April 7 – Successful Wedding Reception!
On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”
“Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”
His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.
Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”
What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him. (John 2:1-11)
There are some unspoken assumptions that can be made here. First of all, Jesus’ mother expected that He would be able to perform some type of miracle when she told him about the wine situation. I doubt that she was complaining to Him or just making a comment … there was expectation in her words. That makes a person wonder what type of life they had with Him as a child and young man. However, since none of that is written in the gospels, we can only imagine.
She had such confidence in her son, that she didn’t let Him get away with trying to duck out of the situation. When He protested, she ignored Him (like any good mother would do) and told the servants to do whatever it was that He told them to do.
More than likely, they were at the wedding of a friend. Someone who was close enough to Mary and Jesus that she felt comfortable ordering the servants around. Jesus was there with His mother as well as His disciples. Now, in that day – a wedding was a community event and no one in the community would be excluded. However, some of the disciples were from different communities and would have been known as Jesus disciples … not just friends. These men were there to be taught by Jesus and to live as He led them. They had given up their livelihoods to spend time learning with Him.
This family having the wedding was close enough to Mary and Jesus that they simply accepted His disciples as part of the family.
Did you notice the first sentence of this passage? “On the third day …” If you look back at John 1:35, you see “The next day…” This happens immediately after John baptized Jesus. Then, in John 1:45, the words happen again, “The next day …”
The writer of this Gospel is trying to put the beginning of Jesus’ ministry into context. He was baptized. The next day He began calling His disciples. On day two He called Philip and Nathanael. The third day, He performed His first public miracle. It didn’t take long for His ministry to get up and running.
Jesus was a man of action. As soon as God anointed Him through the Baptism, He began His ministry. There was no sitting around praying about what would come next or making a plan and hoping to set it into motion … He went into motion as quickly as possible. The kingdom of God was at hand! And now … the Kingdom of God IS at hand.
April 6 - You Will See Greater Things
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
April 6 – You Will See Greater Things
The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.” Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
“Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip. When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.” Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”
Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” He then added, “Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’ the Son of Man.” (John 1:43-51)
One of the greatest things we can do as Christians is to tell others about Jesus. We might think that it is important to go to church on Sundays or do good deeds or be a good person or be extra holy so that people will see Jesus in our lives, but that’s not it. The first thing that Andrew did was to find his brother and tell him about the Messiah. The first thing Philip did was to find his friend Nathanael and tell him about Jesus.
We probably take it for granted that people already know about Jesus and have made their decision whether or not to be a Christian. Sometimes that’s true, but it doesn’t eliminate our responsibility.
You might be surprised at those who have no concept of who Jesus is! One Saturday several years ago, I had stopped at a florist to pick up palm branches for the next morning’s Palm Sunday worship service. They were in my trunk when I went to Baker’s to get groceries. A high school kid pushed my cart to the car and when I opened the trunk, he asked me what those were. I simply said, “Palm branches for church tomorrow” thinking that would explain everything.
I was in central Omaha … the kids who worked at this particular Bakers (it’s closed now) pretty much lived in an upper middle class neighborhood. He looked at me dumbfounded. He had absolutely no clue what I was talking about. This is one of the major Christian holidays in the church and he had never heard of it. How do you get to be 17 years old and not hear of Palm Sunday? I explained in as few words as possible and watched his eyes glaze over – he’d obviously asked too much and didn’t want to know any more from me.
I walked away from that encounter with a fresh look at my assumptions. I could no longer blindly assume that people knew who Jesus Christ was. That day was profound in my growth as a Christian.
Jesus calls Nathanael by name, a pretty impressive thing when they had never met before. That little miracle was enough for Nathanael to join the twelve and Jesus knew it. Jesus promised him though, that he would see more amazing things than that during the rest of his lifetime because he had met Jesus.
That same promise is made to us. Maybe we are more aware of the astounding things that happen around us because of our awareness of God’s activity in the world. Maybe we look for the miracles that occur because we are open to believing in them. But, the truth of the matter is … when you know Jesus Christ personally … astounding things happen both great and small.
The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.” Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
“Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip. When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.” Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”
Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” He then added, “Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’ the Son of Man.” (John 1:43-51)
One of the greatest things we can do as Christians is to tell others about Jesus. We might think that it is important to go to church on Sundays or do good deeds or be a good person or be extra holy so that people will see Jesus in our lives, but that’s not it. The first thing that Andrew did was to find his brother and tell him about the Messiah. The first thing Philip did was to find his friend Nathanael and tell him about Jesus.
We probably take it for granted that people already know about Jesus and have made their decision whether or not to be a Christian. Sometimes that’s true, but it doesn’t eliminate our responsibility.
