Daily Bread 2010 - John 1
Daily Bread 2010 – John 1
The Word Became Flesh
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning.
3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
6There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.
10He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.
14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
We move from Luke’s gospel (the last of the synoptic gospels), and into John’s Gospel. John is called the “evangelist”, because of the nature of his portrayal of Jesus. John’s gospel has Jesus encountering many different types of people and inviting them to participate in God’s kingdom. John doesn’t start with a birth narrative explaining Jesus’ lineage, but starts with more of a theological statement who about who Jesus is.
In this 1st chapter, we see that Jesus is the “Word”, who was with God in the beginning and through whom all things are made. The word for “Word” in the original language is “logos”. “Logos” is an important word which refers to divine reason, or rationality. From it, we get our word “logic”. It is a word that was used in philosophical circles as the divine force that orders creation and also connects to human rationality and will. It also might be summarized as the “wisdom of God’s will”.
In this passage, “logos” is used to show that Jesus as the “word incarnate”, or the word made flesh, came to reveal God’s intent and purpose for all of creation. Most importantly, in John 1:12, the writer says that to all who received this incarnate Word they received the “right” to become a child of God, born not of human decision, but “born of God”. There is where we get the term “born again”.
The term “born again” often has a negative connotation in our culture today. You might hear someone say, “You’re not one of those “born-again Christians are you?” But according to our 4th Gospel, being “born-again” is an integral part of receiving Jesus, God’s Word made flesh. Meaning if Jesus represents all that God is and God’s plan, as we receive Him, we become the people God wants us to be and participants in God’s own nature. We become “children of God”. By receiving this calling, we can begin to live out our lives as sons and daughters of God, with the divine wisdom God has given us through Christ. As children who are now connected to God in a new way, we become His light that shines in a world of darkness.
God we thank you for sending Jesus into the world to show us your Divine plan for all of Creation. As we believe in Him and receive Him you give us your power to become sons and daughters of God to carry out Your purpose in the world. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
The Word Became Flesh
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning.
3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
6There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.
10He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.
14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
We move from Luke’s gospel (the last of the synoptic gospels), and into John’s Gospel. John is called the “evangelist”, because of the nature of his portrayal of Jesus. John’s gospel has Jesus encountering many different types of people and inviting them to participate in God’s kingdom. John doesn’t start with a birth narrative explaining Jesus’ lineage, but starts with more of a theological statement who about who Jesus is.
In this 1st chapter, we see that Jesus is the “Word”, who was with God in the beginning and through whom all things are made. The word for “Word” in the original language is “logos”. “Logos” is an important word which refers to divine reason, or rationality. From it, we get our word “logic”. It is a word that was used in philosophical circles as the divine force that orders creation and also connects to human rationality and will. It also might be summarized as the “wisdom of God’s will”.
In this passage, “logos” is used to show that Jesus as the “word incarnate”, or the word made flesh, came to reveal God’s intent and purpose for all of creation. Most importantly, in John 1:12, the writer says that to all who received this incarnate Word they received the “right” to become a child of God, born not of human decision, but “born of God”. There is where we get the term “born again”.
The term “born again” often has a negative connotation in our culture today. You might hear someone say, “You’re not one of those “born-again Christians are you?” But according to our 4th Gospel, being “born-again” is an integral part of receiving Jesus, God’s Word made flesh. Meaning if Jesus represents all that God is and God’s plan, as we receive Him, we become the people God wants us to be and participants in God’s own nature. We become “children of God”. By receiving this calling, we can begin to live out our lives as sons and daughters of God, with the divine wisdom God has given us through Christ. As children who are now connected to God in a new way, we become His light that shines in a world of darkness.
God we thank you for sending Jesus into the world to show us your Divine plan for all of Creation. As we believe in Him and receive Him you give us your power to become sons and daughters of God to carry out Your purpose in the world. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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