John 1:1-18
The Word Was With God and the Word Was God
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
14 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.
15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
Jesus has been in the world and heaven with God from the beginning...All things are made through Him...And yet, Jesus did not visit earth and start teaching us until much later (many years after in the beginning) and become a part of the the Story of God and part of the lives of others, when He came and dwelt among us on earth...Jesus would be born a Poor Boy, grow up, be a Carpenter, then be a Teacher, a Rabbi, and live the most interesting and Important Life ever to be lived...Jesus gives life meaning...His teachings help us live a better life, an abundant life...He gives life hope...
Jesus is the Son of God...God sent His Son to teach us...Let us believe in Jesus because He gives us faith and hope and a reason to seek His Father...Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see...And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him...
Jesus came and dwelt among us and taught us...He is the One who is full of grace and Truth...Without Jesus we have no hope...The non-believer believes when we die we are done there is nothing...And hope is something to look forward to...So Jesus gives us hope telling us the He will prepare believers a place in heaven and that He is the Truth, the Way of Life, and the only Way to God...He gives us hope in telling us that this is eternal life: to believe in God and the One who sent Him...Without Jesus there is no hope, there is no heaven, no God...Jesus gives life meaning, because when we die if there is only nothing, how can we see our journey though life have any significance at all...Can each and every one of us put meaning and value in our lives knowing that when life ends that is it, and we are gone?...
Author Dan Dewitt writes, “Yet, the gospel offers hope for wandering hearts like ours...The Bible reveals that instead of judging all of humanity in one fell swoop —God visited us in our despair...The gospel is the story of God writing himself into human history...Of course, if God really does exist, then he has been a part of the story from the very beginning...Thus, the gospel is really not our introduction to God but rather our re-introduction.”...