Christmas, Day Mass Christmas, Second Sunday after
TEXT
The Word was the light of men
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God; 3 all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
John the Baptist was not the light
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light.
His own did not recognise the true light
9 The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not. 11 He came to his own home, and his own people received him not.
Those who believed became children of God
12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God; 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
The Word became flesh
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.
The Word made flesh ranks before John
15 (John bore witness to him, and cried, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, for he was before me.’”)
Grace & Truth came through Jesus
16 And from his fulness have we all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.
EXPLANATION
Introduction: 1: 1–18 — Prologue: The Word was Made Flesh
The first eighteen verses of chapter 1 of John’s Gospel form the Introduction or Prologue to the entire Gospel which is about Jesus, the Son of God incarnate, dying and rising, teaching and healing. These verses are a hymn or poem praising Jesus the Messiah who is the Son of God in the flesh on this earth. There are four stanzas — Jn. 1: 1–5 (Role of the Word); 6–8 (Role of John the Baptist as Witness); 9–14 (The Word was made flesh); 16–18 (What this has meant for mankind). Verse 15 is an insertion between two stanzas.
That the prologue is most important is indicated by the fact that it is included in the Christmas liturgy three times: Christmas Day Mass. Second Sunday after Christmas and December 31st. In addition, for centuries this Gospel passage formed the Last Gospel at almost all Masses, including weekdays, until the reform of the liturgy after the Second Vatican Council when the Last Gospel was dropped in the Mass. This did not mean that it was no longer important.
The five main doctrinal points are:
(i) the Word is a Person who is divine and eternal, that is, is God;
(ii) the Word became flesh, human, and lived among us in a visible manner;
(iii) the Word was present and active at creation and at the act of our salvation;
(iv) some people believe this and accept Jesus, some do not and reject him;
(v) John the Baptist is the outstanding witness to him.
The Gospel cannot be understood unless a person accepts these five points.
Seven themes are introduced and these will be developed throughout the Gospel. They are life, light, darkness, testimony, belief, glory and truth.
FIRST STANZA — Role of the Word
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God; 3 all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
“In the beginning was the Word,” — The three opening words of John’s Gospel are the same as the opening words in the Book of Genesis, the first book of the Bible. This is to show that John’s Prologue is about not the beginning of creation but before that; it is about eternity itself. Genesis chapter one treats of four of the seven themes, mentioned above in the Introduction, namely, light, life, darkness and the word which created. This will climax in verse 14 when “the Word” made flesh in Jesus will renew what “the Word” created with the Father (Rv. 21: 1–5).
“The Word” was “in the beginning”. That is “the Word” was present at the beginning which means that it had to exist “at the beginning”. In other words, it existed before “the beginning” which is John’s way of saying that “the Word” is eternal.
“and the Word was with God,” — “the Word” and God are distinct; they are two. “The Word” is the Son of God. God the Father and God the Son are two distinct divine persons.
“and the Word was God.” — The Son of God is the eternal Word of the Father. “The Word” is not different from God. “The Word” is God.
Three points have been revealed — (i) “the Word” is eternal; (ii) “the Word” is distinct from God the Father; (iii) “the Word” is God; he is not different.
Why was the Son of God called “the Word”? A word is a means of communication to convey ideas and thoughts that can be heard or seen. As John says, “No one has ever seen God; it is the only Son, who is nearest the Father’s heart, who has made him known.” If the Son has made his Father known, then the Son is like a word and we can refer to him as “the Word”. The only Son of God who, like a spoken or visible word, is the expression of God’s thought. He is God’s self–expression. He reveals everything there is to know about God.
“He was in the beginning with God.” — He was and is eternal divinity. He shared God the Father’s glory: “And now Father, glorify thou me in thine own presence with the glory which I had with thee before the world was made” (Jn. 17: 5). This shows his relationship with God the Father.
“All things were made through him” — To this point the relationship of “the Word” with God the Father has been expounded. Now the relationship of “the Word” with creation is to be revealed. He had an essential and effective, divine, role in creation.
