New believers and spiritual seekers are often encouraged to read the gospel of John as an introduction to the Bible. As clearly stated near the end of this book, the writer’s goal is, “…that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.” (John 20:31)
The very first statement of John’s poetic testimony, “In the beginning…” is so reminiscent of the opening verse of the Bible. We are immediately ushered into an expansive perspective deeply rooted in eternal truths long preceding the earthly coming of Jesus Christ: “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.” (John 1:1) This initial declaration firmly establishes Jesus, the eternal Word, as God, present from the very beginning. John then proclaims that all things were made through Him. He embodies the life and true light of God, whose brightness can never be extinguished. These are bold and highly charged words, even from a first-hand eyewitness of the One who suffered the cruelest of deaths for His allegedly blasphemous claims to be God. Later in the first chapter, John speaks of the earthly incarnation, the birth of Christ: “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)
“The Word,” my own setting of these verses, creates an ethereal atmosphere of ancient beginnings by weaving an echoed melody based on the 12th century chant, “Of the Father’s Love Begotten” into a sparse and unmetered instrumental and wordless choral texture. The arrangement concludes with a portion of the first verse of the actual plainsong, whose text was written by a 4th century judge born in northern Spain, now considered the greatest Christian poet of his time. This ancient hymn beautifully expresses the Father’s overwhelming heart of love in sending Jesus, the atoning sacrifice who reunites us with our Creator forever.
Sadly, the first chapter of John also includes two of the most heart-breaking verses in the Bible: “He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. He came to…His own, but His own did not receive Him.” (John 1:10-11) The very ones whom He loved into existence were somehow unaware or unwilling to acknowledge that He was among them. Some dismissed His existence as purely human or His divine claims as insanity. Many religious leaders failed to recognize Him and refused His simple, direct call to follow; their eyes were blind to the revelation of Him as God “from the beginning.”
My own heart is especially burdened for those in our churches who are unable to “recognize” Jesus amidst an atmosphere of performance, entertainment, or a mindset of worship as a “spectator sport,” moral duty, or responsibility. After many years as a church musician, it continues to grieve me that regular attenders who give generously of their time, talents, and treasure may still completely miss the revelation of Jesus as the God who lovingly offers them a liberating and life-giving relationship. I pray that our liturgies, rituals, activities, and even our beautiful houses of worship will not keep us from seeing the Source of life Himself!
Finally, John reveals the gift for all who do recognize and receive Him, who choose to believe in His name, accepting and affirming His claims as Messiah, Savior of the world, and ultimately, God. John 1:12 says, “…to those…He gave the right to become children of God.” These believers have experienced a divine, supernatural birth which spiritually transforms, renews, and sanctifies their inner beings. In the third chapter of John, we read of an interaction with a Pharisee named Nicodemus in which Jesus Himself called this transformation being “born again,” without which He says, “…no one can see the kingdom of God…” (John 3:3) Having our spiritual eyes opened to truly recognize and know Jesus as the eternal Word of God, present from the very beginning of time, can come only through the work of the Holy Spirit.
In John 3:16, Jesus told Nicodemus, “…God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Do you know the Word, Jesus, the eternal One, God from the beginning? He knows you completely and longs for you to respond to His invitation for a relationship with Him, to entrust your past, present, and future, to Him. To receive Jesus is to know forgiveness, peace, joy, and life, now and for eternity.
“Of the Father’s love begotten, ere the worlds began to be, He is Alpha and Omega, He the Source, the Ending He, of the things that are, that have been, and that future years shall see, evermore and evermore!”
(“The Word” can be found on the album, “Resting in Your Goodness”)
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