Beloved, I am glad to share with you today the above theme from John 1:1-3. Indeed, “The Only Begotten Son” making the Father known, this is the summary of this gospel (1 Jn 4:7-12). The first verse already, each term of which must be weighed, presents It to us as the Word, an eternal Person, distinct from God, while being God. As far back as our thoughts can go, it was (Ps 90:1-6). But this creative Word, the only source of life and light, has not addressed us from the top of heaven; no, she came into the world, subjecting herself to our limits of space and time.
Let’s already specify before continuing, that while the first three gospels have painted, in broad outline, a concordant picture of the coming and activity of Christ, from his baptism in the Jordan to his resurrection and ascension (hence the name of “synoptics” used to designate the texts in question), in the gospel according to John, the intention of the Holy Spirit is different. Indeed, of the thirty miracles described in the synoptics, John speaks of only one (the multiplication of the loaves for the five thousand, in Jn 5), but on the other hand, the evangelist mentions six other supernatural facts that are not found elsewhere; he thus yields seven miracles: the sufficient figure of divine perfection. Moreover, for the apostle they are “signs” rather than miracles. He explains this in Jn 20:30-31: “Jesus therefore also performed before his disciples many other miracles, which are not written in this book. But these things are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life by his name.”
Then, unfathomable mystery: the Word becomes flesh (1 Tim 3:14-16)! And she did not come as a quick messenger who immediately returns to the One who sent him. But she dwelt (tented) in the midst of us, without ever ceasing to be “in the intimacy of the Father”. All that God is in his very nature: love and light (grace for the heart and truth for the conscience of the sinner), approached us and shone in this adorable Person. But the moral darkness of man has not understood the true light. The world has not known its Creator. His people did not receive their Messiah. And you, did you receive it? If so, you are a child of God (Ga 3:23-29).
“In the beginning was the Word; and the Word was with God; and the Word was God. She was in the beginning with God.” Jesus is called “the Word”, the perfect expression of God’s thought. This word has taken a form: it “becomes flesh”. It comes from a man we could meet every day when he was here on earth and whom we will see in glory eternally. John tells us what he was eternally before he came into this world, before what had a beginning: angels, heavens and earth. When what was created began, the Word was. “In the beginning was the Word”. This Word “was with God”, therefore distinct from God; but “she was God”. “In the beginning”, not only in eternity, “she was with God”.
We learn from these statements that, from all eternity, the person of the Lord, the Son of God, existed; it never had a beginning. For while being God, as for his nature, he was distinct from God as a person. And if we can speak of a beginning as to Jesus, it concerns only his humanity; he has only been Man since his birth, as he becomes flesh. And when we saw the little child in the manger in Bethlehem, we saw the one who, from all eternity, was with God, was God, and by whom all things were created. His humanity has therefore changed nothing in the glories of his person and none has been attenuated. On the contrary, it was in Jesus that the glories of God were manifested in their perfections and put within the reach of men.
For the glories are the perfections of God manifested in the person of his Son; namely love, light, grace, goodness, mercy, patience, justice, holiness, truth, faithfulness, and so on. Indeed, nothing could be more wonderful than this manifestation of God in grace in the person of the one who, after having annihilated himself as God, was found in the figure as a man in order to save the sinner, God coming in the midst of men, within their reach, without them being annihilated by his presence , he whom no one can see and live (Ex. 33:20). For the unbelievers have at all times tried to deny the inspiration of the gospel according to John, because the divinity of Jesus characterizes him.
On the contrary, the believer is filled with admiration in considering the wonderful glories of the one who comes to this world to save him. It goes beyond anything that could ascend to the heart of man and fills him with praise and worship, here on earth, until we can praise and worship, when we see face to face the glorious person of the Son of God, fully enjoying his perfect love in the celestial light.
For “All things were done by her, and without her not one thing was made of what was done”. In Genesis 1, we read: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. There God created. Here, creation is attributed to the Word, since the Word was God, while being distinct from God, which is also proven by Genesis 1:26, when God says: “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness”. In Jn 11:7 it is also said, “Let us go down, let us go down, and let us confuse their language there. ” Until then, all that is said of God can be said of the Son; he is the Lord of the Old Testament.
