John 1:1-18

Author: Ric Jamison

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.  There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.  The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.  The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.  (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ ”) Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

Matthew, Mark, and Luke are known as the three synoptic gospels. The word synoptic means “see-together” and the first three Gospels present the life of Jesus in much the same format. The first three Gospels focus more on what Jesus taught and did.  John focused more on who Jesus is.

· John shows us who Jesus is by highlighting seven signs (miracles) of Jesus. Six of these miracles are not mentioned in the first three gospels.

· John shows us who Jesus is by giving us Jesus’ own words about Himself, expressed in seven dramatic I Am statements. These seven I Am statements were not included in the first three gospels.

· John shows us who Jesus is by giving the testimony witnesses who testify about the identity of Jesus. Four of these witnesses (John, John the Baptist, Peter, and Andrew)  speak in the first chapter alone.

And in the first 18 verses, John tells the world, “Before anything else, there was the Word, who was with God, who was God, and who everything was created through. Through the Word there was life and the light of all mankind. And this Word became flesh, and lived among us. I knew Him as one called Jesus.”

In the beginning, Jesus already was the Word, from the Greek “Logos”.  Philosophers used the “Word” or “Logos” to mean, divine reason that orders the universe. John’s narrative parallels the giving of God’s Word, the law through Moses.

Exodus 33-34                                                                      

1.     The revelation of God’s Word, the Torah.

2.     God dwelt among His people in the Tabernacle (33:10), Moses pleaded that   

God would continue to dwell with them. (33:14-16)

3.     Moses beheld God’s Glory (33:12-23)  

4.     The glory was full of grace and truth. (34:6)

5.     The Law was given through Moses. (34: 1-28)  

6.     No one could see all of God’s glory. (33:20)         

John 1:14-18                                         

1.     The revelation of God’s Word, Jesus.

2.     The Word made His dwelling among the people. (1:14)

3.     The disciples and John the Baptist beheld Jesus’ glory. (1:14)

4.     The glory was full of grace and truth. (1:14)

5.     The Law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. (1:17)

6.     No one could see all of God’s glory (1:18a), but it is fully revealed in Jesus. (1:18b)

What a powerful opening to John’s gospel…Let me tell you about the Word, Logos, the Creator, God; and when He came to dwell among us…bringing grace and truth and the glory of His light.  His name is Jesus.

Ric is a passionate follower of Jesus and loves diving deep into the Word. He was married to his beautiful wife, Sheri, for more than 48 years until her passing in 2019. They have four children and ten grandchildren who bring him loads of joy. Ric has worshipped at Saturn Road since 2010.