Jesus
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GOING DEEPER – METRO 2024 Part VI
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now
the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the
surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God
was hovering over the waters.
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw
that the light was good, and he separated the light from the
darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called
“night.” And there was evening, and there
was morning—the first day.
Gen.1:1-5
Early on the first day of the week, Mary came to the tomb…
Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are
you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to
him “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have
laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!”
She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbi!”
John 20:1, 15-16
*** *** *** *** ***
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples
were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish
leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be
with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and
side. The disciples were overjoyed
when they saw the Lord.
John 20:19-20
Questions for Reflection and Discussion
Do you remember the first discussion guide 5 weeks ago? John’s gospel
starts with a creation story. We are in a better position now to see the SAME
creation story in John 20. John 20 is really an echo of John 1 and of
Genesis 1. And that’s what John expects us to see here.
The first day of the week – remember that the very FIRST first day was
when God began his work of creation, culminating in the creation of
paradise and humankind within it. That’s the reason we have the
gardener reference here; God is already at work in new creation,
restoring all things. The first people were tossed from paradise, but God
is at work to heal all things.
That’s the flow of history --
*CREATION
*FALL
*NEW CREATION
Jesus is the first fruits of the new creation (1 Cor. 15:20), and is exalted to
God’s right hand as King and Lord (Acts 2:33). From this place he rules all
things.
Read Ephesians 1 and 2:6
What is God’s purpose in Christ? What does it mean to be seated with
Christ?
***
Read Col.1:15-20. This is a picture of Jesus as kyrios – Lord of all. It’s also
one of the most beautiful and complete summaries of the gospel in all
the New Testament. And again the text reaches right back to creation
itself, echoing John 1.
In the beginning was the song of Love,
Alone in empty nothingness and space
It sang itself through vaulted halls above,
Reached gently out to touch the Father’s face.
“Love,” sang the Spirit Son
and mountains came.
More melody, and life
began to grow.
He sang of light, and Darkness
fled in shame / Before a universe / in embryo.
Calvin Miller, The Singer
FOR ONLINE ONLY
We believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
begotten from the Father before all ages,
God from God,
Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made;
of the same essence as the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven;
he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary,
and was made human. – Nicea, 325 AD
There are many false teachings (or heresies) afloat in the Christian world,
and virtually all of them fall under two categories: they weaken Jesus
humanity, or they weaken Jesus divinity. When we weaken the divinity of
Jesus, we make it difficult to believe he can help us or save us. When we
weaken Jesus humanity, we make it difficult to believe he can walk alongside
us, or that he can really empathize.
But the most common heresy in Christian circles is what we call Gnosticism
or Docetism. Essentially this heresy denies that Jesus could really be
enfleshed, because we assume that flesh is somehow lower than spirit.
Therefore God, to remain pure, must maintain a safe distance from matter.
Can you think of a podcast or sermon you heard that made it seem like the
world or the body is bad? Can you think of a religion that teaches that we
must escape the world to be spiritual people?
The first problem with docetism is the life of Jesus in the gospels. He enters
the world as a baby, born of a human mother. In his life and work Jesus is
radically present, and not afraid to be ‘polluted’ by matter or by sin. The
second problem is the resurrection itself. The gospels and epistles are clear
that God loves creation and that Jesus resurrection is a physical one. Equally
important, the goal of God’s work in the world is new creation.
New creation is the direction of God’s work in the world. Jesus resurrection
is physical because matter matters. God loves the world: he created it, and
will restore it in every way. Our destiny is not a disembodied existence, but
new life in a new earth: life after life after death. This is why in Revelation
the city descends from heaven, bringing heaven and earth together. And this
is why Jesus himself descends to earth to rule.
Jesus is the new Adam, and our destiny is a renewed world. As Paul puts it,
“It doesn't matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is
whether we have been transformed into a new creation” (Gal. 6:15). It
doesn’t matter if you are religious or non-religious – or what you have done
in your life up to now. What matters is where you stand in relation to the
Creator and Redeemer and in relation to his work in the world. The Spirit is
transforming us into new creatures whose destiny is to be kings and priests
in a renewed world (Rev. 5:1; Rev. 20:4-6).
Reflecting on John 20, Malcolm Guite writes,
He blesses every love which weeps and grieves
And now he blesses hers who stood and wept
And would not be consoled, or leave her love’s
Last touching place, but watched as low light crept
Up from the east. A sound behind her stirs
A scatter of bright birdsong through the air.
