Tucker Presbyterian Church Sermons

Tucker Presbyterian Church
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Sermons from Tucker Presbyterian Church, Tucker, GA https://www.tuckerpres.org https://www.facebook.com/tuckerpres

  1. FEB 15

    John 1:35-51 - Come, See, Hear, Find, Bring, Follow, Believe (Rev. Erik Veerman)

    Please turn in your Bibles to John 1:35-51. Last week John the Baptist was absolutely clear that he, himself, was not the Christ. Then when he saw Jesus, he directed our attention to him. John identified Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. This morning, we’ll see the Lamb of God title referenced again. I mentioned last week that every single title for Jesus used throughout the book is introduced in chapter 1. So, as I read, listen for those various titles. Also, listen for all the action verbs and commands… like come and see, follow, and find. There are quite a few. Reading of John 1:35-51 Prayer A few months ago, Amy and I went to hear Atlanta Symphony. They were performing Rapsody in Blue by George Gershwin. You may or may not be familiar with it, but United Airlines has used it for several decades as their theme song, so you would probably recognize it. It starts with a free-flowing jazzy clarinet solo, which is really its main melody. Then after various instrumental and piano versions of it, the full orchestra adds another melody, a more rhythmic melody – it’s been called the train theme because it keeps a consistent tempo. Then there’s also the romantic theme, which is different from the other two. It has a more of a moving lyrical feel that draws you in. The beauty of Rapsody in Blue is how the musical themes overlap and come up in different ways with different instruments including piano and strings and brass. In many ways, the Gospel of John is similar. Different themes come up and overlap as Jesus’ life and ministry is revealed. One of those is the basic narrative of what is happening. It centers around Jesus’ interactions with his disciples and his teaching and miracles and what was happening in Jerusalem. Throughout the book, Jesus instructs his disciples, confronts the hypocrisy of the Jewish leaders, and ministers to sinners and suffers. Another layer includes the deep theological truths about God and salvation. For example, we learn about Jesus’ identity, and about the ministry of the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus and God the Father will send, and we learn about being grafted into Christ – how he abides in us and us in him. And then finally there’s a third layer – a third musical theme. It focuses on how to follow Jesus. We are given positive and negative examples – examples of believing and following Jesus and examples of rejecting him and not following him. Last week, John the Baptist modelled humility and what it means to direct others to Christ. Well, our text this morning has the full display of how these themes interact and overlap, you know, kind of like an orchestra…. So, what I want to do this morning is make three passes through the verses. First, we’ll begin with the narrative – what was actually happening as Jesus called his disciples. By the way, it is through the story that God teaches us about who Jesus is and what it means to follow him. So, we ‘ll consider that first. Second, we’ll consider how this text furthers our understanding of Jesus’ identity and purpose – that theme is all throughout. And then the third pass will be the practical. We are each called to bring others to follow him. So, three points. #1 - The observational: Come and See #2 - The theological: Find and Believe #3 – The practical: Bring and Follow 1. Come and See (the observational) So, #1 – the observational. The first thing to observe is how quickly these events have been happening. Remember from verses 19-28 that a delegation had been sent from Jerusalem. They asked John the Baptist about his identity and why he was baptizing. Now look at verse 29. It begins, “the next day.” The very next day, John saw Jesus and testified to who he is as the Lamb of God… on whom the Spirit of God had descended. Now look at verse 35. Same thing. “The next day.” And jump down to verse 43. Again, “the next day.” All this activity was happening pretty quickly and in different locations near and around the Sea of Galilee. Furthermore, as we sensed from the reading, there are exciting things happening. In verse 36, John the Baptist reiterates that Jesus is the Lamb of God. And then the handoff. Two of John’s disciples begin to follow Jesus. They immediately recognized him. And they call him Rabbi, you know, Teacher. We’re told that one of John the Baptist’s disciples was Andrew, who is Peter’s brother. It’s very interesting that we’re not told the other disciple’s name. All the others in this chapter are named. I believe the unnamed disciples is very likely the apostle John. I mentioned a few weeks ago that the apostle never names himself. That was a common practice for narrative writing at the