Introduction

John was the last of the four Evangelist to write his Gospel, and he includes what the previous three passed by.  "He gives us more of the mystery of what the other Evangelists gave us only the history of."

John 1

v1-5: The two great things that are needed by fallen human beings are spiritual life and spiritual light because they lie under the power of death and darkness.  Jesus has both life and light so is fit to be our Saviour and bring salvation to us.

v6-14: "A Christian is someone who receives Christ and believes on his name." To believe on His name is to acknowledge and personally accept that He is the Word of God, the King of kings, the Lord our righteousness, the Saviour.  To believe on His name is a gift from God which we receive.

v15-18: Only Jesus, God's Son, is fit to make God known, because no-one knows the Father as He does.  He "has declared the revelation of God that no one had seen or known at any time, not only what was hidden of God but also what was hidden in God."

v19-28: John as the voice, called out in the desert, "far away from the noise of the world and the rush of its business." He called out "to put right the mistakes of human beings about the ways of God" and "to prepare people and make them ready to receive Christ and his Gospel."   Withdrawing from the hustle and bustle of the world gives us the opportunity to better hear from God about how to get ready for His coming.

v29-36: Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God.  "He is the great sacrifice by which atonement is made for sin, reconciling human beings to God." He takes away sin, that is, "what is most offensive to the holiness of God and destructive to our happiness."  He does this for the world, purchasing "forgiveness for all those who repent and believe the Gospel."  It is our duty to behold the Lamb of God taking away the sin of the world, and to hold firmly to Him, not what He came to take away, "because Christ will take away either our sins or us."

v37-42: "The strongest and most effective arguments that can be made to a sensitive, awakened soul to follow Christ is that he is the only One who takes away sin."  But it is not enough to follow Christ now and then; we must stay with Him.

v43-51: God can use a variety of ways to bring those He has chosen to Himself.  But whatever means he uses, Christ sought us and found us before we sought him.  "Christ will find all those who are given to him , wherever they are, and none of them will be lost."

MH

We must be careful neither to overvalue ministers nor to undervalue them. They are not our lords, nor do they control our faith, but they are ministers by whom we believe, stewards and managers of our Lord’s house. We must not give ourselves to their leadership by an implicit faith, because they are not that light, but we must listen to and receive their testimony, because they are sent to testify to that light. Let us therefore respect them, but not more than that.

The ministers of Christ must remember that they are not Christ, and so must not usurp his powers and privileges, nor assume the praises due only to him. They are not the Christ, and so they must not lord it over God’s inheritance (1Pe 5:3), nor pretend to exercise control over the faith of Christians. They cannot create grace and peace; they cannot enlighten, convert, give life, or give assurance, because they are not the Christ

Ministers are simply the voice, the vehicle, by which God shares his thoughts. What are Paul and Apollos but simply messengers

Ministers must preach as those who are serious and are themselves moved by those things with which they want to move others. Words are not likely to thaw the hearers’ hearts if they freeze between the speaker’s lips.

When a minister’s call is clear, their comfort is sure, even though their success is not always so.

Ministers should witness to Christ and serve his interests not only in their public preaching but also in their private conversations.

Those who want to lead others to Christ must be diligent and frequent in contemplating him themselves.

The message of Christ’s sacrifice for the taking away of the sin of the world should especially be insisted on by all good ministers: Christ, the Lamb of God, Christ and him crucified (1Co 2:2).