Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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 Messiah: Fulfillment of the promise.

St. John. 1:1-14

  This passage is Christological in nature, and unveils the mystery of the Godhead and affirms ‘Logos’ as the source of creation. (1:3) St. John reveals that Jesus the ‘Word Incarnate’ is fully God and fully human. Although Jesus took upon himself full humanity and lived as a man, he never ceased to be the eternal God who has always existed, the Creator and Sustainer of all things and the source of eternal life. Here, I would like to highlight two points about the nature of God.
 
1. God is a God of relationships. The Creator God is the God of relationships, who was active in His relationship with His people. Martin Buber remarked that “in the beginning is the relationship.” Biblical history is the history of the divine-human relationship. Divine love was the source of this unique connection. Incarnation is the ultimate celebration of this bond. The ‘salvation plan’ of God in Jesus is a clear evidence of the relational nature of God. We, human beings become fully human only through sound relationships. As the people of God, our mission is to form, nurture and sustain healthy relationships.
 
2. God is a God of promises. The Scripture echoes divine promises. God always keeps His promises. He gave a promise of salvation to Abraham (Gen.12:1-7) and our forefathers. Manifestation of Christ is the fulfilment of this divine promise and His salvific act is the realization of this promise. We have to understand that God fulfils His promises through His Words. In Hebrew scripture, the Word was an agent of creation (Ps.33:6), the source of God’s message to His people through the prophets, and God’s law, His standards of holiness. (Ps.119: 11). In Greek philosophy, the Word was the principle of reason that governed the world, while in Hebrew thought, the Word was another expression for God. In this passage, the evangelist clearly depicts the truth that the creator God is the incarnated God who is the realization of the Divine Word.
 
The term Messiah means saviour or liberator. At the time of Jesus, the Jewish people were under the political hegemony of Roman imperialism; hence they expected a political Messiah. Jesus was not a political Messiah, but rather the messiah of the entire creation. He redeemed the world from the clutches of sin and death. Secondly, God fulfils His promises through His presence. God is ever-present with His creation. Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God stooped down to us, as one among us - Immanuel- is the fulfilment of this promise. The Incarnate word is the manifestation of this divine promise and God’s presence is still with us. In the form of the Holy Spirit God continuously intervenes in the life of the world. As a member of the Church, our vocation is to witness God’s glory through our life-giving words and creative presence in this world.

Prayer

 Lord, enable us to nurture meaningful relationships and have faith in your great promises. Strengthen us to be a creative presence to witness your glory- Amen.

Thought of the Day

John3: 34  “for the one whom God has sent speaks of the word of God. For God gave him the spirit without limit.”
Jesus is the fullness of God's word and is the full revelation of God.


Rev. Dr. K. Jameson Pallikunnil
Associate Director, JMM Study Centre, 
Trivandrum

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