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Feb 12, 2024 18:30pm

The Sweetest Name

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I’ll never forget the first time I learned my name. Not Yalanda, but a name even sweeter than that. My nephew, Christopher, was little, maybe 3 years old. He still had those little chubby cheeks and that wild hair.

It was October and Halloween was just around the corner, so we decided to make some cookies with orange, green, purple and black sprinkles and icing.

He reached for me and said “cookie”. Immediately, I did what any aunt would do and I handed him the biggest, most decorated cookie we had.

He looked puzzled and said “no, cookie.”

Well, we also called crackers cookies, so I got up, got the little package of ritz and handed it to him.

With arms stretched out for me to pick him up, he said one more time, “Cookie”.

Me?

I’m Cookie?

He was never talking about any other thing, but about me. His Cookie.

John 1:1-2

“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.”

Yesterday, we looked at the words “in the beginning” and the particular way John began this book. Today, we’re looking closer at the word, “Word”.

Traditionally, we think of this word, word, as a spoken communication. But it’s far more than that.

What do you notice about it in the text?

One thing that stands out is that it is capitalized.

Keep that little nugget in mind.

We also know that it says the Word was in the beginning, was with God, and was God.

Keep that little piece churning while we discuss another aspect of this word, “Word”.

Let me share a snippet of commentary from my Bible.

“In Hebrew scripture, the Word was an agent of creation, the source of God’s message to his people, through the prophets, and God’s law, his standard for holiness. In Greek philosophy, the Word was the divine essence that held all things together, God’s ideal pattern for creation.”

So, taking all of those things into consideration, even what we learned about the purpose of this book yesterday – what can we conclude?

The scripture is not talking about some inanimate object or communication, but rather, a person. One who would fulfill all of these characteristics.

And who is the only one that can do that?

His name is Jesus.

This verse declares that Jesus was at the beginning of time. He is the subject in the text as we continue. He was not just there WITH God, but He IS God!

For John to write “the Word was God”, was blasphemous to the religious leaders. Although they had the scriptures that foretold of the Messiah coming and Jesus fulfilled those very prophesies, they refused to believe the truth that Jesus was the Messiah.

But this is how John, guided by the Holy Spirit, chose to describe Jesus. He declared exactly who Jesus was in one sentence.

As we continue to examine our hearts about who we believe Jesus to be according to scripture, let this reaffirm the truth about Jesus being more than “just a good man”.

Jesus. The sweetest name I know.