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 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

 

 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 

 

Last week, we were reading Christ's Sermon on the Mount in preparation for Lent.  On Saturday, we read that Jesus taught:  "Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them.  Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven.  Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men.  Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.  But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.  And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites.  For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men.  Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.  But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.  And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do.  For they think that they will be heard for their many words.  Therefore do not be like them.  For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.  In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.  Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance.  For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting.  Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward."

 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.   In the beginning recalls the creation story of Genesis, only John's Gospel is teaching us about the Creator.  Moreover, as Genesis spoke of the first creation, today's reading (referred to as the Prologue of St. John's Gospel) reveals the new creation in Christ, my study Bible says. Was the Word (in Greek, Λογος/Logos):  The Word is the eternal son of God. Note the syntax:  "was" is an indication of existence without a starting point; it emphasizes the Word's eternal existence without beginning.  My study Bible teaches that Logos can mean "wisdom," "reason," and "action" as well as "word," which are all attributes of Christ, the Son of God.  The Word was with God:  The Word -- who is the Son of God -- is co-equal and co-eternal with the Father.  He 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 says 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 are one in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  So, 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 God's own Person.  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 St. John introduces humankind as the receiver of the divine light.  By participating in the life of the Son, my study Bible reminds us, 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 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.  Darkness, my study Bible explains, indicates both spiritual ignorance and satanic opposition to the light.  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 as comprehend from the Greek (καταλαμβάνω/kagalamvano) means -- as does the English -- both to "understand" and "overcome."  So, therefore, darkness cannot 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, who would both bear witness and also lead his own disciples to Christ, not the author of this Gospel. 

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 remarks that Christ offers light to every person, but the world and even many of His own refuse to receive Him.  So, they can neither know nor recognize Him.  Those who accept Christ have His light.  An Orthodox hymn sun at the end of Liturgy, after hearing the Gospel and receiving communion, declares, "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, right also conveys the meaning of "authority" and is an indication of a gift from God.  This differs from what we consider, in political or even moral terms, an inalienable right.  Those who receive Christ become children of God by adoption (Galatians 4:4-7), and by grace 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.   To be adopted as a child of God is not a matter of ethnic descent (of blood) as it was in the Old Testament, my study Bible says; nor are we children of God by natural birth (the will of the flesh), nor by a person's own decision (the will of man).  To become a child of God references a spiritual birth by grace, through faith, and in the Holy Spirit.  This is done 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.'"  The Word became flesh makes clear the way in which the Son and Word of God came to God's people; it points specifically to Christ's Incarnation.  The Word became fully human without ceasing to be fully God.  Christ assumed complete human nature.  That is, as my study Bible explains it, in body, soul, will, emotion, and even mortality -- all the things that pertain to humanity with the exception of sin.  As God and Human Being in one Person, Christ pours divinity into all of human nature.  Anything which would not have been assumed by Christ would not have been healed.  He dwelt among us:  This word translated as "dwelt" means literally "tented" or "tabernacled" in Greek.  In the Old Testament God's presence dwelt in the ark of the covenant and later in the temple.  Here, the eternal Word comes to dwell in and among humanity itself as Human Being.  His glory refers both to His divine power shown by Christ's signs and wonders (John 2:11; 11:4, 40), and to Christ's humble service to human beings, which was shown most perfectly 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:  The Son has no beginning, my study Bible says, but has the Father as His source from eternity.  He 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:  Ths phrase is a qualifier upon both "the Word" and "His glory."  "Grace" is the uncreated energy of Christ which is given to us through His love and mercy.  "Truth" includes Christ's 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.  In saying 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.  In Christ, God's children become gods by grace (John 10:34-35) without ceasing to be human. As metal thrust into the fire takes on properties of fire (like 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, my study Bible explains, 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.  In saying that no one has seen God at any time, we understand this to mean that no one can see the nature, or essence, of God -- for to see God is to die (Exodus 33:20).  Only another divine Person can see God, so therefore the Son is the only One who can declare God.  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). 

