The Whole Story
John 1
The Word Made Flesh
The opening verses of John’s Gospel do not begin in Bethlehem with a baby in a manger, but in eternity past, with a profound declaration of divine identity: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
These words echo Genesis 1, drawing our hearts back to the very beginning, where God spoke the universe into existence. But John isn’t just recalling creation itself — he’s revealing the Creator. He is unveiling Jesus Christ as the eternal Word of God, the One through whom all things were made, the true Light who gives life to all humanity.
John 1 confronts us with the mystery and majesty of the incarnation. This Word, who was with God and was God, “became flesh and dwelt among us” (v.14). In that one sentence, we are brought face-to-face with the staggering reality of the gospel: the God of glory has entered our broken world. The infinite became finite. The eternal stepped into time. The Creator stepped into creation. He did not come as a distant deity but as one who moved into the neighborhood — who took on our frailty, walked our roads, and bore our sorrows. And yet, the world did not recognize Him. He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him. But for all who did receive Him — for all who believed in His name — He gave the right to become children of God.
John 1 is not just about who Jesus is; it is about what He has come to do: to bring us into the family of God, to make us sons and daughters through faith in Him. This is the foundation of our faith: Jesus is not merely a good teacher or wise prophet. He is the Word made flesh, full of grace and truth. He reveals the Father perfectly. He brings light into darkness, life out of death, and grace upon grace to all who trust in Him. So, as we open the Gospel of John, we are invited to see the glory of Christ, to believe in Him, and to become part of God’s redemptive story. The curtain is being pulled back. The divine Word has been spoken — not in thunder from heaven, but in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus is here, and He always has been.
John 11:1-14
The Word Became Flesh
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 anything 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. 6 There was a man sent
from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about
the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came
to bear witness about the light. 9 The true light, which gives light to
everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was
made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and
his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who
believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were
born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of
God. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his
glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
The
Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001
by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. John 1:14
Discussion Questions
Who is “the Word” in John 1:1, and what do we learn about His relationship to God and creation? How does this verse shape your understanding of Jesus’ divinity?
John says Jesus is the Light that shines in
the darkness (v. 5). Where do you see darkness in the world — or in your own
life — that needs His light?
Why do you think so many rejected Jesus when
He came to His own (vv. 10–11)? What does this teach us about the human heart?
What does it mean to be “born of God” (v.
13)? How is this different from simply being religious or moral?
John says we have received “grace upon grace”
through Jesus (v. 16). How have you experienced that overflowing grace
personally, and how can you reflect it to others?
Closing Thoughts:
The Word who was with God and is God stepped
into our darkness to bring light and life. He didn’t remain distant — He took
on flesh, moved into our broken world, and poured out grace upon grace. That
means no sin is too deep, no crack in your life too wide, for His grace to fi
ll. If you have received Him, you are a child of God, secure in His love and
called to reflect His light to a dark world. The question is, will you receive
Him fully and let His grace shine through you this week?
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