This Is Love

John begins his gospel with a prologue in which he sets out the context for what he is intending to say about Jesus. And what he says is about as outrageous as anything anyone has ever said about anything, or anyone, anywhere.

John 1:1,3-4 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.... 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men....

The first three words, In the beginning, take us back immediately to the initial words of the Bible itself, In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. So we know, right off the top, that John is intending to say something that has implications for everything the Bible has been about so far. And if we’ve read the beginning verses of the Bible we know that God created by speaking. – “And God said” is repeated nine times in the first chapter. – But John is saying something new, and very surprising; that this Word is not just an utterance, but God himself, and that this Word of God, that is God, was not just the creator of everything in the beginning, but is the source of life and enlightenment for every individual, everywhere, always.

9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.

10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.

Now this is both startling and perfectly obvious to anyone who’s been paying attention. The one who created the universe, and who gives life and light to everyone, is not really recognized by anyone. Some don’t believe in God, but, even for those of us who do, such a being is far beyond our comprehension. We may acknowledge that this infinite being must exist, but how do we really receive or relate to one who is so utterly other? So John begins his story by telling us that this God is coming into his world in a new way.

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

As outrageous as it may seem, this is who Jesus is, as far as John is concerned. He is the Word that is God, coming forth from God, creating and sustaining everything, giving life and light to everyone who has life and light, and now stepping into creation in the ultimate act of intimacy. He is God taking on flesh and, as Shakespeare said, “the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to”. John’s gospel is the story of God taking on flesh (THE INCARNATION) and how it all works out.

“Daddy”, cried a little voice from the nursery down the hall, “I can’t sleep and I’m scared of the dark.”

“Just say your prayers and God will take care of you”, his daddy called back.

“I said my prayers, and it didn’t help”, the little fellow explained.

“But God loves you", his father responded, "and always takes care of you.”

A few moments passed, and then the little voice cried out again, “I know, but I need someone with skin on.”

We know he’s there and yet we wait for him. He gives us life and light, and still we long for him. He is everywhere and, even so, we look for him; in everything and, nonetheless, we search for him. We strain to hear his footfall in the garden, and peer into the darkness to catch a glimpse of him.

What are we waiting for, longing for, looking, listening, watching for? It is THE INCARNATION; God in Jesus and in one another, with skin on. This is love.

1 John 3:16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers [and sisters of course].