John’s Gospel presents a distinctly different look at Jesus than the other three gospel accounts. While Matthew and Luke begin with words about genealogy, Joseph, Mary and Jesus’ birth and Mark begins with Jesus’ baptism, John teaches us about the eternal nature of Jesus—His timeless existence. Immediately, John tells us that Jesus was, is and always will be. He has existed forever with the Father and the Holy Spirit—one triune God or what we call the Trinity. John wrote, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning” (John 1:1-2).
John’s unique name for Jesus is “the Word.” Jesus embodied the Word of God in flesh and blood much like the Bible is the written Word of God. If we want to know what the Father is like, we need only to look at the Son. John pushes the story of Jesus far, far back beyond Bethlehem and even the Old Testament prophets. He shows us that our Savior born in Bethlehem has always existed. He has never “not existed,” with apologies for bad grammar. But, despite the grammar, the theology is good. We can rightly say that Jesus has never for a moment “not existed.”
We call Jesus’ birth the “incarnation.” His birth was where Jesus took on the fleshly appearance and trappings of the human body. Deity assumed humanity. The Eternal One entered into earthly time and surroundings. Yet though He became a man, He would live a sinless life. His sinlessness enabled Him to be the perfect sacrifice for sinful humans like you and me. He became sin by bearing our sinfulness while giving His righteousness to us. John later wrote about Jesus’ incarnation in John 1:14. “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
Literally, in Greek, John was saying that Jesus “pitched His tent among us.” He dwelt with us, like us and for us in every way imaginable with the exception of His sinlessness. He never brought shame to the Father and never once acted wickedly. As we approach the day of Jesus’ birth, we must reflect upon our need for His birth. We needed a Savior—pure and simple. The contagion of sin is far greater and far worse than any illness caused by germs, bacteria or viruses. Sin is far worse than any stage or category of cancer. Sin is 100% terminal and fatal—apart from the grace, atonement and forgiveness of God in His Son Jesus.
Isaiah described the human nature quite well in 5:20-21 of his prophecy. He wrote, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight.” The prophet’s message was that we always get it wrong. We fail. We sin. We come up short. And the only solution is a Savior who could live the life we could never live and die the very death we should have rightfully and deservedly died.
As we rush into the Christmas season, we enjoy the pageantry, decorations, symbols and beauty. But we also have to confront the realities and truths that underlie Christmas. We need a Savior. We are sinners. We cannot save ourselves. The words of John and Isaiah help us to focus on these underlying truths that we cannot forget. Have a great Thursday!
John’s unique name for Jesus is “the Word.” Jesus embodied the Word of God in flesh and blood much like the Bible is the written Word of God. If we want to know what the Father is like, we need only to look at the Son. John pushes the story of Jesus far, far back beyond Bethlehem and even the Old Testament prophets. He shows us that our Savior born in Bethlehem has always existed. He has never “not existed,” with apologies for bad grammar. But, despite the grammar, the theology is good. We can rightly say that Jesus has never for a moment “not existed.”
We call Jesus’ birth the “incarnation.” His birth was where Jesus took on the fleshly appearance and trappings of the human body. Deity assumed humanity. The Eternal One entered into earthly time and surroundings. Yet though He became a man, He would live a sinless life. His sinlessness enabled Him to be the perfect sacrifice for sinful humans like you and me. He became sin by bearing our sinfulness while giving His righteousness to us. John later wrote about Jesus’ incarnation in John 1:14. “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
Literally, in Greek, John was saying that Jesus “pitched His tent among us.” He dwelt with us, like us and for us in every way imaginable with the exception of His sinlessness. He never brought shame to the Father and never once acted wickedly. As we approach the day of Jesus’ birth, we must reflect upon our need for His birth. We needed a Savior—pure and simple. The contagion of sin is far greater and far worse than any illness caused by germs, bacteria or viruses. Sin is far worse than any stage or category of cancer. Sin is 100% terminal and fatal—apart from the grace, atonement and forgiveness of God in His Son Jesus.
Isaiah described the human nature quite well in 5:20-21 of his prophecy. He wrote, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight.” The prophet’s message was that we always get it wrong. We fail. We sin. We come up short. And the only solution is a Savior who could live the life we could never live and die the very death we should have rightfully and deservedly died.
As we rush into the Christmas season, we enjoy the pageantry, decorations, symbols and beauty. But we also have to confront the realities and truths that underlie Christmas. We need a Savior. We are sinners. We cannot save ourselves. The words of John and Isaiah help us to focus on these underlying truths that we cannot forget. Have a great Thursday!
