In the beginning...

He is the one who literally calls us to walk with him in the year ahead, into fresh experiences, opportunities and adventures - Chris Cartwright

At a time of year known for new beginnings, I want to suggest we can do nothing better than root ourselves in the story of the God of new beginnings.

The first 18 verses of John's Gospel are simply breathtaking. They take us from the first moment of beginnings – creation, earth, mankind and life itself – to the moment Jesus came into the world.

The prophets had foretold not only that he would come but that he who came was so much more than a prophet. He is none other than the eternal Son of God. He was there at the beginning of the world, creating and sustaining all things along with the Father.

Though he refers to the 'Word' who was at the beginning, creating and sustaining all things with God the Father, as God the Son, John does not mention Jesus' name until verse 29.

And then we meet the Saviour as he approaches John the Baptist to be baptised. John declares, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." John brings the story right down to earthly earth. Jesus comes in flesh. He lives within the limitations of our humanity, fully human but also fully divine. He is tempted in all ways as we are, but was without sin.

Though he has the superpower to destroy those who take him captive, he chooses to be obedient to the Father's will and to suffer the death of the cross so that we might have our sins forgiven and receive new life in him.

And from there, from that all-important revelation in chapter 1, John launches his Gospel to give us the bigger story which frames the Christmas story that we have all so recently told and retold. This is the story of God revealing himself as a Father who takes the initiative to reach out through his Son Jesus to all people with his amazing, unreserved and undeserved love.

Against the backdrop of fear and separation from God, of human rebellion and sin, it's a story of light coming into darkness, of mercy over judgement, of hope breaking hopelessness and of forgiveness and deliverance for all who turn to him. That's the frame and the fullness, the core and the context of our familiar Christmas story. It's a beginning point that launches us into a fresh daily journey with Jesus towards the places and people where we are.

So, as the clock and calendar turn into another day, month and year, we are invited to come once again to the great revelation of God's redeeming love through Jesus Christ our Lord.

To some of the first people to follow Jesus, John tells us he asked them: "What are you seeking?" Then he invited them to "Come and see." Soon others are coming also and bringing their friends with them to Jesus. That simple description of ordinary people beginning to hear about Jesus, of sensing there is something more about him and being drawn to follow him to find out more is the pathway that God uses to change lives.

He is the one we can trust with our deepest fears and insecurities, challenges and trials, and to whom we can entrust our greatest hopes, dreams and desires.

We are beginning to hear so many fresh stories of people in our towns and communities and in the reach and outreach of our churches who are coming to Jesus and starting a journey of new life with him. These stories are not only for us to rejoice in, but they can also help us to recapture our own joy in what Jesus has done and is doing for us.

At the close of the story of Jesus' meeting with the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4, we hear that as she shares her story of meeting Jesus and finding new life in him, many believed firstly because of her report. But they go on to say, "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Saviour of the world."

We pray that this new year, we will see and hear of countless numbers of people who have personal stories of new beginnings – hearing the stories of others who then believe in Jesus for themselves and begin to live the new creation life in and for him.

This article first appeared in Direction Magazine. For further details, please click here.

Enjoy this article? Don't forget to share