Infinite

It is impossible for our limited human minds to comprehend eternity. We understand the concept, but we can’t truly fathom what it means for something to be eternal. As Moses prays in Psalm 90, “The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty.” We cannot grasp the infinite because we cannot experience it. Even though we are finite, we know that our Savior is infinite. In chapter 1 of his Gospel, the apostle John gives us insight into the eternal nature of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Word of God. This means that the very first word spoken by God was Jesus. When God spoke the world into existence it was through Jesus that the world came to be. When the Lord promised Adam and Eve a savior, the word that fell upon their ears was Jesus. When the burning bush called to Moses, it was Jesus. At every time and in every place, the Word of God given to his people is Jesus. That very same Word then became flesh, he dwelt among his people, the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

It is significant that the Apostle John wrote these words as it seems that for a few days John himself believed that the incarnate Word was not eternal. He died, after all, and John himself witnessed his teacher and friend hanging on the cross. It seemed on that Friday evening that the Word had died, but then on Sunday morning John himself saw the empty tomb and later that very day the risen Jesus appeared to him. The eternal Word was alive and well. The Word that created all things, that spoke to Moses from the burning bush, and that appeared to John on the first Easter is still living and active today. Every time you open your Bible, or hear the scriptures read and the Word preached in church you confront Jesus. The Word speaks today as full of grace and truth as it was in the beginning when God spoke, and light burst forth from his Word.

The Word will continue to speak until our senses fade and our bodies fail. When we are laid in the ground the Word will be spoken over our remains; we will be buried, but we will hear the Word again. On the Last Day the Word will return to the earth and he will call us out of the grave. On that day we will finally truly grasp the eternity of the Word because we will dwell with the Word forever.

We Pray: Jesus Christ, you are the eternal Word, full of grace and truth. Be with us so that we might live in your Word all our days and share your Word with all those we meet. Amen.