September 11 Devotional

John 1:1-5 (ESV) 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.(TRANSCRIPT)This intro serves as the beginning of John’s prologue, which mirrors the introduction to the Book of Genesis. Both passages start with, “In the beginning.” Both passages talk about God being there in the beginning. And both passages talk about the light bursting through the dark. And John, the author, knows what he’s doing here. He’s being VERY intentional. He’s implying that story we’re about to read is of extreme importance. Whoever THE WORD is, John is putting him right up there next to the Creator of the universe, literally.And of course, that was his whole point. The WORD course, Jesus Christ. He is, along with the Holy Spirit, one with the Father, and yet somehow distinct. If that mystery—the doctrine of the Trinity—sounds confusing, then buckle up, because we are going to hear a lot of strange things about Jesus in the coming weeks. We’ll hear John use all kinds of names for him: the lamb of God, the bread of life, the good shepherd, the way, the truth, and the life, and on and on. We’ll hear his sage wisdom, and watch as he displays mystifying signs before the crowds. And of course, in the end, we’ll the greatest sign of all—his death and resurrection.But before all that, the very first thing John calls Jesus is… the Word, which was a term people used in that day to describe the hidden, mystical order and purpose of the universe. People knew there was something behind the veil of creation, but they assumed it was impersonal. John says no. The word, the Logos, the reason for life itse lf, is a PERSON. And His name is Jesus Christ.This morning, as we begin this journey through John, let’s commit ourselves to getting to know him better; this WORD made flesh, this magnificent Messiah, this King who calls us friend.

Let’s pray.Thank you Jesus for making yourself known to us in this book. May we learn how to center every part of our lives around you. Amen.