Sunday, March 23, 2014

And the Life Was the Light of Men - Part 858

"I will worship toward Thy holy temple, and praise Thy name for Thy loving kindness and for Thy truth ... for Thou hast magnified Thy Word above all Thy name." (Psalm 138:2)

Take note of the latter part of this scripture. "For Thou hast magnified Thy Word above all Thy name."

If the Word then is "above" all Thy name, then we should investigate whether this includes all the previous names used by God under the old covenant. This is particularly relevant because understanding the Word is critical to understanding the new covenant. Let me explain. 

First, we need to understand who the Word is. Reading from the first chapter of John: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was GodThe same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men." (John 1:1-4) 

"And the light shineth in darkness; [but] the darkness comprehended it not."

Certainly, John -- the man sent of God who came for a witness, and to bear witness of the Light (that all men through Him -[that Light] might believe), was not that Light. (John 1:6-8) He was simply a witness testifying of the Light that was still to come.

The true Light then -- "which lighteth every man that cometh into the world, He was in the world and the world was made by Him and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own, and His own received Him not. But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name. Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." (John 1:8-14)

In other words, the same God that created the world in the beginning (Genesis 1:1) was in the world, but the world knew Him not. He was the Word. The same God who later became flesh, dwelling among us so that He could bring us salvation -- through the shedding of His precious blood on a cross. 

John said, "Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world." (John 1:29) "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory." (I Timothy 3:16) His name is Jesus.

But the identity of the Word is not just limited to the writings of John and Timothy. This same Jesus was prophesied in the book of Isaiah. 

"For unto us a child is born. Unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace, there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom to order it, and to establish it with judgement and with justice from henceforth, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform it." (Isaiah 9:6-8)

Further, in Isaiah, we are told to "Arise, shine; for thy Light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For behold the darkness shall cover the earth and gross darkness the people; but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee." And the Gentiles? That is us. Well, "the Gentiles shall come to Thy Light and kings to the brightness of Thy rising. Lift up thine eyes round about, and see ... I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob," (Isaiah 60:1-16)

One Lord, one faith, one baptism. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life; no man comes unto the Father, but by Me. If ye had known Me, ye should have known My Father also ... and from henceforth, ye know Him and have seen Him. (John 14:6-7)

But like Philip, you might be saying, "Lord, show us the Father and it sufficeth us." (John 14:8) What did Jesus say?

"Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known Me, Philip? He that hath seen Me has seen the Father, and how sayest then, "Show us the Father?" Believest thou not that I am in the Father and the Father in Me? The words that I speak unto you I speak not of Myself, but the Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works." (John 14:9-10)

This is why there is no other name under heaven whereby we can be saved. Trust Jesus today. Stand in the offering plate.

No comments:

Post a Comment