As you know, the Bible is a big book, and there are many teachings in the Bible. Everything in the Bible is important; however, some truths are more important than others. Today, I’m going to look at 2 John and talk about one of the most important truths taught in the Bible: the fact that Jesus came to earth in the flesh.
I’m also going to talk about why Jesus coming in the flesh is important. Jesus coming in the flesh is important because the resurrection is important. If Jesus did not come in flesh, then He did not rise from the dead.
Watch the video below or scroll down to read a transcript.
Transcript:
Thanks for visiting Bible Mountain. As you know, the Bible is a big book, and there are many teachings in the Bible. Everything in the Bible is important; however, some truths are more important than others. Today, I’m going to look at 2 John and talk about one of the most important truths taught in the Bible.
2 John was written for two reasons. First, the author reminded his readers to love one another. Second, he warned them about deceivers who deny that Jesus Christ came in the flesh. In this lesson I’m going to focus on the second reason, the warning about those who deny that Jesus came in the flesh. Let’s read this warning.
2 John 7 Now many deceivers went out into the world, the ones not acknowledging Jesus Christ coming in flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8 Watch yourselves,
We see a statement that many deceivers had gone out into the world. There’s a definition of the deceivers as those who do not acknowledge that Jesus Christ came in the flesh. Then in verse eight there is a command, “Watch yourselves,”
In order to understand why the author of 2 John warned about those who deny that Jesus came in flesh, we need to understand why Jesus coming in flesh is important. The fact that Jesus came in the flesh is important because the resurrection is important. If Jesus did not come in the flesh, then Jesus did not rise from the dead. Anyone who denies that Jesus came in flesh is also denying that Jesus rose from the dead.
What I’m going to do today is look at several verses throughout the New Testament that state very clearly that Jesus came in the flesh. Then I will look at verses that teach us about the importance of the resurrection. After I’ve done that, I’ll come back to 2 John and we’ll take a closer look at this warning in 2 John about the deceivers who deny that Jesus Christ came in the flesh. We’ll see that this teaching about Jesus coming in flesh is one of the most important truths in the Bible. I’ll also talk about what this means for you and me living in the 21st century.
Let’s start in the Gospel of John. What I’m doing first is showing you the Bible states very clearly that Jesus Christ came in flesh.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.
The term Word is another term for Jesus.
John 1:14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
There is a clear statement in verse 14 that the Word, which is Jesus, became flesh and dwelt among us. We see something similar in Romans.
Rom. 1:1 Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh,
In verse three we see a reference to His Son. His Son is Jesus. Jesus was born of a descendant of David. Jesus was born according to the flesh. This is a statement that Jesus came in the flesh. We see something similar later in Romans.
Rom. 8:3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh
This verse states clearly God sent His own Son, Jesus, in the likeness of sinful flesh. The Apostle Peter wrote about this.
1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh,
In order for Jesus to be put to death in the flesh, He first had to come to earth in the flesh.
So far, we have looked at 4 passages in the New Testament that clearly state that Jesus Christ came in the flesh. I said earlier this is important because the resurrection is important. If Jesus did not come in the flesh, then He did not rise from the dead.
Let’s look at some verses that teach the importance of the resurrection. Let’s start in 1 Corinthians. This is one of the clearest statements in the New Testament about the importance of the resurrection.
1Cor. 15:3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
Here, the resurrection is included in a list of things that are of first importance.
1 Cor. 15:13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; 14 and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain.
1 Cor 15:17 and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
Without the resurrection of Jesus Christ, our preaching is vain, our faith is vain, we are still in our sins, and the dead have perished. These verses teach that the resurrection is very important. Romans 10 also teaches us the importance of the resurrection.
Rom. 10:8 But what does it say? “THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART” — that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, 9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
We see in verse nine that the resurrection from the dead is a critical component of salvation. In order to be saved, we have to believe that God raised Jesus from the dead. If you say that Jesus did not come in the flesh, then you are denying the resurrection of Jesus, which means you are denying this critical component of salvation.
These verses are enough to show that the resurrection is important, but I also want to show that the resurrection was continually mentioned by the apostles as they started sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. I’ll do this with verses from the book of Acts. Notice how Acts continually mentions the resurrection and rising from the dead.
Acts 1:22b “one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.”
Acts 3:15a but put to death the Prince of life, the one whom God raised from the dead,
Acts 4:10b that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead
Acts 4:33a And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus,
Acts 10:41b that is, to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead.
