Beholding Jesus

Before anything is discussed in the Gospel of John, he (John) introduces the Word. Is there anywhere in the Old Testament that Jesus is referred to as the Word? I noticed it refers to Him as “He” in this passage. God is always portrayed as masculine.

What does the beginning mean here? I assume it means the beginning of mankind, the earth, and the cosmos.

Every single thing that was made was made through Christ Jesus as He was in the form of the Word of God. Therefore He knew every detail of everything!  

Within Him is life; and this life is the light of men, the illumination, the fullness that men are called into. This is what we were made for, was life in the Spirit of God. We were meant to be truly alive, not just numbers among the walking dead. Jesus is the Light, meaning the source from which all life flows. This means that there is no other who brings forth life, no other which can save men from their fallen nature. Jesus is the Light and therefore He is the Truth. The Light reveals all things and shows them as they truly are. He brings forth into the light, things that were previously in darkness. The great thing about this is that Jesus shows us not only the depth of our depraved hearts, but He shows us the glorious destiny that is set before us and how great his love truly is for us!

This passage really speaks about the divinity of God. The whole Gospel of John is a declaration of the divinity of Jesus, but especially this passage. It reveals His identity as God and His preexistence as the Word and the Light before He ever entered humanity. John was basically saying, “This is who He really is! There is more to this Man! He is from eternity! He is the Alpha and the Omega! He is God! Don’t let your eyes deceive you! He is One so great, you can’t even imagine the fullness of it!”

Jesus is the Word and the Light. As the Word, He declares the truth to our ears of understanding of who God really is. He speaks to our spirits. Therefore we must listen by opening our spirits to receive from His Spirit more of Him and what He has for us. Jesus is the Light of the world. We must gaze with our eyes of understanding upon the beauty of Him and Truth that He is.

Becoming a man was an incredibly outlandish act in and of itself, but it did not stop there. The whole world did not even know who He was. The people group that He had chosen to progressively reveal Himself and bind Himself to by covenant had no knowledge of who He or His Father was. The very God that they claimed every day to be living for they not only disregarded completely, but fully hated Him and everything He stood for. It says here that “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.” In Matthew 23:37 He states His tender love and desire towards the people of Israel when He said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!” The Lord was deeply pained in His heart that His own would not receive Him. Because nobody would receive Him it says that He gave the right to any that would receive Him as the Son of the Living God to become children of God. Those who were born of God, not by any means of human doing or willpower, but by the will of the Father.

Jesus is stated as the fullness of grace and truth. He was fully gracious to receive anyone that would call upon His name. II Chronicles 7:14 says, “If My people, who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” Jesus gives us similar words in Matthew 16:24 when He says, “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” What keeps the church and all of humanity in a state of depravity is a lack of knowledge and admission of the cesspool that we are living in. If we would just admit that we don’t know what we are doing here, that we fail all the time, and come to repentance for our agreement with lies, then we would be set free. The Lord will deliver those who humble themselves to accept His great leadership in their lives. It is actually an amazing and completely free gift that God readily gives to anyone through His Son Christ Jesus.

The first words in the book of Saint John: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The name “Word” is a faultless name to describe Jesus. The Greek word used here is “logos”, meaning the expression of thought. Jesus perfectly expressed the thoughts of the Father and was manifest in a physical form so all the world could read them. The Lord says in Hebrews 1:3, that Jesus is “the brightness of his gory, and the express image of his person”. In fact, further on in Hebrews we see that God the Father says that Jesus is God (1:8). It is also fitting for Jesus to be called the Word of God because his physical body was produced by God’s spoken Word.

We have Jesus to thank for all things that are created, “All things were made by him”. Jesus is so creative; he is the author of creativity! How mind-boggling is that? He even created our minds in a way that we could be moved to worship Him because of his greatness! Also, Jesus was not created; he is God and already existed in the beginning (v. 2). It could be understandable for an ignorant mind to think that the first time Jesus every existed was at the incarnation. The Son of God is uncreated, however, the name “Jesus” was given to him at the incarnation.

In verse twelve we see that whosoever receives Jesus and believe on his name, to them he gives the power to become the sons of God; who are born of God (v.13). Jesus is the Great Redeemer. He redeems his people from this fallen world, and brings them back into right standing with God the Father.

God tells us that we all have received the fullness of Jesus (v.16), speaking to those who are called his sons and daughters. This is an awesome statement. Jesus has the fullness of the Godhead in him (Col. 2:9) and in verse sixteen we see “of his fullness have all we received”. This means that we have the fullness of God in us. That is so astounding! In Colossians 2:10 we read that we are complete in him. And Philemon verse six says, “the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus”. As we discover who we are in Jesus and recognize all the power that is within us, our faith becomes effective. And we all know that we need to be effective!

No man has ever seen God at any time according to verse eighteen. But Jesus Christ, who is in the Father has declared him to us. We now have a way to know God! Thank you Jesus! I love how we can know God and at the same time never be able to know him fully. The Revelation of John is filled with evidence of this. For eternity we will be getting our minds blown with revelations of God!

