As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life

 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.  This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him."  Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."  Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old?  Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"  Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'  The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes.  So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."

Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?  Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness.  If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?  No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.  And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.  He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.  But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."

- John 3:1-21

On Saturday, we read that the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.  This is the first Passover of three recorded in John's Gospel.  Jesus found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business.  When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers' money and overturned the tables.  And He said to those who sold doves, "Take these things away!  Do not make My Father's house a house of merchandise!"  Then His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up."   So the Jews answered and said to Him, "What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."  Then the Jews said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?"  But He was speaking of the temple of His body.  Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.   Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did.  But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.

  There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.  This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him."  Nicodemus is a member of the Pharisees.  It's important to note that the Gospel does not give us an entirely monolithic picture of the Jewish leadership; there are other faithful among them as well.  My study bible points out that Nicodemus believed Jesus was from God, but his faith was still weak.  He is afraid of his peers among the leadership and thus came to Jesus by night.  Later on in the Gospel we will find that his faith has grown to such a point at which he will defend Jesus before the Sanhedrin (7:50-51).   After the Crucifixion, he will publicly prepare and entomb Jesus' body (19:39-42), a very bold act of faith indeed.  According to some early Church sources, Nicodemus was baptized by Peter and later removed from the Sanhedrin and forced to flee Jerusalem.

 Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."  Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old?  Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"  Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."   The Greek word translated as again means more literally "from above."  So the "hidden" reference in the text gives us a picture of heavenly birth; that is, birth from God through faith in Christ, as my study bible puts it (1:12-13).  This is clearly a picture of baptism and of adoption by God as our Father (Galatians 4:4-7).  This new birth isn't a completion of the spiritual life, but rather its beginning (just as childbirth is the beginning of that child's life).  The goal is the entrance into the kingdom of God; this is a necessity for that goal.  Nicodemus' misunderstanding about being "born again" is an opportunity for explanation by Christ.  As metaphors are common to Jesus' teaching, such misunderstandings are a frequent occasion for enlightenment and explanation in John's Gospel (2:19-21; 4:10-14, 30-34; 6:27; 7:37-39; 11: 11-15).  Just as one is "born from above," so to speak, Jesus takes one from an earthly and superficial understanding to a heavenly and eternal one.  Water and the spirit give us a picture of baptism as sacrament, but also the gift of the Holy Spirit (given at chrismation, but also a mystery of God's own anointing, as Jesus' following comments will indicate). 

"Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'  The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes.  So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."  This statement by Jesus (about the wind) is a play on words.  The Greek word "pneuma" means both wind and Spirit.  My study bible states that the working of the Holy Spirit in the new birth is as mysterious as the source and destination of the blowing wind.  The movement of the Spirit is a mystery to all of us -- a mystery which cannot be contained by human ideas, agendas, or expectations.  The grace of God cannot be restricted and meets no boundaries.

Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?  Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness.  If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?"  Interestingly, Jesus briefly switches here to the plural "we."  One may surmise this refers to Himself as both God and man, as He is witnessing what He knows from a heavenly perspective.  Earthly things, according to St. John Chrysostom, refers to Jesus' speaking to Nicodemus about baptism and grace given to man.  They're earthly in the sense that they become a part of the Church in the world.  Heavenly things are mysteries beyond man, such as the eternal generation of the Son from the Father.  Eternal existence beyond time (or before time) and God's divine plan of salvation for the world are heavenly mysteries; they belong to God alone to know.  My study bible says, "A person must first grasp the ways in which God works among mankind before he can even begin to understand things that pertain to God Himself."

"No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.  And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life."  And here the "voice" of Christ switches to third person in speaking of Himself, as in "He who came down from heaven" and "the Son of Man."  It remains a way of shrouding His talk in mystery so that revelation comes through faith, but also of affirming His divine and messianic identity.  The Son of Man has come down from heaven and therefore has knowledge of and can reveal heavenly mysteries.  But the One who descended is also to be lifted up, in perhaps the greatest mystery of all, so that He will "lift up" all those who believe in Him as well.  Jesus is of course speaking of the Crucifixion, when He will be lifted up upon the Cross, just as Moses lifted up an image of a serpent in order to cure the Israelites, through faith, of deadly bites of poisonous snakes (Numbers 21:4-9).  Jesus will remove the sting of death.  If we can look upon the crucified Christ in faith, so the power of sin and death is taken away.  My study bible says, "Just as the image of a serpent was the weapon that destroyed the power of the serpents, so the instrument of Christ's death becomes the weapon that overthrows death itself."

