The setting for John’s prologue is the creation account from Genesis 1-2. There are no Greek overtones in John 1:1-18. The only way to make sense of his tight logic is to be steeped in Genesis 1-2. John writes: “In the beginning was God, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, He was in the beginning with God.” In the beginning, and logically before the beginning, God existed. Further, the Word also was with God or pros, ‘before’ God (that is, ‘in front of’ or maybe, ‘face to face’). Thus, this Word was with the God who has existed before the beginning, and thus the conclusion, “and the Word was God.” Logically, the One who is with God from before the beginning has to be God and that is what John is saying-the Word is God.
Also, this Word is the means by which the creation came into being. “All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.” When God the Father spoke, “Let there be light”, He spoke these words to the Son, the Word, and the Son created all things. Jesus having perfect knowledge both of the mind of the Father and perfect knowledge of the skill involved in creating the universe, was able to do exactly as the Father commanded. Thus, Jesus, being so intimate with the Father, perfectly and fully carried out His will such that there was not difference between what was said and what was accomplished. Thus, Jesus Christ is the fullest expression of God possible being the Son of God. John later revisits that reality in a number of places, but especially in John 10:30 and 14:31. In this way, Jesus is the Word of God and John appeals to the creation as demonstration as to His nature.
Further, “In Him was life and the life was the Light of men.” “Him” would refer to the same “Him” of v.3. Therefore, it was in Jesus that came the source of life that was given to Adam. When God blew into the nostrils of Adam, that was Jesus since life exists and has its source in God. Therefore, John could say that in Him, being God, life finds its source. Further, this life was on display for the realm of mankind in Jesus as well. The quality of life that God possesses was on full display before all men. How? John tells us in v.14, “The Word (who is the Life and the Light as well) became flesh, and dwelt among us.” Jesus Christ, God, no longer inhabited this earth in a tabernacle or temple, but comes personally and bodily. No more are the days of private and hidden existence, as in the Holy of Holies of the tabernacle and the temple to only be seen by the high priest once a year. Now, the world can see God personally and face to face, as it were, in the person of Jesus Christ! God now is that Light that shines throughout the realm of men and is visible to all. Nevertheless, men did not comprehend or receive that light and remained in their darkness (John 3:19) even though He pleaded with the world to follow the Light and leave the darkness (John 8:12). The reference back to Genesis 1:1-2 is unmistakable and provides a clear, inspired, figure from which to teach. The world that was created initially began “formless and void”, and “darkness was over the surface of the deep”. In the metaphor, the world of Jesus’ day was in that dark world of Genesis 1:2 and they did not know where they were going (John 12:35). The world, being absent from a source of light, is dark and “unformed”. That is, it is not yet in a state of glory and usefulness to God. Thus, God has to make order out of ‘formlessness’. That would have to be the picture of mankind as well. He is formless and void of light. In himself, he is dark being alienated from the life of God (which is the result of the fall, Genesis 3:24) to which Paul refers in Colossians 1:21. This alienation is called “darkness” and is an appropriate metaphor for teaching purposes (cf. Romans 15:4). However, although we are darkness (cf. Ephesians 5:8), the light of Christ shines and pierces the darkness via the glory of the gospel (2 Corinthians 4:6) and makes us “sons of the light” (John 12:36).
John writes that the Light shines in the darkness, just like He did in Genesis 1:3. However instead of illuminating what was dark and separating the darkness from the light, the darkness remained in the hearts of men and they did not ‘comprehend’ or ‘understand’ (so as to receive the Light-cf. John 1:12). But now, the Light of the Person of Jesus Christ shines through His word in the preaching of the entire word of God so that God might teach them through His word (Jeremiah 31:33-34; cf. John 17:17) and light of the glory of God might shine in their hearts and they then, and only then, will have the light of Christ shine through the darkness and they will become sons of light by faith (2 Corinthians 4:6).
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