Shoulder To Shoulder #1270 -- 12/20/21 ---- 'The Perfect Time, Place, and Purpose -- Thoughts on Christmas" (Part Three -- From Eternity Into Time As A Baby)
Posted by: lifeunlimited <lifeunlimited@...>
SHOULDER TO SHOULDER is a weekly letter of encouragement Bob has written since 1997, covering many topics selected to
motivate people to be strong students of the Word and courageous witnesses of Jesus Christ. It is a personal letter of
encouragement to you, written solely to help "lift up hands that hang down".
"The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything." -- Albert Einstein
“There is a common, worldly kind of Christianity in this day, which many have, and think they have -- a cheap Christianity which offends nobody,
and requires no sacrifice, which costs nothing, -- and is worth nothing.” – J. C. Ryle
Shoulder To Shoulder #1270 -- 12/20/21
Title: 'The Perfect Time, Place, and Purpose -- Thoughts on Christmas" (Part Three -- From Eternity Into Time As A Baby)
My Dear Friend and Fellow Kingdom Seeker:
It's another sunny and cool day in Yuma with the temps expected to reach "only" into the low 70's and our low tonight projected to be around 41 degrees. We had another wonderful service yesterday. The praise team was excellent, the fellowship sweet, and the singing was sensational. It was as if everybody finally caught the "Christmas spirit". Donna, our worship coordinator, had selected a wonderful fix of Christmas carols and praise songs, and it seemed as if the lyrics came to life in every one of them.
It particularly seemed to be the case as the people sang "I Heard The Bells on Christmas Day" and "O Holy Night". It was as if the words came alive with blazing lights as people sang verses like, "Then in despair I bowed my head; 'There is no peace on earth!', I said . . .", followed by, "The wrong shall fail; the right prevail!" The same was true with, "The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger, In all our trials born to be our friend. He knows our need, to our weakness is no stranger. Behold your King; before Him lowly bend!"
These are the words we need to hear -- and heed -- in days such as today.
It seems that something is in the air this Christmas season that I have not noticed so much in recent years. It is the unusual awareness of spiritual things . . . and particularly an awareness of God and the true meaning of Christmas. No doubt the seemingly insurmountable issues of the day -- namely, political gridlock and hostility, economic downturn, the lingering "pandemic panic", and a general lack of trust in so many in power who seem to be deceiving us on so many fronts.
It's as if the beauty of a richly hued diamond has been dropped on a black background. The blacker the background, the more beautiful and appealing the diamond seems to be. Said another way, it's like a sunrise painting has gained a new luster because the frame was replaced by a much darker one.
That's the way God operates so often with mankind -- in order to get people's attention about His love, grace, and mercy, He allows -- and often choreographs -- the world's decay and darkness in ways that cause mankind to consider Him -- again -- finally. So, as odd as it may seem, I find myself being excessively grateful for the hardships, heartaches, -- and headaches -- facing us this Christmas season. It's one of those situations where I see great hope in hardship.
I will not question the true spiritual condition of famous people who have become more outspoken about spiritual things, but I will rejoice that their spiritual sensors have been tweaked and they are talking about God, and about the central character of Christmas -- Jesus.
Even in our chapel services I have noticed a huge difference. Few audiences in my 65 years of ministry have been as attentive and as absorbed in the sermons has has this chapel. Yesterday was no exception. As I preached from the Gospel of John it seemed that 90% or more of the people were immersed in the principles I shared. Some were even in tears. One lady told me following the service that she cried through most of the sermon. It was simply an exceptional day that clearly reveals the hunger believers have for a message of hope and the emptiness unbelievers sense in light of today's uncertainties.
For those reasons, I want to share some thoughts once again with you from what I shared with the folks here. And, I'll do that right after you consider. . . .
THIS 'N' THAT:
+ God and Science: I don't know how you feel about Dennis Prager, but I am one of his fans -- mainly because he is honest, rational, and deeply religious as a devout Jew. A fervent believer in the Old Testament as well as the teachings Of Jesus as found in the Gospels, he has an exceptional respect for Christianity and often comes to the defense of those who follow Christ. Prager is an excellent writer and also produces many "five minute videos" on a vast array of subjects. Today I ran across one series he has on "Religion vs. Science". While I haven't watched them all, I commend the series for your consideration. I may not necessarily agree with every point the speaker makes, it is well worth watching, and could be an excellent teaching resource for those you know. In order to access the series, go to https://www.prageru.com/video/are-religion-and-science-in-conflict-science-and-god?playlist=science-and-god&utm_source=Iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=campaign_ .
