April 30 Devotion

Plans are underway to reopen Long Island.

That’s good news but I know many are still afraid to go out and that’s fine.

Opening the state does not mean you have to go out or do something you are uncomfortable doing.

But we do have to get our economy going again if we expect to survive financially.

We as believers in Jesus Christ place our trust and hope in Him and not in an earthly government.

You need to do what you feel is safe for you and your family.

My hope is that the ban on church services will be listed.

We are a small enough church that we can meet and still practice social distancing.

Psalm 27:1 (ESV)
¹ The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

 

Zephaniah 3:17 (ESV)
¹⁷  The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

 

JC Ryle wrote this which I find very encouraging

The day is coming when there shall be a congregation that shall never break up

And a Sabbath that shall never end

A song of praise that shall never cease

And an assembly that shall never be dispersed.

This too shall pass

 

April 29 Devotion

Marion was speaking with Kathy Scelso this morning and mentioned that she had gone to the park yesterday with her friend.

They sat 6 feet apart, but I heard her say it was nice to see someone else for a change.

I’m not really sure how to take that but I understand.

But it got me to thinking about the children.

Most have not seen their friends or classmates or grandparents for well over a month now.

Depending on their age, how much do they really understand?

Do they feel like they are being punished? I know I do.

And what about the children that live in a not so loving home?

Take a few minutes today and pray for the children. If we feel alienated I’m sure they feel it more so.

Joshua 1:9 (ESV)
⁹  Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

This too shall pass.

April 28 Devotion

If this whole quarantine thing has taught me nothing, its what we really can and cannot do without.

Things that we thought were so important seem trivial now.

And things we gave little thought to, we now know are very important.

More people have dusted off their bibles in the last six weeks than at any time before in our lifetime.

Some believe this could be the beginning of a new great awakening, and I hope so.

People have discovered new hobbies, experimented with new recipes and some have even taken up a musical instrument or began writing a book.

People are talking again and enjoying the little things together.

Maybe, just maybe this is how the Lord is using this difficult time to teach us some new lessons and a realization that together with His guidance we will get through this perhaps coming out on the other side as better people.

One can only hope.

This too will pass.

April 27 Devotion

Went to the bank today for the first time in some weeks.

I must admit it was a bit eerie or even scary.

Everyone had masks on and after each customer the bank manager wiped the countertops which is a good thing.

But you could see the eyes of those around me a sense of uncertainty and fear.

People who were once neighbors were now being seen as threats.

I understand this but because of my faith in the Lord my footing is far more sure.

Romans 15:13 (ESV)
¹³  May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Most people today are probably not experiencing the Joy Paul is speaking about here.

But the Christians hope is in far more than what this world is offering.

Because of the Holy Spirit in us we have a hope in things the world cannot understand.

Our hope is in Christ Jesus, and while I am not sure what our immediate future holds. I am totally convinced that our eternal future is sure.

Someone reminded me the other day of this: sometimes God put you in uncomfortable and even painful places because He needs you to realize that you don’t need anybody or anything but Him.

God promises are sure

This too will pass

 

 

April 26 Devotion

 

The news concerning the virus in New York is looking up.

New cases, hospitalizations and deaths are down for the 13^th day in a row

What this means is that we could be entering phase one of the re-opening of New York very soon.

This would allow for places of worship to again open with strict distancing in effect.

While our virtual services have been a real blessing, Marion and I miss being with you all in person. So lets continue to keep this matter in prayer.

I always find encouragement in the Psalms

Psalm 61:1-3 (ESV)
¹ Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer;
²  from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I,
³  for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy.

 

And Samuel had the same encouraging thoughts

 

2 Samuel 22:32-33 (ESV)
³²  “For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God? ³³  This God is my strong refuge and has made my way blameless.

 

This too shall pass

April 26 sermon

 

Lest week we looked at the apostle Johns opening words of his gospel concerning Jesus

John says that Jesus, who He calls the Logos, was in the beginning with God and was in fact God born in the flesh

John was not speaking of things he was told or mere gossip, but John was an eyewitness

John 1:14 (ESV)
¹⁴  And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

We have seen His glory.