She turns, but cannot focus through her tears,
Or recognise the Gardener standing there.
She hardly hears his gentle question ‘Why,
Why are you weeping?’, or sees the play of light
That brightens as she chokes out her reply
‘They took my love away, my day is night’
And then she hears her name, she hears Love say
The Word that turns her night, and ours, to Day.
XV Easter Dawn
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GOING DEEPER – METRO 2024 Part V
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb…
John 20:1-2
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed
when they saw the Lord.Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not
forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
John 20:19-23
Questions for Reflection and DiscussionRead John 20:1-23
John 20 is one of the richest chapters in all four gospels. Yet when I first read it, I remember thinking it was – odd. Structurally, there are some odd features, like this repetition of “first day.” Then there is this confusion of Jesus resurrection identity as a ‘gardener.’
Of course there is nothing random about any of this, and John is a very careful writer. What do you think is going on here? What does any of this have to do with resurrection? Important questions that we will consider this week and next.By John 20 the Event has occurred which is going to change the world forever. Isn’t it odd that the disciples are locked away in fear? There is no celebration that Jesus is risen; no awareness of what has really happened. Then suddenly Jesus is among them speaking Peace – literally ‘shalom.’ Do you recall what the word means? Why do you think Jesus use this important and loaded word here?
***
Shalom is a big word that means salvation, transformation, rest, abun-dance, health and ALL the things that the coming of God’s kingdom means. And there’s an Old Testament story that comes to mind.
***
In Judges chapter 6 Gideon is hiding from his enemies when an angel appears and hails him as a ‘Mighty Warrior.’ I have a feeling the angel might have been smirking. After all, mighty warriors don’t tend to hide from their enemies. So Gideon rightly asks a question: if God is with us, why are we defeated by our enemies?
Great question, right? Do you ever feel like life beats you up, then you come to church and hear all about Jesus victory. Hmm. Do you ever feel like Gideon? Like, “I’ve heard of this God who does amazing things, but where is he?” Have you seen the 6 o’clock news lately?
Gideon sets out a test, and the fire falls. Then Gideon is afraid, but the angels says, “Peace. Do not be afraid!” The Word of the Lord to him is shalom! And what is happening is not just a simple word of encouragement, but as the story unfolds, we see it’s a call and an anointing, turning an ordinary guy into a mighty warrior. It’s a first day, Genesis 1 kind of action – an act of creation. The comes a commission: Go in this strength of yours and deliver Israel. And that’s what is going on in John 20. That’s the story of Jesus disciples.
FOR ONLINE
In Genesis 1 God creates the world out of nothing. In John 20 God takes a ragged, fearful bunch of Jews and turns them into a force to change the world. God breathes his Spirit and releases his word and something appears out of nothing. His kingdom comes where human powers end; where we don’t expect it.
In John 20 Jesus pronounces shalom twice. This is kingdom language and it’s spoken with the fulness of meaning.
God’s kingdom be with you!
Joy and power be with you!
The power of creation and resurrection be with you!Jesus is creating a new community and a new reality among men and women – a class of warrior priests who will go into the world not with their own knowledge and abilities, but in the power of the Spirit.
God takes out weakness and mess and transforms it. Check out this little intro video from the Skitguys.
***
Leonard Cohen writes,
Ring the bells that still can ring,
Forget your perfect offering.
There’s a crack in everything --
That’s how the light gets in.Anthem
Read 1 Corinthians 1-2
What do you see here? How do Pauls’ words illuminate the kingdom story of Jesus?
***
In the beginning was the song of Love,
Alone in empty nothingness and space
It sang itself through vaulted halls above,
Reached gently out to touch the Father’s face.“Love,” sang the Spirit Son
and mountains came.
More melody, and life
began to grow.
He sang of light, and Darkness
fled in shame / Before a universe / in embryo.Calvin Miller, The Singer
***
Creation waits now for the gardener to speak:
And the eager weeds await their release
From the bondage of being weeds.
Eden and Zion lie far apart
But atom and ocean, beasts and plants
Wait for the one who will grant them peace.
Then the planet will spin in a sabbath dance
(And the dancing place will be the heart).
Fruit will burgeon from scattered seeds
And garden and town be clean as a fleece
Early in the morning, on the first day of the week.Loren Wilkinson
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In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God
was hovering over the waters.And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there
was morning—the first day.
