Grace and Truth Came Through Jesus Christ

1-4-26

Hoonah-Hadley

John 1:10-18

Call to Worship Psalm 147:12-20

Daily Verse John 1:17

Grace and Truth Came Through Jesus Christ

“For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” Alex titled his lesson on the 21st “Is He Enough?” He built his case from Genesis to Esther, building blocks on the foundation of Matthew chapter 2, essentially a history lesson on the bible, kings and wise men. He used Lamentation 3, a chapter fitting every inch, every breath, every step of our journey here on earth. If we used this chapter every Sunday it wouldn’t be enough, do go there and go there often until those verses become you, particularly verse 24, “The Lord is my portion, says my soul, therefore I hope in Him!” Jeremiah, the penman here, paints a dark, nearly hopeless picture that is painful to read, but in chapter 3 he flips the switch and turns the light on the darkness in verses 21-24, “Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope. Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not, they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. The Lord is my portion…therefore I hope in Him.” In Alex’s lesson, he starts with the question, “Is He enough?”, then shows us why He indeed is. When God closes a door in our lives Lamentations 3:21-24 is the window God opens, the one on the side of the cabin that faces Revelation 22, “And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river was the tree of life…Blessed are those who keep the words of the prophecy of this book. That they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates…

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Vs. 16 “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches, I am the Root and Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.” Vs. 17 “And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come! And let those who hear say, ‘Come!’ And let those who thirst come. Whoever desires, let them take the water of life freely.” The entirety of scripture leads to or from Calvary and the old rugged cross. Is Jesus enough? He was there in the beginning, He was there in the end and He will be from everlasting to everlasting. We don’t have quite enough time to quote the whole bible, but keeping in step with our lesson in John 1:17 and Alex’s question, there is a verse that sums it up, 2 Corinthians 12:9 “And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’” Indeed, from beginning to end, the first and the last, the Alpha and the Omega, God has pitched His tent among mortals. It is not the cloud by day or fire by night of old, but the radiance of the only begotten Son, drawing sinners into the presence of divine mercy, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…full of grace and truth.” What is grace? Divine love and protection bestowed freely on human beings. Sanctification by the favor of God. Sanctification, to make free from sin, to purify. It is for freedoms sake that Christ has set us free. The other half of the equation is “Truth”. John chapter 8 verses 32 and 36, the red letters, release us from the suffocating presence of sin, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free…Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” Freedom anyone? As Malcolm would say, “Ring the bell the way it ought to be rung.” True freedom comes through grace and truth, Jesus Christ lets freedom ring. There is a Light that gives light to everyone, “But as many as received Him, He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.”

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Believe and receive, doubt and do without. It seems a simple thing, childish actually, receiving Christ that is. Is it not much easier to confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that Christ is Lord, than to argue with God and yourself that which the wise men traveled afar to witness for themselves? If we really understood the difference between being a child of God, having the rights as His children, being an heir, called, elected, chosen, predestined, having your name written in the Book of Life and being cast into utter darkness, a place without light, water, rest or hope, the choice seems an obvious one, a simple one. We need to turn off all the noise, all the voices, all the lies and deceit, all the clamor of the world in order to hear that still small voice. God’s presence was with the Israelites in a pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night, His glory, a defense and a comfort. Deuteronomy 31:14-15 “Then the Lord said to Moses…call Joshua, and present yourselves in the tabernacle of meeting…So Moses and Joshua went… Now the Lord appeared at the tabernacle in a pillar of cloud…” The Lord didn’t say to Moses, get your credit card out, go to the mall, turn on the TV or crank up 102.5 WDVE, in fact we can trust that when God spoke, He didn’t yell, jump up and down, smile, cry or beg. No, this was the blessed assurance of the Creator of heaven and earth, the one who parted the waters, stilled the waters and brought water out of a rock. Exodus 13:21 “…by night in a pillar of fire to give them light.”

The tabernacle of old was a tent, a portable sanctuary the Jews carried along on their exodus, it was the place they met with, listened for the voice of, and fellowshipped with God. This tabernacle, this tent, this fire, this light was a foretaste of the true light that gives light to all. “And the word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory…” Jesus Christ, a lamp unto our feet.

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Revelation 7:15-17 “Therefore, they are before the throne of God and serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tent over them. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; He will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” Jesus Christ our tent of meeting, our light in the midst of a dark and perverse generation. His grace is sufficient. Is He enough? He is the light and life of humanity. John 1:4-9 “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it…That was the true Light which gives light to everyone coming into the world.” If you could, would, go back to the Christmas Eve candle light service and listen to those old, old hymns, read the words and at the end of the service when everyone circles the sanctuary with child like faith, in truth and love, when you receive the light from the person to your left, your candle passing in front of you and you give it to the person on your right, you play a part in the reason the true light came into the world, you received it, pondered it in your heart, and then passed it on. Luke 2:19 “But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.” Amazing grace, how sweet the sound the saved a wretch like me, I once was lost but now am found, was blind, but now I see. Approach His throne with boldness for He has grace to give and that abundantly. Matt.5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” His grace is without measure; His truth goes beyond the rising of the sun. God has been reconciled to us through His Son, “Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” The tabernacle of God is with us; He sets us free. Amen!