Bible Reading: Exodus 22; Job 40; John 1; 2 Corinthians 10
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Jesus did not have his beginning in Bethlehem! He was incarnated in Bethlehem, but he is from eternity to eternity! John begins his gospel in much the same way Genesis begins...In the beginning. God told us about the beginning of his creation in Genesis and John tells us about the beginning of the new creation. Jesus is the beginning of BOTH creations. He is the Word. Here we learn that the Word was with God. Jesus, the eternal Word of God was with God in the very beginning. Don't make the mistake of thinking that the God of the Old Testament is different than the loving Jesus of the New Testament. He was with God in the beginning.
We also learn the Word was God. Jesus is God. He made no bones about it! The Bible tells us that Jesus claimed to be God.
John 8:58-59 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. 59 Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
Here Jesus used the very words God had used to introduce himself to Moses. I AM. Jesus called himself the covenant name of God. Those Pharisees did not miss his claim because they took up stones to cast at him. They were accusing him of blasphemy and they were going to stone him for what he claimed. Jesus also declared:
John 10:30 I and my Father are one.
John 12:44-45 Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me. 45 And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me.
What is God like? He is like Jesus. Or Jesus is God! Do you know him? Do you worship him? Do you follow him? Does he live in you? Religion brings up many interesting questions and many speculate about what God is like, but when we meet Jesus, we are meeting God!
John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
The eternal Word who is God was made flesh and dwelt among us! God came to us and became like we are so that he could reveal himself to us. Our God is all about COMMUNICATION. Communication is so important to him that his very name is the Word of God. Do you listen to him?
In Christ,
Rody