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."  What's the reason for the Crucifixion ("lifted up')?  God's great love is not just for Israel, but for the world.  This single verse, says my study bible, not only expresses the full message of John's Gospel, but also of salvation history.

"He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.  But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."   And finally, we're given the fullness of the impact of this mission and His message.  Christ came to save and not to condemn; but human beings have free will.  The rejection of the gift comes with its  own loss, which is effectively a condemnation by one's own rejection.  Effectively, judgment is made through our choice to reject the light, to oppose spiritual truth without which rebirth is not possible.

So what does it mean to be reborn?  Christ starts with the beginning; water and the Spirit form Holy Baptism.  But this is just the beginning of the spiritual life, of the entrance into the Kingdom and preparation for the life of the Kingdom.  The journey of spiritual truth, transcendence and transformation takes on a long growth from there.  It entails our meeting the Spirit within ourselves with each new experience, and inviting in the Spirit, the gift of grace, to come into our lives and heal the past as well.  Life is a series of looking in upon events in which we experience the world and what it offers -- good and bad -- but with that Spirit of Truth present with us.  The Cross offers us just that example.  We look upon this Man crucified, and what do we see?  So much is contained in that question.  Jesus uses the event of Moses holding upon the serpent on a staff as a kind of parallel and overlapping reality:  the Israelites who drew their attention up were healed of the deathly stings of the serpents.  If we can gaze upon the crucified Christ not as the "world" would see Him, but as faith would have us see Him, then we too are healed of the sting of death and sin.  It no longer has a permanent hold on us.  We are in a position to make a choice.  What will the world throw at you?  Will it teach you that the beauty of the spiritual life is worthless?  Does it try to say that the truths one learns via grace have no meaning and no value -- or even more powerfully, that they are dangerous?  What comes to the light and is exposed for all to see?  Our own willingness to hide from the light comes between us and real life, the life in abundance that He promises.  The image of the crucified Christ tells us this is not an easy nor a simple journey.  The world is full of too many things that a "worldly" attitude doesn't want to come to light.  But if we can look upon the One who gave us all for all, all truth for all life, and see His wounds, then we are healed of our own.  Nothing will ever be more true, nor more profound.  And no death nor sting of sin can keep this from us.  The world will plant shame where it doesn't want to hear truth.  The important thing in our lives, to change all this in us, is to have our faith and go forward in the truth that transforms, transcends, and transfigures everything else.  The root of that mystery is in today's reading, and the Spirit that works like the wind through and betwixt all things.

Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man

 Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.  And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business.  When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers' money and overturned the tables.  And He said to those who sold doves, "Take these things away!  Do not make My Father's house a house of merchandise!"  Then His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up." 

So the Jews answered and said to Him, "What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."  Then the Jews said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?"  But He was speaking of the temple of His body.  Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said. 

Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did.  But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.

- John 2:13-25

Yesterday, we read there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.  Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding.  And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine."  Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me?  My hour has not yet come."  His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it."  Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece.  Jesus said to them, "Fill the waterpots with water."  And they filled them up to the brim.  And He said to them, "Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast."  And they took it.  When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom.  And he said to him, "Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior.  You have kept the good wine until now!"  This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him. After this He went down to Capernaum, He, His mother, His brothers, and His disciples; and they did not stay there many days.

Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.  And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business.  When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers' money and overturned the tables.  And He said to those who sold doves, "Take these things away!  Do not make My Father's house a house of merchandise!"  Then His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up."  The cleansing of the temple is given in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke at the end of His ministry.  Here in John, it appears at the beginning of His ministry.  Some Church Fathers are of the opinion that there were two cleansings of the temple.  In any case, it is Passover, and pilgrims are in Jerusalem for the feast.   Oxen and sheep and doves were sold for sacrifices, while money changers traded Roman coins for Jewish coins, as the Roman money, with its image of Caesar, was considered defiling to the temple.  John includes the detail of the whip of cords (fit for driving out the animals), giving us a vigorous picture of Jesus' outrage at defiling the temple as to make it a "marketplace" of commerce and profiteering from those who come for prayer and worship.  One can simply imagine the noisy and crowded conditions, and perhaps haggling over the prices of animals and their quality for sacrifice.  My study bible says that as each person is considered to be a temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19), this is a sign for each of us and the cleansing of our own hearts from "earthly matters" - whatever separates us from God.  The Scripture recalled by the disciples is from Psalm 69:9.  See also Jeremiah 7:11.

