Theme for this month: Jesus in the Four Gospels
Theme for this week: “Jesus in the Gospel of John”
December 13, 2021 (Monday)
As we journey through the Bible, we leave the Old Testament and arrive at the New Testament, where we discover four gospels of Jesus Christ. Three of the gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) are known as the synoptic gospels, because they are similar in their view of Christ’s life and ministry. The fourth gospel, John, is different. It was written at a date later than the first three.
The Gospel of John begins with an introduction of Jesus as the “Word.” The Greek word is “Logos,” and has a long history among philosophers and theologians. John is using a word which was already full of meaning for Jewish readers in his day. The Gospel of John begins with an introduction of Jesus as the “Word,” which is a translation of the Greek word, “Logos.” It had been in use in philosophy for 600 years before John wrote his gospel.
I may have thoughts that remain within me until I speak them; then the meaning of what I said takes on a life of its own. The Logos was within God until He was begotten (not as humans are) so that He became the personification of God’s truth.
The Logos is the reality represented by the spoken word. It was a familiar and current theological term when John wrote, and therefore he uses it without explanation. The Word, as embodying the divine will, is personified in Jesus Christ. In John’s gospel the Messiah is the Logos himself, uniting himself with humanity, and clothing himself with a body in order to save the world.
“The name, ‘Word,’ is given to our Savior; for it expresses His nature. John chooses to call Him ‘Word’ rather than ‘Son;’ for ‘word’ is more communicable than ‘Son.’ ‘Son’ has only reference to the Father that begot Him; but ‘Word’ may refer to him that conceives it; to Him that speaks it; to that which is spoken by it; to the voice that it is clad in; and to the effects it raises in him that hears it. So Christ, as He is the ‘Word,’ not only refers to His Father that begot Him, and from whom He comes forth, but to all the creatures that were made by Him; to the flesh that He took to clothe Him; and to the doctrine He brought and taught, and, which lives yet in the hearts of all them that obediently do hear it. He it is that is this ‘Word.’ (Quoted from New Testament scholar, Marvin Vincent).
Let us recall the ideas expressed thus far in this blog as we read the first five verses (plus verse 14) of the prologue to the Gospel of John: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it…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 1:1-5,14 NIV).
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