May 9, 2010

John 1:1-28
I have a lot of negative memories of football, mostly because I was so lousy at it. One particularly lousy memory is of a day in football practice when I was sophomore or junior. It was a 90+ degree day, and the coach was really hammering away at me for my inability to play the position properly. I don't know whether it was because he thought that I wasn't trying to play up to my potential, or he was trying to make me mad hoping anger would make me a better player, or whether he was hoping that I would quit, so that he wouldn't have to mess with me anymore (I was on the last level of the depth chart). I've never been a quitter. As he raved more and more, I became more and more embarrassed. As I became madder and more embarrassed, I tried to hit harder and harder. It seemed futile. I couldn't do the job. The coach continued to press the issue in progressively less flattering terms. Finally, near physical exhaustion and emotionally worked to the limit, my throat began to shut down. I couldn't breathe without making a loud rasping sound, and I couldn't bring in enough oxygen. I learned how dependent I am upon oxygen. The coach, hearing me rasp for air, told me to leave the line up until I could breathe again. There have been few times in my life when I have been more humiliated. If you have ever had to struggle for air you know what it means to realize your dependency upon something else to live.
It is not so with Jesus. In Jesus is life, and the life is the light of men. All things were made through Him, and apart from Him nothing was made that was made. He is dependent upon nothing to live. He is life. You and I are dependent upon the environment, which He holds together, He is not dependent upon it. If we want to travel far very quickly, we need trains, planes or automobiles. He does not need them. We are dependent upon the air. He made the air. We are dependent upon water. He made the water. We are dependent upon clothing. He can clothe Himself in Light. We are dependent upon light. He is Light. He could exert Himself and not become oxygen deficient. Not that is glorious! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John