In the Book of Genesis, chapter one, with each act of creation, God used a word, for example, “let there be light”, “let us make man…” etc. This happened ten times. The word God spoke was, in the plan of God, essential for that act of creation. What the word of God conveyed was enacted into reality. The Word of God, the Second Person, played an essential role in creation
“and without him was not anything made that was made.” — There would have been no creation without “the Word”. “The Word”, the Son of God, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, was an essential Person in the act of creation.
This does not mean that he was an instrument of, inferior or subject to God the Father. As the Fourth Lateran Council declared, the three Persons of the Blessed Trinity are “consubstantial [which means ‘of the same nature’], co–equal, co–omnipotent and co–eternal”. The Nicene creed states that “The Word” or Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, who became incarnate in one Lord Jesus Christ is “the Only begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made”. He is eternal, not different from the Father but equal; in all things, divine, of the very same substance or nature as the Father, and co–creator of all things.
“In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” — New ideas are introduced, “Life”, “Light” and “darkness”.
“Life”, God’s own divine, eternal life, is his greatest gift which he wishes to impart to all human beings so that they may share in his divine nature. It is what makes them like himself. “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (Jn. 10: 10; 3: 16; 20: 31).
The reason why the “Life” is coming into the world is that the world of men is a world of “darkness” because of sin; men do not have the light of the “Life”, God’s “Life”.
“Light” shares light unless a person who should receive it covers himself in darkness, sin. God’s “Life” is like a beacon in the world of “darkness” that attracts but is thwarted by sinners who prefer the “darkness” and refuse the “Light”. Nevertheless, they cannot overcome the “Light” which will conquer the “darkness”.
SECOND STANZA — John the Baptist, the Witness
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light.
“There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.” — This John was John the Baptist, the precursor of Jesus the Saviour. The annunciation of his birth (Lk. 1: 5–25) and the actual birth (Lk. 1: 57–58) show clearly his divine origin. John the Evangelist stresses his importance and divine origin by saying that he was“sent from God”.
“He came for testimony,” — John the Baptist came to bring a “testimony”, a message, having been sent for this purpose. Other people and sources had also been established for this specific purpose. John the Evangelist had this as one of his most important themes in his Gospel mentioning the following — John the Baptist (Jn. 1: 19–23; 5: 31–32); the Samaritan Woman (4: 39–42); the works of Jesus (Jn. 5: 36); the Father (Jn. 5: 37); Old Testament (5: 39. 47); the crowd (12: 17–19); the Holy Spirit (15: 26); and John the Evangelist (21: 24).
“to bear witness to the light” — This was the testimony that John the Baptist was sent to announce and which will be explained in the following words.
Jesus was sent by his Father with the specific message or purpose of bringing salvation to the world. Salvation is likened to light shining in the darkness of a sinful world. John the Baptist was sent to bear witness to Jesus, the “Light” of the darkened world.
“that all might believe through him.” — The purpose of the proclamation of John the Baptist was to bring all people to believe in Jesus and his mission, to repent and be converted though John’s preaching and his baptism of repentance. Even though the Incarnation is not mentioned specifically until verse 14, it is clear that John the Evangelist is thinking of the Incarnate Word at this point.
“He was not the light” — John the Baptist was not the “Light”; he was a witness, as he said, “You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him” (Jn. 1: 20–23; 3: 28).
“but came to bear witness to the light.” — This repeats part of verse 7. The Fourth Gospel mentions the testimony of John the Baptist as many as seven times (1:6–8, 15, 19–23, 29–34; 35–36; 3:26–28; 5:33).
THIRD STANZA — Jesus is the True Light made Flesh
9 The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not. 11 He came to his own home, and his own people received him not.
“The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world. — “The true light” means the authentic light which is Jesus
“The world” can have several meanings in John’s Gospel. The first is ‘universe’ which is the meaning in this verse. Jesus is “the true light” and he will be coming into the universe at the incarnation (“the Word was made flesh”, verse 14).
“He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not.” — “The Word” incarnate, Jesus, was in the universe which he had created with the Father. But the ‘world of sinful people’ (a second meaning for “world”, Jn. 3: 17) did not recognise or acknowledge him.
“He came to his own home” — He came into the world of the Jews, “his own home”.
“and his own people received him not.” –A very good example of this is in chapter 8, verses 23 to the end where Jesus is in dispute with Jews whom he accuses of belonging to this world of sin, of planning to kill him, whose father is the devil, the father of lies, who accuse him of being demon–possessed and who take up stones to throw at him. In Jn. 10: 31 they will take up stones a second time.