Then another wonderful fact is revealed: “In it was life, and life was the light of men”. Now men, in their state of sin, are deprived of life and light. They move in darkness and are morally dead as to God; but according to his eternal purposes of grace, God intended for them the life which was in his Son, a light-life by which they would be in vital relationship with him and in the light, capable of appreciating all things according to his thought. In her, in this Word, was life, and life was the light of men, or the life of men, for the benefit of men, not angels. This light-life shone in all its beauty in Christ, here on earth: “And the light shines in the darkness; and the darkness has not received it”, nor understood it.
For the presence of Jesus brought the light of God into the moral chaos in which the natural man finds himself; like Gen 1, the light has him in the darkness and brought life. Where the light is physically, there is life; for nature cannot develop in darkness. The same is true spiritually. But contrary to what takes place in nature, the appearance of light, in the person of the Son of God, has not made disappear the moral darkness in which the natural man moves; for her fallen nature finds in darkness the element that suits her, since she is dark herself.
Indeed, the light remains light, and the darkness, darkness. It is a question of an immutable nature. For not only can man not change, but he does not want to change. He saw the light, and he preferred darkness: “men preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil.” (Jn 3:19). That is why man rejected Jesus, because he brought him the thought of God, the light, on his state of sin. Man thinks he is good so God says he is evil. For he believes himself capable of doing good, but God says the opposite, and calls him to repent, but he does not want it and calls well what God calls evil.
Now the Saint and the Righteous came in the person of Christ, but man called him a sinner, a Samaritan, a fool. He saw nothing in him that made him desire; yet he made the delights of God, the Father, who found in him all his pleasure. Thus, there is incompatibility of nature between man and God, as it exists between light and darkness and between life and death. We will see later that he who received Jesus and believed in him, benefited from all that he brought; that is to say: life, light, love, and power. Let us simply note here that the darkness has not been changed by the perfect radiance of the divine light.
The following verses have been compiled for your edification and grouped together for your better understanding.
- Life of Jesus: His Attributes
-Son of God Jn 1:1, 14 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 14 And the word was made flesh, and it dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; and we contemplated its glory, a glory as the glory of the Only Begotten Son from the Father.
-Son of man: first miracle at the wedding of Cana: Jn 2:9 When the authorizing officer of the meal had tasted the water changed into wine, -not knowing where this wine came from, while the servants, who had drawn the water, knew it well, -he called the husband,
-The divine Master: Jn 3:2 who came to Jesus at night and said to him: Rabbi, we know that you are a doctor from God; for no one can do these miracles that you do, unless God is with him.
-The soul-winning: Jn 4:13-14 Jesus answered him: Whoever drinks this water will still be thirsty; 14 but he who drinks water that I give him will never be thirsty, and the water that I give him will become in him a source of water that will gush into eternal life.
-The great doctor: Jn 5:8-9 Get up, jesus said to him, take your bed, and walk. 9 At once this man was healed; he took his bed, and walked.
-The Bread life: Jn 6:48-50 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven, that he who eats it may not die of it.
-The Living Water: Jn 7:37-38 On the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus, standing up, cried out: If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me, and let him drink. 38 He who believes in me, rivers of living water will flow from his boson, as the Scripture says.
-The defender of the weak : Jn 8:3-7 Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman surprised in adultery; 4 and, placing her in the midst of the people, they said to Jesus: Master, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 Moses, in the law, commanded us to stone such women: you say, then, what do you say? 6 They said this to test him, so that they could accuse him. But Jesus, having lowered himself, wrote with his finger on the earth. 7 As they continued to interrogate him, he stood up and said to them: Let him of you who is sinless first cast the stone against her.
-The light of the world: Jn 9:5-7 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world. 6 After saying this, he spat on the ground, and made mud with his saliva. Then he applied this mud to the eyes of the blind man, 7 and said to him: Go, and wash at the reservoir of Siloé (name which means sent). He went there, washed himself, and returned seeing clearly.
