The Life of Jesus: John 1:1-18

The Life of Jesus: John 1:1-18

John 1 

The Word Became Flesh

  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 anything 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.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him.

He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

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.

(John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”)

And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.

For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

 

There is so much to look at in today’s scripture. John’s us of “The Word” to describe Jesus. Jesus is not a happy accident, He is the declaration of God, a declaration of God’s love and will on earth. John’s use of light and darkness, Christmas the celebration of light held at the darkest time of our year. John’s connection of light and life is also an interesting thing to consider. But for today I will look at something else.

 

It is Advent, and on this the first Sunday of Advent we start the story of Jesus. If we are to understand who Jesus is and what Jesus does we must start at the beginning, before history. Jesus is not just a man, Jesus is God the creator, and only from this prospective can He be understood.

 

Advent also is a season of waiting, we wait for the Christmas Day celebration and at the same time we wait for that day we see Jesus return a second time.

 

How many of you enjoy waiting? What no hands?

Wait for the light to change color.

Wait for the person with 20 items in the express checkout, then something needs a price check!

Wait for that pokey truck who at best is doing the speed limit on a downhill.

Wait for our computer to load a new screen.

 

But consider for a moment starting “in the beginning” with a course of action all chosen and yet having to wait for thousands of years for it to happen. Children get more rambunctious each day as Christmas approaches. A car ride to a favorite place becomes “are we there yet”. Grown ups are not much better at waiting. Yet God had to wait from before He said, “Let there be light” until that night in Bethlehem when He would enter our world to save us. Now God waits again until that day when He will come again to bring history to a close.

 

2 Peter 3:8-10 reminds us; “But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.”

 

Imagen how it feels to be God who wants you to understand His love for you, yet He must wait for you to understand. When you must wait a day can seem like a thousand years. How much love God must have for us, for you, to wait this long. How can we ever understand Jesus and what He does without the waiting, without the beginning?

 

As you wait for Christmas Day, wait for the family to come together, wait for them to all go home, remember the loving wait of Jesus for you. He waited for your eyes to open to see Him, He waits for the day you will be with Him face to face. Jesus waits for you, waits for your friends, and waits for your family. Celebrate the patience and Love of God for you.