ADVENT: INCARNATION: A PARALLEL ACT TO CREATION, John 1:4-5

John’s prologue to his gospel of Jesus (1:1-5) is set within the theological context of Genesis 1, “In the beginning” (1:1).  That context is important for understanding John.  (See “Advent: And the Word Was God?” 11/30/25.)  John’s narrative proper begins at v. 6 with the introduction of John the Baptist with his announcement of the Incarnation at v 14, when God’s Utterance (the Logos/Word) became flesh.  I have been thinking about 1:4-5 in this prologue:

“In Him [referring back to the Utterance] was Life and the Life was the Light of all people.  And the Light in the darkness shines, and the darkness did not overcome it.”

It strikes me that with the Utterance becoming flesh a parallel act of creation to that of Genesis 1 has taken place.

Proper context
To explain, I have to set to one side a popular doctrine, that of creation ex nihilo (out of nothing).  It was important to the early Church Fathers to espouse creation ex nihilo in order to counter a couple of popular notions of their day, that the cosmos was eternal and that there had always been opposing forces of good and bad or spirit and matter.  They needed to teach, rightly, about God as the Creator who was sovereign.  However, that teaching is not found in the narrative of Genesis 1 and should not be read into it.
    Genesis 1 begins with the same starting point as the earlier ancient Near Eastern creation accounts of the Israelites’ culture, accounts which the biblical writers adopted and then adapted to speak the truth about God and reality.  Those accounts start with the reality that all humans face, chaos that constantly seeks to overpower life.  Illustration: before one can farm land, one must bring order into the physical chaos of the land; and, once one has planted a crop, one constantly has to fight the forces of chaos that would consume the garden.  Survival is a struggle against physical forces of chaos as a well moral chaos.  
    Genesis 1 begins with three elements that are contra life: a topsy-turvy “earth,” that is encased in a watery deep and surrounded in utter darkness (Gen 1:2).  However, God speaks, and the Spirit that breaths out the Utterance of God, speaks light into darkness, order into the chaotic watery deep and topsy-turvy earth, and brings forth life. This is what John is thinking about. 

Application
John is thinking about Jesus as the God’s Utterance by which all things came into being (1:3).  But as John is thinking about how the Utterance (logos) became flesh (1:14), he is recognizing in verse 4-5 how that Utterance will/does function as the Life who is the Light of all people (see, too v. 9).  In other words, it seems to me that John is thinking of the Incarnation as a parallel creational act of God.
    The reality of life as we face it is full of chaos and darkness, physical and moral, just as the “world” was before God began to speak light, order, and life into that chaos in Genesis 1.  In this new beginning work of God, the Incarnation, the Utterance of God became flesh and dwelt with us bringing light, order, and life into our existence which constantly struggles with that which is contra life.  Jesus is this Light, and the forces of chaos, darkness, and death cannot overcome the Light.  Rather, the Light exposes all that is of darkness and done in darkness so that people do not have to walk in darkness (e.g. 8:12).  The Light offers eternal life to those who receive Jesus and entrust themselves (“believe into”) Jesus (1:12).  The Utterance become flesh parallels the work of God in Genesis 1.

Lord, before surrendering to Jesus, I walked in darkness.  Darkness, chaos, and sin still envelop my world, yet by the Light you guide me.  Darkness cannot overcome your Light.  Help me to always desire to stay in the Light.  Amen.

 

 

 

THE SELF-TESTIMONY OF LIGHT

When I have doubts about God, I talk to Jesus.

Every rational argument for the existence of God can be countered.  The so-called rational proofs for God basically make the same point: rather than infinite regression (e.g. causally), there “must be” an ending/starting point.  “Could be” is more accurate.  The bottom line is that belief in a divine origin/foundation is just as compelling as an atheistic acceptance of infinite regression.
            My feeling-level experiences of God’s Presence are also not compelling.  They could be neurological aberrations.  There are also evolutionary psychological explanations for feeling awe when thinking (correctly or not) about someone dominant in life’s hierarchy and a desire to find security in them.
            When my thoughts go it this direction, one thing I do is recall the bedrock of too many “coincidences” of prayer.  Better still, I talk to Jesus.  Why?  On the surface, that does not seem reasonable.  I know.
            Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. The one who follows [ongoing action] me will never [emphatic negative] walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" (Jn. 8:12). The author of the Gospel of John testifies that in Jesus, the Word, is life that is the light to all people and that the “darkness” cannot overcome it (John 1:4-5).
            I cannot explain it, but that is my testimony, too.  Once I said to Jesus, “I’m ruining my own life.  I’m giving myself to you,” there has been “light” in my life.  Jesus said that the Spirit would convict/expose to light (elencho) the world about sin, righteousness and judgment (John 16:8-11).  Since that day of commitment, I see my own sins more clearly.  I see more clearly what is righteous.  I know that the darkness in me and the world has been condemned.  There is order and life in the midst of chaos and darkness.
            Beliefs about “God” are one thing.  Jesus is personal.  So, I talk to Jesus.

