Jesus: the Word of Life
Hello beloved,
Is it not amazing the power of one word. One word can bring encouragement or despair; fear or comfort, life or death. Think of some of these words you may have heard in your own life: rejected or accepted; loved or abandoned; alone or welcomed; healed or sick. One word can change everything! The enemy sure knows how to use one word to totally change our circumstances, outlook and view of ourselves, if we believe and receive the word. In the apostle John’s 1st letter to the churches, he calls Jesus the “Word of Life” (1John 1:1). What a powerful name for the Son of God he has come to love and to whom he has given his whole life. What John is actually saying is that Jesus is that one Word that gives life; that one person in whom life truly exists – Jesus is both the embodiment, source and giver of true life. Actually, John will write these bold words near the end of his letter: “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:11-12). There is no life without Jesus – true life is only found in and through Christ, when one possesses Him. A person who does not have Jesus is dead.
John must have been writing from his own experience, both of encountering Jesus personally and from watching Jesus change other people’s lives. John had seen firsthand, how the very presence of Jesus changes people – an encounter with Jesus gave new life to the woman at the well, Nicodemus, Zaccheus, Mary Magdalene, etc. The Light of the World, shining on an individual created new life. In his gospel, John writes, “in Him was life, and that life was the light of men” (John 1:4). Rooted in creation theology, which John does in both his gospel and his first letter “in the beginning and from the beginning”, he reminds us that no life can exist without first the presence of light (see Genesis 1). Jesus is the very light that is needed so life can begin in a creation of God. Friends, think about this…we were dead in our sin, non-existant in spiritual life, till the Light of the World was shined on us, revealed to us, and we received that Light to start the process of re-creation or new creation reality – new life was given to us from the Creator Himself, even Jesus – we are a new creation in Christ because of our encounter with Jesus the light and life of the world. John writes, “For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself” (John 5:26). Jesus is the Bread of Life (John 6:35); the light of life (John 8:12); the source of abundant life (John 10:10); the resurrection and the life (John 11:25); the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6); the source of eternal life (John 17:2-3). Life is only possible by believing and receiving, putting your trust in, the Name above every name – Jesus (John 20:31; 1John 5:11-13).
One word changes everything! The psalmist writes, “Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble; He saved them from their distresses. He sent His word and healed them, and saved them from their destruction” (Psalm 107:19-20). The disciples discovered that that one name of Jesus has power to heal the sick and raise the dead. The centurion discovered that one word spoken by Jesus could heal his servant (Matthew 8:8). In Him is life! No other person has what we are all looking for! No religious guru, motivational speaker, celebrity figure, nor famous pastor has life – only Jesus! As Peter confessed, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. "And we have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God” (John 6:68-69). The disciples discovered that Jesus was life, and so were the words He spoke. And friends, Paul reminds us that we also have life within us because we possess the Giver of life in us: “Do all things without grumbling or disputing; that you may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may have cause to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain” (Philippians 2:14-16). The Word of Life lives in us and wants to use us to bring life to people by allowing Jesus to flow through us. Our world desperately needs life; it is rapidly dying in the darkness. Let’s let our light shine out and release that one word that everyone needs to hear to have life - Jesus. Death and life are in the power of the tongue – will you let His name flow off of yours?
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus; there's just something about that name.
Master, Savior, Jesus, like the fragrance after the rain;
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, let all Heaven and earth proclaim
Kings and kingdoms will all pass away,
But there's something about that name.
Kings and kingdoms will all pass away,
But there's something about that name.
(Bill and Gloria Gaither)
Have a blessed week!
"Advancing the Kingdom of God by releasing Spirit-filled followers to serve Jesus in freedom and joy."
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