Jesus is Key

"God created everything through him,

and nothing was created except through him.

The Word gave life to everything that was created,

and his life brought light to everyone."

John 1:3-4 NLT

Ask the man on the street who Jesus is and you will hear a variety of answers.  Some will say a teacher, others a prophet.  Still others will say He was a good man who set a good example of how to live, while a few will say He's the Savior of the world.  As nice as these replies sound, they fall far short of describing Jesus fully.  In fact, without Jesus, life itself would not exist and there would be nothing firm upon which to build my life.  (Colossians 1:15-20, Isaiah 28:16-17)

Since Jesus is the key to life, let's take a few moments and examine His importance.

Conduit

Without Him, none of creation would exist.  When God got down to the business of generating everything, He started with nothing and from it created all things.  The channel through whom this miracle occurred was Jesus Christ.  (1 Corinthians 8:6)  

Through Jesus all things were made that have been made.  (1 Colossians 1:16)  Everything I can see with my eye was created and continues to exist by His service.  Even the things I am unable to see but nonetheless are real, such as all the orders of angels, were created by His power.  Without Jesus, nothing would exist.

What kind of impact could this Jesus have on my life?  When there seems to be no redeeming quality found in me, I can put my hope in Jesus who is able to deliver all the goodness of God into my life. (Galatians 5:22-23)  

When my life has become a series of failures and disappointments and is crashing down around my feet, Jesus can make something beautiful out of the debris. (2 Corinthians 4:7, Isaiah 61:3)  

When I have no hope as I stand on the precipice of a great chasm of despair, Jesus liberates me from such misery and brings with Him great expectations of what He has prepared for me, both here and in eternity. (Ephesians 2:10, John 14:2-3)

Jesus is the conduit through whom something is made out of nothing.

Life-Giver

Since a woman can give birth to a baby, females in some societies are called givers of life.  Those who donate an organ, thus making life possible for another plagued with disease, are said to have given the gift of life.  Either way, its easy to see how people can be considered as life-givers.

The one true Life-Giver, however, is Jesus.  After all things were created through Him, He actually gave life to everything He created.  The peculiar platypus received the heartbeat of life from its Creator.  The mighty elephant became animated at the hand of Jesus.  Man took his first breathe as a result of the work of Jesus.  

Furthermore, as the real Life-Giver, Jesus presents an even greater gift of life to each of His precious Image-bearers.  Through faith in Jesus, I can receive both an abundant life here in this fallen, wretched world, as well as the great hope of everlasting life in the world to come. (John 10:10, John 3:16)

Since Jesus is the Life-Giver, putting my faith in Him gives me new life. (2 Corinthians 5:17) Instead of living the old life where I did what came naturally, I now have a new way of living where I follow the Spirit of God who dwells within me. (Galatians 5:16-26) As such, my life is filled with purpose as I carry out the work God specifically created for me to do. (Ephesians 2:10) There is no greater sense of fulfillment than that which comes when the created behaves as it was designed to behave.  This is the life Jesus delivers!

Jesus is the true Giver of life.

Light

I awoke with a start.  Looking around me, I was startled to realize I could see nothing.  I waited a moment to let my eyes adjust.  Still, blackness pressed around me like a cold, unwelcome presence.  I groped around, feeling for the flashlight I had left near my pillow.  Once I found it and pushed the button, lighted pierced through the darkness, setting my heart to beating normally again.

There is nothing like waking up in the middle of the night during a camping trip to give you a sense of the true nature of darkness.  It transforms everyday objects into frightening obstacles or short jaunts to the bathroom into treacherous journeys.  Darkness influences my perception.

Jesus is the source of light.  Without Him, there would be nothing but darkness.  Without Him, there would be no understanding.  Without Him, there would be nothing but evil.  In the same way that light transforms a room, giving it a welcoming, homey feel, so Jesus changes my life in a similar way. 

What once was hidden now is in the open where I can find healing.  What used to be dark and scary now, in the light of Jesus, is unimposing and possible to be overcome.  What at one time overwhelmed me now, with the Light of the world at my side, is possible. (John 8:12)

Jesus is the Light of the world.

There is so much more to Jesus than what can be described.  He is the Cornerstone, the Ark, my Lord and Savior.  As such, I learn more and more of His incredible attributes the closer I get to Him.  When I seek Him with all of my heart, I discover that He is the conduit through whom all things were created, He is the true Giver of life, and He is the Light of all mankind.  As complex and wonderful as is my Savior, I will continue to learn more as time goes on, giving me even more reason to say, "Jesus is key."

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can see Jesus as He really is, not as who I think He is.

When do I minimize His character based on my own feeble understanding?

How do I squelch His light in my life?