Read: John 1:1–18
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.
We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son,
who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:14
The first two chapters of Matthew and Luke are our main sources for Jesus’ birth narrative. The Gospel of Mark jumps right into the adult ministries of John the Baptist and Jesus. The Gospel of John does the same halfway through the first chapter. However, the first 18 verses of this chapter give a wonderful summation of how John the Baptist came to pave the way for Jesus and how God took the form of man and dwelled among us—His incarnation.
John 1:1 starts out with “In the beginning.” Where have we read that before? In Genesis 1:1, of course. John ties together the Word of God from the start of Scripture to his present time.
In the subsequent verses John uses two images to describe God: life and light. He is (in Hebrew) Jehovah Elohim, the Creator who brought life into the world. And He came so that we would not just have life, but have an abundant life (John 10:10).
The Apostle John also refers to John the Baptist in this passage. Just as John precedes Jesus in birth, he will also precede Him in ministry. His sole purpose is to be “a witness to testify” that Christ, the Light of the world, is coming into it (John 1:8). John will point people to God, not to himself.
While John the Baptist and Jesus didn’t grow up together, surely John grows up being told by Zechariah and Elizabeth that Mary’s son is the prophesied Messiah. Further, being six months older means John knows that Jesus will enter ministry soon after he does. I imagine this contributes to his passion in paving the way for the Lord. Yet, the Apostle John reminds us that, despite John the Baptist’s efforts and the fact that there had been and will be false messiahs, “the world did not recognize him.”
The Jews in particular are expecting a conquering King. Most can’t grasp the reality of their Savior experiencing a humble birth or being the son of a carpenter from a nowhere town. This simply clothed man will have a ministry marked by a simple life of walking from place to place, eventually ending in tragedy. It doesn’t match the selected Scriptures on which they are hanging their hopes. If they will only look closely enough at the Old Testament, though, they would indeed read prophecies of Jesus’ birth, His death, His resurrection, and His return as the conquering King.
We are blessed with the Bible and the knowledge it brings us. We know, as John shares with us here, that the law came through Moses. Jesus Christ fulfilled the law through grace and truth. Until His return, we who believe are born again spiritually and have become children of God. Let us rejoice in our salvation as we celebrate His life this month!
