The prologue to John's gospel (1:1-18), though familiar to many, expands our understanding of who Jesus is. One preacher says, "The serious student of John will find that each time he returns to the Gospel, Christ will be a little bigger--something like Lucy's experience with the lion Aslan (the Christ symbol in C. S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia) as she again, gazed into his large, wise face.
"Welcome, child," he said.
"Aslan," said Lucy, "you're bigger."
"That is because you are older, little one," answered he.
"Not because you are?"
"I am not. But every year you grow, you will find me bigger."
John's prologue tells us right up front who Jesus is, which demonstrates to us that God is not hiding from us, but rather has revealed himself, made himself known in the clearest possible way. In verses 15-18
God has provided an abundant witness (1:15 & 1:17) through John the baptist and the law of Moses.
God has given us an experience of his overflowing grace (1:16)
God has shown himself to be a Self-Disclosing God. (1:18)
1. How does John the baptist provide an abundant witness to who Jesus is? Compare 1:15 with 1:1-2
2. How does the law of Moses provide an abundant witness to who Jesus is?
3. Verse 16 says that "we have all received grace upon grace", how have you experienced God's grace in your life and what has that shown you about who God is.
4. According to John 1:18 if we want to know what God is like, where should we look? As you see Jesus interacting with people in the gospels do you find your view of God challenged, expanded, corrected?
5. What do you find encouraging when you consider that Jesus has "made God known"?
6. It is often the case that when someone is interested in the Christian faith, we often point that person to the gospels as a good place to start. Given what John says in John 1:18 is that a good idea? Why?
7. For the believer it's a good idea to return to the gospels again and again. Why would John 1:18 suggest that's a good idea?
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