John 1:1-5 Jesus is God!

When John wrote this summary of the meaning of Jesus’ life, he was addressing a church whose faith was being undermined. He wrote this towards the end of the first century, probably when he was the Senior Elder of the church inEphesus. The times were far from easy, there was persecution from both some inside the church and from outside. He wrote with the knowledge that the synoptic gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke were already widely distributed throughout the young churches. He therefore carefully selected his stories to fit in with his stated purpose that he mentions at the end of the book.

“Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” John 20:30-31

John wants people to be convinced about who Jesus is. His aim was not to give people a fuzzy emotional experience butto understand that Jesus is the promised Messiah, the only Son of God. Only by recognising who Jesus is will people be given ‘life in his name’. Belief in Jesus means his taking over all aspects of our lives. John is writing to convince people about Jesus by sharing the truths about what Jesus did and taught.

This is what all churches should teach. It is relevant to Christians, to seekers and to honest sceptics. John emphasises that God knows what is going on in the hearts of all people, God knows the real reasons that lie behind our reactions to Jesus; all have made a decision about him.

John insists that what he says about Jesus is the absolute truth. Polycarp, the Bishop of Smyrna at the beginning of the second century had known John when he was younger. He described a scene in Ephesus when John was seen rushing out of one of central public baths in Ephesus shouting out,

“Let’s flee, lest the bath house falls down, because Cerinthus, the enemy of truth, is within.”

John didn’t want to be killed if the building collapsed under the righteous judgment of God! This strong reaction was because Cerinthus was one of the gospel’s chief opponents at that time. Cerinthus taught that Jesus was not divine but was the natural child of Mary and Joseph.

People were asking then, just as they continue to ask today;

1. Why did only a minority of Jews become Jesus’ followers?

2. Why are the majority of Jesus’ followers from among the less sophisticated and less educated people?

Both the newspapers and broadcasters today keep hinting at the same questions. A new survey from the MORI Social Research Institute found that sixty per cent of Britons say they believe in God. This reveals a small drop over the past five years, down from sixty four per cent in 1998. Eighteen per cent say they are a practising member of an organised religion, and a quarter, a non-practising member. A further quarter (24%) are spiritually inclined but 'do not really belong to an organised religion', whilst 14% are agnostic and 12% are atheist.

John wants to make it abundantly clear at the outset what he is aiming to prove. He introduces us to Jesus as nothing less than the all powerful, omniscient, creator God of the universe.

In the introductory ‘Prologue’ of John (1:1-18), Jesus is described in divine terms. He is the ‘Pre-existent Word’ (1:1-5), the ‘Light of the World’ (1:6-13) and the ‘Incarnate Son of God’ (1:14-18). In this article we will focus on the first five verses where Jesus is portrayed as the ‘Pre-existent Word’. Mark starts in a similar way, his opening line says what his book later will substantiate and he starts by saying,

“The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” Mark 1:1

Jesus is the Eternal ‘Pre-existent Word’

John says Jesus existed before time and creation began. Athanasius put it this way,

“There never was, when he was not.”

Why did John introduce Jesus as ‘the Word’? Words communicate and share ideas and Jesus, being the incarnation of God, certainly has communicated to mankind what God wants us to understand. The word ‘logos’ would mean much to both Jews. and Gentiles.

Jesus is our Creator

Jews would remember the beginning of Genesis, the first book of the Bible.

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1

There was a beginning, ‘in the beginning’ - ‘en arche’ in Greek. It doesn’t say when or what mechanisms were used but the instigation for the coming of this world and this universe was ‘’the word’ of God. This doctrine is emphasised in Psalm 33,

“By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.. . . . For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.” Psalm 33:6,9

It is striking that the origin of this word is a person,

“For the word of the LORD is right and true. He is faithful in all he does.” Psalm 33:4

The Bible emphasises that this word was spoken by the ‘pre-existent word’, the Son of God. The Bible teaches that the universe and everything in it, was created by Jesus, the Son of God,

“God . . .has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.” Hebrews 1:2

“Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” John 1:3

Greek mythology also taught that the world was created by the ‘logos’, but for them this was force was impersonal. The Greek philosopher Heraclitus appears to be the first to have used the word ‘logos’ to refer to a rational divine intelligence, which today is sometimes referred to in scientific discourse as the "mind of God." The early Greek philosophical tradition known as Stoicism, which held that every human participates in a universal and divinely ordained community, used the ‘Logos’ doctrine as a principle for human law and morality. So when John starts his ‘good news’ he used a phrase that was universally understood.

