Closer than I think.

I have always loved the verses in 1 John 4 talking about love.

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.  (1 John 4:9, NIV)

Whenever I have read this verse or heard it preached, I have always seen the emphasis on God sending His Son that we might have eternal life and be with Him in heaven. It is an amazing picture and not wrong but misses the point.

Let’s look at little closer…

Whenever I look at scripture, I’m reminded of the verses in the gospels when God speaks

Then a voice came from heaven, saying, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.”

29 Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to Him.” (John 12:28–29, NKJV)

God speaks and some just hear thunder, others hear an angelic voice saying something but the Son and some with ears to hear, hear the word of the Father.

“Father give me the ears of a son whose heart is open”.

The New King James version says:

In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. (1 John 4:9, NKJV)

Both translations have a perspective that God is far off and his Love is demonstrated through the sacrifice of His Son so that we can be with Him in some distant time (after we die).

Looking at the word translated as toward / among in the Greek we see the word is ‘en’ and is between ‘theos’ (God) and ‘hemin’ (us). So if God is out there somewhere and demonstrates his love by proxy of his son then it makes sense to translate it as toward or among us. God showed his love toward us.

What if Father is closer than I think?

The Greek word ‘en’ is most frequently translated to “in” (over 1900 times). So was John saying

This is how God manifested his love in us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.

And when I consider the word through is used in the following ways:

• through:
   – of place
     – with
     – in
   – of time
     – throughout
     – during
   – of means
     – by
   – the ground or reason by which something is or is not done
     – by reason of

Now the reason for God sending His Son is emphasised: That I would live in Jesus now and forever, that I would live by the same Love that Jesus experiences as Father’s beloved son.

I now see this verse as:

This is how God manifested his love in us: He sent his one and only Son into the world so that we might live through (in him, throughout time, because of the Love in) him.