ENCOURAGED BY JESUS

John 1:15-18

· Name some things that discourage you.

· Name some things that encourage you.

· Cite some Scriptures that encourage you.

· God wants us encouraged and encouraging others. Psalm 27:14, Hebrews 10:24-25

· There is no greater encourager than the Lord Jesus. John 14:1-3 - Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

John 14:12-18 - Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

John 14:26-27 - But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Our text shows us 3 ways that we can be encouraged by Jesus.

ENCOURAGED BECAUSE HE IS FOREMOST - Vs. 15

John 1:15 - John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.

· John the Baptist is speaking in this verse. He is telling us that Jesus is foremost. In the human time frame, John was first in birth and ministry. However, John is saying that Jesus is first. He was before John in power, glory, deity, and preexistence. Micah 5:2 - But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
Micah 5:4 - And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.

John 1:1-5 - 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 any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

John 1:27 - He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.

Colossians 1:15-18 - Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

Hebrews 1:1-4 - God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

· We should be encouraged by this truth about the Lord Jesus.

· Because He is foremost: There is no problem that He does not understand. There is no problem too big for Him to solve. There is no task that He cannot enable you to perform. There is no trial too great for Him to get you through it. Philippians 4:13, 1 John 4:4

ENCOURAGED BECAUSE OF HIS FULNESS - Vss. 16-17

John 1:16-17 - And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

· Vs. 16 - Jesus is speaking of all believers when He makes this statement.

· Perhaps you've heard the expression "That's all there is, and there is no more."Jesus is all that there is. He is complete. He is full. Jesus is all there is of holiness, righteousness, love, joy, peace, mercy, power, redemption, and sanctification. Colossians 1:19 - For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;

· Jesus Christ lives inside of us, and we have experienced His fullness at work in our lives. Out of His fullness comes His grace. We received grace at salvation, but God continues to pour out "grace upon grace" through Christ. We never run out of grace as we walk with Him. 2 Peter 3:18

· Vs. 17 - God gave the law through Moses. The law was good. Jesus Christ is better than the law, because in Him is found grace and truth. He fulfilled the law.

· Jesus Christ satisfied the truth of the law through His perfect life, substitutionary death, and resurrection. We have grace because of His work on the cross. Ephesians 2:8-9

ENCOURAGED BECAUSE OF HIS FAITHFULNESS - Vs. 18

John 1:18 - No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

· No man has literally seen God at any time. Jesus Christ, God's Son, has been faithful to reveal God to us. John 14:8-11 - Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.

· Because we see Jesus, we see God. We understand God, because Jesus came in a form we can understand. This is why studying the Gospels is so important. God wants us to know Him, so He sent His Son to us.

· Be encouraged!