In the Beginning Was the Word

In one paragraph

The pastor opened Advent by walking the congregation through the prologue of John's Gospel, the first eighteen verses, as a way into the Christmas story. He traced how those verses frame everything that follows: who Jesus is, where he came from, and what it means that he entered the world in human flesh. John's Gospel, the pastor noted, is short enough to read in a sitting but starts with eighteen...

Read together

1. Psalm 95 opening call to worship, quoted partially: 'come, let us sing for joy to the Lord, let's come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song'
2. 2 Thessalonians 3:16 advent reading: 'now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way'
3. Luke 2:32 quoted during offering: Simeon prophesying Jesus as 'a light to reveal God to the nations and the glory of the people'
4. John 1:1 the Word was in the beginning with God and was God, contrasted with Genesis 1:1
5. Genesis 1:1 compared to John 1:1 as both beginning with creation, but John pointing to before creation
6. John 1:4-5 in Jesus was life, and the life was the light of all mankind, and the darkness did not grasp it
7. John 1:6-8 John the Baptist sent from God as a witness to testify about the Light so all might believe
8. John 1:9 the true Light coming into the world enlightens every person
9. John 1:10-11 the world came into being through Him yet did not know Him; He came to His own and His own did not accept Him
10. John 1:12-13 as many as received Him were given the right to become children of God, born not of blood or flesh but of God
11. John 1:14 the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth, glory as of the only Son from the Father
12. John 1:15 John the Baptist testifying that the one coming after him existed before him
13. John 1:16 of His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace
14. John 1:17 the law was given through Moses but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ
15. John 1:18 no one has seen God at any time; the only Son has explained Him
16. John 7 Jesus speaking plainly to Pharisees and scribes about himself
17. John 8 Jesus telling Pharisees they would die in their sins unless they believed 'I am'; incident of woman caught in adultery; 'before Abraham was, I am'
18. John 14:6 used as benediction: 'I am the way and the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me'
19. John 20:31 John states he wrote so that readers may believe and believing have life in His name
20. John 3 Nicodemus coming to Jesus at night; 'you must be born again'; 'whoever believes'
21. John 4 woman at the well, belief as central theme
22. Malachi referenced regarding John the Baptist turning hearts of fathers to children and children to fathers
23. Hebrews cited twice: Jesus as the exact representation of God

Talk about it

1. Pastor Aaron described the prologue of John's Gospel as transcendent but said it becomes more accessible as we get to know Jesus in an immediate, personal way. Has there been a moment in your own life when something that once seemed too hard to grasp about who Jesus is suddenly became clearer? What changed for you?
2. John the Apostle tells us he wrote his Gospel 'so that you may believe, and believing have life in his name.' Pastor Aaron said belief and receiving Jesus are the same thing, not a checklist of do's and don'ts but simply trusting Him. What does trusting Jesus actually look like in the ordinary decisions of a regular week?
3. Pastor Aaron pointed out that Jesus came to His own people and His own people did not accept Him, yet to as many as did receive Him He gave the right to become children of God. What do you think makes it hard for people, even people who are familiar with the Bible, to move from knowing about Jesus to actually receiving Him?
4. Pastor Aaron shared three stories of people whose lives were turned around simply by reading the Gospel of John. What do those stories suggest about how we might come alongside someone who is searching or struggling, without feeling like we have to have all the answers ourselves?
5. Pastor Aaron said the word became flesh and 'tabernacled' among us, meaning God chose to pitch His tent with ordinary people in ordinary life. What difference does it make to you personally that God did not stay at a distance but entered into the mess of human experience?