Thursday: The Gospel Is God’s Search for Humanity
WEEK 1
THURSDAY
THE GOSPEL IS GOD’S SEARCH FOR HUMANITY
John 1:9-13
We began yesterday with the first of the seven pillars upon which the Christian gospel rests: Jesus—the Word become flesh. The gospel doesn’t begin with God; it begins with Jesus. You cannot say God until you have first said Jesus. For Jesus puts content into God. You cannot say Christ until you have first said Jesus, for Jesus puts content into Christ. You cannot say the Holy Spirit until you have first said Jesus, for Jesus puts content into the Holy Spirit. You cannot say the kingdom of God until you have first said Jesus, for Jesus puts content into the kingdom of God. You cannot say Life until you have first said Jesus. You can say life, but not Life. You cannot say Truth until you have first said Jesus. You can say truth, but not Truth. You cannot say the Way until you have first said Jesus. You can say the way, but not the Way.
You cannot begin unless you begin with Jesus. You can begin a series of bypaths, a lot of tangles, of complications and frustrations; but you can’t begin to live. For you can’t live life without Life, know truth without Truth, nor be on the way without the Way.
The gospel then begins with the incarnation. All religions are humanity’s search for God; the gospel is God’s search for humanity; therefore there are many religions, but one gospel. All religions are the Word become word; the gospel is the Word become flesh. Therefore all religions are philosophies; the gospel is a fact. Philosophies may be good views; the gospel is good news. The gospel is not primarily a philosophy—it is a Fact. The philosophy grows out of the Fact. The Fact of Jesus is our starting point and is our gospel.
It is the gospel of Jesus before it is the gospel of God or the gospel of the kingdom. The gospel lies in his person—he didn’t come to bring the good news—he was the good news. This gospel is not spelled out, therefore verbal; it is lived out, therefore vital. Jesus didn’t come to bring the forgiveness of God—he was the forgiveness of God. There is no other way to God, for Jesus is the Way from God. He is God coming to us. Therefore there can be no other way.
O God, in Jesus the lines of your face grow tender and beautiful. We thank you for what we see—in him. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: When I begin with Jesus, I have the key, the key to everything: God, life, mastery.