Acts 13:30 “But God raised Him from the dead;
Acts 13:34a “As for the fact that He raised Him up from the dead,
Acts 17:3a explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead,
Acts 17:31b having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.”
Acts 26:23a that the Christ was to suffer, and that by reason of His resurrection from the dead
We see throughout the book of Acts, over and over, references to the resurrection of Jesus, indicating the important of the resurrection. We see something similar in the book or Romans. Notice in the following verses the references to the resurrection of Jesus.
Rom. 1:4a who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead
Rom. 4:24b as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,
Rom. 6:4b so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father
Rom. 6:9a knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again
Rom. 7:4b so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead
Rom. 8:11a But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you
We see many times in the book of Romans, Paul mentioned the resurrection of Jesus. This indicates the importance of the resurrection.
What we see in all these verses is that the New Testament states very clearly that Jesus came to earth in flesh. It states very clearly that Jesus rose from the dead. It indicates very clearly that the resurrection is important. It’s important for us as believers to believe that God raised Jesus from the dead, and then go out and proclaim the fact that Jesus rose from the dead.
With that as some context, let’s read what the Elder wrote in 2 John. Again, there were two reasons the Elder wrote 2 John to the chosen lady and her children. First, he wanted to remind them to love one another. Second, he wanted to warn them about deceivers. It’s the deceivers I’m going to focus on. Let’s read from 2 John.
2 John 7 Now many deceivers went out into the world, the ones not acknowledging Jesus Christ coming in flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8 Watch yourselves, so that you do not lose the accomplishments, but instead receive a full reward. 9 All the ones going and not abiding in the teaching of the Christ do not have God. The one remaining in the teaching, this one has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house and do not give a greeting to him. 11 For the one giving a greeting to him participates in his evil works.
Let’s take a close look at this. The warning is many deceivers went out into the world. Then the Elder defined the deceivers: those not acknowledging Jesus Christ coming in flesh.
Again, if someone denies that Jesus came in flesh, he is also denying the resurrection, and the resurrection is important. When the elder warned them about deceivers who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ coming in the flesh, he was writing about something important.
Notice at the end of verse seven he said these deceivers, the people not acknowledging Jesus Christ coming in the flesh, are the deceiver and the Antichrist. That’s a strong statement. Referring to them as the deceiver and the Antichrist is a strong condemnation.
Verse eight is a command. “Watch yourselves, so that you do not lose the accomplishments, but instead receive a full reward.” He warned them to watch themselves, so that they weren’t taken in by the deception.
Verse nine is a general statement that anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ does not have God. However, the one who abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.
In verse ten he was a little more specific about what he said in verse nine. He said, “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching.” This teaching refers to the teaching that Christ came in the flesh.
Then he gave two commands. There were two things the chosen lady and her children were not supposed to do if someone came and denied that Jesus came in the flesh. One, they were not supposed to receive him into their house. Two, they were not supposed to give him a greeting.
This reflects the importance of this topic. The resurrection is critically important in Christianity. That means the fact that Jesus Christ came in flesh is critically important. The elder warned the chosen lady and her children that there were people out there who were denying that Jesus came in flesh. Anyone who denies that Jesus came in flesh was also denying the resurrection, and that was denying a critical concept within Christianity. The chosen lady and her children were not supposed to receive those people into their house nor give them a greeting.
There is also a statement in verse 11 that reflects the importance of this teaching. The one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil works. Notice the term evil works. If someone denies that Jesus came in flesh, anyone who receives him or gives him a greeting is participating in the evil deed of denying that Jesus Christ came in flesh.
I said at the beginning that everything in the Bible is important; however, some things are more important than others. We see in 2 John that Jesus coming in flesh is one of the most important truths in the Bible. It is evil to deny that Jesus came in flesh.
For us, this means a couple things. First, it means we need to proclaim that Jesus is God Himself and that He came to earth in human flesh as a man. Second, it means we need to be careful that we don’t give credence to anyone who denies that Jesus came in flesh. We need to be particularly careful about people who claim to be Christians, and yet deny that Jesus came in flesh. This is not a doctrine where we can agree to disagree. If a so-called Christian denies that Jesus came in flesh, we should not fellowship with them, and we should not give them any hospitality. We have to differentiate ourselves from them, because Jesus coming in flesh is one of the most important teachings in the Bible.
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