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“Good News of Great Joy”
Scripture: Luke 2:8 In the countryside nearby were some shepherds spending the night in the fields, guarding their flocks, 9 when an angel of Adonai appeared to them, and the Sh’khinah of Adonai shone around them. They were terrified; 10 but the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, because I am here announcing to you Good News that will bring great joy to all the people. 11 This very day, in the town of David, there was born for you a Deliverer who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 Here is how you will know: you will find a baby wrapped in cloth and lying in a feeding trough.”
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Prayer Tip: "Good News of Great Joy"
Daily Scripture:
Luke 2:8 In the countryside nearby were some shepherds spending the night in the fields, guarding their flocks, 9 when an angel of Adonai appeared to them, and the Sh’khinah of Adonai shone around them. They were terrified; 10 but the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, because I am here announcing to you Good News that will bring great joy to all the people. 11 This very day, in the town of David, there was born for you a Deliverer who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 Here is how you will know: you will find a baby wrapped in cloth and lying in a feeding trough.”
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Prayer Tip:
Every year, we conclude each Candlelight Christmas Eve Service in the same way. (We have seven today at Resurrection Leawood, five at Resurrection West, four at Resurrection Downtown, and four at Resurrection Blue Springs. Please join us!) We extinguish the candles on the altar and in the Advent wreath and turn off the lights. A single lit candle is carried through the Sanctuary as a pastor reads to us from John 1:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
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When the candle makes its way onto the chancel, we use it to light the Christ candle. Then one more candle is lit from it, and then another, and then another… until the whole Sanctuary is lit up in the glow of thousands of candles. It’s really something to behold. Although I know it’s going to happen, I am always in awe that one little flame can grow to illuminate such a great space.
Jesus came into the world as just one small light, but when we allow that light to touch our lives and we, in turn, touch others with that love, we can light up the world.
Holy God,
We thank you for sending your Son to show us how to love. Fill our hearts and remind us during this Christmas season, and far beyond, how to bask in your love and to share Jesus’ love with others.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen. (Angela LaVallie Tinsley, Funeral and Prayer Program Director)
Read today's Insight by Angela LaVallie TinsleyAngela serves as the Funeral and Prayer Program Director, overseeing on-site funerals and assisting with prayer classes, vigils, walk, retreats, and other events. She began working at Resurrection in April 2007 and in that time has worked with the Singles, Seniors, Young Adults, and Guest Connections ministries.
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- God came to earth as a baby in a manger
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- Fulfillment, marriage and birth
- How Matthew led the story to Joseph
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Questions in this GPS marked with a special bullet point are particularly recommended for group discussion. Group leaders may add other discussion questions, or substitute other questions for the marked ones, at their discretion.
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"Celebrating a king’s birth"
Monday, 25 December 2017
Luke 2:8 In the countryside nearby were some shepherds spending the night in the fields, guarding their flocks, 9 when an angel of Adonai appeared to them, and the Sh’khinah of Adonai shone around them. They were terrified; 10 but the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, because I am here announcing to you Good News that will bring great joy to all the people. 11 This very day, in the town of David, there was born for you a Deliverer who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 Here is how you will know: you will find a baby wrapped in cloth and lying in a feeding trough.” 13 Suddenly, along with the angel was a vast army from heaven praising God:
14 “In the highest heaven, glory to God!
And on earth, peace among people of good will!”
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When Rome crowned an emperor, they assigned him the title “Savior” (among others), choirs sang, and they declared the emperor divine. Luke structured his story of Jesus’ birth to say that Jesus, not Caesar, was truly Savior, King and God. Most religious Hebrews in that time scorned shepherds. Busy caring for flocks, they couldn’t observe in detail all the rituals it took to be “holy.” But God loved them, and made these shepherds the first to hear the “wonderful joyous news for all people.”
• We’ve read the angel’s words so many times we may miss how astounding they were. Listen to them as if for the first time (as the shepherds did): “I bring good news to you— wonderful, joyous news for all people. Your savior is born today in David’s city. He is Christ the Lord. This is a sign for you: you will find a newborn baby wrapped snugly and lying in a manger.” What most makes this message “wonderful, joyous news” for you?