-The good shepherd: Jn 10:11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for his sheep.
-The Prince of life: Jn 11:25, 43-44 Jesus said to him: I am the resurrection and life. He who believes in me will live, even if he is dead; 43 Having said this, he shouted in a loud voice: Lazarus, go out! 44 And the dead man came out, his feet and hands bound with bands, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them: Untied him, and let him go.
-The King: Jn 12:12-15The next day, a large crowd of people who came to the feast having heard that Jesus was going to Jerusalem, 13 took branches of palm trees, and went before him, shouting: Hosanna! Blessed be he who comes in the name of the Lord, the king of Israel! 14 Jesus found a donkey, and sat on it, according to what is written:15 Fear not, daughter of Zion; Behold, your king comes, sitting on the little one of a donkey.
-The role of a servant: Jn 13:4-5 got up from the table, took off his clothes, and took a cloth, which he ceded himself. 5 Then he poured water into a basin, and began to wash the feet of the disciples, and to wipe them with the linen of which he was girded.
-The Comforter: Jn 14:1-2 Let your heart not be disturbed. Believe in God, and believe in me. 2 There are several mansions in my Father’s house. If it were not, I would have told you. I’ll prepare a place for you.
-The real Cep: Jn 15:1-2 I am the true cep, and my Father is the winemaker. 2 Every shoot which is in me and which bears no fruit, he removes it; and every shoot that bears fruit, he prunes it, so that it bears even more fruit.
-The Giver of the Spirit: Jn 16:7, 15 However I tell you the truth: it is advantageous for you that I go away, for if I do not go away, the comforter will not come to you; but if I leave, I will send it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine; that is why I said that he takes from what is mine, and that he will announce it to you.
-The great intercessor: Jn 17 (thank you for reading this with a rested head)
-The model victim: Jn 18:11 Jesus said to Peter: Put your sword back in the scabbard. Will I not drink the cup that the Father has given me to drink?
-The Crucified Savior: Jn 19:18 This is where he was crucified, and two others with him, one on each side, and Jesus in the middle.
-The Conqueror of Death: Mt 9:24-25 he said to them: Withdraw; for the girl is not dead, but she sleeps. And they were making fun of him. 25 When the crowd had been sent back, he entered, took the girl’s hand, and the girl rose. Lk 7:11-15 The next day Jesus went to a city called Naïn; his disciples and a large crowd were on their way with him. 12 When he was near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man, the only son of his mother, who was a widow, was carried in the ground; and there were with her many people from the city. 13 The Lord, having seen her, was moved with compassion for her, and said to her: Do not weep! 14 He approached, and touched the coffin. Those who wore it stopped. He said, “Young man, I tell you, get up!” 15 And the dead sat down, and began to speak. Jesus returned it to his mother. Jn 11:43-44 43 Having said this, he shouted in a loud voice: Lazarus, go out! 44 And the dead man came out, his feet and hands bound with bands, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them: Untied him, and let him go. Jn 20:11-12, 17 However Mary stood outside near the sepulchre, and wept. As she cried, she lowered herself to look into the sepulchre; 12 and she saw two angels dressed in white, sitting in the place where the body of Jesus had been lying, one on the head, the other on the feet. 17 Jesus said unto him, “Do not touch me; for I have not yet ascended to my Father. But go find my brethren, and tell them that I go up to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God. Rev 1:18 I am the first and the last, and the living. I was dead; and behold, I am alive in centuries of centuries. I hold the keys to death and the indies of the dead.
-The one who restores the penitent: Jn 21:15-17 After they had eaten, Jesus said to Simon Peter: Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me more than they love me? He answered her, “Yes, Lord, you know I love you.” Jesus said to him: Feed my lambs. 16 He said to her a second time: Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me? Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know I love you.” Jesus said to him: Feed my sheep. 17 He said to her for the third time: Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me? Peter was saddened by what he had said to her for the third time: Do you love me? And he answered her, Lord, you know all things, you know that I love you. Jesus said to him: Feed my sheep.
