Prologue Series

What is a prologue? If we were to take that apart, it divides neatly into two words

pro- meaning before

logos - meaning word or saying

So, in a very real sense, a prologue is a word that happens beforehand - a fore-word

Composers, Filmmakers, and Authors alike have utilized preludes, prologues, overtures, and even the opening credits to give hints or clues to their audience about what is to come. While occasionally this foreshadowed content gives up too much of the storyline - becoming spoilers to the outcome - a well crafted prologue or introduction will create a sense of anticipation.

Today, as we dive into the book of John we are going to examine his prologue, or introduction to his gospel. These 18 short verses use language to cause us to look forward to what is to come and look back to what has been.

John’s Prologue

I’m not sure that any book of scripture has an introduction that is as beautiful and profound as John’s prologue.

In these 18 verses, John introduces us to Jesus - barely referring to him by name - and yet reveals him in a way that is dripping with insights about his nature, character, uniquenesses, and his work.

In his commentary on the book of John, D.A. Carson has noted 12 things here in the prologue that are revisited elsewhere in the gospel. Let’s look briefly at this list:

The Gospel according to John (I. The Prologue (1:1–18))

PrologueGospel

the pre-existence of the Logos or Son1:1–217:5

in him was life1:45:26

life is light 1:4 8:12

light rejected by darkness 1:5 3:19

yet not quenched by it 1:5 12:35

light coming into the world 1:9 3:19; 12:46

Christ not received by his own 1:11 4:44

being born to God and not of flesh 1:13 3:6; 8:41–42

seeing his glory 1:14 12:41

the ‘one and only’ Son 1:14, 18 3:16

truth in Jesus Christ 1:17 14:6

no-one has seen God, except the one who comes from God’s side 1:18 6:46

I realize that’s a lot to take in in just a few moments, but I hope you can see the profound depth of what John is doing here.

Today, as we look at John’s Prologue, we are going to consider the “Word” - the subject of the prologue and in fact the gospel. We’ll consider a bit of what John is communicating about what we will observe about Jesus - the Word - elsewhere in the book.

Let’s begin by considering...

The nature of the Word

John begins his prologue with...

John 1:1–3 ESV

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

As he opens with his words “in the beginning” - immediately our minds take us back to the first place in Scripture where we would have read those words - the book of beginnings, Genesis 1:1. John, I think, does this intentionally. He wants to display a bit of the mystery and wonder of Who this Word is. He wants to communicate that this Word was at the beginning.

Nasser al’Qahtani - a Bible Teacher, evangelist, and a new friend of mine, suggests that because John is pulling us back to creation - he is very subtly hinting at the presence of the Trinity - the three-in-one nature of God.

Think about this, Genesis 1:1 states

Genesis 1:1 ESV

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

So there you have God.

In the very next verse, we get to see another element of the trinity - the Spirit

Genesis 1:2 ESV

The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

So you have the God and His Spirit represented in the Genesis account.

Now, John is inserting the Word - the expression of God at the beginning - One whom we will see is Jesus.

God the father, God the Spirit, and now the Word - God the Son were all present and working at creation.

But how did God create everything? With His Word. He created with a command. Over and over, the creation account communicates that God said things - “let there be...”

But let’s think a bit more about this “Word” that John is describing.

In many ways, it is wrapped in mystery. It’s an expression of God - after all - words are the spoken expression of any speaker.

But John also says that this “Word” is with God in the beginning and yet he is also God.

John 1:1 ESV

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.