• Was Jesus born on December 25? Probably not. “That shepherds were watching their flocks outside at night, rather than having them in pens, suggests that the season was warm. (The date of Dec. 25 was selected later, probably to fit a Roman festival.)” * How can the story of the shepherds watching their flocks outdoors, probably on a warmer night, remind you that the good news of Jesus’ birth applies all year, not just on wintry December nights?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I do not want to give my ultimate allegiance to any of today’s “Caesars.” Help my life and actions to reflect my trust and confidence in you. Amen.
* HarperCollins Christian Publishing. NIV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, eBook: Bringing to Life the Ancient World of Scripture (Kindle Locations 232417-232419). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
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Matt OzmentMatt is the Media Services Production Manager in the Tech Arts ministry at Church of the Resurrection. He joined the staff in December 2014 and supports the technology needs of each special or weekly event outside of weekend worship at Resurrection Leawood. In his free time, he spends time with his 2 kids, supports his wife’s cake business, and aspires to be a novelist.
Merry Christmas! Today we celebrate the Joy of the season, the Joy of togetherness, and the Joy of the birth of our Savior.
It’s easy to go about this season and forget about that joy. As we often get wrapped up in the busyness and consumerism of the holidays, we can lose sight of the fact that the most important part of celebrating is remembering together the story of the Nativity.
I recently had to visit one of the places that has a reputation of just sucking the joy out of anything: The DMV. I received a car from my parents, and I had to move the title from their name to mine. This turned into a vehicle inspection, then a visit with the title, followed by another visit with a signed form from my wife, at which point I discovered that I still needed a couple more forms. A week later, I actually took a look at these forms and found that they weren’t the correct forms for what we needed. I finally had time to go back again (with correct forms in hand) and got it taken care of.
All that to say: it was really frustrating having to go back and forth, having difficulty finding the information that could be much easier to find. I had a hard time seeing the joy in the gift of a car as I got caught up in the amount of time I was spending only to be turned away multiple times.
In a way, this made me think of the story the night Jesus was born. Mary and Joseph had traveled far to get to Nazareth. It was late, they were tired, Mary was 9-months pregnant and likely already having contractions by the time they had arrived. They were desperate to just get to a place to sleep and visited the Inn (or, as Pastor Adam suggests, Joseph's family guest room) only to be turned away. At the last minute, they were offered the stable. In this moment, I imagine they didn’t feel much joy. Through labor, they were in a gross environment, surrounded by animals who were likely getting into her space when she needed it most.
And then, Jesus was born. And they forgot about everything that had happened: the frustration, the disappointment, the lack of a room for them. They felt nothing but joy for the Son who was born, for the amazing gift they had received.
The other person I think of (and relate with) is the innkeeper. The tough decision he had to make was out of his control (like the employee at the DMV who is helping me by making sure I have the correct forms to legally register a car). American scholar Neal Maxwell once said, “Each of us is an innkeeper who decides if there is room for Jesus.”
When I went back to the DMV, I took Rev. Adam’s advice from a couple weeks ago: find those who need a little joy, who go unappreciated, and tell them “Thank you.” This time, all the paperwork was right and my wait was less than minimal. I made sure I asked the employee who was helping me what her name was. At the end, I stopped, addressed her by name and I said, “I know this is a very thankless job, but I just want to say that I really do appreciate your help.” Her face beamed with a huge smile. She moved quickly from a slouched, downtrodden posture to a very uplifted, elated one. We told each other “Merry Christmas,” and I left. It was only a sentence, but that little bit helped spread a great deal of joy.
Today, take some time to reflect on the joy of the holiday. Take notice of those around you and find someone who may need you to share a little joy with them. May your Christmas be filled with Joy as you celebrate and remember the miracle of the birth of Jesus.
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“Let’s go right now”
Tuesday, 26 December 2017
Luke 2:15 No sooner had the angels left them and gone back into heaven than the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go over to Beit-Lechem and see this thing that has happened, that Adonai has told us about.” 16 Hurrying off, they came and found Miryam and Yosef, and the baby lying in the feeding trough. 17 Upon seeing this, they made known what they had been told about this child; 18 and all who heard were amazed by what the shepherds said to them. 19 Miryam treasured all these things and kept mulling them over in her heart. 20 Meanwhile, the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen; it had been just as they had been told.
