He was in the
world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did
not know Him (John 1:10)
Former U. S. President Ronald Reagan
has Alzheimers disease. It is said he no longer recognizes
people who were once very dear to him. The events that made
him famous are gone from his mind. Our achievements on
earth are not unlike that, and you have to wonder, what do
our earthly accomplishments mean to God? If Ronald Reagan
told God about his presidency, would God be impressed? Mr.
Reagan was a movie star and is married. Will such factors
give him favor with God? Actually, ALL of our actions on
this earth fall short of the glory of God. Only our TRUST
in Him will last.
ChristianGlobe.com quotes Ronald
Reagan: Meaning no disrespect to
the religious convictions of others, I still can't help
wondering how we can explain away what to me is the greatest
miracle of all and which is recorded in history. No one
denies there was such a Man, that He lived and that He was
put to death by crucifixion. Where...is the miracle I spoke
of? Well consider this and let your imagination translate
the story into our own time possibly to your own home
town. A young man whose father is a carpenter grows up
working in His father's shop. One day He puts down his tools
and walks out of His father's shop. He starts preaching on
street corners and in the nearby countryside, walking from
place to place, preaching all the while, even though He is
not an ordained minister. He does this for three years. Then
He is arrested, tried and convicted. There is no court of
appeal, so He is executed at age 33 along with two common
thieves. Those in charge of His execution roll dice to see
who gets His clothing -- the only possessions He has. His
family cannot afford a burial place for Him so he is
interred in a borrowed tomb. End of story? No, this
uneducated, propertyless young man who... left no written
word has, for 2000 years, had a greater effect on the world
than all the rulers, kings, emperors; all the conquerors,
generals and admirals, all the scholars, scientists and
philosophers who have ever lived -- all of them put
together. How do we explain that?... Unless He really was
who He said He was
From that statement, we learn more
about Ronald Reagan He believed in the Word of God, the
Messiah, the Christ, the Son of God. Ronald Reagan had a
wonderful and unexpected career, but now all of it is
forgotten to him. What we have done in this life will be
like that It is soon forgotten. But if we place our trust
in the Risen Savior who is the Word of God, we live
forever. If our works do not live we will.
In John One, we are removed completely
out of space and time and Jesus Christ is revealed. That
Chapter refers to the Word
(logos) without telling
us, for quite a number of verses, just who or what that Word
is. Then, in verse 14, we understand, for the
Word became 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 (John 1:14). The Word
is Jesus Christ. Because of Him, you exist. Because of
Him, you can see the glory of God.
In the
beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the
Word was God (John 1:1). This refers not to
creation, but rather it tells us about the One who was in
eternity before the world was created. Jesus Christ existed
before this world was made. We learn that He, the Word, was
with God in eternity, and He Himself is God. In verse 10 we
again note that, He was in the
world, and the world was made through Him, and
incredibly, the world did
not know Him. We have shunned our Creator, our
Lord.
There is no argument presented in John
Chapter One that would prove the existence of God, but
instead, much like in Genesis Chapter One, His eternal
nature is simply assumed. Its time for all to become open
to the possibility that Jesus Christ is precisely the Son of
God. Three times in John One, we see a form of the verb to
be (Greek eime),
expressing the continuous existence that is the eternal
nature of Jesus Christ, the Word of God. He always was, He
is, and ever will be God!
This is in sharp contrast to verse 14,
where the Greek word for became (egeneto)
is used. He IS God, but He also BECAME a man - The Man who
died for you and me.
Logos
(Word) is from the Classical Greek lego
(definitely not the childs toy), and it includes the
meanings: to speak or to express
an opinion. In other words, God clearly expressed
Himself through the Person of God the Son. He showed
Himself and His glory in Jesus Christ To understand God,
we look to Jesus, His Son, the Word of God.
He was in the
world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did
not know Him. Do you feel the SADNESS in this verse
(John 1:10)? Do you know Jesus Christ, the Word of God? He
created you. You were expressly made through the Son of
God, but you, like the rest of us, chose, at some point, to
live for yourself. Modern people are not unlike those who
rejected Jesus 2000 years ago, for most typically dont
accept Him; but you should. He is self-evident, He is God
You should get to know Him.
Do you have money? A family? A good
credit rating? Health? Children? A fine reputation?
Faith in the Lord? Soon, all of it will be forgotten,
except for the last item Faith in the Lord. God
reasonably expects that you will choose to know His Son. If
you do, you have everything. Otherwise, you have nothing at
all. You and your life will be forgotten.
At the Last Supper, right before He was
to be arrested and crucified, Jesus spoke of the bread and
of Himself, This is My body which
is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me (Luke
22:19). We are to remember that He died in our place so we
might live. That which is most important about your life is
not what YOU have done. Rather, it is what HE has done FOR
you. What we have done may SEEM important right now, but
all of it can be forgotten, not only by others, but even you
and I can forget everything! Its important that we
remember HIM, for He will not forget you and me. He died
for us, proving that He loves us. Lets remember the Word
of God right now while we still can.
Thank You, Lord, for what YOU have
done. We receive You, now, understanding that You, the Word
of God will remember us forever! We praise Your Holy
Name. In Jesus Name. We love You. Amen.
