Hello, everyone. And let me first wish you a Merry Christmas. Sometimes Merry Christmas is hard work, because other things are going on. Other things have happened, are happening. Many people are suffering some losses this time of year. And some people are remembering some hard things. And we've had weather, and some of you may be having weather right at this moment. It's difficult. different demands but nevertheless we continue to study the gospel of John getting some food for thought from the gospel of John and we're going to talk about God's only begotten son And I'm going to warn you, I'm probably taking two messages to do this. I try to think in short bites, and I think in big chunks. And so I probably will divide this up. But let me read to you from John chapter 3, verses 16 through 18. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him Should not perish but have everlasting life For God sent on his son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved He that believes on him is not condemned but he that believes not is condemned already Because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten son of God Now the most difficult places To teach or study God's word are often the most familiar places. Places that we've already learned. And when we have already learned from a passage, our eyes can glaze over. And we already know that. So our mind and our spirit doesn't expect any more, so we want to move on. We don't want to wait around. Let's get on to something new. Now may God's spirit give us patience and hunger for his ministry to us. A ministry that involves teaching us from things which we already know or think we know. Sometimes it's making connections with other passages that we haven't connected before. Sometimes it's making an understanding about a word, its definition more clearly, and maybe how it's used in other places of the Bible. Sometimes we have to understand that God's word is deeper and more transcendent than what we can imagine. It's not all academic. God's Spirit Can make us know things By simply making things. We already know more important to us Now let's remember the conversation is with Nicodemus a master teacher of Israel Jesus has already shown him things that he had no idea what Jesus was talking about And here's a man who was familiar with scripture, but many things he glazed over, never saw. And part of me says that's okay, because without the spirit of God, we're not gonna understand as we should. So he needs this teaching, but I don't know if he knows how much he needs it. because he's not showing the childlike quality of saying, okay, Lord, I don't understand, so please show me more. Change my heart, change my mind about this. Make it important to me. You see, that's the kind of thing we all have to do, whether we think we're learning or not. We have to say, God, I'm just an empty pot, I ask you to fill me. If you have to clean out the pot before you fill me, clean me out, correct me, do what you gotta do, and be willing to learn from what you already know. Okay, so we're gonna talk about something here from John 3, 16 specifically, but it's mentioned also in verse 18 here, God's only begotten son. God gave his only begotten son for us. God sacrificed his only begotten son for us. God spent his only begotten son for us. This phrase, only begotten, can tell us that Jesus is the only son of God. There's no one like him. He is God in the flesh. He is the second person of the Trinity. And he came in bodily form and made himself vulnerable to physical pain, suffering, and death. At the same time, God exposed us to deity. in a form that it could bless us and not consume us. Now, I have several places I could elaborate, but let me just pick one here from 1 John, 1 John, chapter one, the first three verses. That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled of the word of life, For the life was manifested and we have seen it. And bear witness and show unto you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested unto us. That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you that you also may have fellowship or partnership with us. And truly, our fellowship, our partnership is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. that the glory of God could come down in human form so that we could behold it and Partake of it and and Jesus could rightly say there in John 14 verse 9 that if you've seen me you have seen the father Well Even though Jesus came to be so plainly seen and to be so helpful Yet that doesn't mean everyone loved him Liked him or really benefited from him But by his birth and his life and his death resurrection he changed the meaning of life And if you're looking at the notes, you can see the first chapter John is elaborate with this discussion But he changed the meaning of life and he gave many people eternal life and We have a physical life, and when we're living it naturally, well, we survive. We gain a few things, perhaps, or we lose a few things. And we measure life by what we have and what we've accomplished. But eternal life is something that, well, don't wait till you're dead. Eternal life begins when you believe. And the transforming power of knowing Jesus takes ordinary life and makes it extraordinary life. Well, let me share something that Jesus said in John 8, 12, something we'll discuss in detail in the future, I hope. But John 8, 12. Jesus is speaking to a woman who had been caught in adultery and accused, and it had been suggested that she be put to death, but they were kind of forgetting to bring in a man. They only brought in a