John 1:1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Welcome to our Advent journey! The first day of uncovering the foil wrapped chocolate in the Advent calendar, the first lighting of the candle, the first hearing of Slade and Wizzard’s hits in the shops. But at the start of December, we must begin at the beginning...
Although the first chapter of John’s Gospel might be three quarters of the way through the Bible, it takes us right back to the beginning again. You know, sometimes we need to go back to see how far we’ve come and John’s first three words in this introduction to the rest of John takes us right back - back to Genesis 1. And then this verse takes us back to even before creation itself!
So what was there before the beginning? Or rather who was there? The Word, Jesus’ divine nickname. The essence, the action, the message of God’s creation, revelation and redemption.
Have you ever made a photocopy of a photocopy of a photocopy? And ended up borrowing someone’s glasses to see what the original was? Not so with Jesus, He was not only with God in the beginning, He was God. No faded, hard to see image here but the exact reflection of His Father. And it was this that really annoyed the religious leaders of Jesus’ day and led to the events that we’ll remember next Springtime.
But back to Advent...
The word Advent means arrival - let’s resist jumping forwards to the arrival of the 25th - that day will come (after all, it’s in the calendar!) Instead let’s take the opportunity this month to look back at Jesus through John chapter 1 as well as look forward to hearing from the Word Himself this Advent.
Apart from Advent, what are you at the beginning of now? A new project or venture, new surroundings, new people in your life. Pray this prayer filling in the blanks:
