During the four Sundays of Advent in 2016, we have explored the awe and wonder of "the Word become flesh". This is the power of the Christmas event, greater than jolly red-suited characters and the mad rush of Northern hemisphere winter meals in the midst of our baking summer.
John's book about Jesus, the 'Gospel of John', opens with a heavy hit of combined Hebrew theology and Hellenic (Greek) philosophy: In the beginning... (Hebrew) was the Word (Hellenic "logos") and the Word was with God... and the Word was God. (John 1:1). Those who sat and listened to these words read out in the original Greek language, and even Aramiac, would not have missed the double canon blast of theology/philosophy.
And yet, there is so much more.
John sets out who Jesus is, before His time here in our history, and forever.
On the first Sunday of Advent (Nov 27), we looked at Jesus the Life. For Christians who know and love the Lord Jesus, life is never just 'done' until we die. Jesus came so that all who call on His name wll "have life to the fullest" (John 10:10), and that He is "the Way, the Truth and the Life" (John 14:6). Life is not limited to this wordly existence, but the eternal life we recieve when we share Christ's Easter Day resurrection life, a theme Paul strongly illustrates in his letter to the Romans.
On the second Sunday of Advent (Dec 4), we looked at Jesus the Light. If general (scientific, natural, reasonable) knowledge is like sunlight which illuminates everything, then Jesus is light the focussed ray of a spotlight, or even a laser, with intense, focussed revelation of the God who created and sustains all of us. He attracts our attention, and calls us out of the darkness into His marvellous light, which is inextinguishable and eternal. In Paul's letter to the Colossians (1:12-14) he explains concisely just what this means.
On the third Sunday of Advent (Dec 11), we looked at Jesus the Word. Here we briefly looked the themes already considered above, of Hebrew theology and Hellenistic philosophy. But we also looked forward in the Revelation (19:11-16) to where we meet a very different image of Jesus the "Word of God". Here is a mighty warrior king ("the King of kings and the Lord of lords") who defeats every enemy through the power of His Easter Day resurrection, and has the final, almighty victory when all His people will be victorious with Him.
On the fourth and final Sunday of Advent (Dec 18), we considered what it meant that Jesus was full of grace and truth. As fully God, even as fully man, Jesus's grace overcame all sin and evil, 'super-abounding' even where sin prevailed (Romans 5:20-21). And as He is the Truth (John 14:6), His 'super-truth' is greater than any human understanding of truth or meaning, just as He as the One through whom all things were created (John 1:3, 10) is greater than we, His creation.
The Christmas event is one of awe and wonder - the Magi from the East exemplified this with their response in searching travel, expensive gifts and humble honour before the child God-man Jesus. Let us also bow our knee before Him, and confess with our tongues that Jesus Christ is Lord, the light, the life, the Word and full of grace and truth - and forever was, is and will always be.
John's book about Jesus, the 'Gospel of John', opens with a heavy hit of combined Hebrew theology and Hellenic (Greek) philosophy: In the beginning... (Hebrew) was the Word (Hellenic "logos") and the Word was with God... and the Word was God. (John 1:1). Those who sat and listened to these words read out in the original Greek language, and even Aramiac, would not have missed the double canon blast of theology/philosophy.
And yet, there is so much more.
John sets out who Jesus is, before His time here in our history, and forever.
On the first Sunday of Advent (Nov 27), we looked at Jesus the Life. For Christians who know and love the Lord Jesus, life is never just 'done' until we die. Jesus came so that all who call on His name wll "have life to the fullest" (John 10:10), and that He is "the Way, the Truth and the Life" (John 14:6). Life is not limited to this wordly existence, but the eternal life we recieve when we share Christ's Easter Day resurrection life, a theme Paul strongly illustrates in his letter to the Romans.
On the second Sunday of Advent (Dec 4), we looked at Jesus the Light. If general (scientific, natural, reasonable) knowledge is like sunlight which illuminates everything, then Jesus is light the focussed ray of a spotlight, or even a laser, with intense, focussed revelation of the God who created and sustains all of us. He attracts our attention, and calls us out of the darkness into His marvellous light, which is inextinguishable and eternal. In Paul's letter to the Colossians (1:12-14) he explains concisely just what this means.
On the third Sunday of Advent (Dec 11), we looked at Jesus the Word. Here we briefly looked the themes already considered above, of Hebrew theology and Hellenistic philosophy. But we also looked forward in the Revelation (19:11-16) to where we meet a very different image of Jesus the "Word of God". Here is a mighty warrior king ("the King of kings and the Lord of lords") who defeats every enemy through the power of His Easter Day resurrection, and has the final, almighty victory when all His people will be victorious with Him.
On the fourth and final Sunday of Advent (Dec 18), we considered what it meant that Jesus was full of grace and truth. As fully God, even as fully man, Jesus's grace overcame all sin and evil, 'super-abounding' even where sin prevailed (Romans 5:20-21). And as He is the Truth (John 14:6), His 'super-truth' is greater than any human understanding of truth or meaning, just as He as the One through whom all things were created (John 1:3, 10) is greater than we, His creation.
The Christmas event is one of awe and wonder - the Magi from the East exemplified this with their response in searching travel, expensive gifts and humble honour before the child God-man Jesus. Let us also bow our knee before Him, and confess with our tongues that Jesus Christ is Lord, the light, the life, the Word and full of grace and truth - and forever was, is and will always be.
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