The Word was first, the Word present to God, God present to the Word. The Word was God, in readiness for God from day one. Everything was created through him; nothing—not one thing!—came into being without him. What came into existence was Life, and the Life was Light to live by. The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness; the darkness couldn’t put it out. There once was a man, his name John, sent by God to point out the way to the Life-Light. He came to show everyone where to look, who to believe in. John was not himself the Light; he was there to show the way to the Light. The Life-Light was the real thing: Every person entering Life he brings into Light. He was in the world, the world was there through him, and yet the world didn’t even notice. He came to his own people, but they didn’t want him. But whoever did want him, who believed he was who he claimed and would do what he said, He made to be their true selves, their child-of-God selves. These are the God-begotten, not blood-begotten, not flesh-begotten, not sex-begotten. The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish. John 1:1-14 MSG
Some of the most famous opening lines in literature include “Call me Ishmael” from Moby-Dick, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times" from A Tale of Two Cities, "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife" from Pride and Prejudice, and "It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen" from 1984. It’s no surprise that the best stories start with compelling lines.
John’s gospel is no exception. In any translation, the words are so magnificent and gripping, the heart overflows. This translation, The Message, starts God’s love story through Jesus in such a tender yet powerful way, I can hardly move on. Think of it – the One who WAS God, who always was WITH God, created the universe and everything in it, left the perfection that existed for Him and with Him before time ever began to move into our neighborhood. Our neighborhood. Our neighborhood full of sin, heartbreak, betrayal, and death. He came HERE because of His deep, abiding love for us. Easter is God’s forever proof of His love. Jesus came and accomplished God’s mission of reconciling the people He created and dearly loves to Himself.
- Since Jesus moved into the neighborhood, everything has changed for the better forever. We are personally and eternally loved. Share the story.