This will be a very brief explanation of why I am writing this blog. I hope to give more details eventually. After years of service within churches, theological study, and listening or reading the vast quantities of "Christian" teaching that exists, I have become frustrated. We Christians seem to do two horrible things with the Bible. We put way too much emphasis on the parts that make other people look bad, and we ignore the parts that we don't like. To make matters worse, when we seek a middle ground it is usually in the form of compromise, which makes us look uncomitted and hypocritical. Instead of compromise I have always tried to achieve balance in my teaching and, when shown to be wrong, tried to admit so and grow from the situation. I am hoping that this blog will contain balanced and informative information on the Bible. I will be putting notes from my Sunday messages on here each week (I hope) so that anyone who stumbles on this page will be able to share in what God has been showing me. Because they are only notes there may be some holes in what is written. I don't write out complete sermons to read aloud. I tried once and it was very dry. If something doesn't make sense, please feel free to let me know. If you disagree with my interpretation, please let me know. I am willing to learn. God bless you.
Brett Davis

Sunday, April 12, 2020

John 1:1-5

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

- John 1:1-5


Although John was a disciple of Jesus who lived and traveled with the Christ during his earthly ministry, the book that carries John's name was written some time after the resurrection of Jesus; it was a look back with all of the wisdom that comes from hindsight.  With that purpose in mind John begins by explaining that the Word of God was at the same time God himself and with God.  Just as the words that I speak are a part of me as well as with me.  Of course, this isn't a perfect example because no human words can perfectly explain the divine, but it helps the reader get an idea of this relationship between God and the Word.

In the very next verse John fills out this idea a bit more by personifying the Word.  "He was in the beginning with God".  God's Word was a person.  A person who was simultaneously God and with God; God himself yet somehow separate from him.  With this verse we can begin to see the multi-faceted nature of God, an unfolding of the Trinity; God exists at the same time as "one" and "more than one".  And the Word of God was right there with God from the beginning of everything.  This Word is Jesus.

In verse 3 John states that everything came into being through the Word.  When nothing existed, God spoke and existence happened (Genesis 1).  The world (universe, cosmos) came to be through the Word of God.  As a short side note, I think we should notice that if a person creates something the created item is inherently the property of that person.  If I build a table, the table is mine to do with as I please until I choose to give it to someone else.  Since God created everything, everything is his as well as the Word's.

Next, we read that life comes from the Word (Jesus) and that this life provides light to humanity.  Light can be a way to see into a dark place as well as a beacon to guide one to a certain point.  Jesus is both of these.  He is a light to make our paths through this dark world more clear; and he is a beacon drawing us towards himself and towards God the Father.

Finally, this light which comes from the life Jesus provides shines into the darkness of the world; because what is darkness if not the absence of light?  Although the rest of this passage is written in the past tense, John ends with the present tense, "the darkness has not overcome it".  As mentioned earlier, John wrote all of this as a look back to the life of Jesus making the whole of his writing an account of past events, yet he adds, "has not".  To the moment that John wrote these words, and even until this moment today, the death of Jesus was unable to extinguish his light.  Why?  Because death, the ultimate darkness in this world, had no lasting effect on Jesus.  He would step out of his grave by his own power to show his dominion over the world and that his life was, and is, more powerful than death.

That life is our light.




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