Today’s lesson is from the Gospel of John, a book penned by the ‘Beloved disciple’ and believed to be one of the last books of the New Testament to be written.  Given this consideration, it is easy to understand why John wrote a gospel that was very different from that written by Matthew, Mark and Luke. Of course we must be mindful that the gospel writers, as all writers of the Scriptures, wrote under the influence of the Holy Spirit. 

Apparently since the other Gospels had already dealt at length with the issues of Jesus’ birth, baptism, temptation in the wilderness, confrontation with demons, parables, the Last Supper, the agony in Gethsemane and the Ascension to Heaven, John's Gospel omits any discussion on these subjects. 

In his own words he tells us that he focuses on writing about matters which would show that Jesus was the Christ, or the Messiah, the Son of God; with the intent that believing in him would bring life.  He plainly states this in John 20: 30-31. 

So as not to give any false impressions about what Jesus actually did, he tells us that Jesus did many other signs or miracles in the presence of his disciples, other than those he writes about in his gospel.  In fact he tells us that we would need a great, many books to record what Jesus did, so his gospel was not intended to be an exhaustive account of Jesus’ words or actions. 

Given the references in the gospel, it is generally believed that John was an old man when he wrote this gospel from the city of Ephesus, his adopted hometown after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in A.D. 70. 

Strikingly John places great emphasis in his gospel on what Jesus said and did in Jerusalem, generally avoiding discussion of Jesus' ministry in Galilee, given that the other three Gospels dealt with that ministry at great length.  John attached a great deal of significance to Jerusalem and the work of Jesus in that city. 

John's emphasis determined his selection of material about Jesus, for this old and probably last surviving Apostle, concentrates on adding insights and reflections on things that the other gospel writers did not include in their writings, but which were clearly etched in his memory. 

It was obviously very important to John that the second generation of disciples who did not know Jesus personally, understand clearly that Jesus was God and that he had come from Heaven. John highlights seven significant sign miracles of Jesus to prove his point, with six of them not even mentioned in the other Gospels. When we read the Gospel of John therefore and then go back to read the other Gospels, we see these other Gospels in a new light. 

He also has Jesus speaking about himself in seven dramatic and most unusual ‘I am’ statements; language which clearly speaks of divinity, and which could only be meaningfully uttered by God. 

In the first chapter he produces four witnesses who testify to Jesus identity.  Throughout the rest of the book he constantly brings forward witnesses who testify that Jesus is most unusual and is in fact God. 

So John begins with a summation of the book.  He then explores the many ideas introduced in the summation, namely, the identity of the ‘Word’, the concepts of life, light, grace, truth, regeneration, as well as the revelation from God, that the Father has revealed himself through Jesus the Son.  

John presents Jesus as the most radical and revolutionary character in human history.  He was such a pivotal and powerful personality that human beings will never forget Jesus of Nazareth.  More has been written about Jesus than any other person.   

John wrote in a society steeped in Hellenistic philosophy.  He also had to contend with Jewish philosophical thinking.  So he writes with his feet planted in two worlds and he deals with issues from the viewpoint of both, moving from one to the other. John pointedly presents Jesus as the one to which both worlds should look for salvation.

John writes in very blunt and clear language.  His stories are simple, so that everyone can understand what he is saying.  He does not want the succeeding generations to misunderstand anything.  It is clear that he deals with profound matters, which even great philosophers have examined and grappled to no satisfaction. 

It should be stated here that the Greeks concept of God differed considerably from that of the Hebrews.  The Greek gods were not much different from men, but they were very powerful and very detached from the affairs of men.  They were unmoved by the experiences of men, their struggles, heartaches, fears and joys and had an amazing lack of feeling.  They did not seem to care too much for men, except in certain rare circumstances and even though they exhibited many human traits, they were almost like divine supermen and superwomen who were not very nice. 

John uses a concept that was well known to the Hellenistic world, namely that of the “Logos”. In the introduction to his gospel, he personalizes this concept, using it to portray a God that was very involved with men, very caring, very loving and very giving; to the point that he became incarnate within his creation.  This was definitely not a Greek type of God, or as they are commonly thought, a principle which was expressed in natural laws.  This was not simply the Hellenistic all pervading principle or the rational principle of the universe. 

Those exposed to the common cultural ideas would know that this was a radically new way of looking at the mind of God and the thought of God. Here was a God that cared passionately about people. He was one that was willing to make the extreme sacrifice through Jesus Christ and make the sign of the ‘cross’ an emblem of his love and affection for his creation. 

THE TEXT

Verse 1.   “In the beginning was the Word,” 

We must understand that John is about to introduce Jesus. He does not at first speak directly about him, but describes him using a commonly known concept. One writer describes the word translated “Word” as follows:

“The Greek philosophers saw the Logos as the power that puts sense into the world, making the world orderly instead of chaotic.  The Logos was the power that set the world in perfect order and kept it going in perfect order.  They saw the Logos as the “Ultimate Reason” that controlled all things.” 

The Jewish rabbis and the other Jewish intellectuals were of course very aware of this concept.  In their approach they often referred to God in terms of his word, often speaking of God himself as the “Word of God”. 

One writer points out the interesting fact that ancient Hebrew editions of the Old Testament, for example the Palestinian Targum, record Exodus 19: 17 as: “Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet the word of God”, rather than our translation:

“And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God….” 

Jews were quite familiar with the use of the term ‘word’ as a designation for God and even though John does not use the term in the same way as the Targum, they would easily associate John's use of the term ‘word’ with theirs. It would also point Jewish minds to the fact that Genesis 1:1 speaks of God creating by his word. 

It is apparent that John intends to bring both Jew and Greek around to the idea, that whatever they had been discussing or thinking about with respect to the Word or the Logos, the proper meaning of the word would be found in Jesus of Nazareth. 

John's statement indicates that his reference is about a person.  The Word is a pronoun relating to an individual.  John's statement therefore is that there is a Being known as the ‘Word’. 

John indicates that the ‘Word’ was in the beginning, meaning  he is eternal. This phrase ‘in the beginning’ is the same as in Genesis 1: 1. The beginning tells or provides us with some perspective as to the time that the ‘person’ existed from or before.   

Note that John at this stage does not use the name Jesus, for Jesus is the human name given to that person born of the Virgin Mary and so it applies only after the incarnation. The “Word” however, existed before the incarnation and clearly would have had to take on human flesh at some point, in time.  We are hereby introduced to the fact of our Lord's pre- existence.  The Word had a history before He came to earth. 

This was written to provide us with the idea of the eternity that is associated with God, something or someone who is essentially outside our normal conception of time.  

“the Word was with God,”.  This statement exists to again indicate a few details about the person.  The Word, this Being, this individual was present with God before, or at the beginning.  This person necessarily had intimate knowledge of God and had clearly seen God, as he had been with God.   

The Father and the Word, which we are later told is the Son, are distinct Persons.  The Father is not the Son and the Son is not the Father, yet we are told that they are equally God. 

This should give us a sense of the power, knowledge and uniqueness of this Word, this individual.   

The last portion of the verse then tells us plainly that “the Word was God”, which is to say that it was not the same Person or Being, ‘God’ that was mentioned at the beginning of the verse, but that this other individual entity that existed was also God.  

There are grossly misleading translations that translate John 1:1 to say that “the word was a god”. This approach to Greek grammar and translation is not defensible especially in view of the fact that they do not consistently translate “God” as “god” in every place, but only when it suits their particular doctrinal belief.  It is safe to say that no reputable Greek scholar renders the translation as “the Word was a god”.  No believer in God at any time would ever say that there was another “god” with God in the beginning or at any other time. That translation in addition is considered to be grammatically impossible. 

Those who deny that Jesus is God, mistranslate Scripture and deny the many other Scriptures which support the teaching that Jesus is God, are really introducing polytheism or multiple gods.  There is no such thing in Christianity.  

There is plurality in the Godhead, for all the Beings that are called God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are one in nature, share the same divine essence, the same power and attributes, think alike, know intimately the mind of each other, are never in disagreement, all existing in glory in eternity, so three Persons make up “God”. 

It is clear from John's statement that the “Word” was in the beginning with God and that this obviously is very significant from the Greek or Hebrew point of view.

Verse 2.   The second verse is there to reinforce the first verse in saying that the Word was in the beginning with God and separate Personalities are in view. He existed in the beginning, he already was.

The word used for ‘with’ implies not just proximity but intimate personal relationship, personal intercourse.  See the use of the word in Mark 6:3, 9:19, 2 John 12.  So the Word was literally face-to-face with God. 

This verse also serves to profess the ideas of verse three.   The intention of the writer is to clearly state that this entity, this Word, was and is to be regarded as someone who is equal in power and authority to God. 

Verse 3.   The Word was the active agent in creation.  The Word was the one who acted to create all that is.  It is not to say that the one who was previously referred to as God could not have created if that was the desire, but that it was left to the Word, who was also God, to accomplish this task.  

The statement that he created all things that were created indicates that he himself was not created.

