[In the beginning was the Word]. Not just any word. THE Word. The Logos Who spoke, THE Ultimate Creative Force in the universe. Always was, always will be. And The Word was and is responsible for everything in the universe. Everything out of nothing. He’s the Origin. He’s the one and only Origin-ator. But wait - there’s more:
In the beginning WAS the Word, AND The Word, WAS [with God]. In the beginning. Back then in THE beginning, the very beginning. Even before the beginning. It’s this same [imperfect] tense, this ongoing, present tense but in the past. Always was. This Logos John is introducing us to, He always was [with God]. With the God Who is the same God that John’s readers already understand IS the actual Origin-ator, the God Who actually used words to speak the universe and all things into existence and Who uses words to uphold all things. And The Word, this One Who was and is THE Logos, He WAS with God.
But here’s the thing. The Greek actually doesn’t say, The Word was “with” God. That would be the Greek preposition "syn" [as in synagogue, synergy, synthesis] . No, John uses "pros" [as in prosthesis]. Which means towards. So there’s a subtle difference here. Greek prepositions are directional words. And "pros" is this idea of direction, but there's some separation. John 6:5 Therefore Jesus, lifting up His eyes and seeing that a large crowd was coming to (pros) Him, *said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these may eat?” Words and people can be directed/oriented towards some object. But there is this separation. You wouldn’t get that same sense with “syn”. So John says The Word was TOWARDS God, was definitely directed towards God, but also with some element of separateness, some distinctiveness.
But there’s more. With image bearers, with ones who have this capacity for intimate relationship, "pros" can have this added idea of living union. Face-to-face communion. That’s exactly what Mary was having with Jesus when she was seated towards Him, at His feet. [Luke 10:39 She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at (pros) the Lord’s feet, listening to His word.] She was facing Him, enjoying face-to-face living communion with Jesus. The Word WAS with God, facing God, in communion with God, but again, there was this separation. But wait, there’s more:
[The Word WAS God]. John comes right out and says something an orthodox Jew would NEVER say. Jesus, this One Who WAS The Word, Who was/is the Ultimate Creative Force in the universe. Was. God. THE Lord God Almighty. This Word WAS God. Always was. Very God Himself, but also somehow simultaneously separate from God. Distinct, yet enjoying living communion with God. Again, imperfect tense - ongoing, always was, always will be. Separate, but also the same. Different Person, but the same in essence. The same Godhead. But distinct. Somehow.
At this point we are now just one verse into this book, and John is rocketing us out of the gate with our minds blown and our hair on fire! This One to Whom John is introducing us? We’re not talking about just a man. Some regular Joe, or Saul. Some backwater itinerant Jewish rabbi. The Word WAS God. In the first. This is the first most important truth in life and John so wants us to get it right.
In the Beginning. When we consider John’s first thoughts here and remember their similarity to Genesis 1, there is no mistaking what he is saying. John here is making a no-holds-barred statement about deity. About the Creator of the universe. The Originator of all things. This book of John, it’s not just a biography about some Palestinian preacher. This One, this Word was, having already existed - in the beginning, and this Word, is God. Not a little g god, some lesser God. Not [a puppet]. He is The almighty Maker of heaven and earth and all that is in them. In the beginning was the Word, the Word was towards God, and the Word WAS God. Somehow separate, yet indivisible. Inexplicable. Inconceivable.
John repeats the “With God” ("pros") in [verse 2]. Towards God, facing God. Way back in the beginning. There was this union, AND this separation. Somehow. Always had been.
And it’s full-on blasphemy! So now 2 verses, 24 words into his book, John is standing smack dab in the middle of stone-him-to-death-till-you-know-he-dead heresy. All the way up to his eyeballs. Because to the Jews there was no other God but Jehovah. Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is what? One! How can one God be two? John repeats himself in verse 2, cuz he knows how mind-blowing what he’s saying is. By the time he writes this book, he’s had several decades to try and wrap his own blown mind around this truth and try to live into it: This Word, this One Who I was with day and night for three years, He definitely WAS, imperfect tense, in the beginning, towards God, AND He definitely was God. Always was, always will be, distinctly God, eternal living communion with God, somehow distinctly separate. The Logos, The Word, the True Word of Life Who spoke everything into existence and Who upholds it all by His Word.
Notice - John isn’t trying to explain this. He’s simply stating it for the record. Undeniable truth. This is what he has come to understand. He saw it with his own two eyes. Touched it with his own hands. Remember, front row seat. But he’s not explaining it. It’s a wonderful impossible. An inexplicable mystery. And there may be no way for our feeble words to be able to explain this reality in a way that our finite minds can understand. What John is saying is, this is what I saw, this is what I know. And it’s true. Believe me. You gotta believe me. Lemme tell you about it.
[The Word was God]. Jesus is God. This is what John clearly shows us about Jesus in his book. That is what Jesus is clearly saying throughout John’s book. There’s no mistaking it - we will come back to this over and over again as we study through this book of John. It’s the central part of John’s message - that’s why he begins the book with this explicit no-holds barred statement that Jesus was God. Way back in the beginning even, long before He showed up and took on human flesh. He was not created. He was never less than God, nor ever came after God. Somehow. He was always with/towards God, and He always was God. No doubt about it.
Actually, some do doubt. Many. There have been doubters from the first. Judas wasn’t convinced at all. Then there was Thomas. We call him doubting Thomas for a reason. You guys are telling me that Jesus died but now He has risen? No way. Unless I can see Him and touch Him, I won’t believe. So Jesus shows up [Jn 20.26-29]. How blessed, how happy are those who have believed, even if they haven’t seen. 2000 yrs on, many still refuse to believe. Refusal to believe in Jesus steals our greatest joy. In fact all other joys in life are lesser joys. Cotton candy. Nothing, no one else can fill the God-shaped God-sized hole in my heart [it's bottomless - can only be filled by the Infinite/Eternal]. Jesus, God the Son, comes TOWARDS us and says, let Me show how much I care for you. Let Me fill your heart… Will you believe? Will you let Me in…? Today?
No comments:
Post a Comment