time. In fact, in the book of Acts, written by Luke, he similarly never names himself. Except, we are given glimpses of his involvement. A couple of passages in Acts use the first-person plural pronouns “us” and “we.” Luke was there. In these verses in John 1, it makes sense that this unnamed new disciples is John, himself. I already mentioned him not being named as a clue. But let me give you two more reasons. ·      First, the events from verse 19 to the end of the chapter are unique to this Gospel account – they are not referenced in the other three. John was likely an eyewitness. ·      Second, we’re given a lot of detail about John the Baptist – and it’s not just here in chapter 1, but also in chapter 3 and 4 and 5. Remember, this unnamed disciple had originally been a disciple of John the Baptist. If this is the apostle John, it would make sense why he knew so much about John the Baptist’s ministry. Now, we don’t know for sure, but it certainly fits the situation. Well, after Jesus' brief dialog with them, he invites Andrew and this other disciple to come with him and stay. Verse 29 mentions it’s about the 10th hour – that means it was about 4pm. And the very first thing that Andrew did was to find his brother Simon Peter. And he tells Peter, “We have found the Messiah.” I mean, can you imagine the excitement. These guys were likely in their mid to late 20s. They had studied about the Messiah since they were boys. John the Baptist had directed them to Jesus, and now they met him in person. At the very outset they recognized Jesus as the Christ. It’s then that Jesus gives Simon his new name – Peter which means rock in Greek. Or Cephas in Aramaic. By the way, many of John’s readers would have likely known of Peter – he was prominent at the time. He was one of Jesus inner three disciples and therefore has an important role throughout the Gospel of John – so this is like an introduction. Well, we come to the next day, and Jesus has travelled north to Bethsaida. He then found Philip and called him to follow. Did you notice that Philip didn’t even question it. No, instead, he went and he found Nathaniel. And with an excitement similar to Andrew, Philip told Nathaniel, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth…” And Nathaniel said, “can anything good come out of Mississippi?” Just kidding about Mississippi. Amy’s family is from Mississippi, and it’s a great place. But you know, for some reason, Mississippi tends to be the butt of jokes. Nazareth was a small, poor town. Joseph, Mary, and Jesus had moved there after fleeing to Egypt for a time. Nazareth was therefore where Jesus grew up. It wasn’t in Judea. It didn’t have the sophistication of a larger metropolitan area. So, Nathaniel was skeptical. Philip responded, “come and see.” Nathaniel had never met Jesus, but when Nathaniel approached him, Jesus noted that Nathaniel was an upstanding Israelite. Which, of course, took Nathaniel off guard. And so he asked, “how do you know me?” And Jesus said, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.” We don’t know why Jesus seeing him under the fig tree was so significant, but whatever it was, Nathaniel’s initial skepticism turned into belief. And he’s exclaimed, “Rabbi… Son of God… King of Israel.” Jesus then said to him, you believe because I said I saw you? … well, you will see greater things than these. We’ll come back to the angels descending and ascending in a few minutes. But let me note two important things. #1 Yes, God used his disciples to bring other disciples to him, but it was all under his sovereign purview and plan. Did you notice that before Philip even got to Nathaniel, Jesus had already seen Nathaniel? All of this was orchestrated by Jesus before any of it had come to pass. #2 - The other thing is that the disciples’ immediate response was to recognize Jesus and follow him. They didn’t yet fully understand Jesus’ identity nor what it meant for him to be the Messiah. That would come over time… and wouldn’t really come to a full realization until after his resurrection. But at the outset, Andrew, Peter, Philip, Nathniel, and likely the apostle John were drawn to Jesus through the testimony, excitement, and invitation to come and see him… and when they did, they recognized him as the Messiah. 2. Find and Believe (the theological) Which brings us to the second layer. #2. The theological melody which has been playing this whole chapter. I’m calling this point “Find and Believe” because we’re given an unfolding revelation of who Jesus is as the Word of God and the promised Messiah. Really, this melody will run throughout the whole book. But in this first chapter, John, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, has given us different categories of Jesus’ nature and purpose. He’s given us the wholistic picture of Christ, which he will then work out in the rest of the book. Have you ever watched an old Bob Ross video? You know, the painter. He begins by telling his audience what he’s going to paint. Then he

