May I Present Jesus (Part 6)

If you've been here for any length of time at all, and you know me as a person, you know Christmas dies hard with me. I love Christmas, I love the season. In fact, I have a hard time even taking down my trees.

So yesterday, I finally took down the trees in my house. And that's because spring has sprung. And so I figured it's probably a good time to take down my Christmas trees.

But know this, that before you brand me a lunatic, understand that if there is no birth, there is no death. If there is no death, there is no life, and you are still dead in your sins. So that's why Christmas dies hard for me.

Everything is about the celebration of the coming of the Messiah. And that's why John's gospel is so unique, because he gives us the Christmas story from the divine perspective. Seven weeks ago, we told you about this, that Matthew and Luke give us the Christmas story from Earth's perspective.

But John does it from a heavenly perspective. He does it in four words, the word became flesh. Just that simple.

The word, of course, is God, and God became flesh, and he dwelt among us. And everything about John's gospel introduces to us the Christmas story from a heavenly perspective. So the word became flesh.

So the question is, why did the word come? Why did the word arrive? Why did God become man and dwell among us? That's a good question. And it's answered quite easily. The word became flesh because he had to redeem humanity.

He could not redeem humanity unless he died upon Calvary's cross. And the Bible tells us that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. 1 Timothy chapter 2, Paul says, this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

For there is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all. So the word became flesh because he simply had to redeem humanity. That's a good question.

But to redeem humanity, he had to remove iniquity. So John tells us in 1 John chapter 3, verse number 5, these words, you know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. Why did the word become flesh? So he could redeem humanity.

But you can't redeem humanity unless you remove iniquity. So he came to remove iniquity. But in removing iniquity, he had to ravage the enemy.

That's 1 John 3, verse number 8. He says, the son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. Very important statement.

In order to redeem humanity, he must remove iniquity. In order to remove iniquity, he had to ravage the enemy, which he did at Calvary. Once he ravaged the enemy, number four, he could restore man's dignity.

So John tells us in 1 John 3, verse number 1, see how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us that we should be called the children of God. Why did the word become flesh? To remove iniquity, to redeem humanity, to ravage the enemy, to restore man's dignity. But there was another reason the word became flesh, and that was to reveal deity, God in the flesh.

God dwelt among us. He is the exact representation of the Father. And so therefore, he came to reveal God to us.

The word was God, the word was with God, and the word became flesh. And the only way to reveal deity was for the word to become flesh and dwell among us. But note, he also came to reaffirm prophecy so he could rise in victory.

Everything about his coming reaffirmed the fact that what was said about him is true. So it reaffirmed prophecy all about the coming of the Messiah how he'd come and where he'd come and how he'd die. So his coming reaffirmed everything that was said about him prophetically so he could rise in victory.

Mark 8:31, and he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days, rise again. So not only did he reaffirm prophecy, but he rose in victory because he revealed deity in order to restore man's dignity. To do so, he had to ravage the enemy, remove iniquity, so that he could come and rescue humanity.

But there's another reason he came. So he could return in glory. So he could return in glory.

Listen to what Matthew says, it's Matthew 24, verse number 29, but immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light and the stars will fall from the sky and the powers of the heavens will be shaken and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. Why did the word become flesh? So he could return in glory. And once he returns in glory, he will reign in majesty.

In Revelation chapter 11, it says, then the seventh angel sounded and there were loud voices in heaven saying, the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ and he will reign forever and ever. So if someone says, why did the word become flesh? You can tell them that he came to redeem humanity. He came to remove iniquity, he came to ravage the enemy, to restore man's dignity, to reveal deity, to reaffirm prophecy, to make sure he would rise in victory so he could return in glory, so he could reign in majesty, so that he could rule for eternity.

That's why the word became flesh. Now look, all of that sums up John's last point in verse number 5 of John chapter 1, verse 5. Because everything is about the person of Jesus and his invincibility.

He's absolutely invincible. He is sovereign, he rules over all, he cannot be defeated. He is king of kings, he is lord of lords.

