From His Heart

Speaker 1

Everything is about Jesus. Everything is to his glory. The earth is the Lord's, the Bible says, and all it contains.

Listen. For every single problem that you have today, the answer is found in Jesus. Because the scripture says in Colossians, in him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. No matter what you might face, the answer is found in Jesus.

He said, I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. It's all about Jesus.

Speaker 2

This is from his heart with Pastor Jeff Shreve. And today we begin a series we'll be featuring all this month called It's All About Jesus.

If you miss any of these messages along the way for the rest of the month, you can listen again once they've aired. When you go to fromhishheart.org, click the listen link.

Now, though, open your Bible to the first chapter of the Gospel of John. Here's Pastor Jeff to begin the series and this message, which are both entitled It's All About Jesus.

Speaker 1

Without question, the most controversial person in all of human history is Jesus. Pretty amazing when you think about it. Jesus was a guy who lived about 2,000 years ago, and we're still talking about him today. On every continent of the planet, people are talking about Jesus and singing praises to Jesus.

But a lot of people are confused about Jesus. There's lots of misunderstandings about Jesus. The average person on the street, if you ask them this question, who is Jesus? They have trouble answering, does Jesus matter? Is he significant?

Speaker 2

Yes.

Speaker 1

We're starting a new series, and a theme in this series is simply called "It's All About Jesus." It's all about Jesus. Colossians chapter 1 and verse 18 says this: "Jesus is also head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he himself might come to have first place in everything." Everything is about Jesus. Everything is to his glory.

So in this series, we want to look and focus in on Jesus from the Gospel of John. See, the Gospel of John is different from the other Gospels. The other gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, are called the Synoptic Gospels, which means "seeing the same." If you've ever read Matthew, Mark, and Luke, you'll find that they talk about the same things, have a lot of the same stories, and sound a lot alike. John, however, doesn't sound like Matthew, Mark, and Luke. John is different.

John tells us that the reason he wrote the Gospel of John is found in John 20:31: "These have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and believing you may have life in his name." He said, "I wrote the Gospel of John so that you would understand something that's so very important: It's all about Jesus. It's all about Jesus."

So if you have your Bible, please turn to John chapter one, and I'll begin reading in verse one: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God. And the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being by him, and apart from him, nothing came into being that has come into being. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it, did not overpower it, did not overtake it."

Why is it all about Jesus? Let me give you three reasons from the opening chapter in the Gospel of John. Reason number one: It's all about Jesus because Jesus is the one and only God. He's the one and only God. Isaiah 44, verse 6 says, "Thus says the Lord" (all in caps). Anytime you read "Lord" all in caps, that is the special name of God in Hebrew: YHWH, Yahweh, or Jehovah. Thus says the Lord, thus says Yahweh, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Yahweh of hosts: "I am the first, and I am the last, and there is no God besides me." And who said that? Jesus. Jesus is the one and only God.

John says right off the bat, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Let me tell you what's really interesting about how John starts his gospel as opposed to the way the other guys start their gospels. John says, "Listen, this whole gospel that I'm writing is all about Jesus, and I want you to understand why it's all about Jesus." So I'm not starting with a historical setting; I'm starting with a theological prologue. And I'm telling you right off the bat from verse one that Jesus Christ is the one and only God.

Now I want you to notice, as we unpack that a little bit, three important truths. Jesus, John says, is eternally God. Eternally God. "In the beginning was the Word." This sounds a lot like Genesis chapter one, verse one: "In the beginning, God." There's a connection there. "In the beginning, God" and "In the beginning was the Word." You could literally write Genesis chapter 1, verse 1, and say, "In the beginning, Jesus," because Jesus is eternally God.

When you start with Jesus, you don't start with Mary. You don't start with the story in Luke chapter two, when he is born in Bethlehem, wrapped in swaddling clothes, and placed in a manger. That's not where Jesus gets his start. Jesus existed from eternity past. "In the beginning was the Word."

Now, there was a guy that lived in 300 A.D. His name was Arius. As he studied the scripture, he said, "Well, you know, the Bible says that Jesus was begotten of the Father. And so that means that he had to have some kind of a start. He started after the Father; you have the Father, and then the Father begat the Son." He had this little catchphrase: "There was a time when he was not." That's what he said about Jesus. He argued that Jesus can't be eternal if there was a time when he was not.

Arius began to teach this, and the other pastors and bishops around at that time said, "Hey, that doesn't sound right." They had a meeting in a place called Nicaea, known as the Council of Nicaea, in 325 A.D. The champion of those who believed the truth was a man named Athanasius. Athanasius went after Arius, and this whole thing is well documented in church history as the Arian Controversy. It was an attack on the deity of Jesus Christ, on him being co-eternal with the Father.

