tonight at our housegroup we’re talking about Jesus.

i’m excited.

Jesus.  my Saviour.  the Lord of Lords.  Creator Creative Son of God.  Redeemer.

In the beginning was the one

who is called the Word.

The Word was with God

and was truly God.

From the very beginning

the Word was with God.

And with this Word,

God created all things.

Nothing was made

without the Word.

Everything that was created

received its life from him,

and his life gave light

to everyone.

The light keeps shining

in the dark,

and darkness has never

put it out.

John 1:1-5

The Word became

a human being

and lived here with us.

We saw his true glory,

the glory of the only Son

of the Father.

From him all the kindness

and all the truth of God

have come down to us.

John 1:14

This is my passage to start with.  I’ve asked each person in housegroup to come with a passage about Jesus they love – and though we’ll only get to read and share and talk about a few, it will be great.  we have a few new christians and a non christian, or a interested in becoming a christian, and so this is a way to head back to the basics and the importants with still having levels and joys and challenges for those who have been christians a long season.  I am beginning with John 1.  in the beginning, was Jesus.  Jesus isnt just a man, not just an ordinary man.  He is divine!  God.  The I AM.  Creator God.  who then became human and dwelled with us as a human.  Wow.

Christ is exactly like God,

who cannot be seen.

He is the first-born Son,

superior to all creation.

Everything was created by him,

everything in heaven

and on earth,

everything seen and unseen,

including all forces

and powers,

and all rulers

and authorities.

All things were created

by God’s Son,

and everything was made

for him.

God’s Son was before all else,

and by him everything

is held together.

He is the head of his body,

which is the church.

He is the very beginning,

the first to be raised

from death,

so that he would be

above all others.

God himself was pleased

to live fully in his Son.

And God was pleased

for him to make peace

by sacrificing his blood

on the cross,

so that all beings in heaven

and on earth

would be brought back to God.

You used to be far from God. Your thoughts made you his enemies, and you did evil things.

But his Son became a human and died. So God made peace with you, and now he lets you stand in his presence as people who are holy and faultless and innocent. Colossians 1:15-22

Christ sacrificed his life’s blood to set us free, which means that our sins are now forgiven. Ephesians 1:7

Christ rules over all forces, authorities, powers, and rulers. He rules over all beings in this world and will rule in the future world as well. God has put all things under the power of Christ, and for the good of the church he has made him the head of everything. Ephesians 1:21-22

Jesus.  The One who died to set us free from sin and who makes us alive and through His sacrifice made peace for us with God.

Jesus.  The One who radically loved those He met with in the flesh, and radically loves all of us who were to come, and demosntrated that love all the time, in every conversation, in every touch, in every miracle and healing, in every prayer, in every salvation.

Jesus.  The One who reveals to us what God is really like.

Jesus.  The One who rescued me.

Jesus.  The One who suffered and died and paid all the penalty for my sin and rebellion.  The One who with His body and blood and life gave all for my redemption and salvation.  Who was broken and bled and bashed for my sins so that I would be born again and made righteous.  The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of teh world.

Jesus.  The Way, The Truth and the Life.  The Only way to God and eternity with God.

Jesus.  The One I worship and surrender my life to, the One I love and give my life to in response to His love and sacrifice.

Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,  but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.  And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,  that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 1:6-11