And so John says, I wanna talk to you not just about his eternality, not just about his personality, not just about his deity, I wanna talk to you not just about his creativity and his vitality, all the things that we've covered up to this point, but I wanna talk to you about his invincibility. And that's where verse 5 comes in of John chapter 1. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it.

This is his invincibility. This is why the word became flesh and dwelt among us. Because he's the all powerful, all knowing, all sufficient God of the universe who is absolutely invincible.

Again, he contrasts light and darkness. Note, God is the infinite word which is light because God is light. And the first thing he created was light. Genesis chapter 1. So the infinite word is light, the incarnate word is light, and the inspired word is light. Everything about God is light and life.

He is the God who is light, who became flesh in his incarnation and enlightened every man that comes into the world. That's verse 9 of John 1. And he is the inspired word, the word of God.

These are the very words of God that provide light. They are a light into our path or a lamp to our feet and light to our path. And they light the way for us.

So John, once again, is gonna contrast life and light. Why? Because Satan is darkness, right? He rules the domain of darkness. That's why Colossians one says that when you're saved, you're transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light, the kingdom of God's dear son.

And note this, that Ephesians 6:12 says, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against the evil forces, the spiritual forces of darkness. Everything about our life resolves around a continual wrestling against, not your enemy in the flesh, but the forces of darkness that you cannot see. And that's why Satan would describe or disguise himself as an angel of light.

Why? Because he's really dark. He's the prince of darkness. And he rules this world.

So John, once again, is gonna contrast life and light with death and darkness because Satan is Apollyon, according to the book of Revelation, which is the destroyer. So he wants to contrast light and life again to show you that this word that would become flesh is invincible. That's why the Bible says these words, verse 5, the light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it.

That's the best translation, not comprehend. I have news for you. Every demon who's a subject of Satan completely comprehends the Messiah.

They know him better than you know him. They know him inside and out. They are so well acquainted with the son of God that everything about their relationship to him on earth explains that.

So we know it doesn't mean that the evil forces of darkness could not understand light. Oh no, they understand him perfectly clear. They just can't overcome him.

See? It's not about accepting the Messiah because they accept him for who he is, but they will not bow in subjection to him. That's why they rebelled against him. In fact, listen to this.

They understand so much of truth about the Messiah. Matthew 8:29 says that the demons cried out, saying, what business do we have with thee, son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time? Know what that verse tells you? They understand his Christology and they understand his eschatology. They understand who Christ is.

He's the son of God, the son of the Most High. And they understand that there's a time for their judgment. So they have a really good, clean understanding of eschatology as well as Christology.

So it's not that the darkness doesn't understand the Messiah or this word. Oh no, they understand him completely. They just can't overcome him.

And then it says in Mark 1:34, that Jesus cast out many demons and he was not permitting the demons to speak because they knew who he was. They understand him, but he would not permit them to speak. Why? Because demons and Satan can't do anything without permission.

Satan can do whatever he wants as long as he asks permission. From who? The invincible king of the universe. Please understand that.

Satan is subject to the sovereign king. Listen to what it says in Luke 4:41. Demons also were coming out of many, shouting, you are the son of God. But rebuking them, he would not allow them to speak because they knew him to be the Messiah. Interesting.

It says this in Luke 4:34. Let us alone, said the demon. What business do we have with each other? Jesus of Nazareth. Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are. You are the holy one of God. See that? The demons comprehend the Messiah. They know exactly who he is.

They are not taken by surprise concerning his identity, his ministry, his eschatology at all. And yet, although they believe God, they tremble. And because he is life and light, they have tried to destroy his life and extinguish his light.

They are relentless at trying to do that. That's why in the Old Testament, Satan did all he could to destroy the messianic line, but he could not because of the invincibility of God. But he tried so desperate.

And then when you come to the New Testament, he incited Herod to kill all the children two years and younger, thinking that the Messiah would be killed and could not go to the cross. But Satan failed with that as well because of the invincibility of the Son of God.

And then at his temptation in Matthew chapter 4, Satan tried to tempt Christ. Just fall down before me. Worship me. I will give you all the kingdoms of the world. You don't have to go to the cross. Why die? Why go through all the pain? Just worship me. I'll give you everything.

