Without realizing it, we have become jaded I think - worn out and weary the dictionary says - by people seeking to manipulate us to their advantage. They make claims that prove to be false. Doesn't matter whether its a Washington politician, a dear lady from Nigeria with millions to put in your bank account, or a Wall Street guru who absconds with billions leaving their investors devastated. The church in its institutional form should get lumped in there as well. Our Dyson vacuum cleaner is an exception ( I know...get a life)!
John is making a staggering - no hyperbole - staggering claim. The Word has changed - was made something unimaginable. It has become something it was not before. From all eternity, this Word has been one with the Father, and now...it has become one with us. The Word has become flesh and is living among us - the incarnation.
"The act of self-humbling on the part of God is irreversible; he is eternally 'Emmanuel', God with us. God the son, without ceasing for a moment to be divine, has united to himself a full human nature and become an authentic human person, 'God with us.' In Jesus Christ, God 'was made man.'"
The great English mystery writer Dorothy Sayers wrote, "from the beginning of time until now it is the only thing that has ever really happened...We may call this doctrine exhilarating or we may call it devastating, we may call it revelation or we may call it rubbish...but if we call it dull then what in heaven's name is worthy to be called exciting?" The lady was not jaded!
The eyewitness testimonials all agree with and support the claim. A witness in Jewish culture in the first century world was under a severe oath. "Unless you stake everything on the truth of what you say, you cannot be a witness."
The first was John the Baptist, testifying to the light (there's that word again) that is coming into the world. It didn't receive a warm reception - but the promise to those who do is staggering again - become children of God, born of God. The only advantage gained here accrues to those who believe - put their trust in the Word. Everything he did, he did for the sake of those he came to serve with his life.
John adds his word of witness - we have seen his glory - not pomp and circumstance, but the grace and truth of God in the humility of his coming to us.
And then there is the voice of the early followers of Jesus who paid for their faith, many of them with their life. They are not disappointed. "Out of his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace."
As you proceed through Lent, ask God to show you if, and where you have become jaded. Read and re-read these verses again and again until God's Spirit brings or renews life inside your soul. Sometimes we don't realize how polluted our thinking has become. This news is way more exciting than my Dyson vacuum cleaner!
John is making a staggering - no hyperbole - staggering claim. The Word has changed - was made something unimaginable. It has become something it was not before. From all eternity, this Word has been one with the Father, and now...it has become one with us. The Word has become flesh and is living among us - the incarnation.
"The act of self-humbling on the part of God is irreversible; he is eternally 'Emmanuel', God with us. God the son, without ceasing for a moment to be divine, has united to himself a full human nature and become an authentic human person, 'God with us.' In Jesus Christ, God 'was made man.'"
The great English mystery writer Dorothy Sayers wrote, "from the beginning of time until now it is the only thing that has ever really happened...We may call this doctrine exhilarating or we may call it devastating, we may call it revelation or we may call it rubbish...but if we call it dull then what in heaven's name is worthy to be called exciting?" The lady was not jaded!
The eyewitness testimonials all agree with and support the claim. A witness in Jewish culture in the first century world was under a severe oath. "Unless you stake everything on the truth of what you say, you cannot be a witness."
The first was John the Baptist, testifying to the light (there's that word again) that is coming into the world. It didn't receive a warm reception - but the promise to those who do is staggering again - become children of God, born of God. The only advantage gained here accrues to those who believe - put their trust in the Word. Everything he did, he did for the sake of those he came to serve with his life.
John adds his word of witness - we have seen his glory - not pomp and circumstance, but the grace and truth of God in the humility of his coming to us.
And then there is the voice of the early followers of Jesus who paid for their faith, many of them with their life. They are not disappointed. "Out of his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace."
As you proceed through Lent, ask God to show you if, and where you have become jaded. Read and re-read these verses again and again until God's Spirit brings or renews life inside your soul. Sometimes we don't realize how polluted our thinking has become. This news is way more exciting than my Dyson vacuum cleaner!
Posts
Bob, thanks for all the time your are investing in this----we are back in Seattle but with this blog we're not really very far :). Jana Straub
ReplyDeleteBob, here are my thoughts on John 1: 6-18
ReplyDeleteThe incarnation is the greatest act of love
and mystery in the known universe. God comes to us in the flesh
But the uniqueness of this act is that it is purposed.
God is not taking a casual vacation! He is not off on some self-fulfilling bent to have relations with humans, as were the Greek and Romans gods. He is here on a purposed mission. To redeem His rebellious/ fallen creation back to Himself and to reveal his true nature, which had been distorted by religious traditions.
This purposed act results in Incarnate God {Jesus} being rejected, betrayed, his body and spirit crushed and then crucified on a cross until death seized him. Through the mystery of his power He is resurrected but bears the scars for our rebellion in his resurrected body forever.
John here reveals [from a post resurrection view] that this redemptive act restores us to relationship with the God as it was before the fall. In Jesus, the second Adam we have the free choice right to have our birth nature changed. Those who believe are no longer members of the bloody family of men {earthly condemned, enslaved to our sin}. In Jesus Christ we are born of the will of God, into the family of God. We have a new nature and God through the person of his Spirit indwells us. We are liberated, transformed into children of the Kingdom of God.
So this is the choice, we can live under the Law, which keeps us as citizens of this world, Or we can be Children of the kingdom of God, living in relationship with our heavenly Father, through the grace of Jesus Christ.
And after all he has done he still leaves us with our free will, the right to receive him or reject his redemptive work of love. It is the garden all over again, we have the right to eat or not. We are the ones who choose!
Jane and Henrik,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that you'll be following along. It was good to see you both when you were here. Bob