When the wise men came from the East, following a star, they came to worship a baby who was just over a year old. This baby was the incarnation of the creator of the universe and of the star they had followed. The three gifts had a significant spiritual meaning: gold as a symbol of his kingship, frankincense (an incense) as indication of his deity, and myrrh (an embalming oil) as a symbol of his death. Origen of Alexandria (c.184 – c.253 AD) in his book ‘Against Celsus’ wrote:

"Gold, as to a king; myrrh, as to one who was mortal; and incense, as to a God."

There are many around who consider that the Christian message is essentially ‘be kind, be good’ but how far from the truth this is. The church’s message is about Jesus who was God come in the flesh, who came to teach us and then die for us so that all people could have their relationship with God restored. The Christian message is not trivial, it is the most important message any one can hear, that God loves us enough to send his Son into his world.

Jesus is a real person

John starts his gospel by telling us that Jesus, ‘The Word’ was a real person who pre-existed with God,

“. . . the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.” John 1:1-2

Thomas Whitelaw, a nineteenth century Christian commentator wrote,

“The theme of the evangelist’s discourse was not a metaphysical abstraction or a political personification but a veritable person.”

John wants us all to know that the Christian message is not a philosophical idea or poetry dressed up as mythology. He is claiming that what he writes about the man Jesus really happened and has eternal significance.

When John began his first letter he stresses these same facts. He again uses the phrase that Jesus was ‘en arche’, ‘from the beginning’, yet he was also a real human being who could be seen, heard and touched.

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched – this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.” 1 John 1:1

John must be either completely deluded or he’s lying or he’s telling the truth. He wrote this book, to help people know that he is telling the absolute truth about Jesus. John will later go on to explain why this is important, people must believe in Jesus to receive eternal life,

“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:12

Towards the end of this book John confirms why the stories he has selectively written about Jesus are so important.

“But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” John 20:31

This brings a challenge to all people. If people are determined not to know the truth they will never investigate and sift the evidence. We can at least give John the opportunity of giving us the evidence he gives us. Imagine him to be a witness in a court case. Remember that if John is right, then God is real and it is God who is very keen to convince us of this truth. Why don’t people ask God to make himself known to them? Perhaps its because of the obvious consequences. Such a prayer to God should naturally end,

“If you convince me about Jesus, I will follow you for the rest of my life.”

There are religious groups, such as Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses and Unitarians who admire some of what Jesus taught but reject this fundamental claim both of Jesus and of the apostles that Jesus was none other than the eternal God who entered his world to save us. The difficulty these sects have is that if Jesus is not God, his sacrifice of himself on that cross cannot be the eternal sacrifice that can take away the sin of all who turn to him for forgiveness. Jesus never gave up his ‘godness’ when he took on our humanity. As he faced his imminent horrifying death whilst praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, he looked forwards to returning to be with the other two members in the godhead,

“I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.” John 17:5

Again the question poses itself, ‘Is Jesus telling the truth, is he deluded or is he a liar?’

When Jesus told the ‘parable of the prodigal son’, he must have empathised with the son who longed to go home to live with his Father again.

Jesus is God

John affirms,

“The Word was God.” John 1:1

This is the heart of the Christian message. The missionary and Bible scholar, Martin Goldsmith, has said,

“If … we deny the deity of Christ as the second person of the Trinity, his incarnation, his divine-human person, his redeeming work on the cross, his resurrection and ascension, then … we are no longer talking of the truth revealed in the Bible nor of the faith of the Church throughout Christian history. However we may call our new religious concoction “Christianity,” it actually has little relationship to the Christian faith. We have in fact invented a new religion which has changed or denied every major point in the Christian faith.”1

Some ask philosophical or theological questions that they think prevents them from addressing the one vital question, ‘Who is Jesus?’. They may have issues about the possibility of a virgin birth, about the possibility of miracles, about the possibility of the resurrection or have questions about how God will judge those who die at birth. However, when the question ‘Who is Jesus?’ has been answered, then the possibility of miracles is resolved. Miracles are possible and furthermore God, who will be our judge, knows the answer to these and other tough questions. Science proclaims that our very existence is a miracle, so why shouldn’t God be able to perform occasional miracles for a particular purpose?

