One of the great truths of the Bible is the humanity of Jesus Christ. Jesus, our Lord and Our Savior, was born of the virgin Mary through the power of God’s Holy Spirit. Our God created Jesus to be His messiah – God’s chosen One to save his people and rule as King in His future kingdom. Jesus always existed in the mind of God. In the beginning was the Word (John 1:1). The Word, or Logos in Greek, is the eternal program of salvation and restoration through Jesus Christ. It is the wonderful plan of God to make a way for believers to enjoy fellowship with Him in the eternal coming Kingdom. As such, at a time of God’s choosing, He created his messiah. He brought his great plan of salvation, the Logos, into reality. Our Lord Jesus was born into the world, a little baby, born of the virgin Mary and celebrated as our Lord and Savior. He was born into the world through God’s power to be fully human, and fully God’s son. He is the begotten one (first among everything).
The book of Hebrews tries to explain why Jesus had to be made perfect and why he had to be a human – like you and me. But why did Jesus have to be just like us? Jesus was created by God to be His only Son. In order to serve both God and mankind, Jesus had to be a special man – the sinless and perfect Son of man. Both divine (Son of God) and human (Son of Mary) – He is the perfect one to exist as the “mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ” (1 Timothy 2:5). Hebrews 2:14-18 teaches us that He had to be made with flesh and blood – he had to be a man. This is so His death on the cross might break the power of the fear of death. His resurrection is proof that a man can be raised up to eternal life. He was created specifically to save Abraham’s descendants of faith (that’s you and me). In being a man, he could be God’s High Priest, serving God and making atonement for the sins of the world (Hebrews 2:17,18).
With Christmas coming very soon, we remember the birth of Christ. That little child, born and placed in a manger, the son of Mary, would become the savior of the world. In God’s great wisdom, He made a way for us to enjoy fellowship with Him forever in His coming Kingdom. Thank Him for the gift of his Son, His human Son, the Christ Child who takes away the sin of the world.
Have you ever felt crushed by the world? I joke sometimes that that’s basically adulthood – being stressed, harassed, crushed, overcome, squeezed by life. Sad way to look at it, really. Some days it just feels like everyone around me is trying to suck out every last bit of patience, gentleness, joy, and peace that I have. They aren’t, of course. But sometimes I just feel so … done. Have you ever felt that way? Then you just have to take a deep breath, request a refill from God, and get back to living, serving, and loving, right? It sounds easier than it is, sometimes, but John here is basically telling us just that.
1 John 5:2-6 says “This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.”
Who overcomes the world? The one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. I love that. It reminds me of John 16:33, one of my favorite passages. Jesus is talking to his disciples, describing how the world will hate them, but to remember that it hated him first. And he warns them that they will grieve, but promises that their grief will turn to great joy. And before he prays over them and over all believers, he says, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
We believe in the savior given by God our perfect father. And he was hated and crushed and persecuted by the world. But he followed God’s commands, and found that in those commands he overcame the world. In 1 John 5:19, John says, “We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.”
That explains the frequent crushing feeling, then. Of course we sometimes feel overwhelmed and under fire. We are children of God in a world that is under the enemy’s control. But John follows by saying, “We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.”
There is a lot in the world we could easily give in to. When crushed, we could give in. We could turn to sinful comforts. We could allow our frustrations and complaints to turn to bitterness, unkindness, pride, gossip, and the like. We could give our attention to worldly things and idols to distract ourselves from our trials.
But God’s commands are not burdensome. In fact, they are freeing. It’s very difficult to succumb to sinful nature when I’m in God’s word, or when I’m worshiping, or when I’m serving or loving others. When I’m doing something God commands of me, my heart and my thoughts are protected and the world cannot touch it. I’m no longer in the world’s control.
Reflection Questions:
How is the world controlling you right now? How is it affecting your attitude, your actions, and the way you speak to others? How is it affecting your heart? Are you bitter? Are you angry? Are you envious?
What are some of God’s commands that you aren’t giving enough attention to that could help you overcome this worldly influence? Could you be spending more time communicating with God, rather than gossiping or complaining to others? Could you spend more time in gratitude rather than in frustration? Are you spending enough time in God’s word or is most of your time devoted to entertainment? Maybe put more worship into your life, rather than secular music?
