Day 2 - Thursday, Feb. 27 The Prologue DAILY READING - John 1:1-18 John 1:1 says, “In the was the , and the was with God and the was God.” (NIV) What existed before the beginning? Turn to Genesis 1:1. What are the first words of Genesis? What statement is John making by using the same language as Genesis 1:1? In the original Greek text, “Word” is Λόγος or Logos. Logos means word and it also means message. How might both definitions give us insight into how John opens his Gospel? By capitalizing Λόγος, John is making a particular statement. John wants his readers to know that Jesus is the embodied Word, an “in-fleshing” of God’s Word (Carson). Jesus IS the Word, proclaiming the message or Word. Jesus is the human flesh existence of God and the human flesh proclamation of God (NIV, p64). John 1:1 has many levels of meaning. John wants us to know at the outset that: Jesus existed before the beginning. Jesus was with God. Jesus was God. Look at Genesis 1:1 again. Knowing what John tells us about Jesus, what can we say about God and Jesus in Creation? What does this say about the nature of God and Jesus? Let’s continue in John to find some answers. John 1:3 says, “Through all things were made; without nothing was made.” John is referring to Jesus. Jesus is Creator with God. Using this information, can we then say that God and Jesus are the same? Can we say they are of one substance, one nature? Use verses 14 and 18 to further describe the nature of Jesus and God: Christ as the Incarnation is an important concept that John wants us to understand. Christ as Incarnation, God and flesh as one substance, is important because it tells us more about the nature of God. Why do you think the Incarnation is important to us as followers of Christ (verse 18 might help you think about your answer)? John continues with additional important descriptions of Jesus that are major themes throughout the Gospel. Verses 4 and 5 tell us Jesus is and . Verse 17 says and came through Jesus Christ. Using all of what John writes about who Jesus is in this first portion, or pericope, of Scripture, who is Jesus to humanity? What does Jesus want to do for you? How do you understand Jesus differently after today’s reading?