Today’s Reading: John 1:1-18

Jesus, a descendant of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, came from the lineage of Solomon, son of King David. Matthew made known where Jesus came from, but John made known that Jesus existed long before Abraham. Consider the significance of who Jesus is and the impact His life has on ours today.

Jesus. My Savior, my Redeemer, my LIFE.
Jesus. My Counselor, my Comforter, my LIGHT.
Jesus. My King, my Best Friend, my LOVE.

LIFE, LIGHT and LOVE – three powerful words that describe our Lord and Savior. We are able to experience these three gifts because of the presence of Christ in our life, the presence of the Word.

In the beginning the Word already existed.
The Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He existed in the beginning with God.
God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him.
The Word gave LIFE to everything that was created, and his life brought LIGHT to everyone.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. – John 1:1-5

JESUS, THE WORD, GIVES US LIFE.

He was there in the beginning when life was created. In fact, all life was created through Him because he is the One who gave life to everything that was created. We would not be here, we would not experience physical life, if it were not for Jesus — the Word. But we would also not experience a rebirth or a second gift of life if it were not for him. We experience new life in God when we accept what Jesus did for us on the cross. When we see the part we played in his death and believe that he rose from the dead, we accept that Jesus is the pathway to life. We experience a new life because of the One who gave life to everything. Jesus, the One who gave us life, is the way to life (John 14:6).

The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn – not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. – John 1:9-13

JESUS, THE WORD, GIVES US LIGHT.

Just as God spoke light into existence at creation, Jesus brought light when he came into the very world he created. Jesus – the true light – came into a world that had been darkened by sin in order to cast his light into the world he created. We come to know the God who created us through the Son who died for us, and then have the blessing of His Spirit that lives in us. Jesus, the One who gave us light, is the light (John 8:12).

No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us. – John 1:18

I am so thankful that the light of Jesus led me to an understanding of God’s plan for my life. His light shines in the darkness so that we can see beyond the sinful options of this world and see the difference He can make in our lives. The same God who created light in the beginning, when all was dark, is the God who sent the Word to become the light of the world. His light shines brightly in the lives of those around us, giving us hope for our own salvation.

For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. – 2 Corinthians 4:6

In what ways can we choose to walk in the light today? There is so much darkness around us — darkness on the daily news, darkness in politics, darkness in social media, darkness in the hearts of our friends and neighbors. With this darkness comes loneliness, grief, hopelessness, and pain. The One who created light has a plan to be the light in our lives for those who are hurting. This changes the way we see our day. Is this just another day, or is this the opportunity to let His holiness shine in our lives, bringing hope to everyone we come in contact with.

JESUS, THE WORD, GIVES US LOVE.

So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing LOVE and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son. – John 1:14

When He entered the world of darkness, he gave us blessing after blessing from the abundance of His love. Before this time, God’s people had experienced the love of their Creator who had faithfully cared for them, but it was through the gift of His Son that God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came down so close they could see it!

From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. – John 1:16-17

What a gift we were given when the Word took on flesh! As we study the life of Jesus, we come to a better understanding of who God is. The sacrifice of Jesus gives us perspective of just how much God loves us. His love for us is revealed in the gift of His Son. Jesus, the One who taught us how to love, displayed his love on the cross (1 John 4:10).

Life, light and love — we will experience all three of these today but it is our choice whether or not we acknowledge the presence of these gifts in our life. Today I can choose to recognize God’s blessings in my life that overflow from the abundance of His unfailing love and faithfulness, or I can focus on the loud cries of the darkness that try hard to extinguish these gifts of life, light and love.

Jesus, we recognize you this morning as the Giver of Life. We thank you for each day you give us to experience life with our family and friends, and we praise you for the opportunity to experience new life through our relationship with you. You are the way to life, you are the truth that guides our life, and you are the source of life itself. We give you all the praise this morning as we recognize your gift of life and commit to keeping our eyes focused on you. Help us to show joy and cast hope into the lives of others. May the words of our mouths and the brightness of our hearts help someone else see YOU today. Jesus, we choose to walk in your light and shine for others, just as you are shining for us. Amen.