What could you be praying over right now, rather than complaining over? Take some time now to ask God to help you overcome the frustrations of the world.
My beloved friends and fellow children of God, I hope you choose God’s commands every day and that those commands lift you and free you. The world should not be holding that kind of power over you and your heart. God gave you his son, so take heart! He has overcome the world, and so will you!
There are some pretty confusing messages about love out there in the world. I’m sure you’ve seen some of them. Oftentimes it’s defined as an emotion, a feeling. (How vague and disappointing a definition.) Some say it’s something you cannot help. You fall in and out of it, with little to no control. (Yikes. No accountability there.) Some say it’s something you have to work at, and that love takes effort. (Ok, I have to agree with that one a bit.) The Greeks separated love into 8 categories: eros, ludus, philio, agape, storge, mania, pragma, and philautia. (Talk about complicated.) I very clearly remember listening to a lot of DC Talk as a kid in the 90’s and they told me that love is a verb. (Or maybe that was Luv. It has been a long time since I was “d-d-down with the DC Talk.”) And then there’s the currently popular, on bumper stickers everywhere, “Love is love.” (Not super helpful, thanks.)
John here tells us God is love. And if that doesn’t tell you how amazingly wonderful and powerful real, actual love is, then I don’t know what will. And fortunately for us, John goes into this a bit more.
“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”
We know what love is when we know God. And we know God by listening, and learning, and understanding exactly what kind of sacrifice was made in order that he could have a relationship with us. I think we sometimes miss the gravity of this. When you sit and truly contemplate it, it sits heavy on your chest and chokes you. This love is devastating.
I have a son. I love him dearly. I would die for him without hesitation. And there’s not a person on this planet that I want a relationship with badly enough to put my son through the torture and death that Christ suffered. I can’t fathom it. My heart breaks with the thought.
God did not love his son any less than I love my little Oliver. In fact, God, in his perfect love, loves his son more, I’m sure, though that’s hard for me to understand or admit because I feel like I love my boy without end. But God is love, and God is perfection, and God loved his son Jesus. And yet he offered his son as a sacrifice.
WHY!? Why would he do that!? If he loved his son so much, HOW could he do that!?
That same perfect love extends to each of us as well. Though we are imperfect, ungrateful, selfish, and sinful, God’s perfect love covers us. He loves us SO MUCH, that he gave us his son. Jesus Christ was the model of all things good and perfect and brought us hope of a kingdom and eternal life with God and then he willingly suffered and died to make that future a possibility for all of us. And God allowed it. God gave us everything. And that is real Love, with a capital L. That is God’s Love.
And God asks us to show that Love to others. I’ll admit immediately that I’m not capable of that kind of perfect Love. It hurts. It’s difficult. I don’t always understand it. My imperfect self, with my petty thoughts and frustrations and impatience… I’m only capable of love with a lowercase l. I’m not sure I can Love like God Loves.
But even when I’m not able to Love like that myself, I am VERY capable of sharing God’s Love with others. My version of love fails, but my God never does.
“This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.”
We must know and rely on the Love God has for us. We are not capable of this kind of Love on our own, but God grants us his Spirit, and we know what his Love looks like. Share His Love with others. Love your neighbors enough to share God’s true and perfect Love with them.
Reflection:
Who do you struggle to love? Do you have any relationships in your life where you find it difficult to love your neighbor?
With whom can you share God’s perfect Love? Who do you know that desperately needs to see that Love in action? Who do you know that needs to hear that they are loved SO MUCH that God wants a personal relationship with them?
Do those around you see God’s Love in your actions and in your words? Do they recognize God’s Spirit working in you? If not, or if not often enough, how can you do a better job of allowing God to work in you?
My friends, I hope that this was a message of Love to you today. I pray that God’s perfect Love overcomes you this week. I pray that it overwhelms you so much that you have to share it with others.
I am struck by the stark contrast of the priests of God in our reading today. In Exodus we are shown the beginning of the priesthood. The LORD sets apart Aaron and his sons. They were called, consecrated and ordained to serve Him. These men were anointed to serve the Lord and their anointing was to be a priesthood that could have continued “throughout their generations.”
