Remember the mission in Bali Goli. Lord, as we reach over 50,000 homes with the gospel, Heavenly Father, surely we will see fruit for our neighbors. Surely, O Heavenly Father, souls will come to Christ. Lord, we just pray, even through the outreach alone, save. And we pray for those meetings in the tent, Heavenly Father, that they would bring the people in to hear good tidings of a Savior who can save from sin. We just leave it all before Thee, Lord. Remember our brethren on the mainland. Heavenly Father, encourage their hearts We pray, Father, that they would know much encouragement, that they would see tokens for good, that they would see fruits for their labors. Remember, Lord, the brethren who labor down south, and we pray, Father, that they would know much blessing from God as well. Lord, we just pray for these islands. Heavenly Father, that thy spirit would send revival, that heavenly Father, thy spirit would turn the tide, that heavenly Father, thy spirit would cause Christ to be lifted up, and that he would draw all men unto himself. Heavenly Father, we just leave all of these things before thee, and leave them in thy hands, and pray that in answers to prayer, God's name will be glorified, for we pray in Jesus' name, amen, amen. We'll turn to our second hymn, and it's hymn 107. You'll find it on the page 219 of the hymn book. Alas, and dead my Savior bleed, and did my sovereign die. And we'll stand to sing this hymn together, please. you. Oh, Lord, remember me. Hold us safe for Christ's sake. ♪ I'll never fail to be ♪ ♪ I'll wear the chains of my truth ♪ ♪ Oh Lord, remember me ♪ O Spider-Man, why the shaking face? Why this tear-crossed appearance? This, O Spider-Man, in black frock vests, black nails, eye-eyes too deep. ♪ Her faithful wing ♪ ♪ And when my ship is on my throne ♪ ♪ O Lord, remember me ♪ ♪ All our drops of rain can ne'er repay ♪ Here, Lord, I am, myself away, there's all that I can do. Help me, your Savior, be true, I'll never be alone. Amen. We look on God's Word together at John's Gospel chapter 1. John's Gospel chapter 1, and we'll read that section from verse 1 down to the end of verse 18. John's Gospel chapter 1, commencing at verse 1. And the Word of God says, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that light, but was sent to bear witness of that light, That was the true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name, which were born not of blood, nor of the well of the flesh, nor of the well of man, but of God. And the word was made flesh and dwelt among us. And we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the father, full of grace and truth. John bear witness of him and cried saying, this was he of whom I speak. He that cometh after me is preferred before me for he was before me. And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No man has seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father. He hath declared him. Amen. And may the Lord speak to our hearts through the reading of his holy and precious word. We'll turn now to our offering hymn, 280, on the page 289 of the hymn book. Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee. And we'll remain seated while the offering is lifted, please. Oh, please do stand for me and behind myself with me. 21, let's tell the world of the King. We'll sound for the rest of the hymn. See me on my judgment throne. Rock of ages, bend for me. Let me hide myself. Amen. We'll open again at John's Gospel, chapter one. And we'll bow in a word of prayer before we come to consider some thoughts from God's word together. Let us pray. Our Heavenly Father, we thank Thee for this blessed portion of Scripture which lies before us. And Lord, how much it reveals about our Lord Jesus Christ. And how much, Lord, that blows all false notions about Christ out of the water. Heavenly Father, we pray as we consider some verses from this passage, Lord, that Thou would help us Lord, that thou would give us understanding of these things of God, which have been revealed to us mere men. Lord, that thy spirit would come and teach us these things. Lord, that thy spirit would come and bless in the preaching of thy word. And that Lord, even tonight in a very special way, as we focus on Christ as the theme of our sermon, Lord, that in a very special way we will see him like we have never seen him before. Lord, come and help each and every one of us. If there be any not trusting in Christ tonight, Lord, may the glory of what is revealed here, may it draw them to the one who is all sufficient for sinful men and sinful women. We leave it all before thee in Jesus' precious name. Amen, amen. The opening 18 verses of John's gospel, what we would probably call his prologue to the whole gospel, are in my opinion some of the greatest verses in the entire Bible. Now, I suppose with so many passages of Scripture which are a great blessing, it's incredibly difficult to point to one single passage. But I feel that these verses are incredibly fitting when you consider that the overarching theme of John's Gospel is, and the overarching theme of his prologue, as the coming of Jesus Christ into the world. It is essentially the beginning of a brand new era, a move from the Old Testament era to the New Testament era. And this era of the coming of Christ, it exceeds all Old Testament eras. It exceeds anything the law of Moses or any other part of the Old Testament was able to deliver, as blessed as they were. And I say that because Jesus Christ is the only one far greater than the prophets, far greater than the patriarchs. He was the only one who was able to make the invisible God known in such a way as he did to a spiritually dark world which needed what commentators have called love's pure light. And this prologue by John is designed to reveal to the reader the identity of Jesus Christ. And what I want to do this evening is I want to focus on verses 1 to 4 of the prologue to John's gospel. And I want you to notice some of the things that John tells us about the Lord Jesus Christ in these four verses. They are very blessed things indeed. And therefore, taking verses 1 to 4 as my text, I want you to consider this topic with me of the identity of Jesus Christ, the identity of Jesus Christ. I want you to see firstly that he is the divine word. Look at verse one. It says, in the beginning was the word. And then in verse two it says, the same was in the beginning with God. Now as I read those verses this week, for some reason those words, in the beginning, really stuck in my mind. And it's almost like these words take you back to the creation account in Genesis 1 and 1, where it says, in the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. In the beginning was the word. And so it's almost like John is revisiting the very dawn of creation. This is the absolute beginning of all that has been made. But John says there, when everything else began, there was something already in existence, or someone already in existence. And the beginning was the Word. So at the very beginning of time, the Word was already in existence. He was present at the beginning. He already was before everything else came to be. That word that John describes, of course we know, is the Lord Jesus Christ. He was not created. He was not part of the creation. In verse three it says, all things were made by him. All created things come from him who has called the word in John chapter one. Therefore he has the uncreated eternal word. Before the beginning, the word existed. And John's emphasis is the fact that the word did not come into existence at any point in time or at any point in eternity, but rather the word was always in existence and is without beginning at all. So Christ had no beginning and he has no end. He isn't a created being like some in this world say. John is making a distinction between the two. the beginning or the creation and the word who was present at the beginning, the one who played an active role in the beginning. He has the eternal word and because he has the eternal word, that is why I said that my first point is the fact that he has the divine word. Verse 1 says, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Now remember, John gives us glimpses of creation here in verse 1 by using those words in the beginning. But I really want you to think about what he is saying here. because it was quite breathtaking. In Genesis 1 and 1 it says, in the beginning God, and then we read here, in the beginning was the word. John puts the one who is the word in the place of God and on the very throne of heaven as the God who presided over the dawn of human history. But I believe there's something as marvelous as that is. I believe there is something even more marvelous that John shows us in these verses. Because John uses that expression that the word was with God. The word was with God. Now that means a lot more than saying that the word was merely present with God. You could say that you went for coffee with someone. And that implies that you were in the same space as them, sharing social interaction with them. But there's an element of truth in that when it comes to the word and being with God in terms of their eternal fellowship. But John goes a lot further than that here in John 1 and 1, because that word with, it means towards. So the word was towards God. It denotes the idea of the word of Jesus Christ actually being face-to-face with God the Father. So Christ from all eternity was face-to-face with God. Christ from all eternity beheld the full glory of God. Now there was a man in Scripture who asked to see God's glory. In Exodus 33 and 18, Moses said to the Lord, and he said, I beseech thee, show me thy glory. Here's a. the meekest man to ever live, a godly man, a godly prophet. And he said, show me thy glory. And the Lord responded to him in verse 20. And the Lord said, thou canst not see my face, for there shall no man see me and live. Says Moses, you couldn't see my glory. You can't see my face, for you would die immediately in my presence. God says to a mighty man, essentially you would burn up like stubble if you beheld my glory. You can't see my face, no ordinary man can see my face and live. No man shall behold my glory and live, yet friends, John tells us of one Jesus Christ, John tells us of one who from all eternity beheld the very face of God. One who saw the full glory of God. One who engaged in such blessed and intimate fellowship with God. There is absolutely no doubt then that the one of whom John speaks, Jesus Christ, is God. He is deity. He was able to behold the face of God for all eternity. He is an eternal and he is a divine person. And it's important to clear that up because there are many who twist the English language when it comes to this passage and many who break so many rules of Greek grammar in order to twist what John chapter one says. concerning Christ and to make him out to be a mere man, yet this is what it says. Christ stood face to face with God from all eternity. He is the eternal son. He is not God the father, he is the word. He is a distinct person, yet he is still called God. to denote that even though he is distinct from the father, they are still one God and not two separate gods, as some accuse us Christians of believing. I actually read a story a few years ago about a young Muslim man. He was very earnest in his inquiries, but he went to speak to a Scottish Presbyterian minister with questions about the Christian faith. And one thing Muslims always tend to ask, and this Muslim of course asks, was the idea of the Trinity, and the idea of the deity of Jesus Christ. And as you can expect, this minister tried his very best to explain to this very sincere Muslim man the basic tenets of the doctrine of the Trinity. He told him there is only one God. eternally in three distinct persons, father, son, and spirit, and the Muslim most perplexed. And he asked him, why do you need that? Why does God need to be like that? Why does Christ have to be God? What is it that leads you to believe in a God like