+ The Supremacy of the Sacrifice: For a number of years I have been video taping my sermons preached in the two seasonal resort chapels I am honored to pastor. They became especially beneficial over the past year and a half during COVID. Christmas is one of my favorite times, and I often preach a special short series at that time. This year is no exception -- except one. Because of various technical challenges both in taping and in editing, I am far behind in uploading them. But, finally, yesterday I was able to upload the first one, preached in Yuma on December 5th. Entitled, "The Incarnation -- the Supremacy of the Eternal Sacrifice". Should you be interested in watching it, it is posted on the Greer Chapel YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghNTmfFKCF8. For some reason it appears to be pretty fuzzy. So, if you'd like a better version, that also includes one of our ladies reading the scripture, go to my Google Drive upload at https://drive.google.com/file/d/18dV2_aiIuFVzcXa27EBXByYJcBv3EdtI/view. A study note guide is also available at https://ln2.sync.com/dl/9fd9ea590/9qpdtikw-pvxdfvfk-pna893pq-fejt9vxx.
QUOTES FOR THE WEEK:
> “There has been only one Christmas — the rest are anniversaries.”-- W.J. Cameron
> "God throws open the door of this world—and enters as a baby. As the most vulnerable imaginable. Because He wants unimaginable intimacy with you." -- Ann Voskamp (NYT Best Seller author)
> "We consider Christmas as the encounter, the great encounter, the historical encounter, the decisive encounter, between God and mankind. He who has faith knows this truly; let him rejoice.” -- Pope Paul VI
> “If Christmas is just a nice legend, in a sense you are on your own. But if Christmas is true, then you can be saved by grace.” -- Timothy Keller
> "Immanuel. The name appears in the same Hebrew form as it did two thousand years ago. 'Immanu' means 'with us.' 'El' refers to Elohim, or God. Not an 'above us God' or a 'somewhere in the neighborhood God.' He came as the 'with us God.' God with us. Not 'God with the rich' or 'with the religious.' But God with us. All of us. Russians, Germans, Buddhists, Mormons, truck drivers and taxi drivers, librarians. God with us. Prophets weren’t enough. Apostles wouldn’t do. Angels won’t suffice. God sent more than miracles and messages. He sent himself; he sent his Son." -- Max Lucado
> “You can never truly enjoy Christmas until you can look up into the Father’s face and tell him you have received his Christmas gift.” -- John R. Rice
> “Into this world, this demented inn in which there is absolutely no room for him at all, Christ comes uninvited.” -- Thomas Merton
> ”The giving of gifts is not something man invented. God started the giving spree when he gave a gift beyond words, the unspeakable gift of His Son." – Robert Flatt
SETTING THE STAGE:
There are over 400 prophecies (predictions) about Jesus found in the Old Testament, telling us His genealogical “route”, location of His birth, people involved, & more. Over sixteen of them relate specifically to His Incarnation. Every one has been fulfilled. He came from the lineage of Seth, of Abraham, of Isaac, of Jacob, of Jesse, of King David, of King Solomon. He was born of a single chaste young woman, He was born in Bethlehem, He fled to Egypt, thousands of boy babies were killed soon thereafter, and the mothers of Ramah outside of Bethlehem wailed in grief over their murders. The odds of all of these actually happening are monumentally incalculable.
While the Old Testament predicted such things, the Gospels chronicled the fulfillment of those events. Luke spends two chapters covering our Savior's birth. Matthew also took two chapters. Mark makes no reference to it and jumps immediately into the beginning of His ministry simply incorporating His incarnation into the familiar presupposition, "The Son of God". The Gospel of John is unique having the shortest announcement of the actual birth of Christ of any of the Gospels, stating it in five words, "And the Word became flesh." Or, if you want to long version, add four more words, "and dwelt among us."
Nonetheless, John's description of Jesus' birth remains one of my three favorites. It reveals Jesus as both Eternal God & as the Savior of mankind. In a few short verses, it shows Him both in His Deity & in His humanity. It tells us in concise terms His origin, His Incarnation, & His purpose. Chapter One Introduces Jesus as being the eternal God (1-2) & Creator of all things (3, 10). He was the embodiment of eternal life that illumined mankind to His Deity & plan of redemption, but mankind refused to embrace Him (4-5, 10-11). The chapter concludes by explaining that Jesus took on human flesh in order to reconcile sinful man back to the God Who created man for fellowship with Him (14).
As I shared in Sunday's sermon, I tried to cover five primary thoughts, . . .
1. The Realm from which Christ came,
2. The Reality of Christ's coming,
3. Our Recognition of Christ's coming,
4. The Results of Christ's coming, and
5. The Reason for Christ's coming.
I'd like to touch on these five points with you, but want to give special attention to the first one -- the Realm from which came.
