Light in the DarkSample

...and the Word was God.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:1-5 NIV

Like all great stories, the story of what God did through the death and resurrection of Jesus starts at the beginning. Not just a beginning, but the beginning.

In the beginning was the Word. Not just a word, but the Word.

If you’re scratching your head trying to make sense of what that means, you’re probably not the only one. While this seems strange to us, it would have been very familiar to the Jews and Greeks reading these words when they were first written.

To the Greeks, the Word was the supreme logic that governed the universe. Which makes sense when you realize the Greek word for word is logos, the same word we get logic from. When they looked at the stars in the sky and the twinkle in another person’s eye, they saw evidence of intelligence and design behind it all.

To the Jews, the Word was the divine wisdom of God present at creation. When God spoke the universe into being, it wasn’t random or unguided. All of it was intentional and purposeful. And every bit of it points to God’s goodness and power.

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world… Psalms 19:1-4 NIV

But because of Easter, we know that the Word is so much more than that.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us… John 1:14 NIV

The Word, the supreme logic that governs the universe, the divine wisdom of God that was present at creation, put on skin and bones, walked on two legs, and made His home here on earth. The Word is not just an idea. The Word is a person. And He has a name.

“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus…” Matthew 1:21 NIV

Words aren’t just a random assortment of letters thrown together haphazardly. “ksdksjbf” doesn’t mean anything. Words are purposefully constructed to communicate a message from one person to another. Texting your best friend, “Let’s hang out later,” means something.

Jesus wasn’t an accident. His life wasn’t chaotically cobbled together at the last minute. His ministry wasn’t a random assortment of speeches and miracles done for no real reason. Everything He did was purposefully and intentionally designed to send a message.

What was that message? In Jesus’ own words, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10 NIV)

Jesus came to save us. We are the ones who got lost. When sin entered the picture, it wasn’t just our relationship with God that was shattered. Our relationships with everything and everyone also got thrown into the shredder. We’ve been lost and wandering ever since. Searching for something that, no matter how hard we look, we can never seem to find. That’s why we need Jesus. Because we cannot save ourselves. The Good News? God saves. Which, not by accident, is actually what Jesus’ name means.

“… give him the name Jesus because he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21 NIV

Jesus came to save us from our sins. This is the message at the heart of every miracle He performed and every sermon He preached. Even at His darkest moment, nailed to a Roman cross, condemned to death for crimes He didn’t commit, watching the very people He came to rescue celebrate over His suffering, this message was still on His lips.

Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. Luke 23:32-34 NIV

Even if you’ve heard the story of Jesus’ sacrifice one thousand times already, don’t miss the wonder and power of it all. Hear it again as if it’s the first time.

Just the idea of God becoming a human being is wild to think about. The infinite, eternal, and all-powerful ruler of the cosmos took on all the limits of humanity. But the story of Easter goes farther than that. He didn’t just stop at becoming human. He went past the very edge of life itself. Yep, you read that right. The God of everything let Himself die in the most gruesome fashion imaginable. He accepted a death normally reserved for traitors, slaves, and terrorists; crucifixion on a Roman cross.

Because He came to send a message. And this was all a part of His plan from the beginning. Jesus came to save us from our sins. He came to save you from your sins. How? By becoming one of us. Living like us. And dying for us. Why? Because He loves us.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 NIV

Thankfully though, the crucifixion wasn’t the end. In fact, it was just another beginning. Because on Easter Sunday, the power of God would be revealed in a whole new way.

…We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14 NIV