this? And the minister responded and said, I believe it because the Bible teaches it. But the minister went on to say something else, which I thought about this week. I also believe it because the alternative is terrible. The alternative is terrible. Why is the alternative terrible? Think about this. Those who reject the Trinity, who reject the deity of Christ, who say that Christ is not God, such as our Muslim neighbors, they believe that God is a single, solitary person, that God is one singular, isolated person. But if that's who God is, then people like Muslims can't say that God is a God of love. Now, there's real significance to that because He might be a God of power, he might be a God of wisdom, he might be a God of holiness, but he can't be love in himself necessarily and eternally for the simple reason that to be a God of love, you need an object. If you are to express love, you need somebody to love. And so, if such a God as the Muslim God as one singular person, there's nobody to love for him in eternity, which means that he is not a God of love. You think of the Trinitarian God, you think of Christ being face to face with God from all eternity. and the Father and the Son and the Spirit loving one another perfectly from all eternity. And what does that mean then for the Muslims who believe that their God is one single, isolated, solitary God? It means that he only became a God of love at the point of creation when he created creatures that he could love. What does that mean? That means that creation changed their God into something he wasn't before. That means that their God is not an unchangeable God. That means that their God is dependent on the creature to be a God of love and to be who he is. And what does that mean then? That means that the Muslim God, I'm just using this as an example because of this illustration, that means that the Muslim God is not God. If an essential part of his nature is reliant on the creature, It means that their God can be changed by the creature, is dependent on the creature, and is not God. That's not the God of the Bible. The God of the Bible does not need the creature to be a God of love. This is not the Trinitarian God that we believe in. And friends, this is the glory of the Christian gospel. It's that in Jesus Christ, God reveals himself to be the Trinitarian God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the same in substance, equal in power and glory. And the great mystery is that our one God is three distinct persons, Father, Son, and Spirit, who have turned to one another in fellowship and love for all eternity. And so our Trinitarian God was a God of love before creation. Creation didn't change him. God did not just become love when, in some act of desperate loneliness, he made us like the false gods of the world. No, God was a God of love eternally. And here's the great news tonight for sinners. In his great mercy, he conveys his eternal love to sinful men and sinful women. He shows His eternal love to sinful men and sinful women. He sheds His love abroad upon sinners. He sweeps sinners up into that fellowship with Him to be loved by Him and to love Him in return through faith in Jesus Christ. 1 John 4 and 19 says we love Him because He first loved us. Have you tasted of this eternal love of God in Christ. It's eternal love, it's unchangeable love. He is the divine word. I want you to see secondly, he is the creative word. We've already noticed the echoes or the similar language that John used in John chapter one, that was used in Genesis chapter one and verse one, the words in the beginning. But John doesn't leave the matter there. for mere illusion or inference. If we look at verse three, it says, all things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made. So this is very clear. All things, this man who is the eternal word, all things were made by him. He wasn't made, but he made everything else that was made. He is what we call the agent of creation. Think again of Genesis 1. How did God make the world? God said, let there be light, and light came into existence. God said, let there be, and creation come into existence. God spoke things into being. He spoke all of creation into being by what? By the word of his power. By his word. And John is saying that the word was his son, the agent of creation, the Lord Jesus Christ. So Christ is the creator. And if you go home tonight and you read Genesis chapter one, and read that account of creation, I want you to think about the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ was there. He was the one through whom God spoke creation into existence. And of course, by calling him the word, John is doing more than providing an allusion to Genesis chapter 1. For the Greek word in John 1 for word is logos. He is the word or the logos. Now that is a title that would have had a lot of significance in Greek and Roman intellectual culture. That is the culture that the New Testament was written in. Now they were confused as to how there was order in the world. They didn't understand how there was order in the world. When you consider how much the world changes, for example, they often said that you never step into the same river twice because everything flows, everything changes, everything moves. They also said you never look at the same sky twice because everything moves, everything changes. And they were confused. How is there order in the universe? How are things so stable? How does order come about? Where does order come from? And they use this term, logos, that's used in John chapter one and one to describe Christ. They use that word to describe some mystical force that brings about order to the world. Plato said it may be that someday there will come forth from God a word, a logos, that will reveal all mysteries and make everything clean. When he studied the universe, he said maybe one day God will show us. Maybe one day we'll get a word from God that will show us how there is order and how there is stability in this