Classic literature is full of beautiful declarations of love. Romeo from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet declares, “My bounty is as boundless as the sea.” In Jane Austin’s Persuasion, Captain Wentworth writes to Anne Elliot, “You pierce my soul…I have loved none but you.” In Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations, Pip says to Estella: “You are part of my existence, part of myself. You have been in every line I have ever read.”
But these words pale in comparison to the ultimate, loving communication found in John chapter 1. John begins the same way Genesis 1 opens: “In the beginning.” We see the connection between the coming of the Christ and creation. Both document the clear and effective way God has revealed Himself to us. While His spoken word created life in Genesis, Jesus—the embodied Word—is the source of new and eternal life (John 3:3, 16; 6:27).
The Word was with God and (at the same time) was God (vv. 1, 2). In these verses, John demonstrates that Jesus is both relationally connected to and substantively separate from His Father. The term for “Word” (logos) is layered with meaning. It combines the Greek philosophical principles of reason and order with the Jewish idea of God’s wisdom being revealed. Jesus embodies all of this—as shown in the creation process (v. 3). The Word formed the world, giving it structure and meaning. In verse 4, John shifts from creation to revelation. Light is a metaphor for truth, enabling people to see and comprehend. The Word illuminated a dark and sinful world. In the climax of God’s communication, the “Word became flesh” (v. 14). Taking on human form, Jesus communed with man. The verb “dwell” also echoes the Old Testament tabernacle, where God was present among His people.
Go Deeper
How does the beginning of John’s gospel mirror the creation account in Genesis? What are all the ways God has chosen to communicate to us?
Pray with Us
Oh, how sweet it is to know You and be loved by You, Lord! You dwell among us and reveal Yourself to us. We are so grateful for the light of Your presence.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.John 1:1
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