The Golden Verse (Part 2)

Greetings brothers and sisters and young people and children. Greetings to you in the name of Jesus. And here we are. Put that there. Just a little bit of room here.

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity of beginning a sermon with you, a sermon series, I suppose, focused on arguably the most and best known verse in the scriptures, in the entire scriptures. It's universally known and labeled with various notable titles. But the most popular being the Golden Verse. And of course, John 3.16, isn't it?

Last time, we progressed through the verse attempting to exegete the word for word, the first phrase of the text. And that was, for God so loved the world that he gave. That's where we got to, that he gave. Indeed, he did give his most precious and priceless son, the gift of his son to very undeserving and unlovable, hopeless and rebellious, sin-loving world. Our aim today is to hopefully further understand the scriptures speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ, and particularly his deity and his eternality of himself, whom God sent into the world.

And hopefully today we'll come away with a greater love. If that's possible, may he grant to us that blessing as we hopefully indeed glorify him. Let's pray before we read the text, shall we? Gracious Father, I pray that you would be with us, Lord, as we begin to unpack this golden verse. Father, grant us grace to glorify your name and to transform us, we pray, into the image and likeness of Jesus, our glorious Saviour.

Bless us, we pray, to understand your word. Bless, I pray, me to be able to have the words to speak, Father and Lord, that you be with me, with us, Lord, as we look indeed at your blessed word. Be with us, Holy Spirit. helping us to glorify the name of the King. We pray in Jesus' name, amen.

Okay, if you'd like to just go with your Bibles, in your Bibles, please, to John chapter 3, verse 16. I'm not going to read from verse 1 right through to where we want to go, which is verse 18. today. So we're going to begin in verse 13. Just to encapsulate around the verse.

Verse 13. That is chapter 3 verse 13. No one has ascended to heaven but he who came down from heaven. That is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

And now our feature text, verse 16. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. And this is the Condemnation that light has come into the world and men love darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light lest his deeds should be exposed.

But he who does the truth comes to the light that his deeds may be clearly seen that they have been done in God. Amen. And now we're going to undertake this challenging middle of the verse, which is only begotten son for today. And it's pretty epic. We're taking some shortcuts through it, but we'll attempt to have a good look at that, obviously.

Now, this is a combination of words. mainly found in the older Bible translations. That is, ones that are based on the Textus Receptus, is that right? Yes. Which is, of course, the Latin meaning the received text.

Those are the Greek manuscripts which were available at the time in the 1500s. Most well known, of course, is the King James Version and the New King James, and a handful of other older translations. Well, I'm not a King James person as such, so I don't want you to get that wrong idea that that's what we're here sharing, you know, change to King James or anything like that. But I'm familiar with this text. I was NIV for like probably 40 years when I first got saved.

But I've transferred over to this new King James recently. So I'll pray that you don't think, oh brother, you're putting us on the spot to change versions. No. But I just want to say that many modern Bibles render the word begotten, that's what we're trying to deal with here, in their versions as one and only son or only son, which is fine, no problem. Modern translators avoid using the archaic language.

and technicalities of the nuances of the Greek grammar. And so we're just going to press on with what we're looking at here. We find this in John's Gospel, Only Begotten Son, appearing four times in John's Gospel. And once in John's epistle, the first epistle, John 1. And once in Hebrews in chapter 11 and verse 17.

So let's just cite those texts. If you want to just go to them, we'll just read through those verses. John chapter 1, the beginning. And verse 14, 1-14. It says, and the word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory.

The glory as of the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth. A couple of verses down to John 1 and verse 18. It reads, no one has ever seen God at any time. The only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. And over the page to John 3.

16, our featured text, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. Then, a couple of verses down, John 3.18, he that believes in him is not condemned, But he who does not believe is condemned already because he has not believed in the only begotten Son of God. And then over to 1 John, first letter in chapter 4 and verse 9. 1 John 4 verse 9.

