GREAT TRUTHS ABOUT CHRIST

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1 NKJV).

John 1:1 is an excellent verse about the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. In it we have the designation of Christ, the duration of Christ, the dwelling of Christ and the deity of Christ.

Designation of Christ - “Word.” Three times in this verse the Lord Jesus is designated the “Word.” For a thought to be adequately known, it must be manifested by words. Therefore, calling the Lord Jesus the “Word” means that He is the great revealer and spokesman of God. He reveals and manifests the mind of God to man. Heb. 1:1-2 confirms this by saying, “God…has in these last days spoken to us by His Son.” And God says, “Hear Him” (Matt. 17:5). We have the written Word in the Scriptures and the Living Word in the Savior.

Duration of Christ - “In the beginning was the Word.” The phrase “In the beginning” refer to the time when creation came into existence, not when the Lord Jesus came into existence. The eternal existence of the Lord Jesus Christ is seen in this “beginning” since the verse indicates that He already existed when this beginning occurred. The Lord Jesus Christ’s existence is not limited to time, but it is eternal.

Dwelling of Christ - “The Word was with God.” The dwelling of the Lord Jesus Christ with God was very intimate. The Greek word translated “with” means more than just being near or beside someone; it means living in union and communion with someone. John 1:18 illustrates and amplifies this truth further when it states that the Lord Jesus Christ was “in the bosom of the Father.”

Deity of Christ - “The Word was God.” There is no clearer and plainer way to state the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. Folks deny His deity, but they cannot deny that the Bible teaches it. The striking nature of this sentence about the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ reminds us that the important truths God would have us know are all stated clearly and plainly in the Scriptures. We have no excuse for not knowing important spiritual truths.

(Adapted from Butler’s Daily Reading 3)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“Christ is the desire of nations, the joy of angels, the delight of the Father. What solace then must that soul be filled with, that has the possession of Him to all eternity!”

John Bunyan (1628 - 1688)

English Author and Puritan Preacher

Word Study

Faithless (did not believe)

In Rom. 3:3 we read, “For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect?” (NKJV).

“Faithless (did not believe)” is the Greek word apistéō (ἀπιστέω = ap-is-teh'-o). It is made up of two words: the negative particle “a” which means without, and “pistéō” which means believing, faithful. Thus, the word means to be unfaithful, to have no belief, disbelieve, to betray a trust. Literally it means without believing. It is a failure to respond to God with trust and at heart shows, not doubt, but rejection. This statement by the apostle Paul also has a modern-day application for the professing church as well as skeptics. The fact that many people today reject the Scriptures, even alleging that the Bible has been disproved by modern science and reason, means nothing. God’s Word has forever been settled in Heaven and will endure forever (cf. Psalm 119:89), even after this present earth has passed away (Matt. 24:35). God’s revealed Word is absolute truth and will judge all its detractors in the last day (Rev 20:12).

“Fear Nots” Found in the Bible

“Saying, fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee” (Acts 27:24 KJV).

Did You Know…

According to Judges 8:30, Gideon had 70 sons.

Bible Quiz

According to the Book of Genesis, why did God bless the seventh day of creation?

**Answer to last week’s Bible Quiz: Which land did God told Abraham to leave and to travel to the land of Canaan? Ur (Gen. 11:31).

Names For the Lord Jesus in the Bible

“TEACHER”

"You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am” (John 13:13 NJKV).

1. Meaning – TEACHER refers to the Lord Jesus the Teacher of Teachers, the One who instructs, rule, and guides.

2. Insights – In the Greek, “Teacher” as well as “Lord” is preceded by the definite article (“ho” = “the”). This means that the Lord Jesus is not just any teacher, but He is “The Teacher, and The Lord,” the One above all others and the Owner of all things (cf. John 13:3)! This thought is seen in Mark 1:22 where the Jews “were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (cf. Matt. 7:28-29). The Lord Jesus is the Teacher with no equal, and the Lord with no equal. He alone is Lord of lords. (cf. Rev 17:14; 19:16). In context, He did not institute a mere ceremony. The lesson He taught was a very practical one. If He as their Teacher and Lord condescended to do for them the work of a servant, they should be willing to serve one another.

Did You Know – Christian History

Marie Durant was born in 1711 in Le Bouchet near Privas in France. She was a French Protestant who was famously imprisoned in the Tower of Constance for 38 years.

The Tower of Constance was built by Duke Philip the Bold. It also served as a lighthouse, with a lantern in the top-most tower, known as “the beacon of Charlemagne.” It was later converted into a women’s prison by King Louis XIV. The female prisoners were kept in the upper room. A little light and air came through narrow windows. In the center of the floor was an opening onto the guardroom below. The authorities saw this as the perfect place to hold and torture those they considered to be heretics. In 1730, fifteen-year-old Durant was arrested. Her crime was having a brother who was a Protestant minister, and the family held Protestant meetings in their home. Unable to lay hands on her brother Pierre, the government had previously arrested Durant’s father in 1728. Pierre was finally captures and hanged in 1732.

Although just fifteen, Durant became the tireless Christian focus of the Tower and remained the spiritual leader of the prisoners for thirty-eight years. She nursed the ailing, wrote letters for those who could not write, and read psalms aloud each evening. She encouraged her fellow-prisoners to sing Huguenot hymns. And while not all the women were Christians (some were crude), the prisoners knew her family; they sympathized with her youth, and they respected her for her piety. All were blessed through her. Durant wrote to churches and government officials with appeals for improved prison conditions. Thanks to Durant’s efforts, the prisoners were allowed a copy of the Psalms and permitted to go on to the rooftop for fresh air. Eventually, the governor of Languedoc became disgusted with prison conditions. He ordered the captives released despite the objections of King Louis XV. Throughout her imprisonment, Durant never recanted her faith. After her release, she returned to her childhood home. Her husband and father were dead. An Amsterdam church supported her for the rest of her life. Durant died in 1776.”

A Little Humor

A Sunday school teacher began her lesson with a question, “Boys and girls, what do we know about God?” A hand shot up in the air. “He is an artist!” said the kindergarten boy. “Really? How do you know?” the teacher asked. “You know - Our Father, who does art in Heaven…”

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“Salvation is not a matter of reformation, but of transformation!”