    31 min

  2. FEB 8

    John 1:19-34 I Am Not, but He Is (Rev. Erik Veerman)

    Sermon Notes: John 1:19-34 (I Am Not, but He Is) Please turn to the Gospel of John, chapter 1. We’ll be considering verses 19-34 this morning. As you are turning there, let me say that the Gospel of John is a beautiful literary work. Greek scholars marvel at its elegance. Its words are simple, yet it has a depth of poetic beauty in how its themes are interwoven. And because of that, the Gospel of John speaks to both those with little or no background in the Christian faith as well as to those who have studied the Scriptures their whole lives. ·      On one level, the apostle John makes clear who Jesus is, what he has done, and why it matters. ·      And on another level, we are given profound theological insights in a rich literary form. We’ll continue to see that as we work our way through the book. As I read, you will hear about John in these verses. This is referring to John the Baptist, not the apostle. Reading of John 1:19-34. Back in first grade, I was asked to give the opening comments for our first-grade play. That involved standing in front of the big curtain. I had a script which welcomed everyone, thanked the teachers, and gave a brief highlight of what they were about to see. The drama teacher told me multiple times to talk slowly and to keep my hands out of my pockets. Which of course, I forgot to do. But nonetheless, I did my part, and then the curtain opened and the play began. Well, the opening 18 verses of John’s Gospel are like the prologue to a play. They set the stage for what is to come. We’re given the book’s background and themes and we’re introduced to the main character. As we’ve studied, verses 1-18 speak of Christ’s divine nature as creator and as the light of the world. We were also introduced to John the Baptist who bore witness to the light. We were told of what it means to believe. And then last week, we learned that the Word of God has come to us in the flesh, in the person of Jesus. And when he came, God displayed his glory and grace. All of that was introductory. And as we now get to verse 19, the curtain opens. We don’t just hear about Jesus, but we are given story after story of his life and ministry. To say it in another way, verses 1-18 are the theological treatise for the book… and verses 19 to the very end are the historical witness of the book. John makes the upfront argument that Jesus is God in the flesh and that salvation is found in him, and then from verse 19 on, he shows us that this is true by showing us Jesus’ life and ministry. Speaking of a prologue, that was my prologue for this sermon. Two points this morning. You can see them in your bulletin. Point number 1: I am not …and point number 2: But he is I am not, but he is. John the Baptist very clearly states that he is not the Christ, but he, that is Jesus, is. 1. I Am Not So, #1. I am not. Let me begin with a little context. It mentions here that John the Baptist was in the town of Bethany… specifically it’s just beyond the Jordan River. This is a different town than the other Bethany which was near Jerusalem just over the Mount of Olives. This one was much farther away. It would have taken a day or two to travel there by foot. And in Bethany, John had attracted a crowd and a following. And one of the things he was doing was baptizing. Well, despite the distance, that caused a stir in Jerusalem. News reached the ears of the Jewish leaders, and so, as we read, they sent a delegate. They had two main questions: who are you? (verse 19) and why are you baptizing (verse 25)? John does answer both questions, but he does it in a way that redirects them away from himself and to Christ. I learned something interesting this week. There are people today who believe that John the Baptist was the greatest prophet. They not only venerate John the Baptist, you know, worship him in a way… but they also reject Jesus as the Messiah. Now, it’s a relatively small group, several thousand. They live on the border of modern day Iraq and Iran. Their recorded history goes back to the 300s, so they’ve been around a while. And it’s very possible that their roots go all the way back to the 1st century when this book was written. You see, one reason why the apostle John writes these things, is to make absolutely clear (1) who John the Baptist was and wasn’t and (2) who Jesus is. And he quotes John the Baptist’s words. ·      He was not the prophet Elijah. Yes, he came in the spirit of Elijah – but he was not Elijah in the flesh. The Jews expected Elijah to return. ·      He also makes clear that he was not “the prophet.” That is likely a reference to Moses or even the greater Prophet who was to come after Moses, namely Christ. John denies that as well. But most importantly, in verse 20 – he states unequivocally that he is not the Christ.  