John 1:1

In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Can I be honest? I listened to these words for years without really understanding them. They are often used at Christmas carol services, and they seemed very mysterious to me. John would have been saddened by my reaction because for him and his readers, it was obvious. Everyone knew what he meant by ‘the Word’ or the Logos. This was an expression often used in Greek philosophy which shaped the thinking of his day. He was saying that Jesus was nothing less than God himself, and that when God spoke to the world, he did so in the form of his Son Jesus, the Word.

This reminds us of the very beginning of the Bible, where we learn that God created the world. When God spoke, something happened. On day one he said: “Let there be light,” and there was light. There isn’t a distinction between the word and the action. When God sent Jesus as the Word, we see him acting in the most powerful way to bring life to the world.

John is very clear about the purpose of his Gospel. He isn’t writing a philosophical textbook but offering an introduction to his friend Jesus. He wants his readers to understand that if they want to know what life is all about, they need to meet Jesus. They need to receive the life he came to bring through believing in his name. In the other three Gospels, we hear about Jesus meeting many different people, but these encounters are all told very briefly. John’s Gospel is different. Here, we find Jesus having long conversations with people. We learn that his purpose was to get alongside people, however complicated their circumstances, and to bring them new life. Jesus is doing exactly the same today. He wants to come alongside us, amid all the complexity of our lives, and show us how he can bring us his abundant life today – a life which is so rich and wonderful that it will never come to an end.

Question

In what ways has meeting with Jesus changed your life?

Prayer

Loving heavenly Father, I worship you because you spoke to the world by sending Jesus as your Son. Thank you that in him I can find life today. Amen