universe. The Greek and the Roman intellectuals couldn't make sense of anything, yet in a stroke of divine genius, John seizes on this word. And he says, listen you Greeks, listen you Romans, the very thing that has most occupied your intellectual and your philosophical thought, about which you have been writing for centuries, the logos of God. He has come to earth, he has come as a man, and we have seen him. This means that the babe born in the manger is the one who gives meaning to life in this world. Here's one who could answer the questions of the Greek and Romans, questions they've had for centuries about the world and how there's stability in the world and how the world came about and how the world is held up, what power holds up the world. John says you've been looking for a word, a logos, well here's one. who has the answers to it all. And John in doing that was saying and implying that without the word of God, without the eternal logos, without Jesus Christ, the eternal son of God, life has no meaning. Life has no meaning whatsoever, and the reason for that is because you were made by the word. You were created by the word to know him and find your ultimate purpose and significance in him, which has now been marred and tainted by sin. Look wherever else you may. You will always miss your true significance in life and your true purpose until you find it. and the one who is called the word, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the creative word. All things were made by him, and John essentially draws two columns for us here in John chapter one. In one column he puts all created things, all life, all matter, angels, demons, heaven, earth, hell, Everything, everyone, every place, all these created things. And then on the other column, he puts the only God. Only God goes into this column. He is in a category of his own. There is no other. He has the unmade maker, the uncreated creator, and yet this God, John says, is Jesus Christ. The creature can never go into the same category as him, can never go into his column, because he is the creature and the word is the creator. No one will ever become God. No created thing will ever become God. Yet what does John say? The word became flesh and dwelt among us. The Word assumed the nature of the creature and became one of us. The God of glory and grace, who created all things, interacted so intimately with his creation in such a profound way, he became one of us. And for all John's soaring and for all of John's deep theology, all of these huge ideas that he packs so masterfully into these opening words, he is very clear about this. He wants you, the reader, to know that your creator came all the way down, all the way down from heaven to be the God-man, to be the man Christ Jesus, transcendent deity, joined to humanity in Jesus Christ so that you and I You and I, the created creature, so that we could know him, so that we could know the invisible God and know his salvation. He engaged with his creation in such a profound way. I read a quote this week from Octavius Winslow, and it's one of the best quotes. You get these sort of single quotes on Facebook and Twitter and all these social media places. One of the best quotes I think I've ever read. And it says that, so completely was Jesus bent on saving sinners by the sacrifice of himself. He created the tree upon which he was to die and nurtured from infancy the men who were to kneel him to the accursed wood. The word became flesh. The creator, the creative word, stepped down into human history, as I said, interacted with creation in such a profound way, to such fine details, that he made sure the tree in which he would be hung to die for sinners would grow, that the seed would be planted by someone somewhere, that the man who would kneel him to the cross would be born and nurtured and safe and healthy. That's powerful. That's what the creator did for you and me as sinners. That's the lengths that the creator went to, to save such sinners like us, nobodies who deserve eternal hell. That's the scope of his love. I find it very hard to take it in sometimes. He was the creative word. I want you to see finally with me that he is the living word. Look at the first part of verse four. It says there, in him was life. Now, I want you to notice that John is very careful to make sure that he doesn't merely say he was a life. A very careful use of language. He doesn't say he had or he'd been given life. He says, in him was life. There was life in him. Life exists in him essentially. Life is permanently in him. That's what John means. And this. It's in Jesus Christ's story that life exists. Christ, John is saying, is the natural habitat of life. Christ is life's home. If you want to put it that way, life dwells in Christ as naturally and as easy as a fish dwells in the sea. He is the living one. And that's how he describes himself in Revelation 1 and 18. I am he that liveth. and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. In John 14 and six, I am the way, the truth, I am the life. Life is in him. Now we were all given life. We were all given life by God. Life is something given to us as a precious gift from God. We are all, we were all given spiritual life, those of us who are saved by Christ because he is the living one. And he has gifted us spiritual life, but life is in him. Nobody gave him life. Nobody could take his life away. When he died on the cross, he gave himself over to death. Life was not given to him. Now I want you to see and to note at this stage John's purpose for writing this gospel. Now he reveals this at the end of the gospel in John 20 and verse 31, but these are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God. So this is what he does from the outset. He's showing us that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, the Eternal One. And then he's on to say, and that believing ye might have life through his name. So it's through his name you have life, because as verse four says, in him is life. So why did