John uses similar language in his first epistle

1 John 1:1 (ESV)
¹  That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—

John was with Jesus for about 3 years

He witnessed most of Jesus’ miracles, witnessed the transfiguration on the mount, was part of Jesus’ inner circle and was there at the foot of the cross

John is a perfect eyewitness of all that Jesus did and who He was.

John also introduces us to another character in his gospel that played an important part in the ministry of Messiah

John 1:6-8 (ESV)
⁶  There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
⁷  He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him.
⁸  He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

 

We cannot read the Christmas story without also reading about the child born of Zechariah and Elizabeth.

We know that their son John was born 6 months before Jesus (this is important as we will see soon)

Luke 1:24-27 (ESV)
²⁴  After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying,
²⁵  “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”
²⁶  In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,
²⁷  to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary.

 

Those words in verse 26, in the sixth month refer to the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy

 

We are told that John was sent by God in John 1:6 but we are not told in what fashion.

 

Was it God’s plan that John live in the wilderness and dress as he did and eat the things he ate?

Why was it important that Jesus have a witness as to who He is and what He was going to accomplish?

We’ll see that in a minute

 

John 1:19-20 (ESV)
¹⁹  And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”
²⁰  He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.”

It seems unusual that if someone asks who you are that you would tell them who you are not.

But we need to understand that the time and the situation Israel was in seemed to everyone the perfect time for Messiah to come

It has been 400 years since God spoke to His people in any way

Rome had Israel under its thumb and they have suffered greatly under great persecution by Rome

 

John 1:21-23 (ESV)
²¹  And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.”
²²  So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”
²³  He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”

 

Israel knew that God promised a Messiah but there was no time given

God also promised a fore runner, someone who would prepare the way

There were some who taught that Elijah must come first since he did not physically die but was carried to heaven in a flaming chariot

Others taught that perhaps Jeremiah would come just before Messiah

We see both of these names when Jesus asked who the people said He was

Matthew 16:14 (NASB)
¹⁴  And they said, "Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets." 

But John says I am neither of these men

He then quotes the prophet Isaiah as a form of identification

“I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’

 

Isaiah 40:3-5 (ESV)
³  A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
⁴  Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain.
⁵  And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

 

It was common for a forerunner to go before a king or important diplomat to make sure the road traveled was smooth

 

No rocks or pot holes so the journey would be comfortable

Johns ministry was to prepare the people to receive the coming Messiah

 

John 1:24-28 (ESV)
²⁴  (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.)
²⁵  They asked him, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
²⁶  John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know,
²⁷  even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.”
²⁸  These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

 

This is our first introduction to the sect called the Pharisees

An ultra-legalistic group Jesus always found Himself at odds with

And their question is if you are not any of the men mentioned why do you baptize?

Now baptism was not new or even a Christian practice

The priests would immerse themselves in the giant bronze laver before entering into service in the temple

Non-Jews would be immersed when they converted to the Jewish faith

Houses had mikvah baths for women to cleanse themselves after childbirth or after their menstrual cycle

And even the sick were immersed as when Elisha commanded Naham to immerse himself in the Jordan seven times for his leprosy

But the most important reason was for the setting apart or ordaining of a new King, High Priest or prophet

 

In all cases however immersion was the only way because that is the literal meaning of the Greek word Baptizo

It means to dunk, dip, submerge or immerse. It was never a pouring or sprinkling

This is why Mathew makes it clear that John was baptizing “IN” the Jordan

If he were merely pouring or sprinkling being in the river would not be necessary

 

John also sates that his baptism was for repentance for the forgiveness of sin

John was not the kindest of Gods messengers when it came to the people of Israel

Luke 3:7-9 (ESV)
⁷  He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
⁸  Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.
⁹  Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

Can you imagine if a pastor today responded to people coming to be baptized this way?

But this was serious stuff and just getting dipped because everyone was doing it was not enough

Repentance was mandatory as was the bearing of good fruit

 

Johns words here in Johns gospel are a bit abbreviated compared to that recorded elsewhere

“I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, ²⁷  even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.”