Recent
Archive
2022
January
January 3, 2022Tuesday, January 4, 2022Wednesday, January 5, 2022Thursday, January 6, 2022Monday, January 10, 2022Tuesday, January 11, 2022Wednesday, January 12, 2022Thursday, January 13, 2022Monday, January 17, 2022Tuesday, January 18, 2022Wednesday, January 19, 2022Thursday, January 20, 2022Monday, January 24, 2022Tuesday, January 25, 2022Wednesday, January 26, 2022Thursday, January 27, 2022Monday, January 31, 2022
February
Tuesday, February 1, 2022Wednesday, February 2, 2022Thursday, February 3, 2022Monday, February 7, 2022Tuesday, February 8, 2022Wednesday, February 9, 2022Thursday, February 10, 2022Monday, February 14, 2022Tuesday, February 15, 2022Wednesday, February 16, 2022Thursday, February 17, 2022Monday, February 21, 2022Wednesday, February 23, 2022Thursday, February 24, 2022Monday, February 28, 2022
March
Tuesday, March 1, 2022Wednesday, March 2, 2022Thursday, March 3, 2022Monday, March 7, 2022Wednesday, March 9, 2022Thursday, March 10, 2022Monday, March 14, 2022Tuesday, March 15, 2022Wednesday, March 16, 2022Monday, March 21, 2022Tuesday, March 22, 2022Wednesday, March 23, 2022Thursday, March 24, 2022Monday, March 28, 2022Tuesday, March 29, 2022Wednesday, March 30, 2022Thursday, March 31, 2022
April
Monday, April 4, 2022Tuesday, April 5, 2022Wednesday, April 6, 2022Thursday, April 7, 2022Monday, April 11, 2022Tuesday, April 12, 2022Wednesday, April 13, 2022Maundy Thursday, April 14, 2022Monday, April 18, 2022Tuesday, April 19, 2022Wednesday, April 20, 2022Monday, April 25, 2022Tuesday, April 26, 2022Wednesday, April 27, 2022Thursday, April 28, 2022
May
June
Wednesday, June 1, 2022Thursday, June 2, 2022Monday, June 6, 2022Tuesday, June 7, 2022Wednesday, June 8, 2022Thursday, June 9, 2022Monday, June 13, 2022Tuesday, June 14, 2022Wednesday, June 15, 2022Thursday, June 16, 2022Monday, June 20, 2022Tuesday, June 21, 2022Wednesday, June 22, 2022Thursday, June 23, 2022
Categories
Tags
Acts
Communion
Cross
God's will
God
Holy Spirit
Holy Week
Jesus
Lent
Reformation
Zacchaeus
accountability
action
advent
all saints
anxiety
awe
beginning
beloved
blessing
boaz
calling
change
character
chistmas
choices
christian living
christmas
comfort
commitment
compassion
confidence
contentment
control
cost
decisions
deliverance
dependence
depth
despair
determination
devote
devotion
direction
discernment
discipleship
discouragement
disobedience
eagerness
emotion
encouragement
eternal life
eternity
exodus
facing battles
faithful living
faithfulness
faith
fatigue
fear
follow
foreshadowing
forgiveness
freedom
friends
fruit of the Spirit
future
generosity
gideon
gifts
giving
glory
goodness
grace
grateful
gratitude
grit
growth
guidance
halloween
hannah
happiness
healing
heart
heaven
help
history
holiday
holiness
home
hope
humble
identity
impossible
incarnation
innkeeper
inspiration
instruction
journey
joy
kindness
kingdom
knowing God
leper
life
light
love
martin luther
maturity
memorial
memories
mercy
minor prophets
miracles
missions
mission
motives
nation
nativity
new year
new
obedience
obstacles
opportunity
overcoming
passion
path
patience
peace
perseverance
perseverence
perspective
peter
plan
ponder
power
praise
prayer
preparation
presence
pressure
pride
priorities
process
prodigal
progress
provision
psalm
purpose
redemption
refuge
rejoice
remember
remembrance
renown
repentance
resolution
restoration
rest
return
ruth
sacrifice
salvation
sanctification
scripture
second coming
seeking God
serenity
sermon
service
sincerity
sin
solitude
sorrow
sovereignty
sower
star
stewardship
storms
strength
struggle
stuck
talents
thankfulness
thankful
thanksgiving
thanksliving
the way
tithes
traditions
transfiguration
trinity
troubles
trust
unlikely
veterans
waiting
walk
wisdom
wise men
word
worship
No Comments