But as we travel forward through the centuries to the time of Christ in Matthew 26, we see the high priest, chief priests and elders scheming to secretly arrest and kill Jesus. They are counting out the 30 pieces of silver to be given to his betrayer. The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence to condemn Jesus to death. Rather than leading his people in the observance and the true meaning of Passover the high priest is interrogating Jesus. The high priest commands, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” Jesus replied, “You have said so. But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.” This truthful statement is met with the high priest tearing his clothes and pronouncing Jesus as a blasphemer. The leaders declare that he is worthy of death. They even go as far as slapping him, striking him with their fists, mocking him, and spitting in his face. How could these religious leaders fall so far from God? They were prideful of their positions and were so filled with jealousy, and hatred that they could not recognize the Son of God.
But praise God that we know our Lord Jesus is the Son of God and we know that God called him to serve as our High Priest. The book of Hebrews explains, Christ did not take on himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father.” “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.”(Hebrews 4:14) As Jesus offered himself as a sacrifice, we should offer our lives to God. We will follow the example of our High Priest, Jesus Christ so we may be known as “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation and God’s special possession.”
-Rebecca Dauksas
Reflection Questions
What was the job of the priests, and specifically the high priest?
How is Jesus the perfect high priest?
In what ways can you now serve as a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation and God’s special possession?
In this letter to the Hebrews, we see the Son glorified above all else and I just want to bask in his glory as I read these words. It says that Jesus is the heir of all things. It sounds impressive to be heir of all things but the glory that Jesus has in that title isn’t his own, it is that of his Father. To be heir means to be a person who inherits. That means that God chose Jesus, his Son, as his heir to inherit all things. Only God has that power and he chose to bestow it upon Jesus.
It also says that God created the world through Jesus. This sounds like 1 Corinthians 8:6 where it says all things are from the Father and all things are through the Son. This, again, is such an honor that has been given to the Son to be used in this way where all of creation can only see God through Jesus. The relationship between Jesus and God is so much more than I can even fathom or explain. That the Father loves his Son so much to give him all these gifts, and give us gifts through him.
The Son is the radiance of the glory of God. What a beautiful image! If God is the sun, then Jesus is the light that we see on earth. You can’t look at the sun, but you can see the light everywhere during the daytime. In the NRSV translation of this verse, it says that Jesus is the reflection. If God is the sun, then Jesus is the moon, reflecting the light of God even at night when we can’t see the sun.
Jesus is the exact imprint of God’s nature. This makes me think of those concrete handprints that kids make when they’re little. That piece of concrete is nothing but an imprint, and yet it looks exactly like the hand that formed it. Jesus is the imprint of God’s nature, we can see God exactly through him.
Jesus upholds the universe by the word of his power. To think that the man who was mocked, beaten and given a criminals death would be given this power. In Genesis, we see God creating the universe with nothing but a word. In the gospels, we see Jesus performing signs and miracles with nothing but a word. He commands a lame man to get up and walk, and the man gets up and walks. Jesus is truly the heir of all things, he inherited even the power of God’s word.
The Son is seated at the right hand of the Majesty on high. There can be no position more glorious than this (besides the position of the One to whom Jesus is sitting to the right of). Even the angels who dwell in heaven don’t have this honor. Truly Jesus is much superior to the angels. The name that Jesus inherited is more excellent than theirs. In Revelation 19:12, we see an epic image of Jesus arriving with a host of angel armies wearing a cloak dipped in blood. It says that he has a name inscribed that no one knows but himself. And his name is called the Word of God. This is what Jesus is called in John 1, the Word of God. Jesus has been given this name and the power and the majesty and the glory. Stand in awe of the Son of God.
Verses 5-14 go on to use the scriptures of old (see Hebrews 1:1) to show how much greater the Son is than the Angels. It says that Jesus is the only Begotten Son of God (John 3:16) and that God is his Father. Even the angels bow down in worship to this Jesus while they are merely messengers, like winds and fire. It says that Jesus is anointed, chosen by God and given a kingdom and throne that will last forever. It even uses passages that we would attribute to the Father to describe the Son. We know that the Father founded the earth and the heavens are the work of his hands, but the Son has come to inherit these things as well. Jesus remains even as the earth wears out like clothing and his years will never end.