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Religious leaders looked down on shepherds. But the chief priests and legal experts in Jerusalem later were indifferent to the idea of a king born in Bethlehem (cf. Matthew 2:3-6), unlike the shepherds who showed interest, obedience and joy. (No Jerusalem leader asked the magi, “Could we go with you?”) In another of God’s great reversals, Jesus would grow up to identify with shepherds, saying, “I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11).
• After hearing the angels’ song, the shepherds said, “Let’s go right now to Bethlehem and see what’s happened. Let’s confirm what the Lord has revealed to us.” Have you confirmed what you’ve learned “about” God? What rewards have you found in moving beyond an intellectual to a relational experience where you “taste and see” that Jesus is who he said he was?
Ø Pastor Bruce Larson wrote, “[Verse 20] says that after the shepherds had seen such wondrous things they went back to the commonplace. That’s true for us each year at Christmas as we celebrate these events. Where will we be when the excitement and fun are over? How do these events change the lives we lead back at our jobs, our homes, our schools?” * How will Christmas’ wondrous news change your day-to-day life for the better?
Prayer: O Lord, this has become a day for returning unwanted or ill-fitting gifts. I don’t ever want to return your gift of yourself. As I live into a relationship with you that “fits” better and better, help me to celebrate your coming as “the Christ child” every day. Amen.
* Bruce Larson, The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 26: Luke. Nashville: Word, Inc., 1983, p. 52.
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Denise MersmannDenise serves as the Early Childhood Coordinating Assistant at Church of the Resurrection.
When the angels brought news of Jesus' birth, the shepherds immediately left their fields to go see the baby for themselves. Even without advance notice, the shepherds stopped what they were doing to head to Bethlehem.
After seeing and celebrating baby Jesus, the shepherds returned to their fields and resumed their normal routine. It's hard to imagine that the shepherds’ lives were not completely changed. How could they celebrate the birth of the Messiah and not have that affect everything they did going forward?
It's easy to question the shepherds’ actions, their failure to make changes in their lives. But are we really so different from the shepherds? We celebrate the birth of Jesus--attending worship, spending time with family, connecting with friends, and serving those in need. The month of December is filled with all types of events that are supposed to help us celebrate Jesus' birth. Most of us plan and schedule our evenings and weekends around activities that are tied to Christmas. We take vacation days to allow us more time to prepare for our celebrations.
But what happens when January rolls around? Our resolutions fall by the wayside, plans to serve others get cancelled because we are "too busy,” we miss worship because of weather, ball games or a myriad of other reasons.
So how do we keep from becoming shepherds, letting our excitement and enthusiasm falter as the year wears on?
In our family, it seems that the first things that get on the calendar are our activities. When another event comes up, a quick check of our schedule shows that we have a previous commitment. Not that we don't have to make schedule changes to accommodate conflicts, but when we do our previous activity tends to get rescheduled.
This year, while we are still celebrating the birth of our Messiah, let's make a commitment to continue celebrating Christmas all year long. Before the new year kicks off, take out your calendar and schedule some things that remind you to celebrate Jesus.
Decide which worship service works for your schedule and block that time. Let friends know which service you will be attending and make plans to sit together or maybe go to lunch after service.
Look ahead to find great ways to serve. Choose dates and activities that are significant your family. Donate books to celebrate your children's birthdays. Spend time at a retirement home in honor of your parents or grandparents. Invite friends to join you for dinner and then make blankets that can be donated to a shelter. Sign up to prepare dinner for guests at the Ronald McDonald House. Have a clothing drive for Children's Mercy. Take a day off work and invite your coworkers to Bless the School or to work on a Habitat home. There are so many great ways to celebrate Jesus all year long, but it's easy to find that another year has passed and we’ve been like shepherds once again. This year, let's all be wise men (and women) and celebrate Jesus all year long!
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“'The Word:' divine source of life and light"
Wednesday, 27 December 2017
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
2 He was with God in the beginning.
3 All things came to be through him,
and without him nothing made had being.
4 In him was life,
and the life was the light of mankind.