‘Who is Jesus?’ is not just a theoretical point. John continues,

“In him was life, and that life was the light of men.” John 1:4

What does ‘In him was life’ mean? It must be more than biological life. In view of how the verse continues ‘life’ means ‘life’ for mankind. Later in this prologue we can see that to have life has a spiritual meaning, it means to be a ‘child of God’.

“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed on his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:12

Jesus frequently taught people in such terms. He said,

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

To believe in Jesus is to be committed to him not just for this life but for eternity. The light not only shows us the way we should live but enables us to see what life is all about. In summary, Jesus is the only way for us, selfish people, to obtain a relationship with God. Jesus said to his disciples,

“I am the way, the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father but through me.” John 14:6

Jesus is the Son of God

There is sometimes confusion over what this means. A Hindu, who became a Christian, had no difficulty explaining this:

“The son of a lion is a lion, the son of a monkey is a monkey, the Son of God is God.”

In the Old Testament, the son of God is distinguished from but equal to God.

In Psalm 2, God is angry with those people and nations who reject his sovereignty, but he equates his son with himself,

“The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against his anointed one.” Psalm 2:2

The term ‘anointed one’ means the Messiah, God’s chosen king who will rule eternally.

“The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the LORD scoffs at them. Then he rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath saying, ‘I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill.’” Psalm 2:6

Later the Psalm explains the relationship the Messiah will have with the Lord,

“He said to me, ‘You are my Son’ . . . Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, and the ends of the earth your possession. . . Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way.’ . . . Blessed are all who take refuge in him.” Psalm 2:7-12

It is clear that our relationship with the Son of God, his Messiah, must be the same as that with God himself

Daniel also foresaw that God’s Messiah would be a man who has the same authority as God himself, he is worshipped as only God can be worshipped and his rule is eternal – a staggering prophecy:

“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” Daniel 7:13-14

Another prophet in the Old Testament is seeking to know the God who controls the winds and seas and land of the earth:

“Who has established the ends of the earth? What is his name, and the name of his son? Tell me if you know!” Proverbs 30:4

We do know his name now - his name is Jesus Christ. The word ‘Christ’ is a Greek word that means the same as the Hebrew ‘Messiah’- both mean ‘God’s chosen king’. Jesus is God’s eternal king who all people must worship if they are to be at peace with God.

Jesus stands out

The life and character of Jesus is so much brighter and significant than that of anyone else who has ever lived. The following are some quotes by notable people about Jesus the person but unfortunately many of these have failed to recognise who he really is - the Son of God.2

“I know men and I tell you that Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between Him and every other person in the world there is no possible term of comparison. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have founded empires. But on what did we rest the creation of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded His empire upon love; and at this hour millions of men would die for Him.” Napoleon, military and political leader

“I am an historian, I am not a believer, but I must confess as a historian that this penniless preacher from Nazareth is irrevocably the very centre of history. Jesus Christ is easily the most dominant figure in all history.” H.G. Wells, author

“Jesus of Nazareth, without money and arms, conquered more millions than Alexander the Great, Caesar, Mohammed, and Napoleon; without science and learning, he shed more light on things human and divine than all philosophers and scholars combined; without the eloquence of school, he spoke such words of life as were never spoken before or since, and produced effects which lie beyond the reach of orator or poet; without writing a single line, he set more pens in motion, and furnished themes for more sermons, orations, discussions, learned volumes, works of art, and songs of praise than the whole army of great men of ancient and modern times.” Philip Schaff, theologian and historian

“Jesus Christ is to me the outstanding personality of all time, all history, both as Son of God and as Son of Man. Everything he ever said or did has value for us today and that is something you can say of no other man, dead or alive. There is no easy middle ground to stroll upon. You either accept Jesus or reject him.” Sholem Asch, Jewish writer

