When I was a very small child, my first encounter with the Bible was influenced by how I approached all other books. I began with page one. It did not, at that time, occur to me that the Bible, although bound as one book, was in fact sixty-six books.

And at that time I also had no understanding of the two testaments. And my first knowledge of scripture was "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." And what could be a more fitting way to begin a book, any book?

Or, for that matter, any story? Who here has NOT heard a story that begins "Once upon a time"?

And the Bible is, in a sense, a giant story, moving from the creation in Genesis in the Hebrew Scriptures to the apocalypse of Revelation in the new covenant. But within that story there are twists and turns, historical recalling of events, prophetic announcements of events to come. And sometimes it can all become confusing; but as we study the story, the confusion lifts, and understanding takes its place. But then, isn't the history of the world, and even the history of our lives, much like that? Full of twists and turns?

And when we focus too narrowly on our own lives, we can become confused; but the more we study our own lives, in a broader vision, the more likely it is that the confusion will lift, and understanding will take its place.

This morning I want to look at what, on the surface, might be confusing; but what for me, in a broader context, is enlightening. Because in the fourth gospel, the one according to John, we find the same opening we find in Genesis: "In the beginning." And in one sense we might find ourselves asking, "What is THIS doing here? Is the story starting over?" And for Christians there are two answers, which might seem to contradict one another. The first answer is that, yes, the story is starting over. Because with Jesus Christ there is a new beginning in a spiritual sense. But the second answer is that, no, the story is not starting over; it is simply continuing.

Yet, to follow that answer, we must immerse ourselves in the life of Jesus and then throw ourselves back in time to the creation. And then hear the words, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being."

In all of my reading and study I have found nothing more complex, more overwhelming, more elusive, more all- encompassing, than an understanding of the concept of "the Word."

But in this passage, it is sufficient for my belief that Jesus was the Word, that Jesus was in the beginning with God, and that Jesus was God.

But there is a continuity in "the Word." It was not only in the beginning, but is a continuing presence.

"What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it."

In God incarnate in Jesus was human life. And in that human life was the light of truth for us. And that light of truth continues to shine for us; and the darkness of evil has not, and cannot, overcome it.

We all know of the major prophets of the Hebrew Scriptures: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel. And we may even know some of the dozen minor prophets. But we tend to forget that John the Baptist was more than one who baptized. He was in fact the end of a long line of those who had been prophesying the coming of the Christ. And his presence in the scripture assists us in forging the link between the two testaments.

But when John's gospel introduces us to him, and explains his mission, that mission can be read in two ways. It can be read as the mission that all Christian pastors should be undertaking.

But it can also be read as the mission that ALL Christians should be undertaking. Hear the words:

“There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light."

But we can also read this to say that John was commissioned by God, was called upon by God, and that is how I believe Christian pastors should view themselves. But the next sentence speaks to all of us.

We can ALL provide testimony, in the lives we lead; we can all bear witness to the light; we can all provide a means for others to believe through us. But finally, look at that sentence that begins, "He himself was not the light..." This should be a sobering thought for all of us. It should be an especially sobering thought for Christian pastors. But how often do we find those who seem to have forgotten? How often do we find those who seem to believe that THEY are the light, when the very most we can do is testify to the light?

Frequently, when we have political campaigns, I have difficulty getting very excited about those running for office. And the reason for this is that I too often see too much of candidates testifying to themselves rather than testifying to the truth.

But then, maybe I ask too much when I look for a candidate who, like John the Baptist, could say, "I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness." If candidates did that, would we listen?

But to what was John testifying?

"The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world."

And I really like that definition of "true light," because it tells us what anything other than the true light is. If the light does NOT enlighten EVERYONE, it is not true.

And we are told that "He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him."

Now, put this way, this may sound very strange. But I've heard the expression, addressed to someone overlooking the obvious --and boy, did my Dad have a good time using it on his children--"If it were a snake, it would have bitten you."

I have also heard the statement, "You wouldn't know the truth if someone beat you over the head with it." So maybe that scriptural statement isn't all that strange to us. But you may say, "Sure, we say those things, but in the real world, does it really mean anything?

Can we see the truth when it is staring us in the face?

And we are told that Jesus "came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him."

Now, we know of his ultimate rejection in his crucifixion; but not only was he rejected by the Jewish leaders, he was also rejected when he taught at the synagogue in his home town of Nazareth.

In the thirteenth chapter of Matthew we learn that the people couldn't understand where this local boy picked up this knowledge and wisdom, so they were offended by him.

"But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God."

And that passage is written to us as well. But to receive Jesus we must be OPEN to receiving him. And that might take some work. We have to let down the barriers of resistance. What he has to say to us may not be in tune with everything we experience in this world.

It may be radically different.

But to believe in his name is to literally believe that he will save us from our sins. And the result is to be radically changed. For to become the children of God, to be born of God, is to be born in a spiritual sense that transcends any physical sense of birth.

Just as the Word, the light that shines in the darkness, was in the beginning with God in the creation, so to be born a child of God is to be born in that Word, in that Light, in a truth that transcends anything that we can know in this physical world.

But God tried to make this easy for us.

"And the word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth."

We don't have to grope through the vast expanse of time and space to try to figure out who or what God is. God has taken on human identity. God has become one of us. And fulness of God was within that human person. And we have SEEN God in the incarnation.

We have HEARD God speak to us in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. Could God have made it any easier for us?

"John testified to him and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, "He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me."

But the words are too simple. Because we know that John is telling us that the one who comes after him is GREATER than he. And this is a greatness that transcends human time. For Jesus was with God in the beginning BEFORE time and outside of time.

Such presence is in truth incomprehensible to us, and can be grasped only in the human presence of the incarnate Christ. But it is our responding to that human presence that opens the possibilities for our relationship to the eternal.

"From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace."

But just what is "grace upon grace"? Or better yet, just what is "grace"? Well, for me, "grace" is the undeserved gift, of which I am unworthy, which I have not earned. Life itself is grace. And "grace upon grace" is unlimited, inexhaustible grace.

And how do we know we have this? Because, for me, Jesus was the original grace of God. When God became flesh and lived among us, God went out of the way to show US the way. Not because we deserved it; but in fact because we DIDN'T deserve it.

And what could be a greater gift than that given to someone who has proved that he or she doesn't deserve the gift?

But consider the contrast.

"The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."

For years we had struggled along trying to earn God's grace by following laws--and not doing a very good job of it. With the arrival of Jesus came a new salvation. Even the FACT of Jesus was a sign of God's grace. But the life and teachings of Jesus magnified that grace infinitely. And in Jesus we saw God acting out the lives we should all be leading. We were sent a teacher, an example, and a redeemer. Not only were we told what to do; we were SHOWN how to do it.

But there is a finishing touch.

"No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart, who has made him known."

And much like John the Baptist, Jesus was sent from God, for testimony, to testify to God, that all might believe through him. But unlike John, Jesus WAS the light.