John's gospel; The Lord's coming in the past, present, future

I'd like to read again in John's Gospel in chapter 1. The Gospel according to John chapter 1. John's Gospel chapter 1, we're going to read verse 14. The word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us. It could be read, the word became flesh and dwelt amongst us.

We beheld his glory. The glory is of the only begotten of the father, full of grace and truth. John chapter 14.

Gospel according to John chapter 14. We're going to read verse 18. I will not leave you comfortless.

I will not leave you desolate. I will not leave you orphans. I will come to you.

Now a final reading in John's Gospel chapter 21. The Gospel according to John chapter 21. Verse 22.

Jesus saith unto him, that is to Peter, if I will let thee tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou me. The Lord has promised to bless to us the reading of his good work. You know, many lines of truth run throughout the Gospel according to John.

I'm going to go through this Gospel this morning and notice certain lines of truth that run throughout this delightful Gospel. The first thing I want to emphasize this morning is this. John's found the Messiah.

We have found him who Moses and in the law and the prophets did write. So remember John's Gospel begins with the thought of finding Christ. We sometimes sing those lovely words.

I found the precious Christ of God. My heart does sing for joy. So remember the Gospel begins with finding Christ.

Secondly, you can't read John's Gospel and not be impressed with the truth that you and I feed on Christ. In John's Gospel, the Lord is presented as the true light. We follow him.

He's presented as the true vine. We abide in him. He's presented as the true bread and you and I feed on him.

John's Gospel says this. Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of God and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. I quote today the words of the hymn writer.

Feed on Christ the living bread. Drink of him the fountainhead. Think on why his blood was shed and go up.

So in John's Gospel we find Christ and in John's Gospel we feed upon Christ. Now come to where our brother has been in John chapter 15. You and I bear fruit by abiding in Christ.

I was taught as a young Christian we only get one thing for nothing. Absolutely free and it's salvation. And everything else is conditional.

Could I point out three things that are conditional in John's Gospel? Friendship is conditional. You are my friends if you do whatsoever I command you. Friendship is conditional.

You know discipleship is conditional in John's Gospel. You're a disciple in John 8 if you continue in the Word. You're a disciple in John 13 if you love one another.

And you're a disciple in John chapter 15 if you abide in Christ. So remember friendship, discipleship, and fruit bearing is conditional in John's Gospel. But you know I want more there might be more.

But you can't read John's Gospel and not be impressed with the thought of following Christ. You remember that verse in John 1? Two of his disciples left John and followed Jesus. And the verse we have read in John chapter 21, what is that to thee? Follow thou me.

So remember when you read John's Gospel you've the thought of finding Christ. There's the thought of feeding on Christ. There's fruitfulness by abiding in Christ.

And there's the thought of following Christ in the Gospel according to John. When I read three things this morning from John's Gospel, what I'm going to speak on very briefly, very quickly this morning, I'm thinking of the Lord's coming. I'm thinking of the Lord's coming in three different ways.

Now for example, when you and I read John's Gospel, and when you and I read the New Testament, we notice the Lord's coming in three different ways. Now first of all, the Lord Jesus Christ has come as to the past. And that's the truth of John chapter 1. The Word became flesh and dwelt amongst us.

So remember the Lord Jesus Christ came and he has come as to the past. But you know when I come to John chapter 14, I notice the coming of the Spirit, and I notice the coming of the Son, and I notice the coming of the Father. And I believe presently the Lord Jesus Christ wants to come to us.

And more about that when we come to John 14. But then when we come to John chapter 21, the Lord Jesus Christ is coming and it's the future. So remember Christ came in the past, the Lord Jesus wants to come presently, and the Lord Jesus Christ is coming in the future.

Let's think of the first one very quickly. Why did the Lord Jesus Christ come in the past? Now you read the four Gospels and you'll discover this. We are told why he didn't come, and then we are told why he did come.

And we're going to go through the four Gospels this morning, and we're going to notice why Christ did come, and why Christ did not come. Listen to the words of the Lord Jesus. I came down out of heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.

Now young Christian, get this. One of the main reasons why Christ came into this world was to do the will of his Father, was to do the will of God. Let me say three things about the will of God in relation to Christ.

First of all, it was his delight. I delight to do thy will, O my God. Secondly, it was his diet.

It was the thing that he fed upon. My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. I want to say thirdly, it was his decision.

Remember in the garden of Gethsemane, Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done. And one of the reasons why Christ came in the past was to do the will of God.

But I'm going to go through the four Gospels this morning, and we're going to notice why Christ did not come, and why Christ did come. Matthew 5 and 17, the Lord says this, think not that I am come to destroy the law and the prophets. I came not to destroy, but to fulfill.

And one of the reasons why Christ came in the past was to fulfill the law and the prophets. Then I come to Mark's Gospel chapter 10, 45, I read a verse like this, for the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. And then I come to Luke's Gospel chapter 12, I read a verse like this, I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

I come to John's Gospel chapter 12, and I read a verse like this, think not that I am come to judge the world. I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. So remember, in every Gospel, we're told why Christ did come, and we're told why Christ did not come.

Let's ask one question. What was the main reason for Christ's coming? Listen to the well-known verse, 1 Timothy 1 and 15, is it? This is a faithful saying. It's worthy of all acceptation.

Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners. And the reason why Christ came in the past was in order that sinners might be reached and saved. But then I come to John chapter 14, and I read this lovely verse, I will not leave you comfortless.

I will come to you. Now let's stop for one moment. Why does Christ want to come to us presently? Listen to the answer, Revelation 3 and 20, is it? Behold, I stand at the door and knock.

If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come into him, and I will sup with him, and tea with me. Why did Christ come in the past? In order to save us. Why does Christ want to come presently? In order to sup with us.

I will come into him, and I will sup with him, and tea with me. Now there's a question asked in John 14, and the question is asked by Judas, not his carrier. Now the question is this, how wilt thou manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Now you go to John 20, and you go to John chapter 21, and you'll find the answer to that very important question.

How wilt thou manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? He'll do it in three ways. First of all, he's going to do it by words. You remember Mary? One word, Mary.

She responded, Rabboni. You remember three things mark a sheep in John 10? My sheep hear my voice. My sheep know my voice.

I know my sheep, and am known of them. How wilt thou manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? I'll do it by words, as seen in Mary. But remember, the ten were met together.

And remember, the eleven were met together. And he showed them his hands, and he showed them his side, and he showed them his feet. Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord.

I'll make myself known to Mary by words. I'll make myself known to the disciples by wounds. But then I come to John chapter 21, and now it's seven disciples.

When John saw the multitude of fishes, John said, It is the Lord. So notice the question. How wilt thou manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? I'll do it by words, as seen in Mary.

I'll do it by wounds, as seen in the eleven. I'll do it by works, as seen in the seven. But my point this morning is this.

Presently, the Lord wants to make himself known to us. Six minutes and I should be done. The Lord's coming.

There's a verse in the book of Samuel, is it? Listen to it. Why speak ye not a word in bringing back the king? And the question we need to ask this morning is this. Why is it very often? We are so silent to speak about the Lord's coming.

And yet the Bible says this. In a very little while, he that shall come will come and shall not tarry. I had four things in mind.

I'll give you the four and we'll see how it goes. First thing we're going to think about is this. We're going to think about the person who is coming.

That's the first thing. The second thing I had in mind was this. The place to where he is coming.

The third thing I had in mind was this. The people for whom he is coming. And the last thing I had in mind was this.

Is there a pattern that should mark every Christian in the light of a soon coming Lord Jesus? So I'm going to take the first one and I'm going to take the last one and then we'll sit down. The person who is coming. Listen to what the Bible says.

The Lord himself. You know I love that word himself. Let's think today just for a moment.

Think about Calvary and think about himself. Listen to the words of Peter. Who his own self.

Bear our sin in his own body on the tree. Listen this morning to the words of Paul and every believer could say it. The son of God.

He loved me and he gave himself for me. When I think of Calvary, I think of himself. What do we sometimes think? There was none other good enough to pay the price of sin.

He only could unlock the gate of heaven and let us in. When we think of Calvary, we think about himself. But when I think of the Lord's coming, I think about himself.

The Lord himself shall come. Now let me say three or four things very quickly about the person who is coming. You know he's coming as shepherd, he's coming as saviour, and he's coming as son.

You remember in the Bible, the Lord Jesus is the Good Shepherd. Remember in the Bible, the Lord Jesus is the Great Shepherd. And remember in your Bible, the Lord Jesus is the Chief Shepherd.

Linked with the Good Shepherd is the death of Christ. Linked with the Great Shepherd is the resurrection of Christ. But linked with the Chief Shepherd is the coming again of Christ.

1 Peter 5 says this, When the Chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. He's coming as shepherd. But then secondly, he's coming as saviour.

You remember the words of the apostle? We look for the saviour who's going to change those bodies of humiliation and he's going to fashion them light unto his own body of glory. He's coming as saviour. But you know he's coming as son.

For in 1 Thessalonians 1, I read a verse like this, They turn to God from idols to serve the living and the true God and to wait for his son from heaven. The person who is coming. Now in the light of the Lord's coming, what should mark you and I as the people of God? Let me say three things very quickly.

First of all, we should be patient. Secondly, we should be pure. And then thirdly, we should be pleasing.

And before I sit down, I'm going to prove those three things from the Bible. We should be patient. The verse in James 5 says this.

Be patient. Establish your heart. The coming of the Lord is at hand.

And you and I should be patient. Somebody once said three things mark a man's patience. A child, a wife, and a flat tire.

You and I should be patient. But then secondly, very quickly, you and I should be pure. I come to John's epistle, I read a verse like this, He that hath this hope set on him purifieth himself.

Even as he is pure. And if you and I lived our life, any moment the Lord could come, that would produce purity in your life and that would produce purity in my life. And then thirdly, pleasing.

1 Thessalonians 4 reminds us that the Lord is coming. And in 1 Thessalonians 4, I read a verse like this, we have to walk as to please God. Now in the light of his coming, let us then be true and faithful, trusting, serving every day.

Just one glimpse of him in glory shall the toils of life repay. When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be. He came in the past in order to save us.

He wants to come presently in order to sit with us. He's coming in the future and he's going to satisfy us. As for me, I shall be satisfied when I awake in his likeness.