634 - 1 DO YOU REALLY KNOW JESUS CHRIST?
September 9, 1981
Henry F. Kulp
John 1: 1-14 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 any thing 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 will of the flesh, nor of the will 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.
I was told this past week that one of the larger pollsters took a sampling of some folks, and they found that 30 to 40% of those who were asked said they were born again. In other words, they were saved. I wonder what would have happened if they would have used the word, saved, instead of born-again.
1/ I can’t but doubt these figures. These statistics, I do not think are true, because many folks say they believe in Jesus Christ, but when you question them, you find that it is not the Christ of the Bible. You can believe in Christ and not believe in the Christ of the Bible, so this morning I want to show you the Christ of the Bible, and I want you to determine whether you believe in the right Christ.
2/ Verse 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
This verse takes us back to eternity past. No one can possibly understand eternity. No finite being can grasp infinity—it is beyond our comprehension. And that is why many people stumble when they read verse 1
3/ We are going to read about and be talking about eternity past, but WHEN all is said and done, it is extremely difficult to even catch a glimpse of it. We must accept it by faith, as we talked about it the last few mornings. It is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence, the proof of things not seen. You and I cannot go back into eternity past.
4/ Only through the Bible can we go back. Let us look at the Word, and of course, this refers to our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, and this existed in eternity past, He is without beginning. He has always existed in eternity past, He is without beginning. He has always existed.
5/ There is no “the”, no definite article in the first three WORDS. So we could translate it—in the beginning that had no beginning. So Genesis 1: 1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And John 1: 1 start the same. The same three words, and both times it means in a beginning that was not a beginning. But then Genesis talks about creation, but John talks about Christ being here before creation. For He does the creating.
6/ Then notice, the little word, “was” is used four times in the first two verses. This verb is very interesting. Why mention a simple thing like that? Because every time it appears, it is in the same tense, conveying the same thing. Eternal existence, He has always existed. He had no beginning.
7/ What did He do? He was with God. The little preposition, “with” tells us of familiarity. In mingling with one another you enjoy familiarity, and is what this word could be translated. The same was in the beginning, having familiarity with God. The Father and the Son had an intimate familiarity with one another. They enjoyed one another. There was a relationship here that boggles the mind. All in eternity past.
8/ Then notice, it says the Word was God. This is the outstanding statement in all the Bible on deity of Jesus Christ, for the word was in fact, very God, Then when you go to verse 14 you find that the Word became flesh.
9/ There is a Psalm that put together a beautiful thought about eternity. I want you to turn to it with me.
Psalm 90: 1 Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.
Whether you realize it or not, these words came from the pen of Moses. We always think of Psalms as being written by David, but here the writer is Moses. Notice what he writes about his Lord. He says, Lord, Thou has been our dwelling place in all generations, before the mountains were born, or thou gave birth to the earth, from everlasting to everlasting—and then the original copy says, THOU – God. So you can say. Lord Jesus, from the beginning you were there—God. From the vanishing point of the past to the vanishing point of the future, You have existed – God, and you will always exist.
10/ John 8: 58, 59 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
Here Jesus Christ said, Before Abraham was, I AM. What He is saying is, before Abraham was ever born, I existed. And the Jews around him picked up stones and said, how blasphemous He is—that the illegitimate Son of a carpenter and his teenage bride, would declare Himself God. But it was no God – He existed before Abraham.
11/ Verse 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
All things came into being through Him. Did you know that? I am sure many people do not. Many people think the Father is the Creator, but He is not. The Son is. It was the Father who did the planning, of course, but Jesus Christ is the Creator.
12/ Let me show you the deity of Christ as it springs out at you from the Word of God.
John 1: 43 - 49 The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me. Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see. Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.
Now as one reads this Scripture on Nathaniel, you realize that the Jews are taught from early infancy to worship none but God, and bow to Him only. Why then did Nathaniel apparently worship Christ the first time they met? I know I used to think about that. As a young man I used to read this Scripture, and I would say, what would make this young Jew so certain that Jesus is God. You will notice, they brought Nathaniel to Jesus, and the Lord said unto him, “Behold an Israelite in whom there is no guile”, and Nathaniel was quite properly taken back by the apparent knowledge Jesus displayed of a perfect stranger. One whom he had never met before. So he said to Christ, What do you know about me? You have never seen me before. The answer of Jesus Christ so astounded him that he bowed before the stranger and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of God.