It reads, in this the love of God was manifested toward us that God sent his only begotten son into the world that we might live through him. And finally we go to Hebrews chapter 11 in the Hebrews. By faith, Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. And he who received the promises, offered up his only begotten son. We're just going to be flicking back and forth in some parts of our reading today from 1 John.

from 1 John, that is the letters, and back to John's gospel. So if you've got a bookmark, you can whack that in there. It'll be handy. Now we note that the specific designation of only begotten son is given by the apostle John in reference to Jesus. once by the author of Hebrew and once by the author of Hebrews in relation to Isaac.

Now just to make it clear, I've no intention of talking only about academic stuff today, but we sort of need it to get started more deeper into this word. Which brings us to the Greek And I'm not a Greek scholar, as you know. But there are some phrases that we can work through. The phrase, only begotten son, is now before us. And the question is, how do we begin to understand what this begotten is?

Let's have a crack at the actual Greek then, which John has penned in his writings. As I've said before, the attempt at these words, whether pronunciation is correct, I don't know, but we'll go along with it. Guess I'm at kindergarten level with this, so we'll keep pressing on. So the English translation of is begotten, and it comes from the Greek word monogenes. Monogenes, which is spelled M-O-N-O, monogenes, or G-E-N-E-S, monogenes.

And that genes certainly looks like the word gene that we use in our language today, in our English. But it's actually a Greek word, gene, or generic, meaning generic, that's gene, meaning birth or origin. Fascinating stuff, I think. As we break mono-gene down, we find that mono is the first syllable. which translate one and only, one or only.

Hence the popular interpretation of only in many Bibles. The next syllable, gene, which translated means to cause to be. Or to generate of a unique class. or one of a kind. Therefore we understand why in modern translations that it is rendered in significant ways.

There's at least nine different variations in the Bibles. that are modern translations. Three of those common ones, one and only son, or unique and only son, or one who is himself God. Now to help us better get a grip on this monogeny, God has blessed us with an example outside of the Lord himself. And that is obviously the Hebrew, the son Isaac in Hebrews.

So we're gonna turn there to Hebrews 11, once again. And we notice a few things regarding this verse. which says, by faith, Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son. Why does the writer refer to Isaac as Abraham's only begotten son? We're just going to have a brief breakdown, a summary you might say, of what we find in Genesis 22 and Hebrews 11.

Because Isaac is an only begotten son because God has indeed divinely decreed him as begotten. He is chosen by God. He is a unique and one of a kind son of promise. He's a child of covenant. He is miraculously born to Sarah, the barren yet free woman.

He is the sole heir to God's promise to Abraham. But doesn't Abraham have another son? actually his first born son, named Ishmael. So, although Ishmael was born a son of Abraham too, he is not the only begotten son, but rather another son, having no intervention by God himself. It is true that God did promise Ishmael that he was to become a great nation, but no covenant was made with him.

We also learn that Ishmael and Hagar were sent away from Abraham's household by God's instruction, clarifying Isaac's sole inheritance of everything in Genesis 25. So I hope that helps us to understand a bit more of this word jene, or begotten, as we'll put it. Something of the scope of it we can see in this particular sun that's outside of God, as far as the sun goes. Now at this stage it's necessary to outline a bit of history, but this should help us to understand John, why he's used only begotten son a little bit better. The apostle John, Peter, Paul, and Jude, and the author of Hebrews were heavily engaged from the writings in defending the faith from heresy, with persuasive arguments during the formation of the early church.

The apostles battled many critics who denied the full divinity and incarnation indeed of Jesus. And John's gospel and letters are understood to directly warn The early church that false teachers often linked to Gnosticism and other heresies were dangerous to the purity of the gospel. So it's not within our scope today to go deeper into the gross errors surrounding the Lord Jesus. But as some theologians argue, This is why John has written as he has and included this description. It is enough to say that false teaching was a very real threat to undermining the truth.

That is the word, the logos, that is Jesus, who is both fully God and fully man. At the same time, God himself was manifested in the flesh. In early Christian history, around the fourth century, the evil one was still hard at work, trying to deceive the believers and undermine the gospel. At that time, the priest Arias, A-R-I-A-S, clashed with the bishop named Alexander. And Alexander argued that God the Father created his son, and therefore the son was not co-eternal nor fully divine.

