Scripture
Prologue: Christ, the Eternal Word
1In the beginning the Word already existed.
The Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
2He existed in the beginning with God.
3God created everything through him,
and nothing was created except through him.
4The Word gave life to everything that was created,[1]
and his life brought light to everyone.
5The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness can never extinguish it.[2]
6God sent a man, John the Baptist,[3] 7to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. 8John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. 9The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
10He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. 11He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. 12But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. 13They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.
14So the Word became human[4] and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness.[5] And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.
15John testified about him when he shouted to the crowds, “This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘Someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’”
16From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another.[6] 17For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. 18No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God,[7] is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.
Translation notes (7)
- 1:3-4 Or and nothing that was created was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything.
- 1:5 Or and the darkness has not understood it.
- 1:6 Greek a man named John.
- 1:14a Greek became flesh.
- 1:14b Or grace and truth; also in 1:17.
- 1:16 Or received the grace of Christ rather than the grace of the law; Greek reads received grace upon grace.
- 1:18 Some manuscripts read But the one and only Son.
14So the Word became human[1] and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness.[2] And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.
Translation notes (2)
- 1:14a Greek became flesh.
- 1:14b Or grace and truth; also in 1:17.
One thing that makes Christianity distinct from other religions is that our God, the true God, came to us when we could not make our way to Him. When we were spiritually dead and separated from God because of our sin, God sent Jesus to die on the cross to pay the price that was owed for our sin. It truly is incredible that Jesus came to "seek and save the lost" (Luke 19:10).
John chapter one reminds us of just how amazing it is that God draws near to us. In this chapter, John refers to Jesus as "the Word." He states that Jesus, "the Word," was with God in the beginning and that He, in fact, is God (verse 1). He also writes that Jesus was involved in creation and brought life to all creation (verses 3-4). Then, several verses down, John shifts gears to share something revolutionary: Jesus took on human form and came to earth, "full of unfailing love and faithfulness" (verse 14). John is telling us the shocking news that Jesus, "the Word," who is fully God and full of splendor and glory, came to earth. He did this because He wanted to draw near to us. When our sin was holding us back, He came for us. What a beautiful truth!
God went to great lengths to draw near to you, my friend. He did whatever He needed to do to save you, even when that meant sending His one-of-a-kind Son to come to earth, live a perfect life, and die to pay the penalty owed for your sins. He did whatever it took to rescue you. A relationship, however, is a two-way street. You see, God spared nothing when it came to having a relationship with you, but you, too, must draw near to Him. For the rest of this week we will talk about ways we can draw near to God, but today, you must ask yourself this question: "In light of everything God has done for me, will I make an effort to draw near to Him?" If you answer the question, "yes," your challenge is to not do this out of obligation, but out of a true desire to draw near to the One who made every effort to draw near to you.
Moving Toward Action
Today, spend time considering the fact that God is a God who draws near to us. In your journal, reflect on this truth and what it means to you. How will this truth impact the way you think and the way you live? After reflecting on this truth, tell someone in your life who does not have a relationship with God the truth that God is a God who draws near to His people by sharing the Bridge Diagram with them.
Going Deeper
Read John 1:1-18 (NLT)
Loading saved progress…
Your place is saved in this browser. It will not follow you to another device, and clearing browser data removes it.