Our snowy adventure continues! With several inches still on the ground from the last heavy snowfall a couple of weeks ago, we are due to get more tonight, possibly eight or more! Father, my prayers go out to all those who must be out – those who are driving plows, law enforcement, health care professionals, to name a few – and for those who foolish enough to not take conditions seriously. Amen.

John 1:14 (<<click here to read the passage)

I hold a very high regard for teachers and I’m sure in that I have lived with one for almost 35 years does influence my opinion to some degree! Karen is a wonderful 1st Grade teacher and has impacted literally 1,000s of lives and continues to do so.

I can recall a few of my teachers from so very long ago. I remember my 1st Grade teacher from Quick Elementary in West Virginia. Her name was Miss Fleshman. Mr. Goodwin was my 6th Grade Social Studies teacher in Mason, Ohio. I was in his class in 1976 and remember drawing a political cartoon of Anwar Sadat – then president of Egypt – regarding his failed attempt at peace with Israel. My high school band teacher was Miss Marshall. At the time, our high school didn’t have a choir and she consented to direct a Christian musical made up of several students in our area. The next year, Tucker County High School had a choir!

Each of these individuals impacted my life. And of course, there were many more, some I remember…others are a little fuzzier in my memory. None were by any means perfect, but each one of them we gifted and gave of themselves to further me along in my educational journey. And I am the better for it.

As I read through the notes of my study Bible* I was intrigued by what it had to say about the first few words of verse 14.

And the Word (Christ) became flesh… AMP

So the Word became human… NLT

The initial part of the study note stated that by the Word becoming flesh, becoming human, Christ became the perfect teacher – in Jesus’ life we see how God thinks and therefore how we should think…

It then gave Philippians 2:5-11 as a reference. The New Living Translation is far less wordy but, oh my, I just had to share the Amplified Bible version of it. (This is one of those passages that you must read slowly to catch it all!)

Have this same attitude in yourselves which was in Christ Jesus [look to Him as your example in selfless humility], who, although He existed in the form and unchanging essence of God [as One with Him, possessing the fullness of all the divine attributes—the entire nature of deity], did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped or asserted [as if He did not already possess it, or was afraid of losing it]; but emptied Himself [without renouncing or diminishing His deity, but only temporarily giving up the outward expression of divine equality and His rightful dignity] by assuming the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men [He became completely human but was without sin, being fully God and fully man]. After He was found in [terms of His] outward appearance as a man [for a divinely-appointed time], He humbled Himself [still further] by becoming obedient [to the Father] to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also [because He obeyed and so completely humbled Himself], God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow [in submission], of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess and openly acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord (sovereign God), to the glory of God the Father.

Wow! Jesus was a teacher who led by example…an example that we are to follow. As we are to love Him with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Deuteronomy 6:5, Matthew 22:37, Mark 12:30, Luke 10:27) so we should follow His example with the same exuberance! We are truly blessed to have such a great teacher leading the way before us!

Feb 15th, 2021, Mon, 7:40 pm