“It is evidence of His importance, of the effect that He has had upon history and presumably, of the baffling mystery of His being that no other life ever lived on this planet has evoked so huge a volume of literature among so many people and languages, and that, far from ebbing, the flood continues to mount. As the centuries pass by, the evidence is accumulating that measured by its effect on history, Jesus is the most influential life ever lived on this planet. The influence appears to be mounting. No other life lived on this planet has so widely and deeply affected mankind. Kenneth Scott Latourette, former President of American Historic Society

“The character of Jesus has not only been the highest pattern of virtue, but the strongest incentive in its practice, and has exerted so deep an influence, that it may be truly said that the simple record of three years of active life has done more to regenerate and to soften mankind that all the disquisitions of philosophers and all the exhortations of moralists.” W. E. H. Lecky, historian and political theorist

“I find the name of Jesus Christ written on the top of every page of modern history..” George Bancroft, historian

“All that is best in the civilization of today, is the fruit of Christ’s appearance among men.” Daniel Webster, politician

“All history is incomprehensible without Christ.” Ernest Renan, historian, religious scholar and linguist

“Jesus is not one of the group of world’s great. Talk about Alexander the Great and Charles the Great and Napoleon the Great if you will…Jesus is apart. He is not the Great – He is the only.” Carnegie Simpson, historian

“No one else holds or has held the place in the heart of the world which Jesus holds. Other gods have been as devoutly worshipped; no other man has been so devoutly loved.” John Knox, theologian

“Even those who have renounced Christianity and attack it, in their inmost being still follow the Christian ideal, for hitherto neither their subtlety nor the ardour of their hearts has been able to create a higher ideal of man and of virtue than the ideal given by Christ of old.” Fyodor Dostoyevsky, author

“A man who was completely innocent, offered himself as a sacrifice for the good of others, including his enemies, and became the ransom of the world. It was a perfect act.” Mahatma Gandhi, leader

“As a child I received instruction both in the Bible and in the Talmud. I am a Jew, but I am enthralled by the luminous figure of the Nazarene....No one can read the Gospels without feeling the actual presence of Jesus. His personality pulsates in every word. No myth is filled with such life.” Albert Einstein, scientist

“Christ is the most unique person of history. No man can write a history of the human race without giving first and foremost place to the penniless teacher of Nazareth.” H.G. Wells, author

“You will find that He is divinely human. It is no mean joy to us of the house of Israel to recognize, to honour and to cherish among our brethren, Jesus the Jew, who has influenced the world more than any other man.” Stephen Wise, rabbi

“If all the illustrious men of history were gathered together and Shakespeare should enter their presence, they would rise to do him honour; but if Jesus Christ should come in, they would fall down and worship Him.” Charles Lamb, author/poet

“It is interesting and significant that a historian, without any theological bias whatever, should find that he cannot portray the progress of humanity honestly without giving a foremost place to a penniless teacher from Nazareth. A historian like myself, who does not even call himself a Christian, finds the picture centring irresistibly around the life and character of this most significant man.” H.G. Wells, historian

“The historical result of [Jesus Christ's] activities was more momentous even from a strictly secular standpoint, than the deeds of any other character of history. A new era, recognized by the chief civilizations of the world, dates from his birth.” The Historians’ History of the World

“If ever the Divine appeared on earth, it was in the Person of Christ...the human mind no matter how far it may advance in every other department, will never transcend the height and moral culture of Christianity as it shines and glows in the Gospels.” Goethe, writer

“The name of Jesus is not so much written as ploughed into the history of the world.” R. W. Emerson, writer

“It would require much exotic calculation...to deny that the single most powerful figure - not merely in these two millennium but in all human history - has been Jesus of Nazareth.” Reynolds Price, writer

“The ages have come and gone and this Man stands out from among all others. There was a purity within His life that changed men who came in contact with Him. And it has changed others since then, as well. Men discovering Him have gladly lived and laid down their lives for Him - and this often by cruel deaths. But it has mattered not, because of that which He did within their lives. Just now, take a few minutes to read what others have said about Him - the most amazing Man in all recorded time. They want to introduce you to the only Man in history who can radically lift you - and change you - for the better.” Vance Ferrell, writer

“Jesus was the greatest religious genius that ever lived. His beauty is eternal and his reign will never end. He is in every respect unique and nothing can be compared with him.” Ernest Renan, author/historian.