 So the Jews answered and said to Him, "What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."  Then the Jews said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?"  But He was speaking of the temple of His body.  Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.  Jesus is not a Levitical priest, and so He's asked for a sign of His authority to cleanse the temple.  The term the Jews is used in John's Gospel most often to refer to the Jewish leadership.  Here it refers to the chief priests and elders.  It's important to remember that all the people here are Jews, and that would include the author of the Gospel.  Jesus answers their question in a hidden way, careful not to reveal Himself to those who will scoff.  The ultimate sign will be His death and Resurrection.  His answer also points to the the idea of the body as a temple. 

Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did.  But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.  This is the first of three Passover feasts in John's Gospel reported during Jesus' ministry (see also 6:4, 11:55).  This gives us the three year period of His ministry.   Again, the text tells us about Jesus' understanding of the hearts of people (such as in the meeting with Nathanael), and His discernment.  He does not commit Himself to those who follow simply because of signs.

What is faith?  The word in the last paragraph above for "commit" (in He did not commit Himself to them) is the past tense of the Greek word for faith when used as a verb.  (As a verb, we use the word "believe.")  That is, He did not put His faith in them.  More closely, it means He did not entrust Himself to them.  The root of the Greek word for faith means trust.  Jesus gives us this strong example of discernment, and sets the example for us as well.  It's important to discern where we put our trust, important to evaluate what we'll believe -- but more importantly, as Jesus does here, who we'll put our trust in.  Christ as Incarnate God brings us the personhood of God.  That is, we put our faith or trust in a Person, not merely in a set of intellectual concepts.  That means for us that faith is all about Person-to-person relationship, not merely an intellectual assent to concepts we agree with.  Our faith uses much more of us as persons -- involves all of who we are on all levels -- than merely an intellectual agreement.  This is a rational choice, but involves more than rationality.  It involves everything that engages in relationship and relatedness.  Jesus' own actions teach us about discernment.  The one with the greatest love and mercy retained His discernment and discretion of the hearts of people, and it's a lesson for all of us to learn as well.  We don't entrust what is precious in a place which doesn't truly value its worth.  With faith, we trust in the One who truly loves us.

They have no wine

 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.  Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding.  And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine."  Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me?  My hour has not yet come."  His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it."  Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece.  Jesus said to them, "Fill the waterpots with water."  And they filled them up to the brim.  And He said to them, "Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast."  And they took it.  When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom.  And he said to him, "Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior.  You have kept the good wine until now!"  This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him. After this He went down to Capernaum, He, His mother, His brothers, and His disciples; and they did not stay there many days.

- John 2:1-12

This week we have begun the Gospel of John.  First came its theological Prologue.  Then we are given a week in the beginning of Jesus' ministry, paralleling the Creation in Genesis.  On the first day we are introduced to John the Baptist,  then on the second and third days Jesus meets and chooses His first disciples, who were first disciples of John.  Yesterday, we read that on the following day (that is, the fourth day) Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, "Follow Me."  Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.  Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote -- Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."  And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"  Philip said to him, "Come and see."  Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!"  Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."  Nathanael answered and said to Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God!  You are the King of Israel!"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe?  You will see greater things than these."  And He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."

 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.  Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding.  And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine."  Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me?  My hour has not yet come."  His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it."    The third day is an expression that means "the day after the next" (or "two days later," including the current day in the count) making this the sixth day given in John's Gospel.  We are, significantly, at a wedding feast.  The sixth day in Genesis is the creation of man and woman.  Significantly, a woman plays a great role in this reading, and she is the Mary, the Mother of Christ.  Her role here as intercessor will set her role in the Church to come, and that of the saints who follow her.  A wedding is symbolic of the new covenant coming into the world through this ministry.  It also parallels Resurrection:  there is a Mary here who makes an appeal, and it is the third day.  It's a reflection, a hint, that the marriage between God and His Church or His people, Israel, will be fulfilled in the Resurrection.  My study  bible points out the similarities between John's Resurrection account and Song of Solomon, also cementing the tie between Resurrection and the marriage of God and God's beloved.  We are in Galilee, a place of both Jewish and Gentile populations, signifying this marriage, this new covenant, will include all people who enter into it.  But most powerfully, we are given the role and character of His mother, the human being chosen to bear God into the world (Theotokos, traditional title for Mary, means "God-bearer").    There is a kind of synergy here between human beings and the Lord's power; her prayer or intercession, and her example and teaching of obedience, making way for the first sign or miracle in John's Gospel.   This working between human beings (prayer) and the Lord is the depth of covenant in faith, for which marriage ("the two become one flesh") is another kind of symbol.  Wine is symbolic of life, says my study bible.  So Mary's statement, "They have no wine," has two levels of meaning:  first, a marriage isn't complete without the presence of Christ, and second, the old covenant was unable to bestow life even on those most faithful.  Woman is a sacred title in Scripture.  It conveys deep respect and distinction (4:21; 8:10; 19:26; 20:13, compare to Genesis 2:23).  Jesus asks more literally, "What is that to Me and to you?"   He declares that the time for His revelation as Christ hasn't come yet. 

Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece.   Again, the number six is significant in today's reading.  It's the sixth day of John's Gospel, and here the waterpots number six.  It is one less than the perfect seven, and symbolic of the Law.  These are made of stone, as in rabbinical teaching, stone would not contract ritual impurity.  The Law (illustrated by water reserved for Jewish purification) was incomplete, imperfect, and could not bestow life.

  Jesus said to them, "Fill the waterpots with water."  And they filled them up to the brim.  And He said to them, "Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast."  And they took it.  When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom.  And he said to him, "Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior.  You have kept the good wine until now!"  This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.   The changing of water into wine symbolizes the old covenant being fulfilled in the new, which can bestow life.  The overabundance here in the gallons of the good wine is symbolic of overflowing grace for grace that Christ grants.  In the tradition of the Church, many see the transformation of water to wine as prefiguring the Eucharist, the transformation of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ.  Jesus' glory is the divine power in signs such as this one, and also His humble service to human beings.

After this He went down to Capernaum, He, His mother, His brothers, and His disciples; and they did not stay there many days.  This verse gives us the seventh day of Jesus' ministry, paralleling the day of God's rest in Genesis.  Jesus' brothers are considered to be either extended family (as it is common in Scripture as well as today in the Middle East to refer to cousins as "brothers"), or step-children to Mary by previous marriage of Joseph.  As would be typical, all were present as guests at the wedding.

Perhaps there is nothing more extraordinary than the power of prayer.  Shown in Jesus' Mother, who will become the saint of all saints, the one always known as great Intercessor for all His followers, is the example of human beings "working together," so to speak, with the power of God.  Through the Incarnation, Christ stoops low, one might say, as God comes to us and meets us where we are.  Prayer becomes both plea and dialogue, and God's power responds.  Thus, today's reading gives us the first sign of God's presence among us in John's Gospel.  There will be seven given altogether.   Mary is a stand-in and representative of all faithful human beings who love God.  In that light, her role as God-bearer becomes more profound and powerful.  Human beings are shown to have the capacity, by grace, to bear God within themselves, and to nurture Christ's Church in the world through our own love and care and protection of what is truly "the Good."  It is love that really cements this bond -- what is called "synergy" in formal theology -- between God and human beings.  That it is a woman chosen for such a role teaches us the tremendous blessing given to all of us by God as heirs and inheritors of this Kingdom and participants in God's covenant.  The power of prayer illustrated in Mary's appeal or request is also shown to have extraordinary benefits for all the world in the resulting abundance of wine as illustrative of God's grace.  In the encounter with God, we do not know the results of our prayer.  All power of response is in the hands of God, and Christ's response shows that it is He who elects to choose His own time and response for all things.  We cannot predict grace, nor are we the authors of its power and intention.  But we can play a role, as intercessors ourselves, when we pray for the world, when we enter into dialogue with God.  That simple act can already be one of repentance, of a desire for something other than the world's dictates and the "rules" we seem to learn from what is "worldly."  Prayer is a request for something more and different.  It is even an act of freedom, a refusal of slavery to sin, a turning to grace beyond what we know.  Let us remember her example and also her love, for that is the key to everything, even to her depth of humility.

An Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit

 The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, "Follow Me."  Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.  Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote -- Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."  And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"  Philip said to him, "Come and see."  Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!"  Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."  Nathanael answered and said to Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God!  You are the King of Israel!"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe?  You will see greater things than these."  And He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."

- John 1:43-51

We have begun reading the Gospel of John this week.   First came its theological Prologue, and then we were introduced to John the Baptist, as the Gospel begins to tell of a foundational week in Jesus' ministry.  Yesterday, we read about its second and third days, in which John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold!  The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!  This is He of whom I said, 'After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.'  I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water."   And John bore witness, saying, "I saw the Spirit descending like a dove, and he remained upon Him.  I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'  And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God."  Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples.  And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!"  The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.  Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, "What do you seek?"  They said to Him, "Rabbi" (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), "where are You staying?"   He said to them, "Come and see."  They came and saw where he was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).  One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.  He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated, the Christ).  And he brought him to Jesus.

