Key Thought

What a strange way to begin a story: "God's message existed before anything else existed." But it's true, because that message is Jesus! When God wanted to tell human beings about himself, when he wanted to give them good news about salvation, when he wanted to give them a message about his love for them, he sent Jesus. Jesus is God's Message. And this Message was with God all along. In fact, he was by very nature God. Jesus is God come to us as Savior, in human flesh. He is God with us, the Messenger of all messengers and the Message of all messages.

Today's Prayer

Today's Verses in Context

Before the world began, the Word was there. The Word was there with God. The Word was God. He was there with God in the beginning. All things were made through him (the Word). Nothing was made without him. In him there was life. That life was light (understanding, goodness) for the people of the world. The Light shines in the darkness. The darkness has not defeated the Light. There was a man named John. He was sent by God. John came to tell people about the Light (Christ). Through John all people could {hear about the Light and} believe. John was not the Light. But John came to tell people about the Light. The true Light was coming into the world. This is the true Light that gives light to all people. The Word was already in the world. The world was made through him. But the world (people) did not know him. He came to the world that was his own. But his own people did not accept him. Some people did accept him. They believed in him. He gave something to those people who believed. He gave them the right to become children of God. These children were not born like little babies are born. They were not born from the wish or plan of a {mother and} father. These children were born from God. The Word became a man and lived among us. We saw his glory--the glory that belongs to the only Son of the Father. The Word was full of grace (kindness) and truth. John told people about him. John said, "This is the One I was talking about. I said, 'The One who comes after me is more important than I am. He was living before me.'" The Word (Christ) was full of grace and truth. From him we all received more and more blessings. The law was given through Moses. But grace and {the way of} truth came through Jesus Christ. No man has ever seen God. But the only Son (Jesus) is God. He is very close to the Father (God). And the Son has shown us what God is like.

— John 1:1-18 (ERV)

Comments on "The Message That Was There All Along":

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