Reading these verses makes me feel that the glory of Jesus is so much more than I can fathom. I believe it all and yet I still struggle to follow him with all of my heart. I can only imagine that though my head knows these things to be true, my heart doesn’t fully believe it. Do you believe it? Do you act as if you believe it? I pray to God that you and I will have our hearts changed so that we truly believe the incredible words written here and that we are moved to action, to fulfill Jesus’ commands to go into the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
-Nathaniel Johnson
Application Questions
Which image or description of Jesus do you find most powerful or most helpful in attempting to understand the high place God holds for Jesus?
What might receiving this letter (the book of Hebrews) have meant to the original audience – Jews/Hebrews who had become Christians?
If you were to write a letter to Jesus, how would you address him? Are there any questions you would ask him? How would you revere him?
Before Adam, before the fall, there stood Christ. While his life wouldn’t begin for another 4000 years, God had already set salvation in motion. It is why the stars and the sand could speak to Abraham. It is how Isaiah could see visions of one crying out, “prepare the way”. It was the fabric that held two genealogies together to come crashing into miraculous birth in Bethlehem. It is the very dead Jesus being raised by His Father to be the firstfruits of the resurrection and giving him preeminence as a King in the life to come.
The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. – Colossians 1:15-17
Jesus Christ wasn’t Plan B because of a fall of man in the Garden of Eden. He wasn’t a contingency plan to be used in emergencies only. He is the culmination of God’s love for man and the inevitability of the selfish nature of freewill. In him, through him, and for him, ALL things were created. Things of heaven. Things of earth. Things we can see. Things we can’t. And it all makes sense because of his life. God, the Father of Jesus, is the author of providence and will. Jesus Christ has been given the place as the executor, the head, the mediator, our way back to God after wandering in the desert, ritualistic religion, or feeling foreign in our own body.
Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. – Colossians 1:21-23a
The fullness of the word of God is revealed. It isn’t a mystery. It is available to anyone, anytime. No matter the amount of struggle or hate we fortify and reinforce in our minds, our hearts are attuned to Jesus because he is stitched and woven into every creation, including each one of us. Oh, how God was mindful of us. He knew. His creation surrounds us and testifies of His glory, which in turn, is distilled in Jesus Christ. My prayer is we all recognize that the glory of God can exist in each one of us when we live as Jesus lived, placing the Firstborn of Creation into our hearts, and embracing the very context for existence.
Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens. Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? – Psalm 8:1-4
-Aaron Winner
Questions for Reflection and Discussion
How would you describe Jesus, The Creator’s Firstborn, to someone who has never heard of him before?
What does creation teach you about the Creator and His plans?
What does it mean to you to be reconciled to God through Christ?
When I was growing up our youth group would take a hiking trip up a mountain in the fall each year. The owner of the mountain was a member of our church so we were the only ones there. When we reached the top we would take in the views and have a picnic. I also remember our descent (which was so much easier and faster than our hike to the top).
That experience reminds me of our reading today. Just imagine what was going through the minds of Peter, James and John as they came down the mountain with Jesus after witnessing the transfiguration.
Jesus had told them six days earlier that some standing there would not taste death before they saw the Son of Man coming in his kingdom. The experience of the transfiguration accomplished that.
On that mountain, Jesus was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. There appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”
What an amazing confirmation that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah. The appearance of Moses representing the Law, Elijah representing the Prophets and God’s voice confirming that Jesus is the beloved Son of God. God confirmed that Jesus’ message is true and should be heard and followed.
The disciples were terrified and fell facedown. But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus. As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”
Christ later explains that he will be killed and on the third day he will be raised to life. These men were about to experience the horrific trial of their lifetimes. Just hearing that it was going to happen filled them with grief, but they had also witnessed Jesus Christ as he will be when He is “Coming in His Kingdom.” This life may throw some awful situations at us. Just like the disciples, we need to remember who Jesus Christ truly is. No matter what is happening in our world, we must Keep Seeking, Keep Growing and Keep Loving God and Others. Remember that with our very own eyes we will “see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom”.
