In the Beginning

The Gospel

As the dawn of the church begins to illuminate the world to the hope that only comes from faith in Jesus, the good news of Jesus Christ begins to spread like wild fire. Jerusalem is turned upside down in a matter of weeks after the ascension of Christ. The gospel, euangelion, shared by the disciples and the fathers of the early church transformed the landscape of, not only Israel, but Asia Minor and was rapidly spreading across the Roman world. The oral message of the apostles turns into the written words of not only his disciples, but Paul and other writers of truth. As John pens his account, there is great intent in every word. .

John 20:31 NIV

But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

So it with this intention, that we begin this series in John. My hope is that you will experience in full the words of John as he unpacks this journey of chasing after Jesus that consumed not only the three years of physical following, but the many years that followed of proclaiming the truth of Jesus. So John begins his gospel, his good news in the beginning.

John 1:1–5 NIV

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.

John 1:1–2 NIV

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.

John 1:1-

John 1:1-

John intentionally mirrors the very beginning at the beginning of his gospel. This time of the early faith was wrought with false teachings and John does battle with most of them as he places Jesus in the beginning, with God and one with God.

Jesus is the one from whom all was created. There is this picture of God speaking and Jesus forming.

Colossians 1:17 NIV

He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

In Christ alone is life, life that is the fuel for our very souls. In Christ is the fullness of our being, our reason for taking breath.

John 1:6–13 NIV

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.

John 1:6-

John then points to the testimony given of Christ. John the Baptist was sent to testify of Him so that we might believe.

The heart of this gospel is true belief. The greatest distance is from the head to the heart. This journey that we are embarking on is a journey to the heart.

John 1:14–18 NIV

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.

John 1:14-18

Jesus left heaven and took on human flesh that you and I would come to know not only Him, but the Father who sent Him.

Jesus opens our eyes to what was previously hidden from us, what is God like in fullness.

Jesus is not worthy of praise because of what he has done, but because of who he is.

Will you open your heart to believe?