But in Mathew we read this

Matthew 3:11 (NASB)
¹¹  "As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Some have mistakenly taken Johns words about a baptism with the Holy Spirit and with fire as the same occasion

This mistake comes from Pentecost where we see the apostles receiving the Holy Spirit and tongues as of fire appearing over their heads

But if we read all four gospels together you see that John is speaking about two distinct things that will occur

Jesus will bring a baptism with the Holy Spirit which is Christian baptism

But also a baptism in fire, not what happened on Pentecost but clearly a time of judgment

John says Luke 3:9 (ESV)
⁹  Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

Never confuse the two

 

 

Then John and Jesus meet John 1:29-30 (ESV)
²⁹  The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
³⁰  This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’

This is an interesting passage and loaded with information

Lambs were common to Jewish worship and ritual

There is the Passover lamb, the lamb sacrificed on Yom Kapoor for the forgiveness of sin

But never a man and could the people really understand what John is saying here about Jesus

This will be Gods lamb for the sacrifice. It will be something He will do and it will be not for the putting off of sin but for the forgiveness of sin

 

John then identifies Jesus as the one he previously referenced as coming after him but there is a twist here

a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’

 

As we saw when we began this part of Johns gospel, John was born six months before Jesus

So how can a younger like Jesus rank higher than an older man like John?

And what does John mean “He was before me”?

Here John the Baptist agrees with John the apostle that Jesus existed before being physically born as a man in Bethlehem

This could only have been revealed to Him by God.

He was in the beginning with God and was God

 

John 1:31-34 (ESV)
³¹  I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.”
³²  And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him.
³³  I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’
³⁴  And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”

 

I find Johns words curious, I did not know Him

How could John not know his own cousin?

Didn’t Elizabeth tell John about what happened when she met Mary and John leaped in her womb

Did the two families never get together after that day?

We will never know

But John states the reason for his ministry

but for this purpose, I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.”

 

Johns ministry was two fold

1)   To baptize the people and lead them to repentance in preparation for the coming Messiah

2)   To reveal that Jesus was in fact that Messiah

 

John the apostle does not tell us but in Mathew we see what transpired

Matthew 3:13-17 (ESV)
¹³  Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him.
¹⁴  John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
¹⁵  But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented.
¹⁶  And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him;
¹⁷  and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

 

I said before that I found John saying he did not know Jesus as curious and here is why

Why would John think he needed to be baptized by Jesus if He did not know who he was?

 

In any case John immerses Jesus, and I again say he was immersed because we are told Jesus came up out of the water

And the Holy Spirit comes like a dove and comes to rest on Jesus

And then a voice from heaven “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

This is the only occasion I am aware of where all three persons of the Godhead are present at the same time.

Jesus’ comment that this was to fulfill all righteousness means literally that this is what is right in Gods eyes

 

We have a number of things going on here

Jesus’ baptism was a setting apart or ordination if you will as our King, High priest and prophet

It is a launching of His ministry that will take the next three years

And this al found total favor with the Father and the Holy Spirit

 

The stage is now set for the greatest ministry in history

Under any other circumstances we would expect things to at least begin slowly and without any serious incidents

But this is not normal circumstances

While we cannot see with human eyes, there is a flurry of activity going on in the spiritual realm

A massive chill just went through the collective demon population

 

The apostle Paul tells us that our battles are not against flesh and blood but against the powers of the spiritual world

And they have all just become very aware that Jesus has come to earth and that they had better do something quickly

Chapter 4 of Johns gospel begins with this verse

Matthew 4:1 (ESV)
¹  Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

 

Why would the Spirit lead Jesus to be tempted by Satan

 

And why would God allow such a thing

 

We’ll look at that next week

 

But I want you to consider and mediate upon this man Jesus

 

Again consider this is God almighty, come in the flesh and walk among us

 

And it was all done just for you and me. He loved us this much

 

He didn’t have to do this but love drove Him

 

He didn’t have to submit to our weaknesses but He did for you and me

 

This is the loving savior we love and serve

 

LET US PRAY

 

 

 

April 23 Devotion

Psalm 91:1-16 (ESV)

 1  He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

2  I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

3  For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.

4  He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.

5  You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day,

6  nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

7  A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.

8  You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked.

9  Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place— the Most High, who is my refuge—

10  no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent.

11  For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.

12  On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.

13  You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.

14  “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name.

15  When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.

16  With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

April 22 Devotion

Even in the darkest night there are glimmers of hope.

Today the USNS Comfort is leaving New York harbor as it is no longer needed.

The Javits center is being dismantled as it is no longer needed.

