If we are to live the life God called us to, and join with Him in building His Kingdom, then we need to know who He is. Jesus does this for us.

People shape us, for good or for bad: who you run with affects how you run (Galatians 5:7). One person has the power to shape us like no other: Jesus. Understanding who He is will help us follow Him and be shaped by Him. We need continual revelation of who He is.

People have many different opinions about Jesus, even though He was clear about who He is. Why so much confusion? Because we don't believe it: we want Him to be certain things but not everything that He is. We try to make Him in our own image. Even Christians do this: many of us accept Him as our Saviour but He is far more than this.

John 1:1-3 shows us who Jesus is.

1. Jesus the Word is God.

John echoes Genesis 1 to make clear that Jesus is the eternal creating Word, God Himself. Jesus who walked on the earth, created the earth.

He speaks and reveals - communicating, bringing understanding. "The Word is God's self-expression." (Hebrews 1:3, John 1:18). We couldn't see the invisible God, then Jesus came and spoke words, and now we see Him. Jesus has explained God definitively. We get hints elsewhere in creation but here is the definitive statement. Only God can explain Himself to us, we can't work Him out without Him doing it for us. No Jesus = no word = no revelation.

2. The Word was with God and was God.

This is Trinitarian: Jesus is both God and with God, separate and yet united, equal with each other. It is beyond our comprehension but we can stand firmly on this.

This Word has made His dwelling among us (John 1:14) as a full human being. This is mind-blowing! He becomes something that He wasn't! It's His initiative and choice, motivated by love, so that He could save us. He did not cease to be God, remaining fully God and becoming fully man (Colossians 2:9). He lives fully as we are, and was tempted in all ways. He identifies with everything that we will ever face.

3. He made His dwelling among us.

The Message version of John1:14 says, "The Word became flesh and moved into the neighbourhood." Literally: he pitched his tent, "tabernacled", as with the old covenant and the presence of God. We don't have to hype anything up - He came to be with us way before we thought of Him and is with us now.

4. He is rejected or received.

Israel rejected Him, and we all automatically do this. We reject the light because we like the darkness. But we can receive Him by faith - we accept Him for who He is, the Word of God, God Himself. Those who do receive the right to become children of God - He did it (yet again it's Him who is doing it, not us).

As we follow Jesus, people will see Him and come to Him.

Response: the possibilities are remarkable as God continues to transform us. We're a work in progress but as we keep following the Word we will be transformed. It's an amazing adventure what He will do in us. If we abide in Him, He will abide in us.

Questions

1. Read John 1:1-18 – which of the many incredible truths here do you find most staggering?

2. Dave said that we are humbled when we realise that we can't define what God is like - God Himself has done this. How are you tempted to define God differently to what He has shown us?

3. How does revelation of who Jesus is shape us and enable us to follow Him?

4. How much of the truth about Jesus as God do we need to explain to people who aren’t Christians when we are telling them about the gospel.