Purpose continued from previous study (Jesus the Rock):

1. Who is Jesus?
2. What are His teachings?
3. How do we put them into practice?

John 1:1-3

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made."

• He was in the beginning.
• He was with God.
• He was God.
• Through Him all things were made.

Gen 1:1

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."

The Hebrew (OT) word for God is Elohim, and is plural!

Gen 1:26,27

"Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.' So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."

"Let US make man in OUR image..."

John 1:14

"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."

Why do we have words? What is a word for?
The Greek (NT) word for "word" is "Logos", which means "revealed thought".

• The Word became flesh.
• Dwelt amoung us.
• The one and only of the Father.
• Full of Grace and Truth.

Summary:
The Creator became man, revealing Grace and Truth.

John 1:14-18

"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 testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, 'This was he of whom I said: He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known."

• Jesus "The Word" is God's revealed thoughts!
• Jesus is God!
• Jesus made God known to us!

How? By revealing Grace and Truth!

What is Grace? What is Truth?

What is the opposite of Grace? ... of Truth?

Together grace and truth are exactly what we need!

John 8:1-11

But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" "No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."

Jesus gave her the grace she needed to be forgiven, and the truth she needed to avoid falling into sin again. He offered her grace freely and unconditionally, and then let her choose whether she would obey His command and leave her life of sin, or reject Him and continue to sin.

What good would it have done for Him to give her truth without grace? She would have been stoned! Likewise it would have done little good to give her grace without truth. "Don't worry about it, you couldn't help it, besides lots of people do it too". This might spare her feelings, but it ignores her sin problem, and gives her no motivation to avoid sin.

He treated her the way she needed to be treated! He loved her as He loved Himself, because grace + truth = love! Sometimes its a tough love!

Jesus makes God known to us by giving us grace, and by telling us the truth.

John 8:31-32 (Matt 7:24-27)

"To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, 'If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.'"

How is a lack of truth enslaving?

How did the truth set the woman free? Only IF she obeys His teaching and leaves her life of sin!

Where do we find Jesus' teachings? In the bible! The word!

Review some of these verses about the authority of the bible:

John 17:17 John 12:48 Heb 4:12 II Tim 3:14-17 Deut 4:1,2 Luke 11:28 Matt 22:29 Mark 7:6-8 Prov 30:5,6 II Pet 1:20-21 Acts 17:10,11 Luke 10:25-28

The word is truth! The word will judge us! The word is living and active! Cuts to the heart! All Scripture is God-breathed! Do not add to or take away from the scripture! Blessed are those who hear the word of God AND obey it. Not knowing the scriptures will lead to error. Commands of God are what's important. Every word of God is flawless. All scripture is inspired by the Holy Spirit. The scriptures are the standard of truth. Jesus recognized the scriptures as the standard too.

Close with prayer.