Athanasius basically said this to Arius: "Who do you cite for this teaching? What church father do you cite? Who believed what you say is the truth? Anyone you can find? Any writings from the apostles or the disciples of the apostles? Does anyone say what you say?" He couldn't cite anyone because no one believed that. All the apostles believed, "In the beginning was the Word." They taught that, and their disciples believed that and taught that.

At the Council of Nicaea, they came up with the Nicene Creed, which states: "We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of all things, visible and invisible, and in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begotten of the Father, the only begotten, that is, of the essence of the Father, God of God, light of light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father."

They go on to say: "But those who say there was a time when he was not, and he was not before he was made, and he was made out of nothing, or he is of another substance or essence, or the Son of God is created or changeable or alterable, they are condemned by the holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church." Cha-ching, cha-ching. That's what they basically did to Arius: "You're a heretic, pal. Hit the road. We don't believe that stuff."

Why? Because Jesus Christ is the one and only God. He is eternally God.

Speaker 2

What a wonderful, marvelous, profound truth to know that it is all about Jesus. He is the way, the truth, and the life. Pastor Jeff will return in just a moment to continue this lesson.

Now here's another truth that is not wonderful or marvelous, but it is profound. The devil, the real enemy, is working overtime to confuse people about salvation, about their identity in Christ, about suffering, morality, and about eternity. Can you see that in all the bombardment of distortions we see in the media, social media, politics, and you name it, it is evil running rampant. The result is that the cultural movement we now face, when truth is mocked and morality is turned upside down, leaves people no longer knowing who and what to trust.

It's vital that we turn to Jesus more now than ever. And that's why your support from His Heart is so vital. We reach around the world every day, sharing God's heart with a hurting world. So because you also care deeply about the truth, Pastor Jeff is asking you to pray about considering a generous gift this month. It'll help From His Heart continue proclaiming the truth of God's word around the world all this year and into the future.

Now seen in over 182 countries on television, heard in every city in our nation on radio, and around the world on digital platforms, YouTube, and podcasts everywhere, the Lord opens doors to speak the truth. For your gift this month of any amount, we want to send you a copy of Pastor Jeff's brand new book, *The Devil's Newsroom: Muting Satan's Fake News and Tuning in to God's Truth*. It's available for you when you make your gift of any amount to From His Heart this month.

Call 866-40-BIBLE to get your copy. 866-40-BIBLE, and it will help you see just how sly the devil really is and help you avoid the pitfalls and traps that he sets. Again, go to fromhisheart.org and make your gift today and join this mighty effort.

Now let's return to conclude part one of the message called *It's All About Jesus*.

Speaker 1

Jesus Christ is the one and only. He is eternally God. But not only is he eternally God, he is equally God. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God. That Word with carries with it the idea of being in the company with the Word was in the company of God. This speaks of the relationship in this thing we call the Trinity.

Now that was a mind-blowing concept to an Old Testament Jew. They didn't know that God existed in Trinity. They didn't think about it like that. They knew. They worshiped one God. They would recite the Shema from Deuteronomy 6:5: "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one." And so they were monotheists; they worshiped one God.

Some people say, well, you know, if you're saying that Jesus is equally God and in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, it sounds like we have two gods here. It sounds like we have God the Father and then we have Jesus, who is also God—two gods. And then, you know, you've got the Holy Spirit who is God. So I guess we have three gods?

No, we have one God, one God who exists in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. This is a stool. How many legs does this stool have?

Speaker 2

Three.

Speaker 1

Somebody looks at that and says, ah, you have three stools there. No, I don't. I have one stool. It's a three-legged stool. It's a triune stool, so to speak. If I cut off a leg, what happens to my stool? It doesn't work. It doesn't function. It exists as a triune stool. That's the only way it works. Now that's a very crude description of a concept that our minds can't comprehend: the Trinity. But God exists in Trinity. Someone as well said, "The Trinity: define it, you lose your mind; deny it, you lose your soul."

Jesus Christ is eternally God. He is equally God. He is unequivocally God. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. How much more plain could it be? He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being by him, and apart from him, nothing came into being that has come into being. John is trying to be crystal clear, and he uses the word "Word." People ask, "Well, why didn't he just say, 'In the beginning was Jesus, and Jesus was with God, and Jesus was God?'" Well, he makes it very clear who he's talking about. You know, when the Lord comes back at the battle of Armageddon in Revelation, chapter 19, he has a name written upon himself: the Word of God. It's obviously Jesus. We read in verse 14, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us." He's obviously talking about Jesus.

John uses the term "Word" because a word is an expression of an invisible thought, and Jesus is the visible expression of the invisible God. He is unequivocally God. And the Word was God. If you have any questions about that in your mind, then you just need to look at verse three, which says, "All things came into being by him, and apart from him, nothing came into being that has come into being." He is creator God. In the beginning, Genesis 1:1, Jesus created the heavens and the earth. That's what it says when you put those things together. Because you can't have creation without Jesus. He is the one and only God.