He is not the promised Savior who was to come. In the Greek, it’s the phrase “ἐγὼ οὐκ εἰμὶ ὁ χριστός.” I am not the Christ. By the way, “ἐγὼ εἰμὶ” in the Greek is the phrase “I am.” It’s the same Greek words that Jesus used in his “I am” statements throughout the book. I am the light of the world. I am the vine. I am the great shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep, etc. And so when John the Baptist says he is not the Christ, it is in part setting up the rest of the narrative in the book. Who is Jesus? He is the Christ - the promised Savior. A few years ago, a friend of mine passed away. He had a sudden heart attack. He was a single guy in his 40s, so he wasn’t that old. Vocationally he was a nurse, but interestingly he had also been to seminary. He was a great guy. He loved to participate in ministry and mission work including medical missions. He also had a great Scottish accent. He was originally from the Isle of Skye. As one of his pastors I went to the funeral home shortly after they received his body. I was there with a close friend of his. And I learned something about him that I didn’t know before. On his chest, he had a tatoo. It was a Greek phrase. “ἐγὼ οὐκ εἰμὶ ὁ χριστός.” I am not the Christ. You see, he had been so moved by this verse in John 1, that he wanted to remind himself each day in the mirror who he was not and to whom he should direct people. He was not the Christ… he was not his own savior nor a savior for others, but he had a savior who has come. That is what John the Baptist was doing in these verses. He was redirecting people away from himself and to Jesus. I count 6 times in these verses where John redirects people away from himself and to Christ. No, I am not him but let me tell you and show you who he is. A couple of examples are found in his further answers to the delegation. By the way, they were very persistent, as we read. They asked him, ok, then if you are not Elijah nor the prophet nor Christ, then who are you and why are you baptizing? ·      First, John answers who he was. He quotes the prophet Isaiah. He says, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’” You see, Isaiah had prophesied that one would come. This prophet’s very purpose was to prepare the way for the Messiah. John was saying that he is that one. His whole ministry was to direct people to Christ. It was to prepare the people for the arrival of the Lord. ·      And second, John answered why he was baptizing. His answer also revealed Christ. Verse 31 makes that clear. John said, “I came baptizing with water that he might be revealed to Israel.” Here’s what that means. John’s baptism was about calling people to repentance and warning them about judgment. The water symbolized the cleansing that they needed. It showed them that they needed God to truly cleanse them… and it reminded them that a Savior was promised who would bear their judgment. By the way, this is why we don’t connect John’s baptism with the baptism that Jesus established. ·      #1, John’s baptism was a ceremonial cleansings from the old covenant. That’s why the delegate was asking him why he was baptizing since he was not Elijah nor the prophet. ·      #2. John’s baptism was not done in the name of Jesus nor the Trinity as Jesus directed. It was very different. ·      #3 …perhaps the clearest reason. In the book of Acts, chapter 19, some of John the Baptists disciples were living in Ephesus. They had only been baptized into John’s baptism. The apostle Paul explained to them that John’s baptism was only a baptism of repentance. So, John’s disciples were then baptized into Jesus’ baptism – that is, into the new covenant baptism in Jesus’ name. To say it again, John’s baptism was to prepare the people’s hearts for the coming of Christ. They needed to see their need for a Savior and repent. Ok, to summarize main point #1: John’s identity in these verses is directly related to Christ, both in the negative and the positive. The negative - I am not him. And the positive - the very purpose of my life is to point people to him. And point to him, he does. 2. But He Is Which bring us to #2. But He Is John is not the Christ, as he says, and implicit in that statement is that the one to whom John directs people is the Christ. Look at verse 29. This is a new subsection. We read that it’s now the very next day. The previous day, John had been answering the delegation about who he was not and that his purpose was to direct people to the Lord. But now, Jesus has come to John. And with absolute clarity, John gives witness to who Jesus is. Look how John describes Jesus in 29. He says, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” Remember, the apostle John’s primary audience was Jewish. When they read or heard this, they would have no questions about its meaning. J

    29 min

  3. FEB 2

    John 1:14-18 We Have Seen His Glory (Rev. Coleman Erkens)

    Tucker Presbyterian Church Sermons

    30 min

  4. JAN 18

    John 1:4-13 The Light of the World (Rev. Erik Veerman)

