John 1:1-18
Text: John 1:1-18
“1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 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. 15 (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.’”) 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.”
Internally within the book of John he makes reference to himself as the disciple whom Jesus loves. (13:23, 19:26, 21:7, 20,24) There is no doubt whom the author of the book of John is. He is a direct disciple of Jesus who physically walked with Christ and writes primarily from a first person perspective of Jesus and the direct account surrounding His earthly ministry.
Modern scholarship believes John’s writing occurred somewhere around 90 a.d. and is most likely the last gospel to be written.
From the opening verses John clearly defines who Christ is and how He fits existence from the very beginning. Unique to John’s writing is the directness in which He quickly grounds Christ as the foundation of existence. The way in which John begins his gospel makes sense as John’s connectivity to Christ was so close in personal relationship.
This passage has always hit me with some hard foundational questions regarding my view of life and the world. In intellectual theory I have never had a head problem with this passage. In fact, the more I have studied and grown in my understanding of societal thought and various views of creation, the world, science, the arts, and common normal thinking the more this passage has made head sense to me. My personal problem with this passage is my own heart.
I came to submissive faith at 12 years old. In the 7th grade I realized not just in my head but also in my heart who Jesus is. Jesus is God in the flesh. His life was perfect and I knew both in my head and my heart what He was and what I was not. Jesus is love and in my pre adolescent view of the world around me I realized an inner sense of de-connection that Jesus connected.
My parents ensured I was at church multiple times a week from birth until the age of 12 when I made a personal and public profession of faith in Christ. I just did some quick math and conservative numbers would have me with over 600 plus weeks of hearing about Christ, heaven, hell, sin, and God’s solution within the context of the church body. I recall having watched several peers within the church make professions of faith, be baptized, and continue on in life however for me I just was not ready.
I remember clearly the season of my 7th grade year when something within me truly changed. It was then I spoke with my parents and also my pastor regarding this desire for Christ. I accepted His offer of good to me.
Here is the message I continually want to reiterate. My story with Christ does not stop but officially begins back in 1992. When I read passages such as the opening verses of John I realize that Jesus is foundational in everything. This is hard because in most moments of life I desire to be the center of everything. Often my concerns are what I want to do, what I want to say, what I want to see happen. If not for time spent in God’s Word I would too often seek Corey over Jesus and I have come to learn and truly believe that salvation in Christ is not a one time choice but one that is constant. John has seen and knows the foundations of all and today I am challenged to again reconsider my thoughts and resultant heart initiated actions and ask my self the question, Is Jesus whom I’m truly leaning into and trusting?
