"Uncle Bill"

John 1:1, 14, 16-18
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word became flesh and lived among us. We have seen his glory, the glory as of a Father's Only Son, full of grace and truth.

From his fullness we have all received grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son who is close to the Father's heart who has made him known.

When I was seven years old, my family lived in a two-room apartment in the projects of Cincinnati called Laurel Homes. Some Sundays as a family we would visit my great-uncle Bill (he was known in his community as uncle grace because he was so forgiving, full of love and his kitchen was always open for the needy). He lived in a small community out side of Cincinnati Ohio, called Hamilton. Often when we we would visit, the house would be filled with adults, other relatives, having a meal and right in front of them all would be my Uncle Bill with a Bible in hand and in deep conversation. My sister and I were quite bored, so Uncle Bill instructed one of the older cousins to walk us down to the school playground, which were a few blocks away. We were glad to go. The cousin took us there and left us on our own to play.

A great deal of time passed, and we decided we probably should get back to Uncle Bill’s house. Unfortunately we could not remember how to get back there. After a couple of attempts with nothing looking familiar to us, I realized we were lost. My sister started crying. I did something I probably should not have done. I took her by the hand and began to knock on doors. In my excitement when people answered I would ask, "Do you know where Grace lives?"

The first few homes looked at me strangely. Finally, I knocked on a door where a younger adult man responded positively to my question, "Do you know where Grace lives?" He had a smile on his face that was as big as a sugar cookie full of love, he told us to wait a minute with excitement. He came back out and said, "Yes, I know where Grace lives. Get into my car and I will drive you there." We got in the car and a few minutes later we were sitting in front of Uncle Bill's house. We were so relieved. My sister ran in and immediately told my parents how we had gotten lost. They were not too happy about that, but were glad to see us. We had a pleasant dinner, piled back into the car, and made the long drive home that evening. All ended well.

Do you know where Grace lives? I am not talking about my uncle, but the experience one has when God steps into your life and you receive His unmerited love and favor. Do you know where to find that? We hear about it now and then. For instance, from the sober alcoholic who testifies that is by the grace of God that he hasn't had a drink in a long time. Or we might hear a friend talk about God as if he lives right in his house with him. Or we hear someone who has gone through a crisis and says, "I would never have made it but by the grace of God." We think to ourselves that we would like to have some of that grace. Where can we find it?

John 1:1, 14, 16-18 tells us in his gospel where to find grace.

He first tells us, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Replace the Word with Jesus, because that is the truth John is sharing with us. Then we learn that the Word was not only with God, but that the Word was God. To me they are one in the same.

In verse 14, John announces that the Word (Jesus) became flesh and lived among us. That is John's way of saying that Word became a human being and tabernacle among us. We reminded of God's presence with his people in wilderness as he led them to the Promised Land. His presence was in the Tabernacle. I once remember hearing a Pastor, paraphrase or interprets this as: "The Word moved into our neighborhood and became one of us." He came to get personal with us. That phrase has stuck with me and often made me think of my Uncle Bills community of believers.

Then he wraps his story up by saying, "It is God - the only Son who is intimately tied to God - who has made God known." He has taken us on a personal God tour. He has shown us God's heart.

Later in John's Gospel Jesus will say, "If you have seen me, you have seen the Father."
To look into the face of Jesus Christ is to look into the face of God. Looking into that face a person will find, receive, and experience GRACE. Grace has a face - Jesus Christ!

We no longer have to guess about God in terms of how he feels about me and what he thinks. Christ has made him known as he stepped into our world filled with grace and truth. Grace is available and it has a face - the face of Jesus Christ. So . . .

Turn your eyes upon Jesus.
Look full in his wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of his glory and grace.

God Bless You and this Ministry!