- We don’t often think about Jesus creating the world, but this says He did.
- Three key thoughts in the first paragraph: Jesus pre-exists, He is eternal without beginning. The manger did not mark the beginning of his existence, it was only the beginning of a human form that the eternal Christ occupied. In some mysterious way you and I have eternal identities as well, and we are also inhabiting human forms. The only difference (I think) is that we have never been aware of our true spiritual identity apart from our physical one. Then there is the idea that Jesus created everything. We know that Jesus is “the Word” and all of creation was spoken into existence, so it was Jesus who spoke it. It’s a fools errand to try and separate the Father from the Son…they operate simultaneously and in perfect harmony even though they are separate. That’s what our marriages should look like, and what relationship between believers should look like. And finally, the Light cannot be extinguished by darkness. God is superior and all powerful. Jesus doesn’t fear evil, evil fears Him. We need to realize our true identity as the offspring of God and quit fearing evil ourselves. Instead, we should surrender completely to Christ and put evil to flight through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit.
- Since we are born with an eternal spirit, and then “reborn” when we acknowledge Christ and surrender our lives to Him, something in the eternal realm must happen with our spirit. I think it’s more than a name change or erasing the sin stains…I think that sin caused us to be born with a deformed spirit, grotesque and handicapped, unable to function or think about anything but ourselves. When by some stroke of God’s wonderful grace, we heard and accepted the message of salvation, that spirit was transformed…or maybe even created new. Either way, I think it’s more than simply saying “my debt was paid” although that’s true I don’t believe it describes the whole event.
- Vs 29 and following: I’ve mentioned several times before that the lamb that took away sin was female in the Old Testament. That isn’t a suggestion about the sex of Jesus, it’s just an observation. Considering helps me understand that in Christ there is no “male or female” God transcends human sex. That’s probably why we won’t be married in heaven…because our relationships there will be more pure and deeper than any relationship possible in human form. Jesus was the fulfillment of prophesy, and even the prophet John the Baptist didn’t fully appreciate who He was until he saw the anointing on Him. This gives me pause, because I know that Zachariah and Elizabeth would have spoken to John about Jesus, and about Mary’s visit. He didn’t want to baptize Jesus, saying that it should be the other way around, but Jesus insisted on being baptized by John. This must have been one more confirmation so the people of Jesus’ day wouldn’t miss the significance of it.
- Nathanael makes a great observation at the time he first meets Christ, although I doubt there was much faith behind his statement. Within several years Nathanael would be able to say with great confidence and conviction that Jesus was the Son of God, and God himself.
- In this first encounter Jesus declares himself to the God, and the only way that we can access heaven. Angels actually descend to earth because of Christ, who identifies himself as the stairway between heaven and earth. I don’t think I remember seeing that before.
- Jesus came for two reasons, the obvious one was to be the sacrifice for our sins, the second one was to train those who responded. In other passages Jesus says “to teach” is “why I have come”. Discipleship is so important! And from the first time Jesus met these men He was training them. In fact, I wonder if the voice from heaven was intended for the disciples as well. Jesus didn’t need to hear it, and John the Baptist already believed it. It must have been for those who were planning to respond to Jesus. Discipleship actually begins before acknowledging Christ.
Loving Jesus,
Pastor Rick