Lord of All
A Sermon on John 1:16
Originally preached Nov. 10, 1963
Scripture
16And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
Sermon Description
When many think of Jesus Christ, they think of His life and work, His teaching and His miracles, His mercy, grace, and love? Each of these grant some great blessing to the Christian but in this sermon on John 1:16, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones elaborates on how the Christian receives good from the Lord because of Christ's exultation. Even as Jesus was crucified, died, and was buried, He also ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. Dr. Lloyd-Jones elaborates that it is from this exulted position that He makes intercession for His people. In this sermon titled “Lord of All,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones recounts the might of human empires that rise and fall. Again and again, nations rage and kingdoms plot in vain, but never does one kingdom seize all power or hold it for very long. Dr. Lloyd-Jones encourages the Christian to take heart when wars arise to know that the Messiah is the one who is seated on the heavenly throne. The one who intercedes is the same that calmed the storms with a word, and is the very word of power by which the wind and waves were created. He is the strong tower.
Sermon Breakdown
- The sermon text comes from John 1:16 which states "And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace." This verse reminds us that everything in the Christian life comes from Jesus Christ.
- The Christian life can be described as derived solely from Jesus Christ and governed by him in every aspect.
- Christians think differently from everyone else because they receive all they have from the fullness of Jesus Christ. This manifests itself in their outlook on everything.
- The danger for Christians is to view their salvation exclusively in personal and subjective terms. While salvation is personal, it is not only personal.
- We must be reminded of the more general aspects of Jesus's fullness to see our personal experience in the context of God's greater purpose.
- We must start with Jesus and his fullness. Without understanding him, we cannot understand anything about the Christian position.
- Jesus's fullness led to his exaltation. His exaltation is described in Hebrews 2:9, Ephesians 1:19-21, and Philippians 2:9.
- Jesus's exaltation was the result of his death. His death and exaltation cannot be separated.
- Jesus's exaltation means that he shares the throne with God the Father. He is the King of the universe.
- Jesus's exaltation means that God has given him the glory, honor, position, and power of ruling the world and its affairs.
- Jesus's exaltation brings comfort because it means he is the Lord of history. History is not in the hands of man but in the hands of Jesus.
- Jesus allows some history to happen as part of God's punishment of sin, but Jesus also actively controls history, especially as seen in the church and revivals.
- Jesus has power over his enemies. He allows them to rise and do harm but will ultimately destroy them. No power has been allowed to dominate the whole world.
- Christians should not fear because Jesus holds the keys of death and Hades. He controls death and the afterlife.
- We must crown Jesus as our matchless King.
Sermon Q&A
MLJ Sermon Questions and Answers About Jesus Christ's Fullness
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones mean by "of his fullness have all we received"?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, this phrase from John 1:16 reminds us that everything in the Christian life comes from Jesus Christ. He emphasizes that "all blessings come from him. All the benefits that we can ever enjoy in this world come entirely and solely from him." The Christian's life is derived solely from Christ and therefore governed by Him in every aspect. This fullness impacts not just our personal salvation but our entire worldview and understanding of history.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones explain Christ's exaltation?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains Christ's exaltation as His position of authority at the right hand of God after His resurrection and ascension. He cites several biblical passages including Hebrews 2:9 where Christ is "crowned with glory and honor," and Philippians 2 where "God has highly exalted him and given him a name that is above every name." Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that this exaltation is the reward the Father gives the Son for His work of redemption, and that in this position, Christ has been given all power and authority over the universe.
What does it mean that Jesus Christ is the "Lord of history"?
According to Lloyd-Jones, Christ being the "Lord of history" means that "the history of this world is not in the hands of man. Finally, it's in the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ." Using Revelation 5 as his text, he explains that Christ is the only one worthy to open the sealed book containing God's plan for history. This means Christ both permits certain historical events to happen (even evil ones) and actively controls history to fulfill God's purposes, particularly for the church. Lloyd-Jones states this gives Christians hope and perspective in troubling times.
How does the sermon address the problem of evil and suffering in the world?
Lloyd-Jones addresses this by explaining that Christ, as Lord of history, permits certain evils as "part of his punishment of the human race" and "a part of the way in which he allows men to reap the consequences of his own folly." However, Christ also limits and controls evil powers. He notes that throughout history, no power has ever been allowed to dominate the whole world completely. Lloyd-Jones points to historical examples of empires that seemed unstoppable but eventually fell, arguing this demonstrates Christ's overriding authority that ultimately works for the good of believers.
What comfort does the sermon offer regarding death?
The sermon offers profound comfort regarding death by explaining that Christ "has the keys of death and of hell (Hades)." Lloyd-Jones states that Christians need not fear death regardless of how it comes—whether through "old age, accident, illness, bomb, or war"—because Christ has "taken the sting out of it." Death for believers means being with Jesus, which the apostle Paul called "far better." Lloyd-Jones contrasts this certainty with "the vagueness of paganism" about the afterlife, emphasizing the immediate presence with Christ that believers experience after death.
How does Lloyd-Jones connect Christ's death with His authority?
Lloyd-Jones repeatedly emphasizes that Christ's authority and exalted position are directly connected to His death. He points out that in passages like Hebrews 2:9, Philippians 2, and Revelation 5, Christ's crowning with glory and honor is specifically linked to His suffering and death. He describes Christ as "this extraordinary combination of strength and weakness, of power and suffering," noting that in Revelation He appears as both "the Lion of the tribe of Judah" and "a Lamb that has been slain." Christ's authority is the direct result of His sacrificial work.
The Book of John
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.