Bible Studies for Life
Associate Professor of Religion, Samford UniversitySaved by God’s Son
John 1:1–5, 9–14
Matthew and Luke are the only evangelists to tell of Jesus’ birth but each does it in his own way. When talking about Jesus’ origin, John doesn’t want his readers to think about birth or baptism but about creation. He knows, of course, that Jesus was born because he talks about Jesus’ mother (2:1–5; 19:25–27) and brothers (7:1–9). But for John the beginning is the beginning of all things.
Today’s passage stands at the center of Christian understanding of what God accomplished through God’s Son.
Jesus is God who created us and gave us life. (1–5)
“In the beginning” quotes the Greek translation of Genesis 1:1. “Light” and “darkness” also echo Genesis 1.
John is familiar with Proverbs 1:20–33 and 8:1–9:6 (especially 8:22–31) that personify God’s wisdom as present with God at creation, as the means by which God created everything else, as one who proclaims a message for all and who holds people responsible for either accepting or rejecting the message. Proverbs also connects the idea of light — the first thing God creates — with God’s wisdom and righteousness, and darkness with ignorance and wickedness (see also Ps. 119:105). Proverbs also notes that God’s words are our wisdom. John does something similar but talks about Jesus as God’s Word, present with God from the beginning (see also Col. 1:15–20). Verses 6–9 form an interlude introducing John the Baptist but these ideas continue.
Jesus came to earth to make us God’s children. (9–13)
Verse 9 picks up where 5 left off adding tragic irony. Even though God created the world through Jesus the world did not recognize Jesus for who He is. Verse 11 heightens the idea; literally, “He came into His own things and His own people did not accept Him.” This, of course, was nothing new even in Jesus’ time. God has always been the Creator and even God’s people have never exhausted their ability to ignore that fact.
Verses 12 and 13 relieve some of the pessimism. Not everyone rejected Jesus. John presents this reality as a word of hope: people still can “believe in His name” and “become children of God.” Jesus will restate this truth to Nicodemus the Pharisee in probably the most famous Bible verse, 3:16 (see also 3:2–6 for the idea of birth, not from human flesh or human will but from God).
Jesus came to earth to bring God’s glory and grace to us. (14)
This well-known passage is probably the origin of the word “incarnation” (Jesus came “in flesh”). The idea of God, or of God’s Son, appearing in flesh fits a Greek understanding of a divine being in a temporary body. John, however, says, “The Word became flesh.” Not many Greeks could agree with this but it is critical for understanding the importance of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Jesus’ death redeems (1:29) because it was a real death.
“Lived” is literally “tented,” the same idea used of God dwelling with His people in Exodus 40:34.
“We have seen His glory” probably does not refer to John as an eyewitness but to John and his congregation who, like us, have not all seen Jesus in the flesh but who have seen “the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.” Two thousand years later we have the same access to Jesus as John’s first readers did.
Thanks be to God.
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