“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” ~John 1:1
The Word that the Apostle John wrote about was not letters printed on a page. The Word is a person who is the complete and creative expression of God Incarnate. By Him and for Him were all things made. He is before all things and by Him all things consist. Jesus is the Word in a way far more real than the scriptures.
An author writes to show the reader experiences, people, and places the reader might not discover on their own. The scriptures are a portal to God. They reveal the heart and mind of the Author and Finisher of our faith. The pathway to God is clear—it is His Word.
In His Word, God tells us how to find Him, what He expects of us, and what He offers us. The answers to these things are simple. Answers often are. It is the application and the execution of the answers that are difficult. That difficulty is generally compounded by a natural distaste for the answers. As St. Paul explains, “Because the carnal (fleshly, natural) mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be”.
That is, God wishes to share His life with us, but we would rather do it our way. The scriptures illustrate this point in the story of Jesus’s Triumphal Entry or Palm Sunday. For those who love Westerns, call it the day the Word rode into town.
The Word rode in to save the town from the bad guy. Some folks cheered, some protested, and most of the town turned a blind eye to the meaning of it all. That’s humanity’s natural course where God is concerned. It is true God allowed it to be that way. He gave all the townsfolk a choice. With each choice, there comes a set of consequences. When you order from a menu, you expect to get what you selected, right?
The Word is still here to express God’s desire for all to come to Him. Open the scriptures to hear Him. Open your mind and heart to His voice. “Behold, now is the accepted time, behold, now is the day of salvation.”
Maranatha