-Rebecca Dauksas
Questions for Reflection and Discussion
The Transfiguration allowed Peter, James and John to experience a bit of what it will be like to, “see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom”. (Matthew 16:28) How do you think they felt during and after this event? How might it have changed or added to their understanding of who Jesus is and what will take place? Do you think seeing what they saw will change their actions, is so how?
Jesus told Peter, James and John to not tell anyone what they had seen until what event took place? Why do you think, were they to keep the secret of the Transfiguration at first? Why do you think, were they free (and expected) to share it later?
The Bible contains many descriptions of the return of Christ and the Kingdom of God it will initiate, most notably Revelation 19-22. What are you most looking forward to seeing and experiencing? What do you feel when you read about or talk about the coming Kingdom? What parts are hardest for you to imagine and picture in your mind or describe to others? How might knowing what you know about the Kingdom affect your actions?
Matthew 17 includes the beautiful mountaintop experience and also the revealing of a very difficult “valley” experience to come – the betrayal and death of Jesus – followed by another mountaintop- the resurrection of Jesus three days after his death. What are some spiritual mountaintop and valley experiences you have faced? What benefit could be found in each?
Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
They told Jesus that some people believed He was John the Baptist, some Elijah, Jeremiah or one of the prophets. At that time there was a lot of speculation and incorrect information about who Jesus was.
But Jesus cuts through all those wrong assumptions of his identity to ask the disciples a couple of important questions. Questions that they personally needed to answer with what they knew to be true of Jesus. Questions we need to ask ourselves. “But what about you? Who do you say I am?”
Peter answered “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.”
Peter was certain. His understanding of Jesus had been established beyond doubt. Christ then provides Peter with His new identity. He blesses him, confirms that his beliefs are from God, and gives him a new name. Who wouldn’t want to be named the Rock? Jesus established his church. Jesus also gives them authority to carry out spiritual work. They were to continue Jesus’ work of making disciples, baptizing, and teaching them to obey everything Jesus commanded. Opening up the Kingdom for generations of followers of Jesus Christ.
So with all this in their grasp, what could possibly lead the disciples to later desert and turn away from Jesus (Matt. 26:31, 56)? An angry mob armed with swords and clubs. We are often faced with a similar dilemma. It may not be an angry mob, but when we stand for Jesus Christ we may face rejection. We may face trials and temptations and we need to hold on to the truth of who Jesus Christ is. We need to remember who we are because of our relationship with Christ. It is easy to speak boldly about the truth of Jesus when we are not in dire circumstances, but we need to learn from the disciples’ situation. No matter what circumstances this life throws in our way, we are representatives of Jesus Christ. As we are promised in verse 27, when Jesus returns He will reward each person according to what they have done. You can be at peace knowing that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.
-Rebecca Dauksas
Questions for Reflection and Discussion
If Jesus were to give you a new name that represented what you do for the church now what might it be? What would you like your new name from Jesus to be if it were based upon what you could and would do for the church? What steps do you need to take to earn that name? How will you continue the work of Jesus?
Jesus says, “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” (vs 11). And in Matthew 13:33 he said, “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.” What is the purpose of yeast? What are some examples of negative yeast in your life? What are some examples of positive yeast?
How would you describe who Jesus is? Who do you know who needs to know who Jesus is? How can you share what you know?
How many times does it take for a false statement to be repeated before it becomes true? Can you make a myth true if a lot of people believe it long enough?
What would happen if we read the Bible with no prior bias. What if we could vacuum out of our brain all knowledge and impact of the Apostles’ Creed which would be written hundreds of years after Jesus walked on earth? What if we could read John for what John wanted to say, instead of what the emperor and church leaders over 200 years later decided they wanted it to say?
