The Gospel of John
Lesson 1 – John 1:1-5
V. 1-3
As we come to the Book of John we see that John begins his
argument or declaration for the faith with some bold statements. It is as if by
making such bold statements right from the beginning he is saying to us that if
you continue past this point with him, listening to him that you may have a
chance to understand and believe.
He begins by taking us back to very beginning. Not the
beginning of his story. Not the beginning of his encounter or experience as you
might expect. And, not even to the beginning of history. But, he takes us back
to the beginning of all things. Wow! What a bold statement. His first sentence!
As John begins it is clear that John is not making his argument toward the
Jews, for if he was he would have lost most if not all of them right here
because of the way he presents God to us in this first verse.
You will notice that in Mathew’s Gospel that Matthew opens
his argument focused toward the Jews with a beginning statement as to the
genealogical origin of Jesus. But, not John. Remember, John is writing his
account some 40 years later than Matthew’s account and some 20 to 30 years
after the rest of the New Testament had been written. John is a late comer. He
had probably seen or at least heard of most of the Biblical documents in
circulation. This in all likely hood influenced John’s writing. But, probably
the biggest influence in John’s writing was experience. He had lived a lifetime
of years well seasoned with experience in the faith and memories of his
encounters with Christ.
John is writing to the world and he plainly begins not with
a connection to any one nation or to the beginning of mankind on the earth, but
to the beginning of everything. The Holy Spirit knowing the possible arguments
that we or any future generation of mankind might throw up in defense of our
argument moved John to confront us right here. This very first sentence is
John’s statement and premise on which he wants us to believe. The rest of this Gospel is his proof
offered to us that his premise is true.
He begins by stating the clear truth as to what he is saying
and where he is going with his account. It is right here where many including
almost all cult followings depart going another direction. For in believing
John’s beginning premise it is hard to argue against the rest of his message.
For if we agree, or even give way to the possibility that his premise might be
so then we might take the time to listen to his argument in the end deciding also
what we believe.
But, for those who have already made up their mind not to
believe they either have to avoid this truth that is here in the beginning of
John or they have to alter this verse from its original text as some have tried
to do. He begins with a truth that is hard to get past if you are not looking
for the truth. Nicodemus, a Pharisee, a religious leader, is one who came
looking for the truth. We will see his initial encounter with Christ in chapter
3. But, most of the Pharisees would deny this Gospel holding onto their manmade
religion trying to justify their ritual and their way. It is hard to find the
truth if you are not looking for it.
As we come to this first verse in John it is good to begin
with a question, for the rest of the book unfolds from this initial point. What
is his statement in this first sentence/verse? What is he actually saying? He
begins by using an interesting term that most Bible commentators find it hard
to define as to what John is actually referring to. But, moved by the Holy
Spirit, John uses one word interestingly enough to name the Being that he is
going to tell us about. (God)
John did not come up with this Name by himself. It was God
who moved John to use the word ‘Word’
to name Himself. In beginning this
book, it is like the word ‘Word’ coming
out of eternity past standing by itself as the full declaration of God and who
this God is. Imagine that! One word containing the ‘full’ representation’
of God. In one word God declares Himself and in one word God represents
Himself. If you think about it, it is not unlike the fullness of God being
found in one man. Read Col. 1:19 Think of it. How can the fullness of God
possibly be squeezed into one man??Again, think of it. The full expression of
God found in one ‘Word’.
It is also no different than the name God chose for Himself
when He called Himself by the name ‘I AM’. In that case He used two words just
about saying it all. John, in actuality God, used words to convey to us Who God
is. If you think of it using the one word ‘Word’ is definitive,…and yet this
one word is infinite. It is not being restrictive, and yet, it is all inclusive
of any group of words used to describe who God is.
Having the name or expression for God as ‘Word’ allows us to
experience God for Who He is in any direction, precept or principle that
applies to Him. Using other additional words to convey God to us would restrict
the Fullness of God to one or several attributes or concepts concerning God not
relaying to us all the other attributes that make God God. He used the one word
‘Word’ as an all inclusive descriptive term similar to the vastness of
expression and meaning in the term ‘I AM’.
A good example of this in a secular arena of what I am
saying might be the use of the term ‘computer’. By stating the term or one
‘word’ computer you can go in any direction on this topic describing aspects or
attributes of computers on any level or tangent that is pertinent taking us
down paths of discussion or thought or revelation that can be seemingly
endless. John using this one Word puts
God in focus for us beginning our journey. In this case less said truly is
more, think of it!
In Jn. 1:1-2 he uses the two first verses to pin down for us
exactly Who he is referring to as he begins his account. Again right here is
where many veer off heading in another direction unable to at least consider
John’s beginning statement. It is here where many will leave and go somewhere
else looking to find some justification for their beliefs not wanting to accept or consider John’s statement.
Some will even try to change what John is saying making it
try to align with their beliefs. But, John in these first two verses makes it
clear to us exactly Who he is talking about, putting his expression of God
before us in such a way that we can begin to behold Him!