Note also that the  “all” things, did not just include the planets, vegetation and man, but refers in an extensive way to every single thing that was created, including what can be seen and what is not seen, including all principalities and powers.  Only God was not created. 

The other part of the verse indicates that the Word was the individual who created, or made everything.  That would mean that from the point in time when things were created, all the things that were to be created were done then, or was decided on to exist at that point in time.  Time began at this point, since God and the Word would have had not need to measure time, given the fact that they were eternal. 

The implication of all this is staggering, for since the Word spoke all these things into being, the amazing God-Man, Jesus of Nazareth is the only man who understood all of creation. He understands how it functions and since he spoke it into being, he is able to preserve it, guide it, protect and direct it.  He has all the power necessary to hold all things together. 

Since he came as a man and experienced everything that men experienced, he is certainly well able to deal with all the problems that we encounter, to establish us and to keep us, to put all the other powers hostile to Him and to us under subjection and present us faultless before his Father. Nothing is outside of his purview our experience. Obviously nothing can separate us from the love of this kind of Being.

Verse 4.  “In him was life….”connects the ideas brought forth in verse three that the Word created everything.  Inanimate objects do not require life, but animate objects must have a source that sustains them throughout their existence.   

The Word is said to be the source of this life and it is said that the Word is life.  The Greek word used here for life is “zoe” and this refers to “the life principle”, and not to just biological life.  The word for that is “bios”.   

So John is speaking about life, the light of men, both spiritual and natural light. This life is a higher form of life, higher than plant life or animal life and we are told that Jesus is the source.  He tells us that Jesus is both life and light.  The clear implication is that John is probably also talking about ‘eternal life’.

Psalm 36:9 explains what John is really talking about, and that states:

“For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light.” 

This is very important in terms of the control that we believe that we have over our lives.  It is as though we have taken out a ‘lease’ on our lives, the very breath that we breathe.  The Word is the one who controls the life that is within us and it would be for that reason alone that He desires praise, honour and respect.   

The second part of the verse states that for men to truly be one with God, they must follow the one who knows how to get there, i.e. the Kingdom of Heaven.  That is to follow Him.   

Clearly some sort of hierarchical structure was set up, so that the Word would be the one to whom people would look in order to attain salvation.  The Word is the one who is to point and lead the way to God.  The Word is the one who is to bring understanding about God, the world and self to us, so that we may be able to worship God in the appropriate fashion.   

This concept of divine light is most important, for we get both life and light from Christ.  If we have life in only the limited, narrow sense, we would never be able to understand the world and to enjoy it as we should and neither would we ever have the blessing of eternal life with Christ.  So John wants us to understand this now, that Jesus is the center of our faith.  Without him we are dead and in darkness, lost.  Light is therefore associated with the Word as in Genesis 1:1.  He is the one who removes chaos.

Verse 5.   When the light shines in the darkness it dispels darkness, making all things clear and visible. Darkness cannot overcome the light.  It is stated that the darkness did not comprehend what was happening.  The darkness can relate to many things on many different levels.  It could relate to actual absence of light.  It could also relate to the state of darkness that man entered when sin came into the world, being separated from God.  In that sense light is the only remedy for this particular ailment.  The Word is the light that is reaching out to bring understanding to people.      

It is certain that the light shines.  It is also pointed here that there is a struggle between light and darkness, or belief or unbelief in the world.   

This theme that Jesus is “light” is a powerful one.  It is also prophetic, for when Jesus came as the “light” to dispel the darkness in the world, he left his disciples and those who believed in him to maintain this “light”, while he was away.  The light continues to shine through the people of God.  The forces of darkness unsuccessfully  seek to overcome, or conquer the “light”.

The word that is translated “comprehend” has certain subtle meanings, and different Bible translations try to accommodate.  The translations put together give us a good idea as to the range of meaning that John intended us to have.

The NIV translates this verse ; “The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness does not understand it.” 

The NRS states in this way: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” 

The NEB translates it:.“The light shines on in the dark, and the darkness has never quenched it.” 

So we get the idea that some men are lost and are unable to grasp what Jesus brought into the world, even though he illuminated their sin and need for redemption.  The world chose to remain in its sin, and even tries to overcome the light with their opposition. 

  See this idea in 2 Corinthians 4:3-6.

Verse 6-7.    Since the darkness could not seize, understand, or overcome the light, it was good that a witness came to bring the light, to help those in darkness grab hold of the “light”.

So John makes this very important statement that there is a witness; John the Baptist came and he was that man.  This was to distinguish him from God. 

