Speaker: Pastor Neil Lindwall

Additional Resources: Extra readings can be found on this page and appear indented like this. Additional readings can be found here.

NIV John 1:1-5 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.

John 1:6-13 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.

God Send.  

apostéllō (from 575/apó, "away from" and 4724/stéllō, "send") – properly, send away, i.e. to commission; (passive) "be sent on a defined mission by a superior." As an intensified form of 4724/stéllō ("send"), 649 (apostéllō) focuses back on the source (the one sending) to strongly connect the sender to the one sent(His mission). This verb accordingly is used for the close connection of the Lord (as the sender) to believers He commissions – as with John the Baptist (Mk 11:2) and the twelve apostles (Mt 10:5; cf. also with His holy angels, Mk 13:27). – HELPS Lexicon.

John 1:7-8 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.

Believe, pisteúō = Faith inspired believing (faith-believing) only happens through a living union with Christ. It is grammatically signaled by the Greek accusative case following 4100/pisteúō ("believe," when the Lord is the object). – HELPS Lexicon. See the full word study in the resources link.

John 1:9-10 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.

God’s Light.  

True” (alēthinós) signifies what is real, perfect, and substantial, as contrasted with what is fanciful, shadowy, counterfeit, or merely symbolic" (WS, 389).  

Recognize = Ginōskō to know, especially through personal experience (first-hand acquaintance)… We "come to know" ("personally understand") through a personal relationship with the Lord. – HELPS Lexicon

John 1:11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 

Receive = paralambánō, to receive near, i.e. associate with oneself (in any familiar or intimate act or relation); by analogy, to assume an office; figuratively, to learn:—receive, take (unto, with). 1. to accept or acknowledge one to be such as he professes to be. 2. not to reject, not to withhold obedience. – Strong’s. It emphasizes "aggressive reception".

John 1:12-13 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.

God’s Gift.  

Right: eksousía (from 1537/ek, "out from," which intensifies 1510/eimí, "to be," used of being as a right or privilege) – authority; conferred (delegated) power; empowerment ("authorization") to operate decisively in a designated jurisdiction. – HELPS Lexicon.

Children of God téknon – properly, a child; (figuratively) anyone living in full dependence on their heavenly Father, fully (willingly) relying upon the Lord in glad submission – prompting God to transform them more and more into His likeness. – HELPS Lexicon.

thélēma (from 2309/thélō, "to desire, wish") – properly, a desire (wish), typically referring to God's "preferred-will" – His "best-offers" to people which can be accepted or rejected. – HELPS Lexicon.

John 1:14 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.

God’s Temple.   

the one and only Son in Greek is μονογενοῦς monogenous.  

monogenēs (from 3441/mónos, "one-and-only" and 1085/génos, "offspring, stock") – properly, one-and-only; "one of a kind" – literally, "one (monos) of a class (genos)"; the only of its kind. – HELPS Lexicon.

2 Chronicles 36:22-23 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing: 23 “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says:“‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up, and may the Lord their God be with them.’”

God’s Hope

“Whoever from the nation of YHWH, his God with him, let him ascend.”

“Aliyah”, The Call To Go Up, is Directional: 

“Aliyah”, The Call To Go Up, is Relational:  

“Aliyah”, The Call To Go Up, is Spiritual:

Go Up. 

If You Do, If You Really Know Him, Receive Him, and Believe Him.  

See additional readings and resources here.