John write the gospel ultimately? so that you might believe and have life through his name. So John is saying this, the eternal word in whom is life became flesh in order that he might give life freely. New spiritual life to all who put their faith and trust in him. And when you are united to Christ in his salvation, It's impossible for you not to have life. It's impossible for you to be united to Christ and to not have life. So much is life associated with him. So much is life an essential part of his nature and his being that you can't be united to him and not have life. In John 10 and 10 he says, the thief cometh not but for to steal and to kill and to destroy. I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly. The word by whom all things were made without whom nothing was made that has been made. This word took flesh and dwelt among us. The infinite joined himself with the finite. The creator joined to the creature. The immortal God became mortal man, he who filled the universe. was born of a virgin and slept in a manger. And at the climax of his earthly ministry, the eternal word by whom God spoke light into being, he was shrouded in utter darkness as he hung there upon the cross. The one in whom was life, the living one, bled and gave himself over to death. That's why the hymn writer said, we sung it a few moments ago, well might the sun in darkness hide and shut his glories in, its glories in, when God the mighty maker died for man, the creature's sin. That's a good summary of what John's really saying here. Why did the word who created all things come among us, the creature? Why did he? the one in whom there was life came to die, came to die for sinners like me and for you, came to bear that penalty and secure that pardon so that you and I could live, that you might have life in his name. He is the divine word. He is the creative word. He is the living word. And the fact that he has the word in and of itself, it says this, God is speaking. God is speaking. Do you not see that? At the very least, that's the significance of this name for Jesus Christ. It's that God is speaking. He's called the Word. Because through Him, God speaks. Through His Gospel, God speaks. And through His Gospel, God is speaking to you tonight in Christ. He is God's message. And His invitation tonight for you is to come and trust Him. And from His nail-pierced hands, take the life that is offered to you freely in the Gospel. This prologue, verses 1 to 18, is full of majesty. It's full of great doctrine. It's full of the deep things of God, but ultimately our response, ultimately your response, ultimately the response John is calling for. Amidst all of this deep theology, what John is calling for is this, and what he wants from me, and what he wants from you is this. He wants you to see the glory of Jesus Christ in all of his deity, in all of his humanity, in all of his creative power, and in his ability to give you life. John wants you to see the glory of the gospel. in the face of Jesus Christ, the word of God. And he wants you to see the glory of the gospel compared to your sin and compared to the darkness of this world. That's what he wants you to see. He wants you to see the glory of Christ and his deity and his humanity and his ability to give life in order so that you would really see what it costs the eternal life-giving creator to go to the cross, to shed his blood, and to die so that you could be saved. That's what John wants us to see. That should humble each and every one of us tonight. That should make us go home and wonder why on earth would such a mighty, majestic God of heaven, come down into this world and assume human flesh and do all that he did, the creator, who said, let there be light and there was light, why would he come down and die for someone like me? I really think that's what John, part of what John wants us to see when he clearly presents us with Jesus Christ in this passage. And I do tonight what John has done in this passage. I present you very clearly with Jesus Christ, the only savior of sinners, the only way of salvation. And I encourage you to put your faith and trust in him to be saved and to be the recipient of the eternal life offered to you in the gospel. And may God bless his word to all of our hearts. for His glory. Amen. Amen. We'll bow in prayer as we bring our service to a close tonight. Let us seek the Lord's face together. Heavenly Father, we thank Thee for the glory and the majesty of the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Heavenly Father, we often forget who He really is. Lord, we often forget outside of the cross who he really is, the one who was present from all eternity with God, the one who spoke creation into being, the one who holds all things up by the word of his power. Heavenly Father, what a glorious savior to come down into this world and to die for sinners like us. Lord, to think that the creator died for the creature. Heavenly Father, we're thankful for such a wonderful message, a wonderful gospel that you've given to us. We're thankful, Lord, for such a wonderful savior who was willing to do all of this for mere sinners like us. Lord, we deserve the eternal wrath of God, but we're thankful that in the eternal word of God, we have infinite riches and we have eternal life because in him is life. Lord, we pray that others would come to know that eternal life that he offers, that others would come to know him, the glorious person that he is and the glorious salvation that he gives. Father, be with each and every one of us in this incoming week. Undertake in every circumstance, every situation, Lord, people who have appointments, people who have things on their mind, Lord, people who will face troubles and trials this week. We pray, Father, be with thy people, and give us grace to get through this week, and give us, Lord, grace to come back to the house of God next Lord's Day. Part us with thy fear, or part us with thy blessing and mercy upon us, we pray in Jesus' precious name, amen.