13/ Jesus said, Before they called you, you were under a fig tree, and I saw you there. That doesn’t seem like a great thing to say. That certainly doesn’t seem to explain why Nathaniel worshiped Jesus Christ. Until you realize the geographical positions of the two persons involved. The people of Palestine understand this Scripture. Jesus and Nathaniel were separated by a span of seven miles—that is when Jesus claimed to have recognized this stranger. You might say, that is pretty keen vision, but you try to make out the form of your closest friend, at a distance of one mile, and then see what chance you have of recognizing a stranger seven miles away. But slim as that possibility is, all natural explanations are ruled out by the fact that in that seven miles is a hilltop. Jesus was on one side of the hill and Nathaniel on the other. Jesus Christ did that which is absolutely impossible to do. He could see through the hill and He could see seven miles. Immediately Nathaniel knows no one could have knowledge like that but God.
14/ John 17: 5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
If you doubt the preexistence of Jesus Christ, notice the high-priestly prayer of our Saviour. Again we meet His preexistence. He says, O, Father glorify thou me with Thine own self with the glory I had with thee before the world was.
15/ John 14: 8, 9 Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?
Here Philip makes a request—show us the Father, and it sufficeth us, then Jesus said, Have I been so long time with you and thou dost not know me, Philip? he that has seen me has seen the Father. How sayest thou, show us the Father?
No honest person can escape the intended conclusion. When Jesus said, He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father, He was stating His deity in the strongest words that any man could use.
16/ Let us give you an illustration. Suppose I’m preaching here, I would say to you, you have been listening to me preach for many years from this pulpit. Would you like to have the President of the United States – Ronald Reagan, come and speak to you next Sunday, and you might reply with enthusiasm, Yes, we would. Some might say, any change would be for the better. But then, what do you suppose would happen if I were to answer you in these words? I have been speaking to you all these years, and you do not know me? He that has seen me, has seen the President of the United States, why do you say then, show us the President? What do you suppose you would say? Probably some deacon would stand up and say, You people hold him and I’ll phone for the wagon.
17/ Among the sacred names of God as He revealed Himself to the Hebrews in the Old Testament, is the hallowed Name – it is the name, Jehovah. We are not going to study this name, Jehovah, we are just going to use it this morning. I am sure you have had these folks come to your door who say they are witnesses for Jehovah. But yet they will tell you, Jesus Christ is not God, He is not Jehovah. So I ask you, do you know Jesus Christ? Is He God? Is He Jehovah? We could give you Scripture after Scripture, but we will give you a few that cannot be disputed.
18/ Psalm 24: 10 Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.
Here we have a Psalm about the coming of the Lord of Glory, and He tells us, this Lord of Glory, this King of Glory, is Jehovah of hosts. He is God.
I Corinthians 2: 8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
Here Paul speaks very clearly, which none of the rulers of this world had known, for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory. This, we see Paul is saying the God of Psalm 24: 10 is the Redeemer of the New Testament.
Notice James 2: 1 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
There he calls Jesus Christ the Lord of Glory. So we see both Paul and James did use the Jehovah text of the Old Testament, ascribing to Jesus Christ, the only One they knew.
19/ Isaiah 44: 6 Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.
Here we read. Thus saith Jehovah the King of Israel. I am the first, I am the last, and beside me there is no God. These are tremendous, impressive words. The Lord God describes Himself as a Redeemer, Whose Name is Jehovah of Hosts. He claims eternal existence for Himself. In the phrase I am the first and the Last, and then declares, He is the only God in existence.
20/ Revelations 1: 17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
Here John has the audacity to describe Jesus Christ in the same words saying, I am the First and the last, I am Alpha and Omega. It is impossible to escape what is being said here. He applies to Jesus the Old Testament description of the One Great God. He makes Him to be first and last, the beginning and the end.
Isaiah 43: 11 I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour.
Here it says, I, even I, am Jehovah and beside Me there is no Saviour. These words from God to Isaiah absolutely permit no misunderstanding, and we don’t have to worry about some man’s interpretation. The God who is Jehovah says in plain words, beside Me, there is no Saviour.
21/ Luke 19: 10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
John 10: 9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
He said in plain words, words that a child can understand, I am the Saviour of men. In other words, He came to accomplish the task that is peculiar to Jehovah. He offers Himself as Saviour, He puts Himself in the place of the Almighty Who had already established the fact that He alone can be the Saviour of the Lost. Of sinners.
22/ Psalm 23: 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Here Jehovah is my shepherd, I shall not want. What a figure of speech. The Heavenly Father portrays Himself as the Guide, the Protector, the Defender, the Provider, for Israel who happens to be His flock.
Notice, John 10: 11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
And this is truly startling to read. Jesus Christ said, I am the good Shepherd, so it is clear if you want to know Jesus Christ, you must know Him as God, as Deity. If He is anything less than that, He can’t save you, He cannot be your Redeemer.
AMEN
Ref: 634 - 1 / 09/09/1981 / DO YOU REALLY KNOW JESUS CHRIST? / July 18, 2020
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