Well, this morning is the first Sunday in 2020.
The chapter of our lives called 2019 has been written and it is complete.
We no longer have the opportunity to add anything to it.
And we cannot change what has happened in the past.
It's in the past.
Just as I wondered if you've taken time to reflect on 2019,
I wonder if you've taken time to think about this year ahead.
Some of you may or may not be into making resolutions and that kind of thing.
Have you taken time to think about not only how the past year went,
but how you'd like this next whole year to go?
What are the things that you hope to see in 2020?
What are your greatest longings for this year ahead?
My hope and my prayer is that as we come to the Lord's word this morning,
that he will give us a bit of a vision for what we can long for and pray for
and strive for in this coming year.
We ended last year, 2019,
by looking at the glorious truth of who this baby was in the manger.
He was the son who was with God and was God at the very beginning.
He became flesh.
He became one of us.
And he lived among us.
He was in our world.
And even though the world was made through him,
John says the world did not recognize him.
We're at the beginning of the story here,
as we look at John's account of the story of Jesus.
And there's a couple of things that John wants to make clear,
just as if you were asked to tell someone about something,
before you tell them the story,
there's a couple of things that I just want to say here at the beginning
and make clear before we get into it.
That's what John is doing here.
And he's already made clear for us
that the story of Jesus did not begin in the womb of Mary.
No, Jesus is the word who was with God and was God
even before everything in our world was made.
And he became flesh.
He came, he lived among us.
And there's more that John wants to make clear.
There's a couple other things that John wants to say
before he gets into telling the story of Jesus.
And one of those things is that
comes to us in verse 14.
And I'll read it for us this morning.
Verse 14 to 18.
If you have your Bible, feel free to open it up to John chapter 1.
If you're in the pew Bibles,
the black hardcover in front of you,
that's page 860.
John 1 verses 14.
John writes,
The word became flesh
and made his dwelling among us.
We have seen his glory.
The glory of the one and only Son
who came from the Father.
Full of grace and truth.
John testified concerning him.
He cried out saying,
This is the one I spoke about when I said,
He who comes after me
has surpassed me
because he was before me.
Out of his fullness,
we have all received grace
in place of grace already given.
For the law was given through Moses.
Grace and truth
came through Jesus Christ.
No one has ever seen God.
But the one and only Son
who is himself God
and is in closest relationship with the Father
has made him known.
So what else does John want to make clear to us
before he gets into telling the story of Jesus?
This one,
the word,
the light,
the life,
the one who became flesh,
he was in the world.
He came into our world
and he lived among us.
But the world on the whole
did not recognize him,
says John.
But even though on the whole
the world did not recognize him,
John says this in verse 14.
He says,
we have seen his glory.
We have seen his glory.
It's past tense.
Literally,
we saw his glory.
I want you to imagine for a moment
that John is here with us this morning,
that he's the guest speaker.
You can kind of do it up in your imagination
however you want.
And whether we go back in time to his time
where he kind of appears to us here in the future
and he's here today
to tell us the story of Jesus,
to tell us what he saw.
And he looks you in the face
and he says to you,
we saw his glory.
To which we're all thinking,
well, tell us, John.
What did you see?
What did you see of his glory?
Tell me.
Tell me the story.
You claim to have seen it.
What did you see?
What is John doing here?
He's whetting our appetites
for what's to come.
He's about to tell us the story.
But he wants us to listen closely
because there is something to see here
that is amazing,
that many missed
about Jesus,
about this one.
We saw his glory.
We didn't just see a guy
who was just another man.
We saw his glory.
The glory of the one and only son
who came from the Father,
says John.
And he gives us a bit of a trailer,
a bit of a teaser
as to some of what he saw.
He said,
we saw his glory,
the glory of the one and only son
who came from the Father
full of grace and truth.
We saw how he was full of grace
and full of truth.
And I hope right now
what we're thinking is,
John, tell me,
how was he full of grace?
How was he full of truth?
What did you see?
What did he say?
What did he do
that brought you to write this?
John's going to tell us
as he goes on in the gospel.
He's going to tell us
what he saw of Jesus' glory
and how he was full of grace
and truth.
Those two words,
grace and truth,
John,
he picks them up again
down in verse 17.
The last half of verse 17,
John says this.
He says,
grace and truth
came through Jesus Christ.
He's making a little bit
of a different point here
using the same two words.
The first point he made
was that Jesus is full
of grace and truth.
