How Can Jesus Be Fully God and Fully Man?

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 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

 So begins John's gospel.  The fourth gospel is the latest gospel written.  Most conclude it is written between 90-100 A.D.  The gospel of John is different than the other three gospels: Matthew, Mark and Luke.  These three gospels are called the "synoptic" gospels.  They tell many of the same stories about Jesus, but also may add different details specific to their purpose. Each gospel has stories found only in that gospel.  For example, Luke's story of the Good Samaritian is only in His gospel.  The main purpose of John's gospel is to prove that Jesus is the Son of God, which we see right away in the verses above.  

 John starts at the beginning of Creation, as he says that the Word was with God and was God.  This sounds like a non-sequiter, it doesn't make sense.  A little later John say, "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us". It is clear that he is referring to Jesus as the Word.  Jesus was with God in the beginning as the Word, and then Jesus became flesh and dwelt among us. So Jesus is both God and man.  This is the crux of John's message and a key theological truth that the church would need to fight many of the heresies that cropped up at the time John was writing.  Jesus was fully God so He was without sin.  Jesus was fully human so he could die for our sins on the cross.  

 We will learn many exciting things in this gospel about Jesus, the Word that became flesh.  Many stories in John will show how Jesus revealed himself through "signs".  These signs point to Jesus' identity as the Son of God and the Savior of the world. As in the other gospels, some will recognize the signs and other will refuse to see them.  

 John closes by saying, "We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father full of grace and the truth."

 Jesus will reveal to us everything about God's nature, which will be full of both grace and truth.  The truth convicts of our need for Him, and the grace to receive mercy when we fall short of the truth.   I hope you enjoy studying John's gospel over the next 21 days!

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