5 The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not suppressed it.
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“This passage has become famous because it’s often read at Christmas carol services— though it isn’t just about the birth of Jesus, but about the full meaning of everything he was, and is, and did…. ‘In the beginning’—no Bible reader could see that phrase and not think at once of the start of Genesis: ‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth’…. This book is about the creator God acting in a new way within his much-loved creation. It is about the way in which the long story which began in Genesis reached the climax the creator had always intended. And it will do this through ‘the Word’.” *
• John’s use of “In the beginning” stretches our minds to areas of mystery of which, even today, science is just scratching the surface. John didn’t say the Word “began” in the beginning; he said the Word already “was.” It was a way of saying Jesus has always been here, and will always be here. He is eternal; he is God. In what ways does John’s teaching that Jesus was more than just a good man shape your faith and your way of life?
Ø “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness doesn’t extinguish the light” wasn’t just poetry. As we see every Christmas Eve, even a large room full of darkness cannot hide or put out the light when the one small Christ candle comes into the room. When have you felt that darkness was trying to put out God’s light in your life? What spiritual choices help keep you close to God, so that God’s light keeps shining in you?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for shining the life-giving light of your love and grace into my life. Amen.
* N. T. Wright, John for Everyone, Part 1: Chapters 1–10. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004, p. 3.
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Dr. Amy OdenDr. Amy Oden is Professor of Early Church History and Spirituality at Saint Paul School of Theology at OCU. Teaching is her calling, and she looks forward to every day with students. Her latest book (Right Here, Right Now: The Practice of Christian Mindfulness, Abingdon Press, 2017) traces ancient mindfulness practice for Christians today.
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness doesn’t extinguish the light” (v. 5). The GPS Guide for today offers great questions in connection with this verse: “When have you felt that darkness was trying to put out God’s light in your life? What spiritual choices help keep you close to God, so that God’s light keeps shining in you?”
In my life, I notice that it’s not always the major life challenges that threaten to put out God’s light. I easily lose touch with that light when I live at a mind-numbing pace, moving from one thing to the next in a rush of productivity. Often, I’m thinking ahead to what’s next and not aware of the moment I’m in.
I can go through the day without ever stopping to see—really see—the people I encounter, to recognize that each one is a child of God, made in God’s image. My husband, my co-worker, the person at the drive-through window, someone in front of me in line at the store—all of them are signs of God’s love for the whole world.
Yet, in my multi-tasking, I read emails or scan social media on my phone instead of looking into each face with wonder and awe at God’s mighty handiwork. I miss out on God’s light entering my life when I miss out on paying attention to God’s children all around me.
Each of us can become lost in a busy schedule, distracted by screens and tasks. We end up unaware of the moment we are in, and its fullness with God’s own life blessing us right here, right now.
So, take a moment to pause, breathe deeply, and pay attention on purpose to the people around you today, signs of God’s love and light. Mindfulness can help us “make spiritual choices that keep us close to God, so that light keeps shining in us.”
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"The heartbreak of light unrecognized and unwelcome"
Thursday, 28 December 2017
John 1:6 There was a man sent from God whose name was Yochanan. 7 He came to be a testimony, to bear witness concerning the light; so that through him, everyone might put his trust in God and be faithful to him. 8 He himself was not that light; no, he came to bear witness concerning the light.
9 This was the true light,
which gives light to everyone entering the world.
10 He was in the world — the world came to be through him —
yet the world did not know him.
11 He came to his own homeland,
yet his own people did not receive him.
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The “man named John” in verse 6 was not the writer of the gospel, but the preacher/prophet known as John the Baptist. In several places, the Bible pictured the tension of good versus evil as “light” and “darkness.” The gospel writer defined “light” more specifically. Jesus, he said— the Jesus he had seen, heard and known—was the light who broke into the world’s darkness. As darkness couldn’t put out light, so Jesus could deliver us from the darkness of our world, and within ourselves.
• John’s prologue included a tragic note: “the light came to his own people, and his own people didn’t welcome him.” What blocked people’s ability to recognize their Creator? How can you avoid that kind of blockage? How does the person of Jesus shape your understanding of God? What difference does what you believe about God make in day-to-day life?
• Verse 8 reflected an interesting reality. Some people so valued John the Baptist’s ministry that they didn’t want to make Jesus the supreme Lord (cf. John 3:25-30). (It continued later even in distant Ephesus—cf. Acts 19:1-5.) The Baptist himself refuted any idea that he was the Messiah (cf. Mark 1:7-8, Luke 3:15-18). Some of us still tend to be more loyal to a favorite preacher or teacher than to the Lord they all serve. How can you value those who enrich your spiritual journey without putting them in the place of Jesus?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I choose you as the Lord of my life. Help me, even when it challenges me, to always keep my heart open to welcome you. Amen.
