“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” — John 1:1-5
Some of the most powerful words in Scripture come at the beginning of each book. Genesis gives us the eloquent account of how God created the world, and it starts with the famous words, “In the beginning…” (Genesis 1:1).
The Apostle John, who walked with Jesus, borrows from this imagery and launches his gospel account of Jesus by reminding us that in the beginning, not only was there God, but Jesus was present too. John gives us two specific descriptions of Jesus in his intro. First, Jesus is the Word of God. We use words to communicate, and John very specifically reminds his readers that Jesus was God’s chief way of communicating His love to humanity.
The second description of Jesus is that His life is the light that illuminates God’s presence in the world. In the beginning (Genesis) there was nothing. There was darkness, but as soon as God’s presence burst forth, light came on the scene and everything has been different ever since.
Light chases away the darkness. Darkness and light cannot coexist in the same place. You either have light or you have dark. Even the smallest of lights can bring life to a room. Our lives are no different. It is no secret that there is darkness in this world and that darkness can seem overwhelming, but just as God burst through the darkness in creation, the light of Jesus is able to light up the darkest of hearts and the darkest of circumstances, and bring light and life to places that desperately need it.
— Reza Zadeh, Denver Broncos chaplain
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