Elvis Presley used to eat at Lil Thompson’s Steakhouse in Tennessee quite often. He was good friends with the owner who used to give him free food before he was famous. One night when Elvis was at the height of his fame, the Steakhouse held the ultimate Elvis Presley impersonator contest. A large crowd arrived, including Elvis Presley himself, who decided to take part and sat quietly at the back.
Elvis said confidently, “I’m going to mash this.” Lil was worried the place would go crazy when everyone realized it was Elvis. There was no need. He sang “Love Me Tender” to polite applause and came third place in the contest! (Blog, “The True Complete Story of Mark Hanks,” 706UnionAvenue.com, Accessed 1/28/21; www.PreachingToday.com).
When God came into our world, very few people paid Him much attention. Even today, people give him polite applause, but many fail to appreciate who He really is. As a result, they miss out on all He has to offer them.
Do you want to see Jesus for all that He is? Then turn with me, if you will, to John 1 in your Bibles. The Gospel of John, chapter 1, where one of Jesus’ closest friends introduces us to Him.
John 1:1-2 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God (ESV).
Who is Jesus Christ? Well, He is none other than God Himself.
JESUS IS LORD!
He is the Sovereign King of the Universe, the God of all gods and the Lord of all Lords.
John calls Him “the Word” – o logos in the original Greek. It’s the term the Greeks used in John’s day to talk about the “Controlling Reason of the Universe.” They had many gods with many names, but the Supreme God, the Ultimate Intelligence of the Universe, they called o logos—the Word.
Jesus is the Word, the God of all gods, which means He is eternal. He has no beginning and no end. John 1:1 says, “In the beginning WAS the Word”—Not “In the beginning the Word came to be,” or “In the beginning God created the Word.” NO! “In the beginning WAS the Word.” At the very beginning of time, the Word was already existing. Jesus had no beginning. He is the eternal God!
And He is equal with God. John 1:1 says, “The Word was WITH God.” Literally, “The Word was TOWARDS God”, or FACE TO FACE with Him. Jesus was not only WITH God in terms of being in the same place. He was WITH God on equal terms—in His face, so to speak.
Growing up in Maryland, I had many opportunities to visit Washington D.C. I especially enjoyed the White House and the Capital Building where you just might catch a glimpse of some of the most powerful people in the world! You can be in the same building “with” the President or “with” the Speaker of the House, but none of us could ever be “WITH” these men on equal terms. We were just tourists. No.
The only people who are WITH the president or WITH the Speaker are cabinet members, other representatives, and other senators. They make and enforce laws together. They walk together, sharing private conversations. They sit together as equals around the dinner table or in a conference room.
In the same way, Jesus is WITH God. He is NOT a tourist in the same place as God. He is WITH God on equal terms, and they are running the universe together. Jesus is the eternal God. He is equal with God.
And He is in His very essence God. John 1:1 says, “The Word was God” – very God of very God. Not “a god” like some claim, but THE God of the universe. In fact, Jesus is the Creator God, the One who made everything there is.
John 1:3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made (ESV).
Jesus made it all, not blind chance as some seem to think.
For decades, scientist Sir Fred Hoyle pioneered research in astrophysics. He started his scientific career as a staunch atheist who saw no evidence of design in the universe. In his early years, he said, “Religion is but a desperate attempt to find an escape from the truly dreadful situation in which we find ourselves.”
But as his career went on, he discovered something that would rock his atheism—physicists call it “fine tuning.” Fine tuning refers to the discovery that many properties of the universe fall within extremely narrow and improbable ranges that turn out to be absolutely necessary for complex forms of life, or for any life at all. Hoyle’s contribution to the discovery of fine tuning began in the 1950s.
Eventually, Hoyle became convinced that some intelligence had orchestrated the precise balance of forces and factors in nature, to make the universe life permitting. He was overwhelmed by what he called “Cosmic coincidences.” As he put it in 1981:
A common sense interpretation of the facts suggests that a super intellect has monkeyed with physics, as well as with chemistry and biology, and that there are no blind forces we're speaking about in nature. The numbers one calculates from the facts seem to me so overwhelming as to put this conclusion, almost beyond question” (Stephen C. Meyer, The Return of the God Hypothesis, HarperOne, 2020, pp. 130-139; www.Preaching Today.com).
That “super intellect is Jesus, the one who designed and created everything.
A little girl once asked Albert Einstein if scientists pray.
Einstein replied in part, “Everyone who is seriously involved in the pursuit of science becomes convinced that a spirit is manifested in the laws of the universe—a spirit vastly superior to that a man, and one in the face of which we with our modest powers must feel humble.”
Then in an interview before his 50th birthday, a reported asked Einstein if he believed in God.
