RIDDLE OF GOD. [JOHN 1:18]

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.
THESE WORDS WERE SO MAGICAL, THAT THE WESTERN CHURCH USED THEM FOR CENTURIES AS A BLESSING FOR THE SICK AND NEWLY BAPTIZED CHILDREN. IT WAS EVEN PLACED IN AMULETS AND HUNG AROUND THE NECK TO PROTECT ONE FROM SICKNESS. THERE'S A STORY OF A PRIESTLY BENEDICTION FOUND IN 1980 IN  A SMALL EXCAVATION IN A IRON AGE CEMETERY OUTSIDE THE CITY IN JERUSALEM, THERE WAS RECOVERED TWO SMALL SHEETS OF SILVER WITH A TEXT FAINTLY ENGRAVED UPON THEM, WHICH AFTER THE MOST DELICATE LABORS OF CONSERVATION AND DECIPHERMENT, PROVED TO BE PASSAGES SIMILAR TO TWO FAMOUS VERSES OF THE BOOK OF NUMBERS; CHAPTERS 6, 24,26. " THE LORD BLESS THEE AND KEEP THEE, THE LORD MAKE HIS FACE SHINE UPON THEE, AND BE GRACIOUS UNTO THEE; THE LORD LIFT UP HIS COUNTENANCE UPON THEE AND GIVE THEE PEACE. I MENTION IT BECAUSE, NOT ONLY DID THESE SMALL SLIPS OF SILVER
HAVE THE OLDEST FRAGMENTS OF THE BIBLE TEXT YET DISCOVERED ENGRAVED ON THEM, BUT THEY ALSO CONTAINED THE EARLIEST MENTION OF JEHOVAH IN HIS CITY OF JERUSALEM. THE TWO SILVER SHEETS HAD BEEN CAREFULLY ROLLED UP AND TIED AROUND THE NECKS OF TWO DEAD CHILDREN.
JESUS CHRIST HAS SOLVED THE RIDDLE OF GOD. RIDDLES ARE NOT SIMPLY CHILDISH JOKES. THEY HAVE HISTORY IN HUMANITY'S QUEST TO UNDERSTAND THE WORLD. HAVE YOU HEARD OF THE "RIDDLE OF THE SPHINX?"  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 OF A 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 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 TALK OF A ,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, 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 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.  JOHN 1:18 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 CALL 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, QUESTIONS ABOUT HIS POWER AND HIS WILL CAN BE ANSWERED JOHN SAYS:  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 BY THE FATHER, BUT BY ME." HOW DOES JESUS SOLVE THE RIDDLE? HE SHOWS HOW GOD'S POWER WORKS, IT DOES NOT ELIMINATE DEATH, IT SIMPLY TAKES AWAY DEATH'S FINALITY. JESUS SPENT MUCH OF HIS MINISTRY URGING PEOPLE TO SEE SUFFERING DOES NOT GO UNNOTICED. GOD MARKS THE FALL OF A SPARROW AND THE PLIGHT OF A LEPER.  SO JESUS BECOMES THE KEY TO UNDERSTANDING WHAT A LOVING GOD CAN DO FOR A SUFFERING AND SINFUL WORLD.