LIFE DAWNED!

LIFE DAWNED!
Sixty years after he last saw Jesus in the flesh, John, now in his nineties, reflects on the mystery that was revealed which transformed his life from an illiterate fisherman to a saint. He spent most of the latter part of his life (about 30 years) living in Asia Minor and more specifically at Ephesus, much of Paul’s emphasis in teaching therefore reflects in John’s writing. This he did either from Ephesus or from the Isle of Pathmos where he spent a few years in exile. (Compare Col.1:15-17 to John 1:1-3,16-17, 1John 5:20.) He understands that the Word has both an eternal origin and destiny that could never be confined to an isolated island or experience, neither could the Word be trapped in human doctrine or tradition. No inferior translation or interpretation could reduce God’s original intent. The authentic integrity of God’s thought would forever be preserved and celebrated in the incarnation; human life would be the uninterrupted future of the Word.

Notice how often John uses the word, ginomai, meaning birth or origin: ”In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things came into being (Gr.ginomai, from genos, to give birth to) through Him; and nothing has any authentic existence outside of their origin (Gr.ginomai) in Him. In Him was life and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness could not comprehend it. (Greek: kata+lambano, to seize upon, to grasp) The true light that enlightens every man has come into the world. The world was made (Gr.ginomai) through Him, yet the world knew Him not; He came to His own, and His own received Him not. (Gr.para+lambano, to grasp, associate with) But to everyone who by faith, comprehends Him to be their true origin, (Gr.lambano, comprehend, grasp, identify with) in them He confirms the integrity of their son-ship, (Gr.didomi, in this case to give something to someone that already belongs to them, thus to return) the fact that they already are His own, born from above, they have their beginning and their being in Him!’ (Gr.eksousia, integrity, legality, authority, legal grounds.) Jesus has come to reveal man’s true sonship; He vindicated our origin and design. ‘And the Word became (Gr.ginomai) flesh and now tabernacles in us!’ John 1:1-14. “We are not preaching a new doctrine, but the word that was from the beginning; yet it is new in that what is true in Him is equally true in us!” 1 John 2:7+8. In Him we discover that we are not here by chance or accident, or by the desire of an earthly parent, neither are we the product of a mere physical conception; we exist by the expression of God’s desire to reveal Himself in the flesh. His eternal, invisible Word, His Spirit-thought, became (Gr.ginomai, be born) flesh. James says: ‘Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth…if any man hears this word, he sees the face of his birth as in a mirror, he sees himself as he is from God’s point of view.’ Jm.1:17,18,23.

God never compromised His original thought. The word became flesh and has taken up residence (tabernacled) in us, and we gazed with wonder and amazement upon the mystery of our inclusion in Him; (theaomai to gaze upon, to perceive) We saw His glory (Greek, doxa, the display of His opinion), the glory as of the original, authentic begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.’ (The original mind, or opinion of God, preserved and now revealed in Christ. He is both the ‘only begotten’, monogenes, as in the authentic original mould, as well as the first born from the dead. Col.1:18, 1Pet.1:3) We have grasped that He is the revelation of our completeness. ‘And of His fullness have we all received, grace against grace.’ (Gr.garin anti garitos, grace undeserved) ‘For the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. He who is in the bosom of the Father, the only (original, authentic) begotten of the Father, He is our guide who accurately declares and interprets the invisible God within us.’ John 1:1-5, 9-14,16-18. “The Word that was from the beginning, what initial reports concerning Him have reached our ears, what we indeed bore witness to with our own eyes to the point that we became irresistibly attracted to Him; what it was that met our gaze and the touch of our hands, yes, life dawned! (Gr.psallo, to touch the string of a musical instrument, thus resonance) The same life that was with the Father from the beginning, now dawned on us! The infinite life of the Father became visible before our eyes in a human person! This life now finds expression in a fellowship union with the Father and the son that is without limit or interruption. In all these years since the ascension of Jesus, John continues to enjoy unhindered friendship with God and desires to extend this same fellowship through his writing to every believer, “so that joy may be yours in full measure.” 1 John 1:1,2,4.
Has the rain a Father?
Who begot the drops of dew?
Who birthed the morning?
Caused the dawn to know its place?
Have you comprehended the expanses of the earth?
Have you comprehended their origin?

He knows you by name
His design is His claim
He boldly declares, “Measure Me”
Have you measured your heart?
Have you measured the volume of your being?
He has chosen you to accommodate the fullness of His dream
Have you comprehended? He is at home within your heart,
A dwelling built within you without walls.
Take My love to its conclusion.
Take My love to every man,
Count the stars, count the sand
Measure the nations in My Hand,
Come on now, measure Me
I fulfil your eternity. (Author unknown-reference from Job 38)

Part of a booklet by Francois du Toit

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