Three other mobile hospitals are also being dismantled as they are no longer needed.

Elective surgeries will begin again this week and respirators are being packed away or sent to other countries.

The infectious rate has dropped for the eighth day in a row as well as the death and hospital admission rates.

These are all good signs.

That is the light beginning to shine through the darkness

Will God find us thankful

Psalm 14:2 (ESV)
²  The LORD looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.

 

Faith tells us that no matter the situation, God is always in control. This is His creation and we are His children

 

Psalm 24:1-2 (ESV)
¹ The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein,
²  for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers.

 

We need to ask ourselves what is God trying to teach us during this time and are we listening?

Psalm 4:8 (ESV)
⁸  In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.

This too will pass.

April 21 Devotion

Some people are asking where is God in all of this?

I can tell you without a doubt in my mind that He is here just as He always has been.

The thing we need to do is simply rely on His timing and I know that that is not always easy even for the strongest Christian.

I remember when word was sent to Jesus that his close friend Lazarus was sick and dying. Jesus purposely waited three days before going to Lazarus. Why?

Jesus could have easily have healed Lazarus right from where He was just as he did with the daughter of a certain man who came to Him.

He could have left immediately for Lazarus’ house and healed him but Jesus waited and as we know Lazarus died.

I would imagine that many today feel as Martha did in telling Jesus, “if you had been here my brother would not have died”.

John 11:40-42 (ESV)
⁴⁰  Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?”
⁴¹  So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me.
⁴²  I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.”

Someone also came to Jesus once and asked why a certain man was born blind? Was it the sin of his mother or father?

Jesus said neither the sin of his mother or father but so that God might be glorified.

God is always in control and while His timing is not always our timing, His timing is always perfect for what He wants to accomplish.

Gods will, will be done in His time and we who are His children must rest in that and have the faith that God will cure this virus in His time.

Its not always easy waiting on God but in the end there is nothing more rewarding.

This too shall pass.
 

April 20 Devotion

Scripture tells us that we are a fallen people and are inherently selfish and prideful and this is true.

However, every now and then people amaze me.

Those on the front line of the battle of this virus have shown such concern for their fellow man. All of our medical personnel, first responders, truck drivers, mail personnel, grocery store workers and so many mor have risked their own lives for us.

How about large companies collaborating with competing companies to come up with better ways to produce PPE’s, sharing technology to develop respirators and drugs, companies shutting their regular manufacturing to produce masks and face shields and more.

It is at times like this that mankind really shines brightly. We need to keep all essential workers in our prayers daily.

This too will pass

April 19 Devotion

I was wondering the other day, can you imagine if this virus occurred in the 80’s. we would have had no internet or virtual church.

I know that this is not much to cling to but I cannot imagine what would happen to so many believers if they did not have this lifeline.

With that said, please lets all give a thanks to Greg and Karen for everything they do to make our service happen.

They already have a great deal to prepare for Sunday morning. The song service, the printouts, the instructions for logging onto Zoom and helping those less tech savvy.

Pray for them and encourage them this week.

 

It seems that some of the states are beginning to open up and get people back to work praise God.

We need to keep this country in prayer that we are out of this sooner rather than later for so many peoples sake.

Paul Washer wrote: “we all need difficult days to increase our dependence on God and learn that His grace is sufficient”

Psalm 103:1-2 (ESV)
¹  Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!
²  Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits,

 

This Too shall pass

April 19 Sermon

 

 

For seven weeks now we have been examining the last words of Jesus uttered from the cross.

The final word was “It is Finished”, paid in full.

The debt we owed God, the debt we could never pay was now completely paid.

We as Christians have placed our entire trust in that man who hung on the tree.

But calling Him a man seems so inadequate because He was so much more.

I want to take a few weeks to examine this man called Jesus.

 

While we have four gospel accounts of this mans life, they are all quite different in how they portray who Jesus is

Mathew presents Jesus as the Jewish Messiah who fulfills all the Old Testament prophecies

Mark portrays Jesus as a perfect man which would have appealed to the Greek world of the first century

Luke portrays Jesus in a way that would appeal to Jew and Greek and Roman alike

But the apostle John presents Jesus as fully man and fully God.

That is the account I want us to look at in the weeks to come.