You might be surprised at those who have no concept of who Jesus is! One Saturday several years ago, I had stopped at a florist to pick up palm branches for the next morning’s Palm Sunday worship service. They were in my trunk when I went to Baker’s to get groceries. A high school kid pushed my cart to the car and when I opened the trunk, he asked me what those were. I simply said, “Palm branches for church tomorrow” thinking that would explain everything.
I was in central Omaha … the kids who worked at this particular Bakers (it’s closed now) pretty much lived in an upper middle class neighborhood. He looked at me dumbfounded. He had absolutely no clue what I was talking about. This is one of the major Christian holidays in the church and he had never heard of it. How do you get to be 17 years old and not hear of Palm Sunday? I explained in as few words as possible and watched his eyes glaze over – he’d obviously asked too much and didn’t want to know any more from me.
I walked away from that encounter with a fresh look at my assumptions. I could no longer blindly assume that people knew who Jesus Christ was. That day was profound in my growth as a Christian.
Jesus calls Nathanael by name, a pretty impressive thing when they had never met before. That little miracle was enough for Nathanael to join the twelve and Jesus knew it. Jesus promised him though, that he would see more amazing things than that during the rest of his lifetime because he had met Jesus.
That same promise is made to us. Maybe we are more aware of the astounding things that happen around us because of our awareness of God’s activity in the world. Maybe we look for the miracles that occur because we are open to believing in them. But, the truth of the matter is … when you know Jesus Christ personally … astounding things happen both great and small.
April 5 - The First Disciples
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
April 5 – The First Disciples
The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”
When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”
They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”
“Come,” he replied, “and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.
Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter). (John 1:35-42)
There are a couple of wonderful things to see in this passage. The first is the loss of two of John’s disciples to Jesus. I’m not so sure that John lost them as much as he nudged them toward the Messiah. All it took was for him to announce that Jesus was the Lamb of God and they turned away from the man who called for repentance, to the man who would take away the sins of the world.
The Greek word used in verse 37, “…they followed Jesus” means more than parading around after a man. The deeper meaning behind it is that this is the beginning of their training with Him. John didn’t just point Jesus out at random. He intended for these two to leave His discipleship and begin a greater time of learning.
Andrew was one of John’s disciples. He spent the day with Jesus and then went to get Peter, his brother.
While John has announced the coming of the Messiah, Andrew states clearly that Jesus is who they have been waiting for.
The Jews had been waiting for several thousand years for the coming of the Messiah and all of a sudden … here He was! Can you imagine? A day will come when we see Him returning and I can barely imagine the emotions that we will encounter.
So … after several thousand years of anticipation, we should read wonder and excitement in Andrew’s words to his brother.
The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”
When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”
They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”
“Come,” he replied, “and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.
Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter). (John 1:35-42)
There are a couple of wonderful things to see in this passage. The first is the loss of two of John’s disciples to Jesus. I’m not so sure that John lost them as much as he nudged them toward the Messiah. All it took was for him to announce that Jesus was the Lamb of God and they turned away from the man who called for repentance, to the man who would take away the sins of the world.
The Greek word used in verse 37, “…they followed Jesus” means more than parading around after a man. The deeper meaning behind it is that this is the beginning of their training with Him. John didn’t just point Jesus out at random. He intended for these two to leave His discipleship and begin a greater time of learning.
Andrew was one of John’s disciples. He spent the day with Jesus and then went to get Peter, his brother.
While John has announced the coming of the Messiah, Andrew states clearly that Jesus is who they have been waiting for.
The Jews had been waiting for several thousand years for the coming of the Messiah and all of a sudden … here He was! Can you imagine? A day will come when we see Him returning and I can barely imagine the emotions that we will encounter.
So … after several thousand years of anticipation, we should read wonder and excitement in Andrew’s words to his brother.
April 4 - The Lamb of God
Monday, April 4, 2011
April 4 – The Lamb of God
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”
Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.” (John 1:29-34)
Before Jesus begins His ministry, John the Baptist identifies Him as the Lamb of God. He is and will be the sacrifice, the perfect offering which will remove sin from the world.
John is the only one of the Gospel writers to use this terminology for Jesus (Lamb). We see it again in the Revelation. The Lamb is a central figure in the throne room. When we first see Him though, the sacrifice has already been completed:
“Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.” (Revelation 5:6)
The verse just previous is as amazing in its description as this verse: “…See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.” (Revelation 5:4)
Jesus Christ, is the Lion of the Judah and the Lamb of God. He is the King of all and the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world. Only in Him can we find redemption.
One of the profound doctrines of Christianity is that of the Trinity. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit exist in a manner that is nearly impossible to comprehend and, though never delineated in scripture as the Trinity itself, these three are found together at important times.