12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God; 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
“But to all who received him, who believed in his name” — To “receive” Jesus is “to believe in his name” which means to have faith, that is to accept that he is the Son of God and the long–promised Messiah and make a commitment to be attached to him. “Name” refers to the person, not just his title or how he is called.
“he gave power to become children of God;” — Those who do believe that Jesus is the Son of God and the Messiah will have life through him (Jn. 20:31). This will be a share in his divine life and so they will be the “children of God”. (Jn. 3: 5–8).
“who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” — People become “children of God”, with supernatural life, not by natural birth from women (“blood”), nor by sexual desire (“the will of the flesh”), nor by man’s determination (“the will of man”) but by God’s decision. (See Ws. 7: 1–2). This new birth is spiritual and referred to as ‘the adopted children of God’.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us,” — These few words tell us, better than any others, who Jesus Christ is. He is the “The Word of God”, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, who fully divine from eternity, assumed a human body in time and lived as a human being on this earth.
A more accurate translation than “dwelt among us” would be “and pitched his tent among us”, a reference to the Tent of Meeting where God lived for a while during the Exodus (Ex. 25: 8).
“full of grace and truth;” — When “the Word” became flesh in Jesus he was “full of grace and truth.” By “grace” the incarnate Word was full of love that he wished to share to redeem and bring salvation to sinful man and make mankind “children of God”. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains what “grace” means for those whom he calls: “Grace is favour, the free and undeserved help that God gives us to respond to his call to become children of God, adoptive sons, partakers of the divine nature and of eternal life”“(CCC, 1996).
“The Word” reveals the Godhead and so reveals the truth about God. Jesus is “the Word made flesh” and “in Jesus Christ, the whole of God’s truth has been made manifest”. “Full of grace and truth,” he came as the “light of the world.” He is the Truth (Jn 14: 6).
By “truth”, Jesus enlightens, give light, understanding to the mind to know God better, to see mankind as it should be understood, at least in a better way, in a new light, his light.
“we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.” — “Glory” means the presence of God visibly manifest. God did not allow his presence to be seen and so a cloud covered where he was. God’s presence was seen in his incarnate Son, Jesus Christ.
This “glory” was seen at the transfiguration by three of the apostles but it was also seen in his miracles and teaching and in the crucifixion and resurrection, to which Jesus referred several times as his “glorification”.
“Glory as of the only Son” declares that the glory of “the Word”, the Incarnate Son is that of the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity in his fully divine and eternal state. John is emphasising that Jesus is fully divine. He was totally aware of this (Jn. 5: 18; 10: 30–38; 20: 28). The emphasis should not be that Jesus has a real body of flesh and blood, but that his divine nature resides in a human body. The divinity may never be sidelined.
15 (John bore witness to him, and cried, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, for he was before me.’”)
(John bore witness to him, and cried, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, for he was before me.’”) — This verse is enclosed in brackets to show that it is inserted here where it is not part of a stanza. It is taken from Jn. 1: 30. It is placed here to bear witness to the incarnation mentioned in the previous verse.
John the Baptist testifies that Jesus ranks before him as greater because he existed in his divine state from eternity (Jn. 1: 1; 8: 58; 17: 5). This is his first “testimony” in John’s Gospel. It is an interlude in the Prologue.
FOURTH STANZA — Meaning of the Incarnation
16 And from his fulness have we all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.
“And from his fulness have we all received, grace upon grace.” — From the divinity and humanity of Jesus all have received the two blessings, “grace upon grace”, of the New Covenant through Jesus (the first “grace” mentioned here), as well as the blessings of the Old through Moses (the second “grace” mentioned).
“For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” — God gave the blessings of the Old Testament Law through Moses (the second “grace” mentioned) who received it from him on Mt. Sinai. The New Testament grace came through the incarnation of divinity in Jesus. “The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven.” From his conception, Christ’s humanity is filled with the Holy Spirit, for God “gives him the Spirit without measure.” From “his fullness” as the head of redeemed humanity “we have all received, grace upon grace” (CCC, 504).
“Jesus Christ” — this is the first time in the prologue that his name has been explicitly mentioned.
