JOHN 1:17-18 JESUS IS GOD

17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.

Humans are physical beings living in a material world and perceive things best through the physical senses. Our primary organs of perception are our eyes, ears and skin. During a long absence from a loved one we are grateful for a long letter or an e-mail, but a voice message is better and a video message is even better still. However, these alternatives are only substitutes for the real, huggable presence of that person with us. We all have had the experience of hearing over the phone from a person that they are doing just fine, only to later find out that they were shielding us from the full truth of their condition. The use of video messages of hostages by terrorists has educated us to the reality of staging and coercion that are beyond the broadcast visual field. In the courtroom the strongest evidence still comes from the person who was physically present and witnessed the event or activity in question.

The law is an authoritative message about God and man. God reveals his nature to us through the law and also instructs us on who we are and what we are expected to be. But as a written word it has suffered from being subject to human interpretation in every generation. And like every other good gift we have been given, human beings have found a way to misuse it in order to achieve their own goals. In addition, it came to men through the agency of other men. The translation from word to action also introduces another layer of ambiguity.

In contrast, Jesus Christ is both the eyewitness of the fullness of God (the only one who has actually seen God) and God himself (“God the One and Only”). He is both the Word and the translation of the Word into physical life and action. Jesus Christ made God known in physical terms that a human being could perceive in a material world. By living a life of service and sacrifice, he made God’s nature known; a nature that we could not have imagined or believed if it had not been witnessed graphically in the world.

Father, keep my eyes upon Jesus, my crucified and risen Lord, so that I will always and everywhere remember the truth about you and your grace poured out upon me. May each step I take in this life be based on those of the Word Incarnate. As I seek to answer the call to follow Jesus, empower me to live a life of grateful obedience to your will. Amen.