ETERNITY -- THE REALM FROM WHICH CHRIST CAME: (1:1)
Admittedly I have written about this on numerous previous occasions, but I am arrested -- again -- by the phrase, “in the beginning”. It appears only 8 times in the Bible, four of them about the reign of earthly kings, & four about God – Gen 1:1; John 1:1,:2; Heb 1:10. What has occurred to me this year is that it is highly unlikely that a Christian -- even a mature and seasoned one -- will fully grasp the true significance of Christ's incarnation without seriously considering the realm from which Christ came.
1. "In The Beginning": ---- Mary and Joseph came "from" Nazareth "to" Bethlehem where Jesus entered the human world. He, on the other hand, came from somewhere else to Bethlehem. He came with them from there, but He came neither from there or from them. He was an "other world" -- an "other dimension" -- person. This is found in that simple three-word phrase, "in the beginning", and then is clarified with the declaration that He was not only "with" God "in the beginning", but actually was God at the point of the beginning, whenever that was. In Hebrew it is “ray-sheeth'” meaning, “first in place, time, order, or rank.” In Greek it is “archē”, meaning “first or at the very first in relationship, importance, &/or rank”.
2. "Was the Word": ---- The phrase, “Was the Word” refers to the Greek word, log'-os, which means a “communicated Divine expression” As I have repeatedly noted in the past, words are actually the written, or audible expression of the nature, character, thoughts, plans, or intent of the speaker. Words, whether spoken audibly, written visually, or broadcast through media, are our primary way of communication. Even those who cannot hear usual visual signs as a special language that communicates to others. Even those who are blind can communicate through "words" made up of perfectly positioned dots that represent specific letters.
3. "The Word was with God": ---- So, we learn first, that in the beginning -- whenever that was -- a means of communication was present. Furthermore, it was a Specific means of communication. It was THE Word, not just any word. And that specific means of communication as a special Word, was actually "with" God. John declared that, “The Word was with God”. In Greek, the term means to be, “together alongside, part of". But, it means even more than that, and validates the idea of God and the Word being "plurally present”. Both God and the "Word" are together at the same time and in the same place, whenever and wherever that was. It is the same thought as found in Gen 1:26 when the Bible reads, “Let Us make man in Our own image”.
4. "The Word was God": ---- As if that is not enough to mystify the readers, John continues, "and the Word was God”. Had John not recorded that mind-boggling fact, Isaiah's prophecy about Him being the "Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace", the prophecy would have never been fulfilled, and the claims by Paul and Peter -- and even Jesus Himself -- would have all been lies. (See Col 2:9; Eph 1:23; Eph 3:19; John 10:30-33; John 20:28; Titus 2:13; II Pet 1:1; Isa 9:6).
5. “The Same was in the beginning with God”: ---- In this statement we are faced with what I believe is a highly fascinating question: When, then, was “the beginning”? If God was there “in the beginning”, if Christ was with God and Was God "in the beginning", and, as the first words of the Bible declare, "In the beginning God created the heavens & the earth” (Gen 1:1), then we can only conclude that whenever that was, the Godhead was already there -- and in triune form, based on scripture stating, "Let US make man in OUR image" (Gen 1:26). Therefore, God -- the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, -- had to be there before the beginning – in other words, before ‘the beginning’ began”.
The idea of being already present “in the beginning”, when God (the Word) “Created” – “made something out of nothing” – all things, moves the birth of Christ into another entire dimension -- far, far away from the fields of Bethlehem and the feed trough in a nearby stable. The fact that, in order for the triune Godhead to have been there "in the beginning, they actually had to be present before the beginning, adds even more wonder and awe over the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. It truly was an "other-worldly" event.
6. Time and Eternity: ---- The fact of Christ's incarnation then clearly shifts from the time spectrum into the realm of eternity itself. No wonder He is called the "eternal God" time and time again in scripture! No wonder salvation is described as "eternal life" and "everlasting life"!
Both the idea of “the beginning” & the existence of “time” are contained within the realm of “eternity”. With no starting point & no ending, eternity is forever, an endless infinity, & the triune God was/is there. Eternity is NOT where time goes on & on endlessly, but is the total absence of time – a state where time doesn’t exist. “How long” or “how short” doesn’t matter. It’s always “now”.
7. “All things came into being through Him, ---- and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being” (1:3). Now, THIS statement throws everything about the birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ into an entirely different level. If Christ, the "everlasting Father", the "eternal One", the One Who offers "Eternal life" where we will "never perish", is the One Who was born in Bethlehem, how on earth can you and I get our minds around such a thing???
The answer is, we cannot! No wonder some of our friends and relatives pay so little attention to the true meaning of Christmas! They cannot endure the struggle of trying to absorb such an amazing miracle. It's easier to just secularize the holiday and focus on exchanging meaningless gifts, eating fattening foods, singing a few "jolly old" carols, and watching pointless football games.