    John 1:4-13 – The Light of the World Please turn in your Bibles to John 1:4-13. We started this new series in the Gospel of John two weeks ago. Remember the 5 “J”s of John. John, the apostle who is the author; Jews who were John’s primary audience; Jerusalem where much of the setting took place; Jesus, of course, the focus of the book; and Jehovah – the emphasis that Jesus is God in the flesh. Then last week, we jumped in to verses 1-3. John’s Gospel account doesn’t begin with Jesus' genealogy nor the angels announcing of his coming, nor his birth in a manger. No, rather, John begins much earlier. He goes back to creation itself - the beginning of time. He reveals that Jesus is the very Word of God. He has always been and continues to be God. He is One with the Father and the Spirit. He has always existed. He is Christ, through whom God created all things. He begins there because he wants his readers to know that Jesus is truly God and creator. That brings us to verses 4-13. Instead of focusing on Christ's identity, we now learn about his purpose. The Word, who is Christ, is the light of the world. You’ll hear that in our text. As I read, you will also hear a reference to a John. This John is not the Apostle John, but rather John the Baptist. He was sent by God to testify to Christ. Let’s now come to God’s Word Reading of John 1:4-13 Prayer Light is essential for life. I think you would agree with me.Without light, we cannot see. It exposes reality and reveals our surroundings. It purifies and penetrates. Light carries information across galaxies. The light of the sun warms the earth and perks us up. It gives energy to plants and trees. Really countless organisms use light to sustain life. It’s no wonder that light is used in Scripture to illustrate God and his goodness and purity. And it’s no wonder that darkness, the absence of light, illustrates sin and evil. That’s because we intuitively know what light is. We understand it’s illuminating nature. When it is dark outside and we need to walk or drive somewhere, we know we need light to see where we are going. We understand that evil and unrighteousness often happens in the dark. Take the Psalms for example. God’s Word is described as being a light to our path. Elsewhere, God is described as being light. In our call to worship, we read that “The Lord is our light and our salvation, whom shall we fear?” We’re also told in the Psalms that blessed are those that walk in the light of the Lord. And in them, we’re given the contrast between light and darkness. God’s light dawns in the darkness for the upright. And that is just the Psalms. So, when we get to John 1 and we read in these verses about the Word being the light of men and the darkness not overcoming it… and John the Baptist witnessing to Christ’s light, we can understand it. The light of truth and righteousness in contrast to the darkness of sin and evil. We are to see the light of Christ and walk in his light. By the way, we are still in the opening verses of John’s Gospel. We call this John’s prologue. He's setting the stage by revealing the various themes in his book. And one of those themes is light. It’s actually one of the apostle John’s favorite themes. He speaks of light not just in this book but also his three letter and in the book of Revelation. In your bulletin on page 4, you’ll see an outlin. We’ll consider 3 things about this light. #1. The Revealing and Overpowering Light of Christ (verses 4-5) #2. Witnessing to the Light of Christ (verses 6-8) And #3. Receiving and Rejecting the Light of Christ (verses 9-13) 1. The Revealing and Overpowering Light of Christ (verses 4-5) Again, number 1 - the revealing and overpowering light of Christ. As John continues to reveal who this Word of God is, he says this in verse 4: “in him was life.” Prepositions are important. The preposition used here is “in” and not “through.” “In him was life.” It’s speaking of Christ’s life. It's not talking about the flesh and blood life of Jesus’ human nature nor is it talking about our life in him. Rather, it’s talking about Jesus’ divine nature. We know that from the next few words. His life was shining forth and was penetrating the darkness. So the life spoken of here is Christ's being and existence as God. Notice it’s the same verb that we considered last week - “was”. It’s imperfect active. Christ’s life always was and continues to be. I like how one commentator described Christ’s life:  "[it] refers to the fulness of God's essence, his glorious attributes: holiness, truth, …love, omnipotence, sovereignty. This full, blessed life is said to have been present in the Word and this from all eternity…" It is that life – the fulness of God in Christ – which is the light of men. And it makes sense. Christ’s righteousness and holiness and truth and love is our light. It is the source of light for all humanity. I mentioned that this theme is all through this book. Let me highlight three instances. ·      In chapter 3, Jesus said, "the light has come into the world, but people loved darkness rather than the light because their works are evil." In those verses he goes on to describe what it means to walk in the light. ·      In chapter 8, the most famous one, Jesus said, "I am the light of the world, whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" ·      And in chapter 12, Jesus said, "while you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light" In these different passages, Jesus is calling us to #1 see his light; #2 believe his light and #3 walk in his light. As we work our way through John, we'll have plenty of time to consider all the aspects of light applied to Jesus, but as an introduction, verses 4-5, give us two of them. 1. First, the light of Christ's life is there for all to see – verse 4. And it emanates from his life. SO, his eternal being and nature are being displayed to us through his light. His goodness and truth and righteousness are there for us to see. And when we see it, God is revealing to us, Christ’s nature. We see him when we see his light. Through his light, God reveals Christ and shows us that we need his light. He is our light… which includes of course, the path we are to walk in his goodness and righteousness and truth. So, his light reveals his life and our need for his light. 2. Second, verse 5, his light reveals darkness. Did you notice in verse 5 that the verb is now present tense. The light, it says, "shines in the darkness." The light of Christ IS revealing unrighteous and evil. That’s what light does - it reveals what is in the dark. By the way, this is another parallel to Genesis. This time John 1 recognizes that creation has been corrupted by evil and sin – that is the darkness mentioned. Elsewhere in John, we read about the "works of darkness." Darkness is that which is opposed to the light of Christ. It’s anything contrary to his light – That would include wickedness and foolishness and unrighteousness. And notice that the darkness has not overcome the light. Other translations use other words there like the darkness has not apprehended the light… or comprehend it or extinguished it. Indeed, darkness cannot put out the light. I shared this once before, but back when I was in college, I spent several days on a mission trip to Sweden. We were ministering to kids from eastern Europe who had come to a camp. For one of our outings, we went to a very large cave in the area. It was safe. You know, it had railings and the such, and you could go way back into the cave. And so we did, we went as far as we could. And then we all decided to turn off our flashlights. It was dark. I mean like dark dark. You couldn’t see your hand in front of your face. One of the other leaders had brought a lighter – you know a small butane lighter. And he lit it. That little flame lit up the cave. It was quite amazing how such a small light could illuminate the darkness. We could see one another and we could see the cave around us. And then we read some of the Scriptures about light. I think we read from John 1 – I don’t know for sure, but it makes sense. “In him was life and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it” Darkness cannot overcome light. Darkness is, in fact, the absence of light. So, when light is revealed, darkness will be exposed. And that is what Christ has done. His love and justice and holiness and truth has revealed the darkness – evil and sin. It not only reveals it, but it cannot be overcome by it. It’s really the other way around. The light overcomes the darkness. Christ has triumphed over the darkness. And that triumph has come through the cross and in his resurrection. Evil and sin have been fully exposed. The light of Christ in his life is in the act of overcoming darkness and revealing the path of life and purifying our hearts and minds. And one day soon, evil and sin will be defeated forever when the light of Christ comes to full fruition… when Jesus’ return in Glory for all to see. Well, there is a lot more to say about light, which we'll get to as we work through John. The summary of point 1 is that Christ’s light reveals his nature, shows us our need, and exposes sin and evil. 2. Witnessing to the Light of Christ (verses 6-8) Number 2. Witnessing to the light of Christ. In verses 6 and following, the Apostle John begins to transition from the lofty truths about the Word of God to that Word who has come in human flesh. We're told of another John, as I mentioned, who was sent to bear witness to the light. Notice that the word "witness" is used three times. His role is to testify to the light. We call John the Baptist the last Old Testament prophet because he was sen

