Lent Day 2: The startling appearance of God

Yesterday, we began Lent by considering God, who is beyond our own imaginations or preconceptions. He is God in whose image we are made - but whom we cannot and dare not remake in our own image.

The account of Jesus written by his beloved disciple John (the Gospel of John) is fascinating. Though the other 3 gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) tell us much about what happened, John focuses on what Jesus says about himself.

John starts the gospel story with "In the beginning," similar to the start of the Old Testament (the Jewish scriptures). And who or what was in the beginning?

It is the Living Word, who exists before time. Then John says, "the Word became flesh and lived among us." How startling that idea must have been for the followers of Jesus. They're still trying to wrap their heads about that when Jesus is crucified and raised from the dead. 

We're still trying to comprehend that divine mystery today, right?

So what does John the disciple say about the man he followed for 3 years? John introduces Jesus and a man with his same first name: John the relative of Jesus. (Tomorrow we'll meet that guy: John the Baptist.)

In the beginning, the Word was already there. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were made through him. Nothing that has been made was made without him. Life was in him, and that life was the light for all people. The light shines in the darkness. But the darkness has not overcome the light.

There was a man sent from God. His name was John. He came to be a witness about that light. He was a witness so that all people might believe. John himself was not the light. He came only as a witness to the light.

The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. The Word was in the world. And the world was made through him. But the world did not recognize him. He came to what was his own. But his own people did not accept him. Some people did accept him and did believe in his name. He gave them the right to become children of God. To be a child of God has nothing to do with human parents. Children of God are not born because of human choice or because a husband wants them to be born. They are born because of what God does.

The Word became a human being. He made his home with us. We have seen his glory. It is the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father. And the Word was full of grace and truth.

John was a witness about the Word. John cried out and said, “This was the one I was talking about. I said, ‘He who comes after me is more important than I am. He is more important because he existed before I was born.’ ” 

God is full of grace. From him we have all received grace in place of the grace already given.In the past, God gave us grace through the law of Moses. Now, grace and truth come to us through Jesus Christ. 

No one has ever seen God. But the One and Only is God and is at the Father’s side. The one at the Father’s side has shown us what God is like.God himself? (John 1:1-18)

Being fully human as well as full God? Walking, talking, and eating in a small country overrun by the Roman Empire? Choosing disciples and teaching them God's ways?

That's not the plan I would have made. Boggles the mind.

What other plans is God making that I wouldn't have dreamed up? Will I cooperate with his ways or resist because I don't understand?