Introduction: Christianity is not a religion (i.e. ceremonies and regulations). It is a relationship with an individual, Jesus of Nazareth. More concretely about that relationship: He is the Lord, we are His servants. We are sinners, He is our Savior. He calls us brothers and friends. He is our Commander in Chief, we are His soldiers. We need to follow Jesus, and in order to do that we need to know ABOUT Him. Who is He? What is He? What did He do? What does He want us to do? In this passage of John chapter one, we learn four more facts about Jesus Christ:
I. He is God in the flesh (John 1:14-18).
A. John writes that no one has ever seen God. But what about God's appearances to Adam, Abraham, Moses and Daniel's three friends? They saw pre-incarnate appearances of Jesus, sometimes called "the Angel of the Lord."
B. Jesus is truly man, as well as truly God. He laid aside His glory and the full use of His divine powers to become a real human being (Philippians 2:5-8).
II. He is the Messiah foretold by Malachi and Isaiah (John 1:19-28).
A. John actually was the Elijah prophesied in Malachi 4:5-6. See Luke 1:17 and Jesus' analysis in Matthew 11:13-15.
B. If John is Elijah, then who is Jesus? The LORD of Isaiah 40:3, quoted by John the Baptist about Jesus. LORD means "Jehovah."
C. Jesus clearly identified Himself to the people of His time as the Son of Man, Son of God, and the great I AM (Jehovah) (John 8:25-59).
III. Jesus is the Lamb of God (John 1:29).
A. He is our "propitiation" (I John 2:1-2). The Greek word may also be translated "appeasement" or "satisfaction." His sacrifice on the cross satisfied God's Justice. Sin cannot merely be ignored by a holy God.
B. Isaiah also described the Messiah as sacrificial lamb (Isaiah 53:7-12).
C. Jesus is the only lamb of God, the only satisfying sacrifice, and anyone who rejects God's lamb, which He provided at such personal cost, is in trouble with God (Hebrews 10:26-31).
IV. Jesus is the Spirit-filled Son of God (John 1:32-34).
A. Why must He be Spirit-filled? Because of His emptying (Philippians 2:5-8). He laid aside His heavenly glory and the exercise of His powers in order to become a real human being.
B. He is the only Son of God, not "a" Son of God, as would be taught by many cults or New Age religions. John uses the particular article here in Greek, "the" Son of God. He emphasizes this again in John 3:16, calling Jesus the "only begotten" Son of God. No one else can have this special relationship with the Father. Jesus is the second Person of the Trinity.
Conclusion: There are many interesting questions and fine points of theology with which we may occupy ourselves, but Jesus is at the heart of Christianity. We need to know about Him, and we need to believe in Him, and receive Him as Savior and Lord.