The Book of John: Come and See

Sunday we continue our series in the gospel of John by considering the prologue, John 1:1-18. While this passage is packed full of theological truths that deserve to be unpacked, when preaching a narrative we need to examine sections in their entirety to capture the message of the author. This week we consider John’s conclusion of Jesus’ ministry, saying, “No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.” (John 1:18) This summarizes Jesus’ ministry for John’s purpose in writing, which I’ve summarized as “Come and see what the Father has provided for you in Jesus. Receive Jesus.”

John’s big idea in this section is that Jesus is not just divine, but deity, God in the flesh, revealing God to humanity. In addition, he grants to all who believe the right to be called the children of God. Since John’s audience is predominantly Jewish, the book has many Old Testament allusions, like Moses. This week, the invitation is to come and see the second person of the Trinity who is the incarnate revelation of God.

Our world has selectively accepted the teaching of Jesus, concluding that he was a good man with some good ideas, like “love others.” John insists he is the Son of God, bringing the light of revelation and granting life to all who believe. Before we come and see what God has revealed, we need to understand the person doing the revealing. Jesus is God!