For some odd reason, as I prepared for last Sunday's sermon, I found myself thinking about the vast universe the Godhead created when He created "the heavens and the earth" (Gen 1:1), and that the Christ who was born in Bethlehem was also the One who created the universe. Obviously the Creator must be greater than His creation, so how do we measure that? Better yet, how do we measure Him???
Well, typical of my insatiable curiosity, I decided to do some digging on the web. Here are some things I found:
1) Using the moon/earth/planets relationships, it takes about three days to reach the moon from earth, it takes 7 months to reach our closest planet (Mars),about 15 months to reach Venus, a shocking 6 years to reach Jupiter, & an unbelievable 12 years to reach Neptune, the planet farthest from earth in our galaxy.
2) Our solar system is located within the Milky Way and is, itself, one of many galaxies in the Milky Way. When looking at the Milky Way through a telescope, our entire solar system appears as a tiny pinpoint of light among millions of others. The distance from Earth to the Sun is 93 million miles (149 million kilometers), but the distance to the farthest planet Neptune is nearly 3 billion miles. And, added together, our solar system is nearly four billion miles across. Or, as the article at the universetoday.com website stated, "If you could drive your car at highway speeds, from the Sun all the way out to Pluto, it would take you more than 6,000 years to complete the trip." And that's just in our solar system -- a tiny pin dot in the Milky Way.
3) The Milky Way itself is a huge "city" of stars, so big that even at the speed of light, -- that is traveling at 196,282 miles PER SECOND, it would take 100,000 years to travel across it.
4) The universe, therefore and appropriately, is not measured in miles, but rather in light years. Light travels at 186,282 miles per second. How long is a light year? A light-year is the distance light travels in one Earth year, 365 days. One light-year is about 6 trillion miles. So, when you think of light years, remember -- it is 6,000,000,000,000 miles from beginning to end.
5) The sun is 0.00001581 light-years away, & at best, we could reach it in 25 days. But, who would want to???
6) The observable Universe is 93 billion light-years in diameter. Our galaxy, the Milky Way, is 100,000 light-years in diameter, & our solar system is a minuscule dot within it. It would take endless generations to explore it alone, let alone the entire Universe.
7) Using the Bayesian model, scientists estimate that the Universe is at least 250 times larger than the observable Universe, -- that is, over 7 trillion light-years in diameter. Multiply 6 trillion by 7 trillion.
So, what does this scientific data have to do with the birth of Christ? Everything!!! When you realize that this Jesus Who created all I have just described, AND that scientists estimate that the universe is actually 250 times LARGER than what we see -- AND is continuing to expand! -- it helps put into perspective just how unbelievable and mind-blowing the birth of Christ really was.
No wonder time and place are completely swallowed up in eternity, which exists only in an eternal "here and now" where time is entirely meaningless. Then to think that Christ, of His own will, chose to enter into our minuscule solar system and time frame to save us is absolutely beyond belief. This is the realm of eternity that swallows up the entire ever-expanding universe like it is a tiny seed – NOT from which Christ came, but one which came from Christ.
When one contemplates the vastness of God's universe, the inadequacy of time measurement, and the inadequacy of the mind to fathom the idea of eternity in the first place, it is not surprising that scientists give up trying to explain it all, and end up with entirely mystifying explanations to explain God away. This morning as I did a little extra research before writing, I ran across two very interesting statements.
> "Denying the evidence for the universe having a beginning was the greatest blunder of my scientific career." -- Albert Einstein
> "Before [the 'big bang'} no matter or energy would have yet existed to do the causing [of the beginning of the universe]. Consequently, whatever did cause the universe to exist would need to be immaterial and exist beyond space and time. To many scientists and philosophers, this sounds an awful lot like the first words of the Bible -- 'In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth'." -- Dr. Stephen Meyer (PhD, philosopher of science, Discovery Institute Center for Science and Culture, Seattle, WA)
Now that we've considered the Realm from which Christ came, let's now look at . . .
HUMANITY -- THE REALITY OF CHRIST’S COMING: (1:14a)
“And the Word became flesh” – We've already defined "Word", so let's jump to the next two words, "became" and "flesh".
1. "Became" ---- The Greek word is pronounced "ghin'-om-ahee". Its meanings are vast with numerous applications. Thayer, in his Bible dictionary makes very important differentiation that we must acknowledge. His first definition is, "to come into existence, begin to be, receive being, to become, i.e. to come to pass, to happen." However, that definition is impossible with Jesus because He never "came into existence" or "began to be" or "to come to pass". He already was. He always was already was. He always was "Is". So, it is impossible for Him to begin to exist. He has always existed.
