The B-I-B-L-E
Week four - This is New
John 1:1-14 and 14:5-11, and Matthew 5:17-48
The Bible came together around Jesus -
It was the second century when the Hebrew scriptures began to be included in Christian worship - Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection made it apparent that God had been up to something all along. And as time passed and people shared their stories of Jesus, and the earliest followers of Jesus connected with one another, the pieces started to become a whole.
Melito of Sardis (bishop of Sardis, which would today be in Turkey) first coined the terms “New Testament” and “Old Testament” in the second century. It was less about age and more a way to refer to the Old Covenant and the New Covenant.
Old Covenant - follow the
New Covenant - follow
The Bible is a unified story that leads to Jesus. —The Bible Project
If you’re going to start somewhere with the Bible, start with the account of Jesus’ life from Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John
Context - John wrote his account of Jesus’ life after the others and he was less concerned with some of the logistics and specifics, and far more concerned with helping people understand who and why.
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. —John 1:1-14
Everyone who came before Jesus to talk about God, point to God, and lead God’s people was not God, just like John was not the light. He was a witness to the light. (not even an assistant light, just an assistant to the light)
- Jesus is the light of the world.
- Jesus is the Word made flesh.
- Jesus is
-This is new-
So new, that people were really confused by his authority and by the things he said and did that only God could do… So new that they struggled with whether they were abandoning their faith and their God to follow Jesus.
I have not come to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it. —Matthew 5:17
You have heard that it was said…but now I tell you… —Matthew 5:17-48
The greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your mind and with all your strength, and the second is just like it, you should love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and all the prophets. —Matthew 22:38-40
-This is new…
and This is good news-
What we couldn’t do for ourselves, God did for us.
These aren’t two accounts of God - Jesus is how we know the Father. His heart has been from the beginning to know us and to love us and to save us.
In Jesus, we get to know God.
5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”
8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”
9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves.” —John 14 5:11
To know Jesus is to know God. This is new, and this is good news!
Back to week one - The Bible is not a bunch of different stories about how we get to God. It’s one big story of how God comes after us. It’s all about Jesus.
We believe circles are better than rows and that the Bible is best understood in community conversations. If you would like to join or form a small group, please go to our website and click the button that best suits your next step. www.ashleyridgechurch.org/groups