Daily Dose of the Word of God - John 1: 5-18

Erin Pacheco, Director of Worship

Transcript

Erin Pacheco  0:06  

Welcome to Elmhurst CRC’s Daily Dose of the Word of God.  It’s the season of Advent, as we see how all of scripture points to Jesus. Today is Friday, December 19, and Sunday is coming. I’m Erin Pacheco.  Today’s Bible verses are from John 1:15-18.

Erin Pacheco   0:28  

(John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) Out of his fullness we have all received grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; God the only Son, who is at the Father's side — he has made him known.

Erin Pacheco  1:02  

My son has his father’s face. When people see him, they often smile and comment on the resemblance: That is Moe’s kid. And it’s not just physical. They share interests, mannerisms, and personality traits. My son is a reflection — almost an extension — of my husband. The spitting image of his dad. In the Bible, “son” is loaded language. It’s a position of honor, and inheritance, and, sometimes, a metaphor for identity. A son of Abraham, for example, isn’t literally Abraham’s kid, but any Jew who is deeply rooted in the faith of Abraham. A son of Aaron isn’t literally Aaron’s son, but anyone who serves as a priest. The sons of thunder in the gospels aren’t literal sons of thunder, but a duo of particularly feisty disciples. It’s a way to describe their character, their essence — who they are. We’re embarking on a months-long journey through the gospel of John. And in John’s intro to who Jesus is, he doesn’t give us Mary & Joseph, or shepherds and angels. He goes all the way back to the beginning. To the One who was with God, and is God. The One who has God’s face. John, like Jesus himself, uses the metaphor of a son. “No one has ever seen God. But God the Son has made him known.” As we get closer to Christmas, as we hear again the familiar stories of Jesus’ birth, I invite you to look again at who Jesus is. Because he is not just as we so often think: A Savior, sent from God, a son, who comes after God, a sacrifice, separate from God. Look again - this is God, with a face. With fingers and toes. Our God – laid in a manger. Come to be with us. Come to rescue us. Come to die for us, and bring us back to him. “From his fullness we have received grace upon grace.”  So take a fresh look into that baby’s eyes. Full of grace and truth. Come and see the face of God.

Erin Pacheco   3:53  

Let’s pray. Holy and Almighty God, we cannot comprehend a God who becomes one of us. We cannot hold a grace so great. By your Spirit, open our eyes anew, amid all the trappings of the season, and help us see Jesus. Amen.