“Will Jesus ever be surpassed? Nineteen hundred years have passed, and his equal has not risen. This is not true of the world's other great ones. Every generation produces geniuses worthy to be compared with those who have gone before. It can be said of no one man, 'He stands alone; he has no rival; no equal; no superior.' But this is true of Jesus. Nineteen hundred years, instead of diminishing His greatness, have accentuated it.” Editor, The Los Angeles Times.

“The life of Christ, the holiest among the mighty and the mightiest among the holy, has lifted with its pierced hands empires off their hinges and turned the stream of centuries out of their channel, and still governs the ages." Jean Paul Richter, writer

“Christ is the great central fact of the world’s history. To him everything looks forward or backward. All lines of history converge upon him. All the great purposes of God culminate in him. The greatest and most momentous fact which the history of the world records is the fact of his birth.” C. H. Spurgeon, pastor

“His character forbids possible classification with men.” Horace Bushnell, minister

“There is no one else seriously bidding for the heart of the world except Jesus Christ. There is no one else in the field.” Brahmo-Samajist to missionary E. Stanley Jones

“Christ's system of morals and religion as He left them to us is the best the world has seen or is likely to see.” Benjamin Franklin

“Jesus Christ cannot be adequately understood in terms of any category applicable to man...He is a category by himself.” George MacDonald, author

“Everything that is really worth while in the morality of today has come to the world through Christ. Dismiss his standards of right and wrong and try to draw up your own ethical code, and see where you will be!” G. Campbell Morgan, preacher

“A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic – on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg – or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God; or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” C.S. Lewis, author

C.S.Lewis, the author of the Narnia stories, had been an atheist but, because of the evidence reluctantly became a theist when aged 31. He became a Christian, when 33 years old, following a long discussion about the Christian faith with J.R.R. Tolkien, another Oxford academic and writer of the Hobbit books. Lewis concluded,

“In a civilisation like ours, I feel that everyone has to come to terms with the claims of Jesus Christ upon his life, or else be guilty of inattention or of evading the question.”

I was thinking of finishing this article with an illustration of someone who realised how much they needed Jesus and how they turned to him, but decided to ask some questions instead.

1. If you are a Christian, can you explain why and how you turned to Christ.

2. If you are not yet a Christian, can you explain what is preventing you turning to Jesus Christ as your Saviour and Lord?

BVP

1Martin Goldsmith, ‘What About Other Faiths?’ (1989; repr., London: Hodder and Stoughton, 2008), https://books.google.com/books?id=C0Y5AgAAQBAJ.

2http://www.glenarmbaptistchurch.co.uk/quotes-jesus-influence-on-history/471

John 1:6-13 The Light Shines in the Darkness

With liberty comes laxity. In the fourth century AD, Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire. The threat of persecution was reduced but another major danger replaced it. The church became powerful, prosperous and political. A deadly formalism and corruption crept in. The church, like traditional Judaism was becoming darkened.

John Chrysostom

John Chrysostom was determined to oppose this decadence and darkness. He was born in Antioch in Syria to a Greek family in AD 347. John was given a good education and learned rhetoric – the skill to speak effectively in public. After a reckless youth he turned to Christ in his twenties and he took his new commitment seriously. He became a monk, living such an austere lifestyle for several years that it affected his health. Of greater long-term benefit were his efforts to memorise the entire Bible. John moved from the monastic life for the church and was ordained as a presbyter in 386 AD. For twelve years he remained in Antioch, preaching frequently and drawing large crowds. John was more than just a clever speaker. He spoke clearly to ordinary people with messages that were simple and practical and used illustrations from everyday life. John constantly appealed to the Bible as God-given authority. It is claimed that his eyes shone ‘like burning torches’.