Einstein said, “I’m not an atheist. The problem involved is too vast for our limited minds. We are in the position of a little child entering a huge library filled with books in many languages. The child knows someone must’ve written those books. He does not know how. He does not understand the languages in which they are written. The child dimly suspects a mysterious order in the arrangement of the books but doesn’t know what it is. That, it seems to me, is the attitude of even the most intelligent human being toward God. We see the universe marvelously arranged and obeying certain laws but only dimly understand these laws (Gavin Portland, Why God Makes Sense in a World that Doesn’t, Baker Academic, 2021, pp. 52 to 53; www.PreachingToday.com).
Some of the smartest people in the world feel like children when they study the intricate design in the universe. And they know that there had to be a designer. Well, here in John 1, we discover that that Designer is Jesus Himself! He is the eternal God, equal with God, and in His very essence, God. Jesus is Lord! So bow down and worship Him. More than that…
JESUS IS LIGHT.
Jesus is the truth. He is the One who shines in all the dark places, dispelling deceit and bringing life.
John 1:4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men (ESV).
His light brings life! The ancients in John’s day believed that air, water, food and light were all necessary to sustain life. Well, in the Gospel of John, Jesus is all four of these things! He gives the “Breath of Life” in John 3 (John 3:8; 20:22). He is the “Water of Life” in John 4 (John 4:10, 13-14). He is the “Bread of Life” in John 6 (John 6:35ff). And here, He is the “Light of Life” (John 1:4).
John 1:5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it (ESV).
Even a tiny flame will dispel the darkness. In the same way, the truth always wins out in the end, and Jesus is that truth. He overcomes the darkness of deceit. He conquers the lies of men and demons.
John 1:6-8 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light (ESV).
John was not the light, only a reflection of the light.
John 1:9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world (ESV).
Jesus came into the world, not so much to give light to everyone, but to shine on everyone. In other words, as the truth, Jesus exposes the deceit in everyone’s heart. He brings to light the lies. He reveals the sins hidden deep within. That’s why so many reject Him.
John 1:10-11 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him (ESV).
The world did not acknowledge Him, and His own people , the Jews, did not accept Him.
John 1:12-13 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God (ESV).
The new birth is not a natural birth; it is a supernatural one. But it is only for those who receive Jesus. So, if you want a new life as a child of God, welcome Jesus into your life. Receive the light of His presence, and let Him expose the sin in your own heart.
Stephen Kingsley of Craigmont, Idaho, runs a carpet cleaning business in which he offers a special service for removing pet urine odors. To show potential customers their need for the service, he darkens the room and then turns on a powerful black light. The black light causes the urine crystals to glow brightly.
To the horror of the homeowner, every drop and dribble can be seen, not only on the carpet, but also on the walls, drapes, furniture, and even on the lamp shades. One homeowner begged him to shut off the light: “I can't bear to see anymore. I don't care what it costs. Please clean it up!” Another woman said, “I'll never be comfortable in my home again.”
The problem was there all the time, but it was invisible until the right light exposed it. Now, it would have been cruel for Kingsley to show his customers the extent of their problem, tell them “that’s too bad for you,” and walk away. No. He brought the light so that they might desperately want his cleaning services.
And that’s exactly why Christ came. He brought the light of His presence not to make you feel bad, but to expose the dirt so He can clean it up. Please, let Him do that for you today. Stop trying to mask the pain and hide the sin. Instead, welcome Jesus into your life, and let Him clean you up. Then let His light guide you through the dark places in life.
Singer-songwriter Sandra McCracken writes about living in a charming old house with some surprises. One of these is the angle of the top three stairs leading to the bedrooms. One stair is too short, while the next one is too deep. It was a creative renovation solution from a previous owner who finished the attic, but it takes some getting used to.
McCracken writes, “When I need to take the stairs at night, I’m careful to grasp both handrails. Before bed the other week, my husband was plotting how he might install some subtle lighting on those tricky stairs for safety. While I could have just learned to deal with our dark hallway and the jagged steps, I was moved by his consideration of such a small thing” (Sandra McCracken, “A Light on the Stairs,” Christianity Today magazine, March, 2019, p. 30; www.PreachingToday.com).
In a similar way, Jesus, “the true light,” has come into the world. Before He came, we were in darkness and in danger of falling. Now, He provides “a light on the stairs” (so to speak), to guide you through the tricky, jagged parts of your life. Please, welcome the Light of the World into your life to clean up the mess and to show you the way.
Appreciate who Jesus is. He is Lord – Worship Him. He is Light – Welcome Him. And finally…
JESUS IS LOVE.
He is full of grace and truth. That is to say, He wants to bless you unconditionally, not condemn you for breaking the law.
John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth (ESV).
God became a man and literally “pitched His tent among us.” Some of His original followers saw the overwhelming brightness of His glory, but they also knew Him to be full of grace and truth. He was always honest, but He never condemned those who were honest about their own sin.
John 1:15 John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me’” (ESV).
Even though Jesus was born six months after John, He existed long before John, because He is the eternal God! Think about that! The eternal God took on human flesh and became one of us!
