John 01

Theme: light/darkness; salvation/sin

In chapter 1, I noticed a term, "know", and its synonyms appearing for several times. It guides me to catch the main message of Gospel John, which was indicated in chapter 20: 

But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (Joh 20.31)

In other words, the main message of Gospel John is to lead people to know who Jesus is and by this true knowing to be saved.

So, who is Jesus? According to 1.14, we know that he is not human being, but God's son. But why did Jesus come to this world? In 1.29 we know that, he came, as God's lamb, for taking away the sin of the world. So, what does it mean the sin of the world? As in 1.1-5, refering to the creation of the world in Genesis 1.1-4, we can say that the creation is basd on the principle of the division of light and darkness. God divided the world from the darkness to become under his domination and to be good. But since Adam and Eve violated the alliance with God, the world fell into the power of darkness and was not able to understand light anymore, although it was once made by the light.

The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. (Joh1.5)

He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognise him. (Joh 1.10)

So it's human's sin. As what Romans said, all man lost God's glory(Rom3.23), and only by being redeemed into light again, we can leave the power of darkness and understand light again.

For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (Col 1.13-14)

But how is it possible to know God if every human under darkness cannot recognize Him? That's just the reason why Jesus came. He came, for manifesting God and for making God be known.

18 No-one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known. 

So, in this chpater, the leading questions of this book that who Jesus is and why he came are addressed. With the following chapters, we can carry on this reflection.