“No one has ever seen God;” — God is a pure spirit and so cannot be seen with human eyes. Jews were very strict holding this truth. When Moses asked to see the glory of God, he was told — “You cannot see my face; for man shall not see me and live.” And the LORD said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand upon the rock; and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by; then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back; but my face shall not be seen.” (Ex. 33: 18–23).
“the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.” — “The only Son”, more often referred to as “the only–begotten Son”, and in these verses also called “the Word”, is the one who has made him known. That is the function of “the Word” who continues that role in his incarnate state, Jesus Christ.
“in the bosom of the Father” — This has been translated as “who is nearest the Father’s heart”.
APPLICATION
If the question were asked, ‘Why did God become a human being?’ the answer is simple, mentioned many times in the Gospels. God became man to redeem and save sinful mankind, such was his love for all people. “For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him” (Jn. 3: 17). CCC 456–463.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church answers this question (CCC, 456–463). Here are the headings:
CCC, 456: With the Nicene Creed, we answer by confessing: “For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven; by the power of the Holy Spirit, he became incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and was made man.”
CCC, 457: “The Word became flesh for us in order to save us by reconciling us with God, who “loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins”: “the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world,” and “he was revealed to take away sins”
CCC, 458: “The Word became flesh so that thus we might know God’s love: “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.”72 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
CCC, 459: “The Word became flesh to be our model of holiness: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me.” “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.”74 On the mountain of the Transfiguration, the Father commands: “Listen to him!”75 Jesus is the model for the Beatitudes and the norm of the new law: “Love one another as I have loved you.”76 This love implies an effective offering of oneself, after his example”.
CCC, 460: “The Word became flesh to make us “partakers of the divine nature”:78 “For this is why the Word became man, and the Son of God became the Son of man: so that man, by entering into communion with the Word and thus receiving divine sonship, might become a son of God.”79 “For the Son of God became man so that we might become God.”80 “The only–begotten Son of God, wanting to make us sharers in his divinity, assumed our nature, so that he, made man, might make men gods.”
Commentarry on the Second Sunday after Christmas – 5th Jan 2014
JOHN 01: 01–18
Christmas, Day Mass
Christmas, Second Sunday after
TEXT
The Word was the light of men
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God; 3 all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
John the Baptist was not the light
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light.
His own did not recognise the true light
9 The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not. 11 He came to his own home, and his own people received him not.
Those who believed became children of God
12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God; 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
The Word became flesh
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.
The Word made flesh ranks before John
15 (John bore witness to him, and cried, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, for he was before me.’”)
Grace & Truth came through Jesus
16 And from his fulness have we all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.
EXPLANATION
Introduction: 1: 1–18 — Prologue: The Word was Made Flesh
The first eighteen verses of chapter 1 of John’s Gospel form the Introduction or Prologue to the entire Gospel which is about Jesus, the Son of God incarnate, dying and rising, teaching and healing. These verses are a hymn or poem praising Jesus the Messiah who is the Son of God in the flesh on this earth. There are four stanzas — Jn. 1: 1–5 (Role of the Word); 6–8 (Role of John the Baptist as Witness); 9–14 (The Word was made flesh); 16–18 (What this has meant for mankind). Verse 15 is an insertion between two stanzas.
That the prologue is most important is indicated by the fact that it is included in the Christmas liturgy three times: Christmas Day Mass. Second Sunday after Christmas and December 31st. In addition, for centuries this Gospel passage formed the Last Gospel at almost all Masses, including weekdays, until the reform of the liturgy after the Second Vatican Council when the Last Gospel was dropped in the Mass. This did not mean that it was no longer important.
The five main doctrinal points are:
(i) the Word is a Person who is divine and eternal, that is, is God;
(ii) the Word became flesh, human, and lived among us in a visible manner;
(iii) the Word was present and active at creation and at the act of our salvation;
(iv) some people believe this and accept Jesus, some do not and reject him;
(v) John the Baptist is the outstanding witness to him.
The Gospel cannot be understood unless a person accepts these five points.
Seven themes are introduced and these will be developed throughout the Gospel. They are life, light, darkness, testimony, belief, glory and truth.
FIRST STANZA — Role of the Word
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God; 3 all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
“In the beginning was the Word,” — The three opening words of John’s Gospel are the same as the opening words in the Book of Genesis, the first book of the Bible. This is to show that John’s Prologue is about not the beginning of creation but before that; it is about eternity itself. Genesis chapter one treats of four of the seven themes, mentioned above in the Introduction, namely, light, life, darkness and the word which created. This will climax in verse 14 when “the Word” made flesh in Jesus will renew what “the Word” created with the Father (Rv. 21: 1–5).
“The Word” was “in the beginning”. That is “the Word” was present at the beginning which means that it had to exist “at the beginning”. In other words, it existed before “the beginning” which is John’s way of saying that “the Word” is eternal.
“and the Word was with God,” — “the Word” and God are distinct; they are two. “The Word” is the Son of God. God the Father and God the Son are two distinct divine persons.
“and the Word was God.” — The Son of God is the eternal Word of the Father. “The Word” is not different from God. “The Word” is God.
Three points have been revealed — (i) “the Word” is eternal; (ii) “the Word” is distinct from God the Father; (iii) “the Word” is God; he is not different.
Why was the Son of God called “the Word”? A word is a means of communication to convey ideas and thoughts that can be heard or seen. As John says, “No one has ever seen God; it is the only Son, who is nearest the Father’s heart, who has made him known.” If the Son has made his Father known, then the Son is like a word and we can refer to him as “the Word”. The only Son of God who, like a spoken or visible word, is the expression of God’s thought. He is God’s self–expression. He reveals everything there is to know about God.
“He was in the beginning with God.” — He was and is eternal divinity. He shared God the Father’s glory: “And now Father, glorify thou me in thine own presence with the glory which I had with thee before the world was made” (Jn. 17: 5). This shows his relationship with God the Father.
“All things were made through him” — To this point the relationship of “the Word” with God the Father has been expounded. Now the relationship of “the Word” with creation is to be revealed. He had an essential and effective, divine, role in creation.
In the Book of Genesis, chapter one, with each act of creation, God used a word, for example, “let there be light”, “let us make man…” etc. This happened ten times. The word God spoke was, in the plan of God, essential for that act of creation. What the word of God conveyed was enacted into reality. The Word of God, the Second Person, played an essential role in creation
“and without him was not anything made that was made.” — There would have been no creation without “the Word”. “The Word”, the Son of God, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, was an essential Person in the act of creation.
This does not mean that he was an instrument of, inferior or subject to God the Father. As the Fourth Lateran Council declared, the three Persons of the Blessed Trinity are “consubstantial [which means ‘of the same nature’], co–equal, co–omnipotent and co–eternal”. The Nicene creed states that “The Word” or Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, who became incarnate in one Lord Jesus Christ is “the Only begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made”. He is eternal, not different from the Father but equal; in all things, divine, of the very same substance or nature as the Father, and co–creator of all things.
“In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” — New ideas are introduced, “Life”, “Light” and “darkness”.
“Life”, God’s own divine, eternal life, is his greatest gift which he wishes to impart to all human beings so that they may share in his divine nature. It is what makes them like himself. “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (Jn. 10: 10; 3: 16; 20: 31).
The reason why the “Life” is coming into the world is that the world of men is a world of “darkness” because of sin; men do not have the light of the “Life”, God’s “Life”.
“Light” shares light unless a person who should receive it covers himself in darkness, sin. God’s “Life” is like a beacon in the world of “darkness” that attracts but is thwarted by sinners who prefer the “darkness” and refuse the “Light”. Nevertheless, they cannot overcome the “Light” which will conquer the “darkness”.
SECOND STANZA — John the Baptist, the Witness
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light.
“There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.” — This John was John the Baptist, the precursor of Jesus the Saviour. The annunciation of his birth (Lk. 1: 5–25) and the actual birth (Lk. 1: 57–58) show clearly his divine origin. John the Evangelist stresses his importance and divine origin by saying that he was “sent from God”.
“He came for testimony,” — John the Baptist came to bring a “testimony”, a message, having been sent for this purpose. Other people and sources had also been established for this specific purpose. John the Evangelist had this as one of his most important themes in his Gospel mentioning the following — John the Baptist (Jn. 1: 19–23; 5: 31–32); the Samaritan Woman (4: 39–42); the works of Jesus (Jn. 5: 36); the Father (Jn. 5: 37); Old Testament (5: 39. 47); the crowd (12: 17–19); the Holy Spirit (15: 26); and John the Evangelist (21: 24).
