"Give Em the Word" - John 1:1-18

When I was a teenager, one of the dirty tricks my friends and I would do to kids on their bikes on country roads was drive slowly by and “give em the word.” We would just holler as loud as possible (Ahhh!) and roar with laughter as they would loose control of their bikes. I don’t remember that anyone was seriously hurt and I seem to recall a few obscene gestures being thrown our way. But it sure was hilarious to see those wobbling wheels and out of sorts handlebar moves!

The first 18 verses of the gospel of John introduce us to “the Word.” Philosophers of the first century debate with each other about what the primary essence of life was, the organizing root or principle for thought and relationship, which they called logos, what is translated here as “the Word.” Some have tried to catch this concept of logos by translating it as “the reason.” The description of the logos is eternal and has always existed. The logos was at creation. But notice what happens as the logos becomes a person.

“All things were made by him, and without him, nothing was made that was made.” And it is in this person that there was “life,” the very “light” of people.

Throughout the gospel these key ideas of life and light will be primary (“the bread of life,” “the light of the world,” “everlasting life”). This portion of John’s gospel is so thoroughly introductory that I wonder if he wrote it last.

He then interrupts his thought about the logos, by spinning off the idea of light and the relationship of this “Word” and John the Baptist. It seems that there was some rivalry between the followers of John the Baptist and the followers of Jesus, with some choosing to follow Jesus after following John. We don’t know if some left Jesus to follow John.

John, the gospel writer, then prepares us for the rejection of Jesus by the Jews. “He came to his own, but his own were not receptive.” The rejection of Jesus by the Jews and the acceptance of him by the Gentiles was the shocker of the early church. By talking about the logos, John is actually being quite Gentile friendly.

Finally, the author returns to his logos line of thinking, saying that “The Word became flesh and pitched his tent among us.” The essence of life and God’s light became human and in him we got the clear picture of God. I had a theology professor who said, “If you want to know what God is like, look at Jesus.” John would have been proud of him.

This is a passage I committed to memory as a teenager and I continue to draw strength and inspiration from it. Another way I have come to think about this passage is with the use of the "Word," as God's communication of love to our world. In Jesus, that communication of divine love became flesh. People touched him and he touched them and the were never the same. For me, in encountering Jesus, I have discovered life in a fullness I never imagined and found my reason for living and loving. How about you?
He is our logos.