Good Things

This past cruise I held my first Crew bible study! It was only three of us, but where three or more are gathered, God is there. We started by going through the first half of John 1; John 1:1-18. This is a passage that clearly gives the best intro to who Jesus is and his authority. I decided to share some of the great things we discussed!

The Word Became Flesh

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. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome[a] it.

6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and[b] is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

The intro to this passage creates the authority towards Jesus as the Word; the Word being with God, being God, and being the beginning. All things were created through him, and nothing without him exists. Think about that for a moment. Then it reads on that He is life and the light of men. He is the only life and light of men, and darkness has not nor ever will overcome it. Love that.

This makes the reader aware that the Son of God is not just the Son of God and Son of Man, but the Beginning, our God, with our God, and the light of all the world. He’s a big deal. That’s quite an intro.

As John continues to write, he describes that the true light was coming, and not everyone was going to follow him. However, those who did follow him would gain the “right to become children of God” which is an awesome thing. If you have a child, remember that love and then multiply it by a million; that is how we are loved as God’s children. What an amazing award.

John then writes that Jesus is flesh and full of grace and truth. Grace and truth is important because many times we are told to worship in spirit and truth, love in grace and truth, etc. Jesus embodies and mirrors how we are supposed to worship and live, and we must have both grace and truth. As John 14:6 says, Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. This is what John is alluding to. You can’t have Jesus without truth, and without grace. How awesome is it that the beginning, the one with God, the one that is God, the Son of Man who came into the world to die for our sins is full of grace and truth?

The three of us girls discussed these things and how impactful it is to really see the authority and truth given about Jesus in these few verses. I encourage everyone to read the book of John to experience Jesus in a new light. John creates the significance of Jesus, the gospels, faith in God, and the seven “I Am” statements. It’s a brilliant work, and you won’t be disappointed.

Other than that, ship life has been pretty mundane. I’ve slept a lot actually on this cruise currently simply catching up on sleep, but still having a good time with friends and getting the job done. Pals and I watched the new Lion King and WOW please go see it you haven’t. It’s brilliant, it’s so wonderful, it’s beautiful, it’s everything. I loved it, and I can speak for everyone there that it was amazing!