Tag: John 1

Light Shining in & on Darkness: MT e76

For those who have been to a Jewelry store, have you ever noticed the lighting.  These stores are fully and perfectly lit. 

Often every case of jewelry has its own light.  The area where the salesperson can walk, there are lights there too.

If you have bought any piece of jewelry, you can attest to what I am about to say.  When they bring out the piece that has caught your eye, they don’t just hand it to you.  They bring over a black fabric cloth or a small black board covered in black fabric.

Then they put that piece of jewelry on that black background and those lights will cause that thing to shine beautifully.  That black background and the lights make a stunning pieces of jewelry look even more radiant.

Jesus is described by the writer of Hebrews, as radiant.  “He is the radiance of the glory of God.” (Hebrews 1:3)

This Jesus, the radiance of God’s glory, came and as John said, he was the “light shining in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:4)

Jesus is life and that life is the light of mankind.  His life shines.  It shines through darkness.

I want you to see Jesus in this “light” (no pun intended there).  Just as the pieces of jewelry are placed on dark backgrounds to highlight their beauty, Jesus’ beauty and power radiates, sparkles and shines in this dark world.

His perfection, righteousness, love and essence radiates for us to see. It is amazing.

S.D.G.

The Light of Life: MT e53

The book of John begins,  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. (John 1:1-5)

The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.  Through time I have focused so much on the first three verses of this passage, which are fascinating that I have missed the significance of that last sentence in verse 5.

The light sines in the darkness, that is Jesus, He is the light.  But the darkness has not overcome it.

Have you ever noticed that at night time, when all the lights are turned off and you are going to sleep that the smallest little light cannot go undetected?  It can be like the littlest of lights on a wall adapter or charger of some sort. 

You do not notice in the day.  But when there is no light, it can become very bright.  If you happen to have a digital clock, the light it emits in the day is dim.  But at night, it can shine like Times Square on New Year’s eve. 

These are small lights.  John 1 is talking about the Word.  This Word is creator.  This Word is God.  This Word is eternally in the past and eternally in the future.  This Word gave life to humanity.  It said to humanity, breathe and it did.

This Word is light.  It is not the little green light on your Chromebook charger.  This Word is a light that changes a life.  Complete change.

This light can cast off the dark world.  Anything and everything in you that is dark, it can be eradicated with this Light.  I want you to know this light.  Oh how your life will change when you know this light.

S.D.G.

What If God Was One Of Us MT episode 4

Joan Osborn sang a song back in the 1990’s.  It did lean slightly irreverent however, it did bring up a good thought and point.  She pined, what if God was one of us?  Just a bum like one of us.  Just a stranger on the bus trying to make his way home.

In our last time together we referenced Jesus, leaving glory, and the creator becoming the created.  God was one of us.  He was not a bum, but he lived the day to day life and suffered as we do but was sinless.

This longing of the Osborn song was, God does not know what it is like to exist as we do.  The daily needs and sacrifices and losses.

But He does.  God has always pursued His people.  Think of the Tabernacle.  Instructions given to Moses were precise and the location of this tabernacle, this tent, was right in the middle of the people.  Not on the outskirts of town or on a mountain or city far away, but right in the middle.  Literally the people of God camped around this tabernacle, this tent.  God in the midst of the people. 

Which is exactly what Jesus did.  The tabernacle was a prefigure of Christ.  When John begins his gospel, he references the Word, Jesus.  Who was God in the beginning and created in the beginning.  And this word, John says, became Flesh and dwelt among us.

What does this word dwelt mean?  The literal translation of the word is tabernacled.  He built his tent among us.  Jesus in the midst of His people. 

So, the reply to that old song from Joan Osborn is, God was one of us.  Innocently and perfectly righteous, but God did take on human flesh and suffering.