The Body of Christ

Series on John - John 1:1-18

John 1:1-18 The Word of God: who he is and why he came.
John begins his gospel with the Word; the eternal word, who was with God in the beginning, who was God, and who became flesh, our Lord Jesus Christ. Not only does John begin with Jesus, the very heart of the gospel, but immediately he confronts us with one the deepest mysteries of the gospel, the incarnation and the Trinity. How can Jesus, who was a person of flesh and blood like ourselves, who taught about God and who prayed to the Father, be at the same time one with the Father and be truly God?

Many mock this teaching as absurd, and reject Christianity because of it. But is it really so absurd, when we consider the complexity of human beings - we who are made in the image of God. Our words reveal our spirit or the thoughts of our mind. Once our words depart from our mouth they achieve an independent existence. They can be written down, recorded on tape, or simply remembered. We can read our own words. They can speak to us. We can speak to ourselves. Our words can continue working when we are asleep, or after we have died. Our words have an independent existence and working from apart from us, yet our words are us and we are one.

In the same way God's word is God. And if our word can become books and tapes, why is it strange that God's word became flesh, a man, the One who was with God in the beginning and who was God?

Two books of the Bible begin with the words "In the beginning ..." - John and Genesis. This is deliberate because John wants to emphasize that the Word who became flesh is the same word who made all things in the beginning. God said: "Let there be ..." and there was: light, birds of the air, fish of the sea, animals according their kind. Everything that was made came into existence through the mighty creative word of God. God spoke and it was. And that creative word of God was and is Jesus. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. He is not only the creator of all things, but also the source of light and life in the world. He is the light that shines in the darkness and which the darkness cannot overpower.

The mention of darkness brings another reality into John's gospel, the darkness of sin and rebellion, suffering and death, the darkness of evil. This was not part of God's original creation, but entered into the world when our first parents disobeyed God's command and ate the forbidden fruit, believing the lies of the devil rather than the truth of God‟s word. Through their sin the world was plunged into the darkness of sin and alienation from God. This is why when the Son of God entered into the world, the very world he made, it did not recognise him. The people who had been made in God's image did not recognise their Lord and God, having been blinded by sin and evil. Even the people of Israel, God's chosen people who had been set apart by God and blessed with divine revelation, rejected him. The children of Abraham, redeemed out of slavery, children of the covenant, to whom had been given the law, the prophets, the Bible, the Temple, the Promised Land and so many divine revelations - they rejected him. Blinded by the darkness of sin and pride, they cried, "Crucify him".

But not all rejected him. The darkness cannot overpower the light. The light of God's grace shone into the hearts of some and they received him. They believed in him. They felt the power of his words and saw the glory of God in his mighty works and knew that this man is from God. They received him, they believed in him and desired to follow him. And God gave them power to become children of God. They were changed. They were born again. They were transformed by the light and life of Jesus entering into their hearts and minds. This wonderful change was brought about solely by the power and grace of God. No man can bring about this change. The Holy Spirit emphasizes this very strongly by stating that God‟s children are born not of blood (natural descent), not of the flesh (human decision) nor of the will of man, but of God. No preacher can produce a child of God. He can only point to Jesus who changes our hearts. Being born in a Christian family is a wonderful privilege, but not a guarantee of salvation. No one will ever enter heaven because their parents were godly people. Baptism and church membership are important, but they are no guarantee that one is a child of God. Nothing can take the place of personal faith in Jesus, believing that he is the Son of God, receiving him as Lord and Saviour, following him in humble trust and obedience.

The situation today is the same as it was 2000 years ago. Jesus comes to us through the preaching of the gospel, but the world does not recognise him. Many of those who bear his name, Christian, do not receive him or follow him. But to all those who receive him, who truly believe in his name, who love him and follow him he gives the right to be children of God. They are the happiest people on earth; they belong to God and will be with him forever. They are his children, heirs of eternal life and the kingdom of God.