The Word Has Come - John 1:1-18

Read: John 1: 1-18

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God,” begins the Gospel of John. Often times we gloss over this introductory statement in John, but this is a very important passage! In the original Greek, the Word was logos, which means a way, a philosophy, the singular truth around which the world revolves. This is the same root from which we get our term “logic.” All those “-ology” classes have a basis in logos. Bio-logy, for example, seeks to ascertain the truth behind life. For me, however, the Chinese word dao would be a superior translation because dao also involves a way of life, an ethic. Thus, in one word, logos, we see already the undeniable attributes of God. God is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No truth is ever separated from God. No life is ever far from God. Even the most degenerate criminals are never far away from God – you always can see God weeping not far behind them. Indeed, all life on earth, all truths on earth, all things on earth exist and mean something because God made it so. At school, in math, science, literature, or whatever classes, I encourage you all to pause and just admire how everything you learn exists only because God spoke, and it was so. It’s easy for us to complain about how school sucks and how math, chemistry, literature, etc. is boring, and whatnot. But what if we regarded the course material not as drudgery, but as gifts of God, as learning about how God has organized the world?

But the significance of this passage is that this Word became flesh (v. 14) and dwelled among us, breathing our air, walking our roads. Truth is no longer some abstract concept, some unreachable ideal. Many Buddhists seek to find ultimate truth in enlightenment, and meditate in order to get to that ideal. But for us Christians we don’t need to meditate our way to Truth. Truth has come to us, and his name is Jesus! That is why the way of Jesus is the way of Truth; the life of Jesus is the life of Truth. In this season of Advent, we remember the expectant waiting of this Truth. Maybe some of you remember your younger days when you were expectantly waiting for Christmas Day because that is the day when the presents underneath the Christmas tree is truly yours. Let us, therefore, have this attitude of expectation as we remember the day God blessed us with Jesus. For on Christmas Day, the Way, the Truth, and the Life is opened and extends his inviting hand out to us, inviting us to follow him.



Leave a comment with prayers you have, key verses, or key ideas you want to remember.