John 1:1-18
And The Word Becomes Flesh
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
When I read the first chapter of John as well as his fourteenth chapter, I feel as though Jesus had this Great Effect on his writings...St. John gives us an awe-inspiring description of Jesus in both these chapters, and many other parts of his writings...Other authors have awe-inspiring moments...For example His healings are awe inspiring...Another example is the Transfiguration which is described in all three Synoptic Gospels (Matthew 17:1-8, Mark 9:2-8, Luke 9:28-36) and then mentioned in the Second Epistle of Peter (2 Peter 1:16-18) is for me another awe-inspiring moment...Another is Jesus talking to the Pharisee Nicodemus in chapter three of John...But to read the first chapter of John helps start awe, fascination, mystery, and mysticism...
The meaning of Numinous is a Holy experience, according to Rudolph Otto, who was the first to write about it in his book, The Idea of the Holy (1917) ...He explains the Numinous are of two types...They are, “Mysterium Tremendum” and the other is “Fascination.”...The religious experience can be come from the feelings of fear, wonder and the feelings of mysticism...The numinous is different from anything that is experienced in ordinary life, and it evokes a reaction of silence...However, it also provokes terror because it presents itself as Overwhelming Power...
C. S. Lewis later wrote about humans having this intuitive sense of God, which he called the "Numinous"...Lewis wrote that this numinous sense is Powerful and Omnipresent, and that it's similar to the feeling of being out in a forest at night, not sure if anyone is there, but feeling something might be there or surely is there...The Numinous is not the same as the morally good, and a man overwhelmed with awe is likely, if left to himself, to think the numinous object is “beyond good and evil.”...
Lewis believed that this numinous sense sets the stage for hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ...Lewis also believed that faith requires you to greet life with hope and optimism...He said that accepting Christianity is to believe that there is something better in the next life and that the power of good is greater than the power of evil, both of which give you a reason for a hopeful outlook...Lewis also believed that the Divine, Unconditional LOVE inherent in Christianity enables a person to love without any direct personal benefit, while most other forms of love are at some level motivated by a desire to fulfill a self-interest...
So the Numinous Effect refers to a Divine or Spiritual Power that is somehow felt, maybe through our Holy Spirit...It is mysterious and transcends our normal understanding...And for me, brings in the concept Jesus talked so much of and that is Eternal Life...
If we look and the four Gospels of Jesus and how the Numinous Effect is about Him, we see that He is Mysterious, and Awe-Inspiring...And many people throughout our history and as we read the authors of the Bible, they and others and other books have reported feeling this sense of awe, wonder, and even mystery when encountering Jesus, either through scripture, prayer, or personal reflection on Jesus' teachings and life...
Jesus' manifestation is seen in different ways...He can give us a deep sense of peace...Jesus' teachings and Presence can evoke a profound sense of peace and tranquility that surpasses human understanding...He is the one who said: "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you...I do not give to you as the world gives...Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."...
How does and can One Man start a religion?...Jesus gives us this awe and wonder about Himself...The power and majesty of Jesus' miracles, teachings, and claims about His Divinity can inspire awe and wonder...Jesus brings a feeling of mystery...Despite the historical details and theological explanations, there remains a sense of mystery surrounding Jesus' person, ministry, and mission...His message was at times so simple on loving God and neighbor and then at times so deep in understanding, we are in awe...These different experiences about Him can be seen as a form of religious experience, a subjective encounter with the Divinity of Jesus that can be transformative and life-changing...
The numinous effect of Jesus can be significant for several reasons...Encountering the mystery and wonder of Jesus can strengthen a person's faith and commitment to Christianity...Faith in Him can foster a sense of connection to something larger than oneself, a Transcendent Reality...These experiences can inspire people to live according to Jesus' teachings and promote positive change in their lives...The numinous effect of Jesus refers to the awe-inspiring and mysterious nature of Jesus Christ...This concept highlights the profound impact Jesus still today can have on people's lives, fostering a deeper faith and a sense of connection to the Divine...
Jesus can deepen faith, and we can ask, why a Man who lived two thousand years ago and died, can still effect us?...It is because He encountered death and overcame it and the world and He is still Alive today...