In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1)
When you trust in Jesus Christ, who is the Word"
of God, something happens that is far greater, deeper and higher than any experience this world can offer. You become His and He becomes yours. You are
changed inside, given a new nature, and yes, the old nature lives on during your
life here on earth, but that which is new will grow into something beautiful,
and what you will be is wrought from the very heart of God. Its important to
know who Jesus is, for by knowing Him you will find everything that is good
for life and for all eternity. And the Bible reveals Him to us all.
The first three Books of the New Testament are called Synoptic
Gospels by theologians because they have so much in common with each
another. All of the first three Gospels begin with some aspect of Jesus time
here on earth. Modern theologians have decided that MARK was the first Gospel
written and they conclude that all were written in Greek. Mark starts with a
brief quote from the Book of Isaiah and then has, as its beginning, the baptism
of Jesus by John the Baptist, an event, of course, which was here on earth.
The Early Church presented something different: that
MATTHEW was actually the first Gospel and it was written in Hebrew. After a
genealogy of Jesus ancestry through His step-father, Matthew takes us briefly
to Jesus conception by the Holy Spirit and then to His birth in Bethlehem. Luke
begins with the events leading to the birth of John the Baptist and then
describes the important events relating the conception of Jesus. All three of
the Synoptic Gospels begin with Jesus life on
this planet.
The Book of John was written much later and according to
the human author, John the Apostle (not the Baptist), it deliberately includes
events not mentioned in the other gospels, with the intent that you
may believe (John 20:31). And the Book of John interestingly starts, not
on this earth, but in infinity, revealing where Jesus Christ actually came from.
The Book of John starts before human history, before the
creation of this world and even before the universe itself. The
beginning was in eternity, a place that is without beginning or ending;
a place before even time began. As Paul the Apostle said, He
(Jesus) is before all things and in Him all things hold
together. Without God the Son, Jesus Christ, and his active role in
human history, your body would not hold together; it would lose its form. The
sun would fly apart, and so would the planets and everything that is: but in
Him, in Jesus Christ, all things hold together
(Colossians 1:17). Because of the Word (Jesus
Christ) in our Scripture for today, we can make decisions with some certainty,
but except for Him, all would be chaos, without form and void. Micah the prophet
said that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem and He
would also come from everlasting (Micah 5:2).
Jesus Christ, the Word of God who was God, came
into space and time to save all of us from certain destruction. He saves us from
ourselves.
The method of our salvation was described hundreds of
years before it actually occurred. In places like Isaiah 53:4-6, we find He
has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was
bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by
His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned
every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
Notice that the events described are written as though they already had
occurred. And that is true from the perspective of God. Time really does not
exist, except in relation to this universe. When God decides something WILL
happen, it already HAS.
This method God chose to save us from our sins is beyond
our ability to comprehend. The Father sent His innocent Son, the Word
of God, and laid on Him the iniquity of us all
(Isaiah 53:6). None of us really understand the enormity of the Fathers act in
sending the Son to die for our sins, but Oswald Chambers has placed it somewhat
into our grasp with these words: God called Jesus Christ
to what seemed absolute disaster. And Jesus Christ called His disciples to see
Him put to death, leading every one of them to the place where their hearts were
broken. His life was an absolute failure from every standpoint except Gods. But
what seemed to be failure from mans standpoint was a triumph from Gods
standpoint because Gods purpose is never the same as mans purpose.
Many years ago, when I was in high school, a boy named
Tommy and I became friends. Tommy and I had about the same appearance
physically. Both of us were somewhat overweight and we were each about 59 in
height. Then Tommy grew taller and I didnt. He went rapidly to about 64 in
height, gaining a lot of additional bulk in the process, and he also decided to
become my enemy, though I did not know why. One day, Tommy confronted me in the
school yard and wanted to fight; and from his statements, it appeared that he
had wanted this fight for a long time. His friends were with him and they were
all yelling, but I had no desire for the fight because I had no quarrel with
him. I sighed, looked him in the eyes, and said No.
Then I walked through his group of friends and went to class. It was a large
school and to my recollection, I never saw Tommy again.
Now, my response was neither good nor bad; it was simply
what I did. Other times I did fight, but not this time. My action had no
particular effect on others as far as I know, and sometimes I have wondered if I
did the right thing for the wrong reasons. I dont know. But it is a fact that
for obscure reasons that none of us completely understand; the whole human race
has fought against God our Creator. And it was God Himself who rescued us by not
fighting against us, even to the point that He died for our sins. When we read
in the Book of Genesis Chapter One, the words: In the
beginning God created the heavens and the earth, we must take it in
conjunction with John 1:1, where we read: In the
beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Jesus is the Word of John 1:1, and He is the
Creator in Genesis 1:1. Incredibly, the Word became flesh
and dwelt among us (John 1:14) and that Word
is Jesus Christ - YOUR Creator and mine. He is the very One who was killed by
humanity, after He became flesh and dwelt among us.
As a race, we are guilty of His death; but He is also the One who has
borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. He died to set us free.
Lord, You are much more than we ever thought. Forgive
us for fighting against You, and let us be with You forever. Thank You, Lord.
In Jesus Name. Amen.
