John 1:1-18
People often ask me where they should start when they are first going to read the Bible. My answer is almost always the Book of John. With that in mind, I thought that we would take some time here on God’s Daytimer to look at the gospel of John together. The gospel of John is different from Matthew, Mark, and Luke in a number of ways. John speaks more clearly than any other of the deity of Christ. It was the last of the gospels to be written, almost 40 years after the end of Jesus life on earth. Where Matthew, Mark, and Luke were all written to specific cultural groups, (like Mark to the Romans) John was written as more of a universal Gospel, to all people of all times.
John 1:1-18 (NIV)
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 men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. 6 There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men 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 every man 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 received 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, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’” 16 From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.
Jesus is the Word. This title, “the Word,” teaches that Jesus is now, and always has been, the One through whom God expresses Himself. In the verses we looked at today we see that He expreseses Himself in creation (v3), in life (v4) and in light (v5). The light represents holiness, righteousness, and good and stands in contrast to darkness.
And we also see that the Word became flesh. (v14) 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.
Jesus has come into the world and He has made a way through the cross for us to have life. This is how He demonstrates His fullness of “grace and truth”.
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