In Him was life, and the life was the light of men

 

Christ Pantocrator, Aghia Sophia Cathedral, Constantinople

 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 that 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 as 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 is 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 St. Matthew's Gospel:  While the women were going from the empty tomb to tell the disciples the news of the Resurrection, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all the things that had happened.  When they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, saying, "Tell them, 'His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept.'  And if this comes to the governor's ears, we will appease him and make you secure."  So they took the money and did as they were instructed; and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.  Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them.  When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.  And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."  Amen. 

 

  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  In the beginning, my study Bible tells us, recalls the creation story of Genesis, although this introduction (or Prologue to St. John's Gospel, as our entire reading is known), speaks more clearly of the Creator Himself.  Also, while Genesis spoke of the first creation, the Prologue reveals the new creation in Christ.  Was the Word (in Greek, Λογος/Logos):  The Word is the eternal Son of God.  My study Bible explains that "was" indicates existence without reference to a starting point, and it emphasizes the Word's eternal existence without beginning.  Logos can mean "wisdom," "reason," and "action" as well as "word," and all of these are attributes of the Son of God.  It can also mean "principle."  The Word was with God:  "With" shows that the Word (that is, the Son of God) is a distinct Person from the Father, and that He is in eternal communion with the Father.  The Word was God:  The Word -- the Son of God -- is co-equal and co-eternal with the Father.  As my study Bible explains, He Himself is God with the same divinity as the Father.  There are those who twist and mistranslate this phrase "the word was a god" in order to promote the heresy that the Son of God is a created being, a creature not fully divine.  But this translation is false, unsupportable, dishonest, and deceptive.  

 

He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.  This shows that the Word is the co-Creator with the Father and the Holy Spirit (Genesis 1; Psalm 33:6, 9; Hebrews 1:2).  He is not simply an instrument or servant who is used by the Father.  My study Bible says that will, operation, and power are one in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  So, therefore, the heavens and the earth are the works of the One who made them, while the Son is not made but rather eternally begotten of the Father.  

 

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  Only God has life in Himself, my study Bible explains.  So, therefore, the Word, as God, is the source of life, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit.  The life was the light of men: Here St. John the Evangelist introduces humankind as the receiver of divine light.  As we participate in the life of the Son, believers themselves may become children of the light (John 12:36; Ephesians 5:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:5).  Moses saw the divine light in the burning bush (Exodus 3:2); the whole nation of Israel saw it at the Red Sea (Exodus 13:21); Isaiah saw it in his vision of heaven (Isaiah 6:1-5); and three apostles saw this at the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-5).  

 

 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.  Here darkness indicates both spiritual ignorance and also satanic opposition to the light.  Those who hate truth, according to my study Bible, prefer ignorance for themselves and they strive to keep others ignorant as well (John 3:19).  This word that is translated as comprehend means both to "understand" and to "overcome."  So, therefore, darkness can never overpower the light of Christ, nor can it understand the way of love.  

 

 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.  This man came for a witness, to bear witness of that Light, that all through him might believe.  He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.  The man sent from God is St. John the Baptist.  The author of our Gospel is not the same man; he is known as St. John the Apostle, and also as St. John the Evangelist.  He is the writer of this Gospel, three Epistles that bear his name, and the Revelation.  

 

That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.  He was in the world, and the world as made through Him, and the world did not know Him.  He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.  My study Bible comments that Christ offers light to every person, but the world and even many of His own refuse to receive Him.  So, therefore, they can neither know nor recognize Him.   Those who accept Him, it says, have His light.  There is an Orthodox hymn sung at the end of the Divine Liturgy, after the Gospel is heard and communion is received; it states, "We have seen the true light, we have received the heavenly Spirit." 

 

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: . . .  My study Bible tells us that right also means "authority" and it is an indication of a gift from God, not an inalienable right.  Those who receive Christ become children of God by adoption (Galatians 4:4-7) and by grace they inherit everything Christ is by nature.  My study Bible adds that to believe in His name means to believe and trust in Him who in His humanity took the name Jesus as Word, Son, Messiah, and Savior.  

 

. . .  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 explains that adoption as a child of God is not a matter of ethnic decent (of blood) as it was in the Old Testament; nor are we children of God simply by natural birth (the will of the flesh), nor by our own decisions (the will of man).  To become a child of God is a spiritual birth by grace, through faith, and in the Holy Spirit.  My study Bible tells us that this is accomplished and manifested in the sacrament of Holy Baptism (John 3:5-8; see Titus 3:4-7). 

 

  And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld is glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.  My study Bible indicates that the Word became flesh is a clarification of the manner in which the Son and Word of God came to His people, and points specifically to the Incarnation.  The Word became fully human without ceasing to be fully God.  Christ assumed complete human nature:  body, soul, will, emotion -- even mortality -- that is, everything that pertains to humanity except sin.  As God and Man in one Person, my study Bible says, Christ pours divinity into all of human nature, for, as stated by St. Gregory Nazianzus, anything not assumed by Christ would not have been healed.  He dwelt among us:  In the Old Testament, God's presence dwelt (literally "tabernacled" or "tented") in the ark of the covenant, and later in the temple.  Here, the eternal Word has come to dwell in and among humanity itself.  His glory is a reference both to Christ's divine power shown by His signs and wonders (John 2:11; 11:4, 40), and also to His humble service to humankind, which was shown most perfectly on the Cross (John 12:23-32; 13:31).  He is the only begotten of the Father:  The Son has no beginning, but He has the Father as His source from eternity.  My study Bible says that He is called "only" begotten because there is no other born from the Father.  (The Holy Spirit exists also eternally from the Father through a difference mystery which is called "procession"; see John 15:26.)  He is full of grace and truth:  this phrase is a qualifier to both the Word and His glory.  "Grace" is Christ's uncreated energy given to us through His love and mercy.  "Truth," my study Bible explains, includes Christ's faithfulness to His promises and covenants and also to the reality of His words and gifts.  

 

 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.  In saying that we have all received of His fullness, the Scripture is confirming that grace can fill human nature to the extent of actually deifying it, my study Bible tells us.  In Christ, God's children become gods by grace (John 10:34-35), without ceasing to be human.  My study Bible cites a classic patristic example:  as metal thrust into fire takes on properties of fire (such as heat and light) without ceasing to be metal, so human nature permeated by God can take on properties of the divine nature.  Grace for grace is a Semitic expression which signifies an overabundance of 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.  No one has seen God at any time:  It is understood that no one can see the nature, or essence, of God, for to see God is to die (Exodus 33:20).  Only One who is Himself divine can see God, my study Bible says, and so therefore the Son is the only One who can declare Him.  This revelation of God's energies, it notes, can be received by the faithful.  Moses saw the "back" of God (Exodus 33:21-23); Isaiah saw God's glory (see Isaiah 6:1; John 12:41).  

 

Embedded in this Prologue to St. John's Gospel, and indicated throughout my study Bible's notes here, is the concept famously declared by St. Athanasius and other Church Fathers, that God became man so that human beings can become "gods."  As explained by my study Bible, we see clearly within this Prologue which explains who is Jesus Christ exactly, we read of the Incarnation as that which makes possible the fullness of healing of human beings.  We should keep in mind that this healing (such as is found in the prophecy by Isaiah which is importantly repeated by Jesus in John 12:39-41 and elsewhere) is a healing of the fullness of our true nature.  ["He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, lest they should see with their eyes, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them."]  That is, not according to the nature which is purely worldly or understood only through earthly standards.  That prophecy cited by Jesus was a direct appeal to faith, a perception of spiritual eyes and ears which in turn sparks the necessary repentance to come to Christ and find this healing, this salvation.  Just as St. John begins with "in the beginning" sparking our memory of Genesis and the creation story, so we must also understand that we, as creations, are made in the image and likeness of God, as is told in Genesis 1:26-27.  So our salvation, if we take these words seriously in this prologue written by St. John, the close friend "whom Jesus loved" (John 13:23), is found in regaining our true nature according to Christ; that is, according to the way in which we were created.  That is, in the image and likeness of God.  This is not about perfect physical health of a worldly kind, but a healing of our natures in accordance with the true nature in which we were created to live in this world.  It is, thereby, an undoing of sin, salvation through the divinity of Christ allied to humanity, which defeated even death for us.  This is our liberation, our salvation, and deliverance -- and it is for this reason that salvation came into the world through the Incarnation of Christ, who met the evil of this world in all ways and conquered it ultimately through the Cross.  Let us remember that all things are meant to be healed through the divinity of Christ, "for whatever was not assumed would not be healed."  We are meant to fulfill that true image, growing in that likeness, and that is what is meant by being a "child of God" through grace and truth.  So let us find our way through Him with this understanding in mind.  For it is the true light shining in the darkness.

  

 

 

 

 

 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God

 

 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 were given our final reading in the Gospel of Matthew:   While the women at the tomb were going to tell the disciples of the great news of Resurrection, behold, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all the things that had happened.  When they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, saying, "Tell them, 'His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept.'  And if this comes to the governor's ears, we will appease him and make you secure."  So they took the money and did as they were instructed; and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.  Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them.  When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.  And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."  Amen.

 

  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Today we begin reading the Gospel of John, and the passage selected for today is called its Prologue.  There are extensive notes in my study Bible on this important passage.  Here, in the beginning recalls us to the creation story in Genesis, but it speaks more specifically about the Creator.  Moreover, Genesis spoke of the first creation, but here John reveals the new creation in Christ.  Was the Word (in Greek, λογος/logos):  My study Bible points out that "was" indicates existence without reference to a starting point, and so emphasizes the Word's eternal existence without beginning.  "Logos," it says, can mean "wisdom," "reason," and "action" as well as "word," each of which are attributes of the Son of God.  The Word was with God:  "With" shows that the Word (that is, the Son of God) is a distinct Person from the Father, and also that He is in eternal communion with the Father.  That the Word was God shows that the Word -- the Son of God -- is co-equal and co-eternal with the Father, my study Bible explains.  It notes that the Son Himself is God with the same divinity as the Father.  Some twist and mistranslate this phrase to read "the Word was a god" in support of a heresy that the Son is a created being, and not fully divine.  This my study Bible calls unsupportable, false, dishonest, and deceptive. 

All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.   Here the Gospel tells us that the Word is the co-Creator with the Father and the Holy Spirit (Genesis 1; Psalms 33:6, 9; Hebrews 1:2), and is not simply an instrument or servant used by god the Father.  My study Bible comments that will, operation, and power are one in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  The heavens and the earth are the works of the One who made them; and the Son was not made but is eternally begotten of the Father.  

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  My study Bible comments that only God has life in Himself.  So, therefore, the Word, being God, is the source of life, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit.  The life was the light of men:  Here John is introducing humankind as receiver of divine light.  As we participate in the life of the Son, believes themselves may become children of the light (John 12:36; Ephesians 5:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:5).  My study Bible notes that Moses saw the divine light in the burning bush (Exodus 3:2); the whole nation of Israel saw it at the Red Sea (Exodus 13:21); Isaiah saw it in his heavenly vision (Isaiah 6:1-5); and three apostles saw it at the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-5).

And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.  My study Bible says that darkness includes both spiritual ignorance and satanic opposition to the light.  Those who hate truth, it notes, prefer ignorance for themselves and strive to keep others ignorant as well (John 3:19).  The word which is translated as comprehend indicates both to "understand" and to "overcome."  So, therefore, the Gospel declares that darkness can never overpower the light of Christ, nor can it understand the way of love. 

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.  Here the text speaks of John the Baptist (not the author of this Gospel).  Appearing so early in the text, and so closely to the declaration of the Son and Word, we should be given to understand the central importance of the figure of the Baptist. 

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.  My study  Bible comments here that Christ offers light to every person, but the world and even many of His own refuse to receive Him.  So, therefore, they can neither know nor recognize Him. It says that those who accept Christ have His light.  In the Orthodox Church, there is a hymn sung at the end of Liturgy, after hearing the Gospel and receiving communion:  "We have seen the true light, we have received the heavenly Spirit." 

 

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: . . .  My study Bible explains that right as used here also means "authority."   This is indicative not of an inalienable right, but of a gift from God.  Those who receive Christ become children of God by adoption (Galatians 4:4-7) and by grace inherit everything Christ is by nature.  To believe in His name means to believe and trust in Him who in His humanity took the name Jesus as Word, Son, Messiah, and Savior. 

 

 . . . who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.  Adoption as a child of God is not a matter of ethnic descend (of blood) as it was in the Old Testament; nor do people become children of God by natural birth (the will of the flesh), nor by a person's own choice (the will of man).  Becoming a child of God, my study Bible explains, is a spiritual birth by grace, through faith, and in the Holy Spirit.  This is accomplished and manifested in the sacrament of Holy Baptism (John 3:5-8; see Titus 3:4-7).  

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.'"  That the Word became flesh clarifies the way in which the Son of God came to His people, and points specifically to His Incarnation.  The Word became fully human without ceasing to be fully God.  Christ assumed complete human nature.  According to my study Bible, this means in body, soul, will, emotion, and even mortality, and everything that pertains to humanity except sin.  As He is God and Human in one Person, Christ pours  divinity into all of human nature, for anything which was not assumed by Christ would not be healed.  That the Word dwelt among us is expressed literally using a word that means "tented" or "tabernacled" in the Greek (ἐσκήνωσεν/eskinosen).  This was so in the ark of the covenant and later in the temple.  But here Christ the eternal Word comes to dwell in and among humanity itself.  His glory refers both to His divine power shown by His signs and wonders (John 2:11; 11:4, 40) and also to Christ's humble service to mankind, which is shown most perfect on the Cross (John 12:23-32; 13:31).  In both ways, my study Bible says, He reveals that He is the One sent from the Father.  Only begotten of the Father:  My study Bible comments that the Son has no beginning, but has the Father as His source from eternity.  Christ is called "only" begotten because there is no other born from the Father.  (The Holy Spirit exists eternally from the Father through another mystery called "procession"; see John 15:26.)  Full of grace and truth:  This is a phrase which qualifies both "the Word" and "His glory."  "Grace" is Christ's uncreated energy which is given to us through His love and mercy, my study Bible explains.  "Truth" includes Christ's faithfulness to His promises and covenant and also to the reality of His words and gifts.  

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.  As the Scriptures say that we have all received of His fullness, it confirms that God's grace can fill human nature to the extent of actually deifying it, my study Bible says.  In Christ, therefore, God's children become gods by grace (John 10:34-35) without ceasing to be human.  A classic example found in patristic commentary compares this to metal thrust into a fire:  it takes on properties of fire -- such as heat and light, but it does not cease to be metal.  So human nature permeated by God may take on properties of the divine nature.  Grace for grace is a Semitic expression which signifies an overabundance of grace.  

No one has seen God at any time.  The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. No one has seen God at any time:  My study Bible comments that no one can see the nature, or essence, of God -- for to see God is to die (Exodus 33:20).  Only One who is Himself divine can see God, and thus the Son is the only One who can declare Him.  This revelation of God's energies can be received by the faithful.  Moses saw the "back" of God (Exodus 33:21-23); Isaiah saw God's glory (see Isaiah 6:1; John 12:41).  

John's Gospel begins by introducing us to what we might suppose would be the conclusion to the New Testament; that is, we're introduced to who Christ is in truth.  Many of the statements here can be recognized as part of the Creed.  So important are these foundational verses to the whole history of Christianity that they form the basis of all mainstream churches, and have done so since antiquity (codified at the First Ecumenical Council in 325 AD).  But clearly these beliefs were already widely known and accepted in the Church at the time of the writing of this Gospel by the end of the first century.  Many people today wish to assume that these understandings in today's passage of just who Christ was were things that developed much later in the timeline of Christian history, but the Prologue of John proves that this  is simply not the case at all.  The fact that this widely-ranging expression of just who Christ is came to be included in the Gospel proves that these ideas were already known and accepted at this very early time.  They thus form the bedrock of the faith, and rightly so.  These concepts constitute the understanding of the first disciples, and we may agree with the historic Church that John, this youngest of the disciples, was an old man when his Gospel was written.  In icons, he's often depicted as dictating to one of his spiritual children.  In terms of actual authorship, whether John literally wrote the Gospel, or whether his disciples collected and wrote his teachings matters very little.  This is the testimony of John.  John lived a long life, experiencing persecution and exile.  As such, and as the one who became guardian and "son" to Mary the Mother of God (John19:26), he is the survivor who testifies to us of the fullness of the early Church, through this Gospel, three Epistles, and the Revelation.  Let us pay attention as is due as we read through his Gospel.  

 

 

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men

 

 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 receive 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 

 

In our previous post (from before the Christmas/Nativity seasonal readings), Jesus taught the disciples, "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.  All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.  And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.  Then the King will say to those on His right hand, "Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:  for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'  Then the righteous will answer to Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?  When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?   Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'  And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'  Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:  for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.'  Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?  Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'  And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." 

 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  Today the lectionary begins a new cycle of Gospel readings from the Gospel of John.  John's Gospel answers the questions about who exactly Jesus is.  Here, the phrase in the beginning hearkens us to the creation story of Genesis, but, my study Bible points out, it speaks more clearly of the Creator.  Moreover, while Genesis spoke of the first creation, the Prologue of John (today's entire reading) reveals the new creation in Christ.  Was the Word (Greek Λογος/Logos) speaks of the Word who is the eternal Son of God.  My study Bible suggests that was indicates existence without a reference to a starting point.  This emphasizes the Word's eternal existence without beginning.  Logos, it adds, can mean "wisdom," "reason," and "action" as well as "word," and these all are attributes of the Son of God.  The Word was With God:  "With" shows that the Word (the Son of God) is a distinct Person from the Father; and also that He is in eternal communion with the Father.  The Word was God:  The Word, who is the Son of God, is co-equal and co-eternal with the Father, my study Bible teaches.   The Word is God with the same divinity as the Father.  Some twist and mistranslate this phrase to read "the Word was a god" but this merely states a heresy that the Son of God is a created being, and therefore not fully divine.  My study Bible calls this translation unsupportable, false, dishonest, and deceptive. 

 

 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.  My study Bible notes that the Word is the co-Creator with the Father and the Holy Spirit (Genesis 1; Psalm 33:6, 9; Hebrews 1:2) and not simply an instrument or servant used by the Father.  It says that will, operation, and power are one in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  So, therefore, the heavens and the earth are the works of the One who made them, while the Son was not made but is eternally begotten of the Father (Creed).

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  My study Bible states that only God has life in Himself.  So, therefore, the Word, being God, is the source of life, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit.  That the life was the light of men introduces humankind as receiver of the divine light.  As we may participate in the life of the Son, believers themselves become children of light (John 12:36; Ephesians 5:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:5).  Moses saw the divine light in the burning bush (Exodus 3:2); the whole nation of Israel saw it at the Red Sea (Exodus 13:21); Isaiah saw it in his heavenly vision (Isaiah 6:1-5); and the light was revealed to the apostles at the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-5).  

And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.  Darkness, my study Bible comments, indicates both spiritual ignorance as well as satanic opposition to the light.  Those who hate truth, it says, prefer ignorance for themselves and also strive to keep others ignorant as well (John 3:19).  The word comprehend means both "understand" and "overcome" in the Greek as well as the English translation.  So, therefore, darkness can never overpower the light of Christ, and neither can it understand the way of love. 

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. This John is John the Baptist, not the author of our Gospel.  John the Baptist is also known as John the Forerunner, for his role that is described here.

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.  My study Bible comments here that Christ offers light to every person, but the world and even many of His own refuse to receive Him.  So, therefore, they can neither know nor recognize Him.  It says that those who accept Him have His light.  An Orthodox hymn sung after hearing the Gospel and receiving communion declares, "We have seen the true light, we have received the heavenly Spirit."

 

 But as many as receive Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: . . .   My study Bible explains that right also means "authority."  This is an indication of a gift from God, and not an inalienable right.  Those who receive Christ may become children of God by adoption (Galatians 4:4-7) and by grace inherit everything Christ is by nature.  To believe in His name means to believe and trust in Him who in His humanity took the name Jesus as Word, Son, Messiah, and Savior. 

. . . 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 explains that to be adopted as a child of God is not a matter of ethnic descent (of blood) as in the Old Testament; nor are we children of God by natural birth (the will of the flesh), nor by one's own decision (the will of man).  To become a child of God is a spiritual birth by grace, through faith, and in the Holy Spirit.  This is accomplished and manifested, my study Bible says, in the sacrament of Holy Baptism (John 3:5-8; see Titus 3:4-7).  

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.'"  My study Bible comments that the Word became flesh is a clarification of the way in which the Son and Word of God came to His people (verses 9-11), and points specifically to Christ's Incarnation.  It notes that the Word became fully human without ceasing to be fully God.  Christ assumed complete human nature:  body, soul, will, emotion, and even mortality; that is, everything that pertains to humanity except sin.  As God and Human Being in one person, Christ pours divinity into all of human nature -- for anything which was not assumed by Christ would not have been healed.  He dwelt among us:  In the Old Testament God's presence dwelt (literally "tabernacled" here in the Greek) in the ark of the covenant and later in the temple.  Here, we are given the understanding that the eternal Word comes to dwell in and among humanity itself.  His glory, my study Bible says, refers both to His divine power shown by His signs and wonders (John 2:11; 11:4, 40), and also to Christ's humble service to mankind, which was shown most fully and perfectly on the Cross (John 12:23-32; 13:31).  In each of these ways, Christ reveals that He is the One sent from the Father.  Only begotten of the Father:   My study Bible explains here that the Son has no beginning, but has the Father as His source from all eternity.  Christ is called "only" begotten because there is no other born from the Father.  (It explains also that the Holy Spirit exists eternally from the Father through a different mystery called "procession"; see John 15:26).  Full of grace and truth:  This phrase is a qualifier both to "the Word" and "His glory."  "Grace" is described as Christ's uncreated energy which is given to us through His love and mercy.  "Truth" includes Christ's faithfulness to His promises and covenants and also to the reality of His words and gifts. 

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.   In saying that we have all received of His fullness, my study Bible declares, the Scriptures confirm that God's grace can fill human nature to the extent of actually deifying it.  In Christ, therefore, God's children become gods by grace (John 10:34-35) without ceasing to be human.  A traditional metaphor used in patristic literature describes metal thrust into fire (such as in the making of a metal implement by a smith).  The metal takes on the properties of fire such as heat and light, but does not cease to be metal.  This is an image of how human nature can be permeated by God to take on properties of the divine nature.  Grace for grace is a Semitic expression which signifies an overabundance of grace. 

 

 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 explains that no one can see the nature, or essence, of God, for to see God is to die (Exodus 33:20).  Only One who is also divine can see God, and therefore the Son is the only One who can declare God.  This revelation of God's energies can be received by the faithful.  My study Bible illustrates with the example that Moses saw the "back" of God (Exodus 33:21-23); and Isaiah saw God's glory (Isaiah 6:1; John 12:41).

John's Gospel begins with images of black and white, in the language of light and darkness, just as soon as we're introduced to the true identity of Jesus Christ, the Logos (or the Word) who comes among us as incarnate human being.  These dark and light images are important, for Christ is also the one who brings judgment.  He is the One who speaks in the Revelation, who says He is the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the One who is, and who was dead, and who is alive forevermore.  In Revelation 1:16, He is described this way:  "He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength."  That sharp two-edged sword is the effect of the words of the Word, so to speak.  It is the sword of truth, the sword of judgment.  His words are the measure of all things.  In a world of proliferating and competing messages, directions, and one that denies to a large extent that any such absolute truth exists, the Word who is the Light offers us a clear message about which direction we're going in life.  We're either headed in the direction of the darkness or for the light.  It's not so much what you want to call yourself as you exist now, in a steady state.  It's all about what direction you're headed.  Do we prefer darkness?  Or do we prefer light?  In this context, you are either going one way or the other -- headed toward one end goal or the other.  Do we wish to take on the characteristics of the light, of the truth of Christ?  Or do we prefer the darkness?  Either choice heads us in one direction or another.  This light and darkness has also been called the way of life and the way of death (in the Didache, and these "two ways" are also found in Jewish tradition prior to that teaching).  Again, these goal posts are the directions we're headed, toward one or the other.  Repentance, of course, is turning around and heading in the opposite direction when we've found ourselves heading into darkness.  Do we love spiritual truth, or is ignorance our preference?  Like the very important example of metal taking on heat, we are capable of absorbing and living the qualities of the light, by aligning ourselves with it, participating in it, heading in Christ's ultimate direction to more fully participate in that grace.  In our previous reading from Matthew, Christ gives us the parable of the last judgment, with Him clearly in charge of the separation of the "sheep" and the "goats."  The goats are those moving toward the cliffs of darkness, and theirs is a failure of active compassion toward those who bear the image of Christ.  The sheep are those who follow Christ and hear His voice, a theme which will be central to John's Gospel.  It's important to remember that we are created with the capacity to take on qualities of that Light, to reflect it into the world, and merge more deeply into participation with the light.  For Christ the Logos comes into the world as a human being, to teach us that the Light is not an impersonal quality or object, but quite the opposite.  The Light is a Person, as He is also the Person who is the truth, another facet of John's Gospel (John 14:6).  In this case, the truth, the object of our fullness and end goal toward which we move, is entirely personal, and meant for us to come into relationship to, even to a marriage -- with His Bride as the Church, the faithful.  For the Light is also love, as John will write (1 John 4:8), and it is the life of humankind, even the life of the world.

 

And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace

 

 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 

 

In recent readings, the lectionary has taken us to chapter 12 of Mark's Gospel, in which Jesus was in the temple in Jerusalem, having been questioned and tested by those of the religious leadership.   On Saturday, we read that after His answers rendered the leadership afraid to dare to ask Him anything else, Jesus responded with a question of His own.  While He taught in the temple, Jesus said, "How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David?  For David himself said by the Holy Spirit:   'The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool."'Therefore David himself calls Him 'Lord'; how is He then his Son?"  And the common people heard Him gladly.  Then He said to them in His teaching, "Beware the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers.  These will receive greater condemnation."  Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury.  And many who were rich put in much.  Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans.  So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood." 

 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  Today, as the first week of Lent is beginning, the lectionary takes us to the Gospel of John.   (For the West, Lent begins on Ash Wednesday this week.  For the Oriental Orthodox such as Armenian Apostolic and Coptic Churches, Lent begins today.  For the Eastern Orthodox, this week is a time of preparation for Lent which begins a week from today.)   Today we are given for our lectionary reading a text which is commonly called the "Prologue" of John.  In the Synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, we are given the story of the life of Jesus Christ.  In the stories of His birth as a human infant, we are given prophesies about the divine role He fulfills, but for the most part, Christ's divinity and its nature is revealed as we go through the Gospels and especially Jesus' earthly ministry, to His Passion, Resurrection, and Ascension.  But here in John's Gospel, the pattern differs.  In this Prologue, John begins with the fullness of Christ's divine identity, especially in this first verse.  In the beginning, my study Bible explains, recalls the creation story of Genesis, but it speaks even more clearly of the Creator.  Moreover, as Genesis spoke of the first creation, this Prologue of John (today's full reading) reveals for us the new creation in Christ.  Was the Word (in Greek, Λογος/Logos):  This phrase teaches us the identity of the Word; the Word is the eternal Son of God.  Just as we needed to understand the impact of the words of Scripture (especially "I am") when Jesus quoted from Exodus 3:6 in His response to the Sadducees in Thursday's reading last week, so we also need to take the word "was" from this sentence and understands its meanings and what it teaches us.  Since the Word is eternal, "was" in this sentence indicates existence without reference to a starting point.  That is, in the words of my study Bible, it emphasizes the Word's eternal existence without beginning.  "Logos," my study Bible says, can mean "wisdom," "reason," and "action" as well as "word," all of which are attributes of the Son of God.  The Word was with God:  Again, we must look to the specific words and their meaning to understand what the text tells us.  The Word -- the Son of God -- is co-equal and co-eternal with the Father.  The Word, the Son, is God with the same divinity as the Father. 

He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.  My study Bible comments here that the Word is the co-Creator with the Father and the Holy Spirit (Genesis 1; Psalm 33:6, 9; Hebrews 1:2) and not simply an instrument or servant used by the Father.  It notes that will, operation, and power are one in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Therefore, the heavens and the earth are the works of the One who made them, while the Son was not made but is eternally begotten of the Father.  

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  My study Bible comments that only God has life in Himself.  Therefore, the Word, being God, is the source of life, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit.  The life was the light of men:  "Men" is translated from masculine Greek ἀνθρώπων/anthropon, meaning human beings, humankind.  My study Bible points out that here the text introduces humankind as receiver of the divine light.  As they participate in the life of the Son, believers themselves become children of the light (John 12:36; Ephesians 5:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:5).  Moses saw the divine light in the burning bush (Exodus 3:2); the whole nation saw it at the Red Sea; Isaiah saw it in his heavenly vision (Isaiah 6:1-5); and three apostles saw it at the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-5).  

And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.  Darkness is an indication of both spiritual ignorance and satanic opposition to the light.  My study Bible comments that those who hate truth prefer ignorance for themselves, and strive to keep others ignorant as well (John 3:19).   The Greek word which is translated as comprehend means both "understand" and "overcome."  Therefore, my study Bible says, darkness can never overpower the light of Christ, nor can it understand the way of love.  

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.   This John, whom the Gospel introduces here, is not the author of the Gospel, but rather John the Baptist.  

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.  My study Bible says that Christ offers light to every person, but the world and even many of His own refuse to receive Him; therefore, they can neither know nor recognize Him.  Those who accept Hi have His light.   There is an Eastern Orthodox hymn which is sung at the end of Liturgy, after hearing the Gospel and receiving communion:  "We have seen the true light, we have received the heavenly Spirit."

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: . . .  Here the word translated as the right also means "authority."  It is an indication of a gift from God, not an inalienable right.  Those who receive Christ become children of God by adoption (Galatians 4:4-7).  By grace, my study Bible says, they inherit everything that Christ is by nature.  To believe in His name is to believe and trust in Christ who in His humanity took the name Jesus as Word, Son, Messiah, and Savior. 

 

. . . who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.  To be adopted as a child of God is not a matter of ethnic descent (of blood) as it was in the Old Testament.  Neither are we children of God simply by natural birth (the will of the flesh), nor by our own choosing (the will of man).  But to become a child of God, my study Bible explains, is a spiritual birth by grace, through faith, and in the Holy Spirit.  This is accomplished and manifested, it says, in the sacrament of Holy Baptism (John 3:5-8; see Titus 3:4-7).  

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.'"  Here we have yet another verse that is packed with a fullness of meaning as it introduces us to Christ Incarnate.  As my study Bible puts it, the Word became flesh clarifies the manner in which the Son and Word of God came to His people (verses 9-11, above), and points specifically to the Incarnation.   It says that the Word became fully human without ceasing to be fully God.  Christ assumed complete human nature:  body, soul, will, emotion, and even mortality -- everything that pertains to humanity except sin.  As God and Human in one Person, Jesus Christ pours divinity into all of human nature, for anything not assumed by Christ would not have been healed.  Jesus Christ is truly our Physician.  Dwelt among us:   In the Old Testament, my study Bible reminds us, God's presence dwelt ("tabernacled" -- Greek ἐσκήνωσεν/eskenosen, also "tented") in the ark of the covenant and later in the temple.  Here, the eternal Word comes to dwell in and among humanity itself.  His glory is a reference both to Christ's divine power and shown by His signs and wonders (John 2:11; 11:4, 40), and to His humble service to human beings, shown most perfectly on the Cross (John 12:23-32; 13:31).  In both ways, He reveals that He is the One sent from the Father.  Only begotten of the Father:  My study Bible comments that the Son has no beginning, but has the Father as His source from eternity.  Christ is called "only" begotten because there is no other born from the Father.  (The Holy Spirit exists eternally from the Father through another mystery which is called "procession"; see John 15:26).  Full of grace and truth:  This phrase, my study Bible explains, qualifies both "the Word" and "His glory."  "Grace" is Christ's uncreated energy which is given to us through His love and mercy.  "Truth" includes His faithfulness to His promises and covenants, and to the reality of His words and gifts.  

 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.  My study Bible conveys the understanding of this passage by noting that, in saying we have all receive of His fullness, the Scriptures confirm that God's grace can fill human nature to the extent of actually deifying it.  In Christ, it says, God's children become gods by grace (John 10:34-35) without ceasing to be human beings.  A classic patristic image is that of a piece of metal thrust into fire:  it takes on the properties of fire, such as heat and light, without ceasing to be metal:  so human nature permeated by God takes on properties of the divine nature.  Grace for grace is a Semitic expression which signifies an overabundance of grace.  

No one has seen God at any time.  The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.  That no one has seen God at any time means that no one can see the nature, or essence, of God.  In the Old Testament, we read that to see God is to die (Exodus 33:20).  Only One who is also divine can see God, and therefore the Son is the only One who can declare God.  However, my study Bible explains, this revelation of God's energies can be received by the faithful.  Moses saw the "back" of God (Exodus 33:21-23); Isaiah saw God's glory (see Isaiah 6:1; John 12:41).  

John's Gospel begins by giving us a full picture of the divinity and mission of Jesus Christ.  It is, in some sense, a great blessing to begin reading through this Gospel as we start to go through Lent.  Because of the depth of its perspective, and the echoes of the great mystery of God and the mission of Jesus Christ which begin and will permeate this Gospel, it is perfect for the contemplative time that Lent is supposed to be for us.  Lent is the period that prepares us for Easter/Pascha, and the great and even unfathomable meanings of the Passion, death, and Resurrection of Christ, and what these great gifts -- and His sacrifice -- mean for us as those who call ourselves His followers.  Let us begin, then, with the great and essential import of the things we gather from today's reading, the Prologue of John, in which we're told of the true origins of Jesus, His relationship to the Father, His mission, and the extraordinary grace we've been given through Jesus Christ.  Because it remains true, as the Evangelist writes, that we receive grace for grace, even these centuries later, in inspiration for our lives, and in hope even when times are bleak.  We have this great gift of God, made for us, and it tells us so much, especially about God's love for us.  Let us then begin this Lenten journey in a prayerful mood to receive this Gospel.  In the Cherubic Hymn of the Orthodox, which precedes the Liturgy of the Eucharist, it is sung, "Let us now lay aside all earthly cares: that we may receive the King of all."   Lent is a time for laying aside these "earthly cares" as best we can, and focusing so that we may receive the King of all.  Let us keep this in mind as we go forward into the days of this special time.

And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace

 

 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was 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 passage in Matthew's Gospel:   While the women at the tomb were leaving to tell the disciples what happened and the message of Christ to meet in Galilee, behold, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all the things that had happened.  When they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, saying, "Tell them, 'His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept.'  And if this comes to the governor's ears, we will appease him and make you secure."  So they took the money and did as they were instructed; and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.  Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them.  When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.  And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."  Amen.  

 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  Thus begins John's Gospel.  John the Evangelist and Apostle also holds the title of Theologian, and these first verses bear witness to the reason for that title, at once revealing the depth of this particular Gospel.  In the beginning is meant for us to recall the creation story of Genesis, but in this case John speaks more clearly of the Creator rather than the creation.  My study Bible explains that John's Prologue (the entirety of today's text, John 1:1-18) reveals the "new creation" in Christ.  Was the Word:  In Greek "Word" is Logos.  The Word is the eternal Son of God.  "Was" as used here indicates existence without reference to a starting point.  My study Bible explains that it emphasizes the Word's eternal existence without beginning.  Logos can mean "wisdom," "reason," and "action" as well as "word," all of which are attributes of the Son of God.  The Word was with God:  The Word, the Son of God, is co-equal and co-eternal with the Father.  He Himself is God with the same divinity as the Father.  

All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.  My study Bible notes that the Word is the co-Creator with the Father and the Holy Spirit (Genesis 1; Psalm 33:6, 9; Hebrews 1:2) and not simply an instrument or servant "used" by the Father.  Will, operation, and power therefore are one in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Therefore, the heavens and the earth are the works are the One who made them.  The Son, in contrast, was not made but rather is eternally begotten of the Father.  

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  Only God has life in Himself; all of creation derives life from God.  Therefore, the Word, being God, is the source of life, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit.  The life was the light of men:  My study Bible comments that John now introduces humankind as the receiver of the divine light.  As we participate in the life of the Son, believers may themselves become children of the light (John 12:36; Ephesians 5:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:5).  Moses saw the divine light in the burning bush (Exodus 3:2); the whole nation saw it at the Red Sea (Exodus 13:21); Isaiah saw it in his heavenly vision (Isaiah 6:1-5); and three apostles saw it at the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-5).  

And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.  As Christ is the light, so darkness is a word meant to indicate both spiritual ignorance and also satanic opposition to the light.  My study Bible explains that those who hate truth prefer ignorance for themselves, and they strive to keep others ignorant as well (John 3:19).  The word which is translated into English as comprehend means both to "understand" and to "overcome" -- just as the expression to "take in" can mean both.  Therefore, darkness cannot possibly overpower the light of Christ, nor is it capable of understanding the way of love.

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.  This John mentioned here is John the Baptist, disciples of whom became Christ's first disciples, among whom is the author of this Gospel.  The Light is Christ; while John the Baptist was sent to bear witness to Christ (see John 1:29-37).

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.  My study Bible says that Christ offers light to every person, but the world and even many of His own refuse to receive  Him; therefore they can neither know nor recognize Him.  Those who accept Him has His light.  In many Orthodox traditions, the hymn sung after hearing the Gospel and receiving communion reflects the receipt of this light.  The Eastern Orthodox sing, "We have seen the true light, we have received the heavenly Spirit."  In the Armenian Apostolic Church, the communion hymn includes, "Draw near to the Lord and take ye the light."

 

 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: . . .  My study Bible explains that right also means "authority" and indicates a gift from God, not an inalienable right.  Those who receive Christ become children of God by adoption (Galatians 4:4-7) and by grace inherit everything that Christ is by nature (St Peter writes that we may be "partakers of the divine nature"; see 2 Peter 1:3, 4).  To believe in His name means to believe and trust in Him who in His humanity took the name Jesus as Word, Son, Messiah, and Savior.  

. . . 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 explains that adoption as a child of God is not a matter of ethnic descent (of blood) as it was in the Old Testament, nor are we children of God simply by natural birth (the will of the flesh), nor by our own decision (the will of man).  To become a child of God is a spiritual birth by grace, through faith, and in the Holy Spirit.  This is accomplished and manifested in the sacrament of Holy Baptism (John 3:4-8; see Titus 3:4-7).  

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.'"  My study Bible notes that the Word became flesh clarifies the manner in which the Son and Word of God came to God's people (verses 9-11), and points specifically to the Incarnation.  The Word became fully human without ceasing to be fully God.  He assumed complete human nature:  body, soul, will, emotion, and even mortality.  That is, everything that pertains to humanity except sin.  As God and human in one person, my study Bible emphasizes, Christ pours divinity into all of human nature, for anything not assumed by Christ would not have been healed.  ("What has not been assumed has not been healed; it is what is united to his divinity that is saved. . ." Gregory of Nazianzus, Epistle 101.)  The Word . . . dwelt among us:  In the Old Testament, God's presence dwelt ("tabernacled"; literally "tented" in the Greek) in the ark of the covenant and later in the temple.  Here, the eternal Word comes to dwell in and among humanity itself.  His glory refers both to His divine power which was shown by His signs and wonders (John 2:11; 11:4, 40), and also His humble service to humankind, most perfectly shown on the Cross (John 12:23-32; 13:31).  In both ways, Christ reveals that He is the One sent from the Father.  Only begotten of the Father:  As noted above, the Son has no beginning ("In the beginning was the Word"), but the Father is the source of the Son from eternity.  Christ is called only begotten because there is no other born from the Father.  (The Holy Spirit exists eternally from the Father through another mystery called "procession"; see John 15:26.)  Full of grace and truth:  This is a phrase which my study Bible says qualifies both "the Word" and "His glory."  Grace is what is called Christ's uncreated energy which is given to us through His love and mercy.    Truth, it says, includes Christ's faithfulness to His promises and covenants and to the reality of His words and gifts.  Again, John here is John the Baptist, who declared of Christ that He is preferred before me (John 1:15, 27, 30).

And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.  In saying that we have all received of His fullness, my study Bible says, the Scriptures confirm that God's grace can fill human nature to the extent of actually deifying it (again, refer to 2 Peter 1:3, 4; see also for example St. Paul's reference to fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23).  In Christ, my study Bible explains, God's children become gods by grace (John 10:34-35) without ceasing to be human.  A traditional image of this process is the example of metal thrust into fire:  it takes on the properties of fire (such as heat and light) but it does not cease to be metal; so human nature permeated by God takes on properties of the divine nature.  Thus is born holy people, saints, saintliness.  Grace for grace is a semitic expression which signifies an overabundance of 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.  That no one has seen God at any time indicates that no one can see the full nature, or essence, of God -- for to see God is to die (Exodus 33:20).  That is, only One who is equally divine can fully see or behold God (that is, another Person of the Trinity); therefore the Son is the only One who can declare God to us.  This revelation of God's energies, my study Bible explains, can be received by the faithful.  Moses saw the "back" of God (Exodus 33:21-23); Isaiah saw God's glory (see Isaiah 6:1; John 12:41).  

Thus reads the Prologue to John's Gospel, and thus (as explained through the notes in my study Bible) the Church has historically understood and received these Scriptures in order to tell us about Christ, about the Incarnation, and the fullness of Jesus Christ.  Therefore we understand why a historical title, given to very few as formal title, for John the Apostle and Evangelist is also Theologian -- because this Scripture helps us to understand God, and in particular, God as revealed through the story of Jesus Christ and witnessed through His "beloved disciple" for us.  John speaks as witness when he writes that 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, and that of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.  Together with John the Baptist, the rest of the disciples and those who knew Christ, and we believers who follow, John our Evangelist speaks the voice of witness for himself, his fellow disciples, and for all believers, in some sense.  For to the extent that we have experienced, through our own faith, this grace of Christ, and the light of life that vivifies us, makes possible transcendent acceptance and grace, surprises us with fruit of the Spirit such as unexpected joy or forbearance or forgiveness -- then we have all received, grace for grace.  This is the power of the metal thrust into the flame:  the experiential life of faith, the Light that has produced countless saints whom we can't number and whom we don't all know, our own moments when prayer helped us get through things we didn't think we'd survive with sanity intact, or a light of love that shone to guide us through a personal hell of any kind, even sometimes teaching us that sacrifice is neither impossible nor, in the end, diminishing -- but rather expanding to our sense of who we are.  Let us join with these witnesses, the witness of the Gospel, the voice that speaks for the faithful, in journeying through the gospel of the beloved disciple, and hopefully expanding our faith as we do so.