 The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, "Follow Me."  Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.  Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote -- Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."  And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"  Philip said to him, "Come and see."  Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!"  Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."  Nathanael answered and said to Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God!  You are the King of Israel!"   Jesus and His first disciples are Galileans, and this is where His ministry will begin.  Nathanael disparages Nazareth as a place from where someone of such significance could come; this is not the place from which the Messiah was to originate, nor figured in any prophecy.  But Jesus sees right into Nathanael.  To have no deceit, says my study bible, means both having a pure heart and being straightforward with others.  That, indeed, is plainspoken Nathanael.  And what impresses Nathanael, who speaks directly what is in his heart, is that Jesus knows what is in his heart.  My study bible cites Chrysostom as saying that Jesus was praising Nathanael for being so diligent and careful in His search for the Messiah.  The text also indicates that Christ was aware of Nathanael before Philip called him, another clear indication that He is the "heart-knower." 

Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe?  You will see greater things than these."  And He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."  The title Son of Man is one from the Old Testament.  My study bible tells us that it had a level of mystery in its meaning, as it indicated a man of heavenly origin who would usher in the Kingdom of God (see Daniel 7:13).  In the Old Testament, Jacob dreamed of a ladder which connected earth to heaven, and upon which the angels of God were ascending and descending (Genesis 28:12-15).  This was a prophecy given to Jacob, of which Jesus is fulfillment.  He is the "ladder" who unites earth to heaven, and therefore He is the Son of Man.   This is the fourth day given in John's Gospel.  Paralleling the fourth Day of Creation, in which God established the greater and lesser lights governing day and night, Jesus reveals Himself to be the "greater light" as fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy.

When Jesus claims that Nathanael is "an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit," he's not merely speaking of something good in the national character of Israel.  He's getting down to the heart of what the name Israel means and conveys.  It was Jacob, whose memory Jesus suggests to Nathanael in the reference to the ladder, who was renamed "Israel" (Genesis 35:10).  It was Jacob who "struggled with God" in wrestling for a blessing (Genesis 32:22-31).  And this is an aspect of the word "Israel," meaning to struggle, contend, or prevail (with God).   Nathanael is one pure in heart, in the sense that there is no deceit, as Christ says.  Ironically, and importantly, this is in some contrast with the character of Jacob before his blessing and his name-change to Israel.  But Nathanael speaks his mind, he struggles with his faith, he contends and does not simply interpret prophecy in ways that would be convenient.  He asks questions, and he "comes and sees" for himself.  Of course none of this would be meaningful without the relationship to Christ.  It is Christ who recognizes the heart of Nathanael.  And Nathanael's full-hearted response to Christ also indicates something about him.  The character of Nathanael (who is also called Bartholomew) is not "lukewarm" (see Revelation 3:16).  He is not someone to take deep issues lightly, but with the seriousness they merit, and the struggle in the heart that entails.   He's not going to put his trust in something or someone without the struggle of discernment.  Ultimately, as with the example of Jacob, everything comes in the struggle for faith.  It will take faith for Nathanael to realize the promise in Jesus' description of Himself as the ladder in the vision given to Jacob.  It will take the struggle and journey of faith for Nathanael to come to more fully realize what "good" can come out of Nazareth.  Like Jacob, it will be in the long struggle for faith that the promise of the descendant of David of Bethlehem will be revealed.  Nathanael or Bartholomew himself will end his earthly struggle as disciple in martyrdom for Christ.  None of this can be truly realized in Nathanael's declaration of Christ as Son of God and King of Israel in this first meeting.  But the promise is there, and as with Jacob, it is in the long struggle of faith that grace fulfills what is promised to us.  It is grace that makes us who we might become.

Behold the Lamb of God!

 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold!  The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!  This is He of whom I said, 'After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.'  I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water."   And John bore witness, saying, "I saw the Spirit descending like a dove, and he remained upon Him.  I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'  And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God."

Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples.  And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!"  The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.  Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, "What do you seek?"  They said to Him, "Rabbi" (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), "where are You staying?"   He said to them, "Come and see."  They came and saw where he was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).  One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.  He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated, the Christ).  And he brought him to Jesus.  Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, "You are Simon the son of Jonah.  You shall be called Cephas" (which is translated, A Stone).

