Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1908-01-02
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM.
MENTS FOR JANUARY s.
subject: The Word Made Flesh,
John 1:1-18-Golden Text, John
1.11-C0mmit Verse 3-COm.

John 1:1-1S-Golden Text, John
1:14-Commit Verse 3-Com.
mentary.
TIME.-A. D. 95. PLACE.-Eph.
ssus.
EXPOSITION.-zI. The Eternal
Word, 10. The deepest and richest
book in the Bible is Johns gospel.
Any exposition of these words seems
so tame and so inadequate. John
carries us back to the dawn, not of
mans history, but the history of the
universe, and way back there we be-
hold Being who then, not began to
We, but "was" (cf. Gen. I'D, the
Word "was." And why is this One,
who then was, called "the Word?"
The word is that in which the speaker
reveals himself, and Jesus Christ Is
she perfect revelation of Gods inmost
being (Heb. 1:3; l Jno. 1:2: Jno.
1914; 14:9. But that in which God
reveals Himself is person. This per-
son here called 1.-The Word" was with
5od." in His presence, in close init
macy with Him. And this person
was God" From all eternity that
person who became flesh in Jesus of
Nazareth was God (cf. Phil. 2:6).
There could not be more definite
and explicit statement Of the true
lefty of Him who tabernacled among
MS in the person Of Jesus Christ. He
was God" comp. Isa go; Rom.
9:5; Titus 2:13, II. "; 2 Pet. III, r.
"; Heb. 1:6, 8; Jno. $500. The
entire gospel Of John is given to a
proof of this statement. Everything
in the gospel revolves about this CEN
tire (Jno. 20:3D. This verse brings
out the fact that there are at least
two persons in the God-heai. THE
Word was with God" there is one
1ivine person in company with whom
the Word was; but the Word was
Himself also a divine person, was
God" Having learned His eternal
divine nature, we next turn to Hls
divine work. He is the one through
whom all things became to be. God
has executed all His creative plans
through Him. He who by His incar-
nation became our brother, and our
Saviour was first our creator and the
creator of all things. Apart from
Him came not one thing into exist.
ence Comp. Eph. SO; Col. ZIG;
Heb. 1:2; Ps. 1876; Heb. 11:3.
There was life in Him before His in.
carnation He is the eternal source of
life. All life has come forth from
Him. Eternal life is in Him Il Jno.
Sid. Tho only way to get eternal
life is by taking Him in whom it IL
Il Jno. SID. Not only was life in
Him, but lie was Himself the life Il
Jno. 1:2). And He who was the Life
was also "the light o. men emo.
SIP; 9:5; 1885, So. "Thc Word
did not become the Light of mon by
His incarnation in Jesus of Nazareth.
He ever was the light of men," No
ray of light has ever shone upon man
except from Him. The light that
shone in Old Testament times shonc
from Him, yes, even the glimpses OF
light the heather have had are from
Him. When sin came, night came.
The condition of the whole world
since the fall has been one Of moral,
spiritual, intellectual darkness. But
in the midst of this universal dark
ness there has ever been light shin
ing. No matter how deep the dark
ness, He has shone. The light shOno,
but the world did not indeed, would
not, lay hold of it Il Cor PA; Jno.
3:19, 20). That is why the world
continues in darkness still. The
world would not lay hold of the light
in His nnincarnate form. so God gives
the Word in form more easily APP
prehonsible. an incarnate form.
II. John the Witness, 90. But
Gods condcsCension to mans infirm,
ity does not stop even at that, He
sends a witness to this incarnate
light. TO men who can see, light
needs no witness but itself, but men
are blind and so need one who can
see to bear witness to light. God sent
such a witness in John the Baptist
"A man sent from Cod" That is q
glorious title. No earthly patent tc
nobility so glorious as that. But
mark the clear line of demarcatior
between John and Jesus. John is q
man sent from Cod John was :
wonderful man, man whom GOO
delighted to honor, but he was =;
man" Jesus was God become flesh
John came to be a witness and the
purpose of his testimony was that al
men might believe through him. Mel
are not asked to believe blindly, bu
upon sufficient and abundant testl
mony.
III. The Word Becomes Flesh, 10
1S. Here the hostility Of man to the
light and to God appears in still
darker aspect Not only did the dark
ness not apprehend the light ". 81
not only did the world which He wa
in and which was made by Him, no
| know Him ". 100, but His own hom'
and people Tor household servants)
even they received Him not t.
/ themselves. How complete is thu
| alienation OF man from God anf
| light. While the world, and even Hi
| own, as a whole, rejected, there wer.
! an elect few who received Him.
| And who are they who thus receivt
| Him? Those (which We're born, no
of blood, nor of the will Of the flesh
nor of the will of man, but of God.
| 1t is not of man S natural heart to re
ceive Jesus Christ. What is natura
to man is seen in verses 5, 10 and l l
But God by His grace begets mel
| anew, and those who are thus begot
ten receive Jesus Christ and thus be
| come children of Cod (Jno. 3 81 >
| Jas. 1:18; / Pet. 1928; Cor. $40
The Eternal Word became real hui
man being. Deity clothed itself witt
real humanity. His divine glory be
came a matter of sensible perception
| (cf. 1 Jno. 1:1-3). OF the divine full
ness that is in the incarnate CO.