John 1:1-5

John 1:1-5

In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and God was the Word.  This was in the beginning with God.  All things became through it, and apart from it not one thing came into being.  In it was life, and the life was the light of mankind.  And the light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not gain control over it.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

God created through His Word.  This is a very interesting point.  Remember that in Genesis 1, the Bible tells us that “God said.”  The act of creation was a vocal command, not an intellectual effort or a fruit of His labor.  God spoke and it happened.  This is yet another thing that separates us from God.  Who among us can cause things to come into being just by speaking?  When we create, we think of an intellectual act or an act of physical effort.  Yet, it is when we speak into the lives of others that we are most like our Creator.  Our greatest ability to imitate God comes when we allow Him to create within others through speaking truth into their lives.

How does this understanding of creating help you understand the importance of discipleship?  How does this help you understand the power of words?

Second Thought:

In these verses we hear that the light shone into the darkness and the darkness did not gain control over it.  The word used in the Greek can mean “gain control” or “defeat” or “overcome.”  Figuratively, it can also mean “understand.”  If we look at the story of God and humanity, we can understand that there has always been a remnant of people faithful to God’s ways.  The darkness of the world could never completely gain control of God’s work in the world.  If we look into the life of Christ, neither the darkness of the world nor Satan could gain control of Christ.  In the world after Christ, the darkness of the world has not been able to completely gain control of His church.  The Word of God is the life of all people and the darkness cannot gain control of it.

What does it say to you that God’s remnant has always existed?  What does it say about the power of God that His work cannot be overcome?

Third Thought:

Before anyone gets upset that I’ve changed the pronouns in this text from “Him” to “it,” let me talk about that choice.  Clearly John teaches that Jesus is the Word of God.  That teaching will come in John 1:9 and the following verses.  However, I believe the emphasis John is trying to get us to see in these beginning verses is that life comes through God’s Word and only God’s Word.  In Genesis, God breathed life into us.  Literally, our life came from out of His breath – His utterance.  That Word is absolutely Jesus Christ, but we’ll get to that tomorrow.  For today, it is enough to focus that our life comes through the Word of God.

What is life to you?  Do you live as though your life comes from the Word of God?  What things that are of the world do you live for that are not of the Word of God?

Passage for Tomorrow: John 1:6-13