In the beginning…

As John opens his Gospel, it’s important for us to note his reason for writing. He tells us in 20:31, that everything he writes, he writes in order to prove to us that Jesus is God in human flesh, and when we believe that, then we can come to saving faith.

With that in mind, the most logical place to start is at the very beginning of everything. As John begins his quest, we see that in the beginning Jesus is the one who created everything. The universe, our lives, our salvation—all were created and conceived by Jesus.

Then, as if that wasn’t enough, in the most surprising move of all, John says Jesus entered into His creation, becoming a living, breathing human and walking among us (1:14). Please don’t miss this: Jesus became flesh and moved into the neighborhood He created. He played ball down the street with someone’s kids. He went to school and got hungry. He scratched up His knees and cried for His mother. He grew up and got a job. He had a real-life, human experience.

Why would He do such a thing? This is the question that John sets out to answer. At a wedding, in a late-night debate, beside the drinking fountain, at the local hospital, with a downtrodden woman, at the funeral of a friend and in other situations — John shows us who God is. All along, Jesus risks us misunderstanding Him in order that He might initiate a relationship with us. He doesn’t initiate a relationship with us because we are worth it — He initiates a relationship with us to give us a life worth living.

As you go about your day, think about that. The God who created everything you see, desires to have a relationship with you. In light of all that Jesus has done, how should we live in response to that?