EPIC - Part 1

That was EPIC! From a child coming off a simple ride at the fair to a teenager returning from an incredible week at camp or some other event, the word epic rolls off the tongue and you know they mean it was beyond great. Whatever they experienced brought a thrill and excitement that has surpassed all expectations. As our English language has evolved certain words are taken and used to express things, and the word epic certainly is one of them. My mother used to dislike everyone using the word awesome because she said only God is awesome, when one of her grandchildren described pizza as being awesome; she felt God was shortchanged.

This coming summer, the Bible camp I work with at Anvil Island has chosen the word Epic as its theme. It will be interesting to see how different camps mold it around their activities as well as including it in the spiritual side of things.

Usually when the word “EPIC” is used it generally refers to a big budget Hollywood production. The announcer presenting the movie will use phrases like “the epic saga” or “a sweeping epic” to describe a story that unfolds on the big screen. Often the cinematography amazes us and the story, whether fact or fiction, captures our imagination. As we are engulfed by the tale being told, it quite often is a story set in a period of time; and whether it’s the past, present, or future we realize that it’s only a blip on the time chart of human existence.

Our lives are like that; just a blip on the vast expanse of time which with each passing second becomes history. The apostle John begins his description of the life of Christ using phrases that describe the Lord Jesus, and says in verses 1 & 2; “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.” These verses explain how Christ existed as part of the Trinity before the foundation of the world as we know it. God began a story long before we ever lived on the planet. God’s story of redemption and grace is literally an Epic one and we have a part to play in it. In verse 14 it is stated “And the Word became flesh”. This shows that the Word referred to here is not just descriptive markings on a piece of paper or a computer screen that represents something that is understood in any given language. In John, you will notice that the word “Word” is capitalized. It is derived from the word “logos” from the original Greek language that the New Testament was written in and is known as the Living Word. Christ is known as the Word which existed with God in the beginning. In fact, it even says in verse 3 of John 1 how He was also present at creation and actively involved in it.

With this in mind we return to the topic of the word Epic. God’s story is truly of Epic proportions and yet it’s personal. The same man, the apostle John, wrote some letters in the latter part of the New Testament that begins with some similar language. 1 John 1-2 says (1)“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. (2)The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.” John mentions in this verse that not only did the Word become flesh but he actually met Him and knew Him. He saw Him with his own eyes and touched Him. The reality of knowing Christ to John was that of a real and true relationship and friendship. What John is trying to communicate to us is that God’s

story- the Epic that He is relating to us, is not just something that took place in some historical book. That Epic began before the human comprehension of time began and has continued to unfold. It made an impact on the apostle John’s life, and God’s Epic story can shape and influence our lives as well.

In part 2 we will see how that affects you and me in a practical way.

By: Pastor David Jones