John, the beloved disciple. He loved Jesus and Jesus loved him. Perhaps he knew Jesus better than anyone. He was there very near the start of Jesus’ ministry – the fisherman who with his brother James left their fishing nets to follow and learn more about Jesus. He heard Jesus’ teachings and was with him when he calmed the storm and healed the sick. His feet had been washed by his master, Jesus. That horrific day at the foot of the cross, Jesus entrusted to John the care of Mary, his mother. John ran to the empty tomb and saw with his own eyes the resurrected Jesus and spent 40 more days listening to and learning from his risen Lord and Savior. And, then Jesus was taken into heaven in the clouds and John and the others were told Jesus would return in the same way – but until then they were to be his witnesses. John had a job to do, to tell the world of Jesus. And so, before his death he carefully writes it down for all the future generations – and we have the New Testament book called the Gospel (good news) of John.
John specifically states near the end of his gospel what his purpose in writing has been. He says Jesus did much much more than could be recorded, “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One, the Chosen King), the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:31 NIV – parenthetical definition of “Christ” added). Obviously, it becomes very important for John to clearly represent Jesus if life and salvation come from believing in Jesus. We wouldn’t want to get that wrong, would we? And, we can expect that since this is John’s purpose statement nothing we read in the book of John will contradict what his mission is – to show us who the Christ, the SON of GOD is. Remember, we already cleaned out of our brain any future manipulation, twisting or reversal of this term that will develop centuries later. John, and the other New Testament writers (and Old Testament for that matter) never used the term “God the Son”. If it didn’t come from the Bible, where did it come from? It seems we should be concentrating on who and what John meant by the Christ, the Son of God, rather than trying to use this book to explain God the Son.
John would have been very familiar with Old Testament scripture which exalts and reveres the word of God – the words, plans, thoughts, intent, desire, ideas, as well as the actual spoken word of the Almighty God. The terms word of God and God’s word have also been used to refer to His written word, the Scriptures, in part or whole. Can we worship God, without knowing or trying to understand (to the best of our human ability) what His words, His thoughts, His desires are? It’s almost like voting for a president without having a clue what he stands for, what he has said in speeches, written in papers, what he thinks, believes and intends to do. It sounds dangerous to try to separate a candidate or a God from His words. We should view them as one – God and what He says/plans/intends/thinks/desires are the same.
It is also helpful to know that in Greek all words are assigned a male or female pronoun (similar to Spanish and many other languages in which every noun is known either as a she or a he) and the word “word”, in Greek “logos”, is assigned a male pronoun. It is interesting to note that 8 Bible translations written before the first King James version of 1611 did not use the Greek male pronouns (he and his) when referring to the word in John 1, but used “it” the gender neutral English pronoun given for all the other Greek nouns that were not people (he or she) but objects or ideas (its). Also, in the Greek language they did not use capitalization, so when John wrote “word” he did not write “Word”.
John also would have known of the use of personification in Scripture. For example, in Proverbs wisdom is often personified as a female who is calling in the streets or building her house. In a whole chapter devoted to ‘Lady Wisdom’ we read, “The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works, before his deeds of old; I was appointed from eternity, from the beginning, before the world began. When there were no oceans, I was given birth…then I was the craftsman at his side…” (Proverbs 8:22-24a, 30a). It is goes on. And, yet, no one has convinced too many people that God has two parts and one of them is a lady named Wisdom who existed before the world began and who created the world with Him. This theory would be called foolishness because of course we all know Solomon was using personification speaking of wisdom which comes from God.
So, now let’s read John with a brain cleared of all preconceived human ideas. We just want God’s inspired word. While we read, let’s try to think like John, the one who was at Jesus’ side for 3 years, knowing that logos – the word – of God does not have to be a person any more than the wisdom of God is a person. And, yet both the wisdom and the word of God can not be separated from God – they are God’s, or, you could even say, they are God.
So reading John 1, with simply removing capitalization and eliminating male pronouns (which was done in most or all other uses of the word logos) we now have something like this: In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. The word was with God in the beginning. Through it all things were made; without it nothing was made that has been made. In it was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. (John 1:1-5 NIV but removing capitalization for “word” and replacing neuter pronouns for masculine).
Remember creation – God spoke His word and it came to be. This makes sense. God and His word. They are powerful. They are inseparable. They get the job done. They light up the world. “Let there be light.” That was God and His word! But, some will not understand – made me think of some biology professors who certainly don’t understand the power of God and His word.
