Shalom dear brothers and sisters, God bless you. What privilege we have to begin today with the study of a new book in the Brit HaChadasha, in the New Covenant, which is the Gospel of John. The Gospel of Yohanan. In Hebrew, the name is Besorat Yohanan, the Gospel according to the man by the name of Yohanan, John. And I would like to read with you together the first few verses that are found in the first chapter of the Gospel of John. So, to remind you that when we study a book such as John, the Gospel, we are entering into a passage that really deals with a testimony concerning the person of our Lord, Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah.

A wonderful testimony concerning the person and the work of the Redeemer, of the Savior, of the Mashiach. John began his Gospel with these words. It says here in chapter 1, in verse 1: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made which was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of man. And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not." Now, I'm going to stop here with the first five verses of the Gospel of John.

I'm not sure how much in this ministry meeting we will enter into all these first few verses. But I would like, beloved brothers and sisters, just to begin by way of introduction, to introduce this Gospel a little bit to us all. This is very interesting because this is the fourth Gospel. Actually, it was a Gospel that was written after the first three Gospels were written by Matthew, Mark, and Luke. And this Gospel of John was written later on by Yohanan, John sometime between 80 to 90 A.D. It was given to us some 50 years after John himself, Yohanan. Remember, he's from the Galil, from the northern parts of Israel.

And he gave us, he wrote this by divine inspiration some 50 years after he have actually witnessed the life of the Lord Jesus, the Lord Yeshua himself. In other words, after Yeshua died, then John, some 50 years or so after, wrote this Gospel to supplement the Gospel writings of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. It is very interesting because those of us who were born and raised in Israel know very well that the territory which Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah, lived in, spoke in, ministered in, all that which was done by Yeshua the Messiah is something that is not foreign to us when we read the Scripture and we see from the Scripture that, that he lived among our people of Israel and he served there.

He was born in the city of Bethlehem. He lived in the city of Nazareth. He ministered in the Galil in the north of Israel. He continued to minister in the city of Jerusalem. It is very interesting. So as we study the book of John, the Gospel of John, we can see how the Lord, by his Spirit, directed John to write this Gospel. So just it is important for us by way of introduction to understand that this fourth Gospel, which is called the Gospel according to Yohanan, to John, is a very, very important Gospel for more than one reason. Because, you see, Matthew and Mark and Luke present the person of the Lord Jesus, the Lord Yeshua the Messiah, in a way in which we might relate to, such as Matthew present Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah, as the King of the Jews, the King of Israel, the promised King that God had promised to our fathers.

In days of old, a descendants of David. That's why the genealogy in Matthew chapter one takes us all the way to the fact that Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah was a descendant of David, David, who was the King of Israel, but ultimately from Abraham. On the other hand, Mark present the person of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah, not so much as the King of Israel. But he presented the person of Israel, but he presented the person of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah as the servant of the Lord. Of the Lord. In Hebrew we call it Eved Adonai. Yahweh. Yeshua was the true servant of the Lord of whom the prophet Isaiah described so vividly concerning the person of the Messiah that was to come.

He would be the servant of Jehovah, the servant of the Lord. If you remember, we read in Isaiah 42 and verse one, behold, my servant in Hebrew, whom I uphold and mine elect in whom my soul delight as I have put my spirit upon him. He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles, to the Gentiles, to the goyim. And you can see that in the second gospel, namely the gospel of Mark, Mark presents Yeshua, Jesus our Messiah, as the servant of the Lord. But then we read of a third gospel called the gospel according to Lucas, who was a physician, a doctor. And Luke now takes us far back into the fact that he wanted to present Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah, not so much as the king of the Jews, the king of Israel.

Not so much as the servant of Jehovah, the servant of the Lord, Eved Adonai. But Luke, presenting the person of the Lord, Jesus the Messiah, as the Ben HaAdam, son of man. That's why in the third chapter of the gospel of Luke, Luke takes us through the genealogy of Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah. And he takes us so far back and all the way from Adam to the time that he was born. You remember what we read in Luke chapter 3 and verse 23? And Jesus and Yeshua himself began to be about 30 years of age, being as was supposed the son of Yosef, which was the son of Eli, which was the son of Matat, which was the son of Levi.