woman. By the time Jesus was done with them, they all were ashamed of themselves, and they walked out of the room. And Jesus said to the woman, where's your accusers? She says, I don't have any. And he said, neither do I condemn thee. Go and sin no more. And then he said this very powerful statement in John 8, 12. I am the light of the world. He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. We're not just here to learn information, we're here to experience transformation. Okay, another important place I'd like to mention is Matthew. Chapter 16 Sometimes we're so busy trying to make the gospel simple. We make it too easy in a sense that well, I Know salvation is free But in another sense, it'll cost you everything if you receive that free salvation, you'll never be the same Here's how Jesus describes it Matthew 16 verse 26 For what Then said Jesus unto his disciples if any man will come after me let him deny himself and Take up his cross and follow me For whosoever will save his life shall lose it And whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it For what is it? What is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? So we realize there's something very, very powerful going on to receive Christ. It's not just to get something taken off your account so that when you die, you know you're going to heaven. It's much more than that. You have been purchased. You're being transformed. As a matter of fact, it's it's like this. I am crucified with Christ Nevertheless, I live yet not I but Christ lives in me and the life that I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. That's Galatians 2 20 5 17 therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature a new creation Old things are passed away Behold, all things are become new. And then again, with Philippians 121, for to me to live is Christ and to die is gain. And to live is Christ expresses a goal, a purpose, a meaning for life. It also would describe a power and a source for life. These are important things that we want to receive from Jesus Christ. We mustn't gloss over these important things. Jesus had to take on a physical body and an earthly life so that he could perfectly use it to satisfy God's requirements and then offer it as a sacrificial substitute to redeem us, to purchase us back from sin. Okay, I go to Matthew again, chapter 26. This is Jesus instituting the Lord's table. Matthew chapter 26 and verse 26. As they were eating, Jesus took bread and blessed it and break it and gave it to the disciples and said, take, eat, this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink you all of it. For this is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. I hope it seems obvious to you that the bread and the fruit of the vine are symbolic. Because Jesus, his body was still there, and his blood was in his veins when he said this. But when he held these things up, he's saying these things represent me, and this is something you're gonna do in the future, to remember me, to remember what I've done for you. I would also note 2 Corinthians chapter five and verse 21. 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 verse 21 It says he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin That we might be made the righteousness of God in him And I'm taking liberty here to say even as he made him to be sin who knew no sin He made us righteous who knew no righteousness of our own Christ's traded. I'll take your sin account. You take my righteousness account. What a wonderful gift this is. So, the only begotten son of God, God became a man. the second person of the Trinity, offered himself for us, using a physical body, living a physical life, and accomplishing that which no other physical man could do. So he's unique. He's the only one that could do this, let alone would be willing to do this. But there is a sense in which the words only begotten are used in the Greek to show how precious and beloved Jesus Christ is to the Heavenly Father Now he's called the only begotten Son of God in John 1 14 1 18 and we already read 3 16 and 3 18 and We'll save another one for later here. But this same Greek set of words are used to describe some of the children that Jesus healed and I'm gonna say these verses some of you may not read my notes, but Luke 7 12 Luke 8 42 Luke 9 38 These are children that Jesus healed and the preciousness of a child is your only child and Jesus showed pity and compassion and Heal or raised from the dead these children Now, Luke seems to especially show how the Son of Man felt the pain of others and demonstrated pity for people's sorrows and problems. I got a place to share with you here in Isaiah chapter 53 and verse four. Surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. These words, griefs and sorrows, have to do with sicknesses and pain that pertains to the mind. And you think of all that causes us to agonize. physical pain, physical limitations, loss of the use of certain parts of our body, perhaps, and then the anguish that can be in our minds. Sometimes it's not because of physical things, it's anguish from other things that are going on in people's lives and how they affect us. And Jesus took that all on. And Luke, who loves to call him the son of man, is showing us the pitiful side in which the Lord feels compassion. He feels our pain. He took on a body so he could feel it. He took on a physical body so that one day you could confidently come to him as your great high priest and carry to him your sorrows, your burdens, your griefs, and you know that he understands. And he can tell you, I know how you