Let’s begin with Johns opening comments

John 1:1-5 (NASB)
¹  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
²  He was in the beginning with God.
³  All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.
⁴  In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.
⁵  The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

 

John begin his gospel the same way Moses began the Genesis account – In the beginning.

Moses begins Genesis from the beginning of creation and curiously John does as well

Mathew, Mark and Luke begin their gospels with Jesus

Mathew and Luke with His birth and Mark with the beginning of His ministry.

But John begins right where Moses did, the beginning of creation

 

This is extremely important f we are to fully know who this Jesus is that we all follow and serve.

But John does not use Jesus’ name

Instead he uses the term The Word. In the beginning was the Word

But what word?

The written word? The spoken word?

John uses a very obscure Greek word – the logos.

The word logos can be translated as a message, a statement, or simply a word.

But in classic Greek the word logos carries a deeper meaning

It is were we get our English word logo from

 

Scripture tells us that no one has ever seen God and lived and that is true

But Jesus is according to John the physical representation of God who cannot be seen

Just as our logo’s represent the physical manifestation of a product, golden arches – McDonalds, red headed pig tail girl for Wendy’s, or Colonial Sanders for Kentucky Fried Chicken

Jesus in His physical body is the exact representation of the unseen God of the Bible

 

John tells us that this logos, this word was with God and was in fact God in the flesh.

While it is true that the man Jesus was born on earth in Bethlehem, the logos, the word has existed for all eternity

He was with God and was in fact God.

 

Growing up I had always thought that God created the heavens and the earth and by this, I mean God the father.

Genesis 1:1-2 (NASB)
¹  In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
²  The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.

I just assumed this was God the father and the Holy Spirit because the Son was not born yet.

Then there is Genesis 1:26 (NASB)
²⁶  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."

I remember being told that here God is speaking with the angels but as I began to study the scriptures, I knew Angels could not create anything

Perhaps God was speaking with the Spirit who was moving over the surface of the waters but then I read Johns gospel

John 1:2-3 (NASB)
²  He (the logos or Jesus) was in the beginning with God.
³  All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.

So, in fact Jesus was the creator of all that there is.

I know it gets challenging when we begin to speak about the Godhead for so many reasons

Actually, we cannot say Jesus created because He was not named Jesus until He was born in Bethlehem

This is the logos or the second person of the Godhead

Some scholars believe that whenever we read about the “angel of God” in the Old Testament we are seeing the same physical representation of the unseen God

The child born in Bethlehem was only the latest of quite a few appearances of this person John calls the logos

 

The Hebrew and the Greek words for angel literally mean messengers which is a pretty generic term

That said, there are instances in the OT where there is a specific “Angel of the Lord” and he is treated quite differently than general angels

 

When Sarah drove Hagar out into the wilderness to die we read this

Genesis 16:7-10 (NASB)
⁷  Now the angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur.
⁸  He said, "Hagar, Sarai's maid, where have you come from and where are you going?" And she said, "I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai."
⁹  Then the angel of the LORD said to her, "Return to your mistress, and submit yourself to her authority."
¹⁰  Moreover, the angel of the LORD said to her, "I will greatly multiply your descendants so that they will be too many to count."

Could a regular angel multiply her descendants?

And He uses the same language used in the promise made to Abraham

Then listen to what is recorded after the promise

Genesis 16:13 (NASB)
¹³  Then she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, "You are a God who sees"; for she said, "Have I even remained alive here after seeing Him?"

Hagar knew this was no ordinary angel

 

Abraham was commanded by God to take Isaac to a certain mountain and offer him as a sacrifice

 

 and this is what we read right before Abram was about to slay the child

 

Genesis 22:10-12 (NASB)
¹⁰  Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.
¹¹  But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am."
¹²  He said, "Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me."

Listen again to that last statement

now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me."

This was not an ordinary angel

 

When Moses fled Egypt for his life he settled in Midian and became a shepherd and one day he saw a miraculous sight

Exodus 3:2-6 (NASB)
²  The angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed.
³  So Moses said, "I must turn aside now and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up."
⁴  When the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am."
⁵  Then He said, "Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground."
⁶  He said also, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

Good translations will have the word Lord in the title Angel of the Lord in all capitol letters signifying Jehovah

But then the language changes in verse 6 from the angel of the lord speaking to God Himself

But there is no change of character

In other words the one speaking in verse 4 and 5, the angel of the Lord, is the same one speaking in verse 6 who identifies himself as the God of your fathers

Not an ordinary angel

 

The logos or the second person f the Godhead has been with us always and has taken on many different appearances.

