The Witness of John
As an eyewitness who had spent much time in Jesus' company, John had much to tell, more, in fact, than he could.
Read John 21:25. What message do you think John was seeking to convey by that statement? What hope can we find in that text?
Though not able to tell us everything, John, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, does teach us one of the most important of all truths, that Jesus Christ came in human flesh. That is something all the philosophy, science, and logic could never lead us to. Instead, God uses John to tell it to us.
In the first verse of his Gospel, John refers to the Word, or in Greek, the logos. To the Jewish reader, the Word referred to the Word of God that created the world, as well as to His teachings, or law, that guides the way we should live our lives (see Deut. 32:45-47).
For the Greek reader, logos had other meanings. The logos was a life force that kept the universe together. The symmetry of a leaf, the harmony of the seasons, the stars in the sky—all were kept in balance by the logos. The philosophers Heracleitus, Plutarch, Philo, and Plato, as well as various stoic philosophers, wrote about the logos.
For both Jewish and Greek readers, John makes a startling claim: This logos is a person. The logos became flesh and broke into human history in a specific place at a specific time with a specific purpose—to bring salvation to humanity.
Read John 1:1-3, 14. What does this mean? In your own words, write out your best understanding of what the Lord is revealing to us here.
Jesus, our Creator, entered into humanity and became a human being. That alone is amazing; add to it the reason He came, to die for our sins, and we are given a revelation of the character of God that should bring us to our knees in gratefulness, faith, and humble obedience.
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