I am beginning a new series of blogs where I will journal some thoughts as I read through the book of John. I am reading John in order to see God. I want to see God through the lens of Jesus because according to John 1:18 no one has seen God the Father except Jesus, and Jesus has explained Him to us. So, we come to the understanding that as we look at Jesus we see the Father. Another way to put it is this: God is just like Jesus. So, I want to see and know God in a better way therefore I can study the life of Jesus and see God. I start by looking at John 1:1-18.
There is a lot in these 18 verses. What I want to look at is the fact that Jesus is called the Word (Greek: logos). One early Christian defined Jesus being the Word as being God's reason, mind and revelation. I really like that. My spin on it is that we can find out who God is, what He wants and why He does things by "reading Jesus", the Word. Words convey thoughts, motives, intents and purposes. Words reveal character and thought processes. Words reveal emotions and feelings. Words are powerful. Words create. Words reveal. Words heal. Words bring forth direction and clarity. Words can bring forth life. That is what Jesus is. He is the Father's reason, mind and revelation to us. Jesus came to give us a complete picture of the Father. He explains Him to us; helps us to understand Him more.
In becoming born-again one seemingly follows a journey or progression with this Word. First one knows the Word or becomes acquainted with it. Next, they believe the Word. Not all words are believed and not everyone believes this Word. But to those who believe this Word, they receive this Word. To put it another way, they interact with the Word. They exchange thoughts, feelings and ideas. They begin to make the Word a part of their daily lives and they begin to abide in this Word. As this takes place they are born again through this Word. This Word actually makes a person into a new person. They become just like the Word. What they "read" they can become. The Word makes them alive and new. The Word has healing properties and is able to change people. The Word is life.
This Word (God's reason, mind and revelation) is full of grace and truth. This Word gives grace to those who will receive His grace, first realizing that they need His grace. This Word is truth. In an age where truth has become relative, this Word declares Himself to be the truth. This is where we run into an issue. What do we do with this statement? If you believe this Word to be the truth, then you receive the truth and you enter into real, eternal life. However, to reject this Word is to declare it to be a lie, a falsehood. To do that results in the ultimate death, eternal separation from God the Father. Many of Jesus' contempariries rejected this truth because they (pardon the expression) judged the book (WORD) by its cover. They didn't think that Jesus looked or acted the part of what they considered to be the Word of God. Therefore, they didn't receive Him for who He really was: the reason, mind and revelation of God. They wanted a different Word.
Many people today are like that. They don't like the Word that God gave them so they want a different word. They want a relevation of God that doesn't include things like holiness, purity, striving for maturity. They want a word that says that all roads lead to God and you can live however you like and still make it to heaven. But that's not what The Word revealed. He was full of grace but He was also full of truth. All things need to be judged according to this Word.
Therefore, in my attempt to better know and understand God I must look at The Word, who is Jesus. I must look at His life, teachings and actions in order to better understand the Father. In the beginning was the Word!
So, what do you think?
There is a lot in these 18 verses. What I want to look at is the fact that Jesus is called the Word (Greek: logos). One early Christian defined Jesus being the Word as being God's reason, mind and revelation. I really like that. My spin on it is that we can find out who God is, what He wants and why He does things by "reading Jesus", the Word. Words convey thoughts, motives, intents and purposes. Words reveal character and thought processes. Words reveal emotions and feelings. Words are powerful. Words create. Words reveal. Words heal. Words bring forth direction and clarity. Words can bring forth life. That is what Jesus is. He is the Father's reason, mind and revelation to us. Jesus came to give us a complete picture of the Father. He explains Him to us; helps us to understand Him more.
In becoming born-again one seemingly follows a journey or progression with this Word. First one knows the Word or becomes acquainted with it. Next, they believe the Word. Not all words are believed and not everyone believes this Word. But to those who believe this Word, they receive this Word. To put it another way, they interact with the Word. They exchange thoughts, feelings and ideas. They begin to make the Word a part of their daily lives and they begin to abide in this Word. As this takes place they are born again through this Word. This Word actually makes a person into a new person. They become just like the Word. What they "read" they can become. The Word makes them alive and new. The Word has healing properties and is able to change people. The Word is life.
This Word (God's reason, mind and revelation) is full of grace and truth. This Word gives grace to those who will receive His grace, first realizing that they need His grace. This Word is truth. In an age where truth has become relative, this Word declares Himself to be the truth. This is where we run into an issue. What do we do with this statement? If you believe this Word to be the truth, then you receive the truth and you enter into real, eternal life. However, to reject this Word is to declare it to be a lie, a falsehood. To do that results in the ultimate death, eternal separation from God the Father. Many of Jesus' contempariries rejected this truth because they (pardon the expression) judged the book (WORD) by its cover. They didn't think that Jesus looked or acted the part of what they considered to be the Word of God. Therefore, they didn't receive Him for who He really was: the reason, mind and revelation of God. They wanted a different Word.
Many people today are like that. They don't like the Word that God gave them so they want a different word. They want a relevation of God that doesn't include things like holiness, purity, striving for maturity. They want a word that says that all roads lead to God and you can live however you like and still make it to heaven. But that's not what The Word revealed. He was full of grace but He was also full of truth. All things need to be judged according to this Word.
Therefore, in my attempt to better know and understand God I must look at The Word, who is Jesus. I must look at His life, teachings and actions in order to better understand the Father. In the beginning was the Word!
So, what do you think?
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