    30 min

  5. JAN 11

    John 1:1-3 - Christ: the Logos of God (Rev. Erik Veerman)

    John 1:1-3 - Christ: The Logos of God Our sermon text this morning is John 1:1-3. If you read our weekly email, you may have seen that originally, I was planning to cover verses 1-5. I backed off a little because there is so much packed into the first 3 verses. That probably scares some of you because you’re thinking, “is this going to happen every week? And if so, are we going to be in the Gospel of John for years?” Well, I can’t say that this will be the last time that I narrow our focus to just a couple of verses. However, I will note that Jim Boice, the late pastor of Tenth Presbyterian church, preached 270 sermons in the book of John. Doing the math, that’s over 5 years. I’ve planned about 70. Ok, turning our attention to these verses, you’ll hear the word “word” three times. That is referring to Jesus Christ. We know that from verse 14 where John writes that “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” So, as I read, be sure to make the mental connection between the Word and Christ. Reading of John 1:1-3 Prayer “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal…” Those legendary words bring us back to the very founding of our nation. Or how about this on: “I have a dream” Those words take us back to Martin Luther King and the struggle of segregation in the 1950s and 60s. Or perhaps you recognize this: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” Those are the opening words of Charles Dickens’s book The Tale of Two Cities. It takes us back to the French Revolution and the stark contrast between London and Paris. Each of those opening phrases is packed with meaning and significance. They each capture our minds and our hearts. In some ways, they transport us through time and space and turn our attention to lofty ideas or significant events. Well, the opening words of John’s Gospel do something very similar. For one, they are renowned. But also, their poetic language and expressive words raise the significance and consequence for the reader… and really for the whole world. Perhaps these words don’t bring us back to a specific place, but they transport us to the very creation of the world. “In the beginning.” In the very beginning of all time and space “was the Word.” Does that not raise our senses and our curiosity and even our wonder at what is being communicated? As far as familiar opening words in the Bible, John 1 is only second to Genesis 1. And those are iconic words. Genesis 1 certainly ranks up there among the most famous in the world. Genesis 1:1 says “In the beginning, God created the heavens and earth.” Those 10 words reveal several things about God. ·      First, that he is one God. It doesn’t say, “in the beginning, the gods (plural)...” No, rather it’s a definitive statement. “In the beginning, God…” There is one God. ·      Second, Genesis 1:1 posits God as existing before the beginning of time itself – he is eternal. ·      And third those 10 opening words of Genesis speak about God’s nature and work. He is the creator God of all things - things in heaven and things on earth. And I think you have probably already made the connection in your minds. The opening words of the Gospel of John are very similar to Genesis 1. They start with the same three words. Of course, one was penned in Hebrew – that would be Genesis – and the other was penned in Greek. But the connection is unmistakable. Really, the connection between the opening of Genesis and the opening of John’s Gospel even further expand our understanding of God’s nature and the ministry and work of Christ - God the Son. In Genesis 1, we’re told of God’s creative work and in John 1, God reveals who accomplished that work and how. So, let’s jump into these opening three verses of John. As far as an outline, I want to highlight 3 things about Christ: 1. Christ’s Identity as the Eternal Logos 2. Christ’s Deity as One with the True God 3. Christ’s Work as the Agent of Creation Let me say those again if you are taking notes. We didn’t have room in the bulletin this week for an outline. 1. Christ’s Identity as the Eternal Logos – I’ll explain the word Logos in a minute. 2. Christ’s Deity as One with the True God – Deity meaning his nature as God. And 3. His Work as the Agent of Creation. It is through the agency of Christ that God created all things. So, let’s work through those. 1. Christ’s Identity as the Eternal Logos And the first thing to understand is the word “word.” In the original Greek, it’s the word Logos. Maybe you’ve heard that word before. Logos is one of two words that are often translated “word.” The other is the more common word, rhema in Greek, merely referring to words on a page or spoken words. But the word logos, on the other hand, is packed with meaning. Yes, it’s basic meaning is a statement or speech – you know, a “word” spoken. But the word logos also includes the idea of a charge like I’m charging you with something… and the idea of cause like speech that causes something to happen. It’s a word spoken that is effective. It accomplished something. Now, the Greek culture of the time used the word Logos as well. But their use was more of an abstract idea. Their logos was the rational order of the cosmos. It was used in an impersonal way. There was no being behind a Greek use of the word logos. Nonetheless it was still a powerful word. By the way, the Greek word logos is directly related to our English word “logic”… you know, a reasoned explanation. And sometimes you’ll hear pastors try to apply that philosophical and rational meaning to the Logos of John 1. But remember from last week that John is writing to a Jewish context. He was Jewish himself. And the word logos in the Jewish community had been used for centuries. The Greek translation of the Old Testament uses the word logos hundreds of times. Our call to worship this morning was from Psalm 33. It says in verse 6 “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made.” Logos to the Jewish community was understood to be personal and declarative and often associated with God himself. That is very different from the Greco-Roman understanding. What I am arguing is that John is not borrowing the word Logos from the Greek culture. Rather, he is contrasting that impersonal understanding with the divine and personal understanding of Logos. He’s revealing that the Logos of God is far superior to the Greek’s rational concept of logos. We see that right there in verse 1. It says, “In the beginning was the Word.” From eternity past, the Logos existed – Christ existed. The verb is very important here. It’s the English word “was” …you know, a form of “to be..” In the beginning “was” the word. And it’s verb tense is the imperfect active. It means not only did Christ already exist in the beginning, but also that his existence continues. English does not have a good equivalent. The word “was” in English is past tense. But the Greek has a much broader meaning. “already was and continues to be” What we learn in these verses is that the Logos of God is eternal. He existed before the beginning of time and space and he continues to exist. Furthermore, he is not some impersonal rational concept about the ordering of the universe, but rather his eternal existence is personal. He has being, as the verb reveals. He is none other the person of Christ, again as verse 14 tells us. The eternal Logos of God. Now, in a few minutes we are going to further see how the word logos relates to Christ’s work. That will be point 3, But let’s move on to point 2 - the rest of verse 1 and verse 2. 2. Christ’s Deity as One with the True God So, #2. Christ’s Deity as One with the True God. – I’m saying it that way for a reason. He is God and he is One with God. The Logos mentioned here is not some force that God is harnessing. No, this Logos, Christ, is God himself. Look at the end of verse 1. It says, “the word was God.” It’s the same imperfect active tense. The Logos already was and continues to be God. Now, that seems super clear, doesn’t it? “The Logos was God.” Some of you know this, but about twice a week, you will see two of Jehovah Witnesses just outside of our church office. They are just standing there on the corner of Main Street. And if you ask them about John 1:1, they will say that it should be translated differently. They translate it as “the word was a god.” They say that Christ was like a god but not God himself. They argue that because there is no definite article before the word “God” (Theos), therefore Jesus is not being described here as God himself. However, they are wrong for two reasons. ·      Number 1, Greek scholarship is fairly unified on the translation. For those of you who are grammarians (you like grammar), the phrase is a predicate nominative. Greek predicate nominatives establish a shared essence between the subject and the predicate – especially when the predicate is placed before the verb as is here. In fact, predicate nominatives in the Greek usually do not use a definite article for the predicate. So, Christ is not being described here as a god, he is being identified as the God - fully and completely God. ·      And number 2. This identification of Jesus Christ being God himself is all throughout the Gospel of John. We considered that last week. Several times Jesus identified himself as one with God the Father. He said as much: “I and the Father are One.” We also considered all the I AM statements where Jesus identified himself as Yahweh. Furthermore, look at the phrase in the middle of verse 1 and in verse 2. They are very similar. It says, “And the Logos was with God… He was in the beginning with God.” This is one of the be

    29 min

  6. JAN 4

    John 20:30-31 - The Gospel of John (Rev. Erik Veerman)

    John 20:30-31 - The Gospel of John We’re starting a new sermon series this morning in the Gospel of John. Or more precisely the Gospel According to John. John is one of the four books in the Bible which considers the life and ministry of Jesus. The others are Matthew, Mark, and Luke. We’re 5 and 1/2 years into our existence as a church and we have yet to work through one of the Gospel narratives chapter by chapter. That is not to say that we have not had sermons in the different Gospel accounts. For example such as during Advent and Easter. And as some of you know, David Fraser has preached a few sermons in Mark. By the way, I haven’t been avoiding going through one of the Gospels. It’s just a big task. John has 20 chapters and some of them are long. Some pastors have taken two years to work through John. We won’t take that long, but it will take over a year to complete. Now, if you look at your sermon text, you may be slightly confused. We’ll be starting with chapter 20 verses 30 and 31. That is because those two verses explicitly tell us the purpose of the book. Today’s sermon will be an overview. We’ll cover the author and audience and the book’s purpose and various themes. Then next week, we’ll get into its iconic opening. So, if you would please turn to John 20, verses 30 and 31. That is on page ?? Reading of John 20:30-31 Prayer Isn’t it nice to have such a clear purpose statement? We’re given 3 aspects to the book’s purpose John 20:31. ·      First, it says, “These things are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ” In other words, the author wants the reader to believe that Jesus is the promised Messiah. ·      Second, that he is the Son of God. Jesus is more than a mere man. He is also God in the flesh. ·      And third, it says, “and that by believing, you may have life in his name.” Believing these things is not merely intellectual. No, they have life-changing results. As mentioned throughout the book– eternal life. So, God has given us the Gospel of John, that we may believe in Jesus and have life everlasting. I’ve read John several times in the last few months in preparation for this series. Quite honestly, it’s overwhelming how many times the word “believe” is used. There are just over 80 uses of the word “believe” (In the Greek, it’s the word pisteo – believing something which is trusted). 18 of those uses are about not believing. Throughout the book, we’re called to believe, and given examples of believing, but we’re also told the consequences of not believing and are given some examples of what it means to not believe – a majority of those are the religious establishment. Well, that brings us to some important questions. Who was the human author? Who was he writing to? What was their situation? And how does he make case to believe in Jesus as the Christ and Son of God? My goal is to answer those questions this morning. We’ll go through those in 5 points. And all 5 start with the letter “J.” You know, J for “John.” Maybe that will help you remember. 1. the first “j” is actually for “John” himself. Addressing the question of the author. 2. Second, Jews. They are the primary audience, although not exclusively. 3. Third, Jerusalem. That is the setting for the majority of the book. 4. The fourth “J” is, you guessed it, Jesus. Really, he is the big emphasis. You could, of course, say that about all four Gospels. However, this book focuses in on Jesus’ nature and identity. 5. And the last “J” is Jehovah. Jehovah is a derivative of the Hebrew word Yahweh for God himself. I would rather use the word Yahweh or the LORD, but it didn’t start with a J. John focuses not only on Jesus but on God himself. So that is where we are headed. John, Jews, Jerusalem, Jesus, and Jehovah. 1. John Now, as far as the author, you may be thinking, “well, of course it’s John, that’s the title of the book.” Well, yes, but titles were given by the early church in the second century. So, John is the traditional author. But interestingly, the author never directly identifies himself in the book. However, there is an overwhelming consensus that the human author of this book is the Apostle John. Not John the Baptist. We’ll get to him in the first chapter, but rather John who was one of Jesus’ twelve disciples. And the case is pretty strong. The author speaks of being a disciple of Jesus and being a witness about the things he wrote. That narrows it. He’s present at the Last Supper where he indicates that he reclined next to Jesus. He was also one of the three closest to Jesus – he mentions that. Jesus calls out to this author on the cross to care for Mary, Jesus’ mother. And the author mentions that he outruns Peter to the tomb. John and Peter were very close. What seals the deal for me is that the author mentions almost all of the other disciples but never himself. That was a common stylistic approach of the time. He wanted to keep the focus on Jesus rather than himself. By the way, I’m of course referring to the human author. The apostle John, like the other authors, were carried along by the Holy Spirit as 2 Peter 1 puts it. That doesn’t take away from the human situation at all. The Scriptures are communicated at specific times by specific authors to specific people. And all of that is a blessing as we seek to apply it to our situation. 2. Jews Ok, number 2 – John’s primary audience was the Jewish community. The themes in the book overwhelmingly connect to various Old Testament matters including the temple, the sabbath, different feasts, Moses (including a mention of the manna from heaven), and Abraham. Furthermore, many of the interactions that Jesus has are with the Jewish leaders or people in the Jewish community - not exclusively, but overwhelmingly. Think about Jesus and the woman at the well – she was a Samaritan, so she was sort of Jewish but not really. However, Jesus met her at Jacob’s well. Jacob was one of Israel’s patriarchs and she mentions him as their forefather and she also says that the Messiah is coming. So, even with her, the conversation references Old Testament ideas. Also, consider our sermon text again - chapter 20 verse 31. John’s stated purpose is that his audience may believe that Jesus is the Christ. Throughout the book, John mentions the fulfillment of the Scriptures multiple times. He quotes various Old Testament books. A few of the signs that Jesus performed, which John testifies to, are connected to Jesus fulfilling the prophecies of the Messiah. To say it again, the primary audience in John’s mind were the Jews, however, he desired the Gentile community to believe as well. It is important for both Jews and Gentiles to understand the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophets. In fact, in my interactions with people unfamiliar with the Bible, I usually recommend they read the Gospel of John. My reason is that this book is clear about who Jesus is and about saving faith in him alone and the call to believe. It also introduces all Scripture and testifies to God’s promises and how they are fulfilled. I am not saying that the other Gospel accounts are not as clear. They are but in different ways. So, John’s audience was primarily Jewish. As we get to the next points - Jerusalem and Jesus and Jehovah - we’ll see that even further emphasized. 3. Jerusalem. Which brings us to the third “J” – Jerusalem. A vast majority of this book took place in Jerusalem. This is different from Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The majority of those accounts took place up north in Galilee. And almost half of the Gospel of John happened in the week leading up to and just after Jesus’ death and resurrection. Almost all of that took place in Jerusalem. Even in the first 12 chapters of the book, many of the interactions took place in Jerusalem. But you ask, why does that matter? Well, there are two important historical reasons. First, John was writing after the temple had been destroyed in 70 AD – perhaps 10 years or so after. The other Gospel accounts were written before the temple was destroyed. And, as you can imagine, after the temple was destroyed the Jewish community was devastated. And so, one thing that John emphasizes is how Jesus fulfills and is greater than the temple. Consider chapter 1 verse 17. It says, “and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” The idea of God dwelling with his people was directly related to the temple and tabernacle before it. And now, John tells us that Jesus has dwelt among us. In chapter 2, Jesus even refers to himself as the temple. And as he puts it in chapter 15 - he abides in us and we in him. Jerusalem was an important setting for John to reveal Jesus as the fulfillment of the temple and also of the various feasts connected to the temple. So that is one important thing related to Jerusalem. Second, John wrote his Gospel shortly after Christianity was no longer considered a sect of Judaism. For the three to four decades following Jesus’ resurrection, Christianity was seen as a subset of Judaism. However, over time, that changed. That was partly because the Gospel had been travelling far and wide among the Gentiles. But also, over time, the Jewish establishment distanced themselves from the Christians and even kicked them out of the synagogues. It was very important for John to reinforce the connection between Christianity and the redemptive history of Israel. And Jerusalem was central to God revealing himself to Israel and the world. What I am saying is that our history, as Christians, is connected to Jerusalem and the temple and the festivals of old. Their ultimate fulfillment in the cross of Christ. Maybe you’ve heard me say this before, but there is no such thing as only being a New Testament Christian. No, all of Scripture testifies to Go

