Christmas is approaching quickly, and with it comes the chance to reflect again on the wonder of Jesus’ arrival. Over the next few weeks our church is looking at the opening passages of each Gospel—how Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John introduce the coming of Christ. Today we begin with John, who offers the most far-reaching opening of them all.
1. Creation
John starts his Gospel with the extraordinary claim: *“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”* Unlike the other Gospel writers, John doesn’t begin with Jesus’ birth, his genealogy, or even prophecy. He reaches back before the creation of the world.
His opening words intentionally echo Genesis 1:1: *“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”* John wants us to see that Jesus’ story does not start in Bethlehem; it begins before time. Jesus—the eternal Word—simply *was*.
John goes further still: *“Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.”* Jesus is not merely present at creation; he is its agent. Everything that exists owes its existence to him.
This means that when the Word becomes flesh, he steps into a world that is truly his own. He is worthy of our worship, our attention, and our obedience because he is the One who made us.
2. Revelation
Why does John call Jesus *the Word* rather than simply “Jesus” or “the Son”? The answer doesn’t lie in Greek philosophy but in Scripture itself. In Genesis, God creates by speaking. His word brings life into being. Throughout the Old Testament, the “word of the Lord” reveals God’s character and purposes.
John brings this to its climax: *“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, full of grace and truth.”* The phrase “made his dwelling” literally means “pitched his tent”—an allusion to the tabernacle where God lived among his people.
In Jesus, God does not merely send a message; he comes in person. He shows us who God is in a way we can see, hear, and touch. John later writes, *“No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son… has made him known.”* If you want to know what God is like, look at Jesus.
3. Illumination
John continues by saying, *“In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.”* Jesus is the source of both life and light—the one who shines into a world marked by darkness, confusion, sin, and death.
Here is the hint that there is a deeper purpose in his coming - not merely to reveal the divine but to deal with our darkness. “The light shines… and the darkness has not overcome it”.
4. Preparation
Before Jesus appears publicly, another figure steps onto the stage: John the Baptist. John writes, *“There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light… He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.”*
John the Baptist’s mission is preparation. He is the herald, the one who clears the road and points people to Jesus so that “through him all might believe.” His whole ministry serves to emphasise the surpassing greatness of Christ.
5. Rejection
Despite all this, John delivers a sobering truth: *“He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognise him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.”*
“World” here means humanity in rebellion against God. The tragedy is deep: the Creator steps into his creation, and people turn their backs. The darkness of our hearts resists the light he brings.
6. Adoption
Yet rejection does not have the final word. John goes on to say, *“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”*
This is the astonishing heart of the Gospel: those who trust in Jesus become God’s children—not through effort, ancestry, or human decision, but by God’s gracious work. Adoption speaks of undeserved choice, unconditional love, extraordinary cost, and a lifelong transformation.
As Christmas approaches, may this “Cosmic Coming” move us again to awe and worship: the eternal Word who created all things has come near so that we might become children of God.
Series: A Long Awaited Coming
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