Gen.1:1-5Early on the first day of the week, Mary came to the tomb…
Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbi!”
John 20:1, 15-16*** *** *** *** ***
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed
when they saw the Lord.
John 20:19-20Questions for Reflection and Discussion
Do you remember the first discussion guide 5 weeks ago? John’s gospel starts with a creation story. We are in a better position now to see the SAME creation story in John 20. John 20 is really an echo of John 1 and of
Genesis 1. And that’s what John expects us to see here.The first day of the week – remember that the very FIRST first day was when God began his work of creation, culminating in the creation of paradise and humankind within it. That’s the reason we have the gardener reference here; God is already at work in new creation, restoring all things. The first people were tossed from paradise, but God is at work to heal all things.
That’s the flow of history --
*CREATION
*FALL
*NEW CREATIONJesus is the first fruits of the new creation (1 Cor. 15:20), and is exalted to God’s right hand as King and Lord (Acts 2:33). From this place he rules all things.
Read Ephesians 1 and 2:6
What is God’s purpose in Christ? What does it mean to be seated with Christ?
***
Read Col.1:15-20. This is a picture of Jesus as kyrios – Lord of all. It’s also one of the most beautiful and complete summaries of the gospel in all the New Testament. And again the text reaches right back to creation itself, echoing John 1.
In the beginning was the song of Love,
Alone in empty nothingness and space
It sang itself through vaulted halls above,
Reached gently out to touch the Father’s face.“Love,” sang the Spirit Son
and mountains came.
More melody, and life
began to grow.
He sang of light, and Darkness
fled in shame / Before a universe / in embryo.Calvin Miller, The Singer
FOR ONLINE ONLY
We believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
begotten from the Father before all ages,
God from God,
Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made;
of the same essence as the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven;
he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary,
and was made human. – Nicea, 325 ADThere are many false teachings (or heresies) afloat in the Christian world, and virtually all of them fall under two categories: they weaken Jesus humanity, or they weaken Jesus divinity. When we weaken the divinity of Jesus, we make it difficult to believe he can help us or save us. When we weaken Jesus humanity, we make it difficult to believe he can walk alongside us, or that he can really empathize.
But the most common heresy in Christian circles is what we call Gnosticism or Docetism. Essentially this heresy denies that Jesus could really be enfleshed, because we assume that flesh is somehow lower than spirit. Therefore God, to remain pure, must maintain a safe distance from matter.
Can you think of a podcast or sermon you heard that made it seem like the world or the body is bad? Can you think of a religion that teaches that we must escape the world to be spiritual people?The first problem with docetism is the life of Jesus in the gospels. He enters the world as a baby, born of a human mother. In his life and work Jesus is radically present, and not afraid to be ‘polluted’ by matter or by sin. The second problem is the resurrection itself. The gospels and epistles are clear
that God loves creation and that Jesus resurrection is a physical one. Equally important, the goal of God’s work in the world is new creation.New creation is the direction of God’s work in the world. Jesus resurrection is physical because matter matters. God loves the world: he created it, and will restore it in every way. Our destiny is not a disembodied existence, but
new life in a new earth: life after life after death. This is why in Revelation the city descends from heaven, bringing heaven and earth together. And this is why Jesus himself descends to earth to rule.Jesus is the new Adam, and our destiny is a renewed world. As Paul puts it, “It doesn't matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation” (Gal. 6:15). It doesn’t matter if you are religious or non-religious – or what you have done in your life up to now. What matters is where you stand in relation to the Creator and Redeemer and in relation to his work in the world. The Spirit is transforming us into new creatures whose destiny is to be kings and priests in a renewed world (Rev. 5:1; Rev. 20:4-6).
Reflecting on John 20, Malcolm Guite writes,
He blesses every love which weeps and grieves
And now he blesses hers who stood and wept
And would not be consoled, or leave her love’s
Last touching place, but watched as low light crept
Up from the east. A sound behind her stirs
A scatter of bright birdsong through the air.
She turns, but cannot focus through her tears,
Or recognise the Gardener standing there.
She hardly hears his gentle question ‘Why,
Why are you weeping?’, or sees the play of light
That brightens as she chokes out her reply
‘They took my love away, my day is night’
And then she hears her name, she hears Love say
The Word that turns her night, and ours, to Day.XV Easter Dawn
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Jesus said,
“Everyone who drinks this water
will be thirsty again,
but those who drink the water I give them
will never thirst.