The Jews asked John the Baptist who he was. They were thoroughly befuddled; some were thinking he was the Messiah, others the prophet Elijah. Straightway he denied their assumptions, and he made it clear that he was not Christ by proclaiming to them this profoundly intricate announcement: “I am not the Christ.” After they heard this, the priests and Levites, whom the Jews sent, asked him, “Who are you then? So we may give an answer to them that sent us. What do you have to say for yourself?” And what is John’s response? Nothing other than, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord’”. John the Baptist was preparing people for the coming of the Lord Jesus. A commonly heard statement at the International House of Prayer is such: “If the Lord needed to prepare people for his fist coming, beloved, how much more will he need to prepare people for his return?” Thank you Lord, for calling us forth to proclaim your return.

Jesus, in verse forty-two beholds Simon. Jesus looks at Simon, having never met him until that time, and tells him, “Thou art Simon the son of Jona”. And in the same sentence tells Simon that he shall be called Cephas, which means by interpretation, A Stone. This is totally awesome. We have a God “who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.” (Rom. 4:17) Simon surely had not a clue that when Jesus told him he was to be called Cephas, or A Stone, that Jesus forever changed the course of his life.

Jesus probably had a fun time blowing Nathanael’s mind. We read that Nathanael was skeptical, “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?” I love Philip’s response, “Come and see”. Philip knew the goodness of Jesus. He had tasted and seen that the Lord is good! As Philip and Nathanael approached Jesus, he saw them coming to him, and said, “Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!” Nathanael was totally dumbfounded as to how Jesus knew him. (This is an example of the demonstration of the power of God, “For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power” (1 Cor. 4:20). And how blessed are we that we get to operate in this power today!) Jesus continues to boggle Nathanael’s mind by saying to him, “Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.” Nathanael’s only response was to worship him, professing that Jesus is the Son of God, the King of Israel. I testify in agreement with all God’s children that nothing compares to encountering Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh. Amen.

For much time now this beginning of John 1 has intrigued me, as the Word became flesh.  Each time I study, reflect or meditate on these passages, the Holy Spirit continually highlights to me the depth and intricacies of this portion of scripture.  It seems a never-ending depth and revelation, as the Word of God is active and living!  Thank you Lord that your Word is living and active and always revealing truth and more about You!  Holy Spirit, I thank You that You are my teacher, my counselor, my revealer, my escort and my ever-present help throughout each of these meditation assignments and throughout each and everyday of my life.  Continue to take me deeper and higher in the things of the Lord and the Spirit! 

The Holy Spirit highlighted to me that there are many action verbs in the first part of the chapter and that there is a heavy emphasis on this “logos”, the Word, being a maker.  Through Him all things were made.  ALL things were made through Him.  There is not one thing that exists that has not been made through Him.  ALL things were made through Him!

I was soon ushered into a place of the contrast of light and dark and that Him, through whom ALL was made, was the Light.  This concept grew in me in greater measure.  The awesomeness and brevity of this statement captured me.  From the beginning, He was Light and the only Light, though which all was made!  The Holy Spirit gave me an amazing vision of this Light and all being made through Him, this Light.  The color of the Light and its brilliance was unlike any color I have ever seen.  The Light had substance and character with particles and so much more.  The Holy Spirit likened it to faith.  Faith is not just a concept, it is a substance.  “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for…” (Hebrews 11:1)  This Light is not just a concept or an object; it is a substance and much more.

The Holy Spirit then escorted me to the portion of this passage were John the Baptist is introduced.  John was sent from God as a man who, “that all through him might believe.” (John 1:7)  The Holy Spirit revealed to me deeper revelation of the concept of “through someone”.  We see in John 1:3, 10 that all things were made through Him and that the world was made through Him. Then in John 1:7 that God sent John that all through him (John) all might believe.  This concept is for us too.  That many through us would believe, be saved, be healed, and be delivered.  Oh, Lord what do you want to do through me and through us in this hour?  This concept of being a servant available, through whom God can do and bring about what He wants, is a beautiful and big concept.  Lord, that I may be a servant that you continue to do things through!  Just as through “the Word” all things were made and through John all might believe, oh that we would be one who through us You do much for Your Kingdom and to glorify Your Son.  Oh Lord, thank you that you do your works through us!  This is your heart Lord!  That we are in partnership with You and You with us, that through us You do Your works!

The Holy Spirit also showed me deeper revelation of the importance of a witness.  In John 1:6-7 we see that John (the Baptist), a man sent from God came “…for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.  Then again in John 1:8 we read that, “He was not the Light, but was sent to bear witness to the Light.”  I was led to look up the word witness.  The dictionary definition of witness is to bear witness; testify; give or afford evidence.  Why would the Light, this great Light need someone to bear witness, to testify and to give evidence for?  We see in John 1:10 that this Light was in the world, the world that was made through Him, but yet the world did not know Him.  What a strange concept that you can be made through someone but yet not know that which you were made through.  The Holy Spirit then showed me the picture of a baby that is adopted.  That precious little one who God breathed life into and bore into this world was made and born into this world through it’s mother, but yet there is a high probability that this precious child will not ever know the one who it was made and born through as it will be adopted.  How would this child ever know her?  Only by a witness from someone else or from it’s mother herself.  This child could grow up and even encounter it’s mother whom it was made and born through and still never know it was she unless someone tells them, unless someone testifies of whom this person is, unless someone bears witness, or gives evidence.  Oh, in this time and this hour who will bear witness to this Light that still shines in the darkness but the darkness cannot comprehend it and the world still does not know it.  Who will bear witness so more will become children of God, born of God and not the flesh!  We will Lord, I will Lord!  We all need to bear witness to the Light!  Give us the boldness and deeper urgency in this hour Lord to bear witness!