He has these qualities.
But now here in verse 17,
he's saying grace and truth
come through Jesus Christ.
And we're not going to get into
all the details of this verse here,
but he's comparing Jesus
to Moses in verse 17.
For the law was given
through Moses.
The law,
God's law,
was given,
and this is implied,
to people
through Moses.
Grace,
however,
grace and truth,
God's grace
and God's truth
came
and again implied
to people
through Jesus Christ.
So it's both.
He is full of grace
and truth
in himself
as a person.
The Lord Jesus is.
But he has also
come into our world
to offer us something.
To give us something.
To give us
God's grace
and God's truth.
What does John say
in verse 16?
He says,
out of his fullness
we have all
received
grace.
This is not just
grace and truth
for us to see
and look at.
This is grace and truth
for us to receive
and to take
for ourselves.
Just as the law
was given
through Moses
so that the people
could have it
in the same way.
God is giving
his grace
his generosity
his gift
his blessing
his truth
to people
and it's coming
through
his son
Jesus Christ.
How does it work?
How do we get it?
How do we receive it
for ourselves?
Again,
John is whetting
our appetite
so that as we go on
in the story
we can look for that.
How do we get this grace
from God
and this truth?
The last thing
that John
wants to make clear
before he gets
into the story
of Jesus
comes in verse 18.
He says this
no one has ever
seen God
but the one
and only son
who is himself
God
and is in closest
relationship
with the father
has made him
known.
No one has ever
seen God
says John
and the way he says
this is quite emphatic
it's no one
has seen God
ever.
Now those of you
who know your Bible
well
might be a little
puzzled by that
expression.
Maybe you can think
of a time or two
back in the Old Testament
where it seems
as though someone
saw God.
One of those
times was
Jacob.
Jacob
a man
appeared to him
one night
and he wrestled
with that man
and at the end
of this
wrestling
with this man
the man said
you have wrestled
with God
and Jacob
at the end
of that whole
encounter
he named
the place
and he said
this
he said
because I saw
God
face to face
and yet my life
was spared.
So it seems
as though
Jacob saw God
in one sense
though it was
in the appearance
of a man.
Abraham also
if we remember
back to our last
series
he had an
encounter
with God
like this
the three
visitors
came
to him
and one
of them
was the
Lord himself
in human
form.
Abraham
spoke to him
face to face
like he would
to any other
person.
He offered him
hospitality
food to eat
and drink
and he bartered
with him
about Sodom
and Gomorrah.
Abraham,
Jacob and
others
had encounters
with God
like this
where they saw
God
and God
I guess
appeared to
them
made himself
known to
them in
human form
took on
the form
of a
human
being
and spoke
to them.
Moses also
in a sense
saw
God
when he was
kind of in the
region of
Sinai
and during
that time
before they had
entered the
promised land
it says this
in Exodus
33
now Moses
used to
take a
tent
and pitch
it outside
the camp
some distance
away
and he called
it the
tent of
meeting
and
he basically
tells us
that Moses
would go
out to
this tent
to meet
with God
and it
says this
in verse
11 of
chapter 33
the Lord
would speak
to Moses
face to
face
as one
speaks to
a friend
so it
seems from
these
examples
that in
at least
some sense
some people
have seen
God
but in
another
sense
in the
sense
that
John
means
no
one
has
ever
seen
God
and
I think
one of the
best examples
of this
is with
Moses
and it
comes right
after this
it says
that he
spoke
to Moses
face to
face
as one
speaks to
a friend
and then
in the
very next
section
the very
next
encounter
that's
described
that Moses
has with
God
this is
what it
says
it says
Moses
he asked
God
for something
he said
show me
your glory
and the
Lord
agreed to
his request
the Lord
said
I will
cause
all my