And he continued taking us all the way back. And at the end of chapter 3, verse 38, it says, which was the son of Enosh, which was the son of Shet, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God. Now, what does that mean? That Luke presented the person of our Lord Yeshua, the Messiah, as the son of Adam, son of man, which is called the son of God, because he was created, that his Adam was created by God out of the dust of this earth. But the Lord Jesus was the eternal son of God. He preexisted before he entered humanity through Adam and Shet and Enosh and Canaan and so on.

Before he came through Abraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, before he came through the king of Israel, David, David, Melech Israel, David, the king of Israel. The Lord Yeshua, the Messiah was before he entered humanity and became a servant. As we read in Isaiah 42, behold, my servant. And as we read in the New Testament in Philippians chapter 2, that he took upon himself the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men. Even before he entered humanity, my dear beloved friends, my dear beloved brothers and sisters, the apostle John, Yohanan, present before us the person of the Lord Jesus, Yeshua, the Messiah, as the eternal son of God.

This is something that we cannot, humanly speaking, fathom. We can read from the Gospel of Matthew and see that he is the promised Messiah. We can read from the Gospel of Mark and we can understand that he became a servant, that he is a servant who came to serve God, to serve the people of God. We can read in the Gospel of Luke and we see because he was a man, a human being, that he lived here upon the face of this earth for about 33, 33 and a half years. And he was indeed a descendant of Adam, a descendant of Adam, a descendant of Adam. But one thing that the apostle John seeks to present before us by divine inspiration, that that king of the Jews, the servant of Jehovah, the perfect man, is much more than just a king, a servant and an ordinary man.

He was the eternal son of God, ben Elohim Chaim. In fact, he is God manifest in the flesh. And that's why, beloved friends, as we study together the Gospel of John, it is very important for us to look, as we study this Gospel, to look into the fact that Yeshua, Jesus, is much more than just an ordinary man. And this is so important, why? Because if the Lord was just an ordinary man, if Yeshua was just an ordinary man like you and I, you could never be sinless. He could never be, as it says, without any blemish. He could never be undefiled, separate from sinners, if he was born just like you and I, to a sinful parent.

John presents him as the eternal God, who became a man. And the express purpose of his becoming a man is in order to take upon himself that which we could not take, which we could not bear. And he was going to become the one who will bear the sin of this world, the punishment that sin deserved. The God of glory in the person of the Son, the Mashiach Yeshua, have entered into this world and took upon himself the sin question. Well, listen to this, just by way of introduction, I would like to tell you a little bit about Yohanan, John. John, of course, his Hebrew name, Yohanan, two Hebrew words, Jehovah had grace, had mercy.

And John is really, do not even mention one time his name throughout the whole gospel. It's very interesting that John, Yohanan, was used by the Lord to write five New Testament books. The gospel of John, the first epistle of John, the second epistle of John, the third epistle of John, and the book of Revelation of our Lord, Yeshua, Jesus, the Messiah. Five letters, five books, the apostle Yohanan, John, was used by the Lord. He never mentioned his name, very interesting, in this gospel. And he chose to call himself, in the gospel of John here, throughout the gospel, he's calling himself the disciple whom Yeshua, whom Jesus loved.

It says in John chapter 13, and in verse 23, very interesting. There we read, it says here, now, there was leaning on Yeshua's bosom, on Jesus' bosom, one of his disciples, whom Yeshua loved, whom Jesus loved. Interesting how John never mentioned his name in his writings, instead of mentioning his name, he called himself, I am the disciple, not the disciple who loved Yeshua, who loved Jesus, no, but I am the disciple whom Yeshua, whom Jesus loved. Very interesting. And he mentioned it throughout the gospel, beginning with chapter 13, you can look along in chapter 19, chapter 20, chapter 21, John was the youngest of the disciples that the Lord chose from among our people of Israel, from the Galil, and it is very interesting that he was used by the Lord in so many ways to give us, to give us such a gospel as this, and to give us the last book of the New Testament, the New Covenant, the book of Revelation.

