Our family devotion this morning was from E. Stanley Jones' Christian Maturity. It comes on Week 1-Saturday (pg.7 in my edition).
Scripture reference is Philippians 2:5-11:
5 Have this attitude [a]in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be [b]grasped, 7 but [c]emptied Himself, taking the form of abond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death [d]on a cross. 9 For this reason also, Godhighly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
E. Stanley Jones says:
In order to be sure that we see that the Word really became flesh, John [in 1 John 1:1] piles statement upon statement to make clear his meaning. Each statement gives an added intimacy: "which we have heard" - but hearing may be at such a distance that it can be almost hearsay; "which we have seen with our eyes" - that brings the speaker in range of the eye - nearer "which we have looked upon" - not a fleeting glance, but a steady gaze; "and touched with our hands" - referring to Jesus' statement after His resurrection when He invites the disciples to touch Him, to handle Him, tho thrust their hands into His side! In four statements involving three of the senses - hearing, seeing, touching - he nails down the fact that the Word actually did become flesh. For John saw its vast importance. So important was it that later he makes this question of Jesus' coming in the flesh the test of whether the Spirit of God is present: "By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit which confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit which does not confess Jesus is not of God" (4:2-3). Everything hinged on Jesus as Incarnate, not Jesus as inspiration, not Jesus as moral teacher, not Jesus as philosopher. But Jesus as Incarnate God - that was the issue! And well might it be the issue, for if Jesus is Incarnate God, then everything pales into insignificance beside the importance of the fact. As a Hindu chairman said at the close of my address: "If what the speaker has said tonight isn't true, it doesn't matter, but if it is true then nothing else matters." He was right. if the Eternal God confronts us in Jesus, then that is the banner headline in the cosmic scroll. Every creature with a grain of intelligence would gasp in wonder.
So John, with an abrupt relevance, comes right to the heart of the whole matter: "The life was made manifest." [1 John 1:2a] God has spoken, not in words but in the Word. And in that speaking He reveals His heart. Jesus is the heart of God wrapped in flesh - and made manifest.
The bold is my emphasis. But I don't think the author would mind if it was emphasized.
Scripture reference is Philippians 2:5-11:
5 Have this attitude [a]in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be [b]grasped, 7 but [c]emptied Himself, taking the form of abond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death [d]on a cross. 9 For this reason also, Godhighly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
E. Stanley Jones says:
In order to be sure that we see that the Word really became flesh, John [in 1 John 1:1] piles statement upon statement to make clear his meaning. Each statement gives an added intimacy: "which we have heard" - but hearing may be at such a distance that it can be almost hearsay; "which we have seen with our eyes" - that brings the speaker in range of the eye - nearer "which we have looked upon" - not a fleeting glance, but a steady gaze; "and touched with our hands" - referring to Jesus' statement after His resurrection when He invites the disciples to touch Him, to handle Him, tho thrust their hands into His side! In four statements involving three of the senses - hearing, seeing, touching - he nails down the fact that the Word actually did become flesh. For John saw its vast importance. So important was it that later he makes this question of Jesus' coming in the flesh the test of whether the Spirit of God is present: "By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit which confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit which does not confess Jesus is not of God" (4:2-3). Everything hinged on Jesus as Incarnate, not Jesus as inspiration, not Jesus as moral teacher, not Jesus as philosopher. But Jesus as Incarnate God - that was the issue! And well might it be the issue, for if Jesus is Incarnate God, then everything pales into insignificance beside the importance of the fact. As a Hindu chairman said at the close of my address: "If what the speaker has said tonight isn't true, it doesn't matter, but if it is true then nothing else matters." He was right. if the Eternal God confronts us in Jesus, then that is the banner headline in the cosmic scroll. Every creature with a grain of intelligence would gasp in wonder.
So John, with an abrupt relevance, comes right to the heart of the whole matter: "The life was made manifest." [1 John 1:2a] God has spoken, not in words but in the Word. And in that speaking He reveals His heart. Jesus is the heart of God wrapped in flesh - and made manifest.
The bold is my emphasis. But I don't think the author would mind if it was emphasized.
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