 Today's reading consists of what is called the theological Prologue to John's Gospel, in which we're introduced to the reality of this Person, Jesus Christ, about whom the Gospel is written.  Indeed, all the Gospels are about Jesus Christ, but John's Gospel distinguishes itself in its theological, spiritual orientation to this question.  We're not given just the "facts" and "stories" of Jesus' life and ministry only, but a deeper theological orientation to just who Jesus is, how He came ito the world and why, and additionally we have Christ's words from the Last Supper as well.  While each Gospel is an inspired work unto itself, giving us the gospel of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom, John's Gospel adds its own inextricable dimension which illuminates deeper structures of identity, meanings to Christ's words, teachings, and miracles, and a way to understand the things of God in ways we wouldn't have otherwise.  Each is indispensable, but John's Gospel is perhaps quite distinctive in this sense.  In particular, this Prologue of today's reading starts by introducing us to Creator, as my study Bible says.  He was always present with God and He is God; He was present at the creation, and He was before the creation.  It is, indeed, from John's Gospel that we understand that "without Him nothing was made that was made"  John's Gos;el gives us theological insights and underpinnings to Christ's teachings, and a deep theology of the Eucharist and what that teaches us about our faith.  As we head into Lent, let us keep in mind that we are in a time for taking more time and giving more time to God, to ponder these mysteries John's Gospel touches upon and introduces to us.  Above all, we may try to consider what it means that this extraordinary Person, who was already in the beginning both God and with God (the Son and Word who was always together with the Father and the Spirit) is also the very humble, humane, gentle, and most deeply loving Master and Teacher to the disciples whom He lived and traveled with, and who equally knows each one of us deeply and intimately.  It is He who transcends all boundaries, dimensions, experiences, both in His divinity and in His humanity.  There is nothing that was spared Him of who we are and what we experience even in this world of darkness in which we struggle.  He has struggled with us to be our light and to show us the way.  Let us be those who cling to His light in the darkness, and do not give up that light for the darkness.  Let us bear witness to His light.

 

 

 

 

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

 

 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 the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  As is my custom, I quote from the notes in my study Bible, and reserve my commentary for the end of my post.  In the beginning hearkens us to the creation story of Genesis, but, my study Bible tells us, speaks more clearly of the Creator Himself.  Moreover, Genesis spoke of the first creation, but John's Prologue (the entirety of today's reading) reveals the new creation in Christ.  Was the Word:   In Greek, "Word" is logos/λογος.  My study Bible says that the Word is the eternal Son of God.  "Was" indicates an existence without reference to a starting point, and emphasizes the Word's eternal existence without beginning.   "Logos" can mean "wisdom," "reason," and "action" as well as "word," my study Bible says, and all of these are attributes of the Son of God, the Second Person of the Trinity.  The word was God:  "With" teaches us that the Word -- the Son of God -- is a distinct Person form the Father, and that the Word 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; my study Bible remarks that He Himself is God with the same divinity as the Father.  There are those who twist and, in so doing, mistranslate this phrase to read "the Word was a god" in order to support a heresy that the Son of God is a created being (such as angels or human beings), a creature who is not fully divine.  But this translation, my study Bible says, is unsupportable, false, 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.  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.  My study Bible explains that will, operation, and power are one in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Therefore, the heavens and 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.  Only God has life which originate within God's own Person.  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 remarks that John the Evangelist now introduces humankind as receiver of the divine light.  As we may 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 (Exodus 13:21); Isaiah saw it in his heavenly vision (Isaiah 6:1-5); and three apostles saw it at the Transfiguration.

And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.  Darkness is an indication of both spiritual ignorance and of satanic opposition to the light.  My study Bible remarks that those who hate truth prefer ignorance for themselves, and they strive to keep others ignorant as well (John 3:19).  The Greek word which is translated comprehend means both to "understand" and to "overcome" (as does "comprehend").  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 the Light, that all through him might believe.  He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. The John which the Gospel refers to here is John the Baptist, not the author of the Gospel.

