"Awesome Beginnings."

Intro:

Famous literature openings...

“It was the best of times, it was the worse of times” A Tale of Two Cities “Charles Dickens

“It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.” 1984 George Orwell

“If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like”. The Catcher in the Rye- J.D. Salinger

Not limited to literature- crosses mediums…

Like TV shows:

“Space, the final frontier- these are the voyages of the starship.... (Enterprise). ”

“Water. Earth. Fire. Air. Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then, everything changed with the Fire Nation attacked. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, could stop them, but when the world needed him most, he vanished.”

Or even Movie openings with no words:

A Space Odyssey Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 masterpiece; song “Also Sprach Zarathustra” composed by Richard Strauss

“Nan s’Igonya ma-ba-ki-thi-ba-ba” -Lion King

The Gospel of John illustrates what it looks like when God the Son comes to dwell among His people. John’s Gospel profoundly shows how God’s Son, Jesus, makes it possible for us to have an eternal relationship with God the Father.

Faithlife Study Bible Introduction to John

John 1:1–18 serves as a prologue that identifies Jesus as the Word (logos in Greek). Jesus is described as pre-existent—already present at the beginning of the universe—and as being the one through whom creation happened.

Faithlife Study Bible Introduction to John

Themes

From the beginning of the Gospel of John to the end, this book shows that Jesus is God in flesh (1:1–3, 14). He has authority and thus is right to call people to abide in His love and share that love with others (e.g., 13:34–35; 15:9–17). Throughout John’s Gospel, Jesus uses “I am” phrases, which equate Him with Yahweh, the God of the Old Testament (e.g., 6:35; 8:24; 10:11, 14; 13:19; 15:1; 18:5–9; compare Exod 3:14–16).

Unlike the Synoptic Gospels—which focus on the kingdom of God/heaven—the emphasis of John’s Gospel is the unity of Jesus, God’s Son, with God the Father (John 10:30; 14). On the basis of this, Jesus emphasizes that His followers should be unified with Him and with one another. Jesus also says that the Holy Spirit will come to His followers—God’s eternal presence is with His followers (ch. 15).

Thomas even calls Jesus his Lord—which may indicate that he is calling him Yahweh—and his God (20:28). John emphasizes that the only way to true and eternal relationship with God the Father is through Jesus’ sacrificial death and resurrection (e.g., 3:16–17; 14:16–17; 17:3). And this is the message our world needs to hear today.

Notes:

This prologue is like a poem.

“Many have argued that the Prologue is poetry interrupted by two prose insertions (John 1:6-8, 15)

The prologue sums up the contents of the entire Gospel.

The Interpretation of St. John’s Gospel Chapter 1

It does this by brief, succinct historical statements. Each of these is wonderfully simple and clear and yet so weighty and profound that the human mind is unable to fathom them. Amid all that has been written by the instruments of Inspiration this prolog stands out as the one paragraph that is most profound, most lofty, and incomparable in every way.

The Interpretation of St. John’s Gospel Chapter 1

John’s is the paragon among the Gospels, “the one, tender, real crown-Gospel of them all” (Luther), and the prolog is the central jewel set in pure gold. The very first words show that John writes for Christian believers, for every sentence presupposes conversance with the faith. John writes as though he stands in the midst of the congregation, all eyes and ears being fixed upon him to hear the blessed Gospel words from his lips.

Hebrews beginning

God’s Final Word: His Son

1 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.

Genesis Beginning?