First United Methodist Church of San Diego, California, United States Daily Devotions for Monday, 29 December 2014 to 4 January 2015 Sermon theme: The Day Begins At Midnight: Light Shines Through The Darkness by Craig Brown Text to read: John 1:1-9
Scripture Text to read: John 1:1-9
John 1: The Life-Light
1-2 The Word was first,
the Word present to God,
God present to the Word.
The Word was God,
in readiness for God from day one.
3-5 Everything was created through him;
nothing—not one thing!—
came into being without him.
What came into existence was Life,
and the Life was Light to live by.
The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness;
the darkness couldn’t put it out.
6-8 There once was a man, his name John, sent by God to point out the way to the Life-Light. He came to show everyone where to look, who to believe in. John was not himself the Light; he was there to show the way to the Light.
9-13 The Life-Light was the real thing:
Every person entering Life
he brings into Light.
He was in the world,
the world was there through him,
and yet the world didn’t even notice.
He came to his own people,
but they didn’t want him.
But whoever did want him,
who believed he was who he claimed
and would do what he said,
He made to be their true selves,
their child-of-God selves.
These are the God-begotten,
not blood-begotten,
not flesh-begotten,
not sex-begotten.
John Wesley's Notes-Commentary for Text to read: John 1:1-9
Verse 1
[1] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
In the beginning — (Referring to Genesis 1:1, and Proverbs 8:23.) When all things began to be made by the Word: in the beginning of heaven and earth, and this whole frame of created beings, the Word existed, without any beginning. He was when all things began to be, whatsoever had a beginning.
The Word — So termed Psalms 33:6, and frequently by the seventy, and in the Chaldee paraphrase. So that St. John did not borrow this expression from Philo, or any heathen writer. He was not yet named Jesus, or Christ. He is the Word whom the Father begat or spoke from eternity; by whom the Father speaking, maketh all things; who speaketh the Father to us. We have, in John 1:18, both a real description of the Word, and the reason why he is so called. He is the only begotten Son of the Father, who is in the bosom of the Father, and hath declared him. And the Word was with God - Therefore distinct from God the Father. The word rendered with, denotes a perpetual tendency as it were of the Son to the Father, in unity of essence. He was with God alone; because nothing beside God had then any being.
And the Word was God — Supreme, eternal, independent. There was no creature, in respect of which he could be styled God in a relative sense. Therefore he is styled so in the absolute sense. The Godhead of the Messiah being clearly revealed in the Old Testament, ( Jeremiah 23:7; Hosea 1:6; Psalms 23:1,) the other evangelists aim at this, to prove that Jesus, a true man, was the Messiah. But when, at length, some from hence began to doubt of his Godhead, then St. John expressly asserted it, and wrote in this book as it were a supplement to the Gospels, as in the Revelation to the prophets.
Verse 2
[2] The same was in the beginning with God.
The same was in the beginning with God — This verse repeats and contracts into one the three points mentioned before. As if he had said, This Word, who was God, was in the beginning, and was with God.
Verse 3
[3] All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
All things beside God were made, and all things which were made, were made by the Word. In John 1:1,2 is described the state of things before the creation: John 1:3, In the creation: John 1:4, In the time of man's innocency: John 1:5, In the time of man's corruption.
Verse 4
[4] In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
In him was life — He was the foundation of life to every living thing, as well as of being to all that is.
And the life was the light of men — He who is essential life, and the giver of life to all that liveth, was also the light of men; the fountain of wisdom, holiness, and happiness, to man in his original state.
Verse 5
[5] And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
And the light shineth in darkness — Shines even on fallen man; but the darkness - Dark, sinful man, perceiveth it not.
Verse 6
[6] There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
There was a man — The evangelist now proceeds to him who testified of the light, which he had spoken of in the five preceding verses.
Verse 7
[7] The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
The same came for (that is, in order to give) a testimony - The evangelist, with the most strong and tender affection, interweaves his own testimony with that of John, by noble digressions, wherein he explains the office of the Baptist; partly premises and partly subjoins a farther explication to his short sentences. What St. Matthew, Mark, and Luke term the Gospel, in respect of the promise going before, St. John usually terms the testimony, intimating the certain knowledge of the relator; to testify of the light - Of Christ.
Verse 9
[9] That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
Who lighteth every man — By what is vulgarly termed natural conscience, pointing out at least the general lines of good and evil. And this light, if man did not hinder, would shine more and more to the perfect day.
Verse 10
[10] He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
He was in the world — Even from the creation.
Verse 11
[11] He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
He came — In the fulness of time, to his own - Country, city, temple: And his own - People, received him not.