Indeed, the water I give them
will become in them
a spring of water
welling up to eternal life.”
The woman said to him,
“Sir, give me this water
so that I won’t get thirsty
and have to keep coming here to draw water.”
“A time is coming and has now come
when the true worshipers will worship the Father
in the Spirit and in truth,for such worshipers the Father seeks.
God is spirit,
and his worshipers must worship
in the Spirit and in truth.”
Questions for Reflection and DiscussionRead John 4:4-26
Religious Jews would not travel through Samaria, but always went around it. It was a place of unclean people: half Jews who had odd ideas about worship. Jesus chooses to go right through the middle. Why? Doesn’t he know this will ruin his witness? Do you ever choose to avoid people who are outside your comfort zone?
Religious Jews did not talk to women in public. And neither did they share utensils – it made them unclean. Jesus chooses to do both. And then hands her the pearls: he tells her the real meaning of worship. He reveals the heart of the new covenant to her and then declares his identity: “I AM,” the first of eight confessions like this in the Gospel that echo the Name of God in the Old Testament.Jesus asks for a drink. He comes as one who is needy. This may not seem very important to us, but a similar teaching in Luke 9 and Luke 10 “take nothing for the journey” tells us that there is a principle of witness here. When we come with the answers or with charity, we have a one-up position. What difference would it make for us as Jesus people if we came with needs instead of strengths?
Jesus points out her need (17-18). She responds by asking for a bible study (19-20). She dodged the confrontation – and Jesus lets her do it. Why?
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It’s not unusual for churches to be protective of their space, and competitive in their ways and means of doing things. The woman’s question reveals that she is well aware of where the right church is located: in Jerusalem. Jesus answer to her is, “None of that stuff matters!” Ouch.In Spirit and in Truth.
Do we worry too much about getting the forms right, the places right, and the labels right? (“I am of Menno, I am of Calvin... Sure, but I’m a charismatic.” “At least I’m not a Catholic.”)Jesus sends the woman (v. 16 “Go”) and so commissions the first non-Jewish preacher. Some churches are ok with women as missionaries, but not as preachers. Is it right to make that distinction? Can you justify your answer from Scripture?
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Do you remember what it was like when you first met your wife or husband? Can you recall looking forward to the wedding day?
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The movement of the Jesus story is toward a wedding feast - -the marriage of the Lamb in Rev 19-21 – and it’s a picture of intimacy.
And it starts way back in the Song of Songs – chapter one --
Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!
For your love is better than wine;
your anointing oils are fragrant;
your name is oil poured out;
therefore virgins love you.
Draw me after you; let us run.
The king has brought me into his chambers.
And 7.10I am my beloved's,
and his desire is for me.Rumi writes this --
I am filled with you.
Skin, blood, bone, brain and soul.
There's no room for lack of trust, or trust,
Nothing in this existence but that existence.
Have you ever imagined a relationship that close?***
Last week we saw the wedding theme in chapter 2 of John. But here it is again! Wait, let me show you.
In this story we have a woman, a well, and a reference to father Jacob. That’s intentional! It cues us to an older story from Genesis 24. And in
that story -- Abraham decides it’s time for his son to marry. So he sent his servant to go to the land of his birth, and among his relatives there, to find a good wife for Isaac. Not long after the servant enters the region, he stops by a well and he prays. Here’s what he says.“There are young women coming to this well to draw water.
I am going to ask for a drink. May it be that the one who offers to
water my camels, may she be the wife the Lord God would
choose for Isaac.”Even before he finishes his prayer, Rebekah arrives at the well, and the rest – as we say – is history. And it’s the same story in Exodus 2 with Moses.
But wait! Jesus isn’t looking for a bride, is he?? Just a FEW VERSES earlier, john the Baptist talked about Jesus as the Bridegroom, and himself as the FRIEND of the Bridegroom. John 3.29
What did he mean?
***
When the disciples return and find Jesus talking to a woman, they must ASSUME he is looking for a bride. In their minds that would be completely natural. But -- this woman CANNOT be the one! But Jesus is not looking for a perfect bride. He will make his bride perfect!
John 17.22 Jesus makes this incredible statement to the Father.
“The glory which you have given to me, I have given to THEM.”God has made US a glorious bride!
