'" TO SOLVE THE RIDDLE OF GOD'" John 1: 1-18..

 FEW WORDS IN SCRIPTURE  HAVE GRIPPED THE HUMAN MIND WITH THE POWER OF THE OPENING LINES OF THE FOURTH GOSPEL:
                                     INTHE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD
                                     AND THE WORD WAS WITH GOD
                                     AND THE WORD WAS GOD.
THESE WORDS ARE SO MAGICAL, THE WESTERN CHURCH  USED THEM FOR CENTURIES AS A BLESSING FOR THE SICK AND FOR NEWLY BAPIZED CHILDREN. IT WAS EVEN PLACED ON AMULETS  AND HUNG AROUND THE NECK TO PROTECT ONE FROM SICKNESS. LIKE ALL HUMAM WORDS,, THEY ARE MEANT TO BEAR A MESSAGE, AND THAT MESSAGE BECOMES CLEAR, ONLY AT THE  END OF THIS PASSAGE:       NO ONE HAS EVER SEEN GOD;
                                    IT IS GOD THE ONLY SON, EVER AT THE FATHER'S SIDE.
                                    WHO HAS REVEALED HIM.
 JESUS CHRIST HAS SOLVED THE RIDDLE OF GOD. RIDDLES ARE NOT SIMPLLY CHILDISH JOKES. THEY HAVE A LONG HISTORY IN HUMANITY'S QUEST TO UNDERSTAND THE WORLD.  HAVE YOU HEARD OF THE "RIDDLE OF THE SPINX?"
THE ANCIENT GREEKS TOLD OF A MONSTER WHICH CAME TO THE CITY EACH YEAR WITH A RIDDLE. "WHAT SPEAKS WITH ONE VOICE, BUT WALKS ON FOUR LEGS,TWO LEGS AND ON THREE LEGS?"  AND HOBBLES WITH A CANE WHEN OLD. BY ANSWERING THE RIDDLE HE SAVED THE CITY.
 WE STILL USE THE IDEA IN THIS SERIOUS SENSE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE "RIDDLE OF LIFE.," OR THE RIDDLE OF SUFFERING."  FOR MANY PEOPLE GOD IS A RIDDLE. THEY WOULD POSE THE QUESTION LIKE THIS: IF THERE IS A GOD, WHY DO THE INNOCENT SUFFER? WHY IS THERE SO MUCH PAIN AND SORROW IN THE WORLD; OR THEY ASK, WHY DOES GOD ASK SO MUCH OF US, WHEN HE DIDNT  CREATE US PERFECT IN THE FIRST PLACE?"  WE OUGHT TO TAKE THESE QUESTIONS SERIOUSLY, BECAUSE THEY REMIND US THAT THE EVIL, BECOMES AN ACUTE PROBLEM WHEN WE DARE TALK ABOUT LOVING GOD. WE BARELY HAVE TIME TO HEAR THE ANGELS SING ABOUT "PEACE ON EARTH."   BEFORE WE ARE REMINDED THAT PEOPLE LIKE STEPHEN WERE STONED FOR THEIR CHRISTIAN FAITH BY THE EXISTANCE OF EVIL, BY A  KING WHO SO FEARED THE COMING OF CHRIST THAT HE KILLED ALL THE CHILDREN UNDER TWO YEARS OF AGE. FOR A CHRISTIAN, THEN,  THE RIDDLE WOULD BE:" WHAT KIND OF A GOD WOULD LET HIMSELF AND HIS FOLLOWERS BE PUSHED AROUND BY A HARD CRUEL WORLD?
 WE ARE NOT THE FIRST ONES TO PUZZLE OVER THIS QUESTION. THE GOSPEL LESSON FOR TODAY REMINDS US THAT CONFUSION AND MISUNDERSTANDING HAVE CLOUDED THE GOOD NEWS OF GOD FROM THE BEGINNING. " HE WAS IN THE WORLD AND THE WORLD KNEW HIM NOT," SAYS OUR TEXT."   HE CAME TO HIS OWN HOME, HIS OWN PEOPLE RECEIVED HIM NOT."
  THE REST OF THE BOOK OF JOHN REPEATEDLY CALLS ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT PEOPLE MISUNDERSTOOD JESUS-FROM NICODEMUS ASKING " HOW CAN A MAN BE BORN AGAIN WHEN HE IS OLD?  " TO PILATE IMPATIENTLY SNAPPING, " WHAT IS TRUTH?"
