This semester I am in a New Testament class. We're required to complete assignments on the week's readings. We have our choice of assignments to complete. One of those choices is a blog post so here we are! While I was contemplating the reading this week it coincided with an event that has recently happened in my life and I'm going to try and integrate them as eloquently as possible and just run with it. Try and keep up.
John 1:1-14; 17:1-5
5 Truths about the Pre-mortal Jesus Christ
1. Christ was with God before the foundations of the world were laid.
2. He laid the foundations of our world.
3. He was foreordained to come to Earth to be our Savior.
4. He was the first spirit son in the premortality.
5. He was made flesh and sent to dwell with us.
5 Truths about the mortal existence of Jesus Christ
1. John was sent to testify and bear witness of Jesus Christ.
2. He was rejected by His own.
3. His mission was to bring about the eternal life of man.
4. He gave all glory to God.
5. He testified of God our Father.
Christ is referred to by many names throughout the scriptures. If you look in the bible dictionary there's an entry lists the instances and names by which Christ is referred in the scriptures. Here are a few....
1. Christ: in Greek this means the anointed; Jesus who is called Christ, is the firstborn of the Father in the Spirit, and the only begotten of the Father in the flesh.
2. Messiah: Aramaic meaning the anointed; denotes the king and deliverer whose coming the Jews were eagerly expecting
3. Jehovah: The covenant or proper name of the God of Israel; "unchangeable one," or "the eternal I AM"
4. Immanuel: God with us; sign of God's deliverance
5. The Word: messenger of the Covenant
While reading the above scripture references and contemplating the many names by which our Savior is known one thought continually entered my mind, eternity. Recently a friend of mine passed away after a long battle with testicular cancer. I met Brett at the hospital after he was first diagnosed. Through chemo treatments and hanging out we became friends. I think I was drawn to Brett by the sheer contrast in our personalities. Brett is one of the most optimistic people I have ever met, and those of you who know me well know I barely know the meaning of that word. Through everything his positive attitude and immense sense of humor shown through. He was also one of the most giving and caring people I've ever had the opportunity of knowing. I didn't know Brett for very long and didn't see him a lot in the past year, but I know that he influenced my life in ways I still don't know. It tore my heart a bit when I found out that he was terminal, and a great deal more when I learned of his passing. I've thought about it a lot over the past few weeks. It's difficult to try and wrap your head around the thought of such an amazing, not to mention young, person being taken from this earth. But while I am incredibly sad at the fact that I wasn't able to get to know Brett as much as I would have liked or spent as much time with him as I wanted to, I have comfort in my knowledge of my Savior and his plan. His plan is an eternal one and I have no doubt in my mind where Brett is right now. Even with the heartache that has come with Brett's passing it has reminded me of my testimony of my Savior and His plan. It has reminded me of the strength of my knowledge and reaffirmed those principles I know to be true and hold dear. Even though I hadn't seen Brett in awhile, I still feel the weight of this loss in my heart. But I know it's not the end, I know I'll see him again and that brings immense joy.