The Holy Spirit kept showing me this Light, what a beautiful Light!  Isn’t light obvious in a room?  Why would it need a witness?  In a room we don’t see the light itself, we see a chair as a result of the light bouncing off of it, so the chair is a witness to the light!  Who will be a witness like this chair?  Oh Lord, fashion me as a stronger witness.  Make me sturdier, craft me like the strongest oak chairs of old, like the oak planted by the waters that is not moved!

I was then shown another kind of darkness, blindness.  Why else does this light need a witness?  This Light also needs a witness because there are many people in darkness due to blindness and they can’t see the Light.  Someone must be a witness of the Light, and the existence of the Light to these ones.  Through this Light and the witness the blinders will be removed and they will be unshackled.  Oh the power of the Light and the witness!

I wonder how John the Baptist felt at the beginning of His journey being the witness to the wonderful Light, to this wonderful Man named Jesus.  It was not an easy journey for him by any means and to continue to have to help others take the focus off of him and put their eyes toward Jesus, what was this like for him?  Did he struggle with pride within this context or was He so sold out and in love with Jesus that it was a joy to him?  Was it a mix of both of these?  What was is like the day he saw Jesus in the flesh, on earth, walking toward him?  What emotions did he experience?  As John declared, “Behold the Lamb of God,” what was he feeling inside?  Oh, to be able to meet John the Baptist and talk with him about these days of his life.  What did he like about the life of being a forerunner?  What did he struggle with?  Holy Spirit, continue to escort me deeper into the life of John the Baptist and give me even more of a look into his life.

Although there is much more to share in regards to revelation and thoughts on this deep, intricate and intriguing portion of scripture, I will refrain for now due to time and space.  As we end with this our final meditation assignment for the semester, I am ever so grateful for these assignments and the discipline of meditation!  These assignments have helped me to go deeper into the discipline of meditation and have deepened my relationship with the Holy Spirit.  My life is forever changed because of these assignments!  To experience on a weekly basis the revelation from the Holy Spirit has been a gift from God and a kiss from Him.  Lord, continue to open my heart, spirit and mind, more and more!  Holy Spirit continue to escort me into these areas, continue to teach me, and continue to reveal to me.  Continue to give me the discipline to take the time to meditate on scripture and look to you as my revealer and teacher.  Continue to develop this tool of meditation within me and in partnership with you, in Jesus name, Amen!

Meditation #10
John 1
Verses 1-2 “In the beginning was the Word…” God created the universe with His words. He opened His mouth and boom there was everything. The power of the word! It is speaking of how Jesus is the Word. He was there all along from the beginning. This speaks of His deity as the Son of God. ‘…and the Word was God.”
It also says that Jesus was at the beginning in communion with God. ‘…and the Word was with God..” John17:5 says “And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” He was always there in fellowship with His Father. These first verses are just so full of who Jesus is.
Verse 3 It’s interesting how people like to separate the trinity but they worked together. They are in communion with each other. “All things were made through Him and without Hi nothing was made that was made.”
Verse 4 ‘In Him was life and the life was the light of men.’ Through Him we get to the Father. He showed us life and gave us life. Creator of the universe who gave us life, died so we may have eternal communion with Him and showed us how to live life by walking on the earth. What a mighty merciful God we serve.
Verse 5 Jesus came to show light to the darkness. The darkness could not understand it! The light overpowered the darkness! Amen! We are called ’sons of light’ John 12:36. We walk in with Jesus, we abide in Him and are children of God. We are therefore called sons of light. God is so gracious as to not only save us from eternal death but to let us walk with Him in authority.
Verse 6-9 John the Baptist was sent from God to prepare s for the coming Messiah. How would you like your life to be dedicated from the beginning to tell others about the coming King. The honor of being such. Thank You Jesus! He was cultivating their hearts for Jesus. They became expectant and desired Him to come after hearing who He is and what He has done.
Verse 10-14 Crazy to think how we have gotten so side tracked and lost sight of the Creator. How we’ve lost sight of our King and Savior. Te very one who gave us breath we reject. Oh, the grace and mercy of God. Oh, how much He loves us and desires us and yet we reject Him. God have mercy on us.
Jesus knew He would be rejected bu His own yet He still came that we may have life. He not only came that we may eternal life with Him but that we may have it abundantly! John 10:10
This is amazing to me to think that the God who created all came to us in human form so we may have eternal life and that we may live abundantly. Though mankind rejects, crushes and blasphemes Jesus He still calls us to Him. He’s always faithful and longs for communion with us. Mind blowing! What an awesome, compassionate, loving God we serve.
Verse 15- Just think how John must have been waiting for Jesus. He knew about Him and prophesied about Him. The joy that must have filled him to see and touch the Savior of the world. Just think how confusing the words of John must have been to those around him. “..He who comes after me is preferred before me for He was before me.” I would be like ‘what?’ How is He who was born after you have been before you? I can picture the smile coming across the face of John as he explained who Jesus was.
Verse 19-28 John is questioned on who he is and what he is doing. He says he is “The voice of one crying in the wilderness…” He is telling them that he is waiting for the Messiah and he tells them of who he is waiting for. What a joy to tell of our King and lover of our souls!
John says of Jesus that “whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.” Seriously, who are we to even be allowed into the presence and walk in the mercy and grace that He gives us. He is such an amazing God! This is so amazing to me that the One who was there in the beginning gave Himself to be beaten and rejected on the cross to die for us.
Verse 29-31 The joy that must have filled John’s heart when He sees the One he has preparing the way for. I can just picture his face lighting up and not knowing to bow down or run up and hug Him. Oh, God is so good! Crazy to think that they were cousins and did John know that Jesus was the Messiah? He must have sensed something about Jesus when growing up. So cool to think that they are family.
Verse 32-34 Just think how people’s worlds shook when they saw Jesus being baptized. I wonder how the felt when they heard John talk of the Holy Spirit? Did they know what he was talking about? They must have sensed something when being around John and Jesus.
Jesus asks in verse 37 to those that followed Him “What do you seek?” Interesting question. I wonder how the people felt when they followed Jesus. No wonder some people questioned Him because it is crazy to think of the things that Jesus does and where He stays. He’s so humble and merciful to think that He would stay out in the wilderness and not have a place to rest His head. He chose to live on the earth that we may know Him. Just think though that if He only stayed in nice places what people would think about that. Riches are not to be of this world.
Verse 46 Nathaniel asks if anything good can come from Nazareth. Jesus not only became flesh He lived in a place where others didn’t think anything good came from. He seriously chose the humblest path to come to us. He showed us great love. We mock Him and placed Him on a cross and He still heals us and delivers us.
Verse 51 To me this would be confusing if Jesus told me “Most assuredly I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open , and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.” This to me is where He starts His sayings that are hard to understand if you are trying to figure out who Jesus is. Just think how expectant these people were for the Messiah to come to them. The deliverer of all people. The One who can heal and save us has come. AMEN! Thank You Jesus.