 AND YET THE ANSWER TO THE RIDDLE WAS THERE. THAT'S THE WAY IT IS WITH GOOD RIDDLES. WHEN YOU UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION, YOU ALREADY HAVE THE ANSWER. THE RIDDLE OF GOD IS A LOT LIKE THAT.ONCE WE GRASP THE KEY WORD,
QUESTONS ABOUT HIS POWER AND HIS WILL CAN BE ANSWERED. THE TEXT FOR TODAY SAYS THAT JESUS IS THAT KEY WORD; AND THE WORD BECAME FLESH AND DWELT AMONG US. WHEN WE TRY TO SOLVE THE RIDDLE OF GOD, IF WE TRY TO SOLVE THE RIDDLE OF GOD FROM ANY OTHER STARTING POINT, WE RUN INTO A DEAD END. THAT'S WHAT JESUS MEANT WHEN HE SAID,"NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER, BUT BY ME.." HOW DOES JESUS SOLVE THE RIDDLE? HE SHOWS HOW GOD'S POWER DIFFERS FROM OUR USUAL CONCEPT OF POWER. JESUS RESURRECTION ILLUSTRATES HOW GOD'S POWER WORKS. IT DOES NOT ELIMATE DEATH. IT SIMPLY TAKES AWAY DEATH'S FINALITY. AND THAT'S THE WAY HE DEALT WITH SIN TOO. HE TOOK IT UPON HIMSELF AND USED IT, IN THE CROSS, AS A MEANS OF BREAKING SIN'S HOLD ON THE WORLD SO JESUS BECOMES THE KEY TO UNDERSTANDING WHAT A LOVING GOD CAN DO FOR A SUFFERING AND SINFUL WORLD
  RECENTLY A DEAR FRIEND OF OURS (PASTOR BOB FROM CALIF) SENT HIS MONTHLY LETTER,  AND THIS IS THE RIGHT TIME TO PASS IT ON. IT STARTS OUT, RECENTLY; "I COMPLETED A NOVEL ENTITLED. " A SKELETON" IN GO'D'S CLOSET BY PAUL. MAIER."  IT RAISES THE QUESTION AS TO WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THE BONES OF JESUS WERE DISCOVERED. WHILE THE CHRISTIAN WORLD IS PLUNGED INTO CHAOS, AN ARCHEOLOGIST RISKS HIS REPUTATION, AND EVEN HIS LIFE TO DETERMINE IF THIS IS TRUTH OR A HOAX. ( I WON'T  GIVE AWAY THE REST OF THE STORY, IN CASE YOU WOULD LIKE TO FIND OUT FOR YOURSELF!).
ALTHOUGH IT IS A NOVEL, THIS BRINGS TO LIGHT A VERY IMPORTANT POINT!:) THE BODLY RESURRECTION IS CRUCIAL TO THE CHRISTIAN FAITH.  FOR ALMOST 2000 YEARS, PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO DISPROVE THE RESURECTION AND THEREBY DISCREDIT CHRISTANITY . ALL HAVE FAILED.
 INTERESTINGLY, IN MANY CASES, THE OPPOSITE HAS HAPPENED. JAMES, THE  HALF BROTHER OF JESUS WENT FROM THINKING JESUS WAS CRAZY, TO PROCLAIMING THE GOSPEL AS THE HEAD OF THE JERUSALEM CHURCH, AFTER ENCOUNTING THE RISEN CHRIST. PAUL WENT FROM PERSECUTOR OF CHRISTIANS TO MISSIONARY TO THE ROMAN WORLD.FOR THE SAME REASON. (FOR MORE ON THIS SEE, 1CORINTHIANS 15)
THE SAME THING IS TRUE IN RECENT TIMES. IN MID-18th CENTURY, TWO STUDENTS AT OXFORD UNIVERSITY BECAME PROMINENT LEADERS IN BRITAIN, SET OUT TO PROVE, AMONG OTHER THINGS,THAT JESUS NEVER ROSE FROM THE DEAD.THEY CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT CHRISTIANITY WAS TRUE, AND BOTH BECAME CHRISTIANS. IN THE 1930'S, A JOURNALISTS NAMED FRANK MORRISON, WHO DOUBTED ANY MIRACULOUS ELEMENTS IN THE GOSPELS, SET OUT TO WRITE A B00K STRIPPING THE LIFE OF JESUS OF ANYTHING THAT WOULD INDICATE THAT HE WAS MORE THEN A GOOD TEACHER. HE ENDED UP WRITING ONE OF THE MOST ABLE DEFENCES OF THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST.WHO MOVED THE STONE?"  C.S. LEWIS,CAMBRIDGE, SCHOLAR, AUTHOR, AND A ONE TIME ATHIEST WAS COVERTED TO CHRISTIANITY ON THE BASIS OF WHAT HE CONSIDERED COMPELLING EVIDENCE.MERE CHRISTISNITY WAS THE RESULT. THE RESULT WAS TOLD TO US BY JOHN (14:19).  "BECAUSE I LIVE,YOU WILL LIVE ALSO." 0UR RESPONSE SHOULD BE THE SAME ACCLAMAION THAT PAUL MADE( IN 1 CORINTHIANS 15-57).... "BUT THANKS BE TO GOD! HE GIVES US VICTORY THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST."