In the beginning

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.' " And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

- John 1:1-18

On Saturday, we read the final verses of the Gospel of Matthew. (See I am with you always.) Today we start John's Gospel. Today's reading is the "Prologue" of the book of John. In many branches of the church, it is read during the Easter liturgy. My study bible has very extensive notes on this reading, and I will try to convey as much information as possible in the commentary.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. From the very first verse, John's Gospel fills us with theology, with an understanding of God based on the witness of Christ's work in the world as Jesus, or Christology (the knowledge of Christ). My study bible says that In the beginning recalls the creation but speaks of the Creator Himself. "As Genesis 1:1 introduces the original creation, by itself an incomplete existence, this verse reveals the new creation, a fulfilled and complete existence." "Was" in was the Word, teaches us that this existence is without a starting point, it is eternal. The Word, Logos in the Greek, exists eternally in the Father without beginning, and they are One in essence. My study bible notes, "Logos signifies wisdom and reason as well as word: the Creator. ('Creation' is Greek logikos, participating in the Divine Word.) With the Incarnation, the Logos fully participates in human nature." In this sense, creation becomes complete: Creator becomes creature. In the word was with God we start to understand the theology of Trinity: Father and Son are two distinct Persons, in communion with One another. The Word was God: my study bible notes here that "The Old Testament prophets saw the Word of God as the presence of the Lord. This phrase reveals He is not only from the Father, He is coequal and coeternal with the Father: one in divinity with Him." Jesus will say, I and My Father are One" in John 10:30.

All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. The Word, Logos, is co-creator of all things with the Father. My study bible notes that "will, operation and power are seen to be one in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Through Him shows the Word is not included in all things created by the Father. His eternal birth is by generation from the Father, whereas the works of creation are made. Thus, the heavens and the earth are the works of the One who made them, while the Son alone is born from the Father." Therefore, Christ in human flesh remains the Word - God, the Creator.

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. Life is the power of life itself - in this context, He is the source of life and light - enlightenment. My study bible says, "Because the Word is God, He is life: only God has life in Himself. . . . By seeing and participating in Christ's life, believers become light and children of light (John 12:36). Moses saw this light in the burning bush (Ex. 3:2), Isaiah saw it in his heavenly vision (Is. 6:1-5), and Peter, James and John saw it on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matt. 17:2)." In the context of these verses, darkness is the power of the evil one; as my study bible puts it, it is the "satanic wickedness which actively opposes the light. Though the world has embraced darkness (John 3:19), the Word freely offers light to all." Comprehend is an excellent word for translation into English. In the original Greek, the word has the same meanings that comprehend can have: it can mean both to understand, or to "take in" - that is, to overcome. My study bible says, "Darkness will oppose the light, yet cannot defeat the light."

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. Immediately, John's Gospel introduces us to this central and key figure of John the Baptist, who would play a great role in Christ's life, and many of John's disciples will become Jesus' early disciples. John the Baptist is a herald, a messenger of the light. My study bible notes, "The true Light, Jesus Christ, enlightens every person, but the world refuses to receive and live in this light, and does not know Him (v. 10)."

He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. My study bible notes that "most of His own people, the Jews, failed to receive Him." As we have read in a note in last Monday's reading, in Christian understanding of the Old Testament, the Jews were elected to represent all people in the relationship with God. John the Evangelist, a devout Jew as were all the Apostles and John the Baptist, declares that Jesus' own people did not receive Him. (We will see that in John's gospel, "the Jews" is often used to mean the leadership. At the time of its writing, the persecution of Jesus' followers has led people to identify themselves as "Christians" separate from "the Jews.") Among those who believed, they receive the Grace - the gift - of adoption. My study bible notes: "Those who receive Christ are given His power, His grace, to become children of God -- no longer servants, but friends of Christ (John 15:15). The Jews were children of God by descent from Abraham, the father of the people of God. But now divine sonship is a gift of grace through faith in Jesus. Whether we are a privileged race or not, we are born into the family of God and saved not by 'the faith of our fathers,' but by our own faith in Christ." His name is an important concept to understand. It is as the name of a royal king or emperor in the ancient world, and more. My study bible says we are to understand His name as "His identity, the Word, the Son of God, the Messiah and Savior, who in His humanity is called Jesus." To believe is to trust - an important understanding of the Greek. My study bible says that "to believe is to trust oneself completely to Him: who He is, what He does, what He teaches." This spiritual birth from God (who were born), my study bible says, is "a mystery of the Holy Spirit (John 3:8) which is closely integrated with Holy Baptism (John 3:5; see Titus 3:5)." So, John the Baptist's introduction here reflects manifold importance for our understanding.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John now introduces the humanity and person of Jesus. My study bible says that "As God and man in one Person, Christ accomplishes a redemption that fully heals and saves fallen humanity." It notes that He dwelt among us teaches that " 'we' are the disciples, the people of God, pilgrims in this transient world." The eternal Word takes on the limitations of time, as we do, and becomes one of us. John speaks for all of the disciples when he says we beheld His glory. My study bible says that this glory was "the manifestation of the very presence of God, shown in His word and deeds (John 2:11), and more fully beheld in His Transfiguration and His Resurrection." As we call these Gospels "the Living Word," so was He in the flesh. To be full of grace and truth, my study bible notes, qualifies not only "the Word" but also "the glory." It notes, "Grace is Jesus' uncreated energy manifested to us through His lovingkindness and redeeming love. Truth includes His faithfulness to His promises and covenants, and the abiding reality of His gifts. By His grace and truth we enjoy a life in union and in communion with God through Christ." By his life in the world, Jesus gives us union, friendship, grace, adoption - indeed, his very presence which is with us always, and all that offers for our lives.

John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.'" And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. My study bible says, "In union with Christ's deified humanity, we participate in the fullness of grace. . . . God's children become gods by grace (John 10:34,35), without ceasing to be human by nature. As metal thrust into fire takes on the heat of the fire without ceasing to be itself, so human nature immersed in God's uncreated grace and truth becomes godlike without ceasing to be human." Grace for grace is a Semitic expression which signifies an abundance of grace. No one has a direct vision of God - nor beholds God in all God's reality. Moses, we are told in Scripture, saw only the "back" of God. Isaiah behold God's glory (see John 12:41; Is. 6:1). To see God in God's essence is to be God - this is what Jesus has brought to us and thereby declared to us. In the bosom the Father - in union - Jesus can span the absolute reality and be at the same time a limited creature, with us - and in that fullness he gives us the great gifts we receive. My study bible says, "As 'Light of Light,' Jesus reveals the Father: when we see Jesus Christ we see the Father (John 14:9)."

So, today's reading is the tremendous introduction we receive to the reality of Jesus Christ - and through this introduction we receive all that the Church has come to teach, through which we understand our relationship to God and through Christ, through the person of Jesus. Let this holy gospel help us to understand, and be our light, our "Living Word" as his name extends through all. From the greatest declarations of understanding, to the still small word that you need in your heart, let us share in that grace. As we proceed into John's gospel, may the mystery of this grace be yours, and shared in your heart as well. His gospel is the one with the greatest focus on this Light that is shared with us, and becomes a part of us and our nature as well.