Note that this first witness never performed a miracle or gave any signs.  He simply preached and baptized.  The world was so deep in darkness that he had the job of witnessing to the light, so that those hurting and lost would believe. He would have to somehow get the light or the truth down to earth in plain fashion, so that the darkness could grasp it. 

Hence we can appreciate the dramatic kind of ministry that John the Baptist had.  He did not come in the way that the world would love or expect, but came in a shocking but very attractive manner.  People were automatically attracted to him, despite the plain, unvarnished, but painful truth that he brought. 

Note that in his gospel John uses the term “witness” thirty-two times as a verb and fourteen times as a noun.  This concept was very important to him. 

Then he used the word “believe” approximately one hundred times in the gospel.  He makes it plain that for a person to receive the gift of eternal life, one must believe. So John the Baptist came to focus on the ministry of Christ before the “light” began to dawn. 

He had to come and as it were tell people the ABC’s.  He had to preach these at them:

-Admit your need first.

-Then believe in the Coming One who gives life and light.

-Then correct your behaviour given the reception of this new life and new light from God.

These then are the ABC’s.  That is where the truth starts.  Only then can one move on.

Verse 8.   Once again we see the emphasis that John the Baptist was not the “light” or the source of light.  This of course began to emphasize that there was an incarnation. The ‘life and light’ came in such a way that it was seen and recognized.  So it was necessary for Jesus to come as a man, looking like one of us, so that people would relate to him.  First he had to have a witness to point him out to men. 

It was most important that the witness was not seen as the “light”.  Those that testify must testify in power.  This powerful testimony might leave people to think that they should focus on the witness. John knew better, and he denied himself and preached Christ. 

When we talk about Christ, we should never do anything to elevate ourselves or take any of the glory. 

Remember too that people do know that there is a God, whether or not they accept and verbalize it.  So they unconsciously are always looking for charismatic people who tell them that there is a way out of their darkness.  They try to hold onto them, put them on a pedestal and stop short of focusing on the true source of life.  The Devil encourages that stopping short of the truth. 

So John the Baptist used the right approach, denying himself and pointing to Christ.  The Apostle John emphasizes that correct approach.

Verse 9.   The true light is now described as entering into the world of men and engaging in human affairs.  So we are advised that there was another world, different from this one and Jesus now comes into this world as a messenger from the heavenly world. 

The Creator now came and stood in our world and he was the true light, with the ability to show men the true light of divine knowledge.

Verse 10.    This verse tells us or implies that the world was capable of knowing him.  He had had a witness and now he came to demonstrate his nature, stilling the storms, the winds and waves, feeding people, curing them of disease and doing other marvellous things. 

So we are immediately faced with the extent of the darkness of the world and the blindness of men.  It is startling to think that the one who was both light and word, the Creator, came and the response to him was not very great.

Verse 11.   We are told literally that he came to claim what was His, (his own thing or place, this being a particular word used in the neuter gender), and he came to his own people, associates, relatives, family, and they did not receive him (this word own is grammatically different). One translation makes it clear in this way:

“He came to what was his own, but his own people do not receive him.”

“Receive” here means to receive with favour, acceptance and welcome.  He was not embraced and taken into their heart. 

Notice that this that was required of his own was very simple, they were to simply receive him and believing on his name.  We would have thought that the people, his people, that had looked for the Messiah for such a long time would have eagerly welcomed Christ.  After all, he did everything that the Messiah was to do.   

Scripture foretold what the Messiah Redeemer would be like and also that he would bring them great gifts, not that they were going to give him great gifts.  The important thing was what the Messiah would give to them. There was no reason for them not to recognize him.  All his life was a testimony to who he was and he had a witness. 

Notice though that receiving Christ meant they had to take a distinctive step, personally separating themselves from others.  They could not depend on their father, mother, or family to do that for them.

They had to come to relate to the Person.  This was to be a personal relationship.

It appears that they mostly were the people in the parable of the wicked tenant farmers in Matthew 21: 33-46.

Verse 12.  Lest we get discouraged that his own people did not accept and welcome Him, let us know that there were some that received Him, that embraced and welcome him.  He was not a failure.   

The world generally rejected him, the Jews generally denied that he was Messiah, but some believed and so though it seemed that everything was totally lost and the life of Jesus was a failure, nevertheless God produced a new humanity from his work and life. 

This was good news.  The rejection of the light did not thwart the purposes of God.  As one writer says John is telling us that God is not in the hands of angry sinners.  In fact we must realize that we are dealing with “Sinners in the hands of an angry God”. 

Those that received him received something great.  Those that believed on His name received much more that they expected.  They believed and they received. 

