Jesus’ amazing power to change lives . . .

 

READ John 1-4

As the year nears its end, this reading brings me back to the beginning when I was a new Christian. My sister told me to read John five times, then Romans twice. John begins with awesome truth about the mystery of Christ being fully God and fully human:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it . . . He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. 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 . . . No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known. (John 1:1-18)

This Jesus walked into my living room. He convinced me that He is God in human flesh. No utterance: I just knew. How little did I realize the profound changes He would make in my life. This reading is so familiar and so precious. Its truths have affected me greatly, particularly this one:

The next day (John the Baptist) saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (1:29)

Jesus set to work removing my sin. At first, I didn’t realize the extent of it, nor that this would continue to this day, fifty plus years later. However, if I met the person who I was then, I would not recognize her, even so, He still has much to do!

Jesus gave me gifts. One is the ability to ‘get it’ when it comes to seeing the needs of the human heart. John wrote: “Jesus did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.” He knows what to do with what He sees, but I still try to figure out what that knowledge requires of me: compassion, mercy, confrontation, or mostly prayer! (2:24–25)

I see the truth in what Jesus told Nicodemus: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (3:3) Blindness because of sin happens even to Christians, me included, not just those who do not believe. In other words, I know what it is like to not ‘get it.’ However . . .

God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. (3:17–19)

John makes my part clear with “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (3:30) Being like Jesus is vital. It fills my heart with knowing and caring that “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” (3:36)

I also relate to the woman at the well. Newly divorced when Jesus first came to me, He impressed me the same way as He did her. She told everyone: “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” (4:29)

He has also brought me to realize the most important thing: “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.” (4:34) My God-given tasks may not seem earth-shattering, but I am to be like Jesus in every area of life. I am “His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that I should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10) and each day seek His will over my desires and plans. I’m to let the gospel rule, living as a vessel of His love, centered, settled, focused, yet lingering in His presence to seek His plans for me and finally — realizing that everything else will take care of itself.

 

Who is Jesus?

One of my relatives is very religious. We have had some discussion about what he believes and like the roots determine the tree, his core belief affects everything else. This core belief is where we differ; he believes Jesus is a created being and I believe that Jesus is God in human flesh.

We don’t argue about it now like we once did. We agree that the world is in a mess and that people need a change of life. He says people need to obey God and I agree. Our root belief makes the difference. He thinks Jesus died to give us the ability to earn our salvation; whereas I am certain that Jesus died to grant us our salvation.

It is about the identity of Jesus. Both of us might use this passage to ‘prove’ our different views:

He (Jesus) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. (Colossians 1:15–20)

My relative’s idea that Jesus is a created being is tied up in his definition of “firstborn.” If used in the normal sense, this passage could be taken to mean that Jesus was the first one created. However, the religious group that my relative belongs to does not believe in or encourage scholarship. If they did, they would find out that the Greek word used has a broader meaning than the English word ‘firstborn.’

The Greek term pertains to existing prior to something else or ‘existing first, existing before’ or ‘existing before all creation’ or ‘existing before anything was created.’ It can also mean ‘superior in status.’ While it can also include all the rights and privileges that accompany being a physical firstborn, here it refers to Jesus as preceding all others in time or space or degree. This is about His status.

The rest of the passage clarifies: He created all things and existed before all else. All creation was made before Him and He holds it together — translated from a word that means to be or become composed of many parts into a cohesive and enduring whole. This is a description of God our Creator and clearly equates Jesus as deity.

The rest of the passage is about prominence also. Again, firstborn from the dead is about the significance of His resurrection. He wasn’t the first in any other sense since He raised people from the dead before He died, such as the widow’s son and Lazarus. His resurrection was unique and gives Him preeminence.

Not only that, in Him all the fullness of God dwells. Some say God is in everyone, but the Bible does not say that. We are made in His image, but He dwells only in those who by faith have accepted His offer of salvation and have been reconciled to God through the death and resurrection of this unique person, Jesus Christ who is God the Son. He, unlike us who have been marred by sin, is the sinless image of God the Father.

My relative admits that they do not worship Jesus “because he is only a created being” yet also admits that his hope is in his ability to live up to God’s standards. His assurance is in how good he can be, not in Jesus Christ.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Lord Jesus, as I worship You today, I will also be praying that You will reveal Yourself to those who have yet not seen the glory of who You are. You have delivered millions of people from the domain of darkness and transferred us to Your kingdom, the kingdom of God’s beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (Colossians 1:13–14) May this be true of millions more.

Today’s thankful list . . .

The wonder of God revealing His Son to me, a sinner.

The wonder of God revealed in creation, especially as we drive in the Rocky Mountains.

Good roads and a dandy chauffeur — my hubby.

Wonderful supper in a restaurant built of logs.

Able to sing worship songs in a motel.

The blessing of listening to a preacher like Jamie Rasmussen on the Internet.