Yohanan, John, John is called the son of Zebedee, or Ben Zavdai, in Matthew 10, verses 2 to 4. He is also known to be as a fisherman in Matthew 4, verses 21 and 22. In Mark chapter 3, he is called the son of Thander, in Hebrew it's called Ben or Bnei Regosh, Bnei Ram, him and his brother are called the sons of Thander. This is in Mark chapter 3 and verse 17. In the gospel of Luke, in chapter 6 and verses 12 to 16, he is called a shaliyah, an apostle. He was one of the 12 apostles, 12 shlichim, apostles, that Yeshua called to minister the word of God and to be the foundation of the assembly, the ecclesia, the called out one, the church.

Among the three most intimate, associated people that are close to the Lord, Yeshua the Messiah, we find that Yohanan, John, was one of them. Peter, James, and John. In Matthew 17 and Matthew 26, we find that the Lord often take Peter, James, and Yohanan, Shimon Petros, Yaakov James, and John, Yohanan, the Lord Yeshua, take them closer to himself. In fact, it's so beautiful to learn that Yohanan, he was an eyewitness of the person of Yeshua, the Messiah, according to the first epistle, 1 John chapter 1, we read, 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.

Imagine, beloved brothers and sisters, he was one of those that have his hands handled, the person of our Lord Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah. That's why he was one of those individuals that were so near to the Lord, that have been with the Lord in the inner circle, and he witnessed the ministry of the person of the Lord Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah. According to Galatians chapter 2 and verse 9, he became a pillar. He was one of the pillars in the local assembly in Jerusalem. And imagine, brothers and sisters, in those days when Israel as a nation, our people as a nation, did not accept Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah, God raised pillars, pillars in Israel to stand for the truth of the Messiahship of Yeshua, that he is the Savior, he is the one who came from heaven to die for the sin of this world.

He's actually served along with Simon Peter. It was him, Peter and John went up to the temple to pray, according to Acts chapter 3, and John was serving along with an older brother by the name of Shimon Petrus. In fact, he was such a faithful servant that according to Revelation chapter 1 and verse 9, we read of him, listen to this, I, John, who also am your brother and companion in tribulation and in the kingdom and patient of Jesus, Jesus the Messiah was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ, Yeshua the Messiah. He was exiled to the island of Patmos by Domitian because of the twofold reason.

He gave a testimony of the truth of the word of God and he gave testimony of the person of the Lord Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah. In fact, we read in Revelation chapter 1 and verse 1, the revelation of Jesus the Messiah which God gave unto him to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass and he sent it and signified it by his angel unto his servant Yohanan, John. Notice that? Revelation 1 and verse 1, John is the one that received the book of Revelation from the Lord through an angel and we have it today in our hand. The same one who wrote the gospel which we began our studies, the same one who gave us the book of Revelation by divine inspiration.

And as I mentioned earlier, the date that John most likely wrote the gospel is sometime between the year 80 to 90 A.D. But that time, Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah, already finished the work of redemption. He died, he was buried, he rose again and he was taken up to glory, to heaven. And then some 50 years later, John, Yohanan, the apostle, the servant of the Lord, wrote this fourth gospel. The important thing is to understand that John wrote his gospel after the other gospels, the synoptic gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke were already written. And the purpose behind that is to give us a supplement, but to give us additional information as to why it is important to believe on the Lord Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah, and to help us understand that he was much more than just a king of Israel, much more than just a servant of the Lord, much more than just a perfect man.

And he, Yeshua, is the eternal God, the eternal Son of God. John, gospel is a supplement to that which was already written by Matthew, Mark and Luke. Also, it is so important that the information that we have here in this gospel help us to understand some of the information that we already have in Matthew and Mark and Luke. And it is important to read this gospel of John of Yohanan as well because it clarifies things that we read in other gospels that pointing to what Yeshua both said and did in his life here upon the face of this earth. Very beautiful gospel to study, beloved brothers and sisters.

And I trust that the Lord will help us in the study of this gospel as we are together learning from the Word of God. Also, I wanted to mention that the main reason that John, by divine inspiration, gave us this fourth gospel is found in chapter 20, just towards the end of the gospel, in verse 30 and 31. Look what John said about Yeshua. He said, And many other things truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples which are not written in this book. This is the one we are reading. Many things that the Lord have did are not written in this gospel, this book. But notice what he continues to say in John 20, verse 31.