In a blog last year (2022), Philip Yancey wrote about the vast expanse of space. He said:
“Scientists now believe that if you had unlimited vision, you could hold a sewing needle at arm’s length toward the night sky and see 10,000 galaxies in the eye of the needle. Move it an inch to the left and you’d find 10,000 more. Same to the right, or no matter where else you moved it. There are approximately a trillion galaxies out there, each encompassing an average of 100 to 200 billion stars.”
Yancey continues, “I pause and wonder at the mystery of Incarnation. In an act of humility beyond comprehension, the God of a trillion galaxies chose to “con-descend” — to descend to be with — the benighted humans on this one rebellious planet, out of billions in the universe. I falter at analogies, but it is akin to a human becoming an ant, perhaps, or an amoeba, or even a bacterium. Yet… that act of condescension proved to be a rescue mission that led to the healing of something broken in the universe…”
Yancey concludes, “A God beyond the limits of space and time has a boundless capacity of love for his creations, no matter how small or rebellious they might be” (Philip Yancey blog, “The Incredible Shrinking Planet,” PhilipYancey.com, 2-17-22; www. PreachingToday.com).
Jesus lived among us as one of us.
Then He lavished His grace upon us. He freely gave us what we didn’t deserve.
John 1:16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.
In other words, one undeserved blessing is scarcely used up when a fresh one is there to take its place. He lived among us to lavish His grace upon us.
John 1:17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ (ESV).
Moses gave us the law which could only condemn us. Jesus gave us grace and truth which sets us free from our sin.
You see, when Jesus came, He came to die on a cross for our sins. He came NOT to punish US for our sins, but to BE punished FOR our sins. He took our place on the cross, so God could bless us instead of condemn us.
Several years ago, a subway stop in New York City had two movie posters right next to each other. The first poster was for the film Extraordinary Measures, starring Brendan Fraser and Harrison Ford. The tagline for the film was “Don't Hope for a Miracle: Make One.” The second poster, for the film The Book of Eli starring Denzel Washington, had this tagline: “Deliver Us.”
Both films represent two radically different approaches to life. Extraordinary Measures represents life under the law. The basic message is this: You are on your own, so your salvation, however you define that word, is up to you. On the other hand, The Book of Eli represents life under the grace of Christ: You are not on your own, so your salvation is a gift from the true deliverer (Tullian Tchividjian, It Is Finished, David C. Cook, 2015; www.PreachingToday.com).
Just cry out to Christ for deliverance! For the Bible says, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13). Oh, what grace! Oh, what love! Jesus lived among us to lavish His grace upon us.
And in that way, He explained God the Father to us.
John 1:18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known (ESV).
Better: He has made Him FULLY known. That is, Jesus reveals God in every detail. That’s because Jesus is God Himself.
T. F. Torrance was one of the great theologians of the 20th century, but prior to that, he served as a chaplain during World War II. One day, on a battlefield in Italy, he attended to a dying nineteen-year-old soldier. The dying man asked him, “Padre, is God really like Jesus?”
He wanted to know whether the God he was getting ready to meet on the other side of death was the same God who came to earth as a lowly babe.
Torrance assured the dying man with these words: “God is indeed really like Jesus. There is no unknown God behind the back of Jesus for us to fear. To see the Lord Jesus is to see the very face of God” (Thomas Forsyth Torrance, Preaching Christ Today, Eerdmans, 1994, p. 55; www.PreachingToday.com).
If you want to know what God is like, look at Jesus! Sure, He is the all-powerful judge of the universe, but He is also full of grace and truth just like Jesus.
Oh, my dear friends, please appreciate all that Jesus is. He is Lord—Worship Him. He is Light—Welcome Him. And He is Love—Trust Him with your life.
The radio program, This American Life, tells the story about the late writer David Rakoff. In 1986, Rakoff’s company in Tokyo was working on a computer program that would allow expats like himself to write short little messages to one another after logging on to the network.
David was not impressed. He thought, “What kind of loser would log onto a computer [just to] talk to someone?” And in a moment of decisiveness, he went into work and quit. “Sayonara, suckers! Good luck with your ‘network’!” It turned out that “network” was the beginning of “a little thing” called the internet.
Earlier in the 1980s, David went to a dance club and heard a young blonde singer from Michigan and thought, “Boy, is she lousy!” Too bad! That singer later rose to fame as “Madonna.”
Again, working in publishing, David was handed a manuscript and passed it off as “subliterate drivel” and an “easy pass.” The book was Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus. Another publisher took it on and sold 15 million copies. It was one of the best-selling works of the 1990s (Ira Glass Interview, “472: Our Friend David,” This American Life, Accessed 2/6/21; www.PreachingToday.com).
It’s easy to overlook greatness. Please, don’t do it when it comes to Jesus. Instead, appreciate who He is and welcome Him into your life.
