In the Beginning, Jesus

John 1:1-5, CEB

In the beginning was the Word

    and the Word was with God

    and the Word was God.

Genesis 1:1-2, NIV

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

                John’s gospel begins with an 18-verse prologue that is one of the most beautiful passages in scripture.  I often wonder how many drafts, edits, and rewrites he went through before arriving at the breathtaking masterpiece we have today.  Many scholars believe the author composed the prologue after the rest of the book was written, hence the name we have ascribed to it – prologue.  Whether or not that is true,  the reality is that John intends for this passage to prepare and instruct the reader how to experience the rest of what he has written. 

                To that end, let’s listen to these first two verses.  It seems clear that with the first words, John intends every reader to remember the opening verses of Genesis, which is why I included them here.  The intention here is to place Jesus not as a human being born somewhere around the year 0, but at the very creation of all we know.  When all was formless, Jesus was there.  When all was empty, Jesus was there.  When there was only darkness, Jesus was there.  Theologians have come to call this the pre-existence of Christ.   Christ precedes his human birth.  Christ is God – the same God that brings all that is into being. 

                Luke felt compelled to emphasize the details of Jesus’s birth.  Matthew chose to highlight Jesus’s grounding in the central families of the Hebrew people.  Mark starts his story with John the Baptist.  It would be irresponsible to say John didn’t think all that was not important, but John was aware the early church was familiar with the teachings that are found at the beginning of the other gospels.   He felt some critical foundational truths were missing.  The pre-existent Christ is one of those truths.

                Spend some time today thinking about that truth.  Before anything you’ve ever heard about was, the One who we will know as Jesus was.  And even more important than that for John, keep that truth in your mind and heart while you journey through the rest of the book of John.

Question:  Does the “pre-existence of Christ”  help you see Jesus in a different way?  Why or why not?

Prayer:  Jesus, help us experience the deepest truths concerning who You really are.  Amen.

Prayer Focus:  Pray for people you know who don’t have any religious affiliation.

Song:  MercyMe – Word of God, Speak