This leaves us with only one other understanding -- one glorious and jaw-dropping reality. Thayer defines the word as, "to arise, appear in history, come upon the stage, to be revealed of men appearing in public" And this is Exactly what John was describing. The eternal Christ who has always existed, showed up, stepped on stage, and revealed Himself to the world -- first as a newborn baby, then a young lad, then a marvelous teacher, then suffering servant, then the sacrificial lamb, and then the glorious Redeemer before ascending into heaven.
The idea of God making an "appearance" is not strange to the Bible. He walked with man and wife in the Garden of Eden. He walked with Enoch along the way. He appeared to Abraham with two angels. He appeared to Paul on the Road to Damascus. But, the idea of showing up on stage as a helpless innocent baby is the one that made the difference. And, He chose to come in the form of . . .
2. "Flesh" ---- The Greek word used here is more familiar. It is pronounced simply, sarx. It refers specifically to the human body., but it also is used to define human nature. So, when Jesus was born in Bethlehem, He not only became "flesh and bone" with a visible body that functioned like ours does, but He also immersed Himself into the very mindset, disposition, and nature of man. This is why the writer of Hebrews described Him as "being tempted in all forms such as we are" (Heb 4:15), and yet without sin.
So, when Jesus was born, He literally took on human flesh and nature. How astounding! ---- Christ encased Deity inside humanity.
And He did it in order to do something:
COMPREHENDED -- THE RECOGNITION OF CHRIST’S COMING: (1:14b)
“And dwelt among us.” -- The Greek word is "skay-no'-o" and is usually defined as "tabernacled" with us. However, that imagery is a little misleading because in our minds when we think of "tabernacled", we immediately think of the tabernacle in the wilderness where Moses went to worship God and where sacrificial offerings were made in man's behalf, but inside where man could neither see nor go.
The definition, though true, is better described as God in Christ “encamping” with us. When Jesus was born, He "set up camp" with us in order for us to see Him, know Him, and learn from Him. He, in turn, "set up camp" in in our campground in order to remain with us, communicate with us, love us, and protect us – permanently. He is not hidden from us by tent walls or restricted from us by tent flaps and guards. He is not a week-end camper. He came to be permanent resident with us.
Unlike the days when Israel wandered in the wilderness for forty years, THIS tabernacle -- THIS tent -- isn't torn down, packed up, and hauled off to the next stop on the dusty journey. He is with us for the duration -- at every stop, in every condition, and under every circumstance. No wonder He said, "I will NEVER leave you or forsake (abandon) you!" (Heb 13:5).
The fact that Christ came "and dwelt among us" helps us understand John's amazing statement, . . .
"“What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life — and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you . . ." (I Jn 1:1-2).
Max Lucado followed the same idea when he described the word "Emmanuel" from Matthew 1:23. He wrote, . . .
THE WITH US GOD by Max Lucado
The babe of Bethlehem. Immanuel. Remember the promise of the angel? “‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which is translated, ‘God with us’” (Matthew 1:23).
Immanuel. The name appears in the same Hebrew form as it did two thousand years ago. “Immanu” means “with us.” “El” refers to Elohim, or God. Not an “above us God” or a “somewhere in the neighborhood God.” He came as the “with us God.” God with us. Not “God with the rich” or “with the religious.” But God with us. All of us. Russians, Germans, Buddhists, Mormons, truck drivers and taxi drivers, librarians. God with us. Prophets weren’t enough. Apostles wouldn’t do. Angels won’t suffice. God sent more than miracles and messages. He sent himself; he sent his Son.
The question, then, is whether or not we respond to Him. Yes, indeed, when Jesus was born in Bethlehem, He came and "dwelt among us!" And what happened after that?
OUTCOME -- THE RESULTS OF CHRIST’S COMING: (1:14c)
“And we beheld His glory, . . . as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”
Someone once asked what I consider to be an absurd question -- "If nobody had seen Jesus, would He have been real? Would He have existed at all?" Some rhetorical questions are simply not worth asking -- because they more "out of this world" than Jesus was before He came incarnate.
A better question is, "Since history has shown Him to be a real person, and since He came to change everything, what will I do with Him?" Roman proconsul Pilate asked a similar question -- "Then what shall I do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?"
That's a good question for you and me to ask after the fact. Pilate had only thirty-three years to examine. You and I have over 2,000. We have already seen that He came . . .
1. As “The Word” (1:1) – Visible expression of God’s nature, character, plans, actions, and presence.
2. As the Creator of all things (1:3) (See Col 1:15-17) Meaning = “He caused the entirety of everything in every form at every time everywhere to come into completed existence and completed reality.”