“to bear witness to the light” — This was the testimony that John the Baptist was sent to announce and which will be explained in the following words.
Jesus was sent by his Father with the specific message or purpose of bringing salvation to the world. Salvation is likened to light shining in the darkness of a sinful world. John the Baptist was sent to bear witness to Jesus, the “Light” of the darkened world.
“that all might believe through him.” — The purpose of the proclamation of John the Baptist was to bring all people to believe in Jesus and his mission, to repent and be converted though John’s preaching and his baptism of repentance. Even though the Incarnation is not mentioned specifically until verse 14, it is clear that John the Evangelist is thinking of the Incarnate Word at this point.
“He was not the light” — John the Baptist was not the “Light”; he was a witness, as he said, “You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him” (Jn. 1: 20–23; 3: 28).
“but came to bear witness to the light.” — This repeats part of verse 7. The Fourth Gospel mentions the testimony of John the Baptist as many as seven times (1:6–8, 15, 19–23, 29–34; 35–36; 3:26–28; 5:33).
THIRD STANZA — Jesus is the True Light made Flesh
9 The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not. 11 He came to his own home, and his own people received him not.
“The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world. — “The true light” means the authentic light which is Jesus
“The world” can have several meanings in John’s Gospel. The first is ‘universe’ which is the meaning in this verse. Jesus is “the true light” and he will be coming into the universe at the incarnation (“the Word was made flesh”, verse 14).
“He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not.” — “The Word” incarnate, Jesus, was in the universe which he had created with the Father. But the ‘world of sinful people’ (a second meaning for “world”, Jn. 3: 17) did not recognise or acknowledge him.
“He came to his own home” — He came into the world of the Jews, “his own home”.
“and his own people received him not.” –A very good example of this is in chapter 8, verses 23 to the end where Jesus is in dispute with Jews whom he accuses of belonging to this world of sin, of planning to kill him, whose father is the devil, the father of lies, who accuse him of being demon–possessed and who take up stones to throw at him. In Jn. 10: 31 they will take up stones a second time.
12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God; 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
“But to all who received him, who believed in his name” — To “receive” Jesus is “to believe in his name” which means to have faith, that is to accept that he is the Son of God and the long–promised Messiah and make a commitment to be attached to him. “Name” refers to the person, not just his title or how he is called.
“he gave power to become children of God;” — Those who do believe that Jesus is the Son of God and the Messiah will have life through him (Jn. 20:31). This will be a share in his divine life and so they will be the “children of God”. (Jn. 3: 5–8).
“who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” — People become “children of God”, with supernatural life, not by natural birth from women (“blood”), nor by sexual desire (“the will of the flesh”), nor by man’s determination (“the will of man”) but by God’s decision. (See Ws. 7: 1–2). This new birth is spiritual and referred to as ‘the adopted children of God’.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us,” — These few words tell us, better than any others, who Jesus Christ is. He is the “The Word of God”, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, who fully divine from eternity, assumed a human body in time and lived as a human being on this earth.
A more accurate translation than “dwelt among us” would be “and pitched his tent among us”, a reference to the Tent of Meeting where God lived for a while during the Exodus (Ex. 25: 8).
“full of grace and truth;” — When “the Word” became flesh in Jesus he was “full of grace and truth.” By “grace” the incarnate Word was full of love that he wished to share to redeem and bring salvation to sinful man and make mankind “children of God”. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains what “grace” means for those whom he calls: “Grace is favour, the free and undeserved help that God gives us to respond to his call to become children of God, adoptive sons, partakers of the divine nature and of eternal life”“ (CCC, 1996).
“The Word” reveals the Godhead and so reveals the truth about God. Jesus is “the Word made flesh” and “in Jesus Christ, the whole of God’s truth has been made manifest”. “Full of grace and truth,” he came as the “light of the world.” He is the Truth (Jn 14: 6).
By “truth”, Jesus enlightens, give light, understanding to the mind to know God better, to see mankind as it should be understood, at least in a better way, in a new light, his light.
