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John 1: 1 – 5. The introduction to the Gospel of John immediately confronts us with the mystery of the Trinity; God is One, nevertheless is three Persons – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (c.f., Deut 6:4; Isa 48:16b; Mark 12:29). The uniqueness of God's fundamental nature implies an intensity of harmonised resourcefulness and interaction that is eternally seamless and profoundly intimate (John 1:18; John 5:19; John 16:13-15).

The Apostle John’s insight and claims into God’s spiritual nature are astounding, and his choice of words to describe that quintessence is indicative of the human language’s limitations. Within the essence of God, Jesus Christ’s pre-incarnate status as the eternal Word, the Logos, was at the beginning of uncreated time with God.

In the context of the Gospel, Logos denotes the hypostatic wisdom and power within the Godhead. He was instrumental in the creation and government of the universe and the cause of all life, which for the procurement of man's salvation put on human nature in the Person of the Messiah.

When God defines the foundation of life in the context of the Logos, then everything else in creation fades into insignificance in comparison to Him (John 1:3-4). For John, the Word is One who can be known and with Whom we can communicate, as He is the rationale for the existence of all life as we know it.

Jesus’ incarnation positioned Him in God’s economy as the Way, the Truth and the Life, the author and perfecter of faith (John 14:6; Heb 12:2). Nothing this side of heaven can replicate nor model the oneness and love (c.f., John 3:35; John 5:20; John 17:5) and creativity (c.f., Prov 8:22-31; Col 1:15-17; Heb 1:1-4) within the Trinity.

Nevertheless, God’s astounding desire is to disclose and share His intense fellowship within the Trinity with His created beings (c.f., Prov 8:31b; John 17:13-21), despite His foreknowledge of the Fall and the necessity for His Son’s redemptive sacrifice (John 1:9-13).

When the conviction of our sinful state remains just a theoretical concept in our minds, the significance of God dying for us would be acutely flawed. And our appreciation of what it meant for God to be cut-off from His Son because of sin would likely be diminished.

Predicated by the oneness of the Trinity, the trauma and pain of separation and death, even for three days, was probably cataclysmic! For to be rejected at death by another Person of the Trinity would totally ‘fragment’ the very fabric of Divine unity (Matt 27:46; c.f., Ps 22:22-24).

The decision to reach out to man, as you can imagine, was not taken lightly, given the realisation that a significant death had to be planned if redemption was to be achieved. The sacrifice of Christ on the cross inaugurated the inclusion of man into the fellowship cycle with Divinity (c.f., John 17:13-26).

The unfathomable privilege remains ours to appreciate eternally, despite our present deeply intrinsically flawed human imperfections. Now, our responsibility is to acknowledge our sinfulness, repent of it, accept Christ’s sacrifice for us, and receive Him into our life, for “… as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:12).

About Coram Deo

Coram Deo — before the face of God. This blog reflects on Scripture, world events, science, music, psychology, and the human mind — always through the lens of Christian faith. All of life is lived before the face of God.