Observation and Principles

Today’s Reading John 1: 14-18

v. 14 The Word became Flesh–Jesus (who is God v.1) became human and walked on the earth.

The glory of the One and Only Jesus put on the likeness of man and took off the Glory of God. One and Only can also be translated as Only Begotten

v. 15 John the Baptist is trying to explain that Jesus existed before he (John) was born and even before He( Jesus) was born. Even though Jesus’ physical birthdate was later than Johns, Jesus has existed long before John. Jesus was there in the beginning.

Why is it important that The Word (God) became flesh? v1. because in him was life. v. 12 to give us the right to become children of God. That answer means that we need to explore more what it means “in him was life” and what does it mean to be “children of God.”

v. 15 from the fullness of his (the Word, God, Jesus) grace we have recieved blessing after blessing.

What kind of blessings have we received from him? verse 17 answers this question. Grace and truth (compared to the bondage of the law). The truth is that no one can live up to God’s perfect standard. No one can keep the law all the time. The blessing of grace given to us by Jesus is that we do not have to live up tot he standard of the law because he paid for our sins.

v. 18 “No one has seen God but God the One and Only.

Before God became flesh as Jesus, God was only approachable by priests. Even then, the priests had to go through extensive purification and sanctification rituals. Jesus tore the veil away and has made God personal. We have seen God through Jesus.

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Bible Study Reading John 1:10-13

V. 11–The Jews are God’s chosen people. In spite of God speaking to them through prophets and telling them to watch for the Savior, the Jews did not recognize Jesus as the promised Messiah.

Do you ever think about what it would have been like to live in Jesus’ day? What would it be like to see Him performing miracles and hear Him preaching.

The Jews were all waiting for the messiah; they were looking for a king like David to crush the Roman empire and restore the nation of Israel. This was the way they read the prophecies.

As God’s chosen people, the Jews should have recognized Jesus as the promised Messiah and as God walking among them. They did not recognize Him, so they mocked Him, scorned Him, and eventually crucified Him. During all three years of Jesus’ ministry, the Jews were trying to find a reason to kill him.

Jesus could have handed out miracles to every Jew. He could have forced them to recognize and believe that He is the promised Messiah. When Jesus walked on earth, He didn’t force anyone to believe, and Got still won’t force anyone now.

V 12. “all who received him” is a statement that includes Gentiles. Even before Jesus walked on the earth, non-Jews could have faith, and be saved by their faith. Rahab, Job, Abraham, and Isaac are all examples of this. If belief in the coming of a Savior could save, how much more can belief in the Savior who came save Gentiles now?

v. 13 juxtaposes being born of man to being born of God.

• our human birth has made us physically alive, but sinful by nature (Romans 5:12)
• Jesus is God’s first born Son.
• Jesus lived a sinless life.
• Through belief in Jesus we become spiritually alive and gain eternal life.

Being born of God requires belief in Jesus. Our physical bodies (born of man) are passing away, but being born of God means to become spiritually alive and to have eternal life. Being born of God means that you can fit back into God’s ideal plan for human beings (constant fellowship as described in Genesis before sin entered the world).

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Bible Study Reading: John 1:5-9

John 1: 4 says “In him was life and that life was the light of men.”

I’ll be honest, I’m not sure what that means, “the light of men.”

Verse 5 shows an interesting battle between light and darkness. Since we know that Jesus is life and light, darkness must be the evil forces in the world that are in opposition to life and light. There are two interpretations for this verse:

1. “The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.”
2. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome.”

• Light and dark cannot co-exist. Darkness is, by definition, the absence of light.
• Satan tried, unsuccessfully, to destroy (overcome) Jesus’ rescue mission.
• Satan likely does not understand God’s love for sinful human beings.

Either interpretation makes sense in the context.

John 1:6 transitions into the story of John the Baptist who:

• was sent from God
• purposed to testify concerning that light
• was not the light himself.

The word “that” in verse 7 “he came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe” suggests that John was testifying about specifics, not just about the promised messiah in general.

During his lifetime, many people thought that John the Baptist was the Messiah. John (the Author) probably gave the story of JTB such prominence in this gospel to demonstrate that Jesus, not John the Baptist, is the Messiah. Even John the Baptist denied being the Messiah, while Jesus did not deny it

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Today’s Reading: John 1:1-4

The key message in the book of John is that Jesus is the son of God and that eternal life is only found through believing in Him.

Why is eternal life so important?

Death did not enter the world until sin entered the world. It was not God’s ideal for humans to die. Rather, God’s perfect plan was for humans to live forever in constant fellowship with Him.

I draw that conclusion from the Genesis account of creation.

1. Adam walked with God in the garden during the cool of the afternoon
2. God had put the tree of life in the garden, and it was only after the fall of man that humans were no longer allowed to eat from the tree of life and live forever.

John 1 begins by announcing that “the Word” was with God during creation.