“we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.” — “Glory” means the presence of God visibly manifest. God did not allow his presence to be seen and so a cloud covered where he was. God’s presence was seen in his incarnate Son, Jesus Christ.
This “glory” was seen at the transfiguration by three of the apostles but it was also seen in his miracles and teaching and in the crucifixion and resurrection, to which Jesus referred several times as his “glorification”.
“Glory as of the only Son” declares that the glory of “the Word”, the Incarnate Son is that of the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity in his fully divine and eternal state. John is emphasising that Jesus is fully divine. He was totally aware of this (Jn. 5: 18; 10: 30–38; 20: 28). The emphasis should not be that Jesus has a real body of flesh and blood, but that his divine nature resides in a human body. The divinity may never be sidelined.
15 (John bore witness to him, and cried, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, for he was before me.’”)
(John bore witness to him, and cried, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, for he was before me.’”) — This verse is enclosed in brackets to show that it is inserted here where it is not part of a stanza. It is taken from Jn. 1: 30. It is placed here to bear witness to the incarnation mentioned in the previous verse.
John the Baptist testifies that Jesus ranks before him as greater because he existed in his divine state from eternity (Jn. 1: 1; 8: 58; 17: 5). This is his first “testimony” in John’s Gospel. It is an interlude in the Prologue.
FOURTH STANZA — Meaning of the Incarnation
16 And from his fulness have we all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.
“And from his fulness have we all received, grace upon grace.” — From the divinity and humanity of Jesus all have received the two blessings, “grace upon grace”, of the New Covenant through Jesus (the first “grace” mentioned here), as well as the blessings of the Old through Moses (the second “grace” mentioned).
“For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” — God gave the blessings of the Old Testament Law through Moses (the second “grace” mentioned) who received it from him on Mt. Sinai. The New Testament grace came through the incarnation of divinity in Jesus. “The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven.” From his conception, Christ’s humanity is filled with the Holy Spirit, for God “gives him the Spirit without measure.” From “his fullness” as the head of redeemed humanity “we have all received, grace upon grace” (CCC, 504).
“Jesus Christ” — this is the first time in the prologue that his name has been explicitly mentioned.
“No one has ever seen God;” — God is a pure spirit and so cannot be seen with human eyes. Jews were very strict holding this truth. When Moses asked to see the glory of God, he was told — “You cannot see my face; for man shall not see me and live.” And the LORD said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand upon the rock; and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by; then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back; but my face shall not be seen.” (Ex. 33: 18–23).
“the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.” — “The only Son”, more often referred to as “the only–begotten Son”, and in these verses also called “the Word”, is the one who has made him known. That is the function of “the Word” who continues that role in his incarnate state, Jesus Christ.
“in the bosom of the Father” — This has been translated as “who is nearest the Father’s heart”.
APPLICATION
If the question were asked, ‘Why did God become a human being?’ the answer is simple, mentioned many times in the Gospels. God became man to redeem and save sinful mankind, such was his love for all people. “For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him” (Jn. 3: 17). CCC 456–463.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church answers this question (CCC, 456–463). Here are the headings:
CCC, 456: With the Nicene Creed, we answer by confessing: “For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven; by the power of the Holy Spirit, he became incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and was made man.”
CCC, 457: “The Word became flesh for us in order to save us by reconciling us with God, who “loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins”: “the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world,” and “he was revealed to take away sins”
CCC, 458: “The Word became flesh so that thus we might know God’s love: “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.”72 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
CCC, 459: “The Word became flesh to be our model of holiness: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me.” “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.”74 On the mountain of the Transfiguration, the Father commands: “Listen to him!”75 Jesus is the model for the Beatitudes and the norm of the new law: “Love one another as I have loved you.”76 This love implies an effective offering of oneself, after his example”.
CCC, 460: “The Word became flesh to make us “partakers of the divine nature”:78 “For this is why the Word became man, and the Son of God became the Son of man: so that man, by entering into communion with the Word and thus receiving divine sonship, might become a son of God.”79 “For the Son of God became man so that we might become God.”80 “The only–begotten Son of God, wanting to make us sharers in his divinity, assumed our nature, so that he, made man, might make men gods.”