John begins his book with a beautiful statement of the glory of Jesus. In it, he says: (1) Jesus is God, the creator of the universe, pre-existing creation, giving us a glimpse of the Trinity. (2) Jesus is the Logos of the universe. Some Greeks believed that there was a logos, a reason or a principle behind the world, and they were looking for it in an impersonal principle or idea; but John says the logos is not an idea or a principle but a person. And so, the meaning of our life is not about following a principle or an idea or a set of laws, but loving and having a relationship with a person. (3) In Jesus is Life. Our life does not come from things, success, money, respect, or even family; it comes from Jesus, who alone is the giver of life. We must seek Jesus for Jesus, not to get something else we think will give us life.

John also tells us that people rejected Jesus. Some rejected Jesus because they didn’t understand the truth; they didn’t even believe that there was such a thing as truth. Many have a strong sense of morality even though they claim not to believe in absolute truth. Their attitudes and actions are not consistent with their professed beliefs. Some rejected Jesus because they didn’t recognize him. We invite you to a journey of getting to know Jesus as we dig into John together.

How did God respond? (1) John tells us that those who received Jesus were given the right to become children of God. (2) John tells us that the Logos became flesh and made his dwelling among us.