The first obvious question is: Who is the Word?

• Holds life in him (v4)
• Created all things (v3)
• Was there at creation (v1)
• was God in the beginning (v 1)
• was the light of men (v4)

Verses 1-4 describe the Word, and they are all written in the past tense. Looking forward in John 1, you can piece together that the Word is Jesus (which we will get to on a later day).

I wonder if John 1:1-4 is describing who Jesus was in the beginning, at creation? John starts his book by saying, “This is who Jesus was before He walked on the earth.” The logical thought progression would be to follow with who Jesus is while he lived on the earth and who He will be when He returns. Who was, and is, and is to come.

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When a new believer or a non-believer want to start reading the Bible, I’ve always heard, “Start with the book of John.”

I am neither a new believer nor a non-believer. I have been a follower of Christ for at least 21 of my 25 years. I honestly cannot remember a time when I was not a Christian.

It is wonderful to have faith that stretches back into my childhood, but I find myself being complacent in my zeal for the gospel.

We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

Hebrews 5:11-14

I don’t feel as mature as I should be. On the one hand, I think I am acquainted with the teaching about righteousness, but the same way a sick person may prefer juice and milk-toast, I have a spiritual illness, called apathy, that draws me back to living on the milk of the word when I should be ready for solid food

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The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want…

But I do want. There are so many things that I want. I want a house and nice clothes. I want gourmet dinners and someone else to wash the dishes. What did David mean when he said, “I shall not want”?

God gives me everything of value. When I read Psalm 23, this is what it means to me:

When I follow God, He takes care of me. Let me tell you what He does.

He gives me rest and a quiet place. He teaches me how to live. In the very worst of circumstances, He is there, protecting, defending, and guiding me.

He provides for me while I live on this earth, and when I am dead He promises me blessings and a home for all eternity.

What more could I want?

Is the Lord your Shepherd?

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This week we are celebrating Love–God’s love for us, and our love for Him.  We only have two days and then Christmas!

Day 1 (Sunday)

John 3:16  For God so love the world that he gave his only Begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.

Mary new the time would be soon.  It has been almost 9 months since she had seen the angel Gabriel.  Through these months, the angel’s words remained constantly in her mind.

“Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.” (Matthew 1: 30-33)

Just as the angel had said, Mary was pregnant although she was still a virgin.

The past nine months had been difficult.  When Joseph found out that Mary was pregnant, he almost backed out of their engagement.  Mary wouldn’t have blamed him, since he was not the father of the child she was carrying.  She cried with relief when he came back to her.  He had also been visited by an angel.  The angel had explained the situation, and Joseph married Mary.

The time had come for Jesus to be born.  The young couple, Mary and Joseph, had to travel to Bethlehem to pay taxes.  The journey was exhausting for the very pregnant Mary.  She was eager to find an inn and rest for the night.

When Joseph knocked at the door of the inn, the innkeeper had been polite, but all the rooms had been filled hours before.  Mary’s eyes welled up with tears, and she sobbed quietly.

The apologetic innkeeper led Mary and Joseph to the stable. “I’m sorry, this is all I can offer you,”  he said.

As Mary sat on the hard floor of the stable, she felt the first contractions.  The baby would be born that night among the animals in the stable.

Day 2 (Monday)

The young mother wrapped her newborn baby in cloths and lay him in a manger.  Softly she hummed to the baby Jesus.  This wasn’t the entry she had expected for her firstborn child, but Jesus seemed healthy, content, and completely unaware of the animals staring at him.

There was no crib, that had been left back in their house in Galilee.  Mary laid her newborn son in the manger, resting with the smell of sweet hay.  Then she laid back and rested herself.   Joseph sat nearby watching over his wife Mary and the baby Jesus.

The three of them were sitting just like that when four very excited shepherds came running into the stable followed by a small herd of sheep.

“Angels told us…the Savior…there he is, in the manger, just as the angels said!” the shepherds cried out.

Everything was in a bit of a confusion.  The shepherds seemed rather embarrassed when they realized that Mary and the baby had been resting.

They shooed the sheep outside and one by one, the four shepherds sat down on the ground near the manger.  For a few minutes, they each bowed their heads as in prayer.  Then they left.

As the shepherds left the stable, Joseph could hear them shouting in the streets, “We have seen the Son of God!  The Savior has come!”

As the sun rose over the little town of Bethlehem, Mary treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart.

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You are in a battle for your heart. Don’t ever forget that. This battle began the moment you accepted Christ into your heart. You made satan really mad that day!

When you feel beat up, and pushed down, remember that you are a warrior on God’s side. Satan would like nothing better than for you to not get up and fight.

The battle is ongoing, but there is an end. It ends when you go to heaven (through death or Jesus’ return). Until then, put on the full armor of God and fight the good fight.

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This is the third week of Advent. If you are using traditional candle colors, you will light the rose colored candle in addition to the other two candles this week. Christmas draws near, and we are Joyful.