12/07/09

It was the beginning and there was Jesus, as God, with God. Yes, God, the creator of all things. Nothing was made that wasn’t through Jesus, the Word. All living and nonliving was created by Him. And God came to the earth in the flesh that He made. His Son, Christ, came to earth.  God truly loves us. God, the almighty, contained himself in the flesh in which He created in the first place..

From the beginning God has been and will be the light. He defeats darkness. John states that from the beginning, darkness has not (and can not) overcome the light of the world. Jesus defeats Satan. What a prophesy!

John was sent to bear witness of Jesus. John was not the light, but the forerunner. The true light, the creator of the world, that was here before all things was coming, but the world did not know Him. Wow. God came in the flesh, unknown to all. He came as a baby, helpless and human. He made His name known, but His people still did not accept Him. Those who did accept Him, are children of God. They are not of flesh, but of God.

God could have so easily just sent His wrath upon us. He could have wiped away the evil in one second. But He has grace on us. He loves us! He wants us all to join Him in everlasting life.

God could have descended with clouds, gleaming for all to see with fire. He could have made His name known from the beginning.  God gave us free will. We decide to believe or not believe. He did make His name known. His glory shown before us, but still some did not accept Him. Still, He was successful. One man from 2000 years ago is still known. He is worshiped and loved. Although no one has ever seen God, Jesus sits at His side. The Son knows His Father. Jesus one man, made Him known throughout the world.

Why is the world so cynical? We question everything. We doubt everything. Even seeing we sometimes don’t believe. The priests were doubtful with John. Questioning to bring Him down and be sure he is not who other’s think he is. God had to have been with John. He answered so wisely, it should have been an answer clear enough for them to believe Christ was coming. John was their warning, the forerunner.  This was just a small taste of the doubt and persecution that would come against Jesus.

The next day John saw Jesus. He knew Jesus was the son of God because the Spirit rested upon Jesus. I wonder how that appeared. The Spirit resting on Him like a dove. What does that look like? In the passage it seems like it was all a calm setting, like, “Oh look there is the Son of God…” I bet John was a lot more excited than it appears in the passage. John knew that this day would come, but this was THE day! All that John was living for, came in full circle as he saw Jesus that moment.

John proclaimed Jesus as the Lamb of God as Jesus walked by and two of John’s disciples left John and followed Jesus. Jesus was God so did He know from the beginning who He was? Did He one day just realize? I mean He was a child at one point… Anyway, He expected those men to follow HIm. At this time, these men hadn’t even seen Jesus perform miracles or do anything. They just believed John. Holy Spirit must have played a big part in their faith. These men followed Jesus and became His disciples. One of the disciples told his brother, Simon, that they had found the Messiah (What a declaration!), and he came too. Jesus immediately changed Simon’s name to Peter. I wonder what the significance of that was? Just a symbol of His new walk with Jesus (literally)? I would be so honored to have Jesus change my name. I wonder if Simon was honored or if he was still kind of skeptical about the whole situation? Once he learned more and more about Jesus, I am sure the more honored he felt. Just to be a chosen disciple would be an honor. But these men had much faith.

Jesus went on to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him follow me and he followed. Was there more to it than that? Or did Jesus just simply say, “Follow me” and they just dropped their life to follow Jesus? Faith and courage played a big role in this. Holy Spirit played a big role in this!

Philip told Nathaniel. His first reaction was not quite as Philip’s. Nathaniel doubted, but came anyway. Because Jesus said He had seen Nathaniel was under the fig tree, Nathaniel believed. That is funny. Even Jesus was like, you believe because I saw you under the fig tree? You are easily convinced…. I’m coming back to the Holy Spirit answer. Definitely gave faith to these men. Jesus continued that they would see greater things, heavens opening up and angels! What a great quote to start the story of Jesus.

