Keep your Bibles open to the John passage that Tim read out first.
That would be really helpful.
We are going to have a bit of a look at that.
I am going to jump around a bit tonight, so consider yourself forewarned.
And it's okay.
If you want to have a go at keeping up, you're welcome to.
But if not, I'll let you know the references and you can have a look at them later on.
I'm going to pray and then we'll get stuck into it.
Father God, we thank you for the chance to open your word tonight.
We thank you for, so far in this series, being reminded that you're a God who wants to be known
and that you're a God who is majestic and that you're a God for us.
There is just so much of you for us to discover.
God, we pray tonight that as we look at Jesus, as we look at the Son,
that you would give us eyes to see him clearly,
that you would enable us to understand what it is we're wrestling with,
but more importantly, that as we see him, that it would affect us
and the people that you have made us to be.
Amen.
I have to confess that writing this series that we've been working through for the last few weeks
and that we're going through for the next couple of weeks has been a fairly difficult task.
Not because I didn't want to write this series.
I was involved in the decision to do it.
But we are trying to take a look at God.
We are trying to focus in and understand the distinction that is in God,
the Father and the Son and the Spirit.
Later on in this series, we will focus more in on the oneness of God.
But at the moment, we're trying to emphasize the distinction.
And so we've got a distinction that's there, but at the same time, we've got a unity.
And so I found myself trying to write a sermon today
and feeling like I was saying a lot of things that I said last week that were also true of the Father.
And that is both the challenge and the wonder of God that there is distinction there
and that distinction is important, but that that distinction exists in a perfect unity somehow.
Thankfully, as it's getting more difficult, I've handballed next week to the bishop
so he can struggle to come up with fresh stuff as we look at the Spirit next week.
But despite the difficulty in wrestling with this, the facts are the testimony of Scripture
is that our God is Father, Son and Spirit.
And those distinctions are there.
They exist.
So it's worth trying to understand them.
They wouldn't be there if they didn't matter or if they weren't helpful
or if they didn't make a difference to us knowing God.
And so it is worth us wrestling with them.
Now, just like last week, I want to begin this week
by telling you four things that we believe to be true as Christians.
Firstly, there is one God.
Secondly, that God is three persons, Father, Son and Spirit.
Thirdly, each member of that Trinity is equally God, eternally God and fully God.
And lastly, each member of that Trinity is a distinct personal expression
of the one undivided nature.
Now, if that sounds a lot and complicated, you're right.
God as Trinity is something that is incomprehensible, but it's important.
It's something that is not easy, but it's true.
And so we're going to wrestle with it.
Last week, we looked at God the Father, as Janet's already reminded us.
We were confronted with His supremacy in all things.
We were encouraged with His abundant love towards the Son and the Spirit
and, of course, to us as well.
And we were encouraged that He includes the Son and the Spirit in the Father's work
and we have the joy of being included in His work as well.
But today, we get to the Son.
What is it that makes God the Son distinct?
Now, again, I want to qualify this sermon like I have so far to say that what we're going to look at tonight
isn't everything.
It's not exhaustive.
It's not the whole list on God the Son,
but it's a few things that I think might help us in understanding God the Son
and how that affects us having a relationship with our God,
who is Father, Son, and Spirit.
So keep John chapter 1 in front of you
and we're going to try and look at four things that I believe John chapter 1 teaches us
about God the Son.
Firstly, and maybe this is a bit obvious,
what makes God the Son God the Son is that He shows up.
What makes Him unique from the Father and the Spirit
is that the Son is the one who becomes a man.
The Son is the one who becomes human.
God wants to be known.
The Father wants us to know Him.
In John chapter 1, we read this.
Verse 1,
In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
Down to verse 14,
The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.
We have seen His glory,
the glory of the one and only,
who came from the Father,
full of grace and truth.
John goes on in this little section that was read out
to make it really clear,
if we've missed,
because it's kind of some circular language,
that the Word in flesh is Jesus.
The point of this first chapter of John's Gospel is to say,
Jesus is more than an impressive guy.
He's more than just a miracle worker.
He is God.
Now, when we talk about God the Son,
we never mean less than Jesus,
but this part of John 1 tells us that we mean more than Jesus.
I'll say that again.
When we're talking about God the Son,
we never mean less than Jesus,
but we actually are talking about more than the man Jesus.
Because God the Son was there before Jesus was born.
It's there in John in the first verse.
In the beginning was the Word,
the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
God the Son who becomes Jesus was there
when God the Father was creating.
In fact, John 1 tells us that it was through Him
that creation happened.
Verse 3,
Through Him all things were made.
Without Him nothing was made that has been made.
God the Son is more than just the man Jesus.
He is eternal.
He was there in the beginning.
He always was.
Part of who God is is that He never begun.
He never started.
And so God the Son too is fully God
and has no beginning.
What happened 2,000 years ago
and gave us a public holiday in December
was not the beginning of God the Son.
It was His arrival.
It was His showing up so that we might see Him.
And so Jesus' birth in the manger is significant,
but it's not the beginning.
It's the showing up of God in human form.
Now don't let the significance of that slip by you.
I'm not saying the incarnation is less impressive
because God the Son always was.
It actually makes it more important.
When you understand that God the Son is eternal
and all-knowing and all-powerful,
it's the Philippians passage that was read out for us.
It's poetic in that it shows this movement.
God the Son is in very nature God.
He is God.
He is eternal, powerful, majestic, creator.
And in the birth of Jesus,
He enters into human history for our sake.
I mean, we get very excited around Easter
and rightfully so as we look at the death of Jesus.
But the birth of Jesus is easily as significant.
The eternal God becomes a man when Jesus is born.
I have said in sermons before that Christmas exists for Easter.
What I'm getting at by that, obviously,
is that Jesus came because He was going to die.
But that plays down just how significant it is
that God would enter into human history.
That the one who sits over all creation,
the one who, it says, He created everything
and without Him nothing was made,
the fact that He would become a creature
is more than significant.
God the Son has this unique role within the Trinity
of being sent by the Father to become a man
so that we might call God the Father our Father.
First thing that we need to grab about God the Son
is that He shows up.
Second thing, God the Son reveals.
The Son here in John chapter 1
is shown to be the revealer of God.
His task is to point us to God.
Verse 18,
No one has ever seen God,
but God the one and only that's talking about Jesus
who is at the Father's side has made Him known.
And maybe even more significantly,
if you skip back to verse 11,
He came to that which was His own.
His own did not receive Him.
Yet, to all who received Him,
to those who believed in His name,
He gave the right to become children of God.
Children born not of natural descent,
nor of human decision or a husband's will,
but born of God.
The Son reveals the Father
so that we can become children of God.
Before the Son comes and points us to the Father,
we cannot know Him as Father.
The Son is the only one,
according to verse 18,
who has seen God
and who therefore is qualified to come
from the Father's side as human
and make Him known to us.
In John chapter 17,
just before Jesus is about to face the cross,
Jesus prays to His Father.
And in His prayer,
He explains that He has completed the work
that He was given.
And His work,
according to John 17, verse 6,
is to reveal the Father
to those who belong to Him.
Now, don't get me wrong
when I say that the Son shows up
and the Son reveals.
The Father is absolutely committed
to having a relationship with us.
He cares about restoring the break
that was forced by sin.
The Spirit is absolutely committed
to bringing people back
into a relationship with God,
but it is the Son
who reveals the Father
that we might know Him,
that we might have a relationship with Him.
John 14,
we looked at it a couple of weeks ago,
verse 6,
Jesus says,
I am the way,
the truth,
and the life.
No one comes to the Father
except through me.
I remember I was on a holiday
a few years ago,
just before,
no, I turned 21,
and for my birthday,
I got given an overseas ticket
and I was silly enough
to take a credit card as well
because I didn't have any savings.
So I just went overseas
and kind of made up my holiday
as I went.
And travelling through
a bit of France
and Paris in particular,
basically what you can do there
is the Eiffel Tower
and galleries.
That's all there is.
And so I wandered around doing it.
Hey, I've been there twice.
It's all there is.
So I did the Eiffel Tower.
That was covered.
And then I started going around
a few galleries.
And I was in the Louvre
because that's the one
you have to go to
because it's got that tiny little
unimpressive picture
of that woman.
But as I was walking through there,
they had a power failure,
which was very exciting,
obviously,
because they were panicking,
thinking stuff might get stolen
or damaged.
And there's certain rooms in there
that have no windows,
no skylights,
no natural light whatsoever.
And so in those rooms,
it was fairly dangerous
trying to navigate your way
while the power was out.
And I was stuck in one of these rooms
for a few minutes.
I figured it was safer
to just sit
than maybe do some
really, really expensive damage.
So I was sitting,
waiting for the lights to come on,
completely oblivious
to what was around me.
I was literally within inches
of world famous,
really expensive,
really impressive,
detailed artworks.
I couldn't tell you
what they were,
but I was very close to them
and I had absolutely no idea.
The absolutely essential ingredient
for me to appreciate
those artworks
and see the detail
that was there
was light.
Without light,
it doesn't matter
how impressive they are,
there is something
that holds me back
from being able
to appreciate them
and see them.
And the testimony
of Scripture
is that Jesus
is the light
of the world.
Without Him,
it doesn't matter
how hard we look,
it doesn't matter
how close we come,
we cannot see
the glory
of our Heavenly Father.
It doesn't matter
what else you have,
you need Jesus.
You need the Son
to come in flesh
because He is the light
that illuminates
the Father in Heaven.
Through Jesus
and Jesus alone,
we are given
the opportunity
to be called,
verse 12,
children of God.
Through Jesus,
we have this amazing gift
that we are actually
drawn into the relationship
of the Trinity.
We are going to get
to that relationship
more in a couple
of weeks' time,
but last week
we talked about
how the Father
and the Son
love one another
and know one another
intimately.
What it means
to be a child of God
is to be drawn
into that relationship
where the Father
loves us
and cares for us
and where we love
Him back
and we marvel
and rejoice
in His glory
and majesty.
There is an amazing
phrase in the prayer
that Jesus is praying
in John 17.
He says these words
in verse 20,
My prayer is not
for them alone,
talking about His disciples.
I pray also
for those who will
believe in Me
through their message.
That's us.
Here's the bit.
That all of them
may be one,
Father,
just as You are in Me
and I am in You.
May they also be in Us
so that the world
may believe
that You have sent Me.
The relationship
that God wants
with you
is not a distant relationship.
Jesus came
so that you might
know the Father
intimately.
Jesus died
and rose again
so that we would
be drawn into
the relationship
where He is
our Father.
Not a distant God
but our Father.
Father.
And the gift
of Jesus
and the other thing,
the third thing
that makes Him
unique as the Son
is that He shows us
what it means
to live
as children
of our Heavenly Father.
He shows us
what is required
now that we have
been drawn in
to this relationship
and the third thing
that makes the Son
unique
is that God
the Son
submits.
Last week
we were encouraged
and excited
to see the supremacy
of our Heavenly Father
and that's really
easy to affirm.
Of course
God is supreme.
Of course
God is in control.
Of course
God has authority.
But in the Son
we see that
the God
who is supreme
also
submits.
The God
who has all authority
also humbles Himself.
God the Son
eternally
and perfectly
submits
to His Heavenly Father.
in creation
the Son
submits to the Father
and serves
as His agent.
In His earthly mission
He arrives
with the Father's purpose
of seeking
and saving the lost.
In every temptation
He faces
in every challenge
He perfectly
obeys
His Father.
That doesn't mean
it was easy.
There's this amazing
picture in the Gospels
of Jesus
just before
His crucifixion
horrified
by what comes next.
Crying out
to His Father
saying
if there's another way
please
but He finishes
that prayer
by saying
not what I will
but what you will.
It wasn't easy
for the Son
to perfectly submit.
Jesus in human form
faced the temptations
that we face
but perfectly
obeyed
even to death
and death
on the cross.
Many scholars
and atheists
throughout history
have referred
to the sacrifice
of Jesus
by God
as divine
child abuse.
They think
it is
unthinkable
that a loving
Father
would send
His Son
His innocent Son
to pay the price.
But this
completely
misunderstands
the Son's
submission.
Last week
we saw
that the Father
was supreme
but only
when we now
look at the Son
can we see
that supremacy
going hand in hand
with submission.
Submission
for Jesus
isn't a burden.
He doesn't
submit to the Father
out of some sense
of I'm supposed to
because I'm the Son.
He submits
to the Father
because He loves
the Father.
Having explained
that He gives
access to the Father
in John 14
Jesus goes on
to say why
He lays down
His life.
Verse 31
of John 14
The world
must learn
that I love
the Father
and I do
exactly what
my Father
has commanded
me.
It is out of
love for His
Heavenly Father
that Jesus
submits.
His submission
is not a
controlling thing
where the Son
is forced
to go to the
cross.
In John 10
Jesus says this
The reason
my Father
loves me
is that I
lay down
my life
only to
take it
up again.
Verse 18
No one
takes it
from me
but I
lay it
down
of my
own
accord.
I have
authority
to lay
it
down
and
authority
to
take
it
up
again.
This
command
I
received
from my
Father.
Did you
catch that?
It feels
like a tension
when you read
it at first.
It says
no one
takes it
from me
I lay
it
down
of my
own
accord
I
have
authority
and then
at the
end
this
command
I
received
from
my
Father.
How does
that work?
For Jesus
to say
I do
it
but the
Father
commands
me
to do
it.
It's
the
Father's
will
that the
Son
comes
and gives
up his
life
for us
to know
him.
It is
the
Father's
command
that
Jesus
comes
and lay
down
his
life
but it
is
out
of
love
for
the
Son
that
the
Father
chooses
him
for
this
task.
I'll
say
that
again
it's
out
of
love
for
the
Son
that
the
Father
sends
Jesus
to
the
cross.
The
laying
down
of
his
life
is
the
path
to
being
exalted
above
all
things
on
heaven
and
on
earth.
Philippians
2
the
end
point
of
Jesus
obedience
and
submission
is
that
he
is
exalted
above
every
other
name.
There
is
no
greater
honor
and
out
of
all
that
he
could
have
chosen
the
Father
chooses
the
Son
in
such a
way that
Jesus
knows
that
the
Father
wants
him
to
do
for
our
sake
but
it's
what
he
wants
to
do
out
of
love
for
his
father
and
out
of
love
for
us.
The
Son
looks
at
the
plan
that
God
has
laid
out
for
redemption
and
he
says
I
want
that.
The
cross
and
the
sacrifice
of
Jesus
is
what
the
Son
wants
to
do.
What
he
chooses
to
do.
As
he
says
he
lays
down
his
life
of
his
own
authority.
Even
though
fulfilling
that
mission
was
not
easy
it
was
a
delight
to
Jesus.
It
was
his
joy
to
perfectly
obey
his
father
and
to
draw
us
back
into
a
relationship
with
God
by
his
blood.
It
is
what
the
son
wanted
as
much
as
it
is
what
the
father
wanted.
The
amazing
joy
of the
relationship
between
father
and
son
is
that
they
are
so
united
and
connected
that
the
son
loves
what
the
father
loves.
And
so
the
son
loves
you
just
like
the
father
does.
And
the
son
joyfully
lays
down
the
father
and
begin
to
know
and
rejoice
in
the
forgiveness
that
only
he
can
offer.
The
submission
of
Jesus
to
his
father
is
even
more
amazing
when
we
remember
where
we
started
tonight.
Jesus
is
the
eternal
son.
Jesus
is
divine.
Jesus
is
all
knowing,
all
powerful.
He
and
the
father
are
one
and
yet
he
willingly
and
joyfully
submits.
I had
the joy
yesterday
of being
a part
of
Ange
and
Rob's
wedding.
Many
of you
guys
were
there.
And
I
shared
as I
began
to
speak
they
gave
me
the
passage
in
Ephesians
5
that
encourages
wives
to
submit
to
husbands.
And
I
expressed
that I
thought
that was
a
hospital
pass
in
our
current
culture.
I
did
a bit
of
googling
beforehand
and
found
that
around
the
whole
idea
of
submission
and
particularly
in
our
context
of
being
Anglicans
in
Sydney.
We
are
known
as
being
sexist.
We
are
known
as
oppressing
women
and
all
sorts
of
other
things
because
we
expect
them
to
submit
to
their
husbands.
It
is
amazing
that
the
world
around
us
is
negative
about
submission
even
though
it
doesn't
fully
understand
how
submission
works.
But
I
was
also
reflecting
that
in
my
time
as
a
minister
I
am
yet
to
go
to
a
wedding.
Actually
there is
one
fantastic
exception
sitting
in
this
room
but
other
than
that
one
exception
I
am
yet
to
go
to
a
wedding
a
Christian
wedding
where
the
husband
and
wife
have
wanted
to
articulate
that
submission
would
be
a
good
thing
in
their
marriage.
Now
that
could
be
ignorance
that
could
be
a
whole
bunch
of
factors
but
I
think
the
reality
is
even
for
us
submission
sounds
demeaning.
We're
really
nervous
about
a
word
like
that.
Authority
fantastic
but
submission
there is
a
significant
challenge
for us
tonight
as we
look
at
God
the
Son
because
tonight
God
is
saying
that
submission
is
part
of
who
I
am.
Submission
is not
lowly
or
unimpressive
submission
is not
negative
submission
is
God
like.
We
are
called
as
his
followers
to be
imitators
of
God
and
our
God
is
a
God
who
submits.
If
we're
unable
to
submit
to
the
authorities
that
God
has
placed
over
us
how
will
we
submit
to
him
in
the
way
he
deserves.
If
we
cannot
honour
our
parents
if
we
cannot
honour
our
leaders
here
at
church
if
we
cannot
honour
civil
authorities
if
we
cannot
honour
husbands
if
we
cannot
honour
bosses
then how
will we
begin to
think that
we can
do it
for God?
The
submission
that God
requires
of us
as his
children
is a
submission
far beyond
what we
are capable
of within
ourselves.
It is
the
perfect
submission
of the
Son.
God
is
a
Father
and
a
Son
and
a
Spirit
is
that
in
that
Trinity
we
find
that
the
obedience
that
the
Father
requires
is
provided
in
the
Son.
that
God
remains
holy
and
supreme
he
sees
our
deficient
and
disobedient
lives
and
he
provides
the
Son
as
a
substitute
and
the
Son
goes
as
a
substitute
joyfully
God
the
Son
takes
our
place
he
cleanses
us
by
his
blood
he
covers
our
lives
with
his
perfect
life
and
then
in
the
eyes
of
our
Father
we
are
faultless
and
blameless
dearly
loved
children
relating
to a
holy
and
eternal
God
demands
perfection
the
Son
can
know
the
Father
fully
because
he
is
perfectly
obedient
but
our
Holy
God
has
provided
the
perfect
obedience
so
that
we
too
might
know
him
in
part
now
but
one
day
fully
God
the
Son
enables
us
to
know
our
Father
God
the
Son
enables
us
to
call
him
our
Father
with
confidence
God
the
Son
works
forgiveness
for us
through
his
death
and
resurrection
God
the
Son
provides
the
perfect
obedience
required
for
those
who
call
God
their
Father
and
in
him
we
have
the
freedom
to
obey
having
provided
what we
need
having
provided
perfect
obedience
we
now
are
free
not
to
do
whatever
we
want
we
are
free
to
obey
free
to
live
the
full
life
that
Jesus
lived
doing
the
will
of
our
heavenly
Father
let me
finish
by reading
to you
a passage
out of
Hebrews
chapter
10
which
would
have
been
the
shortcut
to
tonight's
sermon
because
I
think
it
says
it
much
more
clearly
in
terms
of
the
role
of
the
son
Hebrews
chapter
10
and
beginning
at
verse
12
when
this
priest
Jesus
had
offered
for
all
time
one
sacrifice
for
sins
he
sat
down
at
the
right
hand
of
God
since
that
time
he
waits
for
his
enemies
to
be
made
his
footstool
because
by
one
sacrifice
he
has
made
perfect
forever
those
who
are
being
made
holy
the
Holy
Spirit
also
testifies
to
us
about
this
first
he
says
this
is
the
covenant
I
will
make
with
them
after
that
I
will
remember
no
more
and
where
these
have
been
forgiven
there
is
no
longer
any
sacrifice
for
sin
therefore
brothers
since
we
have
confidence
to
enter
the
most
holy
place
by
the
blood
of
Jesus
by
a
new
and
living
way
opened
up
for
us
through
the
curtain
that
is
his
body
and
since
we
have
a
great
high
priest
over
the
house
of
God
let
us
draw
near
to
God
with
a
sincere
heart
in
full
assurance
of
faith
having
our
hearts
sprinkled
to
cleanse
us
from
a
guilty
conscience
and
having
our
bodies
washed
with
pure
water
let
us
hold
unswervingly
to the
hope
we
profess
for
he
who
promised
is
faithful
and
let
us
consider
how
we
may
spur
one
another
on
toward
love
and
good
deeds
let
us
not
give
up
meeting
together
as
some
are
in
the
habit
of
doing
but
let
us
encourage
one
another
and
all
the
more
as
you
see
the
day
approaching
the
sun
purifies
us
the
sun
reveals
the
father
to
us
the
sun
gives
us
a
sure
and
certain
hope
the
sun
represents
us
as
the
great
high
priest
the
sun
gives
us
confidence
to
call
God
our
father
and
just
there
at
the
end
the
result
of
that
not
laziness
not
do
whatever
I
want
but
in
light
of
our
savior
and
lord
jesus
christ
let
us
spur
one
another
on
let
us
look
forward
to
the
day
he
comes
back
and
with
increasing
eagerness
and
enthusiasm
encourage
one
another
that
we
may
live
those
obedient
lives
that
God
has
called
us
to
let
me
pray
now
father
god
we
want
to
thank
and
praise
you
that
you
are
willing
to
send
your
son
jesus
we
want
to
thank
you
that
you
are
willing
to
come
willing
to
pay
the
ultimate
price
for
the
sake
of
your
father's
glory
and
so
that
we
may
know
you
god
we
want
to
ask
that
you
would
strip
away
the
pride
in
us
that
makes
us
think
we
are
too
impressive
or
too
valuable
to
submit
to
others
may
we
be
humbled
to
recognize
that
you
yourself
are
a
god
who
submits
may
we
rejoice
in the
opportunity
to
submit
so that
you
might
be
glorified
so that
others
may
see
your
worthiness
father
when we
fail
may we
return
to
jesus
and in
him
find the
assurance
and confidence
in your
forgiveness
father
give us
eyes
to
see
the
work
that
you
would
have
us
do
may
the
hope
and
forgiveness
that
we
have
not
lead
to
laziness
but
empower
us
and spur
us
on to
serve
you
with
greater
fervor
father
we
thank
you
that
in
the
son
and
through
the
son
we
can
know
you
and
call
you
father
amen
let's
put
forward
please
let's
uh
nove
transforming
鬧
forces
especially
truth
Henderson
have
everyone