Week of November 29, 2009
JOHN 1: 1-18
The God Who Loves Surprises
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30 < Read Genesis 1:1; John 8:52-59>
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1
The phrase “in the beginning,” would have been instantly recognized by John’s audience as referring to the first verse of Genesis, much like many Americans would recognize the phrase, “We hold these truths to be self-evident…” as coming from the Declaration of Independence. John deliberately uses the Genesis language because he wants to say something very definite about Jesus. Make no mistake: this Jesus, who was born into the world, lived, ate, worked, spoke, and died was none other than God Himself, who has existed forever and ever. What we celebrate at Christmas through worship, songs, celebrations and gifts are none other than the birth of God into the world.
Prayer: Lord, I sometimes forget who you are. You are not just gentle Jesus meek and mild, but the Lord omnipotent, full of power and glory and able to love me and protect me no matter what. Amen.
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1
There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. John 1:6-7
God is a God of process and preparation, often taking centuries to work out his plans in history and in the lives of people. A great example of this truth is the concept of the “Word” used by John. By the time Jesus was born, both the Jewish and Greek cultures were thoroughly familiar with the concept of the “Word” (or Logos). For Greeks, “Word” had been a term used in Greek philosophy and religion for centuries and referred to the very mind of God which controlled all things. For them “Word” meant God and God meant “Word.” For Jews, when God spoke, things instantly happened. God said, “Let there be light: and there was light” (Gen. 1:3). In a very similar way to the Greeks, for Jews God’s Word and God Himself were identified with one another. So, in God’s plan and providence, when John used the term “Word,” it was a term as meaningful to Greeks as it was to Jews. It was an open door, prepared by God over years and years for the truth of Jesus to enter in at the proper time.
Prayer: Lord, I often lose patience with you and what you are doing. I forget that you most often work over time, sometimes years, to accomplish your purposes. Help me to see the bigger picture of how you work and never lose confidence that you are working in my life and in the world. Amen.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2
But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law…. Galatians 4:4
Pastor Steve Brown once said, “I would give my right hand to be Jewish.” Though he was exaggerating to be sure, Steve was expressing a great truth. You cannot understand the New Testament without understanding the Old Testament. Everything in the New flows out of the Old and sometimes you need that perspective to understand what God is doing. If he were Jewish, perhaps he would have a greater chance to understand how God has worked over centuries to bring forth a salvation through the Messiah Jesus, for all who may believe. It is with this salvation history in mind that John begins his letter, a history that includes his fellow Jews, but started long before them too; a history God is bringing into fulfillment through Jesus Christ. As Pastor Brown puts it, “At the beginning, God began time, but now in Christ, God made the hours count; at the beginning, God created the process, but now in Christ, God will give the process meaning; at the beginning, God instituted his plan, but now in Christ, God will unveil the plan for us to see.”
Prayer: Lord, help me to remember I am part of a long history, that Abraham is also my descendent in the faith. Give me eyes to see what you have been doing for so long that I may be more in awe of your history and my place in it. Amen.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3 <Read Romans 8:12-17>
Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God…. John 1:12
It is popular in our day to talk about the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man. In other words, many people today believe that all people are children of God no matter who they are. This is true in the sense that every one of us is created by God and all are made in His image. But to be a child in the Biblical sense means we are heirs of the salvation and eternal life and blessing that comes through Christ. We have entered the family by faith and by the power of God to transform us. Being a child of God is a status conferred on us by God through Christ with all the rights thereof. And the best thing is, once you are His child, you are His forever.
Prayer: Thank you that I am your child in Christ, that you have made me, with him, an heir of your salvation both now and forevermore. Amen.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4 <Read 1 John 1:1-4>
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14
Most Jews and Greeks probably had little trouble with what John says in verses 1:1-4 in his Gospel. Most Greeks were familiar with the Word or Logos which to them was the same as Deity, and most Jews could understand God’s Word being a real live tangible entity hardly distinguishable from God Himself. The surprise is verse 14. John now announces that the Eternal Word of God was made flesh and lived on earth in the person of Jesus. He is not only the Word, He is also life and light. Through Him there is salvation and the right to become children of God, whether Jew or gentile. Many could accept the first idea; most could not accept the second. The same is true today. Many are willing to believe that Jesus is special somehow, but have trouble believing He is God and the only way of salvation. What about you? Is Jesus God? Is Jesus the only way?
Prayer: Lord, Jesus is still as much an “issue” in my world as he was in John’s. Help me to believe and help me to stand firm in my faith in Jesus. Even more, help me to proclaim him fearlessly to the world which still needs to hear about him. Amen.