John was a deep writer. This chapter completely blows my mind. I could meditate for days on the first verse alone. To understand I definitely need some guidance for above! Thank You Jesus for the understanding I do have, but I ask for more. Thank You for loving us! Thank You for coming to the world in flesh. Thank You for saving me, that I might live forever with You!

John 1 starts talking about how the Word has always been here among us.  I believe the Word is not only the word of God but I believe the Word is also Jesus in the flesh as a human being.  From the beginning of time God has been with us.  He knew us even before we were born.  The Lord says in Jer. 1:5 ” I knew you before I formed  you in your mother’s womb.”  “I set you apart and appointed you  as my prophet to the nations.”  I believe the also knew the plans and purposes He had for our lives before we were born.  In Jer. 29:11 the Lord says, “For I know the plans I have for you.”  “They are plans for good and not for disaster to give you a future and a hope.”

  This passage of scripture also talks about how the Word (Jesus)  has been with God even before He created the world and us.  He has always existed even before the creation of time.  God created the world and everything in it.  He gave life and breath to every living thing He made.  Gen 2:7 says, then God formed the man from the dust of the ground.  he breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils and the man became a living person. 

One thing that keeps coming to mind when thinking about the Word made flesh is how Jesus first came to earth as a baby.  Jesus left His heavenly home where there was no saddness, pain, or suffering.  He left His home in Heaven to come to this earth and be born, just as we were born, into this world to save us from our sins.  This neweborn baby, Jesus, would feel pain, sorrow, and suffering just like we do.  The Word, Jesus, became flesh so that we could be saved through Him.  He left His glorious throne in Heaven and was born in a stable and was laid in a manger.  (Luke 1:31-35) (Luke 2 :6-20)  This little baby would bring joy and salvation to the world and to those who recieve Him would be saved through His precious blood shed for us on the cross. (John 3:16)  He did this because of His amazing unfailing love for us.  This was the only way we could be saved from our sins and our shame.  The only way was for God to send His one and only Son, in the flesh, into this world to give His blood as a ransom for the whole world.  Through Him many would come and be saved.  (Romans 3: 21-26)  Not only did Jesus come to die for our many sins but He died so that we could have a relationship with our Heavenly Father. He made a way through His violent death on the cross for us to be with Him and have relationship with Him.  (John 19:1-36)  Not only did He die for us but God raised Him up from the dead and He ascended up to Heaven and is now sitting adt God’s right hand praying and interceeding for us. (John 20:1-9) (Acts 1:6-11) 

I think it’s so amazing how Jesus came into this world.  He feels what we feel because He became flesh, human, just like we are.  His love is so much greater than any other human being can give to us.  His love for us is so great that it’s hard for us to understand but the cool thing is that He desires us to know His love in a deep way and we can Him this way because He gave us His Holy Spirit.  Eph. 3:18-19)  This isd a way the Lord has been revealing His love to me this past week!  He is so good!

God sent Jesus into this dark world to be a light and a witness about God and His kingdom in Heaven so  that many might repent and be saved.  Before God sent Jesus He sent a man named John the Baptist to prepare the way and prepare peoples’ hearts for when Jesus comes.  (John 1:15) (Isaiah 62:11-12)  In John 1 it talks about how Jesus came into this world, the world He created, and lived among the very ones that He created before the creation of timeto love Him and be with Him.  I just feel like it must have been so hurtful to Jesus when His own people rejected Him and served other “gods”  (idols) and wouldn’t accept Him.  Jesus loves all of His creation so much even those that don’t love Him back and long for them to be saved.  That’s the very reason why Jesus came into this world He created so He could save us through His death on the cross and John testified about this very thing. (John 1:29-30)  It’s so amazing how much Jesus loves us.  He is so faithful to us even when we areen’t faithful to Him.  He has so much grace for us. 

The scriptures say that no one has seen God, so while Jesus was on this earth he showed God’s character and love through His ministry.  Since Jesus is God and He is one with His Father in Heaven He only spoke and did what His Father told Him to speak and do.  In this way He was able to share and testify to us that we that He is the only way, the truth, and the Life.  There is no other way into the kingdom of Heaven but through the Father and our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ.  Someday we will see God in all His glory when Jesus returns to Jerusalem, to this earth, and reigns with us forever!  (Rev. 22:12)  What an awsome day that will be! 

When I read the passage that talks about Jesus’ first disciples I get the feeling that the disciples desired to follow Jesus because they great things about Him and so when they saw Jesus they immediatly followed Him.  It says in this passage of scripture that they stayed with Jesus all day.  (John 1:38-39)  There is just something about Jesus and being in His prescence that makes you want to be with Him.  Not only do we like being with Him but He loves to be with us.  (John 17:24)  I can see why the disciples wanted to stay with Jesus all day.  His love is so intoxicating and beautiful.  When you’re in His presence you don’t want Him to leave.  The good news is that He never us or forsakes us.  We are never alone.  I can imagine the disciples just sitting there with Jesus listening intently to every word He said.  I’m sure they had a lot of questions for Jesus as well.  I’m guessing that this was just one of the many good days they had with Jesus.  I can imagine having a day with Jesus.  That would be wonderful!  Just me and Jesus hanging out together; walking, talking, maybe dancing a little, eating together, and just hanging out.  I can imagine that would be a  very good day probably the best day of my life!  Jesus is so fun.  He is a glad God, slow to anger and full of love towards us.  ( Psalm 103:8) 

If Jesus wouldn’t have come into this world and become flesh for us we would have been in big trouble!  We were all condemned to die because of our many sins but God in His great love  and mercy for us sent Jesus to come into this world and die for us and save us from our many sins.  What an amazing God we serve!