Back to Johns gospel

⁴  In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.
⁵  The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

Nothing is sadder than a person thinking that either everyone gets to heaven or that all roads lead to heaven

Clearly the scriptures teach a different lesson for us all

The words in Him in the Greek are absolute

In only Him is there life

We just celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ

Can any other religion claim that for the one they serve?

No!

Only Jesus rose from the dead and only Jesus is the giver of life everlasting

 

This light, this life was a light for all mankind but sadly those in darkness did not comprehend that light.

The word for comprehend in the Greek is “kata lombano” and means to literally seize or to lay hold of

Perhaps they could not lay hold of it because in their darkness they could not see it.

Perhaps in their darkness they cannot even recognize it for what it is

Isaiah 5:20 (NASB)
²⁰  Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!

 

Or perhaps they just didn’t care

 

Isaiah 9:2 (NASB)
²  The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, The light will shine on them.

 

But for those who know the true ligh, for them there is nothing to fear

Micah 7:8 (NASB)
⁸  Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy. Though I fall I will rise; Though I dwell in darkness, the LORD is a light for me.

 

the same apostle John who wrote the gospel later wrote this

 

1 John 1:5 (NASB)
⁵  This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.

 

And again in his gospel

John 8:12 (NASB)
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."

 

And then this

John 3:19 (NASB)
¹⁹  "This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.

 

John uses the term light for Jesus in many of his writings

Sadly he tells us that men would rather walk in darkness.

Today that would certainly be true but surely Gods chosen people had a better understanding of the scripture’s, didn’t they?

John 1:9-11 (NASB)
⁹  There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man.
¹⁰  He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.

We have already determined that part but then there is this

¹¹  He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.

How is that possible?

Notice it does not say they did not recognize Him

Rather it says they did not receive or accept Him for who He really was

We know that much from Good Friday

His own people, the very ones He was sent to, and promised to, rejected Him

 

But that is the negative part of Johns testimony, here is the positive

John 1:12-13 (NASB)
¹²  But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,
¹³  who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

Verse 13 is very important and actually can be seen as an accusation

Not born of blood, flesh or the will of man

These were things the Jews prized above all else

What tribe were you born into, who was your father, are you truly Jewish

But that is not the kind of birth John is talking about here

Those who may become a child of God must be born of God

Remember what Jesus told Nicodemus the night they met

Unless a man is born again (or more literally from above, from God) he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven

So not everyone will get to spend eternity with God

And no, all roads or religions do not lead to heaven

In fact, all of those are a part of the darkness John condemns here

 

But only those who are in the light

Only those who are born of God

Who believe on His name and obey His commands

Only they will see the kingdom of heaven

Jesus Himself said as much in

John 14:6 (ESV)
⁶  Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

 

Jesus did not say I am a way, or a truth or a life

In the Greek the definite article “the” is emphatic

Jesus is “THE” way truth and life

He is the only way, truth and life

And then adding No one comes to the Father except through me.

 

John continues in John 1:14 (ESV)
¹⁴  And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

 

The word, the logos, became flesh

Became one of us

And dwelt among us

Think about that for a moment

The creator God who created all that there is left His throne to become one of us.

Why would He do this?

What is there about man that God would sacrifice so much to live among us and risk rejection and even abuse?

John 3:16 says it all

For God so loved the world

 

Look at Johns words about Jesus in John 1:18 (ESV)
¹⁸  No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

This is an explanation of that word logos that John uses

No one has ever seen God, but Jesus has made Him known

Jesus as I said earlier is the exact representation of the unseen God

 

This is the God we worship and the savior we serve

In the weeks to come we will examine just how much Jesus loved His creation

We will examine why we are so drawn to Him and willing to forsake everything to follow Him

We will examine why so many are willing to risk everything and surrender to His Lordship

We have placed our hope in Jesus, not blindly, but based on scriptural evidence

 

And that evidence proves that Jesus is in fact God Almighty

LET US PRAY