John 1: 1 – 18
There are introductions . . . and there are personal introductions. The first simply tells you someone’s name. The second tells you more about them – their character, their heart. The first kind of intro is necessary. The second facilitates a personal connection. My heart needs the second.
Now – – certainly we know that Jesus came to die for our sins and provide salvation. But I see more . . . .
The first 17 verses tell us a lot about Jesus. He was there at creation, He was the True Light, John the baptist introduced Jesus and grace & truth came through Him. All that is great. It’s historical. It’s spiritual. But there’s more . . . .
Honestly, I’ve never paid verse 18 much attention. I read it and as a churched kid, I thought it was pretty straight forward – – and it is. But there’s more . . . .
The ore is at the end of verse 18. The NASB says “He (Jesus) has explained Him (God the Father). That’s really good, but I love the way the Amplified bible reads – “the (One and) only begotten God (that is, the unique Son) who is in the intimate presence of the Father, He has explained Him (and interpreted and revealed the awesome wonder of the Father).
When Jesus was here on earth, He showed us what the Father was like. He “interpreted and revealed the awesome wonder of the Father”. That’s reasonable. Father, Son, and Spirit are One. Being so close, it makes perfect sense that Jesus was the logical One to reveal the Father’s character and heart.
There are some who say they don’t need Jesus to show them the Father. After all, just read about all He did in the time of the Old Testament, right? They rely on intellectualizing and spiritualizing God. In essence, they put Him in a special God box. By compartmentalizing Him, they come to their own conclusions based on recorded events, astounding miracles and good vs evil. But the deal is . . .God is so much more.
Maybe by separating God from emotions like love, compassion or forgiveness, they can be pragmatic about their faith. Perhaps it makes it easier for them to relegate Him to only Sundays.
Personally, I want to know more about God. I want to know His heart. I want to walk with Him every single day. What does He love? What does He hate? I want to be so in tune with His heart, I can sense His direction in my life – my calling, His will. And by knowing and understanding more of who God is, I can better understand the miraculous events and meaning behind the true stories in scripture.
Now that I know Jesus was personally introducing me to Father God, I believe I will see more as I read His word. It’s not merely spiritual, it’s personal. It’s not just stories strung together, its a love letter from God. Yes, I see good vs evil and guidance for my path. But there’s so much more . . . .