Why is it all about Jesus? Well, it's all about Jesus because he's the one and only God. The second reason is that it's all about Jesus because he is the one and only God-man. Are you sure, Jeff, when it says that the Word in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, are you sure that's talking about Jesus? Yes, because when you look at verse 14, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth." John bore witness of him and cried out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, he who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for he existed before me." He's obviously talking about Jesus. Jesus is God, the one true God, the one and only God. And Jesus is the God-man. Wow. God became a man. That's amazing. That is mind-blowing. But that's what happened. Jesus became a man.

Now, it's important to remember this because we have groups out there today who will deny that Jesus is God. They'll come and knock on your door and tell you all sorts of things. I remember talking to a guy that was in a cult, and I asked him this question: "Do you believe that Jesus was co-eternal with the Father?" He said, "Jeff, we're all co-eternal with the Father." I said, "Earth to Mincus. No, we're not. I mean, what's up with you? Where'd you get that? Who told you that?" Arius said there was a time when he was not. Well, he was wrong about Jesus. But if he said there was a time when you were not, he's right. You're not eternal. You haven't existed in eternity past. There was a time when you had your start. I got my start in 1962. When did you get your start? Hey, we're not eternal, but Jesus is eternal.

And so you have groups that will try and twist things around and turn things around. Most of the people today that are in cults deny the deity of the person of Jesus Christ. They say, "Well, Jesus is Lord; Jesus is a God." As one cult takes John chapter one and says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a God." It doesn't say the Word was a God. If you say the Word was a God, then you do have two stools because you have Jesus a God, and then you have the Father a God, and then you have two gods, and you become polytheists. We're not polytheists; we're monotheists. One God in three. And so people attack the deity of Christ.

Now, in the early days of Christianity, you know what they attacked? They attacked the humanity of Jesus. They said, "Well, Jesus, he wasn't really a man. He was just a phantom. He was just pretending to be a man. He was just God who pretended to be a man." That's not what the scripture says. The scripture says that Jesus was not God who pretended to be a man. Jesus was not a man who pretended to be God. Jesus was not like Greek mythology, where he's half God and half man. You ever seen those guys? They're like half a horse and half a man. You put them together, and they're like, "Wow, I mean, you're fast, but you're weird looking." You know, he's not some weird-looking thing that's put together like that. He is the God-man, as much God as though he were not man at all, yet at the same time as much man as though he were not God at all. Jesus, the great God, became a man. Wow, you talk about humbling yourself.

The Bible says in Philippians 2, "Have this attitude in yourselves, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although he existed in the form of God, the very nature of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, held onto, but he emptied himself, taking the form of a bondservant and being made in the likeness of men." Jesus was born into this world just like you're born into this world. Now, he was born not of Adam. He's not a son of Adam; he's the Son of God. And so he has a different bloodstream than you have, than I have. But he had to experience all the same things we experienced. Jesus was a man. Jesus came into this world. You know, Jesus probably had some times where he had colic as a baby. Mary would have to feed him, and then she'd have to burp him because he's a human being.

Jesus had to learn how to walk. Can you imagine? Here he is, the Son of God and God the Son, and he's 11 months old or 10 months old or however old. I lost track of when they start walking, but here he is, and he's got Mary's finger in this hand and Joseph's finger in this hand, and he's trying to steady himself, and he's taking a step, and he's taking a step, and he falls, and they clap for him and cheer for him. Who is that falling there in that diaper? That little guy? That's God. Wow. He has to learn how to talk. He's the God who created everything.

Speaker 2

Wow.

Speaker 1

And the disciples, they got to hang out with Jesus. John said, "We beheld his glory. Wow. Our hands handled him, we touched him, we ate with him, we slept with him, we went on campouts with him."

Because foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head. They would just go camp out. And John said, "Man, I bunked next to him. He snores."

We don't know if he did. We don't know if he didn't. There's nothing sinful about snoring. Unless I'm rooming with you, and then I get mad. But maybe he did. He's a human being, and they had trouble wrapping their minds around that.

Speaker 2

You're listening to From His Heart with Pastor Jeff Shreve. And as we've learned, it sometimes is difficult to wrap our minds around that. Not just to show us the way, but to be the way, the truth, and the life.

Today's message is called "It's All About Jesus" from the series of the same name. And this month, to support From His Heart's outreach, we'd like to send you, for your gift of any amount, his new book, "The Devil's Muting: Satan's Fake News and Tuning in to God's Truth." To get your copy, call 866-40-BIBLE (866-40-BIBLE) or go to fromhisheart.org. God bless you and thank you for what you do to help From His Heart.

Well, our time is gone for today. We trust that the lesson touched your life and spoke to your heart. I'm Larry Nobles inviting you to be here tomorrow for part two of this foundational lesson in the series "It's All About Jesus." Join Pastor Jeff Shreve then as he speaks truth, love, and hope to a lost and hurting world. God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. Find out more at fromhisheart.org.