Monday, March 03, 2014

Focus On the Glory . . . See Grace and Truth

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14 NKJ)

Sometimes I am surprised at what has been my focus in life. When I come to myself, it always amazes me how I get mesmerized by the world around me and lose the focus of Calvary. Perhaps this human forgetfulness is why God established Easter in the secular calendar . . . to remind us of the Cross. The Cross is the greatest expression of God's glory on earth.

With powerful conviction, the Apostle John said, "the Word became human. He lived with us. We saw his glory." There was no question in John's mind about the identity of the Word. Others may have only seen the human, but John saw the glory in the human. Others may have seen Jesus merely as the son of Mary and Joseph from Nazareth, but John saw the glory of the Heavenly Father in him.

Jesus called John to be his disciple and in John's daily exchange with him, John saw the Human Word -- the Glorious Word -- who is "full of grace and truth." There was more to Jesus of Nazareth than mere humanity. There was something about him that transcended the ordinary love and courtesy and gracious behavior of humanity. John saw Grace and Truth personified in Christ, the Word.

I am convinced that if I view Jesus as only a human, I will never behold his glory; I will never grasp the fullness of his grace; I will never understand the fullness of his truth. But to view Jesus as the Word of God wrapped in human flesh; to view Christ "as the only begotten of the Father" is to understand his real identity and the reason he dwelt among us.

It is important -- crucial really -- how we "behold" Christ. Is he a mere prophet? A great Teacher? A historical religious figure? A famous Jewish boy? Or is he God's sacrificial Lamb, the Eternal Savior?

Dear Father, thank you for your sacrifice that takes away our sin. Enable us to see "his glory as the only begotten of the Father." I pray this in the name of Jesus. AMEN

What is your focus, today? Are You Looking Through Your Own Microscope?

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