The Word

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.”

As I thought of this passage of scripture today, I was taken by the completeness of it. Everything we were in need of, creation, life, hope…were all summed up in this announcement from John found in the opening of his Gospel. So what I want to do today is embellish upon this passage and cause us to consider the complexities of its depth and reach of its completeness.

In the beginning was the Word, and guess what, the Word will be there at the end as well. One of the amazing truths of scripture found here is that God is, has always been and will always be. We know that this reference to “the Word,” spoken of here, is, in fact, speaking about Jesus Christ. He was with God from the beginning; all things were made through Him. In Him is life and light, and the light shines in our dark lives.

These seven ideas contained in this passage give us a complete life and work of the person of Christ. Creator, Sustainer, Redeemer and Conqueror--these form the basis of everything Jesus is doing. No wonder John writes that in verse 9, “The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.” After all the darkness, now the light has shown and Christ is come.

It is complete in that Jesus was Creator and ends with Him being the Conqueror which nothing can overcome. It is complete in that He provides everything we need to live; life in Him is provided. Light and life, hope and forgiveness--all these are found in Him because He created everything that is.

I love the phrase from time to time said in our churches, “God is good all the time, and all the time God is good.” It was in His goodness that He created us and gave us everything we needed, and it is in His goodness that He sustains us and provides for us living faith. It is in His goodness that He will bring us to Himself at the end so that nothing will overcome that which He has created.

In the beginning was the Word; always has been, still is and always will be. Thanks be to God.

Blessing, Rip