John 1:1

Who is Jesus? part 3

Christmas Eve, the time when we proclaim our dedication to joy and merry-making! It’s a noble tradition to revel in a few drinks before heading to the midnight Communion service, often referred to as Midnight Mass, even in churches that prefer not to use the word “mass.” And here’s a quirky tradition for you: instead of the typical tale of shepherds, angels, and wise men, the Gospel reading at that service delves into John’s philosophical tale of the beginning of the Jesus story. Who knew the Christmas spirit could be so philosophical?

What should folks who stumble into church half-sloshed or totally tipsy make of this reading? Come on, it’s not exactly a barrel of laughs, is it?

In the beginning was the Word …

John 1:1 ESVUK

According to my fancy spelling and grammar gadget, the Bible seems to have a little oopsie. It’s asking for a comma after the word “beginning.” Imagine that, even artificial intelligence is giving the Bible a hard time! Anyway, on to the Gospel of John.

After quoting the first word of the book of Genesis, John expresses the Word as if it were a person. This revelation might come as a surprise to those who are not familiar with the Old Testament. Within the Wisdom Literature section, including Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, The Song of Solomon, and Job, it is common to do so. Some of the Psalms and prophets also embrace a Wisdom style. For instance, the book of Proverbs personifies wisdom as a woman. The portrayal of the Word as a person beautifully aligns with this theme.

Spoiler Alert: Hold on to your hats, because the Word is about to pull a plot twist and turn into a human! Looks like John might have a sneaky sense of humour after all. But hey, no spoilers – save it for a future blog post.

“In the beginning was the word.” John fixes the word “word” very firmly to creation. In Genesis chapter 1 God speaks,

And God said, “Let there be light,” (Genesis 1:3)
And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters,” (Genesis 1:6)
And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place,” (1:9)
And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation,” (1:11)
And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens,” (1:14)
And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures,” (1:20)
And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures,” (1:24)
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image,” (1:26)

God speaks and things happen.

It’s not just about Genesis, either. In many places, God speaks, especially in the prophets, saying, “Thus says the Lord” or “the Lord says this.” Throughout the history of the Jews, God spoke and things happened.

Then Jesus came. As we shall see in this journey through John’s Gospel, Jesus spoke and things happened.

Jesus returned to the Father, and the Holy Spirit was sent to empower the Church. People, empowered by the Spirit of God, spoke, and incredible things happened.

Today, the powerful influence of the Holy Spirit continues. Individuals, guided and empowered by the Holy Spirit, boldly proclaim the will of God. Guess what? Remarkable things still happen.

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