3. As God Incarnate (1:14)
4. As the Savior of mankind (1:10-13)
5. As the visible revelation of God (1:14-18)
6. As the embodiment of God’s nature – "full of grace & truth".
As we saw two letters ago from Heb 1:13 -- “And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having be-come as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.” (1:3).
So ---- this year -- today -- what will we do with Him? Will we actually behold His glory? Or have time and circumstances rubbed it off in our minds? The Holy Spirit directed John to use a specific word to describe how he and others saw Him. Keep in mind that neither John nor any of the other disciples were present at Christ's birth. Yet he says, ". . . WE beheld His glory, . . ."
This time disconnect speaks to me personally of two things:
First, all those who saw Jesus at His birth apparently recognized Him as the promised Redeemer. Jesus had no track record that they could point to -- but they did have the predictions and explanations of the prophets. That was enough to trigger their faith that Jesus was the One who indeed had come into the world to be present with them and to redeem them.
Second, there was a thirty-year time span between the phrase, "the Word became flesh" and "we beheld His glory". But, John wrote them both. To me, this is John's way of telling us that he and the other disciples who followed Him had seen Jesus' ways, His work, and His walk, and heard His words for over three solid years, and then had seen Him following His resurrection from the dead -- and were absolutely Who He claimed to be, Who the prophets predicted Him to be, and Who the Law portrayed Him to be as its fulfillment.
1. His Radiance: -- "We beheld His glory". In this simple phrase, I see two very significant aspects -- the Reality of His glory, and our Recognition of it. It is one thing for something to be real, but it is quite another for us to recognize it. The words in the original language help us better understand both.
1) First, the Recognition of His glory: -- what is it? Is it real, or just imagined? Is it a mirage to be imagined or a matter to be recognized? Well, according to the text, it is very real. There are two words that reveal its reality -- "saw" or "beheld", and "glory".
A. The first word is "theh-ah'-om-ahee" in the original Greek, and colorfully describes the idea that seeing Christ's glory was a personal experience, and not just a second-hand rumor. It literally means, according to Strong, "to look closely at, that is, to visit, behold, and perceive." Thayer's Bible dictionary translates it, "look upon, view attentively, contemplate." It was something significant enough that when they saw Christ's glory, they were driven to give it serious consideration.
In other words, John tells us that when he and the others "beheld" the glory of the Christ they followed, it wasn't just a passing glance -- or even an extended stare driven by "shock and awe". Instead, it was an extended gaze that made them consider what they were seeing. His introductory remarks in his first epistle seem to validate the idea that they looked and contemplated long and hard" as the gazed intently on the world's Redeeming Lamb.
"What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life -- and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us -- what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, . . ." (I Jn 1:1-3a).
This was no small thing John described in both I John and in the Gospel of John. What they saw was so beyond belief and out of this world, that it drove them to describing it and discussing it among themselves -- probably even prodding them to actually ask Jesus about what they saw. The narratives in the Gospels easily leads one to believe the probability of such conversations. I'd have loved to have listened in on some of those conversations around campfires and fishing trips.
2) The Reality of His Glory: -- The second word is the word for "glory" itself -- It is "dox'-ah" in Greek, and, as I described in an earlier letter, is the "the dignity, honor, majesty, praise, splendor, brightness, absolute perfection, and character" of Christ so brilliant and intense that it can be seen with the naked eye in the visible world and powerful enough to emit physical and audible response on the part of the one who sees His glory. It is so absolute and overwhelming that no human can see it without responding in some way to what they have seen.
The word appears some 360 times in the Bible, but I won't belabor the matter by quoting the scriptures. You can do your own research. However, the term "the glory of the Lord" is used 38 times, and each one is spectacular and each one drove the observer to his or her knees or to the ground face down. I am so tempted to describe what Aaron and the Children of Israel saw when God's glory hovered over the wilderness (Exod 16), or when God's glory rested on Mount Sinai (Exod 24), or when His glory filled the tent of meeting (Exod 40). I'd love to delve into those times when God's glory filled the temple (I Kings 8; II Chron 8; Isa 6; etc.).
The shepherds saw this very glory manifested and were terrified; the angels sang about it and rejoiced; the Magi saw it and worshiped; Anna saw it and gave God thanks and praise; Simeon saw it and prophesied that he had seen Israel's redemption and the world's salvation.
The glory the disciples saw on the Mount of Transfiguration, on the waves of Galilee's Sea, and on the clouds as Jesus ascended into heaven is the same glory John saw as he penned The Revelation, the same glory that shown that night in Bethlehem's field, and the same glory about which the angels sang to the shepherds in that field. Wherever Jesus was, His glory was shown. It is an eternal glory because Jesus is eternal. It is part of His nature; it is His "wearing apparel". When you see Him, you see His glory; it can be no other way.