In verse one he says three things about God. First he gives
us a reference point taking us back to a specific point. As you read the first
two verses, however, you will get the impression that John is actually taking
us back to this point because it is as far back as we can go in our
understanding of God. Past that point is hard for us to conceive. But, John in
reality brings us back to this point and asks us by his further declarations to
stand here on this reference point and ‘look back over the edge’ so to speak, and
look ‘into the ‘deep’, …seeing a vast chasm larger than the vast expanse of the
universe.
After taking us back to the beginning of all things, he tags
the One he is referring to as ‘the Word’ to the one word we associate with
being responsible for all things…God or I AM. He tells us that this Word he is
referring to not only knew about God, but in actuality knew Him. In stating it
the way that John does he intimately connects this ‘Word’ with God personally
in a relationship very closely associated like a family relationship, saying in
essence that ‘the Word’ and God knew each other intimately.
He continues in the last part of this verse making a third
declaration concerning the One he is talking about. In this third declaration
he comes right out and makes the statement that this Word is in actually God
raising the bar of expectation of proof as John shares his encounter with us
concerning Christ.
Some would pose the question here ‘Why did John take three
steps to get to his final point or declaration?’ How John begins his Gospel is
important from another perspective. In beginning his Gospel this way he also
makes a fourth declaration to us, a bonus declaration so to speak. He makes a
strong statement concerning this God expressing Himself in the Trinity having
three distinct Personalities, yet being One God. This is a theme that we will
see throughout John’s Gospel as well as the other Gospels. In stating the first
two verses to us in this way he, John, makes the point that this Word that he
is talking about is separate and distinct in personality and yet at the same
time is complete and full being the One true God, a mystery too hard for man to
wrap his mind around.
This is a testimony to me that John is giving us the full
story here in his account. The concept of the trinity for a Jew is a hard
concept to embrace and yet you will see John refer to the different Persons of
the Trinity many times in his gospel. To me this is proof that he is not just
highlighting and embracing those things that he can identify with, putting his
spin on things.
Yet, as we will see, John as well as the other writers of
the Scriptures will encourage us to embrace the entire fullness of God through faith. Here in these first two verses John
expresses to us the complete fullness of God using words or ‘the Word’ to
reveal Him to us. As we will see John will continue to use words to take us
further in our understanding of the One he walked with.
V. 3-5
When you get close to someone you get to know them pretty
good and as you get to know them better you either lose faith in them and what
they stand for or you stand up for who they say they are or for what they are
known for. Even if you know them well and support them or believe in their
cause, you still get to know their shortcomings and weaknesses sometimes
overlooking them, but not denying that they have them. However, it seems that
John as he got closer to Jesus he saw that there was much more to this man than
even he saw at first.
He continues in the next few verses broadening the
foundation of understanding about the One he is referring to. He makes another
bold statement here in v. 3. He states that ‘everything’ that we see and know
and also what we don’t know that is were made by Him, the Word. This would
include things on the earth as well as in the heavens. But, this would also
include things unseen or not known to us. In the last part of the first chapter
of the book of Ephesians in v. 21 Paul refers to principalities, powers and
dominions suggesting to us that there are places and things that are real that
we do not see as humans nor is in our realm of experience. We do not perceive
them. Here in v. 3 John gives this Word he is talking about credit for creating
and making even those places Paul is referring to in Ephesians by making the
statement that all things were made by Him and goes further making it clear
that there was nothing made that was not made by Him.
In v. 4 he shares another aspect of His part in creation.
Here in v. 4 he credits the One he is talking about with the essence of the
magic of ‘Life’. In our realm of
experience in life here on earth there are two major groups of things that are
known to us as humans, material non living and material living. For some reason
if we were just make the claim of a man putting together non living matter we
might give some credence to the possibility of the thought of that being
possible for man has proved himself here. But, to the creating of life, that is
something else.
Man having the ability to take different material things and
to craft, tool or chemically alter them to produce something complex and much
different to the original components comes into the possibility of mans
acceptance. But, giving life to those things is a whole different animal. The
giving of life is only credited with God or divinity, and here John gives this
Word who walked on earth as a man the credit for all life. We will soon see
that he is referring to Christ here in this verse (v. 14). He refers to this
life as the Light of men, the light that turns on the body at birth and turns
off the same at death.
However, in v. 5 he uses another descriptive term that he
attributes to the Word that he talked about in v. 1, saying that this Word is responsible
for the light that shines into darkness. It is interesting that he couples v.4
and 5 together here. One could take v. 5 to mean he is referring to the light
that shines in any darkness, for we know that light overcomes darkness in
almost any application. But, coupling it with v. 4 he appears to be referring more
to the light of God overcoming the darkness found in man saying that the light
will have its way in the heart of man. This light will either win in the
outcome being either a change of heart in the ‘New Birth’ as explained in the
first part of chapter 3 of John or will win resulting in judgment, Jn. 3:18.
Here in v. 5 John tells us that light will win and will have its way in either
case, but the outcome for the created thing may be different.
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