GETTING STARTED
It’s the dawn of all existence, and standing with the Father is the Son. God speaks the world into being, dusting the galaxy with stars, weaving strands of DNA into the fabric of our being, planting wonder throughout the earth. We are born by his breath and held in his hand. In him is the light that fills our hearts and calls us to righteousness, a light that cannot be extinguished. By this eternal light we are still awakened, reborn, transformed.
Welcome to the book of John, a story about Jesus.
READ THE WORD: JOHN 1:1-5 (ESV)
1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
DIGGING DEEPER
1. What is the relationship between the Word (Christ) and God?
2. What is the relationship between the Word and creation?
3. What is the relationship between the Word and man?
4. What is significant about the shift in verb tense in verse 5? How is this verse still true today, tomorrow, and forever?
RESPOND TO GOD
Who can stand against such a God as this? Christ stands sovereign over our exterior world—mountains, bodies, soil—but also the entirety of our interior world. Our thoughts. Our hopes. Our passions. Despite our efforts, Christ cannot be reduced to a portion of our lives. It’s impossible. A compartmentalized Christ is a false God. The Christ of John 1 is all encompassing, life-giving, complete. And it is his light that fills us, and his light that cannot be overcome by any amount of darkness.
- Read verse 5 aloud a few times. Pray to be transformed by this certainty.