Listen:
Dan Fogelberg, “Longer Than” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Otn0ZQwrYXg
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GOING DEEPER – METRO 2024 Part II
On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee.
Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding.
3 When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him,
“They have no more wine.”11 What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him. John 2:1-3,11
Questions for Reflection and DiscussionThe entire Bible tells ONE story, and you can outline it in 3 lines –
CREATION
FALL
NEW CREATIONAnd this also tells you the movement of history. History has an end point.
If you keep this movement in mind when reading any one Bible story, it makes it easier to connect pieces of the puzzle. Cause – yeah – sometimes its puzzling!The story started in a garden, and it ends in paradise. God’s ORIGINAL intention for creation -- and mankind ruling IN creation – Gen 1.26 “let them rule…” was lost and God’s SOLUTION -- was to enter his own creation as one of us –
The WORD became FLESH
And by his life and death and resurrection – Jesus restores God’s original plan, and claims Lordship over ALL.AND – there’s a wedding coming (Rev 19) because in uniting us TO HIMSELF – God takes a bride. See where I’m going with this? The second BIG picture John gives us in his gospel, is a wedding feast. It was Jesus first act of power as Messiah, and it’s a small and very personal picture of something MUCH bigger that God is up to.
And isn’t that always the way with God? Our big God likes to get up close and personal, and in Jesus that’s the plan.
***
Read John 2:1-11, then read Ephesians 1:1-12. We are connecting to a bigger story. What else do we learn about God’s plan for salvation?
***
A wedding celebration in Jesus’ time lasted 7 days. Can you see how running out of wine could be a problem? There was no LCBO on the corner. But there’s more going on here. Wine in Israel was also a metaphor for renewal and transformation. It’s not just the wedding that’s out of wine, it’s the whole nation who are out of wine.
What about your story? Are there times when you hit the wall and don’t know where to turn? Maybe it’s in your work, or your family. In these times we learn how to pray. But this is hard to do alone. Do you have friends you can call in those times? What needs to change in your life to make this connection with Jesus more real?
“I will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is steadfast on me.” Isa 26.3
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Read 2 Kings 4:1-7
A story in the OT is echoed in this wedding at Cana. A woman has become a widow and she has no way to meet the needs of her family.
She has served Elijah the prophet over the years, so she goes to him and asks for help. Here’s what he says to her –
“Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars.
Don’t ask for just a few.
Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons.
Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.”I love this story because it is so counter-intuitive. What does the widow do? She gathers a lot of jars. And look what God has to work with – nothing. LOTS of nothing. Just emptiness.
Maybe sometimes the reason God CAN’T work is that we bring too much with us. Too much intellect. Too much strategy. Sure, we also pray, but if things work out --who gets the glory?
The cup is so full, there is no room for God.
It’s the Jesus story – Philippians 2 – “he emptied himself.”
How do you relate personally to the story of emptiness? Some prefer the word ‘surrender.’ Can you recall a time when you had to rely on only God? Do you know what it is to surrender?
Epiphany at CanaHere’s an epiphany to have and hold,
A truth that you can taste upon the tongue,
No distant shrines and canopies of gold
Or ladders to be clambered rung by rung,
But here and now, amidst your daily living,
Where you can taste and touch and feel and see,
The spring of love, the fount of all forgiving,
Flows when you need it, rich, abundant, free.Better than waters of some outer weeping,
That leave you still with all your hidden sin,
Here is a vintage richer for the keeping
That works its transformation from within.
‘What price?’ you ask me, as we raise the glass,
‘It cost our Saviour everything he has.’Malcolm Guite
Jeremiah, the prophet of the exile, shares a promise in chapter 31.
They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion;
they will rejoice in the bounty of the LORD--
the grain, the new wine and the olive oil,
the young of the flocks and herds.
They will be like a well-watered garden,
and they will sorrow no more.New wine is OFTEN a metaphor for the Spirit. And in Jeremiah’s case -- it’s connected with the promise of the Kingdom – of abundance, peace, and joy. It’s this BIG bible word “shalom.”
When Jesus creates wine from water he is not only revealing his own glory, he is bringing shalom to this family. To run out of wine at a wedding is to invite shame. Jesus is taking away their shame. But he is also pointing to a much BIGGER party that is yet to come, when he restores all things, and even heals the distance between people. God will wipe away our shame and our tears and welcome EVERYONE to the banquet: jew and gentile, rich and poor, religious and non-religious.