Consider the promises of God that the day will come when the entire earth will be filled with His glory (Isa 40:5; Num 14:21), and His glory will be the "rear guard" protecting His people (Isa 58:8). The prophet Isaiah feel "as dead" when the glory of God filled the temple (Isa 6). The prophet Ezekiel fell on his face when he looked into the future and saw it (Ezek 1:28), and he peered into the temple of the future to view that same glory (Ezek 10:4).
The prophet Habakkuk predicted that the day would come when the entire earth would be filled with "the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." (Hab 2:9). That means that you and I can also view His glory as He reveals His presence and proves faithfulness in our lives. Even in death or near death believers often testify of seeing the glory of God.
The Apostle Paul contrasted the experience Moses had with what we can experience as we are being transformed by the presence of God's glory (II Cor 3). We just need to surrender to it. Imagine what it might be like to so walk with Christ that others see the difference. When my paternal grandmother died in the presence of my father, her final words were, as she sat up in bed, "Oh, My! It's beautiful!!!" Then she lay back down in the bed and walked into the presence of Christ. When you and I enter into the presence of Christ, we will sing a new song -- "Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready." (Rev 19:7).
Next, in addition to Christ's Radiance, we consider . . .
2. His Relationship: -- "the only begotten of the Father". To many, this is a puzzling phrase, too often glossed over because of their puzzlement. However, even if we gloss over it by simply accepting it by faith, we cheat ourselves from recognizing a very important truth. And, if we do that -- as many do -- we form some incredibly dangerous conclusions, one of which that there is more than one way to salvation and that God has a "plan B" in case this one doesn't work out.
So, take time to think about three key words -- "only", "begotten", and "Father". Each one plays a role in our understanding that this Jesus, Who is eternal in nature but still came into this world clothed in human flesh, is in such a relationship with His Father that He willingly restricted Himself to that of a human being, entered our world of "humanness", died the death of a thief, took upon Himself all the sins of the entire world, and suffered in ways you and I will never fully grasp.
Paul described it like this: . . .
". . . although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
"For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Phil 2:6-11).
So, consider . . .
1) "Only" -- The Greek word is "mon-og-en-ace". It sounds a lot like "monogamy" doesn't it. It means just that -- "one, singular, sole, only, single of its kind". There have been no others before Him. There are no others now. There will be no others in the future.
This speaks volumes to us. If there is only one flight to a particular city to which you wish to travel, and that there are no other means of transportation available to that city, you don't wait around for other alternatives or options. You, instead, book the flight -- because you know it's the only way. The "only" is vital for understanding everything about our relationship to God.
For example, there is no other person that can satisfy the requirements that get you to God. Jesus was not just one of several alternatives. Church membership does nothing; baptism does nothing; tithing does nothing; doing good does nothing. Jesus is the "only" when it comes to knowing God.
Also, there is no other pathway that will get you to God. There is no Methodist way, or Catholic way, or Baptist way. The only way -- God's way -- is through Jesus alone. He, Himself, made that clear: . . .
" "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him." (John 14:6-7).
So, the word, "only" not only narrows down your options, but it explains the only choice you have -- you either accept Him, or you reject Him -- and then pay the consequences.
2) "Begotten" -- This word is actually identical to "only" -- "mon-og-en-ace". It differs slightly, though in this way. The first refers to the "course" to be taken; the second refers to the "source" to be recognized. Jesus was the one -- and the only one -- "begotten" by God. Some people make the mistake of thinking that there are many ways to heaven or paradise, and many gods who will take them there. That is a fatal error. Jesus Christ is the only "religious leader", liberator, redeemer, or savior who has ever been "begotten" by God Himself, the creator of the universe I tried to describe earlier.
While there are many other religions and many other religious leaders, there is ONLY ONE Jesus -- One who was born into this world from out of this world, and the only One who provides the way to eternal life.
3) "Father" -- There are many terms John could have used to describe God here -- Creator, Judge, Onlooker, Executioner, . . . But, the Holy Spirit directed Him to use the most intimate of all terms -- that of "Father". The Greek word is "pat-ayr'". It is important to note that John doesn't use the "Abba" or "Daddy" term because the issue is that of legitimacy, and not of intimacy.
It has to do with legal jurisdiction, rather than sentimental emotions and attachments. In that Jesus is the embodiment of God in human flesh, He needs to be recognized for His legitimacy and authority, not just the fluffy distorted view of being a "push-over" to sympathy.
It also has to do with Jesus satisfying the levitical law as well as jurisdictional law. He must be Who He is in order to fully satisfy the law's demands for a blood sacrifice. If Jesus is not the Son of God, but merely the son of Mary and a man, there is absolutely no way that He would ever qualify to die for us and take away our sins. That sacrifice must be that of a flawless, perfect, sinless, firstborn male. Jesus is the one -- the "one and only" Son of God -- whom John the Baptist announced to be "the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world." (John 1:29).