The first words in the book of Saint John: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The name “Word” is a faultless name to describe Jesus. The Greek word used here is “logos”, meaning the expression of thought. Jesus perfectly expressed the thoughts of the Father and was manifest in a physical form so all the world could read them. The Lord says in Hebrews 1:3, that Jesus is “the brightness of his gory, and the express image of his person”. In fact, further on in Hebrews we see that God the Father says that Jesus is God (1:8). It is also fitting for Jesus to be called the Word of God because his physical body was produced by God’s spoken Word.

We have Jesus to thank for all things that are created, “All things were made by him”. Jesus is so creative; he is the author of creativity! How mind-boggling is that? He even created our minds in a way that we could be moved to worship Him because of his greatness! Also, Jesus was not created; he is God and already existed in the beginning (v. 2). It could be understandable for an ignorant mind to think that the first time Jesus every existed was at the incarnation. The Son of God is uncreated, however, the name “Jesus” was given to him at the incarnation.

In verse twelve we see that whosoever receives Jesus and believe on his name, to them he gives the power to become the sons of God; who are born of God (v.13). Jesus is the Great Redeemer. He redeems his people from this fallen world, and brings them back into right standing with God the Father.

God tells us that we all have received the fullness of Jesus (v.16), speaking to those who are called his sons and daughters. This is an awesome statement. Jesus has the fullness of the Godhead in him (Col. 2:9) and in verse sixteen we see “of his fullness have all we received”. This means that we have the fullness of God in us. That is so astounding! In Colossians 2:10 we read that we are complete in him. And Philemon verse six says, “the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus”. As we discover who we are in Jesus and recognize all the power that is within us, our faith becomes effective. And we all know that we need to be effective!

No man has ever seen God at any time according to verse eighteen. But Jesus Christ, who is in the Father has declared him to us. We now have a way to know God! Thank you Jesus! I love how we can know God and at the same time never be able to know him fully. The Revelation of John is filled with evidence of this. For eternity we will be getting our minds blown with revelations of God!

The Jews asked John the Baptist who he was. They were thoroughly befuddled; some were thinking he was the Messiah, others the prophet Elijah. Straightway he denied their assumptions, and he made it clear that he was not Christ by proclaiming to them this profoundly intricate announcement: “I am not the Christ.” After they heard this, the priests and Levites, whom the Jews sent, asked him, “Who are you then? So we may give an answer to them that sent us. What do you have to say for yourself?” And what is John’s response? Nothing other than, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord’”. John the Baptist was preparing people for the coming of the Lord Jesus. A commonly heard statement at the International House of Prayer is such: “If the Lord needed to prepare people for his fist coming, beloved, how much more will he need to prepare people for his return?” Thank you Lord, for calling us forth to proclaim your return.

Jesus, in verse forty-two beholds Simon. Jesus looks at Simon, having never met him until that time, and tells him, “Thou art Simon the son of Jona”. And in the same sentence tells Simon that he shall be called Cephas, which means by interpretation, A Stone. This is totally awesome. We have a God “who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.” (Rom. 4:17) Simon surely had not a clue that when Jesus told him he was to be called Cephas, or A Stone, that Jesus forever changed the course of his life.

Jesus probably had a fun time blowing Nathanael’s mind. We read that Nathanael was skeptical, “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?” I love Philip’s response, “Come and see”. Philip knew the goodness of Jesus. He had tasted and seen that the Lord is good! As Philip and Nathanael approached Jesus, he saw them coming to him, and said, “Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!” Nathanael was totally dumbfounded as to how Jesus knew him. (This is an example of the demonstration of the power of God, “For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power” (1 Cor. 4:20). And how blessed are we that we get to operate in this power today!) Jesus continues to boggle Nathanael’s mind by saying to him, “Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.” Nathanael’s only response was to worship him, professing that Jesus is the Son of God, the King of Israel. I testify in agreement with all God’s children that nothing compares to encountering Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh. Amen.

In the beginning was the Word

Jesus, like God, is eternal.  He has no starting point, no beginning to His existence, He just was.  In the beginning, He was there.  Jesus did not just start to exist at the incarnation, He was there for eternity past, and will be for eternity future.

Using the phrase “the Word” is also significant.  Just like we all must use words to communicate to each other what is in our heads, Jesus is that word to us.  When God wanted to show us His true nature, and His character, He sent Jesus to “speak it out” to us, so that we could understand Him more.

And the Word was with God

Jesus was with God.  Although They’re the same, They’re separate.  This is not a new concept, They were separate from the very beginning.  But were still together.

And the Word was God

Jesus is God.  Although They’re separate, They’re the same.  They were the same person from the very beginning.  But were still separate.

Through Him all things were made, without Him nothing was made that has been made

Jesus was the creator.  Through Him all things were created.  God didn’t create Jesus, all things were created through Him.

In Him was life, and that life was the light of men

Jesus came to earth as a human being.  He had life, in the fact that He lived here as a human, but also because He is the giver of all life.  Only through Jesus do we have life today (He sustains all things), but also only through Him do we have eternal life.  He came to bring life to us all, the light of His glory.