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Janelle GregoryJanelle Gregory serves on the Resurrection staff as a Human Resources Specialist. Janelle finds that her heart is constantly wrestling with the truth that she needs a Savior, and the times when she's at her very best are when she's just too tired to put up a fight.
I came back to the hotel room long after my friends had already fallen asleep. Wanting to be the courteous travel partner, I dug through my bag in the dark to put my toothpaste on my toothbrush. I began to brush my teeth, only to be horrified by what I was tasting. This was not the minty fresh flavor I was accustomed to. Not at all! After spitting, rinsing, spitting, rinsing, and then spitting some more, I realized what happened. In the lack of light, I had grabbed anti-itch cream instead of toothpaste. Lesson learned. If you can’t see what you’re reaching for, you might grab the wrong thing.
I feel like life can be experienced much like that night in the hotel room. People stumble around, fall down, hit walls, and grab for all the wrong things. Why? Because they don’t have the light; the Light of the World, that is. 2000 years ago, when the world was dark, when hope had lost its glimmer, and when shadows prevailed, God pierced through blackness and brought down his radiant Light in the form of a babe. This Light burst through the dark and brought hope back to life.
With the Light of Christ, we can see everything more clearly – God, the world, ourselves. It all becomes more apparent. We see goodness prevail. We see love snuffing out hate. We see lives transformed. We see eternity. We see the Light.
Yet there are some who have yet to experience the Light. They spend much of their lives grabbing for things like power, property, notoriety, codependency, self-righteousness, substances, apathy, fantasies, the list goes on and on. You really can’t blame them. It’s easy to reach for wrong things when you are grabbing in the dark.
As those with the Light, we are called to share the Light with others. No one has to stumble. No one has to fall. No one has to grab the wrong things. The Light is for all. As Light bearers, we should disburse it generously and often, letting Christ shine in us and through us until the day when the darkness of the world is wiped out once and for all and God’s radiance rules forever!
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"The Word: 'full of grace and truth'”
Friday, 29 December 2017
John 1:12 But to as many as did receive him, to those who put their trust in his person and power, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 not because of bloodline, physical impulse or human intention, but because of God.
14 The Word became a human being and lived with us,
and we saw his Sh’khinah,
the Sh’khinah of the Father’s only Son,
full of grace and truth.
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The Greek and Roman gods usually showed little interest in human beings’ day-to-day concerns. John said “the Word” was utterly different. He gave all who believed in him the right to become children of God. “The Word became flesh and made his home among us”—neither Greeks nor Jews believed God could bridge a gap that wide. But John said the light wasn’t just about God—the light was God himself, one of us yet so much more than just one of us.
Ø Being born is the way each one of us enters the world to begin a new life. John, taking his cue from Jesus (cf. John 3:3-8), said the quality of life Jesus brought is so fresh and filled with divine energy it’s like being born anew as a child of God. When did your spiritual journey start? In what ways has walking with Jesus given you a whole new life?
• The poetry of Genesis said “in the beginning” God made the world, and declared it good (Genesis 1:31). Greek thinkers like Plato said “the logos” was too pure to enter the corrupt material world, and Hebrews usually saw God as so awesome and distant that they feared to even speak the divine name. John drew on both those thought worlds, but boldly wrote, “The Word became flesh.” In what ways does Jesus, the Word who “became flesh,” cast light on what it means for you to be fully human?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for becoming flesh, and for giving me the authority and power to be born anew as a child of God. Thank you for my new life. Amen.---
Darren LippeDarren Lippe helps facilitate Journey 101 “Loving God” classes, guides a 7th-grade Sunday school class, is a member of a small group and a men’s group, and serves on the curriculum team.
Today’s passage is so majestic & poetic. When John writes about how “the Word was made flesh,” you get the sense that you are settling in for an epic story. (BTW, I would love for John to write our Christmas letter – he could make anything sound grand & glorious. Instead of “Jacob got his braces off,” he’d probably write, “Jacob’s transitory teeth of tinsel now provide a glow that will glisten through the eons.”)
I’m a big fan of God, but sometimes His decision-making leaves one a bit befuddled. Let’s consider a few problems with God’s plan laid out by John.
