The Gospel of John
Matthew Philip
In the Beginning: 1:1-5
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 all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. -- John 1:1-5, TNIV.
Golden words.
Without hesitation or apology, this power-packed introduction to the fourth gospel leaps to declare Jesus as creator and life-source. Boldly reflecting Genesis 1, the writer in one swift stroke unites the God of the Old Testament with his friend and companion, Jesus. The Jesus who I have seen, heard and touched is fully God, declares John the disciple.
Logos, or “the Word,” was the commonly understood descriptor of the first century Greek mind for divine reason, the agent of creation. Leaning into the prevalent worldview, John wastes no time in grounding the third major element of his prologue: the very life of God is linked to our life as humankind through this person Jesus, the heavenly emissary bridging spiritual and material worlds.
Using a classical writing style for poetic passages, the writer re-words and explains the first five verses of the gospel in the last three verses of his introduction:
Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 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. – John 1:16-18, TNIV
It is impossible to read this prologue without a sense of awe and wonder. The words are majestic; but more amazingly, the message: Jesus, already in loving deep relationship with God, chooses to share that very life of intimate fellowship with all people – with you and me.
My memory is not the best, but among the few things I remember vividly is a moment towards the end of the monsoon season on India’s sub-continent – a cool, pleasant, evening a few years ago. My friend Madhu and I had just finished talking about the wonder of Jesus’ incarnation. After a few minutes of silence, Madhu asked if he could pray. I felt I was in a corner of heaven as Madhu softly thanked Jesus for His love for him and the assurance he felt of being significant in Jesus’ eyes. There was magic in those moments as a Hindu worldview of distant and impersonal gods crumbled in the presence of the loving presence of Jesus’ Spirit.
This memory always brings me great hope. In the darkness of life’s struggles, transitions, and disappointments, we are being offered a quality of life that is divine, intimate, and full of grace and truth. There is always light, and no darkness can overcome it.
In the epistle of 1 John the writer boldly equates the life of Logos to Jesus. He defines eternal life as “fellowship with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3b), and “fellowship with one another” (v.7).
As we grow in our understanding of God’s purposes, fellowship with Him and with others defines the core. May I recommend An Invitation to a Journey, by Robert Mulholland (IVP)? “Discipleship is defined as ‘my’ spiritual life,” Mullholland writes. “We assume we are in control of our relationship with God.” He goes on to define spirituality as a journey of “deepening response to God’s control of our life and being” (p.12). And this journey is to be made not as solo travelers, but with fellow pilgrims.
From a missions perspective, the pattern is simple: God is the initiator of missions, reconciling us to him, and to one another. The central person is the Logos, the central message is the invitation to a life of intimate fellowship with Him and others, and the focus of His attention is His creation, especially all His people.
The essentials are being defined for us as we begin our read through the gospel of John. Welcome, I look forward to our journey together.
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