Knowing Jesus More Fully
by Rev. Kirby Williams
Gaining a deeper understanding of Jesus through His Word and His Work.
Text: John 14:7-11
Date: 04/28/2019, the Contemporary service.
Series: "John: Encountering Love" Part 132
Description:
After the profound revelation that He is the way, the truth and the life-- Jesus continues to unravel His divinity and close relationship to the Father by revealing He is both equal and subordinate. This is confusing to say the least, and Philip (representing all the disciples) makes it clear he really does not "know" Jesus by asking to see the Father. This condition of "knowing" but "not knowing" Jesus will be the central theme of this message, for it typifies a large number of Christians and stifles spiritual growth. Jesus then specifies two ways He can be known-- through His Words and His Works. We will explore both of these modes of revelation, their relationship to each other, how they work together, and how the "works" are designed to authenticate the words and the Word (Christ). But the desired result is the same in either case-- a deeper belief in Jesus, in who He is and what He says, so we may come to know Him more fully.
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I. Introduction
II. Exposition of the text, John 14:7-11.
A. Context
B. Knowing Jesus through His Words and Works.
1. Knowing the Father through His Radiance, vs. 7.
a. Answering Thomas, John 14:4,5.
b. Knowing the Father.
2. Philip's misguided response, vs. 8, Job 9:11.
3. Claiming equality, vs. 9.
a. Knowing but not knowing.
i. A sad state for a disciple.
ii. The quest of Christianity, Jer. 29:13, Matt. 7:7.
b. The glory of the Incarnation, John 1:3, Heb. 1:2.
4. A profound description of the Christian God, vs. 10a.
a. Unraveling mysteries.
i. Revealing the Christian God, John 14:26.
ii. Unraveling the mystery of the Trinity.
iii. Unraveling the mystery of the Christ.
b. A profound claim of absolute equality.
i. Noting the reaction of the Jews, John 10:30,31.
ii. The Christological struggles.
5. Words and works, vs. 10b.
a. A subtle shift.
b. Subordinate in will and purpose, John 5:19.
c. Identifying the works of the Father, John 6:29.
d. Authenticating the Words.
e. The "one-two" punch of Apostling.
6. Believing in the works-- and the Words, vs. 11.
a. Believing in the Word.
i. Believing the Words and what they say, John 9:35, 12:36, 16:9.
• "Believe Me".
• "Believe that".
ii. The Words to believe in.
b. Believing in the works.
c. The objective of belief.
i. Necessary for redemption, John 10:38.
ii. Necessary for spiritual growth, John 14:2,3.
III. Application
A. The Word and the Work.
1. The Word.
2. The Work, Matt. 21:42.
B. The Word and the Work in redemption.
1. God's Work through God's Word.
2. The "work" of the church is to share the "Word".
C. Knowing Jesus more fully through the Word and the Work.
1. Knowing Jesus through "the Work".
a. The work that leads to spiritual growth, Phil. 1:6.
b. The work as an anchor.
2. Knowing Jesus through the Word.
3. Knowing Jesus through Belief.
IV. Conclusion