- John 1:29-42

We have just begin the Gospel of John, and started on Monday with its theological Prologue.  Yesterday we read the testimony of John the Baptist, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?"  He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ."  And they asked him, "What then?  Are you Elijah?"  He said, "I am not."  "Are you the Prophet?"  And he answered, "No."  Then they said to him, "Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us?  What do you say about yourself?"  He said:  "I am 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness:  "Make straight the way of the Lord,"' as the prophet Isaiah said."  Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees.  And they asked him, saying, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"  John answered them, saying, "I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know.  It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose."  These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold!  The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!  This is He of whom I said, 'After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.'  I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water."   And John bore witness, saying, "I saw the Spirit descending like a dove, and he remained upon Him.  I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'  And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God."  This next day is the second day in John's Gospel, paralleling the separation of water above from the water below on the second day of Creation in Genesis 1:6-8.  John declares that his own baptism with water to be inferior to Christ's, in which baptism is with the Holy Spirit.  Jesus is the Lamb of God, John declares, recalling Isaiah's "Servant of God" who dies for the transgressions of His people (Isaiah 53:4-12).  My study bible says that Christ is the true Paschal (Passover) Lamb, who offers Himself for our deliverance from darkness and death (1 Peter 1:18-19).  John gives this declaration, so that we understand Jesus does not need baptism to wash away sins.  Rather, there is revelation here:  the Spirit descending and remaining on Christ is a sign of the fullness of the Spirit possessed by Christ from all eternity.   It is important to understand that this is testimony we're given from John the Baptist, who led his own disciples to Christ, including most likely the author of this Gospel.

Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples.  And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!"  The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.  Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, "What do you seek?"  They said to Him, "Rabbi" (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), "where are You staying?"   He said to them, "Come and see."  They came and saw where he was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).  One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.  He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated, the Christ).  And he brought him to Jesus.  Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, "You are Simon the son of Jonah.  You shall be called Cephas" (which is translated, A Stone).  Here the disciples of John the Baptist are led to Christ to become Jesus' first disciples.  They are Andrew and Simon (also known as Peter or Cephas).  Philip and Nathanael will be introduced in tomorrow's reading.  The unnamed disciple (the other in addition to Andrew who form the two who heard John speak, and followed Christ) is considered by many Fathers to be John, the author of this Gospel.  A common literary device held that out of humility a writer did not give his own name (see Luke 24;13 as another example).   This is the third day given in the text.  Jesus begins gathering and creating the foundation of the Church with these first disciples, paralleling the gathering of the water and the establishment of growth on the land of the third day in Genesis 1:9-13.  The transformation of Peter's name to "Stone" is a kind of sign of this foundation. 

Why the parallel with Creation, given so clearly in the hints of this Gospel?  Clearly Christ, as Son and Logos, is the One through whom Creation was spoken into existence, and without whom "nothing was made that was made" (John 1:3).   From the beginning, John's Gospel makes it clear that Christ's appearance in the world as the incarnate Jesus is God's divine hand at work, "recreating" the world, so to speak, through His ministry, and preparing the world for the transformation at the end of the age through the Church, the Body of Christ.  We could delve much more deeply into the theology of this "recreation," and understand that salvation is a way of reclaiming Paradise on earth, redeeming not just man but "for the life of the world."   In a deep sense, this is what it is to be able to baptize with the Holy Spirit.  And this is really what the text is telling us in the parallels with the Days of Creation.  Step by step, it is God's intervention in the world that creates the Church, putting together its foundations, leading from the last of the Old Testament prophets and building the new covenant for the life of the world.  We note how cosmic events of tremendous surprise and awe are contained in small, almost intimate pictures:  John the Baptist witnessing the Holy Spirit resting fully on Christ at His baptism, the first few disciples led to Christ, and one by one, the others added.  These aren't just the start of something big.  Rather they are revelation to startle even the angels at what tremendous thing is happening, shaking up a universe of universes with the Gospel, and the startling grace of God that suddenly permeates awareness with an awesome plan for humankind and for the world.   An ancient hymn declares of Mary (the Theotokos, or "God-bearer"), "He whom the entire universe could not contain was contained within your womb, O Theotokos."   And so we could say it is similarly in these events with this handful of people.  The good news of a universe is contained in these conversations, this revelation to John the Baptist, this guidance by John of these first disciples to Christ.  We never know what is contained in small beginnings, in the choice to devote oneself to God, nor to follow His way.  Every decision counts when we view what these few choices have made, and what extraordinary power is at work through them to recreate Creation itself.