goodness
to pass
in front
of you
and I
will
proclaim
my name
the Lord
in your
presence
but
the Lord
said
you cannot
see
my face
for no
one
may see
me
and live
so even
though
Moses
had spoken
to the
Lord
face to
face
in one
sense
there was
still a
sense
in which
he had
not
seen
the
Lord's
face
not
in
not
the
Lord
in
the
fullness
of
his
glory
the
Lord
said
you
can't
see
my
face
in
the
fullness
of
my
glory
and
live
and
so
what
does
the
Lord
do
we
kind
of
sang
a
song
already
that
really
ties
in
with
this
he
hideth
my
soul
in
the
cleft
of
the
rock
the
Lord
comes
up
with
this
arrangement
so
that
he
can
show
some
of
his
glory
to
Moses
the
Lord
said
there's
a
place
near
me
where
you
may
stand
on
a
rock
when
my
glory
passes
by
I
will
put
you
in
a
cleft
in
the
rock
and
cover
you
with
my
hand
until
I
have
passed
by
then
I
will
remove
my
hand
and
you
will
see
my
back
but
my
face
says
the
Lord
must
not
be
seen
so
there
is a
sense
in
which
no
one
has
ever
seen
God
not
in
the
fullness
of
his
glory
and
there's
two
reasons
at
least
why
the
first
is
owing
to
our
own
sinfulness
we
are
sinners
we
are
rebels
God
is
holy
he
is
righteous
he
is
eager
to
bring
justice
and
to
do
good
and
so
we
can
only
get
so
close
you
cannot
see
my
face
for
no
one
may
see
me
and
live
the
second
reason
that
we
cannot
see
God
is
owing
to
what
one
preacher
referred
to
as
our
creaturely
weakness
we
lack
the
capacity
to
do
it
Jesus
will
tell
us
just a
couple
chapters
later
in
John
that
God
is
spirit
in
Paul's
letter
to
the
Colossians
he
says
for
the
sun
is
the
image
of
the
invisible
God
and
again
in
1st
Timothy
1
verse
17
he
is
the
invisible
God
is
spirit
he
is
invisible
we
can't
see
him
with
our
physical
human
eyes
they
don't
have
the
capacity
to
see
spirits
and
so
in
that
sense
no
one
has
ever
seen
God
and
we
might
perhaps
speculate
a little
bit
that
even
if
God
was
to
make
himself
known
in
the
fullness
of
his
glory
right
in
front
of
our
faces
we
just
we
couldn't
handle
it
the
analogy
that
I
kept
thinking
of
as
I
was
thinking
through
this
was
when
we
look
at
the
sun
maybe
you
have
seen
a
sunrise
or
sunset
or
two
with
the
short
days
that
we
have
been
having
and
you
try
to
look
at
it
and
just
take
in
the
beauty
of
it
but
then
you
can
only
look
so
long
before
you
start
to
see
funny
as
you
look
around
at
everything
else
if
you
stare
too
long
at
the
sun
it
will
do
permanent
damage
to
your
eyes
we
weren't
meant
to
look
right
at
it
our
eyes
aren't
made
for
that
they're
made
to
see
everything
else
in the
light
of
the
sun
in
the
same
way
if
we
were
to
come
face
to
face
with
the
fullness
of
God's
glory
he
would
be
too
bright
dare
I
say
we'd
be
incinerated
we
weren't
made
to
handle
to
take
in
all
of
who
he
is
right
there
face
to
face
not
with
these
bodies
not
as
we
are
and
so
in
those
senses
in
the
sense
of
the
fullness
of
God's
glory
no
one
has
ever
seen
God
we
can't
because
of
our
sin
because
of
our
creaturely
weakness
and
incapacity
but
here's
the good
news
that
John
writes
he
says
but
the
one
and
only
son
has
made
him
known
this
is
the
good
news
that
John
wants
us
to
know
even
before
we
get
going
in
the
story
this
one
this
guy
Jesus
the
Christ
he
has
come
into
our
world
to
make
the
unseeable
one
known
to
us
so
that
in
a
sense
we
might
see
him
so
that
we
might
know
him
in
a
way
that
we
otherwise
couldn't
the
prophets
they
were
only
so
good
what
they
were
able
to
communicate
and
reveal
about
God
but
the
son
is
able
to
make
God
known
in
a
way
that
the
prophets
couldn't
even
hold
a
candle
to
what
does
John
say
the
one
and
only
son
who
is
himself
God
he's
not
just
a
man
he is
himself
God
and
is
in
closest
relationship
with
the
father
because
of that
close
relationship
the son
has
with
the
father
he's
able
to
make
known
who
God
is
to
us
in a
way
that
we
never
could
have
before
and
so
again
John
is
whetting
our
appetites
as
we're
about
to
move
forward
and
work
