We return now to John 1:6–8 which we skipped last time. These verses are surprising because they seem to break into the flow of the text. They seem sudden and jarring. If you left them out, the text would flow nicely from verse 5 to verse 9. Verse 5 says, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” And then verse 9 picks this up, “The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.” That seems like a natural flow.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3
All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing
came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and
the life was the Light of men. 5 The Light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness did not comprehend it. 6 There came a man sent
from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to testify
about the Light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He was

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. 15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) 16 And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down his
life for the sheep. He who is a hireling, and not a shepherd, who
is not the owner of the sheep, beholds the wolf coming, and leaves
the sheep, and flees, and the wolf snatches them, and scatters
them. He flees because he is a hireling, and is not concerned about
the sheep. I am the good shepherd; and I know my own, and my own
know me, even as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I
lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep, which are

John 11:45–57 —

Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. 24 But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people 25 and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. 28 Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

There is no traditional Christmas story about the birth of Jesus in the Gospel of John. You remember how it begins: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). Instead of putting the Christmas story up front with its explanation, John weaves the story of Christmas and the purpose Christmas through the Gospel.

Questions for Further Thought

1. 
   

   How should you respond to the radical claims of Jesus?

2. 
   

   How do Jesus' radical claims impact how you talk with friends and family about Jesus?

3. 
   

   In what ways should Jesus' claims bolster your faith?

Questions for Further Thought

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." They answered him, "We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, 'You will become free'?" Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

My aim in this message is that you would experience Jesus, the sovereign, risen, living Lord of the universe, as the source and content of real freedom in your life.

For this to happen, we need two things: We need God's liberating truth and we need God's liberating grace. Which means I need to preach God's word, and pray for God's power.

So let's read the Bible passage that I will speak from, and then I will pray. John 8:30–36: