Read John 1:1-5
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning.
3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. (NIV)
Our youth are going to be looking at the Gospel of John in their Sunday School, so I thought it would be good to also look at the Gospel of John. This will take us the first half of the year.
John is the one Gospel that is noticeably different. The other three are very similar in format and story that they are referred to as the synoptic gospels. Some say John is the crown of the Scriptures in that it is simple and yet most profound. I like the way one writer put it. “History and interpretation, biography and theology, are blended in such a way that the reader, seeing the Jesus of history, yet sees him in the light of Christian experience.”
The purpose is stated at the end of the Gospel, “That you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and that believing, you may have life in his name.” We also see that this Gospel is more doctrinal than ethical.
While the Gospel is really and anonymously written Gospel as the writer never mentions his name, many have come to believe it was written by John, the apostle. But there are many who believe it might have been written by a disciple of John or that it might have been written in pieces over time and later put together in one scroll. Some believe that this is how some of Paul’s works, such as Hebrews was put together – that after his death, his disciples gathered up fragments of Paul’s writing and put it into a single writing. But what we can know is that it was one of the latest pieces of Scripture written. This would explain why some things might have been left out. Matthew, Mark and Luke would have been known by many Christians at its writing. And Paul’s letters would have been even more known.
At this later date of writing, the church was dealing with controversy, especially from a Gnostic belief that Christ was never human, but only spirit. John seems to confront this Gnostic attack on the faith. Much of the imagery used by John does this.
There are things we will see that are in John alone and our faith would be amiss without this Gospel. I hope that you enjoy reading through the Gospel. It is always helpful if you make some sort of comment as that is the only feedback I get that it is even being seen.
As you think about the Gospel of John, what are the events leading up to your believing that Jesus is the Christ? Do you share your story and how often do you share it?
Blessings and Peace
Pastor Harry
Thank you for undertaking this study of John!
Hi Harry and Marilyn, I’ll be following along on this study. Thanks for doing it. One of my favorite scriptures is/was “and the darkness comprehended it not” KJV. I always thought that was the only interpretation and I liked how John said it. Then in other translations from the Greek they say “and the darkness has not overcome it.” (NIV) What say you?
The Greek word that is translated “comprehended” or “overcome” is “katalambano” which means to take eagerly or to possess. It is the same word used to describe the woman who was “taken” in the act of adultery and brought to Jesus to decide what to do with her. So in John’s poetic beginning, he is saying that the darkness of the world could not either comprehend nor seize this light. So you see the trouble with trying to translate it into English. There are times the word is used for “understanding” and there are time the word is used for “taking hold of.” I think that is why John chose this word to speak to the power of this light that came into the world. It was a power that darkness cannot and will not overcome. Isaiah would write to the people who had just returned to Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile and seeing all that was destroyed, “Arise, shine, for your light has come.” Isaiah was reminding them that while it might look bleak and dark, they have a light that will overcome the bad.