feel. I was there with a body and felt things too. And so the compassion of the Lord Jesus Christ comes out of this very wonderfully. But as he's having compassion three times, the same Greek is used to describe these children as God describes his own son. And so the idea is the preciousness of this. If we can feel the pain of a widow who has lost her only son, perhaps we can feel the pain, the investment of the heavenly father giving his only begotten son for our sins. Now, there's some other times, different words are used, different Greek words, but there's other times when the endearment of the father towards his son is expressed. This is Christmas season. And a verse like John 3, 16 is very appropriate for thinking about the birth of Jesus. What it meant for God to become a man, but he didn't just come down as a man. He first came as a baby and lived in a mother's womb for nine months and was vulnerable to having to be cared for, changed, fed, burped, you know, everything else. In one way, he was a normal baby. In another way, he was like no other baby, but he was a baby. for him to do this we need to maybe really focus on how precious this all is to the heavenly father to put his son through this his only begotten son his precious son so i'm i'm just going to take some time here to read a few things to you more starting with the book of matthew chapter 3 verse 17 And lo, a voice from heaven saying, this is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased. Jesus told us in another place that he always does that which pleases his father. And that makes it all the more shocking and graphically contrasting. when God laid our sins on him and treated him like filth and forsook him on the cross and literally put him through what hell would be like as he felt the consequences of our sins. And yet, God's clear to mention, this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. Also in chapter 12 of Matthew, and starting with verse 17, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, Behold my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my spirit upon him. And he shall show judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not strive nor cry, neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. And in his name shall the Gentiles trust. Now, I know it's a longer quote. It comes from the prophet Isaiah in chapter 42, verses one through four. But very quickly, we hear the words. Behold my servant, whom I have chosen, my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased. Let me also take us to Matthew 17, verse five. While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them. And behold, a voice out of the cloud which said, this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. Hear ye him. We want to take time to let this soak in. These things that maybe we're familiar with, these things that we already know. This is how much the father talks about his love for his son. Therefore, what a magnificent sacrificial gift for God so loving us that he would give his only begotten son. In the book of Colossians chapter one, Colossians chapter one, verses 12 and 13, giving thanks unto the Father which hath made us meet, made us qualified to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light, who has delivered us from the power of darkness and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son. Now if this were just a troop movement, okay, get these guys out of here, get over there, he could have just said the kingdom of his son. But it took a moment, the spirit of God took a moment with the heart and mind of the father to say, the kingdom of his dear son, reminding us the dear price that was paid that we could be in his kingdom, that we could be delivered from the kingdom of darkness, the kingdom of evil and of sin, and transferred over into the kingdom of his dear son. What a dear price he paid. I move on to 2 Peter chapter one. 2 Peter chapter one. Looking at verses 16 through 18 I Typed that wrong forgive me Verse 22 No, excuse me See my mistake, sorry, you know, I'm pretty human but the second Peter Chapter 1 Verse 16 For we have not followed cunningly devised able Jesus Christ, but we're eyewitnesses of his majesty For he received from God the Father honor and glory. When there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Peter is pointing back to something we already read out of Matthew chapter 17, the transfiguration of Christ. Peter's making a point here that we haven't followed cunningly devised fables. We didn't pick up this notion, this plot to start up some doctrine about Jesus and turn it into something. This isn't concocted by the mind and the will of men. But not only have we the scriptures, We have eyewitness account. We saw him transformed, transfigured. We saw Moses and Elijah there with him talking about his death. And we heard the voice from the father saying, this is my beloved son in whom I'm well pleased. Now, interesting enough, Peter wants us to know how impacting that moment was to see Christ transfigured, to hear that voice. And then it goes on to say, but we have a more sure word of prophecy. So you see, you and I can't get that experience where we go up on a mountain, we have a vision, we hear voices. But what we have, Peter says, is more certain is the scriptures of the prophecies. We can compare scripture with scripture and see clearly that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. He told of him ahead of time. Hundreds of years, more than a thousand years sometimes, details about the Son of God that all came together and nobody could