The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God —children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
John 1:9-12
When I think about the fact that Jesus has always been – that he was/is the Word that God used to speak creation into existence, I am overwhelmed by the generous nature of the grace he offers each of us. Jesus was wholly and fully connected to God until God the Father sent him to earth to reconcile humanity with Him. By stepping out of the Father and into the world, Jesus gave up his “umbilical cord” to the Father.
Just like when a child is born and the umbilical cord is cut, severing the nourishment of the mother to the child, Jesus’ umbilical cord to the Father was cut when he was born as a human baby. Jesus’ spirit was fully divine – his person was fully divine – but his body was altogether human and subject to all that human beings must be subjected to – including a physical separation from the Father.
I know how difficult it is to be away from my parents for long stretches of time, but I can’t even fathom what Jesus felt not being able to be physically with God – One with whom he had been apart since before time began.
Jesus made this huge sacrifice so that each of us – you and me – could one day experience the great gift of being called, ‘children of God’. Can you imagine? This is the very definition of grace – that Jesus loved us so much – that God loves us so much – that He would do ANYTHING and has done EVERYTHING so that we can be with Him.
The words John uses might be flowery and a bit poetic – but they draw for us a visual picture of exactly the sacrifice Jesus made so that we can be the children of God. Jesus came into the world – which he created – and was rejected by his own creation. Imagine being rejected, dismissed, hated and rebuked by the ones you love most; that is what Jesus endured. He came hoping for love and received hate.
As we venture deeper into John’s Gospel, let us never forget the beginning of the story and the love that is the basis of Jesus’ sacrifice for each of us.
Scripture
Quote of the Day
“You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure about you. We were born to manifest the glory of God that is within us.”
Nelson Rockefeller
Question of the Day
How would you feel if you were asked to give up your Mom and Dad?
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