And of course, Christ resisted temptation. Satan failed again because Christ is invincible. And then of course, you have Peter in Matthew chapter 16, who having voiced the identity of the Messiah and Christ fulfilling prophecy tells him that he's going to suffer and die and rise again.

And Peter says, oh no, that's not who you are. That's not gonna happen to you. And Christ says, get thee behind me, Satan.

He doesn’t say, get behind me, Peter! Because Peter, his best friend, was being used by Satan to detract him from his ultimate mission, which was to die in Calvary. Satan tried those tactics as well, but he failed. He could not.

And so Satan seemingly triumphed at the cross. Thinking the Messiah was dead. That's why in between his death and his resurrection, where did Jesus go? He went down to Hades.

First Peter tells us to do what? To make a public proclamation that he's invincible. He is the living one who died and is alive forevermore because the demons that were taken captive way back at the flood had no idea about the death, burial, and resurrection of the Messiah. So he goes down to make a public proclamation, not to preach the gospel, but to make a public proclamation that I'm the victor. I win, you lose, because I'm invincible. See, Satan has tried so desperately to defeat Christ. But he cannot because he's invincible.

When Christ comes and returns in glory, Satan will be bound for 1,000 years, then released at the end of those 1,000 years, and then he'll be cast into the lake of fire. Why? Because hell, according to Matthew 25, was prepared for Satan and his angels. Why? Because he was going to ravage the enemy.

That which was prophesied in Genesis 3:15 was proven in 1 John 3, verse number 8, when he destroyed the enemy at the cross. Remember Genesis 3:15? Satan will bruise the seed's heel, but the heel will crush the serpent's head. That was a prophecy.

But it was proven at Calvary, and then it will be perfected at the very end when Satan is cast into the lake of fire. So John wants us to know at the outset, because John is not going to do anything about demon possession in his gospel. But he wants you to know from the very outset that he's invincible, because the darkness cannot overcome, cannot defeat, cannot be victorious over the light, because the light is invincible.

Turn with me in your Bible, if you would, to Mark's gospel, the 5th chapter. Mark chapter 5. And as you're turning there, listen to the words of Mark 1, verse 27.

These are the statements of the religious leaders. What is this? A new teaching and authority that he commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him. They obeyed him immediately, instantaneously, and totally.

The Pharisees were taken back when Christ cast out demons. What new teaching, what new authority. And Christ did no rituals, no routines.

He would just speak the word and they'd be gone, because he's invincible. So in Mark chapter 5, which is also recorded in Matthew 8, and also in Luke 8, read along with me.

They came to the other side, verse number 1, of the sea into the country of the Gerasenes. When he got out of the boat, immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met him, and he had his dwelling among the tombs, and no one was able to bind him anymore, even with a chain, because he had often been bound with shackles and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him, and the shackles broken to pieces, and no one was strong enough to subdue him. Constantly, night and day, he was screaming among the tombs, and in the mountains, and gashing himself with stones.

You can imagine the scene. Nobody can take a walk at night. Nobody can go for an evening stroll with their children, for fear that this one who was demon-possessed would come out of the tombs, who's gashed himself, and has blood all over him, and no one can bind him. He is put to the locksmith, or the chain-maker, out of business completely, because he destroys all the chains that they try to shackle him with.

He is powerful. He is demonic. He is relentless.

He's scary. He lives in your town. I mean, when you think about this, the homelessness in your town is the Ritz-Carlton compared to the land of the Gerasenes, where this man lived.

And everybody was afraid, for not knowing what would happen to them. But notice this. Seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before him.

Why would he do that? He hates Jesus. He despises Jesus. He does not want to subject himself to Jesus.

So why does he run up to him and bow down to Jesus? Because they can't do anything else. For every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. To the glory of God the Father.

They have to. They're not bowing down. And the word is proskynuo, which means to worship.

Were they really truly going to worship the king? No. But they had to bow before him because of who he was, because of who he is. They're in subjection to the king of kings, the invincible king of kings.

And it says this. Shouting with a loud voice, he said, what business do we have with each other? Jesus, the son of the Most High God. See, they recognize his deity.

