He Came

“He came.” Jn 1:11

“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him.”

1 Jn 4:9

“At the heart of the Christian faith is what God is doing. God takes the initiative.”

Eugene Peterson

I was in the middle of a difficult day recently when I turned my head and saw a friend walking toward me. She came to be with me. She didn’t have to, but she did.

Can you remember a time when that happened to you? Maybe it was at a celebration or a special event, and someone took a plane or drove a significant distance to be there with you. It matters. It is amazing to realize that someone cared enough to come and be with you. At its most fundamental level, that is what life is all about - love. That is where it all begins.

At a low point in ancient Israel’s history, the prophet Isaiah cried out on behalf of his people and said, “O that you would tear open the heavens and come down.” (1) O that you would come and make your presence known. O that you would come and be with us.

John’s gospel opens with an echo of Genesis. Sometimes we need to remember the beginning to help us understand where we are now. It is striking how John tells us the beginning. We hear what Jesus was doing before the creation of the world: “He was, “He was with, “He was God,” “In Him was.” (2)  In these simple words, we learn the history of all that was and will be.

Then John tells us, “He came.” (3) He came holding all our longings ready to fill them with his love. From the very beginning, God had us in mind and “settled on us as the focus of his love” (4). God is the creator. God is the maker. God loves us. In our life with God, God will make something of us. As we come to Him, we will become a new creation in Him.

In Genesis, we learn that God walked in the garden in the cool of the day. You could hear his footsteps. We know that Enoch walked with God, that Abraham was a friend of God, and that Moses talked to God face to face. Later, Jesus walked with small and large groups of disciples and friends. After his death and resurrection, he walked with two people on the road to Emmaus. They carried a longing. They had hoped that Jesus was the long-expected one: the Christ, the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. (5)

Jesus came as a light to a world shadowed in darkness. In his coming, he made possible a new way of understanding life and a new way of living. It was not easy to really see him. John tells us, “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.” We see what we know. We see the world from our own perspective. As an old saying goes, “We don’t see things as they are; we see them as we are.” (6)

Jesus came and was right in front of people, yet they did not understand him. He said and did things that were different from what they thought. He told stories that challenged people. He withdrew from the crowds to be with God. He healed people and asked them not to tell anyone. He talked about loving your enemies, taking up your cross, and becoming a servant. People misunderstood Jesus because he offered a whole new way of thinking and living. “The story of Jesus is full of darkness as well as light,” writes Frederick Buechner. “It is a story of mystery we must never assume we understand.”

So when John tells us, “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.”, maybe we can understand this. Maybe we would have been the same. Maybe we are often like the two on the road to Emmaus, swimming in our own thoughts and longings.

But you know something amazing happened to those two. As they stayed with Jesus, a whole new reality dawned on them. Their eyes were opened. Their hearts burned within them. They listened and learned and believed.

Seeing and receiving Jesus involves change. With Him, we get a new paradigm for life. As we come to Him, we become people whose hearts and minds focus differently. We become people who overflow with different values and whose lives exhibit character that reflects the heart of God.

Here is the stunning truth. Even though the two on the road to Emmaus didn’t recognize Jesus, Jesus recognized them. Whoever you are, wherever you are, Jesus sees you and wants to walk with you along the path you are on. As we are with Him, we find love, hope, peace, and joy. We discover a path of life that satisfies our longings beyond what we can imagine. It can be called a great adventure.

“You will make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.”

Ps 16:11

Next Step: Cultivate a Life-Giving Habit

to Sustain You and Help You Grow in Your Life with God

Worship

Worship is a way to turn our attention to God. It can also be a way for us to respond to God’s love.

“Worship is the intentional act of ascribing worth to God by turning our minds to His supreme greatness, beauty, and goodness.” Dallas Willard

A Guide to worship from the words of Psalm 100:

Worship the Lord with gladness

Come before him with joyful songs

Know the Lord is God; he has made us, and we are his

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and praise

The Lord is good, and his love endures forever

Practical Guidance:

As you come to God in worship,

open your eyes to God's majesty, holiness, and wonder.

Worship God with gladness.

Come before God with joy,

as you acknowledge God’s majesty.

Also acknowledge your humanity.

Confess your sin and shortcomings.

Share your struggles and concerns with God and invite God into them.

Ask God to be with you and lead you in His ways.

Give God your thanks and praise.

Resource:

The Lord’s Prayer - Mt 6:9-13, Lk 11:2-4

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1. Isa 64:1

2. Jn 1:1-4

3. Jn 1:11

4. Eph 1:4, MSG

5. Isa 9:6

6. Anaïs Nin