1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:1-4)
I will begin 2014 with a fairly deep study of the Gospel of John.
Thoughts: John was the last of the Gospels written. It is written mainly for Gentiles. The early church of the east and the west testified that the author was John the Son of Zebedee and Salome and had a brother James. John's family was in the fishing business and appeared to have a house in Jerusalem knowing the high priest. John was given the care of his mother Mary by Jesus on the cross, and traditionally cared for her and died in Ephesus.
It is only in later years that scholars began to question the date and author of John- mainly driven by non-believing scholar-skeptics. Some, even up to the 1930s were saying John was written around 200 AD despite early Christian writers quoting some of the Gospel of John. Then the Rylands manuscript of 125 AD was found in Egypt in 1920. This pushed the date to before 90 AD.
Let's look at the text, for the text of John has been used of God to draw people to the Lord for centuries.
The word "logos" (Word) is the Messiah, Jesus,- pre-existent, and omnipotent. The Word (logos-Messiah)was with the Father thus distinct from Him. The Word (logos- Messiah) was at the same time God Himself. Some sects (like the Jehovah's witnesses) add the word "a" in verse one to read: "and the word was a god." But there is clearly no "a" there nor a reason to add it in. Jesus is divine, and as verse 14 says also human (incarne).
John then goes on to mention two of his favorite adjectives for Jesus- life and light. They are similar- for without the light of the sun there would be no life. Without the light of the Son there will be no life. Not only did He create life, but He also gives the second eternal (second birth) life. Evil and darkness may appear to reject Jesus and win- but evil and darkness do not overcome the light of life- the Son of God.
We would do well to not let ourselves be overwhelmed with the evil and darkness around us. As one man- the god-man Jesus- changed the world, so we can make the world better. We reflect the light of Jesus as the moon reflects the sun. We reflect and give the life of Jesus as hold out to a loveless- selfish world- His love. We reflect His life and light as we give the world His hope.
Prayer: Lord, may your light and life shine through me. Thank you for coming to give me hope. May I live in that hope and spread it.
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