Jesus is the Goal of Life
•John identifies Jesus as the “Word”.
•John is purposefully using ambiguity to cause his
readers to slow down and think through what he
is saying.
Jesus is the Goal of Life
Jesus is the Goal of Life
•If you are trying to figure out how to live your life,
what the reason for life is, and you want to be
intellectually honest… you have to deal with the
question, “Who is Jesus?”
•John’s answer is that Jesus is the Word, “Logos”.
The Greek Understanding
of the Word “Logos”
•The Greeks debated at a philosophical level about
the meaning of life.
• They sought to answer a tough question… What am I
living for? What is life for? What’s the reason for
life?
•Their answer was the Logos.
The Greek Understanding
of the Word “Logos”
•Until you understand the reason for life, life
becomes meaningless, insignificant, or
contradictory.
•If you don’t understand your purpose you can
never realize your potential.
The Greek Understanding
of the Word “Logos”
•In John’s day, the philosophical schools
fragmented into two different directions.
•There was a consensus that there are no answers
but that created a problem.
The Greek Understanding
of the Word “Logos”
•If there are no answers – then there is no
authority and there is no morality.
•The Greek philosophers were left with answering
how to live in a world with morality and meaning.
The Greek Understanding
of the Word “Logos”
•Epicureans answer:
• Since there are no answers then eat, drink, and be
merry.
• They said just live for pleasure.
• Do what feels right.
The Greek Understanding
of the Word “Logos”
•The Stoics answer:
• Even though there are no answers, you should live as
though there are answers.
• Pretend that there is right and wrong.
• Be generous, good, and moral or else life will be
intolerable.
The Greek Understanding
of the Word “Logos”
•Most people in America operate in the philosophy
of the Epicureans or the Stoics.
•They get real uncomfortable when you remind
them that there are no real answers in their world
view.
The Greek Understanding
of the Word “Logos”
•John’s answer to the reason for life is the Logos.
•John said the Logos is not an abstraction, it’s not a
philosophy, it’s not impersonal.
•The Logos is a Person –
•The reason and goal for life is Jesus.
The Jewish Understanding
of the Word “Logos”
•A Jew steeped in the Old Testament would think
in a different direction than the Gentile.
•Because John’s primary audience were nonbelieving Jews we should turn to the Old
Testament for the fullest meaning of the Logos.
The Jewish Understanding
of the Word “Logos”
•A synonym for the Word (Logos) of the LORD is:
• The Angel (Messenger) of the LORD.
•The OT prophets recognized one particular
Messenger of the LORD who was distinct from all
others.
The Jewish Understanding
of the Word “Logos”
•Exodus 3:2-4:
• And The Angel (Messenger) of the Lord appeared
to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush…
and Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great
sight, why the bush is not burned.” When the Lord
saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him
out of the bush.
The Jewish Understanding
of the Word “Logos”
•Exodus 23:20-23:
• Behold, I send an Angel (Messenger) before you to
guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that
I have prepared. Pay careful attention to Him and obey
His voice; do not rebel against Him, for He will not
pardon your transgression, for My Name is in Him. But
if you carefully obey His voice and do all that I say, then
I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to
your adversaries. . . . My Angel (Messenger) goes
before you. . . .
The Jewish Understanding
of the Word “Logos”
•Jude 5
• “Now I want to remind you, although you once fully
knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the
land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did
not believe”.
•Jude is teaching that Jesus was that Messenger of
the LORD.
The Jewish Understanding
of the Word “Logos”
•The Messenger of the LORD is a synonym for the
Word (Logos) of the LORD.
•The Word of the LORD in the Old Testament was
the divine spokesman who appeared to the saints
and revealed God’s will and received worship.
The Jewish Understanding
of the Word “Logos”
•Genesis 15:1-7:
• After these things the Word of the Lord came to
Abram in a vision… And He [the Word of the Lord]
brought him outside and said, “Look toward
heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to
number them.” … And He [the Word of the Lord]
said to him, “I am the LORD [YHWH] who brought
you out from Ur…”
The Jewish Understanding
of the Word “Logos”
•John, in identifying Jesus as the Word (Logos) was
not capitulating to Greek Philosophy. He was
being a good Old Testament student.
•John recognized in Jesus the appearance of the
one whom the prophets met repeatedly and
called “the Word of God”, the Divine Messenger
Who was with God and also was God.
Jesus is the Guide of Life:
•Jesus is not simply the One you are seeking, He is
the One who guides you to Himself with His truth.
•Jesus reveals truth on how to live in light of Who
He is.
Jesus is the Guide of Life:
•God the Father commanded us to listen to the Son
• “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am wellpleased; listen to Him!” Matt 17:5
Jesus is the Guide of Life:
•Christianity is not mystical, it’s a relationship
based on a communication of Truth.
•We must look to the Word (Logos) as our
authority for living.
Jesus is the Guide of Life:
•John says that Jesus is the Word (Logos) and the
Author of life.
•Our word “author” comes from the word
authority.
•Jesus is our Author and our Authority.
Jesus is the Guide of Life:
•Jesus is the Word (Logos) who is the personal God
who reveals truth by speaking to you in His Word.
•Jesus is the Goal and Guide for life.
Follow Him!