I am "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Make straight the way of the Lord'"

 Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?"  He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ."  And they asked him, "What then?  Are you Elijah?"  He said, "I am not."  "Are you the Prophet?"  And he answered, "No."  Then they said to him, "Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us?  What do you say about yourself?"  He said:  "I am

'The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
"Make straight the way of the Lord,"'
as the prophet Isaiah said."

Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees.  And they asked him, saying, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"  John answered them, saying, "I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know.  It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose."  These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

- John 1:19-28

In yesterday's reading, we read the Prologue to John's Gospel, teaching us about the identity of Christ:  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.

Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?"  He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ."  And they asked him, "What then?  Are you Elijah?"  He said, "I am not."  "Are you the Prophet?"  And he answered, "No."  Then they said to him, "Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us?  What do you say about yourself?"  He said:  "I am  'The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Make straight the way of the Lord,"' as the prophet Isaiah said."  After the theological prologue, John's Gospel begins with "the beginning" of Jesus' ministry.  As the Gospel echoed Genesis with "In the beginning," so now it starts to give us seven days.  This first begins with the important and essential question that will also be asked about Jesus, "Who are you?"  John denies that he is the Messiah, nor is he Elijah (although Jesus will say he is Elijah returned in spirit), nor the Prophet (the Messiah) prophesied by Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15).   He gives Isaiah's cry as response, he is the herald of the Lord (Isaiah 40:3).

Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees.  And they asked him, saying, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"  John answered them, saying, "I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know.  It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose."  These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.  John's baptism reflects his call for repentance, which he makes as part of the tradition of the prophets before him.  His practice of baptism prefigures and prepares people for the baptism to come.  My study bible says that, as the last in the lineage of Old Testament prophets, John is a figure of the Law.  He could denounce sin but not remit it.   But both John and the Law direct us to the One who can do so.

Identity is the central question of the Gospels.  Here the leadership sends its representatives to ask John, "Who are you?"  John, we know, was a towering figure during his lifetime and ministry, widely revered as a holy man.  It makes sense that the leadership should send to ask him, "Who are you?"  What we find with John's answer is something very important in theological terms.  Identity is given in relationship to Christ.  John is called the Forerunner.  He's the one whose identity is in preparing people for the Messiah, for Christ.  But this theological understanding of John's character and identity isn't only for John.  It's for all of us.  It's a very profound work of faith to continue on the journey to Christ as a way to identity, to find who we are.  Prayer helps us to find the things that truly define us, and to discard the things that don't.  Jesus' teachings will extend to identity.  When He teaches, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also," He is giving us a clue about identity and how it works.  When Jesus speaks figuratively of cutting off or removing a hand or eye or foot that offends (see for example Matthew 18:8-9), He's speaking of shaping identity in relation to God and the true life in abundance He offers.  The "hand" or "eye" or "foot" that offends refers to sinful behavior, whether it be envious, or lustful where it shouldn't be, or abusive, for example.  Casting those things away from us means reshaping our own identity in relationship to God:  if we treasure them, they remain who we are, they define us.  Grace works in us to help us to define and reshape identity through a lifetime of faith, through the work of learning of "our better natures," so to speak.  Prayer helps us to find insight on new and better choices, helping to find what we treasure and what we need to discard.  Life is a process of growth in relationship to Christ if we choose to live that way, and that is what identity is all about.  For many, that is the fullness of what it means to be a Christian.   It is what it really means to be heirs or children by adoption and grace.  God's reality is a personal reality, not a sterile intellectual one.  In the saints, we can see examples of people who, through relationship to God, became supreme personas, entirely unique in their distinction, shaping the world and touching those around them with grace.  There is no such thing as a "cookie cutter" saint, because the depth of identity grows as we grow in relationship to Christ.   John the Baptist defines himself in his role as herald or forerunner.  In prayer, in relationship and participation in His life, one may find what Christ gives also to shape and identify our true place in Him, our real heart of hearts.