Finally, we come to . . .
3. His Role: -- "Full of grace and truth". For the sake of time and space, let me summarize the role of Christ.
1) "Full" -- First, He is "full" of both grace and truth. The word, "play'-race" in Greek, means to be "replete, overflowing, covering up, abounding, complete, lacking nothing". In other words, Jesus is full and overflowing -- limitlessly inexhaustibly overflowing -- with grace and truth.
2) "Grace" -- Pronounced, khar'-ece in the Greek text, grace is an oft-misunderstood and clearly under-defined word to describe the biblical meaning of grace. Sadly, too many settle for that tried and true definition, "God's unmerited favor". While that definition is true -- because it does come from God, it is undeserved on our part, and it God being favorable toward us -- there is far more to it than just that. It is God's kindness expressed to us by giving us virtually everything we need, which we cannot supply ourselves, for every situation we face, which we cannot attain ourselves. It is God giving us what we need even though we don't deserve it.
3) "Truth" -- Looking at the word in its Greek context, it is " al-ay'-thi-a". It means, "certainty, absoluteness, fact, reality" -- but specifically from a moral and spiritual base. It is never truth plus circumstance, nor truth plus preference, nor even truth plus opinion. Truth is truth -- it is always truth. Whenever you try to change it, distort it, adjust it, modify it, or qualify it, it is no longer truth; it has degenerated into being merely hypothesis, theory, opinion, or personal preference. There absolutely is no such thing as "my truth", "your truth", or "truth is what you see to be truth".
When you put these three together as the role Jesus had, you soon recognize that He was replete, overflowing, and abounding with God's extravagant provision for all your needs and His plans, with absolute undiminished and uncompromising factual certainty as to what is real and what is not.
And that was most perfectly demonstrated in . . .
AGENDA -- THE REASON FOR CHRIST’S COMING: (1:12-13)
” But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”
If you've ever wondered about "The Reason For the Season", that is it. Just as Jesus was received by Mary and Joseph, just as He was received by the shepherds, the townspeople, Anna, and Simeon, that is the way He is still received today.
The reason Christ came as a baby boy was to die as a sacrificial lamb. He was to not only fulfill prophecy in His birth, but to satisfy sin's demand in His sacrifice, destroy Satan's plot in His resurrection, and draw the world back to Himself through the process of being born again by faith in Him.
The issue is not what you believe, -- but rather, it is in Whom do you trust?
Of all the Gospel writers, John identifies -- often in Jesus' own words -- the reason Christ came. . . .
To seek and save the lost (Lk 19:10),
To save sinners (I Tim 1:15),
To call people to repentance (Mk 2:17),
To give life abundantly (Jn 10:10),
To do the will of God (Jn 6:38),
To be a light to the world (Jn 12:46),
To preach the Good news (Mk 1:38),
To judge the world (Jn 9:39),
To fulfill the demands of the sacrificial law (Mt 5:17),
To minister and sacrifice His life (Mt 20:28),
To bear witness of the truth (Jn 18:37),
To bind up broken hearts (Lk 4:18)
To demonstrate God's live (I Jn 4:10),
To give sight to the blind (Lk 4:18),
To be a propitiation for our sin (I Jn 4:10),
To restore what had been lost (Lk 4:19),
To provide salvation to all who will accept Him (Jn 3:16-18),
And dozens more.
CONCL: I John 1:1-4
“What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life — and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us — what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, . . . . These things
we write, so that our joy may be made complete.” (I John 1:1-4)
You see, trying to understand the meaning of Christ’s birth without considering John 1, will reveal a mere baby wrapped in newborn wrappings lying in a feed trough. In order to understand what it’s really all about, you must understand John 1:1-14.
“In the Beginning was the WORD . . . God . . . became Flesh . . . dwelt among us . . . we saw His Glory . . . as many as Receive . . . become Children of God . . . Believe on Him!”
In my next letter we'll take a final look at what really happened in Bethlehem. Until then, I am . . .
In His Bond, By His Grace, and for His Kingdom,
Bob Tolliver -- Romans 1:11
"Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness,
examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so." -- Dr. Luke (Acts 17:11)
"A fire kept burning on the hearthstone of my heart, and I took up the burden of the day with fresh courage and hope." -- Charles F. McKoy
Life Unlimited Ministries
LUMglobal
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Copyright December, 2021
"If Jesus had preached the same message that many ministers preach today, He would never have been crucified." -- Leonard Ravenhill
"The time will come when instead of shepherds feeding the sheep, the Church will have clowns entertaining the goats." -- Charles H. Spurgeon
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