He continues, it says, But these are written. In other words, whatever I recorded, Yohanan, John is saying in this, in this gospel, whatever are written, or these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that believing ye might have life through his name. In other words, dear brothers and sisters, John is saying to us clearly here at the end of the gospel of John, Yohanan, chapter 20, verse 30 and 31, he says that the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, has done many, many, many things that are not written in this book of John. But, whatever he put down here in this gospel by divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God, these things are written that ye might believe.

In Hebrew, the word is emunah, leha amin, to believe. What to believe? Number one, that Yeshua, that Jesus is the Messiah, is the Christos, the Christ, come from the Hebrew word Mashiach, that you will believe that Yeshua is the Mashiach, that's number one. Number two, and that also he is the Son of God. He is God the Son. You see, his divine nature and his human nature are combined here in John 20, verse 31, that you believe that Jesus is the Messiah in his humanity. He became a man to become the Mashiach, but he is in eternity. He is God the Son, the Son of God. It's very difficult for many to grasp and I don't blame anyone as I personally had a very difficult time to grasp the fact that Yeshua, that the Messiah is divided, but by the Spirit of God, God has helped us all to understand and to see clearly that had Jesus was just an ordinary man, he could never become a substitute for our sins.

To deal with sin, more than just another man had to come down to this world and to take upon himself the sin of this world. And notice that he said that believing ye might have life through his name. Beloved friend, what God wants. He wants that all of us who are by nature were born into, in sin, we are dead in trespasses and sins. But God in love for you and in love for me was willing to give his Son in the person of the Son he entered into this world through the virgin Miriam, sin apart, so he will be able to bear our sins in his body on the tree.

Why? That if we believe, if we will only believe, believe on the Lord Yeshua, the Messiah, and thou shalt be saved. Believe on the word of the Lord and you shall be saved. believing we might have life through his name. You see, because we are dead in trespasses and sins, we are guilty and because we are sinners, we could not correct our problem. We could never, ever be right with God. Sin has to be paid. So you know what? Praise God. God in the person of the Son entered humanity as man. His name is Yeshua. Jesus in the Greek, Jesus, and he became the Redeemer and by believing in him, we might have life through, notice, his name.

Why? Because his name, Yeshua, again, it is so important to understand the Hebrew name Yeshua come from the two Hebrew words Jehovah, Jehovah, Hamoshia, the Savior, Jehovah, the Savior. and his name linked with his person. You remember Matthew 1, 21, and you shall call his name Yeshua, translated into the Greek Jesus, Jesus. Why? Because he will save in Hebrew who you're sheah, he will save his people from their sins. What an amazing truth to learn. So, that he might believe and that believing he might have life through his name. Now, as we continue on, beloved brothers and sisters, I want you to notice that this statement, believe, or trust, or believer, or commit, these words are found once and again throughout the gospel of John.

John is wishing that men will believe. That some hundred times he used these words such as trust, believe, believer, commit. Those are words that John used much in his gospel to help us with the need to draw nigh to God and believe in the person of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah. In fact, the first time we read about the word believe here is in John 1, verse 7. We read in verse 7, the same came for a witness to bear witness of the lie that all men through him might believe. And as we read in John chapter 20, and verse 31, but these are written that ye might believe that Yeshua Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that believing ye might have life through his name.

Believe, believe, faith, trust, believer, commit. These are the words that have been used by the apostle John in his writing. And the believing is, of course, to believe in the person of the Lord as the eternal God who became a man. Notice that as we continue and learn, you will notice that John wrote in order to point that the fact that Yeshua, Jesus, is the Messiah, of whom Israel's prophet was already wrote long time ago in Israel's history. In John chapter 1 and verse 41, we read, he first finds his own brother, Shimon, Simon, and he says unto him, we have found the Messiah, the Mashiach in Hebrew, which is being interpreted the Christ.