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 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

Our recent readings have been those in the end of the Gospel of Matthew.  At the Resurrection,  Christ and the angel appeared to the two women (Mary Magdalene and "the other Mary").  They were told to go to the disciples and tell them that Jesus would go ahead of them to Galilee.  ON Saturday, we read that while they were going, 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 haven 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.  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.   In Saturday's reading, it was established that not only Jesus' authority as divine Son of God is over heaven and earth, but after Incarnation and Resurrection, this is true also of His glorified human nature.  Here in John's Gospel, we begin with the establishment of the identity of the Word, "in the beginning," echoing Genesis.  But this is an eternal existence without beginning, as "in the beginning was the Word."   John teaches us attributes of the Word, the Son:  the Greek is Logos, which can mean "wisdom," "reason," and "action," as well as "word."  He is the One by whom creation was spoken into existence.  He was with God: an eternal communion, and a separate Person.    He was God:  co-eternal and co-equal, with the same divinity as the Father.   He is co-creator, through whom all things were made, and without whom nothing was made that was made.   He is life; being God, the source of life together with the Father and the Holy Spirit.  Here is a clue to the Gospel news:  this life is the light of men, and it comes into the world as gift to human beings, and for the life of the world.  Light becomes the vision of this life:  as in the burning bush (Exodus 3:2), in Isaiah's vision of heaven and the seraphim or "fiery ones" (Isaiah 6:1-5), and at the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-5).  Darkness is spiritual ignorance, and also satanic opposition to the light (a preference for spiritual ignorance).  My study bible says, "Those who hate truth prefer ignorance for themselves and strive to keep others ignorant as well (3:19).  Here the Greek is well-translated as comprehend, because it means both "understand" and "overcome," as in to "take in."  Darkness, says my study bible, cannot 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.  That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.    John's Gospel turns to John the Baptist, the Herald or Forerunner, who bears witness of the Light, and is also the last and greatest Old Testament-type prophet.  Light will figure prominently all through John's Gospel. 

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.  Christ offers light to all people, but the world and many of His own refuse to receive Him; therefore they can neither know nor recognize Him.  To accept Him is to have His light and life; the gift of sonship, as heirs; that is children by adoption and inheritors of all that is His by nature.  To believe in His name, my study bible says, "is to believe and trust in the One who in His humanity took the name Jesus as Word, Son, Messiah and Savior."  Children of God are not those by descent (blood), nor birth (will of the flesh), nor decision (will of man), but rather by grace, through faith, and in the Holy Spirit.

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 writes of the Incarnation; the Word became flesh but did not cease to be the Word, fully human and fully God.  "As God and Man in one Person, Christ pours divinity into all of human nature, for anything not assumed by Christ would not have been healed," says my study bible.  The word translated as "dwelt among us" means "tabernacled" (or "tented") in the Greek, just as God's presence was in the ark of the covenant and in the temple.  Here the Word comes to dwell among all of humanity.  His power and service to the world are revealed, in His works and on the Cross; in such was His glory as One sent from Father is beheld, He is full of grace and truth.  My study bible says that grace is Christ's uncreated energy 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.  His fullness fills us; His grace can fill human nature and make us "God-like," allowing us to become children of God by grace while we remain human beings.  Grace for grace is a Semitic expression meaning an overabundance of grace.  No one has seen God; but the Son can declare Him.  Christ's revelation of God's energies (grace) may be received by the faithful.  Moses saw the "back" of God, (Exodus 33:21-23), Isaiah saw God's glory (Isaiah 6:1, John 12:41).

This is what is called the Prologue of John's Gospel.  He introduces us to Jesus Christ, giving us a full theological understanding in these first eighteen verses.  Right off, the tone of John's Gospel sets it apart from the other three (called the Synoptic Gospels).  While Matthew, Mark, and Luke give us the events of Jesus' life, culminating in His death and Resurrection,  John's Gospel begins with Jesus' eternal identity as Son and Logos, the One who already in the beginning was with God.  John is given the title Theologian in the Eastern Church for this reason.  As we read, we should keep in mind this Prologue, especially as the emphasis on light will keep recurring.  Images of light come to permeate the text with meaning, and we should remember that Christ's light and life itself are synonymous.  That is, the life of God (in whom only is life), and the light of knowledge and participation by grace in that life -- and all the things that can mean for us.  We should notice the contrast in the Prologue between Light and Darkness.  Light is the life God offers and all that the Incarnation brings to us; darkness is that which seeks to deny the light and to keep true life from human beings.  It is both ignorance of the light and the deliberate desire and activity for ignorance of that light. The earliest Church documents show us that the teachings of the Apostles were rooted in this theology of the way of life in opposition to the way of death, as a choice open to us.  In another sense, the absence of life and light means an absence of true substance and meaning.  Jesus' Incarnation as the Word or Logos of God is to bring us all the choice of this light and what it offers to us,  "grace for grace."  It's up to us, to what we truly desire, where our treasure is.  The fear of the light is just that, fear:  it's what we're left with minus the light.  John is also the Evangelist of love, giving as theology the teaching that God is love.  In this we dwell when we choose the light.