Starting Point

Just to be clear!

Each of the gospels places Jesus in a historic setting, Matthew starts with a geneology that links Jesus to David, Mark starts with John the Baptist preaching, and Luke starts with the prediction of John the Baptists birth and moves through that story that we all learned from watching A Charlie Brown Christmas. John also sets Jesus in a historical setting, but his book begins with something different and it’s important to understand the implications. Because in his prologue John lays out a very important reality. Jesus and all he does has to be viewed through one particular lens if we are going to really be able to understand the Gospel.

Jesus is timeless

John 1:1-5

The Holman Christian Standard Bible Chapter 1

1 In the beginning was the Word, c

and the Word was with God,

and the Word was God.

2 He was with God in the beginning.

3 All things were created through Him,

and apart from Him not one thing was created

that has been created.

4 Life was in Him, i

and that life was the light of men.

5 That light shines in the darkness,

yet the darkness did not overcome it.

is a direct call back to In the Beginning God created the Heavens and the earth. This isn’t talking about a direct moment of time but the fact that Jesus has always been timeless. THe greek word used here is LOGOS

Logos has several meanings but the one that is most often used is that of the spoken word with emphasis on the meaning conveyed not just the sound it makes. It’s an expression of personality in communication. Another meaning is that logos is creative in it’s power. In we read by the word (LOGOS) the lord made the heavens and the stars. JOhn using the word logos when reffereing to Jesus is intentional. It is happening because he wants people all peopole Jew and Greek to understand Jesus is not just some other prophent some other guy but that he was and is and will be. He is etneral. John is stating very clearly that Jesus is God in the Flesh and he does so by saying he was there when this whole thing started. In fact he created this whole thing.

That whole Elijah thing

John 1:6-9

The Holman Christian Standard Bible Chapter 1

6 There was a man named John

who was sent from God.

7 He came as a witness

to testify about the light,

so that all might believe through him.

8 He was not the light,

but he came to testify about the light.

9 The true light, who gives light to everyone,

was coming into the world. s

Elijah comes before the Messiah, this is something that the religous leaders know. John the Baptist said nope I’m not Him, Jesus said Elijah has already come but John was not the reincarnation of Elijah, John came in the spirit and power of Elijah to get people ready to prepare people. John was there to get people ready. He was there to make sure that when Jesus came on the scene people would be able to see him and know who he was. John does what we all are supposed to do. Points people to Jesus, and he does it over and over, even to the point of watching his own followers leave to Follow Jesus, recoginzing that he was going to have a diminishing role in all this as Jesus came on the scene. And yet John knowing all this still would have doubts.

The Holman Christian Standard Bible Chapter 12

3 For by the grace given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think. Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one.

Not just the chosen few!

Soccer tryouts in Florida

John 1:10—13

The Holman Christian Standard Bible Chapter 1

10 He was in the world,

and the world was created through Him,

yet the world did not recognize Him.

11 He came to His own,

and His own people did not receive Him.

12 But to all who did receive Him,

He gave them the right to be children of God,

to those who believe in His name,

13 who were born,

not of blood,

or of the will of the flesh,

or of the will of man,

but of God.

A beginning and an end.

John 1:14-18

The Holman Christian Standard Bible Chapter 1

14 The Word became flesh m

and took up residence among us.

We observed His glory,

the glory as the One and Only Son from the Father,

full of grace and truth.

15 (John testified concerning Him and exclaimed,

“This was the One of whom I said,

‘The One coming after me has surpassed me,

because He existed before me.’ ”)

16 Indeed, we have all received grace after grace

from His fullness,

17 for the law was given through Moses,

grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

18 No one has ever seen God.

The One and Only Son —

the One who is at the Father’s side —

He has revealed Him.

God activly choosing to put away all that he was and become one of us. Take a moment to process that.

Jesus coming was an end to the chains of the law. NOtice i said the chains of the law…not the law itself. The law is there. It was and remains important but with Jesus there is an understanding that the Law was an impossible way for Man to get back to God. Humanity needs grace and truth.

This Week’s Challenge

Read the first five chapters of the book of John. This gives you one chapter a day for Monday through Friday. On Saturday read John 2:1-12