5 Days of Christmas: Day 4
John’s Story: The Incarnate Word
John’s Gospel immediately stands out as different from the others. It doesn’t start out with a birth narrative per se, but it does start out with important beginnings: “In the beginning was the Word.” This opening statement to John’s magisterial Gospel alludes to the original creation account in Genesis. If you look back at Genesis 1, you will see the repeated theme: “And God said ….” God spoke creation into existence. And now, John tells us, the Word was with God and was God. Wondrously and mysteriously, John tells us of two persons, the Word and God, who are both God (both divine) and are one God (they share a divine essence; 177).
To view the video on “John’s Story” in The First Days of Jesus course offered at the The Gospel Coalition, click here.
Taking a Closer Look
As John continues, he tells us that in the Word was the light of people. [tweet_box design=”default” float=”none”]This light shines in the darkness, and the darkness “has not overcome it” (John 1:5).[/tweet_box] Here John continues to allude to the Genesis account and introduces a major theme in his Gospel, the struggle between light and darkness. Even more amazing, the light and the darkness are not equal powers; the light—Jesus—shines in the darkness. John introduces this theme not as a timeless principle but as a historical certainty: “In human history, the light has prevailed. The light has triumphed!” (180).
To access the rest of The First Days of Jesus course offered at The Gospel Coalition, click here. You can purchase The First Days of Jesus here. The chapter summaries for this course were written by Mark Baker and edited by Andreas Köstenberger. Mark Baker is a Ph.D. student at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.