If God is so full of hospitality, we should be too. In what way do you offer a safe space for others, even if they are different from you?
Where in your life do you need restoration? Or where is there a broken relationship that God wants to heal? Ask him about that now and ask him to show you the first steps. God will pour new wine into your life as you allow him to heal you.
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GOING DEEPER – METRO 2024 Part I
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning
with God. All things were made through Him,
and without Him nothing was made
that was made.In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
And the light shines in the darkness, and the
darkness did not comprehend it.The Word became flesh and blood,
and moved into the neighborhood.
We saw the glory with our own eyes,
the one-of-a-kind glory,
like Father, like Son,
Generous inside and out,
true from start to finish.Questions for Reflection and Discussion
John 1 in the fourth gospel seems like a great place to begin reflecting on the life of Jesus. John is the gospel that is most often recommended for new believers. Curiously perhaps – because it starts out with this very poetic and theologically rich reflection.
John took a current concept in Greek philosophy, and used it to tell us something about the uniqueness of Jesus. It’s interesting also that he did it in poetic form, because ‘poetry is the language of what it is not possible to say.’
I love Peterson's translation of John1:14, "The word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighbourhood." Why do you think Peterson chose this way to express the life of Jesus?
***
Have you ever read Genesis 1 - then John 1 - and compared them?
Give it a try. What do you see? What surprises you?***
If the Bible was a film, Genesis 1 is black and white and 16mm, and John 1 is IMAX. Same story but a stunning new format, and a big Reveal. In Genesis it’s the Spirt at work; in John it’s the Word and Spirit. The Father has two hands to work in the world, as an ancient writer put it.
***
In the Greek world of the first century, spirit was considered superior to matter - on a higher plane of existence. So when Greeks heard the claim that God took flesh, they had a hard time believing. Eventually someone came up with the idea that Jesus only "appeared" to be in a human body. This idea was quickly identified by the church as heresy.
Do we sometimes agree with the Greeks that flesh and spirit can't really mix? How about our attitudes to sexuality? Does Jesus still exist in a human body? What evidence can you find in the New Testament for your answers?
***
Verse 16 appears to contrast law and grace, but -- there is no “but” in the Greek text. Do you think the writer here intends a contrast – or something different? Why?
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Read Matthew 1:1-17. Jesus has a genealogy! Contrast and compare John 1 and Matthew 1. John was concerned that Jesus be understood to be nothing less than divine. Matthew was concerned that Jesus be understood to be nothing less than human. Do you relate more to one than the other? Why are both of these realities important in our experience as Jesus followers?
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As a student of theology, I want to argue that John chapter 1 is not only a parallel and illumination of Genesis 1, I also want to argue that John 1 is our introduction to the Trinity. That’s the metaphor we use to talk about the revelation of God as three persons in one divine Reality. As one of the old Creeds put it,
Now this is the true faith:
That we worship one God in trinity and the trinity in unity,
neither confusing their persons
nor dividing their substance.In the very first chapter of John’s gospel, we see the activity of Father, Son and Spirit. God has revealed himself to us in this threeness. One of the best pictures of this reality was offered by Paul Young in his book The Shack. Have you read it? Christianity is the only faith that makes this claim that to know God is to know God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Of all the Christian movements, the Celts were the ones who constantly expressed the movement of the Trinity in their prayers, like this one:
May the God of peace
bring peace to this house.
May the Son of peace
bring peace to this house.
May the Spirit of peace
bring peace to this house,
this night and all nightsAnd this one:
I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
of the Creator of creation.
I arise today
Through the strength of Christ's birth with His baptism,
Through the strength of His crucifixion with His burial,
Through the strength of His resurrection with His ascension,
Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom.
I arise today
Through the strength of the love of cherubim,
In the obedience of angels,
In the service of archangels,
In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In the prayers of patriarchs,
In the predictions of prophets,
In the preaching of apostles,
In the faith of confessors,
In the innocence of holy virgins,
In the deeds of righteous men.Read the entire prayer here – or check out Steve Bell’s beautiful rendition of the prayer -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhdhrYeh6PM
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Can you think of other single chapters in the New Testament that, like John 1, offer in one chapter or in a few verses a picture of the Trinity at work? If you include the epistles of Paul, there are at least two other occasions.