John 1:1-6

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John 1:1-5

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. [1]

Devotion

            The Apostle John begins his Gospel with a word of hope and promise. The opening words are definitely used to stir up in us the words of Genesis and the story of creation. But who or what is meant by this term we have translated as “word?” When we look into the original Greek it gets even more mysterious. Logos can take on various meanings, but here means word most often the spoken word.  “So, John claimed that the God of creation, the ultimate mind of the universe, had taken on human form; he had become incarnate.”[2], God literally spoke the universe into existence with a word that was with him from the beginning. This logos was the 2nd person of the trinity. “So, Jesus, the Word, is eternal and personal. Nothing can separate the heavenly Father from his Son. Verse 2 merely emphasizes verse 1. I like the way Gary Vanderet puts it: “John intends that the entire book be read in light of this verse. The deeds and the words of Jesus are the deeds and words of God” [3]

            The fact that Jesus was in the beginning with God as the creative force in the universe should give us pause to consider what Jesus created while he was on this earth with us mere humans. He created a life and encouraged people to follow him. He told us to take up our cross daily and follow him if necessary, even to death. He died a horrible death on the cross to create a way for us messed up humanity to have away to the Father. He walked out of the tomb on the third day to provide victory over death forever. Truly, nothing was made without him.

            Daily while he walked on earth and even more so after his resurrection, he, himself was life. And while he was light, he was also a light for us to follow. His light is one that we can keep following today because the darkness has not overcome it. The devil and his companions seek to destroy life and light. But the darkness cannot overcome the light that shines forth from Jesus.


[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Jn 1:1–5.
[2] Kenneth O. Gangel, John, vol. 4, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 9.
[3] Kenneth O. Gangel, John, vol. 4, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 9–10.

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