Key Verse: The 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.
John 1:14
Scripture begins with the words, "In the beginning God
created the heavens and the earth." (Genesis 1:1) Now, John introduces Jesus by saying, "In
the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning." (John
1:1-2) Why doesn't John just make it easier to understand by using the name
Jesus, rather than the mysterious "Word," in his writing?
John is actually using a Greek word, "logos," that
is poorly translated into "word," in our English language. The Greek readers of John's day would have
understood what he was saying, but that meaning is definitely lost in the
translation, leaving us at a loss to understand.
Logos is related to the word, logic. It conveys the idea of bringing order out of
chaos, which is exactly what God did in the beginning, putting everything in
logical order. “Logos” was used by the Greeks
to identify the cosmic ordering principle employed by their idea of God to create
everything. Now, Jesus has come to
restore order once again.
By using the word, Logos, or "Word," John is
helping us to understand that Jesus is much more than a man. He was with God at the beginning and He is
with God now. God spoke the Word, and
creation came into being. Jesus was
creating with God. God is with Jesus now. The Father and Jesus are one.
Jesus was the creator of life and that life was the light of
the world, but those who he had covenanted with from long ago did not recognize
Him for who He was. Many of His chosen
people rejected Him and His message, but any who do believe become children of
God. Many would reject His teaching
because they prefer the imagined power that the chaos of their sin creates. Jesus would bring simple logic, order and
truth that would penetrate their disorder.
That is in part, why He had to be rejected. His "New way," was really the old
way, God's way, which was so simple, even a child could understand. There is no power for man in simplicity. We
prefer duplicity!
Another reason his own did not receive him is because he
didn’t appear in the way they had expected.
Were the people expecting God's Word to become flesh? God was supposed to be full of glory as Moses
saw on Mount Sinai. He was not supposed
to be poor. He was supposed to be a
teacher and a general, a learned Rabbi, worthy of respect, not a carpenter. Yet, those who believed saw Him for who and
what He really was. They saw His true
glory; God become man, and they recognized His truth.
Once again, we are faced with the truth that God does not
always come in the ways that we anticipate.
However, if we remain open to the leading of His Holy Spirit, we will
not miss Him when He is near.
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