John Chapter 1

John Chapter 1

So, have you been waiting with baited breath to find out just what John has to say about the story of our friend JC. I know I have, so let’s go ahead and dive right in…

Right away we recognize the oh-so-helpful repetition intrinsic to biblical writing, but I’ll venture to say that John takes it a bit farther than my friend Mark, at least to start out. In the beginning was the Word (please not the capital “W” for emphasis), were you wondering what Word it was? Well, the Word was with God. Okay, so god and the Word are handing together (I’m flashing back to Harry Nilsson’s “The Point”. But seriously, what is the Word? Turns out “the Word was God”. Whoa, man! Did John just blow your mind? He totally blew mine.

He goes on to explain in similar fashion that God made all things and nothing existed outside of his creation. He gave man life, which was also light, and this precious life/light shone in the darkness and the poor darkness couldn’t comprehend what the heck was going on.

God sent a man named John (John who wrote this gospel, John the Baptist, John my husband? Maybe we’ll find out). God’s John came to bear witness of the Light (this time with a capital “L” to emphasis that it’s better than the regular light he just mentioned) so that other men might believe in it. And just so you’re not confused, John is not the light, he is only sent to bear witness to it. This special light, lights everyone in the world. (Ahh… now you see what I’m talking about when I say repetitious.) He (the Light) was in the world, and the world was made by him (uh oh, now I get it, he was God. God is Light. He’s Light and Word. Amazing how many capital letters one dude can be). But get this, while he’s in the world people didn’t know who he was! He came to visit and his own people didn’t want to see him. Boo! Meanies!

But Joy! Some were running around who did want to see him! Yeay! And to those folks that believed he gave them the power to be sons of God (sorry ladies, you, naturally are out of luck, being an inferior life form and all). Quite a power (I think we call this baptism, unless I misunderstand). So, we’re reminded that the Word (also the Light by inference) was made flesh (are you feeling JC’s presence yet?). He dwelled on the Earth and those who believed beheld his glory with was begotten of the Father (Light/Word/Life, whatever). He was full of grace and truth. Go JC/God! Bring it!

Our friend John (this is the Baptist, not author of the Gospel) was a happy witness for this miracle (he was also the dude’s second cousin I think). He yelled to anyone who would listen that the man that would come after him would be preferred above him for in reality he was in fact before him. (Confused yet? Don’t worry, if I know the bible, and I think I’m starting to. It will get worse).

Now, I’m unsure if John the Baptist is saying this, or John the author, but someone says that JC’s fullness (I don’t interpret that to mean his girth) we will have all we received. Not to quibble, but don’t we always have what we receive, or else how did we receive it? Eh. Not important. We also get grace for grace. Wonderful, who doesn’t want that.

If you ever wondered, he also lets you know that we get law from Moses (okay, I get mine from the government, but spiritual law I think for a lot of people may come from old Mosey). But, grace comes only by Jesus Christ. (I’m reminded of a Seinfeld episode where Elaine is concerned about whether or not she poses grace. Now there is a word with a slippery meaning).

Well, some folks came up to John and asked him “Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not.” Whoa! What? Hold up! Mark AND Matthew both told me that he WAS Elias! Doh! Now what am I supposed to think? They ask him again, just to be sure, and he again answers them, “No.” Flabbergasted. There is no other word to describe my emotion here.

These people are like, well, who the heck are you then because we have people to report to and they’re going to be pissed if we tell them you’re just some Joe Schmo.

John answers them that he is the voice of one crying in the wilderness (ahh, this is a famous line I know). He tells them to “Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.” But, I don’t think we are to assume our old locust eating friend (not mention of the locusts in this gospel, btw), is Esaias either.

Well, these scouts sent by those old familiar Pharisees (an inquisitive lot, we’ll remember), asked how he thinks he has the right to baptize people if he’s not Christ of even Elias.

John tells them the old line about how he baptizes with water but some commoner will come who they don’t know and whose “shoe’s latchet [he is] not worthy to unloose.” He was talking to these scouts out in Bethabara which happens to lay beyond Jordan.

The next day my soon to headless friend sees JC trotting on up to him and said… and anyone who has EVER been to a Christian church will recognize this line… “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world.” He turns to the folks gathered near him and says, OMG, this is totally the guy I was telling you about! I didn’t know him before now but I knew he was coming and that’s why I came to baptize people (makes total sense right… wait, why do people need to be baptized with water BEFORE JC? I’m not sure… I’ll leave that to you, lovely reader, to ponder and philosophize over).

John continues that he saw the Spirit come down like a dove from heaven and land on Jesus. He repeats the whole “knew him not” stuff (which is weird, because Mary, JC’s mom and Elizabeth, John’s mom were cousins). But, he tells us that the same god that sent him to do the baptisms also told him that the holy spirit would land on this special guy he’s been telling us about. This guy is going to baptize people not with water, but with the Holy Spirit. Yeah, Mark told us all about that, right? But, he had a much more dramatic story with the clouds parting and all, not just some lousy white pigeon landing on some dude’s shoulder.

Again the next day John was hanging out by the river with two of his friends/disciples and they all saw Jesus and all of them yelled about seeing the Lamb of God. John’s two friends went to go follow Jesus, who turned and saw them and so asked what they wanted. They told him that they just wanted to see where he lived.

JC, being a generous sort, invited them to come along. It was about the tenth hour when they got to the house where he was staying and he allowed them to stay with him. It just so happens that one of these two guys was Andrew, JC’s best buddy’s brother (although JC hasn’t met old Petie yet). Well, Andrew runs to his brother Simon Peter (in this gospel, JC doesn’t name him, that’s just how author John refers to him). Andrew tells him that, woo hoo, hurray, we found the messiah! Can you believe it?

Simon Peter agrees to go see Jesus, and we can imagine that JC is thrilled to meet his best friend in the world. In this gospel, Jesus renames him Cephas which means stone (foreshadowing the whole “rock of the church” deal that I believe comes a bit later. I like this John, he gets effective foreshadowing, Mark could have used a lesson).

The next day Jesus went to Galilee and found Philip and told him, “Follow me.” Pretty strong words to a stranger, right? Well, it happens that Philip is from Bethsaida which is where Andrew and Peter (we’ll drop the Simon as it only serves to confuse) are from.

Philip then strikes out on his own to find Nathanael and tells him the good news that they found an awesome new cult leader, uh, I mean the messiah. But, Nate’s a bit hesisitant, “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Sheesh, must have been kind of a dumpy place for him to take that kind of attitude. But, Philip begs him to come meet the awesome dude that the dove landed on.

JC sees Nate and says “Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!” That’s right, get your converts with flattery. Nate’s like, uh, do you know me. Jesus tells him that before Phil went to get him he saw him under a fig tree. Nate’s like, oh sure, that’s cool. So, uh, you’re the King of Israel then.

Jesus with understandable skepticism asks if he believes in him simply because he happened to see him under a fig tree. Well, if you think that’s cool, you Nate are going to see so many greater things! You’ll see heaven open and the agnels ascending and descending on the Son of man. Nifty.

(In case you lost track, Jesus is still the son of man).

Okay folks, that was pretty different from Mark’s interpretation, but let’s just keep going and see what happens, shall we?