THE WORD, THE LIGHT, AND FRIENDS
Kenute P. Curry
Somehow you would not think that those three words fit together – word-light-friends – but they do. Jesus is the Word, and also the Light. His closest friends saw that in Him with a somewhere-over-the-rainbow promise.
John 19:26
1. JOHN SPOKE OF JESUS AS THE WORD IN ALL OF HIS WRITINGS:
A. THE WORD OF GOD (John 1:1).
B. THE WORD BECAME FLESH (John 1:14).
C. THE WORD IS LIFE (1 John 1:1).
D. JESUS’ NAME IS THE WORD OF GOD (Revelation 19:13).
2. THE WORD WAS WITH GOD IN THE BEGINNING, ALL THINGS WERE CREATED THROUGH HIM, AND LIFE WAS IN HIM (John 1:1-5).
3. PAUL CALLS CHRIST OUR LIFE (Colossians 3:4). JESUS CLAIMS TO BE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD (John 8:12). THE LAMB IS THE LIGHT IN THE NEW JERUSALEM (Revelation 21:23).
4. A FRIEND LOVES AT ALL TIMES, AND THERE IS A FRIEND WHO STAYS CLOSER THAN A BROTHER (Proverbs 17:17; 18:24).
5. JESUS COMPARES HIS FOLLOWERS TO FRIENDS OF THE BRIDEGROOM. THE COMING EVENT HE IS REFERRING TO IN THIS VERSE IS HIS CRUCIFIXION (Matthew 9:15).
6. THE SHIFT IN RELATIONSHIPS THAT JESUS EXPRESSES HERE IS FROM “SERVANT” TO “FRIEND” (John 15:14-15).
7. THE EXPRESSION OF LOVE THAT WE FIND IN THIS VERSE IS THAT THERE IS “NO GREATER LOVE THAN FOR SOMEONE TO LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS” (JOHN 15:13).
3 John 1:14
Word-light-friends. Christ was the ultimate and loyal friend to His disciples, especially those who were closest to Him. Ah, John, the beloved disciple. His relationship with Jesus was rather lovingly simplistic. John was the only disciple who stood by the cross on the day of Christ’s crucifixion. He had come to say goodbye to His dearest friend. The Light of the World was laying down His life for His friends, and it never shone so brightly. Those radiant beams penetrated the darkness that day and killed the sting of death!
“John, can you take care of my mother?”
Of course, that’s what friends are for.
February 27th 2014
©2014 Kenute P. Curry. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version of the Bible, © 1979, 1980, 1982, 1990, by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Publishers.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
JOHN MacARTHUR – The MacArthur Study Bible, New King James Version (Nashville, Tennessee: Word Publishing, a division of Thomas Nelson Inc. 1997)
HCSB STUDY BIBLE – Holman Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, Tennessee: Holman Bible Publishers 2010)
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