John 1: In The Beginning....

......of John's gospel, there is no genealogy, no shepherds, no dumbstruck priest, no virgin magnifying the Lord.

Not even close.

In the very first verse John announces that Jesus (although not named as such until vs. 17) is God, was with God in the beginning, and was the conduit through which God created everything.

Wow. Jesus really IS the Beginning and the End.

The synoptic gospels place Jesus as the key player in the drama of human history. He is the hero who defeats the bad guy and gets the girl. John agrees with all this but also places him before human history even begins, as its co-producer, writer and director.

The synoptic gospels continually discuss the identity of Jesus. So does John but unlike M, M & L he leads with 18 glorious verses that drive a theological stake into the ground about the breathtaking identity of his beloved friend:

1. God from the beginning
2. With God and equal to Him
3. Co-creator with God
4. Light unquenchable to all people
5. Life eternal to all people
6. Enabler of our adoption as children of God
7. Grace-giver
8. Blessing-giver
9. Truth-teller
10. God in the flesh - when you've seen Jesus, you've seen God

No matter that John leaves some mysteries wrapped and dwells less on narrative and historical detail than, say, Luke. Reading John I learn most deeply Who Jesus is. May I find, as John did, light and life and the blessings of His gracious adoption.