They recognize that he's Christ. Now remember, they've never seen the second person of the Godhead in the flesh. They only know him from eternity past.

They're not omniscient. They're not omnipresent. So this was their first glance of the second person of the triune nature of God in the flesh.

And yet, even though they had never seen him in the flesh, they knew exactly who he was. Knew him exactly. Son of the Most High God.

High God. El Elyon. They knew that.

Why? Because they comprehend the Messiah. They understand the second person of the triune God. They understand who Jesus is. They just can't defeat him. They can't overcome him. But they know exactly who he is.

And so, they say, what business do we have with each other? Jesus, son of the Most High, I implore you by God, do not torment me. Or, when you look at Matthew's account, in Matthew chapter 8, it says these words, what business do we have with each other? Son of God, have you come here to torment us? Have you come to torment us before the time?

Not only do they recognize his deity, they recall their destiny. They know where they're going. They know they have no hope in the future. You've come to torment us before the time. What time? The time of judgment. The time in which they will be cast into the lake of fire.

Listen, they know it's coming. Their eschatology is sound. Their Christology, sound. Their identity of the Messiah, sound. They know exactly who he is.

They're not taken by surprise. Have you come to torment us before the time? It's not time yet. We know when the time is, but it's not yet.

So why are you here? Don't torment us. Again, subject to his sovereignty. And so maybe they think that in his humanity, they can diffuse his power.

Maybe they think that in his humanity, they're able to influence him to sin. That's why Satan tempted him in Matthew chapter 4. Maybe he's weaker in his humanity than he was before the incarnation.

Remember, Satan is not omniscient. He doesn't know everything. He only knows what's revealed to him and what he can see.

He can't see the future, although he knows the future, based on the fact that the time has not yet come. How interesting. So it says in verse 8, we've been saying to him, come out of the man, you unclean spirit.

And he was asking him, what is your name? What is your name? He said to him, my name is Legion, for we are many. They began to implore him earnestly not to send them out of the country. Now there was a large herd of swine feeding nearby in the mountain.

The demons implored him, saying, send us into the swine, so that we may enter them. And Jesus gave them permission. Again, see, Satan can't do anything without permission.

Ask Job. Satan can’t do anything to Job without asking permission. Because Satan is completely subject to the invincible king of the universe. He has to ask permission.

And so, not only do they recognize his deity, not only do they recall their destiny, but they realize his authority. They understand that he is the all-authoritative God of the universe.

And so while they bow before him, not because of anything other than the fact that they recognize who he is, they are asking for permission to go into the swine. And so the Lord grants them permission. And coming out, the unclean spirits entered the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea. About 2,000 of them, and they were drowned in the sea.

Hard for me to resist. They just took a swine dive off the cliffs and committed suey-cide. I'm sorry. I need to stay in my own lane and forget about the comedic act, but it's hard to resist.

Verse 13, their herdsmen ran away and reported in the city and in the country, and the people came to see what it was that had happened.

They came to Jesus and observed the man who had been demon-possessed, sitting down, clothed, and in his right mind, the very man who had the legion, and they became frightened. Notice they were terrorized, but they were not transformed. Read on.

Those who had seen it described to them how it had happened to the demon-possessed man in all about the swine. You can imagine the stories that were told, and they began to implore him to leave their region. Get out of here.

What? The man who just saved them from the terror of the town? The man who had just exorcised the demons in this man? But you see, they valued their material loss more than their spiritual gain. They had lost 2,000 swine into the sea, and they didn't want to lose anything, but they did, and they did not want to worship the king. That's just incredible.

They implored him to leave their region. How sad is that? They preferred swine to a savior, but you see, that's the way the world functions. If the darkness, Christ says, if the light in thee is darkness, how great is that darkness? Well, for them, it was great, but read on.

The story gets even better. As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed was imploring him, begging him that he might accompany him. Now, I want you to know something.

Here's a man who was demon-possessed. Here was a man who was totally in chains. Now he's changed, because everything that Christ does in the physical realm is symbolic of what he does in the spiritual realm.