John’s magnificent opening is really just telling us that God’s one & only Son was entering the world as a baby boy. Wouldn’t it make more sense if Jesus came to earth as a young man of, say, 25, when He could legally rent a car without Mary & Joseph signing for it & could live independently (every father’s dream)? What was God thinking?
I’m confident that Mary & Joseph were outstanding parents, but doesn’t God seems a bit cavalier trusting His Son to the care of a teen-aged girl & an itinerant carpenter? When we left our 1st born, Matthew, with baby sitters for the first time, I was very uneasy about whether they could handle the great responsibility. Finally, I caved-in & said, “Okay, Mom & Dad, we’ll be back in 2 hours.” (There’s nothing quite like a date night for parents of a newborn - Jack Stack BBQ followed by a sleep-deprived wandering of the aisles at Costco until the 2 hours is up.)
Then we have Jesus’ birth in a feeding trough. Acknowledging the powerful imagery of such a humble beginning, it still seems a bit odd that with God’s immense knowledge of bacteria/germs that He would opt for a manger over, say, a small but sanitary 1-room home. What was God thinking?
Further problems with God’s plan become apparent. With Jesus as a young boy, God had to cringe, as any Father would, when Jesus, perhaps, stuck a small Lego piece from His “Herod’s Temple Lego Set” in His ear – just to see if it fit.
Or God must have been ready to smite Jesus’ mathematics teacher for down grading Jesus on this story problem: You have 5 loaves of bread & 2 fish. How many people can you feed? Jesus: 5,000. Teacher: THAT would be miraculous. Minus-10 points.
So, John’s mastery with words can’t hide the fact that God’s plan of becoming flesh via a newborn was riddled with potential pitfalls. What might God be thinking?
Perhaps God is letting parents know that He completely comprehends the hopes & fears we have for our children.
Maybe God is telling youth, that since Jesus was an adolescent as well, that Jesus gets what it is like to experience the ups & down of being a teenager.
And possibly, God is telling all of us that, not only does He love us, but He also trusts us so much that He was willing to let His one & only Son be totally dependent on our care. 2,000 years later, the physical care of the Christ child is no longer an issue; however, it is now up to us to be worthy of God’s trust in us by honoring Christ’s life - by loving God with all of our heart, soul, mind, & strength, by serving others in His name, & by telling others the Good News.
Now, back to our Christmas (Whoops, now New Year’s) letter. Our progeny constantly hunger & thirst for knowledge & sustenance. Much better than “Our teen-aged sons enjoy High School & we enjoy receiving “low balance notifications” from the school lunch program every 9 days.”
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"Now we know what God is like"
Saturday, 30 December 2017
John 1:15 Yochanan witnessed concerning him when he cried out, “This is the man I was talking about when I said, ‘The one coming after me has come to rank ahead of me, because he existed before me.’”
16 We have all received from his fullness,
yes, grace upon grace.
17 For the Torah was given through Moshe;
grace and truth came through Yeshua the Messiah.
18 No one has ever seen God; but the only and unique Son, who is identical with God and is at the Father’s side — he has made him known.
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The letter to the Hebrews began with a thought similar to John’s prologue: “In the past God spoke through the prophets to our ancestors in many times and many ways. In these final days, though, he spoke to us through a Son” (Hebrews 1:2-3). Scholar William Barclay wrote, “When John said that no man has ever seen God, everyone in the ancient world would fully agree with him…. But John does not stop there; he goes on to make the startling and tremendous statement that Jesus has fully revealed to men what God is like…. Here again the keynote of John’s gospel sounds: ‘If you want to see what God is like, look at Jesus.’” *
Ø Today’s Scripture reading can help move us beyond some of the hurtful, fruitless battles some Christians wage over the Bible. The person of Jesus, not a book, was the ultimate revelation of God. As Pastor Hamilton wrote, “I’m proposing that we hear, examine, and interpret all scripture through the lens and filter of the definitive and unmitigated Word of God, Jesus Christ…. What is the heart, character, and will of God that Jesus reveals?... we must not set aside what is inconvenient or challenging to us simply because it is difficult. We will, however, read scripture in the light of the life, ministry, teaching, death, and resurrection of Jesus…. it is Jesus who serves as the final Word by which other words of scripture are to be judged.” ** How, during 2018, will you deepen your knowledge of what Jesus taught about God’s heart, character and will?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you that your love is a fixed point I can depend on in an everchanging world. Keep me steady, stable and loving every day of the New Year. Amen.
