Reflection on John 1:1-18

John doesn't start with the birth of Jesus as a human baby. John extends to the far reaches of eternity past, to the eternal intimacy shared by the Father and His glorious Son, through whom the Father created all things, and for whom the Father created all things. He is the Creator of all people, to whom all people are accountable, yet He is human and graciously near to us so we can know Him if we desire.

"In the beginning was the Word." The past tense "was" emphasizes Christ's past continuous existence. Jesus Christ is eternal. Before the world was created and time began, He was there.

"The Word was with God." The word "with" suggests the relationship and communion of the distinct eternal persons, the Son and the Father.

"The Word was God." God the Son has always possessed the same nature as God the Father. All the Father's attributes are also attributes of the Son. The deeds and words of Jesus are deeds and words of God. The deity of Jesus Christ is basic to Christian faith. We first need to recognize Him as the Lord, God then to confess Him as our Savior.

John speaks of Jesus as the Word which contains far more layers of meaning than the English language can translate into a single word. The Word is the true source of all wisdom and unstoppable creative power.

"He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not any thing made that was made." The Son shared with the Father His place when all things were created. The word "through Him" tells us the Word is the agent or the means of creation. Jesus Christ sustains all things simply by His powerful word. Without Him the universe would not exist. This is true not only of the vast universe, but of each individual life.

"In Him was life, and the life was the light of men." Christ the Word is the source of life, spiritual as well as physical. True life from God lives out in relationship with Him and in obedience to His will. This kind of life shines with light which is God"s righteousness. Light describes the whole realm of reality that is dominated by God and known through Jesus Christ. On the other hand, everything that is not righteousness is darkness caused by sin. The darkness of sin resulted in spiritual death and physical death. From the moment the first man and woman chose to distrust God and disobey Him, all people have walked in spiritual darkness. But however deep the darkness in the world is, it cannot overcome the light of the glory of God in face of Jesus Christ. "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." If we are "in Christ" by faith and He is in us, the light in us is greater than the darkness that may around us.

God sent John the Baptist to prepare the world to believe in the light of the incarnate Word, Jesus Christ. "The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world." This speaks of the incarnation of Christ the Word. Jesus Christ, the true light of the world, came into the world, becoming man to "give light to everyone." 

"He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, yet the world did not know Him." The world refers to the system of society or sphere of human life that choose to live apart from God. For in every age, the majority of the human race lives in alienation from its Creator. They love darkness instead of light because their deeds are evil.

"He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him." This refers to Jews, the people to whom God entrusted His Old Testament. Sadly, the majority of them refused to have Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Today, those same words might apply to many who are born in a Christian home or who have some church affiliation. 

"But to all who did receive Him, who believe in His name, He gave the right to become the children of God, who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." Faith in Christ is never merely a man-made resolution or emotional impulse. New birth is a completely new life from above, a new creation. God creates eternal life within a person who by faith given by God receives Christ. All who receive Christ become children of God. No one inherits through their physical family the right to be God's child. We must whole heartedly believe Him and receive Him to receive the title and rights of being His child.

"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 witnessed this personally, saw the very glory of God in the man Jesus Christ. The human body of the Lord was the vehicle of His earthly ministry. The human mind, emotions, will, words and actions of the Lord Jesus, who was attached the very same time the unique Son of God, revealed God's grace and truth perfectly.

"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." As God's plan unfolded, true believers receive Christ into their innermost beings. The first blessing we receive from Christ when we believe becomes the foundation of more blessing as we embrace Christ more and more. We will never exhaust the grace of God. Before the coming of Jesus, our understanding of God is limited. Moses's law can only mirror siners' inability to keep God"s perfect commands. After the coming of Jesus, we are offered grace, God's undeserved favor through Christ. God forgives our sin of transgressing His law in His grace in Christ. Christ is the truth to which all the Old Testament symbolism and ceremonies pointed and their fulfillment as well. We are offered truth which is the gospel in grace of Christ.

"No one has ever seen God, the only God, who is at the Father"s side, he has made him known." Throughout all ages, to see God has been the deepest desire of God's people. Now we can see God in Christ. Out of the most deep, eternal intimacy, Jesus Christ makes God known to believers. To see the Son is to see the Father. Jesus Christ declares or demonstrates in every aspect of His person every aspect of God Himself.

When we come to Jesus Christ to try to understand God, we also need to humbly embrace our limitation of understanding. It could be caused by our level of spiritual maturity. The first eighteen verses of the Gospel according John have so much truth beyond our understanding can reach, but definitely within our faith to reach. So we need faith to grasp the truth.

As we read the gospel, shall we ask God to shine spiritual light into the dark places of our heart and mind? Everyday we need the gospel to drive away darkness in our heart. I know that I have darkness somewhere in my heart as long as I live on the earth. I need the light of gospel everyday.