Just think what the Apostle John is saying in the opening lines of his Gospel: this Jesus, who summons disciples to follow him (1:43), performs stunning miracles (2:1-12), boldly confronts profiteers in the temple (2:13-25), teaches the Pharisee Nicodemus what it means to be born again (3:1-15), invites the Samaritan woman at the well to come and drink the water of life (4:7-38), and does so much more … this Jesus who walked among us was and is the eternal Word of God—the perfect revelation of God’s being (1:1-14), the very Son of God (1:14)!
God the Son existed in perfect fellowship with the Father and the Holy Spirit in the exquisite joy of the Triune Godhead for infinite ages before creation ever came to be (1:1-2). What’s more, the eternal Word was instrumental in the work of creation: “All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made” (1:3). The Son of God is light to a dark universe, and as light he shows and is the way to life (1:4).
And yet, unbelievably, the incarnate Light of Life entering our lost world was not welcomed by the people of his home region (1:9-11). But this did not deter the Lord. His mission would be accomplished: “To all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (1:12).
It is an awesome fact that the eternal Son of God “became flesh and dwelt among us” (1:14). To be sure, the divine Word did not cease to bear and reveal the “glory” of God in the season of his human incarnation. What’s more, John is eager to make sure we see that Jesus Christ the Son of God is “full of grace and truth” (1:14, 17)—he overflows with all that is good and right, and with the very blessings of heaven that we so desperately need: grace to give us mercy, and truth to give us guidance.
In so doing, the Son makes the Father known to us (1:18). Do you see what a wonder it is to receive the light of life in Christ?