You've been taken captive by Satan, 2 Timothy 2:24 and 25, to do his will, and yet when you are born again, when you're saved by God, you are transferred from that kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light, which is the kingdom of God's dear son. There has been a breaking of all the chains and you are all chains because you have been totally changed. Now note this.

When that happens, you want to be wherever Jesus is. When you are changed, you can't wait to be wherever Jesus is. I wanna go with you, I wanna be with you, wherever you're going, I'm there.

I wanna be with you, because when you come to know Christ, your love for him is overwhelming. Oh, what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us that we should be called the children of God. Here's a man whose life was completely and totally changed, and all he could say was, I just want to accompany you wherever you go.

And you think that Jesus would say, come on. We can travel the circuit. You can give your testimony. You can be on CNN, Fox News. Give your testimony for all the world to hear. You'd be the perfect testimonial for the world. For the saving grace of the living God.

But that's not what happens. He did not let him, but he said to him, go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how he had mercy on you.

Go home. Go home and be a living testimony to the power of God in your life. You would think that the Lord would say to them, you want me gone? Okay, famine all across the land. No. Plague. I'm gonna corrupt you with a plague, so you'll beg for me to stay.

No. No, God in his graciousness and compassion left them a living testimony to the power of God so the message would always be before them constantly. He'd always be there.

Who's that guy? That's the guy, remember, who used to cut himself? Who broke the chains? That's the guy who lived in the tombs. Remember that guy? He's not there anymore. He's not chained anymore.

He's free. He's known the truth, and the truth has set him free. He's free.

He's good to go. Christ left them a living testimony, but redone, and he went away and began to proclaim in Decapolis what great things, what's the next phrase? Jesus had done. What did Jesus say? He said, tell them what great things the Lord has done for you.

So what did he do? He proclaimed the deity of Jesus, that Jesus is Lord to everybody. What great things Jesus had done for him and everyone was amazed. Why don't I tell you that story? Why don't we tie that in to John 1, verse number 5? To show you that the light is invincible, all-powerful, all-authoritative, that everything in the world of darkness is subject to the world of light, everything, and to let you know what happens next because the first 5 verses are simply, may I present to you Jesus.

Having seen him in his eternality and having seen him in his personality, having seen him in his deity and in his vitality, having seen him in his creativity and his invincibility, now what? Well, verse 6 tells you now what. For verse 6 says these words. There came a man sent from God whose name was John and he came as a witness to testify about the light so that all might believe through him.

He was not the light but he came to testify about the light. Having presented Jesus to you, what is your responsibility? To testify to the light. Like John, you are not the light but John would shine bright as he reflected the light and John the Baptist, well, he was the greatest man ever born of a woman according to Christ's words in the Gospel of Luke, the Gospel of Matthew.

Nobody greater than John, and John was the last Old Testament prophet, first New Testament preacher, and John would testify about the light. That was his ministry. He was not the light but he wanted to testify about the light and so he would be the one who pointed, behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, John 1:29.

He would point people to the Messiah. He would testify to the light because he knew Jesus.

We've introduced Jesus to you so now what's your responsibility? To point people to the Messiah, to testify to the light so that John 20, they may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. The Bible says in John 20:21, as the Father has sent me, so send I you.

John had a unique ministry. How unique was John's ministry? His ministry was uncompromising. His ministry was unorthodox.

His ministry was unequaled. His ministry was unlimited. His ministry was uninhibited.

His ministry was unpopular but his ministry was unforgettable. You can have that kind of ministry if you testify to the light but that's next week's lesson. Let's pray together.

Father, we thank you for today. We thank you for the opportunity to be here. I pray for everyone in the room.

They would not just recognize who Jesus is but they would turn and repent of their sin based on his identity and follow you fully. We do thank you for today and the opportunity we have to be together. Truly, Lord, you are great and truly, Lord, you are worthy of praise.

Thank you for the first 5 verses of the Gospel of John that present the beauty and brilliance of the Son of God. The word became flesh and we have seen the beauty of Christ. May we leave this place today knowing our marching orders that we might testify to the light.

In Jesus' name, amen.