If you were faced with the question 'What's so great about Jesus?' how would you answer?
The Gospel of John gives this response, "The Word was made 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."
These words are quoted from the authorised translation of the Bible, better known as the King James Bible which celebrated its 400th anniversary during 2011.
At a special service to mark the anniversary the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, rightly pointed out the absolute seriousness with which the translators sought to find, in our language, the words that that would pass on to us the almost unbearable weight of divine intelligence andlove pressing down on those who first encountered it and tried to embody it in writing. The translators wanted us to know just what is so great about Jesus.
The trouble is that we have so domesticated Jesus that we have lost sight of the fact that He is the Almighty among us even though Hebegan his earthly life wrapped up in a tiny baby. It is so easy for us to lose that wonderful moment of which John speaks and not see his glory, surrounded as we are each Christmas with 'things' and a contemporary desire to bring God down to a manageable size. Yet it is in the Word made flesh that we meet God anddiscover what grace and truth are.
The Bible writers allow us to discover who God is; about how great and awesome and amazing He is; how He cares for and deals with His creation; but the Bible also has the ability to draw people to God who transforms them and their communities as His reign is brought into their lives and His peace extended to the world through them.
We can choose to have this Word as a decoration wrapped with plenty of tinsel, or as a Saviour, surrounded with grace and love. We can let contemporary standards shape our character or we can let Him, and that goes for those inside as well as outside the church.
Just as when He was here many of us prefer a Jesus who fits our prejudices, suits our appetites and makes no demands, and all because the Word does not penetrate our shells. Through the incarnation God became flesh. Hecame into the middle of life and wants to come into our lives. Jesus knew life as we know it.
What's so great about Jesus? "The Word of God has become flesh and lives among us full of grace and truth." May He dwell with you and among you this Christmas and in 2012, and may that Word be your life.
Issued by Stephen Lynas, Presbyterian Information Services. Info@PresbyterianIreland.org
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