In the book and movie by Carl Sagan Contact a loner scientist hears a voice from the heavens, and then tries to convince others that in this voice is a message of great importance. Now Carl Sagan, while he was alive, did not believe in God. In fact the movie goes to great lengths to portray anyone who believes in God as either a terrorist or a moralist governed by poll numbers. Carl does believe in God now.
But I think Carl Sagan was right. In the movie advanced beings send earth a message-simple at first, just prime numbers-then more complicated. The message contained blueprints for building a way for us to get to this more advanced being.
In a sense, that is the essence of the gospel of John. The loner is John the Baptist-crying, "There is one coming that is greater than I. Listen to Him." The message is, in fact, in a person known in John as The Word. It is none other than Jesus Christ who comes to earth to tell us something of such great importance that we must listen and believe it. He Himself is the machine that can carry us away to be with a being so advanced that we cannot begin to understand. All we need do, though, is listen to the voice-to the message speaking to each one of us.
The man who wrote down this message was another John, John the Apostle. John was a very special person and his gospel a very special account of the life of Jesus. John, a rough and tumble fisherman was self centered (sit next to Jesus on the throne (Mark 10), he was quick to anger (call down thunder Luke 9) and was in fact called a son of Thunder. But when John met Jesus something happened. This blustery blowhard became a humble, devoted servant. John became so humble in fact, that he would not even name himself in his gospel. He clung closely to Jesus. He was one of three disciples, along with James his brother, and Peter, to be in the inner circle present at the Mount of Transfiguration (Luke 9) and is seen laying back on Jesus breast (John 13:25).
John was a young man when Jesus called him. He was probably John the Baptist’s first disciple (at least part time). Though he was not a Jerusalem insider, he had family connections to the High Priest (that’s how he got into the courtyard during Jesus arrest in 18:15). He was a leader of the Jerusalem church and ministered with Peter (Acts 3). But little more is known of him until he wrote four letters: 1, 2, 3 John and Revelation - and, of course, this gospel.
John was written around 85-90 AD (though some suggest earlier). Why did he write this book?
The whole purpose of the book can be summed up on one verse: John 20:31
"but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name."
Jesus came from the Father and should be worshiped. It is written more as an apologetic rather than a biography, that’s why it is not called a "synoptic" gospel.
Each gospel presents Jesus in a different light: in Matthew, Jesus is the king, the "Lion of the Tribe of Judah." Mark portrays Jesus as the servant. In Luke He is the "Son of Man," while in John Jesus is the Son of God. John’s gospel is the most intimate portrayal of the Son of God. We also get to hear Jesus’ words more than any other book of the Bible. That’s one of the reasons it is such a special book.
There are a couple of interesting and important things to note about these first verses: life (its origins and owner), light (where it is and how it is perceived), darkness (what it is and how it interacts with true light), and witness.
Verse 1 - 2
Very much like Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning …" Do you think it’s an accident that John put it this way? Genesis: In the beginning God, John: in the beginning the Word. The Word, Jesus, is God!
Logos "the Word" usually means a spoken word but conveys meaning with it. It’s not just a word in a sentence but a "message." One scholar called it "the expression of personality in communication." Jesus is God speaking out his personality through the words of a man.
1 - in the beginning - Jesus was there before it all began
2 - "was with God" suggests coequality but distinction. The members of the trinity are distinct yet co-equal and one: a triune being.
3 - "was God" Jesus is God. The Greek phrase actually says "God was the Word." So much for the New World Translation "and the Word was "a" god.
3
"Made" means "became" rather than "constructed." All we humans do in our creation process is just reassembling the building blocks God "created." Paul picks up this same idea in Colossians 1. Notice the similarities to John 1:
Colossians 1:15-17 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. ESV
Paul picks it up again in 1 Corinthians 8:6:
for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.
4
Life is an important word in John’s gospel. It’s used 36 times. But it’s not just "existence" or "physical life" or even just "eternal life" in the sense of that which doesn’t end. "Life" is a quality of existence. What Jesus brings is not just more of the same but something completely different.
Jesus clarifies it a little in John 10:10:
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
Being alive is not the same thing as having life. "Abundant" means to have a superabundance in quantity, superior in quality, excessive and preeminent. You haven’t really lived until Jesus gives you life.
This kind of light shines like a beacon a dark night. My family as a cabin at a lake in Northern California. It used to be at night it was so dark that if you were across the lake you could never find your way back to the dock. So my dad installed three lights - one at the shore, one halfway up the hill, and one on the deck of the cabin. You could see those lights from miles away and if you lined them up it brought you straight into the dock - hopefully not too fast!
Jesus is like a bright light on a dark night. The darkness represents evil - that which is opposed to God, that which does not represent life but stealing, killing, and destroying. God opposes evil because evil opposes Him. It is not in His character.
Real life is so wonderful that it shines like a light. And Jesus has that life and is that light.
5
There are two ways you can translate this verse - the word "overcome" can also mean "understand" or "comprehend." That’s why in ESV it’s "overcome" and in NKJV it’s "comprehend."
In a way, both are good. As we’ll see throughout the gospel, Jesus teaches truth, bringing light in a dark place. There will be those that grasp a hold of it, and those who reject it. Those who do not understand will also end up opposing Him. But notice that the darkness, the evil, though it cannot grasp the truth also cannot overcome it.
It is our job to share the truth of Jesus as best we can, but it is not up to us to make people understand.
6 - 8
In a sense, then, we are all like John - bearing witness to the light. The Apostle John uses the verb and noun forms of "witness" 47 times in the book. A witness just shares what they have experienced. What have you experience personally with Jesus Christ? That’s your witness. It’s not how Bible verses you know or how complete your knowledge of doctrine, but the more you know Jesus the more your witness will have power!
9
If there is a "true" light, then there must be a "false" light as well. In fact, there is. 2 Corinthians 11:14 says that "Satan disguises himself as an angel of light." This verse does not teach universal salvation, only that the true light of Jesus shines on everyone. It is then up to those who see the light to decide how they will respond.
10
Jesus made the entire world, yet the system that exists in the world did not recognize him. Nor does it today.
11
He came unto His "own" - neuter in the Greek, as in property, or home. "his own people" is masculine - referring to the nation he belonged to. Jesus created and owns the earth, he has a right to claim it. But those that live there rejected him.
Here we have the first key to John’s idea of "believe." It’s simply to receive. If you receive something you believe it is real. Becoming a Christian is no more complicated than acknowledging the reality that Jesus came, died, and rose again, then receiving that as a gift for your salvation.
12
Belief is not merely assenting to the truthfulness of a statement, but is placing your trust and confidence in someone, namely, Jesus Christ. James 2:19 "Even the demons believe and shudder." They know Jesus is God, they just don’t trust him or love him or really know him.
Having the "right" to become children of God can be translated several ways: "God caused them to become children of God" or "now you can become children of God" or "he made it possible for them to become children of God." Whichever way you translate it, it is still wonderful.
13
We don’t become children of God because we want it and can do it ourselves. It wasn’t even our idea.
Conclusions
I think one of the main things we get out of the first few verses of John is that Jesus is God; He created the world and represents true life. This Jesus has made this life available to us through a relationship with Him and that there is a real distinction between the true light of Jesus and the darkness in the world system that rejects Him. In the end we must all make a decision: to believe and become His children, or reject and be unable to grasp and unable to overcome Him. Will Jesus be your friend or your enemy?
The voice is calling and the Message is clear. Are you listening?
