MY PERSPECTIVE, Gary Damron
Last week was a sort of birds-eye view of the first four books of the New Testament called the gospels. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John each offer a unique perspective on the life of Jesus. The quickest and easiest starting point might be to read straight through Mark. But today, we'll focus specifically on the Gospel of John. While we usually think of eternity going forward forever, John introduces Jesus as the eternal Word, reaching back beyond creation itself. And when other gospels begin with His birth or ministry, John delves into the profound meaning of Jesus as God incarnate.
Besides his gospel, John wrote three letters, plus the Book of Revelation. In 1 John 1:1, he calls Jesus "the Word of Life" and in Revelation 19:13 "the Word of God". Each name reinforces John's portrait of Jesus as eternal, life-giving, and triumphant. The gospel begins with a bold declaration. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). Jesus is identified as the "Logos", the divine Word, God's expression of Himself. This Greek term is unique to John’s gospel, echoing both Jewish wisdom traditions and Greek philosophy. John thus portrays Jesus as the eternal, creative power behind all things. Verse 2 reinforces this, “He was in the beginning with God.”
In Genesis, God's word "spoke creation" and revealed His will. John 1:3 reads, “All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.” John reveals Jesus as the artist whose every thought shapes a masterpiece— the divine mind behind creation, crafting galaxies and human hearts alike. He continues, "In Him was life, and the life was the Light of mankind" (John 1:4). His life radiates, piercing the darkness of sin and ignorance. Verse 5 assures, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” As a lighthouse on a stormy night, Jesus offers hope and direction through the dark.
Next, John introduces John the Baptist as a witness and a forerunner (John 1:6-8). He is not to be confused with the Light, but the Baptist was miraculously born and chosen to point to Jesus. Tragically, "the world did not know Him" (verse 10), and many then and even now reject Jesus, God's offer of love and grace.
The heart of John's introduction is found in verse 14. “The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” The miracle of the incarnation - God becoming human, living among us - literally means “pitching His tent,” as the Old Testament tabernacle where God’s presence resided. Anytime we're overwhelmed, we can read John chapter 1 and discover Jesus as the God who understands our struggles, and His word encourages us.
John’s introduction isn’t just theology; it’s an invitation. Verse 12 promises, “As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.” John 1:18 declares, "No one has seen God; the only begotten God, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.” Jesus makes the invisible God known, as He told Philip, "'Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father'” (John 14:9).
The gospel’s power is that through faith, we become part of God’s family. For a society adrift in a sea of worldviews, reading John’s Gospel helps us find purpose in Jesus’ promise of new life. Reflecting on years of striving, John wrote in 1:16, “Of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.” Jesus’ grace is endless, replacing and fulfilling the law’s demands with a relationship of love.
To experience John’s Gospel, read it slowly, perhaps a chapter a week, praying for the Spirit’s guidance. "'But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come'" (John 16:13).
The purpose of John's gospel appears in 20:31, "these words are written so we may believe and have life in His name." Its closing words are, "Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written" (John 21:25).
Why read John’s Gospel? Its twenty-one chapters reveal Jesus as the eternal Word, the light who overcomes darkness, the God who came in the flesh to make us His children. In a world of confusion, John’s words anchor us. For the busy, stressed or disconnected person, reading John chapter 1 brings peace in Jesus’ presence. His light guides us through doubt, His grace forgives our failures, and His truth transforms our lives.
Next week we will plan to explore the genealogy of Jesus found in Matthew.