Remember the story Pollyanna, and how the “glad verses” changed a whole town? This week we are looking at glad verses, and remembering that Jesus changes lives.

For most of this week, I haven’t added commentary because the joy of the Bible says it far better than I can.

photo: Joep Roosen CC-BY-ND

Day 1 (Sunday)

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:4-7

Right now, we are living in very frightening times. Last week started with news that my in-laws had been robbed at gunpoint. The chaos and evil of the week continued with news of the shootings in Colorado at Youth With A Mission and in a church.

When I heard about the shootings, my first reaction was, “Jesus has to come back soon. How much longer can he wait?”

All around us, we see darkness, chaos, and evil running rampant, and without Jesus, it would be cause for anxiety. The opposite of joy is not sadness, and joy is not the same as happiness. Joy is based on more than passing feelings, it is based on the hope and confidence that we have in the Lord. You cannot be joyful and anxious.

After the robbery, My In-laws said, “We are just so thankful that nothing was lost that cannot be replaced, and I finally understand what it means, ‘the peace that passes all understanding.’”

As you light the third candle this week, pray for those who are living in the darkness. Let the one unlit candle be a reminder that there is darkness, but look at the joy of the three candles giving off light and be reminded that the Light has already overcome the darkness.

Day 2 (Monday)

Sing, O Daughter of Zion;
shout aloud, O Israel!
Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,
O Daughter of Jerusalem!

The LORD has taken away your punishment,
he has turned back your enemy.
The LORD, the King of Israel, is with you;
never again will you fear any harm.

On that day they will say to Jerusalem,
“Do not fear, O Zion;
do not let your hands hang limp.

The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing.”

“The sorrows for the appointed feasts
I will remove from you;
they are a burden and a reproach to you.

Zephaniah 3:14-18

Right now, we should be rejoicing. God dwells inside of us, and evil is already defeated! We have this promise. Be Glad! Rejoice with all your heart! God has made us a promise!

We have studied for the last two weeks, how God has kept his promises throughout the Bible. When we look at what He has done already, we see evidence of God’s faithfulness. We can have joy in knowing that he will continue to be faithful to His promises. All the prophecies will be fulfilled. Rejoice because light has overcome the darkness of your own heart!

Todd Baker CC-By

Day 3 (Tuesday)

The desert and the parched land will be glad;
the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.
Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom;
it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,
the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
they will see the glory of the LORD,
the splendor of our God.

Strengthen the feeble hands,
steady the knees that give way;

say to those with fearful hearts,
“Be strong, do not fear;
your God will come,
he will come with vengeance;
with divine retribution
he will come to save you.”

Then will the eyes of the blind be opened
and the ears of the deaf unstopped.

Then will the lame leap like a deer,
and the mute tongue shout for joy.
Water will gush forth in the wilderness
and streams in the desert.

The burning sand will become a pool,
the thirsty ground bubbling springs.
In the haunts where jackals once lay,
grass and reeds and papyrus will grow.

And a highway will be there;
it will be called the Way of Holiness.
The unclean will not journey on it;
it will be for those who walk in that Way;
wicked fools will not go about on it.

No lion will be there,
nor will any ferocious beast get up on it;
they will not be found there.
But only the redeemed will walk there,

and the ransomed of the LORD will return.
They will enter Zion with singing;
everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy will overtake them,
and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

Isaiah 35:1-10

Day 4 (Wednesday)

When the LORD brought back the captives to Zion,
we were like men who dreamed.

Our mouths were filled with laughter,
our tongues with songs of joy.
Then it was said among the nations,
“The LORD has done great things for them.”

The LORD has done great things for us,
and we are filled with joy.

Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like streams in the Negev.

Those who sow in tears
will reap with songs of joy.

He who goes out weeping,
carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of joy,
carrying sheaves with him.

Psalm 126

photo: Jean Lemoine CC-By-SA

Day 5 (Thursday)

Mary’s Song

And Mary said:
“My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
to Abraham and his descendants forever,
even as he said to our fathers.”

Luke 11:46-55

Day 6 (Friday)

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Luke 2: 8-20

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Day 7 (Saturday)

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

1 Peter 1:1-9

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Rejoice in the Lord Always! Again I say it: rejoice!

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Dear Parental Units,

Christmas is a busy time for you and for me.  I am looking forward to having a break from school so that I can sleep in and spend time with my friends.

I know you have a lot of family traditions that you want me to participate in.  To tell you the truth, it’s hit or miss whether I want to do it or not.  Yeah, traditions are important to me, but I’m trying to find my own place in this world.  Don’t nag me about joining in.  If you pull me in, I’ll likely push away harder.

Mom, Dad, you have to understand that what I really want right now is freedom.  Sometimes by not participating in traditions, I am exercising my freedom.

Give me space to grow up, and give me space to be your baby.  That’s what I really want for Christmas.

Your confusing Teenager

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