Tuesday 5th December
Read John 1:1-5
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (NIVUK)
The great scholar and bishop, Augustine of Hippo, found the beginning of John’s gospel essential to understand Jesus and God. It was a verse he cited more than any other gospel passage. Right from the very beginning, unlike the other Gospels, John wants us to understand who Jesus is. He does not build it up to it like the other authors. He makes some very clear and unambiguous claims!
As Augustine, and many others before and after, rightly concluded, John’s introductory words make two things clear about Jesus. First: Jesus is God the Word (not identical with the Father because He was ‘with God’). Second: Jesus is fully God (since the ‘Word was God’). Helpfully, Augustine also makes it clear that if God is involved, we mere humans should not expect to fully grasp or understand this mystery!
John wants us to understand right from the very beginning (of both creation and his gospel) that the words and actions of Jesus are the words and actions of God. In these initial eighteen verses we will see those words and actions relate to creation and redemption – for us. As Augustine also said, even brushing up against these words allows some of the mystery to rub off and bless our hearts with wisdom and knowledge.