They had come to the living waters and received the light.  Faith in the person of Christ proved that they were ‘sons of God’, now under no condemnation and removed from with the wrath of God. 

So salvation is a very simple business. Receive Christ and believe on His name. 

Now comes the delightful part.  When we believe in Jesus, the Father is willing to let us be His children.  He is ready to welcome the prodigals. 

When people believes in Jesus, the Father no longer regards us as slaves, strangers, aliens, enemies, but gives us the status of sons. 

We are adopted into a great family and are now greatly loved.  Since we are given the nature of the Father, He gives us more and more of righteousness and true holiness, so that by His divine Spirit in our hearts we are transformed more and more into the image of his Son.

Verse 13.   So that we will not ever mistakenly think that our new status is something that we brought on ourselves by our own goodness, John reminds us that this is a new birth.   

This birth was not something brought about by sexual desire and activity, nor was it from genetic contribution of parents, nor was it from human volition. 

This was God's sovereign gift to man.  It was not dependent on man's achievement. This was a supernatural divine miracle. 

This heavenly birth is a most mysterious matter.  It cannot really be explained.  But we do know that because of it, we are given the status of children and in addition the privilege of being called his son, a most glorious privilege. 

This makes us no longer ‘born of sin’, born ‘children of wrath’ but now we are born as God's children.  This is a radical change, not a repair, a touching up, or a little washing.  It is more than a total renovation, for it is deep, thorough and most complete.  It leads to the ‘new man’ who will one day resemble the Lord. 

Let us hasten to say that since it is done by the will of God everyone has hope to be born again.  Our ancestry or bloodline has nothing to do with it nor can it stop us from being ‘born again’.  The will of men and their opinions cannot stop us from being ‘born again’.  Neither can anything related to the ‘flesh’ prevent us. 

All we have to do is to receive Jesus, welcome and accept Him.

Verse 14.  So here comes the radical part for both Jews and Gentile.

The Word or the Logos was made fully human, he became flesh.  The one who made the universe became a man.  This was the climax.  

The Word was eternal, was there at creation and was the Creator.  He was in intimate fellowship with God the Father and was distinct from Him, yet unimaginably close.  He was the source of life and light.  He was God.  He came to shine on men. 

Jesus was not like the gods in the pagan religion that came down to earth in some form.  He was not like men who promised that they would become gods.  It was astounding that the Word did actually become flesh and lived among men, God taking on humanity.  He actually tabernacle with his people, showing perfect humanity as well as his glory and his disciples and others saw the glory.   

John says that he was an eyewitness and so he could testify that this was the Word that was made flesh and displayed the glory that would belong to the only begotten of the Father. 

“Only begotten” means not simply a metaphysical relationship but only child, the unique one, one-of-a-kind and reflects the unique character of the relationship between Father and Son.  It stresses relationship in John.  It does not and cannot refer to any idea that the Son was created, for God has no beginning and no end. 

Verse 15.  John the Baptist witnessed about Jesus and testified that Jesus was the one who existed before time, had priority over him and who comes now to bring light and life.  Jesus was born after John the Baptist, but he existed long before him in eternity past.

Verse 16-18.    John now tells us what Jesus meant to him. God had now revealed himself fully in Jesus Christ.  Everything about God that could be known, would be known by looking at Jesus.  He had come to give grace and to show truth in its completeness. 

The law had been given to show all men how they should live rightly and justly, but now the promised gracious gift was given to enable men to meet that demand.  

God had provided the ‘Tabernacle’, the meeting place where the demands of God would be met by sacrifices to God.  Now the true and living Tabernacle had come and would shed his blood in sacrifice for salvation.  It was His blood and his righteousness that would enable men to please God. 

Both law and grace were gifts of God and had always existed, but Jesus Christ the channel of truth had now come to declare or explain God.

CONCLUSION

The eternal God has never left His creation unattended.  The Gospel of John tells us who the real Jesus is and showed us how he thought and what he did. 

Denying him means death.  He is the center of our faith and we can never forget him.  Everyone must eventually deal with Jesus of Nazareth.  He is the ‘light’ and he is the only one that can remove the ‘darkness’.   

John's Gospel proclaims great truths and we must face all of them.  Jesus is the only one that knows God the Father and who can reveal Him to us and bring us into relationship with Him. 

It is sad to know that Jesus was a stranger in his own house.  He made the House and the people, but that did not matter to them.  May we never make that mistake. 

So we honour the Lord Jesus, the Lord of the universe, the Lord of History, the God-Man who created all things, the Ruler of all nature, the Controller of all powers, visible and invisible, the One who holds all of us in his hands.