Experiencing the Fullness of Life in Christ

"The prologue after all is the very term suggests to us is the introduction it contains the major themes and as we've been seeing very abundantly the whole object of this uh epistle is to do what John himself tells us at the end of the 20th chapter namely in verses 30 and 31 he says any other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples which are not written in this book but these are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ the son of God and that believing ye might have life through his name." [00:56:00]

"Now the prologue as I say sums up the essential message it tells us who he is how he came and in particular it introduces this other theme what is possible to us and of his fullness of all we received and Grace for or upon Grace now that is the the leading theme it's very interesting to compare and to contrast the Gospel According to St John with the other three gospels the so-called synoptic gospels." [01:38:44]

"Now while the three gospels Matthew Mark and Luke are mainly and primarily concerned to do that there is something further and add in this Gospel According to St John here there is an equal concern to put before us the details of his teaching which enable us to see that we are able to receive of his fullness and Grace upon Grace in other words I always regard the Gospel of John as a kind of connecting link between the Gospels and the Epistles." [02:03:08]

"Now The Gospel of John is a kind of connecting link between the two there is much history here but at the same time it gives us a greater element of this application the emphasis upon life in him and communion with him than you get in the other gospels very well that then reminds us once more as we resume our studies of what exactly it is we are trying to do this seems to me to be the great controlling and leading thought that as Christians we are children of God." [02:56:32]

"Now that is the great and Grand object of this gospel as it is indeed the object of the other gospels as it is indeed the object of the whole of the New Testament and indeed the whole of the Bible in other words it is to show who he is and what is possible to us and for us through him." [01:12:47]

"Now the teaching here is that there are two main sources of trouble two main sources of trouble with regard to our Lord and with regard to his work what are they well the first is to regard him only as a man now this was the first confusion John the the Baptist you see with all this extraordinary preaching Etc and this strange personality they began to think that he was the Christ art thou the Christ art thou the Messiah that we've been expecting it seems to us they say that you are." [01:19:08]

"Now John deals with the question and that is the thing that I want to hold before you this morning in other words the question that is raised is this who is the Christ who is this person of whose fullness we are to receive and Grace upon Grace now the teaching here is that there are two main sources of trouble two main sources of trouble with regard to our Lord and with regard to his work." [01:09:07]

"Now John says I didn't know him now it's a strong word this and an important word and it brings out this very point of Distinction that I trying to establish that you can know a great deal about the Son of God and not know him and there are many who have never known this fullness and haven't received much of it because they don't know him they've got a knowledge an external knowledge but not this knowledge I I knew him not says John twice over." [01:59:33]

"Now John like everybody else all Jews knew that the Messiah was to come not only that he was a man called of God the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness John had been given a message to say the days that hand the Messiah has come repent prepare the way of the Lord I'm a viice crying in the wilderness he said I knew that the Messiah was at hand and I knew Jesus of Nazareth but I never identified them I never knew that he was the long expected Messiah." [01:41:08]

"Now John the Baptist points to him and he says he's not only the Son of God he is the Lamb of God there is no knowledge of God there is no New Life there is no life which is more abundant there is no receiving of any fullness unless we receive it from him the Eternal Son of God the word made flesh the Lamb of God Who Bore our sins in his own body on the tree that we being dead to sin should live unto righteousness by whose stripes we are healed." [01:45:88]

"Now John the Baptist answers once and forever he is the Lamb of God he's God's own lamb what's he talking about well he says he's God's own lamb that's going to take away the sin of the world now John was a Jew he speaks to Jews he's got the whole of the back of the background of the Old Testament in his mind what's he talking about well he's thinking about that Pascal lamb you remember remember the children of Israel are in the Captivity of Egypt the day of Deliverance has come God's going to destroy the firstborn of the Egyptians but he's going to save the firstborn of the Israelites." [01:61:40]

"Now the beginning of receiving of his fullness and Grace upon Grace is to have complete rest about your sins is to lay your sins on Jesus the Spotless Lamb of God it is to realize that he is the Son of God who came into the world because there was none other good enough to pay the price of sin he only could unlock the Gate of Heaven and let us in but he's come and he's done it Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world you must be clear about his person you must be clear that he is the sacrifice the etern for sin it is by his stripes we are healed and we can only enter into the holiest of all by the blood of Jesus." [01:81:19]