- araratchurch
- Dec 29, 2024
- 1 min read
“In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.“
John 1:4 NKJV
Mankind was fallen, and couldn’t get up. The spark of eternal life had been forfeited in the midst of a garden paradise when the word of a serpent was taken over the word of our Creator. Now, all attempts at providing a light in the midst of such utter darkness were limited, temporary holdovers.
Then, amidst the probable screams of a blessed virgin, followed by the cry of a newborn baby boy, the greatest Gift punctured into time, and with Him, the spark of life that would bring light into the darkness.
”Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”“
John 8:12 NKJV
Yes, Jesus came to make an entrance for us into eternal life, and with that life, light.
“And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.“
I John 5:11-12 NKJV
Friend, Jesus came and secured for us what we could not even begin to regain for ourselves. He is the Light of Life! Those who have Him, need never again walk in darkness!
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
- araratchurch
- Dec 27, 2024
- 2 min read
”He was in the beginning with God.“
John 1:2 NKJV
What many people fail to grasp is that the Word, Jesus, did not come into existence in the womb of Mary. He has eternally existed. Indeed, in the beginning of this creation, the Word, being eternal, already existed.
What happened in Mary’s womb is that the Word, Jesus, took on a flesh vehicle and became—though already fully God—fully Man.
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.“
John 1:14 NKJV
John also tells us:
“No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.“
John 1:18 NKJV
Think about it, all through the Old Testament are accounts of people physically interacting with God. Yet, Jesus says that no one has seen God.
You see, God, being immeasurable, unlimited, unsearchable, is seen by way of the Word (Jesus), referenced in the Old Testament as the Angel of the Lord, Commander of Heaven’s armies, and other titles.
Consider what Jesus said when Philip asked Him to show them the father:
“Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?”
John 14:8-9 NKJV
Indeed, through Jesus, and only through Jesus, we see the Father, the eternal God!
Jesus is our eternal King!
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
- araratchurch
- Dec 26, 2024
- 2 min read
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.“
John 1:1 NKJV
As we have discussed, there is no prescription in the Bible for how/when to celebrate Christ’s birth; as well, there is also no prescription concerning what has come to be called, “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” But—seeing we believe that more observances celebrating Christ’s birth is a good thing—we will jump on board with celebrating another 12 days!
The 12 days of Christmas have been celebrated for hundreds of years. Now, the dates observed as the 12 days, vary. For our purposes we will use December 26 through January 6. Indeed, Armenia, the first Christian Nation, has always celebrated Christmas on January 6. As you may know, our Patriarch, Harry Ararat Mushegan, was a first generation Armenian American, his family having escaped the Armenian genocide in which millions of Armenians were martyred because of their devotion to Christ.
For our observance, we will look to the first 12 verses of John’s Gospel for our meditation on each of the 12 days. Our consideration will be brief, but can be used as a source of reflection for those who would like to have a better understanding of the Gift born in Bethlehem over 2000 years ago.
On this first day let us meditate on the truth that Jesus is God. Don’t struggle with understanding what we call “The Trinity,” God in three Persons. For now, let it suffice that God expresses Himself in three distinct ways, but is not a “committee” of 3 people.
Yes, Jesus, though fully man, was also/is also, fully God. Now, how should this truth impact our consideration of that manger scene?
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!