Why is It Important Where Jesus Comes From? (Lent 13-2018)

One of the most interesting points from the movie Life of Pi (which our Lent 2018 devotional series is using to ask Why?) is the way it can remind those of us in the Christian West or in Judeo-Christian America–at least what remains–that we’re a privileged sort. Most of us don’t have a whole football team of gods who come charging out of the locker room to play the game every Sunday that we’ve learned from birth. Doctrine is inculcated early so when the young boy Pi sees the universe in Krishna’s mouth in a comic book, he believes. Thousands of gods offered his Hindu family everything they need. 

In the Christian world, we start with the assumption of monotheism–one god religious belief.  There are 3 great monotheistic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam).  Of those, Judaism and Christianity share some Scriptures (what Christians call the Old Testament, not because it’s old and was supplanted by the new, but because it’s historic, even at the time Jesus walked the earth.)  The knowledge of One True God is ingrained in many of us.

Other areas of the world, however, don’t begin with that assumption.  In their worldview, they collect gods like some people collect souvenir shot glasses or those decals on the back of an RV.  It’s no big deal for them to add Jesus to the mix.

But what are they really doing? 

That’s not how Jesus does things.  He’s not one to play on some other god’s team.  He knows there are no other gods.  (Isaiah 44:1-18)

It’s important that Jesus preexists with the Father because that’s what Scripture says about Jesus, the Word of God. 

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning.

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Without His being eternally God, we’d have two gods or maybe even more.  Without His being sent from the Father to reveal the Father to us, we’d find ourselves able to make Jesus a god of our own making instead of a God of His own revealing. 

Ask any world religion where their gods come from and it tells you a lot.  If it’s not Jesus alone–sent from the Father as Emmanuel, God with us–their god is just one among many idols.

Food for thought:

• If Jesus wasn’t eternally God, then how can He BE the way? (John 14:4-6) John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
• How does knowing Jesus came from the Father comfort us and give us hope? John 14:1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you … 8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” 9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.

Join me tomorrow for “Why Did It Take So Long for Him to Show Up? “

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For Lent 2018, we’ll explore the questions of Pi and Chi (the Greek letter beginning the word Christos, which means Christ, Messiah, the Anointed One). We’ll ask and answer the question “Why?” as we discover the uniqueness of Jesus Christ.  Join me for the 40 days of Lent which began February 14, 2018 by liking Seminary Gal on Facebook or having these devotionals sent to your email box which you can do via the sign-up on my Home page.  Thank you for blessing me with this opportunity to study together the Word of God.

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Acknowledging that former years’ devotional series remain popular:

• Lent 2013 looked at The Letter to the Romans: Paul’s Masterpiece to reclaim foundations of our Christian heritage and began February 13, 2013.
•  A very special and ever popular offering was Lent 2014’s Be Still and Know that I AM God  which can be obtained through the archives beginning in March 2014. 
• Lent 2015 began on February 18, 2015 with a series entitled With Christ in the Upper Room: Final Preparations.  We explored what is often called “The Upper Room Discourse” found in John chapters 13-17. 
• ReKindle, the Lent 2016 series, began on February 10, 2016 and encouraged us to rekindle our spiritual lives.
• Light: There’s Nothing Like It was the 2017 Lent series and explored this metaphor often used to portray Christ.  It is archived beginning March 1, 2017.