This dispute was threatening church unity and brought about the formation of the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD under the direction of Constantine. From this, the Nicene Creed was written, condemning the Aryan heresy. Of course, the Nicene Creed affirms that Jesus is the only begotten Son of God, and indeed states, begotten of the Father before the worlds. Before we move on, another interesting fact of history regards the textual variations of the early text, the Greek manuscripts, which were numerous around this, particularly John 118. There are lots of them.

And many of these actually write monogenae theos. translated the only begotten God or the unique God in an attempt to clarify further who the son is. Fascinating stuff. However, this is out of the sphere of our investigation for today. Nevertheless, it demonstrates that the Lord's identity and his personal Him personally has surely been the subject of theological debate over the centuries and even today.

Application, so how does this remind us that it's prudent for Christians to prepare an argument called apologia in our hearts and minds to defend the faith with the word. We need to be ready on all occasions for attacks on the gospel at any time. The question is, how prepared are we in this way? Have you thought about preparing a defense in case you're asked one day? Now, we're going to the teaching of scripture.

So open to John 1. Yep, John 1 and verse 1 to 4 we will read. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God, and all things were made through him. and without him nothing was made that has been made.

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. And now the manifestation of God in human likeness is beheld amongst his people and is revealed to the world. And he mediates and mirrors God's glory and his essence to humanity. In Matthew 11, 27, we don't want to go there, Jesus says, no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.

So Jesus declares a bond of fellowship and love that he describes as to know, to know the Father and vice versa. This is more than head knowledge. It's coming from the faculty, indeed not of the soul, in that sense. But more than that, its knowing is a oneness of divine essence, the spiritual bond of intimacy, the agape love of the Trinity. There exists between them an unbreakable bond in the Trinitarian fellowship.

The son shares fully in the Godhead with the father and the spirit. This knowing the Father, the oneness, the intimacy, the spiritual bond, the unity and love, the glory. He's speaking about that. We could say, if we were to use our modern discoveries, that the sun's image may be perhaps the same as DNA. That is, that the father, his image, and indeed as the things that are taught in Colossians 1.

15, which we just don't have time to visit today. But we can see that it's deeper than a surface knowledge of just the soul. Jesus testifies in John 1.18 that no one has ever seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

The more conclusive evidence, packed full indeed with truth. Indeed, this is further proof and a direct reference to the intimacy that the unique Son of God has with his Father. And because of their eternal bond of love, Jesus can truly and fully represent the Father in every possible way. The reference to the Son being in the bosom of the Father shows his position of essence. This is the Lord's place of proceeding forth, where he comes from.

How else could it be said? Let's look at some statements that he declared. This is the Lord Jesus, which would help us. In John 14 and verse 8, Philip said to him, Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us. Jesus said to him, Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known me, Philip?

He who has seen me has seen the Father. So how can you say, Show us the Father? In this, Jesus emphasised his oneness with God, stating that he acts with the Father's authority, and that his works surely demonstrate the Father's presence. In other words, the Father is seen to the eyes of humanity through what the Son says and what he does. For no one has seen God at any time, Jesus said, but the only begotten Son has declared him, speaking of himself.

Can you now see the Father? For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 4 says, in him was life. And Jesus said, I am the bread of life in John chapter 6. And again, I am the truth and the life.

The way, the truth and the life. John 14, verse six. And again, the son has life in himself. John 1, 26. And one more from John 11, 25.

Jesus said to her, that is to Martha, I am the resurrection and the life. lots of references to life coming from the mouth of the Lord Jesus. If we turn again to 1 John 1. 1 John 1, 1 and 2. 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 concerning the word of life.

The life was manifested and we have seen and bear witness and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us I'll just finish that. That which we have seen and heard we declare to you that you also may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. And with these things we write to you that your joy may be full. While as we've been touching on concerning this word of life, The life was manifested and we have seen and bear witness and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and manifested to us. John declares as an eyewitness that Jesus is the eternal life, the true spiritual light that comes into the world.

John keeps hammering this truth of who Jesus Christ actually is. The sun's divine essence is yet again declared. Jesus is the word of life, the only begotten son. Lastly for today, we'll turn to 1 John chapter 5, so over a couple of pages. 1 John 5.