through
the
gospel
of
John
and
the
weeks
and
months
ahead
what
are
we
looking
to
see
what
are
we
hoping
to
find
there
we're
hoping
to
see
as
John
did
the
glory
of
the
son
we're
hoping
to
know
God
better
because
that's
why
he's
come
to
make
God
known
and
so
as
we
journey
through
the
gospel
of
John
in
the
weeks
ahead
I
want
you
to
imagine
that
these
words
are
in
one
sense
the
same
as
having
John
with
us
here
as
a
guest
speaker
if
you
were
to
ask
him
so
what
did
you
see
this
is
what
he
would
say
and
as
we
ask
those
questions
tell
me
more
tell
me
more
this
is
what
he
would
say
and
I
hope
and
I
pray
that
as
we
work
through
this
series
that
we
will
see
the
glory
of
Jesus
in
a
way
that's
deeper
than
we
ever
have
before
that
we'll
get
to
know
God
better
as
I
was
thinking
about
this
started
to
think
that's
really
a
good
desire
to
have
not
just
for
Sunday
mornings
when
we
come
to
listen
to
the
word
but
perhaps
that
could
be
our
desire
our
longing
our
big
resolution
our
big
hope
and
dream
for
this
year
we've
just
crossed
the
threshold
from
2019
into
2020
I
don't
know
about
you
but
I
have
hopes
for
this
year
ahead
I
have
dreams
I
have
things
that
I'm
longing
for
in
my
own
life
and
in
our
church
in
this
community
and
my
family
in
my
relationships
with
people
but
what
is
that
thing
that
I
should
long
for
most
what's
that
one
thing
that
I
should
ask
God
for
more
than
anything
else
the
thing
that
is
supremely
valuable
that
will
make
all
the
difference
in
this
year
what's
the
thing
that
I
want
to
look
back
on
2020
as
being
the
year
that
happened
I
want
to
look
back
on
2020
and
remember
it
is
the
year
that
I
saw
just
as
John
did
the
glory
of
Jesus
in
a
deeper
way
than
I
ever
had
before
I
want
to
remember
2020
is
the
year
that
I
got
to
know
God
in
sweeter
deeper
more
precious
ways
than
I
had
known
him
before
and
I'm
crazy
enough
to
believe
that
if
we
make
that
our
great
longing
our
great
prayer
request
for
the
year
that
every
other
area
of
our
lives
will
be
affected
as
well
our
marriages
will be
changed
our
parenting
will be
affected
our
relationships
with other
people
that are
broken
that are
struggling
will be
affected
our
work
will be
affected
when
we
catch
a
glimpse
of
God's
beauty
of
his
glory
I'm
crazy
enough
to
believe
that
every
area
of
our
lives
will
change
for
the
better
in
all
those
little
resolutions
and ways
that we
hope
as well
so I
want to
invite
you
along
with
myself
to
make
this
your
prayer
for the
whole
year
for
2020
this
that
this
would
be
our
church
prayer
the
prayer
that
Moses
prayed
Lord
show
me
your
glory
this
year
2020
help
me
know
you
better
I
want
to
know
you
I
want
to
see
your
glory
let's
pray
that
now
Lord
Jesus
we
read
these
pages
some
of
us
many
times
we
don't
want
to
read
them
again
and
just
see
nothing
just
see
the
same
old
story
that
we've
read
Lord
we
want
to
see
your
glory
we
want
to
be
captivated
by
your
beauty
by
your
grace
by
your
truth
we
want
to
know
what
we
otherwise
couldn't
about
God
because
of
what
you
said
and
did
and
so
we
pray
and
ask
that
this
would
be
a
year
that
we
would
be
captivated
by
you
Lord
we
don't
want
to
be
as
the
story
of
this
year
captivated
by
the
light
that
comes
out
of
our
phone
screens
or
televisions
we
want
to be
captivated
by
the
light
that
comes
out
of
your
glorious
radiance
and
presence
the
light
that
we
see
through
your
son
Jesus
the
image
of
you
the
invisible
so
work
in our
hearts
give us
eyes
to see
give us
ears
to hear
help us
to
to be
faithful
in those
those
good
habits
that you
have
given
us
in order
to be
able
to see
and know
you
more
to be
in our
our
Bibles
to be
in
prayer
this
year
to be
in
fellowship
with
one
another
this
year
we
have
great
longings
and
great
hopes
but
we
do
believe
that
they
will
all
be
met
in
you
Lord
we
dedicate
this
year
to
you
to
knowing
you
to
seeing
your
glory
for
the
glory
of
your
name
and
for
the
glory
of
Jesus
Amen
me
you