have done this on purpose or by accident, folks. But Jesus fulfilled these things. But again, the words keep resounding to us. My Son, my Son with whom I'm well pleased. Okay, 1 John chapter four, verse nine. 1st John chapter 4 verse 9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us because that God sent his only begotten son into the world Now if we keep reading we're gonna start getting some application here what this means to us I This dear price that was given, giving God's dear son, his only begotten son, his precious son. But it goes on to say here in our text, verse 10 of 1 John 4, here in his love, not that we love God, but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins. So the Bible say satisfaction, appeasement, atonement is the idea. Beloved, if God so loved us, We are also to love one another. Verse 11. And so application's coming, and we're going to have to save some of this for next week, but let me just get to something that I feel I'm not complete tonight unless I share, is how grievous it is to dishonor the love that the father has for his son. To reject Jesus, to despise Jesus, to mock Jesus. This is grievous. The scriptures are clear. I'm again in first John chapter 5 this time No, no, I'm sorry my first John and my gospel John got me mixed up here while I'm here in first Who was a liar But he that denies that Jesus is the Christ, he is antichrist that denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son, the same hath not the Father. Now there's a little more to this verse. Your Bible may not have it, but my Bible goes on to say, but he that acknowledges the Son has the Father also. Clarification made, some manuscripts had that second clause and some did not, but in case you were wondering. This is so important. If you don't believe in the name of the son of God, if you deny that Jesus is the Christ, God says you're a liar. And he will explain that later in chapter five, that you have neglected the record he gave of his son. He established all this in his word and you have ignored it, denied it, contradicted, fought it. So he says you're a liar. If you deny that Jesus is the Christ. That's strong talk, but. This is very important because we're talking about the only begotten Son of God, the one that the Father sacrificed for us. It goes on to say you're an Antichrist if you deny the Father and the Son. That doesn't look too well for a lot of other religions and a lot of other people in this world. People wanna yell at us, say we don't have any right to be exclusive, but there's only one son, only one begotten son, precious, the only one. God didn't make several ways. Jesus said, I am the way, I am the truth, I am the life, and no man comes unto the Father but by me. Now I'll go over to the Gospel of John. Chapter five. Verses 22 and 23. For the father judges no man but has committed all judgment unto the son. That all men should honor the son even as they honor the father. He that honors not the son honors not the father which hath sent him. Now this is, again, strong, pertinent talk. He goes on to say in John chapter 14, Verses 22 and 23 Excuse me 23 and 24 John 14 23 Jesus answered and said unto him if a man loved me he will keep my words and my father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him and He that loves me not keeps not my sayings, and the word which you hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me. It's very clear. You're either in or you're out. 1 John 5.12 says, He that has the Son has life, and he that has not the Son of God has not life. And this is not just one isolated verse here or there. Now, as we go on to make applications next week, we're gonna talk about how this love that the father has for his son has been extended to the people which belong to Christ. And a verse you may be familiar with, they've made songs about it. Behold, verse John 3, 1. Behold what manner of love the father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God, Therefore the world knows us not because it knew him not. But what we're trying to do right now is this very thing. Behold the manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us. If he loved his son this much and then sacrificed him for us, behold what manner of love, how much love he has for us. And I hope I can show you in the future that God's had this feeling, this choice, this relationship in his mind and heart for us since before the foundation of the world. It wasn't an afterthought. This is the kind of love he had for us. He had it for his son. He's had it for us. And I hope I can share more about this later. It was certainly too much to share in one session. But I pray that you will think deeply about things that you perhaps have known or said or quoted. And let's take pause this Christmas season and behold the manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us because how much he loved his son, how much greater is that sacrifice then that he made for us. Heavenly Father, please use these thoughts. Speak to us in a world that is full of anger and toil and strife right now. May we be still and know that you're God. May we still ourselves and behold the manner of love that you have for your son, have for your son, that you also have for us who know you and trust you. And if there's anyone here listening that has not received the love of God through Christ, may they pause. May they absolutely stop what they're doing and make their calling and election sure. May they receive this love and be then indwelt by this love and possessed of it. We ask it in Jesus' name. Amen. Thank you very much.