October 6, 1985
Was Jesus of Nazareth merely a wise moralist? In the prologue to his Gospel, John decisively illustrates that Jesus was not simply a teacher, a prophet, or a good man; He was God made man, the eternal one who holds the universe together, walking among us. As Alistair Begg explains, Christ’s identity is the central mystery of Christianity. It is our job as Christians to preach this mystery and carry the light of Christ to a world lost in the dark.
1aIn the beginning was bthe Word, and cthe Word was with God, and dthe Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3eAll things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4fIn him was life,1 and gthe life was the light of men. 5hThe light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6There was a man isent from God, whose name was jJohn. 7He came as a kwitness, to bear witness about the light, lthat all might believe through him. 8mHe was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
9nThe true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet othe world did not know him. 11He came to phis own,2 and qhis own people3 rdid not receive him. 12But to all who did receive him, swho believed in his name, the gave the right uto become vchildren of God, 13who wwere born, xnot of blood ynor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
14And zthe Word abecame flesh and bdwelt among us, cand we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son4 from the Father, full of dgrace and etruth. 15(fJohn bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, g‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) 16For from hhis fullness we have all received, igrace upon grace.5 17For jthe law was given through Moses; kgrace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18lNo one has ever seen God; mthe only God,6 who is at the Father's side,7 nhe has made him known.
Copyright © 2024, Alistair Begg. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language.