The Word

Pondering John 1:1-18.

Before we dive into the gospel of John, it’s important we know the author and his heart, perspective and background.

John and his brother, James were fishermen when Jesus invited them to follow Him. John became one of the 12 disciples and would later become one of Jesus’ closest friends and confidants. He became a constant companion. He was at the cross where, in agony, Jesus entrusted this beloved disciple with the care of Mary, His mother. He witnessed Jesus death and he also saw the resurrected Christ.

 John would go on to serve the church in Jerusalem for many years before moving to Ephesus to serve. He endured beatings and imprisonment. The emperor considered John a threat because of his fierce loyalty to Jesus so he exiled him to the island of Patmos.

And finally, John would outlive all of the other disciples.

We can read John’s gospel knowing that he was an eyewitness of the person and ministry of Jesus. He knew that He was deeply loved by Christ and we see him respond with immense love that extends to others.

John begins with the fundamental truth of who Jesus is. He starts with existence before “the beginning.”

     “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made, without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.” (Vs 1-5)

So simple yet so complex!

Theologians will tell you that Jewish rabbis often referred to God as the Word. Therefore John was speaking to the Jews, stating Jesus is God. And the Greek audience knew their philosophers used the term for the bridge between the transcendent and material universe. So John was also speaking to the Gentiles.

Jesus is God. He’s part of the Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. One God in three persons.

Jesus is the uncreated Creator. He is eternal. He gives life. He creates beginnings.

Divinity and humanity, both found in Jesus. The Holy Creator stepped into His creation. The One who created time and space stepped into established boundaries. The One who created all of the laws of physics agreed to abide by them. The One who always existed without needs subjected Himself to hunger, thirst, pain, temptation and even death.

The person of Jesus reveals the unseen God.

To effectively engage, everything we read in John’s gospel must be read through this filter. The meaning will then be richer and more profound. If we want to know God, we need look no further than every word Jesus speaks and every deed He accomplished.

Jesus is our communication from God. His life expressed the mind of God, just as our words express our thoughts. To know Jesus, is to know God.

Then, before we even get into the storyline, John reveals a conclusion. Thankfully, he also declares the assurance we have as believers.

      “He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God–children born not of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (vs 10-14)

He came to us!

God’s story of grace and truth.

So much packed into a few verses. But having wrestled with it, we can read the rest of John’s gospel in a new fresh way—not only as a record of the life of Jesus, but as revelation of God’s heart and mind.