He is the light of men, He shines brighter and more pure than anything else.  He also gives us life, and through that promise, we have light.  That promise of light is our hope, our light.

The light shines into the darkness, but the darkness has not understood (or overcome) it

This is the first place where it speaks in the present tense.  Everything else is in the past.  But then the light shines.  Jesus didn’t only shine when He was on earth.  He shone then, and He shines now.  Jesus shines into the darkness, revealing and exposing the darkness, while purifying and transforming it into light.

But the darkness has not understood it.  When Jesus came to earth He was very misunderstood.  The darkness of the earth did not understand Him.  In our weak, broken, darkened state, we couldn’t comprehend such marvelous light.  They were so lost in their darkness that even when they were face to face with true, pure light, they missed it.

The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world

Jesus is the only true light.  Before this sentence it says that John was not the light, only a witness to the light, but others thought that it was him.  Even though sometimes we think people are a “light”, or something special, to be looked at and held high, they are not the true light.  Jesus is the only true light and He alone gives light to every man who accepts it.  And He was coming into the world!

He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him.

When Jesus came into the earth, He came into that which He had created.  Not only did the world not recognize Him as their creator, they completely went against Him.  Instead of showing Him all honor and praise, as they should have, they completely rejected Him, and went as far as killing Him in a horrendous death.

This shows how completely humble Jesus is.  We would think that if He created the world, then came into it, He would show His superiority and make sure everyone knew He made it.  I’m sure that’s what we all would have done.  But instead, He kept it mostly hidden, and didn’t glorify Himself at all.  He just loved the people and let them choose to reject Him.

Katerina Vojtechova

Meditation assignment 10

The Word made Flesh

December 3, 2009

John 1

The Word mentioned in the first chapter of John is Jesus. Jesus was in the beginning. He is uncreated. He always was. Nobody made the Trinity and the Trinity didn’t evolve from anything. They were since the beginning. Jesus is the uncreated God. He was in the beginning when there was nothing else. He was with God and He was God, He belongs to the Trinity, God three in one, the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. Everything was made through Him. God chose to make everything through the Word. He spoke things into being through Jesus. Nothing that there is appeared or evolved by itself. He created everything, not just Earth. He created all the other galaxies and all the other things that we don’t even know about.

Jesus is life. God created us and breathed life into us. When sin entered the world we died, but Jesus came to give us that life back. This life in Jesus is the light of men. When sin entered the world, darkness entered the world. Jesus is light that shines through the darkness. The darkness cannot comprehend or overcome this light. The word comprehend is katalambano in Greek and it means to take eagerly, to seize, to posses, attain, find, or take. No devil or demon, nothing on heaven or Earth, can over overcome this light. Nothing and nobody can ever seize or posses or take this light. This light is our light and no one can take it from us or keep it away from us.

Then came a man, John, who came to bear a witness. John was sent by God and his job was to bear a witness of that light, Jesus. John was a miracle baby. Elizabeth and Zacharias were old and Elizabeth was barren and past the years of childhood. When Zacharias was in the temple, serving the Lord, he had an encounter with the Lord’s angel and was told of John’s coming. John’s destiny was to prepare the way of the Lord. He was born to be a witness of Jesus and His coming. He was called for this from his mother’s womb and from childhood he lived a nazarite lifestyle. However John was not this light. There were people who thought that John was the Messiah, but John was just a forerunner. He came to bear witness of Jesus so that all might believe in Jesus and be saved. This Light, Jesus, which John was the witness of, is the true Light and it enlightens everyone.

Jesus came down to the world, in which He created everything, but the world did not know Him. Jesus came to His own, but His own did not receive Him. Jesus made Himself into flesh and came down. He love us so much, that He took on our flesh, the same form as of His creation, and came down to be with us so that we may be saved. How humbling is that! The Creator took the form of His creation! He came down to walk in His creation, made Himself flesh, and the world did not know Him and His own did not receive Him. What that must have been like?! Jesus was walking in the midst of everything that He gave life too and what did we do? We did not recognize Him, we hated Him, we beat Him, we mocked Him, we spit on Him, we kicked Him out, we did not believe Him, and we killed Him! And He still died for us after all these things! He endured all out ignorance and offense and died to save us. What kind of a creator do we have? What kind of a God do we serve that would have so much compassion on His creation? Oh how He loves us!!!

Jesus came to save us from hell. Many did not receive Him but there are also many who do receive Him. Those who receive Him, by believing in His name, become the children of God. Believing is not a one time thing, but a continuous thing. His name is not just the name Jesus but also who He was, what He did, and what He came for. We by ourselves cannot believe in Jesus. It is only by the grace of God that we can believe in Jesus, but we do have a free will. When we believe in Jesus, we are adopted into the family of God. We become a part of God’s family! When you adopt someone, you can never give them up. Once you adopt someone it’s forever and you can’t disown them. Anyone can become a child of God if they believe in Jesus. Your bloodlines don’t matter. You don’t have to be a direct descendant of Abraham. This doesn’t come along by flesh and blood; it’s not a physical birth into the family of God but a spiritual birth.  Jesus became flesh, bound Himself to us, and let us see His glory.

