John. Jey J. Kanagaraj

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John - Jey J. Kanagaraj


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glory in terms of his steadfast love and faithfulness (Exod 33:18–19; 34:6–7), which are equivalent to the twin words “grace and truth” (1:14). Jesus was bearing God’s glory even in Jesus’ pre-existent state (17:5, 24). It marks the oneness between them, on one hand, and the oneness between the believers, on the other (17:22). In this context, “glory” can mean the eternal relationship of love that exists between the Father and the Son (17:24b).14 In the light of Lazarus’ resurrection (11:4, 40), God’s glory may also indicate God’s saving power15 or God’s love expressed in his generosity to restore life.16 The glory seen in the Son was God’s splendor, manifested in his love and faithfulness to his covenant to give divine life. The idea of seeing God’s glory in flesh could be a polemic against the then-prevalent interest in mystical visions to see God in heaven in his kingly glory and in human form.17

      The steadfast love and faithfulness of God, given in the OT Law in a shadowy way, have attained reality in the coming of the Logos-in-flesh, “Jesus Christ” (1:17). The phrase “given through Moses” implies the role of mediator played by Moses in giving the Law (cf. Gal 3:19b). The major aspect of God’s covenant with his people is God’s giving of the Law (Deut 5:1–21), which is the “Book of the Covenant” that was sealed by the offering of the “blood of the covenant” (Exod 24:7–8). The reference to the Law given through Moses (1:17), then, has an implicit reference to the covenant community. However, John looks beyond this old covenant community to a new covenant community that will be established in Jesus Christ, through whom came to humankind God’s “grace and truth.” These dual words allude to God’s mercy and initiative to forgive the sins of his people, who disobeyed his covenant, and to God’s faithfulness to put the Law within their hearts as the mark of making a new covenant (Exod 34:6–7; Jer 31:31–34; Ezek 36:22–32). By being in the “bosom of the Father,” Jesus alone knows God in the most intimate way and therefore he alone can reveal God to the world in his mercy and faithfulness (John 1:18; cf. 10:14–15; 14:10–11).

      The whole Gospel, according to the prologue, evolves around one theme: the revelation of the one God in his glory and his encounter with all human beings in the life and mission of Jesus, the pre-existent God-become-flesh, to found and nurture a witnessing new covenant community.

      Excursus: The Understanding of the Logos in the First Century CE

      The first-century Jews treated the Logos as Wisdom and the Law in their pre-existence with the Creator (Prov 8:22–31; Sir 1:1–10; 24:3; Prov 3:19–20; Wis 9:1–2; Bar 3:9–4:4; 1 En. 42; Sir 15:1; 19:20; 39:1; 24:23; 34:8; 39:1; 4 Macc 1:16–17) and as the creative word used by God in creation (Gen 1; cf. Ps 33:6, 9). For them the Logos accomplishes God’s mission (Isa 9:8–9; 55:11) and brings healing and deliverance (Ps 107:20), a means by which God’s will and message were communicated (Jer 1:4; Ezek 1:3; 6:1; Amos 3:1, 8). They understood the Logos as the Aramaic memra, a periphrasis for God and his powerful acts (e.g., Tg. Exod. 19:17; 31:13; Tg. Onq. Gen. 3:8; Tg. Isa. 48:13).

      The Greeks understood the Logos as reason or the rational principle that is behind the world to keep it in order and within every human being. For the Stoics, the Logos controls the stars and seasons and pervades all things. Although one can be united with God through the Logos (Corp. herm. 13.6–7), reason can be built up in a person only after the immortal soul gets rid of bodily senses by escaping from the prison of the body. This is called “rebirth” (Corp. herm. 13.7–8).

      Although people would have understood the Logos in different ways, the underlying common theme is that the Logos is God and in the Logos one can apprehend God. However, John’s insight that the Logos became flesh is missing. No wonder first-century Christians meant by the Logos the “Christian message” (e.g., Mark 2:2; 4:14; Acts 14:25), the content of which is Christ and his glory (2 Cor 4:5–6) or “Christ crucified” (1 Cor 1:23; 2:2; Gal 3:1), in whom one can see God.

      Fusing the Horizons

      Several years ago, one of my friends confronted me saying that Christianity came into being by the birth of Jesus about two thousand years ago, whereas other major religions had been in existence even before that time. This is an example of how the world thinks of Christ and the time of his existence. The proclamation of Jesus’ story as beginning from his pre-existence with the eternal God as God would make it clear that Christ lived even before the time of creation and that God’s plan to create a new community in Jesus Christ was in him before anything was created. This message will lead hearers, particularly those from other religious faith, to perceive Jesus as the unique revelation of God.

      There is a deep aspiration among many religious groups today to see the one true God. People try to see God by spending a huge amount of money or even by subduing and wounding one’s body. The Fourth Gospel proclaims that the one true God revealed his character in Jesus, who is the place in which one can see God now. God’s new community is called to bear witness to this by words and deeds.

      Foundation of the Community of Faith (1:19–51)

      Witness of John the Baptist (1:19–28)


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