(Each Saturday, a faith leader in Franklin County offers a personal perspective in this space. To become part of this series, email religion@recorder.com)
John 1:1-18. One of the most important teachings on the life of Jesus is His eternal pre-existence as God before He became human flesh and lived among us. One of the main doctrines of the early church fathers was to decree in written creed the Deity of our Lord Jesus Christ. They did this to counteract heresies by cults and false teachers arising in those early Christian years concerning the person and nature of Jesus. John begins his Gospel presenting Jesus as the Eternal God of Creation who came to us in human flesh. John makes it so clear as he writes concerning the Deity of Jesus: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, And the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God … And The Word (God) became flesh and dwelt (tabernacled) among us.” John 1:1, 2, 14.
The Scriptures and Jesus Himself referred to Himself, as God revealed to us. At the announcement of his birth, his name was to be called “Immanuel,” which being interpreted means “With us is God.” Matthew 1:23. The name Jesus (Yeshua) means “Yahweh saves” and by his name “Jesus (Yeshua)” which means Savior, expresses who He is. Only Yahweh is Savior. Isaiah 45:5, 6, 21. Jesus is Yahweh, the eternal I AM. Exodus 3:14. John 8:58. Even the religious leaders understood Jesus was calling Himself God, when He forgave sins and they said, “who can forgive sins but God only.” Mk 2:7, Lk 5:21.
When Jesus declared Himself to be God, the religious leaders took up stones to kill Him because they said He makes Himself out to be God. John 10:33. Jesus demonstrated the qualities and characteristics that only God could demonstrate, like raising the dead, walking on water, turning water into wine, commanding the storms of wind and waves to cease and obey him. Supernatural manifestations that only God could perform were attributed to him.
False cults and heresies of the times were beginning to circulate false teachings as to the nature of Jesus. Was he God? Was he only human and not God in the flesh? Was He just a phantom spirit and not really a human being come in the flesh? Some of these false teachings were called Gnosticism. Some of them denied that Jesus was human and said he was just a phantom. Some of them taught that Jesus was just a born human being, became the Messiah at his baptism when the Spirit like a dove came upon Him and then the Messiah part of him left him when He died upon the Cross. John remained so awed at the person and nature of Jesus being God and the Christ come in the Flesh that, 60 years after Jesus’ death and resurrection, he would write to all believers defending the truth that Jesus in human flesh was the True God and Eternal Life. I John 1:1, 2; 5:20; 4:2,3.
When Jesus as God became human flesh, that was when Heaven Touched Earth. Yet this God of Creation, in humiliation, became a babe laid in an animal feeding trough. That was the day Heaven touched earth. He stepped out of Eternity into time, that He might bring us living in time into Eternity. William Booth Clibborn in his song, “Down From His Glory” penned the incarnation so accurately:
“Down from His glory, Ever living story, My God and Savior came, And Jesus was His name. Born in a manger, To His own a stranger, A Man of sorrows, tears and agony
“O how I love Him! How I adore Him, My breath, my sunshine, My all in all! The great Creator became my Savior, And all God’s fulness dwelleth in Him.”
Pastor David Levandusky has been pastoring Living Waters Assembly of God church for the past 31 years and has been pastoring for a total of 50 years. He is an ordained minister with the General Council of the Assemblies of God located in Springfield, Missouri, which has a worldwide Pentecostal membership now over 70 million members. Living Waters Assembly of God is located at 450 Davis St. The public is cordially invited to attend our Sunday morning services at 10 a.m. and Sunday evenings at 6 p.m.