The Gospel of John: John 1.9-13

Read and meditate on John 1.9-13.
The first part of John’s prologue concludes. The eternal Word has come into the world as the true Light from God. None can escape His bright shining. None can conceal the darkness within them or hide in the darkness from His presence. And why would they want to do so? He brings a surprising and amazing gift from God.

                                                 ⁹The true
Light, by His coming to the world, brought to
the world the Light of Truth, and sheds His Light
in every place and person where the night
of sin prevails. ¹⁰The Light was in the world,
the world which He created, which He hurled
into the void by His command, and yet
it knew Him not at all, nor did it set
its heart on Him. ¹¹He came unto His own,
to those above all men who should have known
Him, but they did not. ¹²Yet to everyone
receiving Him, the right to be a son
or daughter of the living God is given,
to those believing that the Word from heaven
has come, and take His Name upon them. ¹³All
who will receive Him, who believe and call
upon His Name, are born again of God,
and not alone of flesh, or man, or blood.

-        John 1.9-13

Reflect
1.  What does John mean in verse 9? What does this suggest about the intentions of the true Light, wherever it begins to shine? What are the implications of this for you? For your church? Complete this prayer: Lord, You are my Light! Be Light through me to…

2.  The Maker of the world has come into the world He made. Yet “the world did not know Him” (v. 10). In what sense is John using the word world here? What does he mean by know Him? How would you explain what it means to know Him to someone who doesn’t? Lord, make me a ready witness…

3.  To what is John referring by the phrase His own (v. 11)? What does it say about His own that they did not receive Him as the true Light? Compare this with verse 10. His own were simply part of the world that did not know Him. Why did the world not know Him, and His own fail to receive Him? Does this still happen today? Is God still sending witnesses to the Light to this world? Send me, today, O Lord, that…

4.  Review the following words in verses 7-13: believe, know, receive, and were born. How do these relate to bear witness and become children of God? Write a sentence putting all these terms together as John intends them. Pray that sentence to the Lord for the day ahead.

5. Our attention is piqued in verse 12 when we learn that this Word and true Light has a Name. What does this suggest about His coming to the world, coming among His own? Note also the phrase believe in His Name, which is literally, believe into His Name. What do you make of that into? Pray together your prayers from questions 1-4.

Summary
“Listen to the lampstand; be lamps, and you shall have a lampstand. The cross of Christ is a great lampstand. Whoever wishes to shine must not be ashamed of this wooden lampstand.” Augustine (354-430 AD)

The true Light, the Word of God, in Whom is life, has come to earth, shining the brilliance of His presence into every dark corner and every darkened heart of every human being. He comes with a right to bestow – “the right to become children of God.” John has moved the focus from eternity past and the uncreated God to the historical present and the incarnated Word. Doyou see that John has told the entire story of his gospel in these first 13 verses? In the rest of the prologue (vv. 14-18), he will tell us the story again, but with a different layer of significance.

Closing Prayer
I remember the days of old;
I meditate on all Your works;
I muse on the work of Your hands.
I spread out my hands to You;
My soul longsfor You like a thirsty land.
Selah
Answer me speedily, O LORD;
My spirit fails!
Do not hide Your face from me,
Lest I be like those who go down into the pit.
Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning,
For in You do I trust;
Cause me to know the way in which I should walk,
For I lift up my soul to You.
Deliver me, O LORD, from my enemies;
In You I take shelter.
Teach me to do Your will,
For You aremy God;
Your Spirit is good.
Lead me in the land of uprightness.

Psalm 143.5-10

Psalm 143.5-8 (Divinum Mysterium: Of the Father’s Love Begotten)
I recall the days of old; on Your works I meditate –
All the wonders of Your mighty hand, works both small, O Lord, and great
Lord, my thirsty soul cries out to You! To You, Lord, I reach my hand
In a dry and weary land.

Answer quickly, O my Lord! Do not hide from me Your face!
For my spirit fails and I am like those who do not know Your grace.
In the morning let me hear Your steadfast love; Lord, I trust You, show my way!
I lift up my soul and pray!

T. M. Moore

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing adapted from The Ailbe Psalter. All quotations from Church Fathers from Ancient Christian Commentary Series IV a and b: John, edited by Joel C. Elowsky, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006. Verse translation of John by T. M. Moore.