Did You Know? Resurrection offers many classes and activities to help you grow deeper spiritually. For newer Christians, we recommend a set of studies we call the “First Five.” Click here (cor.org/leawood/visit/next-steps) for more information.
* William Barclay, Daily Study Bible Series: The Gospel of John—Volume 1 Chapters 1–7 (Revised Edition). Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1975, pp. 73-74.
** Hamilton, Adam. Making Sense of the Bible: Rediscovering the Power of Scripture Today (pp. 175-177). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.
Family Activity: Happy New Year! Commit to praying more regularly as a family this year. Purchase or print off a blank January 2018 calendar. In each daily space, write the name of a family member, friend, neighbor, school staff person, church volunteer, community worker or group. Include people nearby and some far away—even those in other countries. Choose a time each day to pray together for this person—maybe at breakfast, in the car, at dinner or at bedtime. Also encourage family members to pray for that person throughout the day on their own. Repeat this for each month of 2018. If your family would like additional prayer ideas, pick up a Family Prayer Guide from KiDSCOR!
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Dan Entwistle
Dan Entwistle serves as a Managing Executive Director for Church of the Resurrection.God revealed.
60 days ago, we marked the 500th anniversary of what has become known as the Protestant Reformation. Martin Luther, as he examined problems in the church of his day, drew a direct connection between the church’s widespread corruption and the height of authority that had been granted to the office of the Pope. The notion of papal “infallibility” on certain matters had become a source, he felt, of manipulation and distortion that was undermining the church’s integrity and message. Instead, as a corrective measure he insisted that the authority of the Pope is under, and not above, the authority of scriptures.
However, in some cases this path led us to swap the doctrine of infallibility of the Pope for a doctrine of infallibility of scripture. We replaced the Pope with what some have referred to as a “paper pope.” The influence of the Reformation is so profound that it became common for some Christians to refer to scripture as the “Word of God” (notice the capitalization of Word, referring to scripture.)
Referring to scriptures as the Word of God raises the important question of whether the Bible, or Jesus himself, is God’s truest Word, the center of faith and adoration for a Christian. The Bible is vitally important, and we grow spiritually when we make a daily practice of studying and meditating upon it. But the Bible’s ultimate importance is in pointing us toward God revealed in Jesus Christ. Notice that today’s scripture calls Jesus the “Word.”
“The Word became flesh and made his home among us. We have seen his glory, glory like that of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14. “From his fullness we have all received grace upon grace… grace and truth came into being through Jesus Christ.” John 1:16-17
Jesus is God’s infallible Word. May we follow him today in his grace and truth, fullness and glory.
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Dan EntwistleDan Entwistle serves as a Managing Executive Director for Church of the Resurrection.God revealed.
60 days ago, we marked the 500th anniversary of what has become known as the Protestant Reformation. Martin Luther, as he examined problems in the church of his day, drew a direct connection between the church’s widespread corruption and the height of authority that had been granted to the office of the Pope. The notion of papal “infallibility” on certain matters had become a source, he felt, of manipulation and distortion that was undermining the church’s integrity and message. Instead, as a corrective measure he insisted that the authority of the Pope is under, and not above, the authority of scriptures.
However, in some cases this path led us to swap the doctrine of infallibility of the Pope for a doctrine of infallibility of scripture. We replaced the Pope with what some have referred to as a “paper pope.” The influence of the Reformation is so profound that it became common for some Christians to refer to scripture as the “Word of God” (notice the capitalization of Word, referring to scripture.)
Referring to scriptures as the Word of God raises the important question of whether the Bible, or Jesus himself, is God’s truest Word, the center of faith and adoration for a Christian. The Bible is vitally important, and we grow spiritually when we make a daily practice of studying and meditating upon it. But the Bible’s ultimate importance is in pointing us toward God revealed in Jesus Christ. Notice that today’s scripture calls Jesus the “Word.”
“The Word became flesh and made his home among us. We have seen his glory, glory like that of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14. “From his fullness we have all received grace upon grace… grace and truth came into being through Jesus Christ.” John 1:16-17
Jesus is God’s infallible Word. May we follow him today in his grace and truth, fullness and glory.
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The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224, United States
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