John 1:(1-9), 10-18 (NRSV)
Read John 1:(1-9), 10-18 on biblegateway.com
Chapter 1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Verse 2He was in the beginning with God. Verse 3All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being Verse 4in him was life, and the life was the light of all people.
Verse 5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. Verse 6There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. Verse 7He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. Verse 8He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. Verse 9The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. Verse 10He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. Verse 11He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. Verse 12But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, Verse 13who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. Verse 14And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth.
Verse 15(John testified to him and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.'") Verse 16From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. Verse 17The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. Verse 18No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart, who has made him known.
Devotion
John’s Gospel invites us into the great mystery of the Incarnation. What is incarnation? Webster’s Dictionary defines it as a “concrete or actual form of a quality or a concept.” John uses the term “Word” to get at the concept, yet goes farther, claiming Jesus was God, before all things, with God, and so making all the concepts become real. Then, even more mysteriously, the Word came into the real world, joining the fleshly reality of a human person, Jesus. Yesterday we wrote that John has given us layer upon layer of mystery to unfold. It’s a lot to figure out, particularly the “Is this for me?” part. Yes, the Word in Jesus is for you. And it doesn’t cost, it is grace, a gift. And Jesus only asks that you trust the gift, not so you can only obtain and hoard it, but so you can be enlightened by it. So the darkness can be scattered by it. So that you may have life in it.
Prayer
Incarnate Word, make us a witness to your light. Overcome the darkness around us and let your life mysteriously grow and unfold in us and through us, so that the Father’s heart may be known. Amen.
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