The Word became Flesh
John, being led by the Holy Spirit, starts his Gospel with the same words God gave Moses in Genesis, “In the beginning”. John wants us to remember that the Trinity existed “in the beginning”. His friend and cousin that loved him, Jesus, was the Word who was with God and was God before He “became flesh and made His dwelling among us”. That the Word created everything. He was the light of all mankind. The darkness won’t overcome it.
This Gospel is John writing 60 years after his amazing experience for three years with Jesus. John walked with Jesus, and he came to understand He was God in the flesh. In verse 14 John says, “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.” Stop for a moment and Imagine what is going through John’s mind as he starts to write about his time with Jesus.
In verses 6-8 John introduces us to their other cousin in the story, John the Baptist. He tells us John the Baptist came to testify about the light that was coming into the world. John the Baptist makes it clear in multiple conversations with different people in various passages that he was not the light. He was only a witness. Later he will explain he was a voice calling in the wilderness about the light.
In what seems like a sad note to me, John says Jesus came to His people, but they did not recognize Him. I wonder how John felt as he reflected on that sad truth? Many of God’s chosen people did not recognize who Jesus was. Then John adds that those who did believe in His Name were made children of God. The blessing we are given today if we follow Jesus as our Lord, Savior and Master.
Let’s take a moment and think about what those truths mean to each of us. The Creator of everything came to our small corner of His universe to create a way for us to spend eternity with His Father. Jesus Himself said, “I am the Way.”
John the Baptist
John the Baptist lived in the wilderness. People began to come to him to be baptized and repent for their sins. The religious leaders could not understand this because they taught the people that they were clean by following all their religious rules. In this setting John began to testify that the Messiah was coming. When John baptized Jesus (found in Matthew 3), the Spirit came down on Him and God the Father told John that Jesus is His Son, the Messiah.
John the Baptist said he was not the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet. He said who he was by simply saying, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.”
Have you ever imagined what the life of John the Baptist was like? Living in the wilderness and eating locust and honey. Mostly alone except when the crowds needed him. What lifestyle are we living? Can those around us see the difference following Jesus has made in our lives?
Christian Life Coach 