Monday - John 1 - The Word

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OHN'S gospel begins like Moses' Pentateuch, "In the beginning God..." In typical Biblical fashion, this is not just a recitation of an old and accepted truth; no, there is a fresh angle. Here God is called "the Word" – most specifically John is pointing to the second person in the Trinity, Jesus Christ; the Son of God.  There is 100% certainty about who John was talking about here. He was talking about Jesus. And yet, without hesitation or apology he describes Jesus as an absolute equal with Jehovah – not just in power and position, but in chronology (John 1:30). In the beginning Jesus created everything that exists. Oh, admittedly He wasn't called Jesus back then, but He was the same person that John (as a disciple) followed for 3.5 years. John knew Him. John knew Him well (1^st John 1). And, what a wonderful introduction we get here in John 1: an erupting flow of doctrinal descriptions brings us directly into the unveiling of Christ's earthly ministry.

Jesus was the life and the light. John knew that. He also realized that MOST people did NOT know that. Of those who did know that Jesus was the Messiah, many did not understand His program of redemption. And, of those who understood, we know that there were many who did not possess saving repentance and faith. Their lack of faith is not God's fault, of course. Jesus has aimed Himself at every person (John 1:9). He made us. He desires to redeem us; all of us! He began His call to redemption by first inviting the Jews to come to Him.  They refused (John 1:11).  But the call continued and continues (John 1:12).