In the same way, the verses I’m reading tonight remind me of two biblical truths. One is that in Christ dwells a beauty that goes far beyond the box of His body.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. . . . And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. (John 1:14,16)Verse 14 begins to describe Him. He was ordinary looking according to Isaiah, but what was on the inside causes those who perceive it to be drawn to Him. This is the glory of God in a human container, a man yet more than a man. He was filled with grace and truth. “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.” (Colossians 1:19)
The second truth I see is in verse 16. This is also amazing. It says that from His fullness we have all (meaning all who believe in and have received Him) received. That is, God gives to us from the fullness that is in His Son. This gift begins with His power to make us eternally alive as He forgives our sins.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. (1 Peter 1:3)
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1)When I look at these words and think about what they say, I’m ashamed to admit that most of the time I do not live like someone filled with the fullness of Christ. Most of the time I look like an ordinary box, living like other people and containing nothing special.
This is so odd. With all that God has done, why should the fullness of Christ seem invisible? It makes little sense, yet for me the cause is simply my selfishness. It is like mud on the box, blocking both the person I now am and the contents inside.
However, God is patient. In Jesus is all that I need. He promises that “He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.” (Hebrews 7:25)
Jesus Christ prays for me, asks His Father to forgive me, and works in my life to make the box more transparent. If I fail to cooperate with Him, I block all the fullness of God. But . . .
If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)Being cleansed from sin is sort of like having the mud washed off a box that survived a flood. When the sin is gone, the box can be seen. However, the analogy breaks down, because in my case, the treasure is not the box but what God has put in it — His own fullness in the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ. Wow!
When God presented Jesus Christ to me, I said “Yes” without fully realizing all that this meant. I wanted to be accepted and forgiven. God did that, but He does more. When I think about His fulness in Christ and then that fullness given to me, I am astonished and humbled.
For what I proclaim is not myself, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with myself as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in my heart to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But I have this treasure in a jar (or a box) of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to me. (2 Corinthians 4:5–7, personalized)Lord, forgive me for the many times that I am so clumsy and thick a vessel that Your grace and glory cannot be seen in me. I’m grateful that You are not only able to wash away the mud, but also shine Your light brightly. My prayer is that when people see me, they are deeply impressed by the light inside and are drawn to You. May others also say “Yes” as they realize You are offering them a great treasure.
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