Jesus came and gave us grace. We enter into the family of God by grace. We are saved by grace. Before Jesus we had to live by the law that God has given us to live by. When Jesus came things changed. We still need to do the things that God commanded us, but we aren’t under the law anymore. If we were under the law, we would all go to hell. The penalty of sin is death. In the Old Testament, offerings had to be made for sin. The very first offering that was made as atonement for sin was made in the garden when animals were killed to clothe Adam and Eve’s nakedness. Since then people had to make blood atonements for their sins. When Jesus came He was the ultimate sacrifice. His blood is the ultimate atonement. We no longer have to live under the law, but now we live under the blood of Jesus. No one has seen the Father accept Jesus. The only way we know the Father is through Jesus because Jesus does only what He sees the Father do and Jesus, through His life, declares the name of the Father and that is how we know the Father.

Meditation #10

John 1- “The Word Made Flesh”

“ In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and The Word was God” (John 1),“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life” (1 John 1:1). Where do you even begin with the uncreated God?  Yahweh, the Father, and Jesus, the Son, are there at creation, measuring out the depths of the sea and where the waves will stop. Every tree was placed by a divine creation, and every animal set into motion by the hand of the Almighty. The Universe in its’ darkness and every star and planet were spoken by the mouth of God and came into existence. The breath of God filled the lungs of Adam with life that was, but dust of the earth. Creation isn’t something that just happens, it is spoken. The voice of God, is the Glory of God.

The Psalmist David says “My heart is steadfast, I will sing and give praise even with my glory”. When we, on Earth, are filled with the power of God on the inside, the only thing that can express the glory is the tongue. Another virtue of the tongue is to bring the Revelation of God it’s the divine utterance of the Holy Spirit in our lives. After we have an encounter or a hunger on the inside, the only thing that can rightly express it is the glory. So if we are but a vapor today, here, and tomorrow forgotten, let us think about for a moment Yahweh in Heaven with His Son Jesus. Can you even begin to imagine the story line that unfolds in Heaven; the energy of the Almighty speaking into existence all of creation?

Hollywood writes some pretty heart-warming and touching stories. However the ones that always touch me the most are those that are real life stories, because it is life that brings light into the world. Without life there is no Jesus, and without Jesus there is no light in the World, but only darkness. From the beginning John said we have seen with our eyes and heard with our ears touched with our hands the Word of life. It is there, in the garden, that we find the glory of God resting on His creation, Adam and Eve. The manifest presence of God is there; the glory and the communion. I believe Adam ate with God. Why not? God can show up and sit with His creation and eat any time He likes. God visited Abraham and Sarah, along with Jesus and the Holy Spirit. They sit and have bread together, but it wasn’t a daily thing for them. I’m sure it was for Adam though and it will be again, for all us who are faithful until the end; to commune with the Father forever and ever. In the Garden we have a dilemma though, and even in the midst of that separation between God and man. The Almighty has a divine plan to restore all things back to the garden. It will come through the seed of men, like Abraham and David. However, there is a promise of a seed of a man named Jesus.

You see, we have a Holy history- the Word of God from Genesis all the way to the Revelations of Jesus Christ. In the Word of life we find a chosen people, a royal priesthood. There are lives that are set apart for the glory of God. In these pages are men and women who shake nations and change the course of History forever. Here are lives of prophets filled with the glory and light of God. It doesn’t stop with the prophets though, because there is one greater, the promised one, Jesus Christ. All of history has waited for this moment to come, when Jesus steps out of heaven and descends on mankind. He comes as a man of no reputation, as a bondservant coming in the likeness of men. Jesus is the Word. He was in the beginning with God and when he steps down, life happens. Light comes and breaks into darkness, but the darkness doesn’t even understand the light of God. God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.

John writes in 1 John 1 the life was manifested and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you, that eternal life which was with the Father, has been manifested to us. The life John shared with Jesus was one of life, because Jesus shared all things with the twelve that he shared with the Father. John was the beloved not because he had the looks, but because he had a gaze in his eyes, and the only thing that would justify that gaze was Jesus. The God-man, Jesus, made himself of no reputation, but He set his heart to do the will of the Father. John knows Jesus probably better than anyone in the word of God. However, when he is confronted by the resurrected Christ and he falls like a dead man, it says in the book of Revelations of Jesus Christ. Even though Jesus was here on Earth, he humbled himself to become like a man. He came in the flesh and dwelt among us. O how we need to know Jesus and the glory he shares with the Father. You can’t get away from John 17 when you are talking about the manifest presence of God. Jesus said: “The hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son also may glorify You”. He goes on to say, “glorify me together, with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was”. How do you wrap your hands around those powerful words of Jesus in John 17? Jesus is the Word and the Word became flesh. Jesus told the Father, “the glory which you have given Me, I have given them, that they may be one just as You and I are one”. This is life, for us to dwell with Jesus in a total heart given abandonment. Letting all the other lovers in this life fade away into the darkness, so we can have more of Jesus; to be filled with the glory everyday and to be filled with the light and life of Jesus. John prayed that our joy may be full. Our joy is full in the fellowship of the Father and of the Son, and the glory that they share. Jesus wants you and I to be filled with the glory of the knowledge of Him. To become like the ones before us that shake nations and change history with fire upon our tongues. The word becomes flesh in us as well. So, we can glorify Jesus and the Father, as lampstands, burning in a lost land. Praise you Jesus! You are WORTHY of ALL the PRAISE, of ALL the GLORY, and of ALL the HONOR!