Jesus Christ: The Life-Giving Word

John 1:1-5
January 23, 2022
Abraham Hong

Sermon Script

Praise be to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Two weeks ago we considered how Jesus is the Word and how his covenant of grace is built upon words - words of revelation and truth, words of relationship and love, and words of promise and salvation. And last week we considered how Jesus is the divine and sovereign Word - how he is the second person of the Triune God and how he created all things.

Today we are considering how Jesus is the life-giving Word. Jesus has given us life. And this is such amazing good news, especially when we really understand what “life” really is.

What is this life? What is the life that Jesus has given to us?

How about we start with what it is not.

When we think about “life,” we might think about some nature documentary about our beautiful planet that is teeming with life. We might think about all the plants and animals on earth and all of us human beings and we call that life. But that’s not what John is talking about here in today’s passage.

When we think about “life,” we might think about one’s personal life - who you are, what you do, why you live. Basketball players might say, “ball is life.” Foodies might say, “I live to eat.” Parents might say, “My kids are my life.” Busy or sad folks might say, “I have no life.” We might think about our work life, our school life, our home life, our social life, our church life. But that’s not what John is talking about here in today’s passage.

And there’s so much more. When we think about “life,” we might think about just pure existence (the fact that your heart is beating and your body is working is life)… or we might think about just being energetic and spirited and full of life (isn’t he the life of the party?)… or we might think about just our story and our past (and therefore reflect upon life). But John is not talking about any of these things here in today’s passage.

The Bible says this. “In him was life….” In Jesus Christ was life. John wrote about what he saw and learned about Jesus when Jesus lived and died and rose again and ascended 2000 years ago. John considered the truth of Scripture and everything that God said and revealed in his written word about Jesus. And when John says the word “life” here in today’s passage, he is talking about the glorious life that really matters.

He is talking about the enjoyment of the covenant communion bond with God in a holy kingdom. That is life defined. That is ultimate life. That is the glorious life that really matters. True life is defined as having a blessed relationship with your Creator. True life is defined as glorifying God and enjoying him forever.

There is nothing better than this.

We know this to be the authoritative definition of “life” - and therefore everything that John was thinking about in today’s passage - because God fully defined life for us in the beginning of the Bible in the book of Genesis. Adam had life. Adam was given life. He enjoyed a covenant communion bond with God in a holy kingdom.

And he was supposed to finalize and consummate the life given to him. He was supposed to earn and keep the life given to him. This was the covenant of works. And so Adam was put to the test. He was tested through the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And his reward would be an exalted life, a glorified life, a life that would come with the tree of life. If Adam obeyed, then he and all mankind with him would have life.

But as you very well know, life was lost. Adam disobeyed. He sinned against God. And he therefore forfeited the covenant communion bond with God in the holy kingdom. He lost life. He was supposed to be a child of light. But he chose to be a child of darkness.

He listened to the serpent and to the words of the evil one. It is as if Satan took the word “life” and craftily removed the third letter and presented it to Adam as a better life than God’s life. But it was not true life. It was a false lie. It was not true life. It was the opposite. It was true death. Adam was cursed with death.

And death is defined as banishment from the holy kingdom of God. Death is not defined as ceasing to exist. Hell is going to be filled with people who will be very much alive. Death is defined as a cutting off of the covenant communion bond with God that was to be enjoyed. Death is exile from God. Death is being cut off from the land of the living, from a kingdom who will glorify God and enjoy him forever.

There is nothing worse than this.

But God, out of his sovereign will, chose to show mercy and grace to an undeserving chosen people - a people who would be given life in a special way. God promised that he would provide a savior - one who would be a second and final Adam, one who would do what Adam failed to do. And this savior would be none other than himself. The Father sent the Son. The Father sent the Word. The Father sent us Jesus Christ.

And what did the Word do? The Word finalized the consummated the life that Adam was supposed to finalize and consummate and the life that you yourself could never finalize or consummate. The Word was put to the test. And the Word earned life. The Word was rewarded with a covenant communion bond with God in his holy kingdom.

And he bound you to him. He united you with him. And he lived for you. He died for you. He rose again for you.

With his resurrection, the Word now has a life that is imperishable and incorruptible. It is a royal, eschatological life that is of indestructible power and glory. And he has given his new and final resurrection life to you.

This is what John means in verse 4. In him was life. Jesus Christ is the Word. And Jesus has given you life.

1 Corinthians 15:45, one of the most important and underrated verses in all of Scripture, echoes this. For it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being; the last Adam, became a life-giving spirit.”

Jesus is life-giving. Jesus has given you life. Because of Jesus, you now enjoy a covenant communion bond with God. Because of Jesus, you will enjoy this in his holy kingdom to come. Because of Jesus, you have the true definition of life, you have ultimate life, you have the glorious life that really matters. You have a blessed relationship with your Creator. You can and you will glorify God and enjoy him forever.

Praise be to Jesus Christ. He is the life-giving Word. Jesus has given us life.

And this is such amazing good news, especially when we really understand what “life” really is.

I would like to close now with three applications for you.

First, dear Highland, please remember that your life was given to you. Life is earned by Jesus. It is not earned by us. Never forget this. Jesus gave you life.

Second, dear Highland, please remember that you have life from the Word and be most thankful and joyful about it. There is nothing wrong with loving basketball or eating out at restaurants. There is nothing wrong with organizing your life around your kids or trying to have a good work life or social life. Just please remember what true life is - the biblical life, the eschatological life as defined by God. You have the greatest blessing of all. You have the best life. There is nothing better than the life that Jesus has given you.

Third and finally, dear Highland, please be full of hope and strength when your earthly life is taken away from you. Right now your heart is beating. You have earthly life. Right now your body is working. You have earthly life. But as time goes by, your body will start to slow down and break down. You will go through bodily pain and suffering. Your heart will stop beating. And unless Jesus returns during your earthly life, you will in due time lose this earthly life. But when that happens, you must remember with hope and with strength that Jesus has given you life. In him is life. He has given you life. And your life is in his hands.

The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.

Come, Lord Jesus! Come soon!

May the grace of Christ be with you all.

Soli Deo Gloria