    30 min

  7. 12/28/2025

    Psalm 73 - Why Do Good Things Happen to Bad People (Rev. Coleman Erkens)

    Tucker Presbyterian Church Sermons

    30 min

  8. 12/21/2025

    Matthew 2:1-12 - Wise Men, a Con Man, and a King (Rev. Erik Veerman)

    Matthew 2:1-12 Wise Men, a Con Man, and a King Please turn to Matthew chapter 2. This is a very well-known advent passage about the wise men from the east bringing gifts to Jesus. There’s a lot of mystery and wonder in this text. Part of that is because we’re not given many details about the wise men. However, we are clearly given their goal. And so, as I read, listen for why they were seeking Jesus and what they did when they found him. Reading of Matthew 2:1-12. Prayer In our house, you’ll find several nativity scenes at this time of year. They’re festive and add to the aura of the season. But you know, they don’t really accurately depict the manger scene. And one of the inaccuracies is with the three wise men. Most nativity scenes have them. They’re usually tall, wearing middle-eastern attire, and bearing gifts as they stand next to the animals. Well, first of all, we’re never told how many there were. Yes, they had three gifts, but that does not mean there were only three of them. And second, they did not arrive when Jesus was born. No, actually, they arrived likely when he was 1 year old. They weren’t there to see Jesus in the manger. I’m not trying to be the grinch and steal your Christmas joy. Rather, I just want to be sure we distinguish what we actually know versus what tradition has come up with over the centuries. There’s a big difference. So, then, what do we know? Who were these wise men led by a star to Jerusalem and then to Jesus? Well, we are told they were from the east and we are given a clue of there origin base on their name. The name “wise men” comes from the Greek word magoi. Some translations give them the title of Magi. It’s a word derived from the Persian word for wise men. And because of that, some believe that the Magi came from where the Medo-Persian empire was centered (which is where modern day Iran is). Others believe that the Magi came from the region where the Babylonian empire used to be centered. That’s where modern day Iraq is. There are good reasons for both possibilities. If we go back to the book of Daniel, it uses a very similar word for the wise men of the land. Daniel, as you may know, lived in Babylon in exile. Similarly, the book of Esther, which takes place in the Persian capital, also uses a similar word for wise men. In both cases, the Greek translation of the Old Testament uses the word magoi. And honestly, I don’t think it makes much of a difference whether the Magi came from Medo-Persian roots or Babylonian roots. Even though these empires were centered in adjacent regions in the middle east, they overlapped as each kingdom took control. A few decades after Babylon conquered the whole region, they were then overthrown by the Medes and then the Persians. After that it was the Greeks under Alexander the Great who conquered the land, and then Roman Empire, which was in control when Jesus was born. And when these empires overthrew one another, it’s not like they killed all the people. No, the people just were under the control of another kingdom. Yes, some of them moved out or were exiled. Others moved in to govern, but overall, the culture and history were preserved or intermixed with the new empire in power. Furthermore, when we consider the Babylonians and the Medes and the Persians, they each had their wise men. We know this from the Old Testament text as well as from historical writings from the time. The Magi were the highest educated men of the land. They were given utmost respect and they had major influence in the culture. In fact, extra Biblical writings about the Medes particularly emphasize this. Someone could not become a king in that empire without first the same rigorous study as the wise men. Even more, in the Median Empire, it was the wise men who anointed the king. Think about the significance of tht if the Matthew 2 wise men came from that region. The bottom line is that the Magi who were led to Jerusalem were held in the highest esteem and had significant cultural prominence. Now, let me mention something else important. These Magi knew some of the Hebrew Scriptures. Let me make that case. First, let’s go back to Babylon. When Babylon overthrew Judah in the early 5th century BC, thousands and thousands of Jews were relocated to Babylon. They brought their culture with them. They brought their history and they brought their writings. Even when they were later permitted to return to Jerusalem, most of them remained in Babylon and some even intermarried with the Babylonians. Not only that, think of the testimony of Daniel and of Shadrach, Meshach and Abendego. Their wisdom and faithfulness earned them great status in the Babylonian Kingdom. King Nebuchadnezzar found them 10 time wiser than the wise men and enchanters of the region. That’s mentioned in Daniel chapter 1. And when they were put to the test, God delivered each of them - you know, the three thrown in the fiery furnace, and Daniel from the Lion’s den. After each incident, it was the Babylonian king who decreed that the one true God should be worshipped and served. These men were furthermore elevated to a high standing in the land. Daniel himself ended up being promoted to the third highest position in the entire Babylonian kingdom. You see, their wisdom, wisdom from God, became part of the wisdom of the land. A very similar thing happened in the Medo-Persian empire. Esther in the Old Testament was Jewish, but she was chosen to be queen by the Persian King. Some of you know the history. A plot was made against all the Jewish people in the land. They were to be slaughtered, but through the wisdom of Esther and her uncle, that plot was turned against the perpetrators. In the end, it was the Jewish people who prospered in all 127 provinces of the kingdom. It mentions from India to Ethiopia. Here is my point. Whether the wise men from the east came from a Babylonian heritage or from a Medo-Persian heritage, the wisdom of the land included wisdom from God almighty. Their education would have included testimonies of God’s people and their teaching, which God had spread all throughout the east. So, these Magi, who were the highest learned men in the near Eastern culture, would have studied and known the God of Israel, and his prophecies, and the wisdom given his people. Perhaps they knew Balaam’s prophecy from Numbers 24 that “a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel.” So, yes, they came from the east, but they were not unfamiliar with what God had revealed and the prophecies of the Messiah. Now, we are not told what prompted them to leave their country and follow a star to Jerusalem. They may have been given a vision given by God in a dream (you know, similar to the dream they were given in verse 12); or it may have been an angel appearing to them similar to how angels appeared to Mary and Joseph and the shepherds. Or, as some have suggested, it may have been their studies of the Jewish Scriptures and the timing of the Messiah. We don’t know, but whatever means God used, they knew that they were to seek the promised king who had come… and that he was worthy to be worshiped. Notice what they said when they arrived in Jerusalem. Verse 2. They asked: “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” Now, given the prominence and status of these Magi, their arrival in Jerusalem came with great acknowledgment. We know that because word of their arrival and their question.. filtered all the way up to King Herod. By the way, this Herod was Herod the Great. That is how he was known. Multiple Herods are mentioned in the New Testament. All of them are descendants of this Herod, Herod the Great. And none of them reached the prominence and power of their father or grandfather. This Herod was even given the title “king of the Jews” by the Roman senate. He wasn’t even Jewish. This Herod is the one who built the great city Caesarea by the sea. He similarly constructed the mountaintop fortress of Masada in the south. This is the same Herod who ordered the massive renovation of the temple. He did this to try to please the Jews and solidify his title. If you remember, the temple had been rebuilt some 500 years earlier by some of the exiles who had returned. However, Herod transformed and refined it. He doubled the size of the temple mount. And he had the temple adorned with gold plates, and had it covered in white marble. The Jews appreciated this, of course, but it didn’t change their opinion of him. In fact, in 2007 (you know, less than 20 years ago) archaeologists actually found Herod’s tomb. It was inside the massive fortress that he built near Bethlehem called the Herodium. When they found it, they also found that Herod’s sarcophagus had been smashed to pieces. You see, the Jews hated Herod the Great. It’s likely, back in the first century, a group made their way into the chamber and destroyed his coffin and did something with his bones. That is because Herod was not a just ruler. He had his first wife executed, including his mother-in-law. He also executed three of his sons. And he had dozen of opponents killed, including high priests and pharisees. Now, look at verse 3. When Herod heard about the wise men and that they were seeking the newborn king of the Jews, it says Herod was troubled. This larger-than-life ruler of the land, who had political and military power, was troubled. Of course he was. These renowned Magi from the east had arrived and they were seeking a new king of the Jews. But that was Herod’s title. Do you see why he asked the Magi in verse 8 to find the child born a King? It was not, as Herod had said, so that he could also worship him. No, not at all. Herod was a con man and a tyrant. He wanted to put to death yet another potential threat to his power. Herod did not know

    33 min
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    Tucker Presbyterian Church
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    2020 - 2026
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