I’m sure those who say it mean well, but I’ve never particularly liked the saying, “Jesus is the reason for the season.” Maybe it just seems a little too cutesy to me, or something. Maybe it’s the grumpy side of my computer programmer psyche. Whoever invented computers must have had a tender place in their heart for curmudgeons.
So, anyway, as I was saying, I don’t love the “reason for the season” stuff. But I was delighted to receive, from a pastor friend in Wales, a refrigerator magnet that says the following:
Jesus is the reason for…
well…
…for everything
He is. The Reason for Everything — that is exactly what He is.
In the first 18 verses of the Gospel of John, Jesus is called “The Word.” This is one of those cases of a play on words in the original language which is hard to translate — because the Greek word logos, which is translated “Word” in this passage, has many meanings. John often used thought-provoking wording, and that was certainly the case here.
The various meanings of logos all apply to Jesus in one way or another. It can mean a single word, or a message, or a thought, or a wise saying. It can also mean the process of reasoning or using logic (it is, after all, the root of our word logic), or even knowledge — thus, it appears in our words that indicate knowledge or study of a particular topic, such as anthropo-logy, theo-logy, etc.
It can also mean the reason, cause, or basis for something.
If you think about it for a while, all of these different meanings have application to Jesus. Our translators chose “Word” to translate logos, and with good reason (perhaps I should say with good logos? :) ). For this introductory section of John draws to a close with verse 18:
John 1:18
No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
Jesus is THE message declaring the Father. John certainly intended to make his readers think of the other definitions of logos, and how they applied to Jesus, but this work of declaring the Father is the central focus of this passage. Thus, going back a few verses, we find that the Word became flesh so that His glory as the only-begotten of the Father would be seen.
John 1:14
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
Yes, Jesus is the Word — but He is also the Reason, the Reason for Everything, and John wanted us to know this as well. Thus, we see early in the passage:
John 1:1-3
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
He is the Reason for Everything, because He made everything.
Nor is this taught only in John. Colossians 1 speaks of our Lord Jesus, and says:
Colossians 1:16-17
16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
- Jesus is the reason for everything, for He made everything.
- Jesus is the reason for everything, because everything was made for Him.
- Jesus is the reason for everything, because He is the One who holds everything together (“by Him all things consist”).
So, the next time someone tells you, “Jesus is the reason for the season,” you can say, “What do you mean? Jesus is the reason for EVERYTHING!” You don’t even have to be a curmudgeonly computer programmer to say that, you just have to be true to Scripture!
