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Sunday, February 19, 2017

Jesus the Word

Meditations on the Gospel of John
                                                                     
“He was in the world,......the world did not know Him”
In John 1, the distinctive uniqueness of the “Word” is presented.
The “Word” (Logos) – the manifestation of God
                                    the substance of God
         the voice of God
        the light of God

           The World was created by Him
                                                  and for Him
              The world is alienated from Him
                                         and has rejected Him

  It is the tragic description of the human condition that “the Light “ has come into the world, but the world has not apprehended it. One translation is “ the darkness did not comprehend it”  - It is true that the creation at large did not know who He was when He appeared in humanity. The Jews should have known, -  they had the scriptures pointing to the promised Messiah. The demons seemed to know more than the people. Another translation is “ the darkness did not overcome it”  - it is also true that the attempts to extinguish the Light of God in Christ, failed . Herod tried. The religious leaders tried. The Devil tried. The cross seemed to be a success to overcome the light , but by the resurrection, the light now shines more brilliantly than ever. The more recent ESV translation is “the darkness did not apprehend it”. After looking at the various translations of this word in other places and putting it into the context of John’s Gospel, I think this is the better translation. It means that the Light indeed came, but the creation chose not to know Him. John the apostle and John the Baptist expressed their purpose – “that all might believe’ – and the evident contrast in this gospel record, is those who believe and those who choose to stay in darkness.

John records the abundant signs to verify the “Light”
John records the utterances of Him who “spoke the words of God.”

John shows the great blessing that is for all who ‘apprehend’ the Son of God by faith.

This Gospel makes very clear the responsibility of mankind to believe, but also points out the ‘grace‘ of God in ‘willing’ that people be born again.(John 1.12,13). Such is our darkness that it is not the will of natural flesh, nor the will of refined man, but rather the will of God that makes the change. This takes me to the place of worship – to worship God revealed in the “Word”, and to worship God for bringing me into the light. How illuminating, how humbling.


May  I encourage you the read again the first chapter of John’s Gospel and be blessed indeed.

JRM

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