All of the Bible is inspired by God, and therefore all of it is important. It is all God’s Word. But there are some passages that rise to incredible heights when you read and study them. The introduction to the Gospel of John is one of the highest, most incredible passages in all of Scripture.
John is introducing us to Jesus. Other writers told us of His birth in Bethlehem, the shepherds, angels, magi, and the stable. But we must remember, Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem is not the beginning of Jesus Christ. John is going to take us much farther back, and introduce us to Jesus Christ in the beginning. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” To introduce us to Jesus Christ, John uses the word “Word”. Jesus Christ is the living, breathing, active Word of God in the flesh.
Alright, now for a quick Greek lesson (remember, the New Testament was originally written in Greek). The Greek word for “word” is the word logos. Logos is one of the most power packed words in the Greek language, because it had so many ideas associated with it. The Jews used this word to refer to the Word of God, and specifically to the Law of God. As a Jew, you dedicated yourself to the “Logos” of God, because this represented all that God had said, and all that God had done. The Word of God is God’s revelation of Himself to His people calling them to His purpose. The Word of God was the highest calling and ultimately, for the Jew, the meaning of life.
To the Greek speaking world, the word Logos was a word used by Greek philosophers. For generations, Greek philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle had been seeking out the meaning of life. They believe that their reason, or Logos, would ultimately give them the meaning of life. The word “Logos” became associated with this search for meaning. Some philosophers said that the Logos of life could be found in water, or fire, or matter. Others were not content with this approach, so they said that the Logos of life is discovered through wisdom and reason. But every approach to the Logos, meaning for life, left people empty.
John opens His book with this incredible declaration! “In the beginning was the Logos, and the Logos was with God, and the Logos was God.” Verse 14 says, “The Logos became flesh and dwelt among us.” What exactly is John trying to say? The Logos that John is referring is Jesus Christ. John is telling the Jew that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of everything found in the Old Testament. He is the complete revelation of God in the flesh. He gives the Jew meaning to life and is the highest calling. To the Greek, Jesus is the Logos, the ultimate philosophy and the meaning to life. He completes the reason and wisdom that they were seeking, and is the only one who can bring joy and completion to life. He is the creator, and the giver of life. Jesus existed before Bethlehem, but when He came to earth, Jesus became one of us. God became a man. And that man who was God is the meaning of life. He is the completer of all that is. He is Jesus Christ, the Logos of God! Glory to His Name!