You see, again, it is so important to understand every time we use the word Christ, we're using the Hebrew word Mashiach. Christos is the Greek interpretation and translation of the Hebrew word Mashiach. and it is very clear from John chapter 1 and verse 41 that Yeshua, the Messiah, is the Christ. Whenever we say Christ, we say Mashiach, and whenever we say Mashiach, we say Christ. It is a translation from the Hebrew into the Greek. In John chapter 4 and verse 25, we read the Samaritan woman saying to Yeshua, the woman saith unto him, I know that the Messiah cometh, which is called Christos, Christ. When he is come, he will tell us all things.

You see, there was the anticipation of the Messiah about people who waited on the Messiah and praised God. Yeshua, the Messiah, did come indeed to pay already for the sin of this world and is coming in in a second coming to restore Israel and to establish a kingdom upon the face of this world. But until this second coming, we are now some 2,000 years in length in church history, in assembly history, where the preaching of the word of God continues on to be preached to all humanity. People and nations and tongues are hearing the message of the grace of God through the person of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah.

It is also so beautiful that as we will study the word of God here in the gospel of John, we will notice that John is organizing his gospel gospel while he present before his readers, that is you and I as well, eight signs which Yeshua, Jesus, have done which would prove to all those who read of these signs, in Hebrew we call them otot, whoever read these otot, these signs, these miracles that Yeshua, Jesus, have done it's pointing us to see that he was much more than just another man. In John 2 verses 1 to 11 we read of the Lord Jesus turning the water into wine. A miracle!

Who can do such a thing? In John 4 verses 46 to 54 we read of the Lord Yeshua Jesus the Messiah healing the official son. Who can heal anyone? God is the only one who can heal men. In John 5 verses 1 to 18 we read of another healing of a man who was once lame. Who can enable a lame man to walk? Well, didn't Isaiah say the lame shall walk? Isaiah was prophesying concerning the coming of the Messiah that when he will come he will do things that will be so unusual beloved friend. He will do things that are so unusual that only God can do and therefore this is is a divine person of whom John is presenting before us in his gospel.

It's amazing when you really think about what was predicted already many many years ago by the Hebrew prophet that when the Messiah will come he will make miracles unbelievable miracles. we read about him and in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book and the eyes of the blind shall see and then he said that the meek also shall increase and the poor among men shall rejoice in the holy one of Israel. This is fascinating beloved friends beloved brothers and sisters when the Messiah will come he will make things unique and the signs a miracle that he will produce will prove to us that he is God who became a man.

Notice what it says in Isaiah 35 it says listen it says in verse 4 say to them that are of a fearful heart be strong fear not behold your God behold your God will come with vengeance even God with recompense he will come and save you notice what it says verse 5 then the eyes of the blood shall be open and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped then shall the lame man leap ass and hear and the tongue of the dumb sing for in the wilderness shall waters break out and streams in the desert it's amazing to see the prophetic word that spoke about the coming Messiah but this Messiah is much more

than just an ordinary man according to the gospel of John the fourth miracle is found in John 6 1 to 15 where he will feed a multitude with a little boy's lunch he met the need of thousands of people who can create food in such a way in John 6 verses 16 to 21 we have the fifth miracle which is Yeshua Jesus our Messiah was walking on the sea of Galilee in the Galilee in the north of Israel how many times we took a boat ride from one side to the other and no one could walk on the water could walk on that sea of Galilee but there is one who walked on the sea

in John 9 verses 1 to 41 this is the sixth miracle Yeshua we read he healed the blind man who said once I was blind but now I see who can give sight to the blind who can give sight to the blind you remember we just read in chapter 35 of Isaiah then the eyes of the blind shall be open and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped Isaiah 35 and verse 5 it's prophetically speaking about the coming of the Messiah in the fullness of the time the seventh sign the seven miracles the seven ought is found in John 11 verses 1 to 57 where he raised from the dead a man by the

name of Eliezer in John 11 he raised Lazarus from the dead he was already dead for such a long time and the Lord said to him Lazarus come forth Lazarus come forth and he that was dead came forth we read in John 11 43 and when he thus had spoken he cried with a loud verse Lazarus come forth and he that was dead came forth bound hand and foot with grave clothes and his face was bound about with a napkin and Yeshua said unto them loose him and let him go he said Lazarus Eliezer in Hebrew come forth if he would not use the name Eliezer everyone would have come forth because he is the