The Baptism of Jesus is one of those times. The Father speaks, the Son will baptize, the Spirit will indwell. Moments like this in the ministry of Jesus remind us of the power of the mystery, the glory of the possibilities and the blessings of God that fill our lives. We may not be able to understand it all, but we know that God is in His Son and sends the Spirit to dwell within us and guide us.
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”
Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.” (John 1:29-34)
Before Jesus begins His ministry, John the Baptist identifies Him as the Lamb of God. He is and will be the sacrifice, the perfect offering which will remove sin from the world.
John is the only one of the Gospel writers to use this terminology for Jesus (Lamb). We see it again in the Revelation. The Lamb is a central figure in the throne room. When we first see Him though, the sacrifice has already been completed:
“Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.” (Revelation 5:6)
The verse just previous is as amazing in its description as this verse: “…See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.” (Revelation 5:4)
Jesus Christ, is the Lion of the Judah and the Lamb of God. He is the King of all and the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world. Only in Him can we find redemption.
One of the profound doctrines of Christianity is that of the Trinity. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit exist in a manner that is nearly impossible to comprehend and, though never delineated in scripture as the Trinity itself, these three are found together at important times.
The Baptism of Jesus is one of those times. The Father speaks, the Son will baptize, the Spirit will indwell. Moments like this in the ministry of Jesus remind us of the power of the mystery, the glory of the possibilities and the blessings of God that fill our lives. We may not be able to understand it all, but we know that God is in His Son and sends the Spirit to dwell within us and guide us.
April 3 - John's Testimony
Sunday, April 3, 2011
April 3 – John’s Testimony
Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.”
They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.”
Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”
John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’ ”
Now the Pharisees who had been sent questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
“I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”
This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
One of the things that strikes me about this passage is that the learned and scholarly people of Jesus’ time were in such anticipation of the coming Messiah that they were looking for Him everywhere! There was an expectation of His arrival and they recognized the signs, though they didn’t recognize the truth.
Our culture has become so cynical that we no longer have an expectation of great things; we no longer anticipate the arrival of the Divine in our midst. The first thing we assume (and generally rightly so) is that when a person announces He has been sent by God, He is obviously a nut.
The first thing the Pharisees wanted to know about John was if He was … the Messiah (Christ) … Elijah … or the Prophet.
The question regarding the Prophet may come from their knowledge of Deuteronomy 18:15 when Moses said, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him.”
This discussion between John and the Pharisees illuminates the desperate need for transformation within the people of Israel. The Messiah, Elijah and a reflection of Moses all signified important moments for change in God’s relationship to His people.
John wasn’t to be the instrument of change, but He was there to as the precursor. He brought a ministry of repentance. “I baptize you with water for repentance” (Matthew 3:11). He announced the coming of the Messiah who would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire (Matthew 3:12).
Change was coming for the people of Israel … the Pharisees sensed it as John tried to prepare them for it.
Do you sense change coming?
Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.”
They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.”
Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”
John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’ ”
Now the Pharisees who had been sent questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
“I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”
This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
One of the things that strikes me about this passage is that the learned and scholarly people of Jesus’ time were in such anticipation of the coming Messiah that they were looking for Him everywhere! There was an expectation of His arrival and they recognized the signs, though they didn’t recognize the truth.
Our culture has become so cynical that we no longer have an expectation of great things; we no longer anticipate the arrival of the Divine in our midst. The first thing we assume (and generally rightly so) is that when a person announces He has been sent by God, He is obviously a nut.
The first thing the Pharisees wanted to know about John was if He was … the Messiah (Christ) … Elijah … or the Prophet.
The question regarding the Prophet may come from their knowledge of Deuteronomy 18:15 when Moses said, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him.”
This discussion between John and the Pharisees illuminates the desperate need for transformation within the people of Israel. The Messiah, Elijah and a reflection of Moses all signified important moments for change in God’s relationship to His people.
John wasn’t to be the instrument of change, but He was there to as the precursor. He brought a ministry of repentance. “I baptize you with water for repentance” (Matthew 3:11). He announced the coming of the Messiah who would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire (Matthew 3:12).
Change was coming for the people of Israel … the Pharisees sensed it as John tried to prepare them for it.
Do you sense change coming?
April 2 - A Man Sent From God
Saturday, April 2, 2011
April 2 – A Man Sent From God
There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. (John 1:6-13)
Do you have those people in your life that always seem to outshine you? No matter how successful or happy you are – their lives seem to be that much better. If you have a great life – theirs is fabulous!
