The Gospel of John (2)
Pray Psalm 115.1-3.
Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us,
But to Your name give glory,
Because of Your mercy,
Because of Your truth.
Why should the Gentiles say,
“So where is their God?”
But our God is in heaven;
He does whatever He pleases.
Sing Psalm 115.1-3.
(Plainfield: Nothing but the Blood of Jesus)
Not to us, O God, not us, but unto Your Name give glory!
For Your love and faithfulness, ever to Your Name be glory!
Why should the nations cry, “Where is their God on high?”
You rule us, LORD, on high: Ever to Your Name be glory
Read John 1.1-14; 8.52-59; 18.33-37; meditate on 1.1-5
Preparation
1. How does John refer to Jesus in these verses?
2. What did John say he had seen?
Meditation
John asserts that Jesus is the Word Who, “in the beginning”, spoke the cosmos into being. The Word was with God, and thus a separate Person from the Father. But the Word was God then and remains God now. Not only did the Word make all things but He gave all life and light to men, for He is the Life and Light of the world (Jn. 8.12; 17.3).
And the Light shone in the world of sin, rebellion, darkness, and wrong belief. No wonder that, in the main, the world into which the Word came as Jesus, a Baby, and in which He grew as a Boy, and ministered as a Man and the Son of Man did not “comprehend” Him. He was entirely from beyond this world, from all eternity. He was I AM before Abraham was born. He came from the eternal Presence of the Triune God to earth so that, by His obedience and sacrifice, He might receive a Kingdom which is beyond this world but over it and everything in it (Dan. 7.13-18).
Jesus is the eternal Word of God, Who even now commands all aspects of the creation to continue in existence (Heb. 1.3), operating on the power of His Word according to His eternal plan for the sake of His redeemed people and unto the eternal glory of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
And nothing can prevent Him from fulfilling His eternal purpose. Even now, as He reigns in eternal glory, He is preparing a dwelling place for us so that we may be with Him where He is (Jn. 14.3).
Jesus, the Word of God, is our Redeemer, our Savior, our King, our Lord, and our Good Shepherd. Victory is ours in the eternal Word of God, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
JESUS is the eternal Word of God—past, present, future—reigning into everlasting glory.
“Come near to Me, hear this:
I have not spoken in secret from the beginning;
from the time that it was, I was there.
And now the Lord GOD and His Spirit have sent Me” (Is. 48.16).
There He is! The Triune God—Father, Son, Spirit—preceding the beginning.
“Forever, O LORD, Your Word is settled in heaven.
Your faithfulness endures to all generations;
You established the earth, and it abides.
They continue this day according to Your ordinances,
for all are Your servants” (Ps. 119.89-91).
JESUS the One spoken of by the prophets:
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
though you are little among the thousands of Judah,
yet out of you shall come forth to Me
The One to be Ruler in Israel,
Whose goings forth are from of old,
from everlasting” (Mic. 5.2).
JESUS the Creator and Ruler of all nature:
“Who has ascended into heaven, or descended?
Who has gathered the wind in His fists?
Who has bound the waters in a garment?
Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is His Name, and
What is His Son’s Name, if you know?” (Prov. 30.4).
JESUS Who is the Ruler of all words and wisdom:
“The heart of the righteous studies how to answer…” (Prov. 15.28; 26.4, 5).
“Then the Jews said to Him, ‘You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?’
Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM’” (Jn. 8.57, 58).
JESUS The One—for all eternity—determined to save His Own:
“You say rightly that I AM a King.
For this cause I was born, and
for this cause I have come into the world,
that I should bear witness to the truth.
Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice” (Jn. 18.37).
I AM the way, the truth, and the life.
No man comes to the Father except through Me” (Jn. 14.6).
“But God demonstrates His Own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us”
(Rom. 5.8).
JESUS—powerful, loving, gracious, merciful, longsuffering, gentle, wise, courageous—Eternal Word.
Reflection
1. Why is it important that we know Jesus as the eternal Word of God?
2. What does Jesus, as the eternal Word of God, call us to do?
3. What kind of power is available to us through Jesus, the eternal Word of God? For what?
What the evangelist says of Christ proves that he is God. He asserts, His existence in the beginning; His coexistence with the Father. The Word was with God. All things were made by him, and not as an instrument. Without him was not any thing made that was made, from the highest angel to the meanest worm. This shows how well qualified he was for the work of our redemption and salvation. Matthew Henry (1662-1714), Commentary on John 1.1-5
Pray Psalm 115.9-18.
Pray that God will shield and bless you today, that He will cause you to increase in fruitfulness, and that He will make you a faithful steward over all He has entrusted to you.
Sing Psalm 115.9-18.
(Plainfield; Nothing but the Blood of Jesus)
All who trust in Jesus yield—ever to His Name be glory—
find in Him their help and shield: Ever to Your Name be glory!
O Israel, trust the LORD! He helps us evermore!
Fear Him, obey His Word: Ever to Your Name be glory!
Blessings from our gracious LORD—ever to Your Name be glory—
will attend us evermore: Ever to Your Name be glory!
Bless all who fear You, LORD, all who obey Your Word,
all who Your Name adore: Ever to Your Name be glory!
Grant us, Savior, great increase—ever to Your Name be glory!
Bless us with eternal peace: Ever to Your Name be glory!
Heaven and earth are Yours; let every soul adore
and bless You evermore: Ever to Your Name be glory!
T. M. and Susie Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Today’s Scriptorium is a good lead-in to our book, Small Stuff, which leads us through all the small stuff of our lives to see how through them we can glorify the Lord. Order the book here or download a free PDF here.
Other columns of interest this week: Our Read Moore podcast takes up the book Understanding the Times to help us in knowing how to live and proclaim the Kingdom. Our twice weekly column, Crosfigell, is well into a series on the life of Brendan the Navigator, one of the great saints of the 6th century. Our ReVision series, “The Kingdom Economy”, continues to unpack the secrets of the Kingdom. And new in our bookstore, our book, The Ongoing Work of Christ shows us how the book of Acts provides a template and footprint for all who take up the work of building Jesus’ Church.
And please prayerfully consider supporting The Fellowship of Ailbe with your prayers and gifts. You can contribute online, via PayPal or Anedot, or by sending a gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, P. O. Box 8213, Essex, VT 05451.
Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