Jesus, my Lord.  I love you.  Thank you for always being there.  Keep shining in my dark places. Amen.

CHRISTIAN RIGHTS?

In my current culture, many people calling themselves “Evangelical Christians” are grasping for power and exaltation in the form of political control through secular, civil authorities.  They demand that the civil authorities protect “their rights.”  On the civil side, it sometimes appears they want to elevate themselves over the constitutional rights of those with different beliefs.  On the biblical side, there is no manifesto of Christian “rights.”  (Such behavior, of course, is the opposite of the nature of the Kingdom of God.)

Jesus’ response to civil authorities was, as Philip explains to the Ethiopian, to be “led like a sheep to the slaughter…in humiliation he was deprived of justice” (Act 8:31-34, quoting Isa 53:7-8).  Jesus refused to rely on his own access to divine power to protect his rights: “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?” (Mat 26:53 NIV).

This same Jesus proclaims that “blessed” (makarios¹) people are “the poor in spirit… those who mourn… the meek (praus²)… those who hunger and thirst for righteousness… the merciful… the pure in heart… the peacemakers… and the persecuted” (Matt 5:1-12).  Such people are the opposite of the worldly powerful and exalted.

Jesus describes the Beatitude people further as “salt” and “light” (Matt 5:13-16).  Both salt and light work their wonders of preserving and illuminating without force, without taking control, but by being who they are called to be.  Salt and light serve for the good of others.  When Jesus’ people act as salt and light, they produce “good deeds” that result in people praising God (vs 16).

Lord Jesus, I give any “rights” that I think I might have to you.  Help motivate me to serve people by being salt and light to them.  Amen.
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1.  I have a hypothesis that I sometime want to explore about makarios.  The Greek is a translation of the Hebrew ʾshry, both of which are translated as either “blessed” or “happy.”  But the Hebrew term seems to come from the word ʾshr which can have the sense of “going straight,” is used frequently in wisdom sayings, and where the verb form is found in Pro 9:6 is about going in the way of understanding.  My hypothesis is that both the Hebrew and Greek have the sense of “going in the right (godly) way.”
2.  Important to this point is the term for “meek” (praus) in Matt 5:5, “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”  Too many Christian Internet sites want to claim, without citing support, that that “meek” is a quality of a strong, mighty, warhorse that is under control.  (See the discussion debunking this notion by Marg Mowczko, “The Greek Word 'Praus' and Meek Warhorses” at https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/1176/pg1176-images.html)  The sense if the term is “gentle/mild.”  Moreover, Jesus appears to be quoting Psalm 37:11, “But the meek (Hebrew ʽnw) will inherit the land” (NIV).  The Hebrew equivalent for Greek praus-related words are words that come from the Hebrew root ‘nh, the action of bowing down.  The noun form in Ps 37:11 carries the notion of being humble.  A related noun ‘ny in Zech 9:9 describes the Messiah: "... See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly (‘ny) and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey" (NIV).  If, as it seems likely, Greek praus is being used for Hebrew ‘nw by Jewish NT authors, then the idea of meekness describes someone who is humble/lowly before God and others.  As with the rest of the Beatitude qualities, it is contrary to exalting oneself over others.

BEING WHO I WAS CREATED TO BE: LIGHT

I know that I have written on this topic before.  I am repeating myself because I am the one who needs frequent reminders.  Being God's Light is a theme that has come in up in recent meditations by Richard Rohr.¹  Today’s statement that penetrated to my heart was,

And if we think of our homes as the place where our light shines, we are more likely to be patient with the children or with those whose minds have reverted to childhood; we are more likely to find that light within ourselves as we go through the day.²

My first thought turned to friends who are dealing with spouses with dementia.  I admire their model of faithfulness to Jesus that is revealed in their faithfulness to their spouses.  Their witness challenges me – I have a healthy wife – to be salt and light in all my contexts: wife and extended family down to my wonderful grand-children, friends, colleagues, and simply those whom I encounter in daily activities.  (I don’t know which context is harder for me: the company of closest family or passing strangers?)

The Christmas season is about how Light came into the world and how that Light remains and is meant to shine in and through those who call on Jesus (John 1:1-9).  When someone is trapped in darkness, they will – unless considerably hardened of heart – be drawn to light.  Light penetrates the chaos of darkness.  Light encourages people to move forward.  Light shows people where to step.  Light promises a better life.  God’s Light is Life.

The question, then, that I face daily is: Does my life offer this Light to others?

Lord, keep me close to you so that your Light might shine in and through me.  I do not want to contribute to the darkness in this world.  I want to be part of the Light.  Amen.
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1.  Richard Rohr's Daily Meditations (on line).
2.  https://cac.org/daily-meditations/being-a-light-for-others/