The Word Behind Everything

Hey folks, 

Today we'll explore a concept that profoundly impacted both Jews and Greeks in the first century - Jesus as the Logos, the Word of God. This foundational truth not only bridges ancient philosophical traditions but reveals how Jesus fulfills humanity's deepest yearnings.

John 1:1, 14 "In the beginning was the Word... And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us."

John's use of "Word" (Logos) carries profound significance for both Jewish and Greek audiences: 

In Jewish thought, the Logos represented God's wisdom through which He created all things. Consider Proverbs 8, where wisdom is personified as present at creation, standing alongside God as He established the mountains and set the boundaries of the seas. John, the Gospel writer, is drawing his Jewish readers' attention to the reality that the creator of the universe was none other than Jesus of Nazareth. 

For the Greek mind, the concept of the “logos” resonated differently but no less powerfully. Greek philosophers had long sought the ultimate principle, the Divine reason governing all things. They observed a universe in constant motion yet maintained in perfect order, recognizing that such harmony demanded an organizing force, a supreme authority underlying reality. The Greeks search for the grand mind and unifying power behind the universe represents humanity’s universal search for absolute truth - for something…Someone that gives meaning to everything else. 

John's profound revelation is this: The very principle you seek became flesh and made His dwelling among us (John 1:14). The wisdom of God, the power sustaining the universe, the source of truth and moral law - this wasn't left as an abstract concept. He took on human form, entered our world, and His name is Jesus. 

This concrete reality cuts through centuries of philosophical speculation: Jesus is the Logos. He transcends the categories of teacher or moral exemplar. He is simultaneously the Creator of the universe and the one who entered it for our redemption. He is the fulfillment of what both Jewish scholars and Greek philosophers sought to understand.

Stay dialed in, 
Jonny Ardavanis