Importance: 10%
The Big Idea: Unfinished Poem about Jesus the Word of life and His movement through history.
“The Bible is more than prosaic rituals; it is a love letter, a story of adventure & victory, a multigenre conglomeration that God called “good,” full of mystery, romance, comedy, prophesy, even poetry.” - Alabaster Co. A Reflection on Poetry in Scripture
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. - John 1:1-4
The word speaks and it is so. Describe creation and the forming of man like a potter forms a vessel. Imagery of dirt and mud. Breath of life
Word says it is good
But then something that is not good. Fall human word elevated to the level of The Word.
Humans continue substituting their words - our words - for The Word. Until human words are confused at the tower of babel
But The Word does not give up on humanity. Word choses a people to be an example. A people to proclaim the words of God to the world.
Word shakes a mountain, smoke and lighting, and speaks to form this people. Mount Sinai
The word guides this people out of slavery to freedom. Gives them an inheritance and an identity.
Word that sustained the great kings of Israel. King David himself writes of his encounter with this word.
The Word that goes with them even as they are driven into exile.
And the Word that came back with them and blessed the rebuilding of the temple.
The word that had been guiding, and calling to his people for all those years. Does something spectacular: Word became flesh and dwelt among us
The word speaks out of anguish instead of creative goodness. The word that breathed life into man breathing his last breath. The word on a different mountain. Not shaking it but bleeding on it. The Word that spoke strong words of command now speaking words of forgiveness. The word that guided this people out of slavery now being tortured by them. The word that guided kings being put to death by the kings of this world. The word became flesh brought to a crushing end.
The word is not done speaking. The word rises from the dead and now speaks a new word of life and freedom. Not freedom from physical slavery but freedom from death itself.
Word with us today. Application Where he speaks to us today
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. - John 1:14