eternal son of God the last miracle that we read about him in the gospel of John is found at the end of the gospel in chapter 21 where the last portion of the gospel of John where we read that the Lord caught in verses 6 to 11 he allowed the disciples to catch fish in a miraculous way and where they could not get fish Yeshua Jesus the Messiah have allowed his disciples to catch fish it's amazing we read in chapter 21 and verse 6 cast the net on the right side of the sheep and ye shall find and when they cast they listened to the Lord the disciples listened to the Lord they cast the

net to the other side and what happened their net was filled with hundred and fifty and three fish which the Lord called even the fish would listen to the voice of the Lord and come in order for them to be caught by the apostles amazing beloved brothers and sisters this is just the introduction to this beautiful gospel that we know as the gospel of John well as we continue with the background and the setting of this gospel John we read John did not write of some of the events which are written in other gospels the synoptic gospel as Matthew Mark and Luke we read many things that we have done in the gospel but we

don't read things that were written by others like the temptation of the Lord that are found in Matthew 4 like the parables that Yeshua Jesus gave in Matthew chapter 13 like special transfiguration happened in Matthew chapter 17 and Luke tells us about this as well like the sermon on the mount that was taught by the Lord mentioned in the gospels and other gospels but not in the gospel of John and then also the introduction to the Lord's table to the Passover when he introduced the remembrance of him this is not mentioned in the gospel of John while it is mentioned in the Matthew chapter 26 so John did not write some of those events which

are found in the other gospels because John Yohanan is emphasizing the divine nature of Yeshua the Messiah and John include events that the other gospels did not include such as the Lord's ministry in Galilee and the trips that the Lord Yeshua did to Jerusalem and other things for example the Samaritan woman John Yohanan mentioned in his gospel while the others do not mention that the raising of Eliezer Lazarus in John 11 is not mentioned by the other gospels John is mentioning this in his gospel and in fact all what we have in this gospel of Yohanan John especially chapter 13 14 15 16 and 17 the upper room discourse where Yeshua has spoken to his

disciples there alone other evangelists other gospels do not mention but Yohanan John emphasized this intimate farewell the shalom speech that Yeshua was sharing with his disciples saying to them that he is about to go this special conversation with them at the upper room from John 13 to John 17 including the special conversation and prayer that we read in John chapter 17 which the other gospels are not mentioning so very interesting to distinguish a little bit from one gospel to another but John is emphasizing the divine nature of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah and he is emphasizing the necessity and the need to believe that number one he is the Mashiach and number two he is

the eternal son of God and by believing who he is and what he have done one can have life now brothers and sisters again mention one more time that the theme of this gospel of John is of course the need to believe that's why you will find many times the word believe believe believe and the message of salvation is presented again and again it is really the prominent subject in the gospel of John the fact that one must be saved one must be saved you will notice that as we continue with our study a sinner need to receive forgiveness and forgiveness can be received through God the son who became a man who became the

anointed the Messiah who died on the tree in order to provide redemption for mankind you notice that the word words that are mentioned again and again are words like the word believe and the word life whosoever believeth on him shall not perish but have everlasting life he that has the son have life he that has not the son shall not see life you notice that word such a chayim life in Hebrew chayim believe or believer emunah in Hebrew and signs the Hebrew word is ot and so interesting because for us who are coming from a Jewish background many times God made signs wonders for our people historically to prove the fact that he is the

God of Israel we have many signs in the Tanakh that direct us to the fact that God is indeed the one who is a miracle God provide things for his own people now it is interesting also that as we are going to study this gospel we will notice that there are various contrasts which John presenting here in other words he presents between the contrast between life chayim and death mavet he contrasts light or from darkness choshech he contrasts love ahava and hate sinah he contrasts coming from above milamala and coming from below from beneath milamata see those kind of things that I will mention again and again in this gospel of John for example John

