We’re looking at this truth that all life came to be, was created, by this One Who Was (& IS) The Word, the Logos. He spoke into existence everything out of nothing. Which means that you and I and all life in the universe is contingent. Our thing and every thing depends upon this Other Thing. Our life is inextricably tied to this Always-existent One-Who-Was-(and is)-God. He IS existence. [I AM —> we are][Acts 17:28 ’For in Him we are living and we are moving and we are].
Last time we considered one of the positions people take vis a vis this idea of a Creator-God, that of Deism. The thought that maybe God just wound up the entire universe like an old watch, and let it go. Literally. Hands-off. Non-interference. Which if that were the case would mean you and I are not accountable to Him. We would owe our existence to Him, but then we’d be on our own. Maybe He cares, but not enough to get involved. Not enough to interfere in any of our predicaments, including our biggest one, which is that we ALL fall short of His glory [Rom. 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God]. None of us meet His standard of holy perfection, there is nothing any of us can do to make ourselves perfect AND [Rom. 6:23 For the wages of sin is death]. I.e. NOT life (as God intended), but death. Spiritual separation from our Maker. Without some intervention, some interference, we will spend eternity separated from God and His glorious breathtaking goodness.
SO this beckons us to consider the other position, which says, God did NOT just make us and let us go, He really does really care about us. He cares about what happens to us, because He went to great and marvelous lengths in making us, in crafting us to enjoy an intimate friendship with Him. People. We bear His image: Gen. 1:26-27 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. This Word, the One Who spoke - He is vested in us. All people, men and women, girls and boys, are made in His image, and we are the apple of His eye*. God interferes with us, like any loving parent would do.
Made in His image: People are the pinnacle of God’s creation. His magnum opus. Numerous significant things distinguish people from all other living creatures. But when the Word-Who-was-God created humans in His image, at the top of the list was the gift of speech, this ability to speak and understand and communicate and create using words. Intelligent speech. Abstract thought. Eternal truth. [Words] are one of the things that set human beings apart from the entire rest of creation. Nothing else in all of creation uses words to form sentences to convey emotions and lofty ideals and timeless wisdom. Which express gratitude. And worship.
Words communicate. Words tell me what you’re thinking. What you’re feeling. How this day and how life is going for you. Are you in pain? Are you happy or sad? Words communicate. Words are powerful. We celebrate baby’s first words. And as we grow up, our vocabulary increases. More words, more ability to communicate. To let others know what we want. What we like and don’t like. WHAT we’re like. And WHO we like/love. God does this with us - His Words tell us what He is like. What He likes and doesn’t like. Who He loves [HINT HINT]. Words communicate. But there’s more…
Words relate. Words turn existence and even companionship into relationship. Lots of things exist. A few of them can provide companionship. But words are the building blocks of relationship. They’re how we get to really know each other. Words are how we relate to God Himself. In the beginning was the Word, this eternal God Who made humans in His image, word-based beings - for the purpose of relationship. Friendship. Love. AND when it came time to provide a PERFECT companion for Adam, the first man, God made Eve, the first woman, also made in God’s image, a fellow word-based being. Remember - none of the other living creatures used words. Thus they were unsuited as perfect companions [cute loyal companions yes - but unsuited]. Words are the currency of friendship. Words communicate. Words relate.
AND Words give life. Your words, my words - they give life. Maybe we finite humans are not speaking physical things into existence out of absolutely nothing. Maybe we’re not causing life to spring up out of non-life per se. But the words you and I wield, they do bring ideas to life. AND Words nurture life. They build up. They strengthen. They sustain. At least, they have the power to do so: Eph. 4:29 Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. Words give grace. Favor. They communicate. They relate. Words give life. And only people do this with words. We are the pinnacle of God’s creation. We bear God’s image. And we wield His life-giving words. And John says, [4] In Him was life, AND the life was the Light of men.
This life is not just any life. It's zoe life. John loves this word. He uses it more than all the other writers of the NT combined (36x). Zoe can refer to the presence of physical life, but in John, zoe is never simply hearts beating and lungs breathing. It’s something more than just physical existence. In John zoe refers to a special higher kind of life. The life you’ve always dreamed of. Zoe is the principle and the power of divine unending shalom. A quality of life inseparably linked to its Source. The Prince of Shalom Himself. It’s a vital connection to, a relationship with this One in Whom was life. The fountain of life. In Jesus. Always was. Eternal life. It’s the quality of an abundant overflowing relationship with the Word Who spoke all things into existence and Who made us to know Him and enjoy Him forever [John 17:3 This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”]. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 4:14 But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” John 8:12 Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. In Him was zoe, this abundant eternal life. It’s this enduring experience of glory.
In Him was life, and this life was the Light of men. People. No other creature was given this Light. No other creature bears the Image. No other creature relates to God intimately. With words. The Light of men. Life as it was always meant to be lived. THIS Life, this zoe, and Light go hand in hand. Such that any life lived apart from the Light, is lived in darkness. Darkness. The absence of light. This is the sad story of humanity - lives lived in darkness, living without the Light. Lives which fall so far short of the abundant zoe we were made to enjoy. Lives of loneliness, of confusion and depression and hopeless desperation - cut off from the Light. [5] The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. The darkness did not overtake it. Or, did not take it eagerly. Many have not taken it at all. John 20:31 But these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name. This is why John is taking the time to write this book about Jesus, about the Word Who was God and in Whom is life. So that you will believe in Jesus, and that through believing in Jesus you will have zoe, the life you were always meant to live. In Him was life...
*On being the "apple of God's eye", Spurgeon writes: "No part of the body is more precious, more tender, and more carefully guarded than the eye; and of the eye, no portion more peculiarly to be protected than the central apple, the pupil, or as the Hebrew calls it, 'the daughter of the eye.' The all wise Creator has placed the eye in a well protected position; it stands surrounded by projecting bones like Jerusalem encircled by mountains. Moreover, its great Author has surrounded it with many tunics of inward covering, besides the hedge of the eyebrows, the curtain of the eyelids, and the fence of the eyelashes; and, in addition to this, he has given to every man so high a value for his eyes, and so quick an apprehension of danger, that no member of the body is more faithfully cared for than the organ of sight.”
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