The prelude to John’s gospel is amazing, showing such Christological depth. Here are my 10 (+1) Christological truths that we can glean from John’s prelude:
Jesus was present before creation 1:1-2
Jesus was the Primary agent of Creation 1:3
Jesus is a part of the Trinity 1:2
Jesus is the bringer of life 1:4
Jesus conquers over darkness 1:5
Jesus was not of this world 1:9
He came primarily to His own people (the Jews) 1:11
He was rejected by His own people 1:11
He brings salvation to any who receive Him 1:12
Jesus has the Father’s glory 1:14
Jesus reveals the Father 1:18
One of my favorite Christological/Trinitarian concepts that is present in John’s prelude is actually something that has been blowing my mind for the past year. It has to do with the specific mechanism of Kingdom work. It first, hit me when I was considering the connections between John 1 and Gen 1. In John 1 we see Christ, the Word, of the Father as the primary agent of creation. In 1 we see the Father creating, but how? God the Father speaks (ie sends His Word) to in the chaos of creation, where it is received by the power of the awaiting Spirit, and BOOM, creation happens. Soo cool to think about this especially in light of the process God uses to save us as revealed in John 3. We have the Spirit, hovering over the chaotic waters of our sinful heart (John 3:5), to which the Father sends His Word, and BOOM, recreation occurs in our dead hearts, and we are born again. There is a similar creation sequence in the immaculate conception as outlined by the angel in Luke 1:35. We have the waters of Mary’s womb overshadowed by the hovering Spirit, into which the Father sends His Word, His only begotten Son, and BOOM, our salvation mechanism is created! It totally blows my mind.