1 you remember what we just read about the Lord in he was life and then he said and the light shineth in darkness and then of course light shine where in darkness life is coming because there is so much there is death you remember for example in verse 12 we read of John 1 it says here as many as receive him to them gave he the authority to become sons of God even to them that believe notice believe he's mentioned this here and then verse 13 which are born not of blood you notice that he's using this expression born not of blood not of the will of man but of God he's making contrast here

and we can go on and on throughout the gospel of John he has this contrast between life and death light and darkness love and hate these are contrast that the apostle John by divine inspiration present before us in order to help us to grasp the necessity to turn our hearts to God the Son who became a man and ultimately became the Redeemer the Savior of this world now one more two more things just to mention before we're going to end with the introduction and I want you to notice that in this gospel the gospel of John John that is Yohanan points before his reader seven IMs of the person of the Lord Jesus the Messiah

the Lord said of himself think about it the Lord Jesus the Lord Yeshua said of himself who he is in his essence who he is and so in John 6 and verse 35 the Lord Yeshua Jesus the Messiah says I am the bread of life in Hebrew we say bread of life that's what the Messiah is that's who he is in his essence in his person in John 8 and verse 12 Yeshua said of himself I am the light of the world in Hebrew he said of himself a world that is in darkness remember the contrast light and darkness the world who was in darkness needed to have light and Yeshua said I am the

light of this world in John 10 and verse 7 and 9 Yeshua call himself the door I am the door why we need a door the door to enter in into a relationship with the living God the Lord Jesus the Lord Yeshua the Messiah became that door through whom we enter into a relationship with the living God so he said of himself I am the door Anokhi Hashar in John 10 verse 11 the Lord Jesus Yeshua the Messiah said of himself I am the good shepherd I am the good shepherd we read notice that in Hebrew he said Israel needed a shepherd the world need a shepherd all we like sheep have gone astray we

have turned everyone to his own way we need a shepherd and the Lord Yeshua Jesus the Messiah calling himself I am the good shepherd the good shepherd laid his life for the sheep Anokhi hu haroe hatov in our mother's tongue in Hebrew in John 11 25 the Lord Jesus the Lord Yeshua the Messiah said of himself I am the resurrection and the life I am the resurrection and the life Anokhi hatkuma ve ha ha ha in other words when all will have to die the one who can raise from among the dead the one who can raise the dead from the grave is the person of Yeshua Jesus the Messiah who is God the Son

and he would give life to those who believe on him in John 14 and verse 6 the Lord Jesus Yeshua the Messiah called and said of himself I am the way the truth and the life and and he and he and he and Yeshua present himself here as the one that is the only way the only truth and the only one that could give life to a world that do not know his or her way the world that is lost without the direction without truth where there is lies in this world and the one that can give us truth is the person of the Lord Jesus the Messiah and John the apostle by divine inspiration

present the Lord Yeshua the Messiah as the way the truth and the life finally in John 15 and verse 1 the apostle John told us and wrote and recorded what the Lord Jesus the Messiah said of himself he said of himself I am the true vine I am the true vine in Hebrew he said of himself anokhi hagefen gefen emet I am the true vine you see if there will ever be any growth if there will be any blessing it must come from him who is the true vine he is the one that is the true vine and then growth can come out of a relationship with him wonderful beloved brothers and sisters wonderful as

we are going through the introduction of this chapter and if you remember when we read the first few verses of the gospel of John we began with these words look what John wrote recorded for us in John 1 in the first few verses in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God and let me just elaborate a little bit more about these one single verse that is found in John 1 in verse 1 notice that he used the word in the beginning was the word in the New Testament as well as alongside the Old Testament in both in the whole canon of scripture we really have three

places in which you use the word beginning is used in Genesis 1 1 we read in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth and then in the epistle that John wrote in his first epistle he began that epistle by writing 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 handles of the word of life but then we have the third time which the word beginning is mentioned is right here in the gospel of John in chapter 1 and verse 1 in the beginning was the word now this immediately teaches us a very important lesson and the

lesson is simply this remember that the purpose of the writing of the gospel of John by John by the divine inspiration is as we read at the end of this book is that people that you and I that mankind will will come to believe that Jesus that Yeshua is the Messiah number one the Christ the Mashiach but also that he is the son of God and that believing we might have life in his name well you can see beloved friend that the apostle John now in was the word so you notice three beginnings Genesis 1 and verse 1 in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth 1 John chapter 1 and verse 1