- Divineite of Christ:
The testimony of the apostles: Mt 16:16 Simon Peter answered: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jn 1:1-2 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 She was in the beginning with God. Rm 1:5 by whom we received grace and apostolate, to bring in his name to the obedience of faith all the Gentiles; Rom 9:5 and the promises, and the patriarchs, and from whom came, according to the flesh, Christ, who is above all things, God blessed eternally. amen! Col 2:9 For in him dwells bodily all the fullness of divinity. 1 Tim 3:16 And, without a doubt, the mystery of piety is great: he who has been manifested in the flesh, justified by the Spirit, seen from the angels, preached to the Gentiles, believed in the world, brought up in glory. Heh 1:3 and who, being the reflection of his glory and the imprint of his person, and supporting all things by his powerful word, did the purification of sins and sat at the right hand of divine majesty in the very high places,
- Eternal Christ:
Mi 5:1 And you, Bethlehem Ephrata, Little among the thousands of Judah, From You will come out for me The One who will dominate over Israel, and whose origin goes back to ancient times, to the days of eternity. Jn 8:58 Jesus said to them: In truth, in truth, I tell you, before Abraham was, I am. Jn 17:5 And now you, Father, glorify me to yourself of the glory I had with you before the world was. Jn 17:24 Righteous Father, the world has not known thee; but I have known you, and they have known that you have sent me. Heh 7.3 which is without a father, without a mother, without genealogy, which has no beginning of days or end of life, -but which is made like the Son of God, -this Melchizedek remains priest in perpetuity. Rev 22:13 I am the alpha and omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.
- Christ the Creator:
Jn 1.3 All things have been done by her, and nothing that has been done has been done without her. 1 Cor 8:6 nevertheless for us there is only one God, the Father, from whom all things come and for whom we are, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things and by whom we are. Eph 3:9 and to highlight what is the dispensation of the mystery hidden from all times in God who created all things; Col 1:16 For in him were created all the things which are in the heavens and on the earth, the visible and the invisible, thrones, dignities, dominions, authorities. Everything was created by him and for him. Heh 1:1-2 After having once, repeatedly and in many ways, spoken to our fathers through the prophets, 2 God, in recent times, has spoken to us through the Son, whom He has established as heir to all things, by which He has also created the world,
From all of the foregoing, we note that from all eternity the person of the Lord, the Son of God, existed; it never had a beginning. For while being God, as for his nature, he was distinct from God as a person. And if we can speak of a beginning as to Jesus, it concerns only his humanity; he has only been Man since his birth, as he becomes flesh. And when we saw the little child in the manger in Bethlehem, we saw the one who, from all eternity, was with God, was God, and by whom all things were created. His humanity has therefore changed nothing in the glories of his person and none has been attenuated. On the contrary, it was in Jesus that the glories of God were manifested in their perfections and put within the reach of men. For the glories are the perfections of God manifested in the person of his Son; namely love, light, grace, kindness, mercy, patience, justice, holiness, truth, faithfulness. Our prayers support you all in your efforts to live a humble life like our Savior.
PRAYER OF ACCEPTANCE OF JESUS CHRIST AS LORD AND PERSONAL SAVIOR
I now invite anyone who wants to become a new creation by walking in the truth, to pray with me as follows:
Lord Jesus, I have long walked in the lusts of the world ignoring your love for humans. I acknowledge that I have sinned against you and ask forgiveness for all my sins, because today I have decided to give you my life by taking you as my Lord and personal Savior. I acknowledge that you died on the cross of Calvary and that you rose from the dead for me.
I am now saved and born again by the power of the Holy Spirit. Lead me each day to eternal life you give to all who obey your Word. Reveal to me and strengthen my heart and my faith so that your light may shine in my life right now.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for accepting me in your divine family so that I too can contemplate the wonders of your kingdom.
I will now choose a nearby waterpoint to baptize myself by immersion, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
To you all worship, power, and glory, now and forever and ever. Amen!
I would be happy to respond to any questions and comments you may have, before sharing with you next week about “the testimony of John the Baptist.”
May the Lord Jesus Christ bless you abundantly.
David Feze, Servant of the Almighty Lord.