John’s was his cousin and yet, it never occurred to him to be jealous or worried about his own place in life. All that he was, all that he had, all that he ever wanted to be was used by God to proclaim the coming of the Messiah.
He never wanted to be the light of the world. All John wanted was for people to listen to him as he proclaimed the coming of the One who was the Word of God – the Logos, the Word of Creation, the Light that shines in the darkness.
John’s life would be cut short by an evil man (Herod), but before that happened, he fulfilled his purpose in life – to proclaim the coming of the Messiah.
As crazy as it might sound in today’s culture, that is also our purpose, though we seem to have lost sight of it. We are to proclaim the message of the Messiah, the Gospel (Good News) of Jesus Christ in our own lives. We are to be the messenger to today’s world.
There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. (John 1:6-13)
Do you have those people in your life that always seem to outshine you? No matter how successful or happy you are – their lives seem to be that much better. If you have a great life – theirs is fabulous!
John’s was his cousin and yet, it never occurred to him to be jealous or worried about his own place in life. All that he was, all that he had, all that he ever wanted to be was used by God to proclaim the coming of the Messiah.
He never wanted to be the light of the world. All John wanted was for people to listen to him as he proclaimed the coming of the One who was the Word of God – the Logos, the Word of Creation, the Light that shines in the darkness.
John’s life would be cut short by an evil man (Herod), but before that happened, he fulfilled his purpose in life – to proclaim the coming of the Messiah.
As crazy as it might sound in today’s culture, that is also our purpose, though we seem to have lost sight of it. We are to proclaim the message of the Messiah, the Gospel (Good News) of Jesus Christ in our own lives. We are to be the messenger to today’s world.
April 1 - The Word Made Flesh
Friday, April 1, 2011
April 1 – The Word Made Flesh
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. The Word became flesh and lived for a while 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 (John 1:1-5, 14).
The Greek word used in this passage for ‘Word’ is ‘logos.’ This concept comes from Greek philosophy. They used it to mean simply a word or even the idea of debate. A century or so before Jesus was born, the Stoics (another branch of Greek philosophy) applied the term to what they understood as the divine creator of the universe – not necessarily God, but what today we might call, the Intelligent Designer.
Philo was a Jewish philosopher who adopted the concept of the Logos to the Jewish idea of God. John taught the idea of the Logos as that through which all things are created and Jesus Christ is the incarnation (the human experience) of the Divine.
John doesn’t focus on the birth of Christ into human form, but rather the connection of Jesus Christ to God and to the beginning of creation. His Gospel affirms all throughout that Jesus Christ is the Son of God – the Lamb of God sent to take away the sins of the world. When questions arose about the divinity of Jesus, John’s Gospel was there to offer answers.
Jesus Christ was with God in the beginning. He was God. He wasn’t created by God, He was God. He was the Word that God spoke when He said, “Let there be light, let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water, let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, let the land produce vegetation, let the water teem with living creatures, let the land produce living creatures, and finally … let us make man in our image.”
Jesus came to the world when the time was right. He came from the Father. While it is difficult to understand the mystery of the Trinity and then the mystery of the combination of humanity and the divine in one person, John simply wants us to know who the man, Jesus was. These words are from a man who knew Him well and wanted to ensure that the world did so as well.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. The Word became flesh and lived for a while 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 (John 1:1-5, 14).
The Greek word used in this passage for ‘Word’ is ‘logos.’ This concept comes from Greek philosophy. They used it to mean simply a word or even the idea of debate. A century or so before Jesus was born, the Stoics (another branch of Greek philosophy) applied the term to what they understood as the divine creator of the universe – not necessarily God, but what today we might call, the Intelligent Designer.
Philo was a Jewish philosopher who adopted the concept of the Logos to the Jewish idea of God. John taught the idea of the Logos as that through which all things are created and Jesus Christ is the incarnation (the human experience) of the Divine.
John doesn’t focus on the birth of Christ into human form, but rather the connection of Jesus Christ to God and to the beginning of creation. His Gospel affirms all throughout that Jesus Christ is the Son of God – the Lamb of God sent to take away the sins of the world. When questions arose about the divinity of Jesus, John’s Gospel was there to offer answers.
Jesus Christ was with God in the beginning. He was God. He wasn’t created by God, He was God. He was the Word that God spoke when He said, “Let there be light, let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water, let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, let the land produce vegetation, let the water teem with living creatures, let the land produce living creatures, and finally … let us make man in our image.”
Jesus came to the world when the time was right. He came from the Father. While it is difficult to understand the mystery of the Trinity and then the mystery of the combination of humanity and the divine in one person, John simply wants us to know who the man, Jesus was. These words are from a man who knew Him well and wanted to ensure that the world did so as well.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