we read that which was from the beginning and then the gospel of John chapter 1 and verse 1 in the beginning was the word now what is the lesson and what is the difference between all these three beginnings well it's really in a sense very helpful to read the context Genesis chapter 1 and verse 1 takes us to the beginning of creation remember you just read in verse 1 where it does say in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth and the earth was without form and void the darkness was upon the face of the deep and the spirit of God moved upon the face of the water so first chapter of the

book of Genesis verse 1 take us to the beginning of creation and as far as you want to go back as to creation that's as far as you can go and there you can fit Genesis 1 and verse 1 but then the epistle of 1 John chapter 1 takes us not as far as creation much later it takes us to about 2000 years ago where sometime around 5-6 BC the Messiah was born to the virgin Miriam and that's why John the same John in his epistle now not in the gospel in his epistles he said that which was from the beginning notice that he continues which we have heard which we have seen with our

eyes which we have looked upon and our hands have handled we touched him the word of life so what John he said we saw him we heard from him we touched him and this is the one who was the word of life this first John one and verse one takes us back to the Messiah's incarnation to the time where God entered humanity through the virgin Miriam in the city of Bethlehem some two thousand years ago so Genesis one and verse one takes us back as far as six thousand years ago when the Lord when God created the heavens and the earth then you move about some four thousand years later and first John chapter one

and verse one takes us to the incarnation where God entered humanity through the virgin Miriam in the city of Bethlehem which the apostles the early Hebrew apostles have heard have seen have looked upon and have handled with their hands when the baby Yeshua Jesus was born then he lived in Israel in Nazareth he ministered when he became 30 years of age he ministered in the land of Israel among his people of Israel and these early apostles have literally lived with him this ministry time public ministry where they literally spoke with him touched him handled him heard him listened to him that is when he was ministering here on earth before his death all the way

to the time where he died and he said on the cross it is finished we're going to get to it in John 19 but when we come to John 1 and verse 1 John is very wisely very firmly takes us far back beyond the incarnation of the Messiah beyond the time of the birth of the Messiah and beyond the time of the creation of this world beyond Genesis chapter 1 and verse 1 and it takes us to a beginning that never had a beginning and that beginning you can place any number of years that you and I may wish the Lord God the Son Yeshua in his divine nature was already there that's why it's

so beautifully said in the beginning not is the word but in the beginning was the word he you might say we learn here of the pre existence of the person of the Lord of God the Son in eternity past in the beginning he was already there and this is so precious of which I think will be better for us with the Lord's help to develop that as we move along with the study of the Gospel of John in fact that word in the beginning was the word teaches us that he God the Son was eternal he is eternal in his person he is eternal in his being he is the eternal God he is the

eternal Son of God and just to connect with that before we're going to conclude with this passage for us together I'm just reminded of the prophet Yeshayahu Isaiah who wrote some 750 years before the Messiah Jesus Yeshua was born and you remember what Isaiah was predicting he said in chapter 9 and verse 6 for unto us a child is born this take us to the epistle of John 1st John chapter 1 that which was from the beginning he was born he became a man he was incarnate so Isaiah said in chapter 9 verse 6 a unto us a child is born but then the second half of verse 6 of Isaiah chapter 9 said unto

us a son was given you see he was given because he was always existing as John 1 1 says in the beginning was the word so if we will take Isaiah 9 verse 6 the first part of verse 6 for unto us a child is born it takes us as far as the incarnation where God became a man in Bethlehem Israel when we read unto us a son is given it takes us to John 1 verse 1 where we read that he was always there the eternal God the son the eternal son of God and that's why John wrote his gospel as he declared that in chapter 20 and verse 31 these are written whatever

I write in this gospel that he might believe that Yeshua Jesus is the Messiah and notice he doesn't stop only with his person as a human being who became a man but he is also the son of God God the son and to us a child is born and to us a son is given as a child in his humanity he was born as a son in his divine nature he was given because he was always there and so beloved brothers and sisters may the Lord help us as we continue on with the study of the gospel of John of Yohanan may the Lord bless us as we take one chapter one verse at a

time and we trust and pray that the Lord will encourage our hearts to believe that Jesus as Yeshua is the Son of God and that believing we might have life through his name will God bless you and encourage you take care Shalom shalom