September 12 Devotional

John 1:6-18 (ESV) There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.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. (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) For from 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; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known."As John continues to introduce the main character of his book, Jesus Christ, he gets personal. John says that this Word made flesh… this true Light who shone in the darkness… dwelt among US. That is, he he lived among John and his friends. John uses an interesting Greek word here, SKENOO, and it literally means he pitched a tent… or tabernacled. In other words, he went camping next to us in the same way God camped with his people Israel in the Old Testament. Jesus came near in that same way. He was the presence of God. 

And we have seen his glory, John says. That is, we SAW what he did. We SAW who he was. I witnessed this with my own eyes. What was John referring to? We can’t know specifically. Maybe he meant I SAW this Jesus calm the sea. I SAW him heal the sick. I SAW raise him raise our friend Lazarus, and I SAW him resurrected, too. Some scholars think he was referring to the transfiguration, when Jesus went on the mountain and met Moses and Elijah, and was transformed into his full radiance, shining like the sun, leaving James and John blinking, and leaving Peter babbling about nothing. We saw THAT glory, John says, as of the only son from the father.It probably doesn’t matter what instance John was referring to. His whole point is that in Christ, there is FULLNESS of glory. FULLNESS. So much glory in the life of Jesus, where do you even begin? And the best part is this: “From this fullness,” John says, “we have all received grace upon grace.”

Friends, if Jesus is all that John says he is… if he is THAT full of light and mystery and power and life-altering love, then there is more than enough grace to go around. To be more specific, there is plenty grace for you today. Let’s pray.Thank you, Lord, for putting on flesh and camping with your people. And thank you that you sent your spirit to camp with us today. Help us to believe you have everything we need. Help us to receive your grace with the confidence of beloved sons and daughters.

Amen.