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 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 Christ.  Those who accept Christ have His light.  In the Orthodox Church, a hymn which is sung at the end of Liturgy, after hearing the Gospel and receive communion, 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 explains that the word translated as right also means "authority," and it 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 Christ is by nature (see 2 Peter 1:2-4).  To believe in His name means to believe and trust in the One 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 3:5-8; 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.  My study Bible comments that the Word became flesh clarifies the manner in which the Son and Word of God came to His people (verses 9-11), which points specifically to Christ's Incarnation.  The Word became fully human without ceasing to be fully God.  Christ assumed complete human nature, my study Bible explains:  body, soul, will, emotion, and even mortality -- that is, everything that pertains to humanity except sin.  As God and Man in one Person, Christ pours divinity into all of human nature, for anything which was not assumed by Christ would not have been healed.  Dwelt among us:  In the Old Testament, my study Bible notes, God's presence dwelt (literally "tabernacled") 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 Christ's divine power which was shown by His signs and wonders (John 2:11; 11:4, 40), and also to His humble service to humankind, which was shown most fully and perfectly 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:  My study Bible explains that the Son has no beginning, but has the Father as His source from eternity.  He 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 qualifies both "the Word" and "His glory."  My study Bible explains that grace is 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 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.   My study Bible affirms that in saying we have all received of His fullness, the Scriptures confirm that God's grace can fill human nature to the extent of actually deifying it (again, see 2 Peter 1:2-4).  In Christ, God's children become gods by grace (John 10:34-35) without ceasing to be human.  A classical patristic image is given by my study Bible:  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 takes on properties of the divine nature.  Grace for grace is a Semitic expression signifying 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.  To say that no one has seen God at any time is to declare that no one can see the nature or essence of God, for the see God is to die (Exodus 33:20).  My study Bible explains that Only One who is divine Himself can see God; therefore the Son is the only One who can declare God.  This revelation of God's energies, it says, 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).  

What do we understand of the statement that the Word was made flesh?  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?  This is the testimony of John the Evangelist and disciple, the apostle who writes this Gospel.  And it is the testimony that speaks for all the others as well.  In our passage in today's reading (also called the Prologue to John's Gospel), we are given what we might call the bare facts about enormous and infinite realities beyond our grasp:  that the Word is the divine Second Person of the Trinity, called the Son.  And yet, Christ came into our world so those like John would witness Him, fully divine and also fully human.  I know a priest who is fond of teaching that Christ was both 100 percent human and 100 percent divine.  How can we wrap our minds around this?  Our early Christian ancestors would understand that it is in these deepest of paradoxes that we can find -- or even begin to simply imagine -- the truth about Jesus Christ, about the work of God in our world, the activity of grace and the reality of God and God's love for us.  Maybe the most important thing for us as human beings is simply to begin to grasp, in relationship to Him, how we are loved and how we are led, how grace is active in our lives, how Christ came into the world simply to show both God's love for us and also God's guidance for what is best for us, for how to find ourselves and our real identities, how to live our lives, and most importantly of all, how to find the meaning to our lives.  The reality of the world will always offer us alternatives:  alternatives which in one way or another are filled with darkness.  That is, the darkness of ignorance, of partial truths, of lies, of misleading ways of thinking and being, even things which turn out to be traps and dead-end paths.  But Christ is here to shine His light for all of us, and all the time, to show us our way out of the traps and back out of the dead-ends, to set us on a good road, a straight path, His "way."  In tomorrow's reading, John the Baptist will come preaching, quoting from Isaiah, "Make straight the way of the LORD."  We are asked to make our own path to our hearts straight for God's grace, for Christ's light to enter in, for that light still shines in the darkness, although the darkness does not comprehend it.