Verses 1 and 2. No, sorry. 1 John 5.11. 5.

11. And this is the testimony that God has given us eternal life. And this life is in the Son. God has come and given us an understanding that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true, in his son Jesus Christ.

This is the true God and the eternal life. Let that sink in. I've got to do a little bit of a change up here, because when I flip my notes over, I missed a whole couple of pages. So I'm just going to go back to the text here. We're going to go to Revelation 19, verse 12, 12b and 13.

He had a name written that no one knew except he himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word of God. And the armies of heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed him on white horses. And out of his mouth goes a sharp sword with which he should strike the nations. And he himself will rule them with a rod of iron.

And he himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of God Almighty. And he has written on his robe his name, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. So we note here that this writer has a proper noun name, which is, it states, the Word of God. And at his coming, he wields all authority and terrifying power to judge God's enemies. The Word is the designation of Christ declared in 1 John 14.

was also reinforced to John indeed by this divine vision. He's been shown this in the vision that Jesus is the word. And as he has said in Revelation 1.10, he was given this vision. Again, we see the absolute authority of the sun's deity, as is stated in John 1.

1. And the word was with God, and the word was God. There can be no doubt John taught this deity of Jesus by making it plain that the word is fully divine. That is, the word existed in the closest bond of fellowship with the Father, and in communion between them, that was all glorious. The high priestly prayer of Jesus in John chapter 17 confirms this.

And now, Father, glorify me together with yourself, with the glory I had with you before the world was. This is the one who he himself was in the beginning, face to face with God before the world existed. Again, Jesus speaks of a eternal context. And then John slams his home. and the word was God.

How plain, how unmistakably simple, this revelation that Christ deity is declared here. Every critic, all those who are heretics, every voice of protest surely must be silenced. This is the incarnate word, Jesus manifested to the world. John reveals him as fully divine. Sliding down to 1 John 14.

Let's just go to 1 John 14. And we see that the word became flesh and lived amongst us. And now the manifestation of God in human likeness is beheld among his people and is revealed to the world. He mediates and mirrors God's glory, his essence indeed to humanity. I think we had a look at that section.

I don't know why I've jumped over. I'm just going to visit that briefly regarding the Lord who has mentioned in John 1.18 about seeing God. No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

I'm completely out of sync. Sorry about that. It's taking us up to the end of our message for today. And so I guess the big question is how do we apply such a word to our lives, to our person? That is to say, do you believe the testimony of God's word?

That Jesus is the only begotten son? That is simple as believing and, of course, repenting. But the believing aspect comes through here, that you may have life in his name. Believing on the Lord, having life in his name. Is unbelief stopping you personally from believing on Jesus?

Simply just call upon his name and trust him. Look to the cross as he suggests that we do. Look to him on the cross and see what he has done. See the demonstration of the love of God towards sinful humanity, towards you personally, and me, and us. Believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ and what he has done to save us.

The apostles time and again vigorously defended the Christian faith, by their eyewitness testimonies teaching true doctrines of Christ. And the Bible has demonstrated this to us, that the Lord Jesus is himself the only begotten Son of God. He has all the power, all the glory, and all the life. And we have seen by the evidence, witnessed by the apostles, that the claims of Jesus to be the eternal word of God. There's plenty of evidence to prove that he is only begotten, the light of life.

That he indeed is the second person of the Trinity. That he created and made the universe. John 3.16 certainly stands out in the crowd, affirming the testimony of the Lord Jesus in a nutshell. Indeed, the golden verse.

Shall we pray? Father, we come before you humbly, Lord. Seeking your face, our God, as we do long to be in your presence. Father, thank you for being here by your Spirit. And Lord, I pray that you would do a real miracle here and just patch up this mess that I've made of this, Lord, today.

And Father, may anything that is worthy, the truth, the glory of the Lord Jesus and of yourself, our Father, stitched into our soul. May it remain, Lord God, helping us indeed to know you, the living God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. We praise you, loving Lord, and thank you for your grace in all things you are good and worthy, and we are not. Thank you, Lord. Praise be to you in the name of Jesus.

Amen.