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The Gospel of John is so different from the other three gospels that the very differences have become a massive subject of theological research. We know the general outline of the first three gospels; well John doesn't begin with the birth of Jesus, nor his family tree. There are no shepherds, no wise men, no mangers, no boyhood. Instead there is a new Genesis! The first book in the Bible begins with God. He is outside the process from all eternity. He speaks "Let there be light" and creation explodes into being. John begins there. The mind, the intelligence, the word or logos of God which created all material existence, the vast universe - time itself - the elements of all matter: all life forms: the Creator of all that actually takes on our human form and embodies the very light and power and mind of creation in a unique living person. That's where John's gospel begins.
He continues the theme throughout his story. In the other three gospels Jesus gives sight to the blind. In John he is not only the restorer of sight, he is the LIGHT itself, without which all men and women are blind. The one miracle common to all four gospels is the feeding of the 5,000, but in John Jesus is the BREAD OF LIFE. He is not just the good shepherd: he is also the Passover Lamb who takes away the sins of the world. He is not the direction, not the goal. He is THE WAY. He is not just a teacher: he is the very WORD taught. Not a lesson, but THE LIFE.
Not only able to raise the dead - he IS Resurrection: He is LIFE itself.
That's John's wondrous theme throughout and he uses a special word for the miracles Jesus did. He calls them 'semaion' - the Greek word for 'Miraculous Signs'. Don't look at the miracles, see to what they are pointing. When I point something out to a dog, it merely sniffs my finger. Look beyond the finger to the goal, the person, the God, to whom you are directed.
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known. John 1: 14 and 18
A Prayer:
Almighty Father, whose nature is perfectly embodied in Jesus your Son, we worship and adore you in the Holy Spirit.
Now read Genesis Chapter 1.
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