John Chrysostom had intended to stay in Antioch but the Emperor felt that Constantinople, the eastern capital of the Roman Empire, needed someone of quality to occupy the pulpit. The result was that John was kidnapped in 398, taken to Constantinople and persuaded to be bishop. It was not a happy appointment! The authorities wanted a superstar preacher; instead they got a man of God. Standing on the authority of the Bible, John sought to reform both the church and his society. Rejecting all attempts to pressure or limit him, he attacked extravagance and immorality and did all he could to deal with corruption within the church. He preached against excessive wealth: ‘It is foolishness and a public madness to fill the cupboards with clothing and allow men who are created in God’s image and likeness to stand naked and trembling with the cold so that they can hardly hold themselves upright.’ He practised what he preached. He sold off some of the art in the Bishop’s palace, refused to give lavish dinner parties, and criticised anything that involved excessive wealth and spending. Straightening out a corrupt financial system, John saved enough on his expenses in his first year to build a hospital for the poor. His attacks, not just against excessive wealth but against a whole range of social ills, gained him the friendship of the downtrodden and the hostility of the powerful. He refused to play politics and so it is hardly surprising that after five years he found himself banished from Constantinople to the edge of the Black Sea. There, in exile, he died in 407 and his last words were,

‘Glory be to God in all things. Amen.’

John Chrysostom was a model evangelist. He had fire in his belly and logic in his brain; he preached Christ with urgency and life in a language that all could understand. There was an extraordinary urgency to his message. As he said,

‘There is nothing colder than a Christian who does not seek to save others.’

He was also an evangelist with vision. In marked contrast to most of his contemporaries he saw beyond his own city and community, sending out church planters into the Danube Valley and eastwards to what is now Iran.

John was a man who preached that right beliefs had to be matched with right actions. He wanted to see his society and his church cleaned up.

John was a Biblical man. He took his stand on Scripture and taught that it had supreme authority. He encouraged his hearers to read the Bible too.

John proclaimed a simple lifestyle. He consistently opposed excess wealth and self-indulgent luxury.

John Chrysostom is an awesome figure. In troubled times he spoke out for an authentic Christianity; a faith centred on Christ, guided by the Bible and utterly independent of every pressure of culture. John was indeed a ‘golden mouth’ for the gospel: our age needs more men and women like him today.1

The Light is rejected

Looking back at the history of the church, it appears that God regularly raises up people who will oppose the staid ritualistic church and point people back to its foundation, the Lord Jesus. Men such as John Wycliffe, Martin Luther, John Calvin, George Whitfield, John Wesley and many others have courageously brought people back to the Biblical gospel. The apostle John wrote his gospel to do just this – he wanted everyone to know that Christianity is based on a relationship with the man who was God, Jesus Christ. This is how he summarised his message,

“The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.” John 1:5

This statement is so simple, yet so profound. ‘Light’ for the scientist means ‘energy’, to the philosopher it means ‘wisdom’ and to the theologian it means ‘purity and perfection’. Surely John has all these concepts in mind. He has just reminded us that Jesus embodied all these characteristics. He had:

Energy - ‘Through him all things were made.’ John 1:3

Wisdom - ‘In the beginning was the word.’ John 1:1

Purity and perfection - ‘We have seen the glory, the glory of the one and only.’ John 1:14

The verb ‘understood’ that comes at the end of this verse has a double meaning. In the King James Version it is translated as ‘comprehend it’ whereas in the NIV it is translated ‘overcome it’. Surely both are intended. Those who are in the dark cannot ‘comprehend’ the gospel of Christ but at the same time it can also mean that the darkness cannot defeat or overcome the gospel.