Next, we see in verse 6 that God sent a man. “There came a man who was sent from God: his name was John.” (John 1:6 NIV) Yet, no one argues that John the Baptist pre-existed his birth. To be sent from God or come from God does not require pre-existence or to be part of God.
In verse 14 we have the plan of God, His design, His purpose, His word becoming flesh. Here we indeed have another man, in the flesh. This time it’s not John the Baptist. This time it is Jesus, the Christ, the Anointed One, the Chosen King, the One and Only Begotten (comes from), in flesh, Son of God. There would have been LOTS of ways John could have said that Jesus was God, if that is what he wanted to say. But, he didn’t say it because he knew Jesus as the SON of God, just as he said.
Not only did John not say it – but no other place in Scripture says God became a man. It is not in Scripture, but it is very common in mythology (which we are warned several times in the Bible to avoid). How did this idea get into so many Christmas songs, hymns, worship songs, and sermons if it did not come straight from the Bible? Could it be the false teachers that God’s word warns would sneak into the church to twist the apostles’ words and the God they served? This is something we don’t want to be wrong about. We need to be sure we are correctly handling the word of truth – God’s word – and not just what others hundreds of years later would teach about it.
We all like to be right (some of us more than others) so when we are approached with a “new” idea that would mean we have been wrong before it is easy to immediately discard it. But, this one is pretty important and could in fact mean life or death. If you have read this far, congratulations. I encourage you to do more seeking and searching. I recently listened to a podcast of a woman who was shocked to learn her grown son no longer considered himself a trinitarian. In the podcast she does an excellent job describing her thoughts and feelings as well as her search in the Scriptures for truth and what she found. If you would like to hear what this journey looked like for her, you can listen to her story here – Hildy Chandler (She tells her story to Mark Cain in 3 parts, I thought the second was the best but I linked the first hoping you can make time for all three valuable parts.) I love her heart for truth and her devotion to the Scripture.
I know I am not the best one to explain John 1, or probably any other passage in Scripture. But, as we continue with our reading of the Gospel of John, I pray we will all see more and more clearly the Jesus that John walked with on earth. The Jesus that died on the cross and that God rose from the dead. The Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One, the Chosen King, the Son of God, the Jesus who showed us His father. God bless our journey reading and loving God, His word, and His Son.
Marcia Railton
Today’s Bible reading passages can be read or listened to at BibleGateway here –Joshua 19-20 and John 1
Have you ever looked at yourself through the mirrors in a funhouse? Maybe they made your legs appear shorter or your figure much rounder. Of course, just because the mirror makes you look one way doesn’t mean that you actually look like that. Sometimes people seem to see us through funhouse mirrors; they get a distorted image of who we actually are.
Jesus, too, was often seen through funhouse mirrors. Many people perceived him to be a traitor and criminal. Yet, standing in front of the mirror was actually the begotten Son of God, the promised Messiah.
After Jesus’s arrest, he stood before government and religious officers, as was customary. Jesus was beaten by the guards, accused by the leaders, and ridiculed by the crowds. It’s a disgustingly difficult chapter to read because of the undeserved nastiness towards Jesus.
So Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
“You have said so,” Jesus replied. (Luke 23:3)
Jesus didn’t deny Pilate’s allegations. If I were Jesus, I would probably burst into tears shouting, “It’s not fair!” After all, he had never sinned, nonetheless committed a crime worthy of death on a cross. Yet, he continued to refrain from defending himself.
He (Herod) plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer. (Luke 23:9)
Jesus’ goal wasn’t to appease man but to please God. God already saw the real Jesus, the one standing in front of the mirror. Let us learn from Jesus’ example: You don’t have to get the last word. It’s okay to be misunderstood. There’s no need to get even. You have nothing to prove.
Because God sees you—the real you.
I’m an open book to you; even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking. You know when I leave and when I get back; I’m never out of your sight. You know everything I’m going to say before I start the first sentence. I look behind me and you’re there, then up ahead and you’re there, too—your reassuring presence, coming and going. This is too much, too wonderful—I can’t take it all in! (Psalm 139 from The Message)
Seek Grow Love 