In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.
John 1:1-5; 14-18
As we begin the Christmas season, ending one year and preparing for the next, let’s focus our hearts on Jesus. Each week, we’ll look at a different aspect of Jesus’s life:
Week One: Preparing the Way
Week Two: Our Savior is Born
Week Three: Ministry of Jesus
Week Four: The Promises of Jesus
Let’s begin at the beginning, with God’s Word, the opening of Genesis 1:1, and the start of John’s gospel, not referring to a particular moment in time but to a timeless eternity. “Word” means logos in its original form, expressing personality through communication. Words have a creating power, the source of our world, all that we see and feel. As Pastor Mike Cooke loves to say, “Words create worlds.”
By starting the chapter referencing Genesis, John highlights three aspects of God’s Word: Jesus’s preexistence, His distinctiveness, and His deity. In verse two, John emphasizes that Christ existed in the beginning with God; nothing came into existence without Him. Life came through Jesus, His light, the light of us all, shining in the darkness, conquering its milky depths.
John uses the term “life” 36 times in his gospel. The word refers to physical and spiritual life, often coupled with the adjective “eternal,” indicating the power and purpose given to a believer through faith in Jesus. In verse 15, he refers to the Savior when “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” John the Baptist, different from the gospel writer, bore witness to Christ with his ministry. Calling for repentance and baptizing with water, John set the scene for Jesus’s arrival:
“I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”
Matthew 3:11
Jesus, the preexistent Son of God, Creator and Executor of His Father’s will, came in human form to save us from our sins and bond us to the Lord through faith. John introduces us to the manifestation of grace and truth through Jesus; God’s compassion made flesh for us. “The only Son from the Father” (vs. 15) has no equal and fully reveals God to us; no one else can do what Jesus did; the embodiment of grace and truth came to save a sinful world. Our Savior, Lord of all, led with love and continues to save those who place their faith in Him.
Thank God for sending His Son to light the world, overcome darkness, and give us new life in Him.
Prayer:
Lord, thank You for sending grace and truth to us through Jesus. As we begin this Christmas season, help us prepare our hearts to worship the Savior. Remind us of the good works He did for us, and give us hope for the works He will do in the coming days. Please help us center our lives around the season’s true meaning and not get caught up in the things that will pass away. Through Jesus, we find life to the fullest, today and always.
IJNIP. Amen