In English we also have several words that also have double meanings. ‘Grasp’ can either mean to grasp with the mind or understand or it can mean to grasp in order to capture and destroy. The same Greek word is used of the boy Jesus healed who appears to have had epilepsy - he was grasped by these attacks,

“Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid.” Mark 9:18

All the early translations and commentaries use this meaning, that ‘darkness cannot seize or overcome the truth.’ This assumes that there is a spiritual war going on. This is so true, the darkness does attack but we are assured that it cannot seize or destroy God’s truth. In the parable of ‘the Four Soils’, commonly called ‘the parable of the Sower,’ Jesus describes this spiritual battle when the bird, representing Satan swoops down and seizes the seed or word of God from an individual to prevent it germinating. When Jesus first preached in the synagogue, a man with an evil Spirit called out, ‘Who are you?’ There is a spiritual war going on that all of us are involved in. John is telling us that whenever the light shines, whenever the gospel is proclaimed, darkness will attempt to snuff it out. We have all experienced this. When people first hear the gospel and are thinking it through, so often someone will come along and try to dissuade them. ‘Thinking of joining the God Squad’ are you?’ The battle is then raging in an occult way, in both meanings of the word! The voice of Satan may snuff out an initial interest in getting right with God, but in the wider picture God’s church will never be snuffed out, the darkness will not prevail. When we are tempted a battle rages within us.

The other meaning used by many modern commentaries is ‘to understand.’ To really understand a subject we have to grasp the opportunity to grasp its meaning. Paul used this word to encourage the Corinthians to grasp the spiritual prize being offered to them,

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets (or grasps) the prize.” 1 Corinthians 9:24

The gospel has to be grasped for the prize of eternal life to be won. There is no place for a laid back, casual, lazy approach where the gospel is concerned. It must be seized in the same way that Paul and Chrysostom seized it.

The English word ‘master’ has a similar double meaning. Our verse could be translated,

“Light shines in the darkness but darkness has not mastered it’ John 1:5

In a recent Cricket Test series, the English fast bowlers were trying to master the opposing batsmen, just as Satan is trying to master us. In South Sudan, Ethiopia and Nigeria and in many places of the world Satan is trying to outwit the churches, often by violence. But John, as God’s mouthpiece, tells us that the darkness did not and cannot master God’s truth.

However the word ‘to master’ can also mean ‘to understand.’ I have recently been trying to master ‘OBS’, a computer programme that enables church services to be broadcast on YouTube but I haven’t ‘mastered’ it or fully understood it yet. When we were medical students we used to take ward services in the London Hospital once a month. Patients enjoyed coming but it was obvious that most hadn’t the foggiest idea what the Christian message was about.

Surely what John is saying is that if I don’t take the opportunity to grasp, seize and understand the gospel I will have no share of its benefits. In fact I will inevitably be in the opposing camp and will even try to destroy it. This is the sad news that John writes about at the start of his gospel.

John the Baptist

The opening phrase about John the Baptist is striking,

“There came a man who was sent from God . . .” John 1:6

Our free will clearly does not determine everything! God arranged for the Baptist to come as a fore-runner to the Messiah.

Jesus describes John as being the greatest of men. He acted as the ‘best man’ of Jesus (John 3:29). What made him so great?

“He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that, through him, all men might believe.” John 1:7

This teaching has been so underplayed in Western churches, Christians must learn how to testify concerning Jesus to those around them. Furthermore we must learn to testify in such a way that people put their faith in Jesus. It is unfortunately possible to speak of Jesus in such a way that we can put people off Jesus!

There are some Christians whose message seems to focus more on them and their experience than on Jesus. John was not like that.

“He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.” John 1:8

In John chapter 3, the apostle John tells us a bit more about what John the Baptist was trying to do. Clearly his aim was to ‘testify’ about and point people to Jesus. He said,

“The one who is from above is above all . . . The one who comes from heaven is above all . . For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God . . .” John 3:31-34

John the Baptist’s message was the same as that of Christians today,

“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.” John 3:36

No wonder Jesus considered him to be the greatest of men. There was no compromise in the clarity of his message!

Jesus, the Light of the World

Let us look on at how the apostle John continues in John 1:9-12

a. “The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.” John 1:9

The gospel is unique, there are not versions of it – the definitive article is used. It is true, and this truth is for every person in the world. It is God’s light to our lives. We instinctively know that what Jesus represents and taught is true and the facts about his death and resurrection and the reliability of the gospel records can be substantiated. Yet only a minority of people want to recognise this light.

b. “He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognise him.” John 1:10

What a tragedy it is that the creator of this world is rejected. This teaching that Jesus is our creator is a repeated theme in Scripture:

“. . . all things were created by him and for him.” Colossians 1:16

“. . . he (God) has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.” Hebrews 1:2

The refusal to recognise Jesus is deliberate. We don’t want him to be our creator, as that would necessitate our living under his authority. Instead people make up excuses, such as suggesting that ‘evolution’ removes from them the necessity of considering Christ’s claims. However the laws of nature have no power to create anything, they can only describe the rules that the creator has used in his creation. Nature is often personified and even given a mind, with people foolishly saying ‘nature decided that . . .’. It is a tragedy that people try to hide behind such shallow thinking, They are empty excuses. The light has shone into people’s lives but people refuse to investigate whether Jesus’ claim to be God is valid. He is supported by the prophecies about the coming Messiah in the old Jewish Scriptures and the evidence that he did rise from the dead as both Jesus and the Scriptures had foretold. Were those disciples all duped somehow or were they all telling the truth?

c. “He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.” John 1:11

The Messiah came to his own people, the Jews. He gave them every opportunity to investigate his claims. But just as the Jews had rejected the prophets God had sent to warn them in previous generations, now they rejected their own Messiah - ‘his own did not receive him’.

However there is now good news - a gospel to share,

d. “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God . . .” John 1:12

To ‘receive Jesus’ means to believe in him. Our word ‘believe’ comes from an Old English word ‘lieben’ - to love. It has remained the same in modern German. To ‘be-lieve’ is to be personally committed to a person. It was in Victorian times that the meaning of ‘believe’ changed into accepting an idea or concept. However the ‘belief’ that God demands is much more than intellectual acceptance – it is a commitment to the person of Jesus, to love him, to follow him and to obey him. The book of Hebrews says:

“He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.” Hebrews 5:9

Paul reminds the Romans, both at the beginning of his letter and again at the end that without obedience there is no saving faith:

“We received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith.” Romans 1:5

“ . . . so that all nations might believe and obey him.” Romans 16:26

What is the Christian Gospel?

Can we all explain the gospel if asked?

The gospel is the message about Jesus, who he is and what he has done to save us. He is the Messiah, God’s chosen king, who entered his world to give his life as the once for all time sacrifice for our sin. To become a member of God’s kingdom, individuals must repent of our old life, lived without God, and accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. The Light needs to be understood and grasped if it is to be of benefit. Jesus’ message to all people is to repent - to change direction,

“The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the gospel.” Mark 1:15

Jesus is the King of this kingdom. Men are opposed to God because of our sin, and God is opposed to us because of his holiness. The separation is wide but was resolved by what Jesus did for us.

In the last book of the Bible there is a good illustration of what it means to receive Jesus Christ. Jesus is talking to a comfortable church of people who are not committed to living for him. It is a salutary warning that it is possible to be in a church but not to be a converted person, not to be ‘born again.’ These church people were ‘poor, blind and naked’ spiritually. Jesus tells them that they must respond to his warning – his love is not like cotton wool, it apprehends, shakes us up and wakes us up. Jesus says,

“So be earnest and repent.” Revelation 3:19

No-one should be casual and insincere about their relationship with God, we must be in earnest. How does a person start this relationship? Jesus says,

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him and he with me” Revelation 3:20

Jesus is knocking on the door of their lives. They may be Jews, God-fearers or complete outsiders but the opportunity for a relationship is there for all who change direction, who repent, and allow God to have his rightful place in controlling how they live. The thrill is that Jesus then starts a new relationship with us which is highly enjoyable. This is illustrated by him enjoying a meal with us.

Some who read this article will realise that they have previously kept Jesus outside of their life but realise that Jesus is knocking. We can either let the light in or reject him, in this latter case darkness will have engulfed us.

When the gospel is taught, there are those who are reluctant to respond. They prefer to remain in the dark. If that door is kept shut by them it is extremely hard to open it later in life. This is why the Bible teaches, both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament,

“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts . . .” Hebrews 3:7

All of us must decide whether we are going to seize the light and take Jesus to heart. It we don’t respond we will return to the darkness and we will forget that the light has shone into the world.

BVP

26 September 2020

1Taken from ‘Heroes of the Faith’, a blog by Canon J.John