IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD. THE WORD WAS IN GOD'S PRESENCE AND THE WORD WAS GOD. HE WAS PRESENT TO GOD. IN THE BEGINNING. THROUGH HIM ALL THINGS CAME INTO BEING. AND APART FROM HIM NOTHING CAME TO BE. WHATEVER CAME TO BE IN IM., FOUND LIFE. LIFE FOR THE LIGHT OF MEN. THE LIGHT SHINES ON THE DARKNESS. A DARKNESS THAT DID NOT OVERCOME. JOHN TESTIFIED TO HIM PROCLAIMING: " THIS IS HE OF WHOM I SAID, ' THE ONE WHO COMES AFTER ME RANKS AHEAD OF ME, FOR HE WAS BEFORE ME.'" FOR WHILE THE LAW WAS GIVEN THROUGH MOSES, THIS ENDURING LOVE CAME THROUGH JESUS CHRIST. NO ONE HAS EVER SEEN GOD. IT IS GOD THE ONLY SON, EVER AT THE FATHER'S SIDE, WHO HAS REVEALED HIM.
FEW WORDS IN SCRIPTURE HAVE GRIPPED THE HUMAN MIND WITH THE POWER OF THE OPENING LINES OF THE FOURTH GOSPEL:
"IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD;
AND THE WORD WAS WITH GOD.
AND THE WORD WAS GOD."
NO ONE HAS EVER SEEN GOD.
JESUS CHRIST HAS SOLVED THE RIDDLE OF GOD. RIDDLES ARE NOT SIMPLY 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, ON 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 OF RIDDLE 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, 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 DIDN'T CREATE US PERFECT IN THE FIRST PLACE?" WE OUGHT TO TAKE THESE QUESTIONS SERIOUSLY, BECAUSE THEY REMIND US THAT THE EXISTENCE OF EVIL, BECOMES AN ACUTE PROBLEM WHEN WE DARE TO TALK ABOUT A LOVING GOD. WE BARELY HAVE TIME TO HEAR THE ANGELS SING " ABOUT PEACE ON EARTH." BEFORE WE ARE MINDED THAT PEOPLE LIKE REPHEN WERE STONED FOR THEIR CHRISTIAN FAITH, THAT A KING SO FEARED THE COMING OF CHRIST THAT HE TRIED TO KILL 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 IS 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 KEYWORD, QUESTIONS 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 FROM ANY OTHER STARTING POINT, WE RUN INTO A DEAD END. THAT'S WHAT JESUS MEANT WHEN HE SAID, " NO MAN COMES TO THE FATHER, BUT BY ME." HOW DOES JESUS SOLVE THE RIDDLE? HE SHOWS HOW DOD'S POWER DIFFER FROM OUR USUAL CONCEPT OF POWER. JESUS RESURRECTION ILLUSTRATES HOW GOD'S POWER WORKS. IT DOES NOT ELIMINATE DEATH. IT SIMPLY TAKES AWAY FINALITY. JESUS SPENT MUCH OF HIS MINISTRY URGING PEOPLE TO SEE THAT SUFFERING DOES NOT GO UNOTICED. GOD MARKS THE FALL OF A SPARROW AND THE PLIGHT OF A LEPER.. GOD'S WAY OF DEALING WITH OUR SUFFERING IS TO ACCEPT IT, TO SHARE IT, AND THEN USE 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 SINFUL AND SUFFERING WORLD. FOR ALMOST 2,OOO YEARS, PEOPLE HAVE TRY TO DISPROVE THE RESURRECTION AND THEREBY DISCREDIT CHRISTIANITY, ALL HAVE FAILED. JAMES THE (HALF) BOTHER OF JESUS WENT FROM THINKING JESUS WAS CRAZY, TO PROCLAIMING THE GOSPEL AS THE HEAD OF THE JERUSALEM CHURCH, AFTER ENCOUNTERING THE RISEN CHRIST. PAUL WENT FROM PERSECUTOR OF CHRISTIANS TO MISSIONARY TO THE ROMAN WORLD FOR THE SAME REASON. ( FOR MORE SEE, 1 CORINTHIANS 15). IN THE MID--18TH CENTURY, TWO STUDENTS AT OXFORD UNIVERSITY BECAME PROMINENT LEADERS IN GREAT 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 OF THE MIRACULOUS ELEMENTS IN THE GOSPELS, SET OUT TO WRITE A BOOK STRIPPING THE LIFE OF JESUS OF ANYTHING THAT WOULD INDICATE THAT HE WAS MORE THAN A GOOD TEACHER. HE ENDED UP WRITING ONE OF THE MOST ABLE DEFENSES OF THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST. "WHO MOVED THE STONE?" C.S. LEWIS, CAMBRIDGE SCHOLAR, AUTHOR AND AND ONE TIME ATHEIST WAS CONVERTED TO CHRISTIANITY ON THE BASIS OF WHAT HE CONSIDERED COMPELLING EVIDENCE. MERE "CHRISTIANITY" WAS THE RESULT. ON AND ON GOES THE CHALLENGE. THE EVIDENCE IS CLEAR: THE BODILY RESURRECTION OF THE LORD IS THE CORNERSTONE OF OUR FAITH. THE RESULT WAS TOLD BY JOHN (14:19)
"BECAUSE I LIVE, YOU WILL LIVE ALSO. " OUR RESPONSE SHOULD BE THE SAME ACCLAMATION THAT PAUL MADE IN 1 CORINTHIANS 15:57.... " BUT THANKS BE TO GOD! HE GIVES US VICTORY THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.`
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