Verse 12
[12] But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
But as many as received him — Jews or Gentiles; that believe on his name - That is, on him. The moment they believe, they are sons; and because they are sons, God sendeth forth the Spirit of his Son into their hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
Verse 13
[13] Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Who were born — Who became the sons of God, not of blood - Not by descent from Abraham, nor by the will of the flesh - By natural generation, nor by the will of man - Adopting them, but of God - By his Spirit.
Daily Devotion:
Monday, December 29, 2014
Sermon theme: The Day Begins At Midnight: Light Shines Through The Darkness
Read the entire text but change the word "word" for "Christ."
What new meaning is there for you?
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Sermon theme: The Day Begins At Midnight: Light Shines Through The Darkness
What do you suppose darkness is in this text?
How are we to deal with darkness?
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Sermon theme: The Day Begins At Midnight: Light Shines Through The Darkness
What can we learn from John's work and example?
How does this happen each day?
Thursday, January 1, 2015
Sermon theme: The Day Begins At Midnight: Light Shines Through The Darkness
In theory, where does darkness go when there is light?
What does that say about the "light"?
Friday, January 2, 2015
Sermon theme: The Day Begins At Midnight: Light Shines Through The Darkness
What is the most important part of being "salt and light"? (Read Matthew 5:13-16[Matthew 5: Salt and Light
13 “Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.
14-16 “Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.])
Saturday, January 3, 2015
Sermon theme: The Day Begins At Midnight: Light Shines Through The Darkness
What meaning is there to the equation of "word" with "Christ"?
Sunday, December 4, 2015
Sermon theme: The Day Begins At Midnight: Light Shines Through The Darkness
Pray for those who are a light for God in dark places.
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First United Methodist Church
2111 Camino del Rio South
San Diego, CA 92108 United States
(619) 297-4366
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Sermon Story "Jesus is the Life-Light Being God" by Gary Lee Parker for Sunday, 4 January 2015
Text to read: John 1:1-9
John 1: The Life-Light
1-2 The Word was first,
the Word present to God,
God present to the Word.
The Word was God,
in readiness for God from day one.
3-5 Everything was created through him;
nothing—not one thing!—
came into being without him.
What came into existence was Life,
and the Life was Light to live by.
The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness;
the darkness couldn’t put it out.
6-8 There once was a man, his name John, sent by God to point out the way to the Life-Light. He came to show everyone where to look, who to believe in. John was not himself the Light; he was there to show the way to the Light.
9-13 The Life-Light was the real thing:
Every person entering Life
he brings into Light.
He was in the world,
the world was there through him,
and yet the world didn’t even notice.
He came to his own people,
but they didn’t want him.
But whoever did want him,
who believed he was who he claimed
and would do what he said,
He made to be their true selves,
their child-of-God selves.
These are the God-begotten,
not blood-begotten,
not flesh-begotten,
not sex-begotten.
There are many people who stumble over this passage because they either cannot believe that God, Holy and Awesome, would come to earth and live as one of us or they cannot see how Jesus and the Holy Spirit are One being that God is One. We read this passage as Jesus as the Word and even translate His title for Word, but if we read this passage with the Name "Jesus" or "Yeshua" instead of "Word" we get a whole new meaning sent to us from God. We look that Jesus was in the beginning with God because He and the Father and the Holy Spirit are One. One this means is that Jesus was the one who spoke a Word and everything was created. Jesus is the One who breathed life into us humans when he created us out of dust and became living beings. Maybe this is what the Apostle Thomas in his Gospel was attempting to say when he shared a story about Jesus making pigeons or birds out of clay than breathed life into them and they lived and flew that Jesus is the One who created everything with His Father and the Holy Spirit as One God. We understand that as humans we do need to be prepared for God arrival on earth so God sent a man we know as John the Baptist to announce that God has come in human flesh to give us life-light. Too often, we miss it just as many people in the day Jesus arrived because God is not coming as we expect Him to come. We hear about great revivals of the past and we so desire this that we miss the way God comes in His Presence to renew us in love for Him and all creations including all humanity. We seek Him to be like us when He is, but He is fully human as all of humanity. We have done with with the Black Humanity when we enslved them in this country as slaves, segregation, and even today in not seeing them as fully human. We see this even in leaders of our country who should know better who make the comment that President is not their President with hidden words because he is Black, not white. Lord, Have Mercy on Us! We need to really reflect upon these words that Jesus is the Life-Light because He was when He created us, when we disobeyed Him, and throughout the ages when attempted to choose one group over another. Even today, we miss God's presence when we look at people who have been born with a disability or given a disability from illness or accidents or even war and not fully including them into our lives within the church. What do we do when someone wants to be a part of our community and they are different in some way than we are? How do you relate to understanding Jesus as the Life-Light? How will you repent of your sins of exclusion in seeking God's Presence in any manner He presents Himself to you on a daily basis?
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Gary Lee Parker
4147 Idaho Street
San Diego, California
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