JOHN’S PROLOGUE #1 : LOGOS, LIFE AND LIGHT ADDITIONAL NOTES
READING SCRIPTURE THROUGH THE CRUCIFIED AND FORGIVING CHRIST
Objective
To understand John's vision of Jesus as the word/Logos through whom all things were made, and to discover that the deepest reality of creation is not conflict or domination but the life and light revealed in Christ.
Text: John 1:1–9
Opening Reflection: Reflective study for group if desired
Before we read the text, just take a moment:
What has felt like light in your life this week?
What has felt like darkness?
As we read, we’re listening for John’s claim that light is already present in the world—and darkness is not the final word.
Text : John 1:1–9
The Word Became Flesh
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome[a] it. 6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.
The Gospel of John
The Gospel of John is one of the most profound and carefully crafted books in the New Testament. While traditionally associated with John the son of Zebedee, many scholars believe it was written by a highly sophisticated author or community closely connected to the Johannine tradition.
The author is a master of language, symbolism, and layered meaning. Simple words such as light, life, truth, glory, and word carry remarkable depth and are used throughout the Gospel to reveal who Jesus is.
Near the end of the book, the author tells us why the Gospel was written:
"These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." (John 20:31)
But what are we being invited to believe?
John's answer unfolds throughout the Gospel: Jesus is the full revelation of God. In him we see that God is not violent, coercive, or retaliatory, but is revealed through self-giving love, forgiveness, and truth.
For John, the Cross is the central event of history. It is not simply something that changes individual lives. It is the moment that exposes the violence, fear, and scapegoating that shape human society while simultaneously revealing the true character of God.
Everything in the Gospel moves toward the Cross and is illuminated by it. The Cross is not merely the end of the story—it is the lens through which the entire story is understood. Through the crucified and risen Jesus, John invites us to see God, ourselves, and the world in a completely new way.
The Prologue as an Early Christian Hymn
Many scholars believe John 1:1–18 is an early Christian hymn. In Greek, its poetic structure, repetition, and rhythm suggest it may have been used in worship before becoming part of the Gospel.
Within the hymn, the references to John the Baptist (1:6–8; 1:15) interrupt the flow and are often seen as later insertions into the original hymn.
This appears intentional. The author wants to emphasise the importance of John the Baptist as a witness. He is not the light itself, but the one who points to the Light. His role is to direct attention to Jesus, the central figure of the hymn.
Light and Life in John
Key terms like light, life, and word carry theological, poetic, and symbolic weight all at once, so each phrase can work on more than one level. This gives the Gospel a richness where simple language is used to express very deep ideas.
Through The Eyes Of The Crucified John is not just telling a story—he is shaping language so that it continually points beyond itself, which ultimately gets interpreted through the cross.
Light
For John, light is not simply about knowledge, morality, or being religious. Light reveals reality as it truly is in Jesus.
Light exposes what is hidden. It reveals the ways people blame, exclude, and scapegoat others to create a sense of unity or security.
Jesus does not overcome darkness through force or violence. Instead, he exposes violence by refusing to participate in it.
The Cross is the fullest expression of this light. It reveals the innocence of the victim and exposes the false belief that peace can be achieved through violence.
So light is: Revelation without violence — truth that exposes illusion without coercion
Life
Life is more than simply being alive. In John's Gospel, life is sharing in the life of God revealed in Jesus.
This life becomes possible when people are no longer trapped by fear, blame, and retaliation.
It is a life that is not built on exclusion, enemies, or victims. Instead, it is rooted in forgiveness, reconciliation, and peace.
The resurrection shows us this life most clearly. Jesus returns to those who abandoned him, not with revenge, but with peace and forgiveness.
Life, then, is sharing in the loving and nonviolent life revealed in the crucified and risen Christ.
Heraclitus c.535-475 B.C.E
Heraclitus was a Greek philosopher who used the word logos to describe the deep order that holds the world together.
He believed that reality is shaped by the tension between. opposites: life and death, day and night, war and peace. For Heraclitus, conflict (polemos) was not a problem to overcome but a necessary part of how the world works.
He even called conflict "the father of all things," believing that order and harmony emerge through struggle and opposition. John uses the same word, logos, but gives it a very different meaning. The Logos is Jesus Christ, through whom all things were made. Reality is not ultimately grounded in conflict, rivalry, or struggle, but in the self-giving love and life revealed in Christ. The deepest truth about the world is not polemos (conflict), but communion, peace, and love.
So in summary:
Logos = structuring principle of reality
Reality is defined by constant change and tension
Opposites and conflict are not accidental but constitutive of the world’s structure
Harmony exists, but it is often understood as emerging through struggle rather than self-giving love
This is precisely why John’s Gospel is so striking: it takes a familiar philosophical term (logos) and re-centres it not in cosmic conflict or abstract reason, but in the person of Jesus, whose identity is revealed in self-giving , nonviolent love rather than rivalry or strife.
Fragments from the writings of Heraclitus:
The Logos was the principle by which:
“Things which are put together are both whole and not whole, brought together and taken apart, in harmony and out of harmony; one thing arises from all things, and all things arise from one thing (Frag. 10).”
Humanity is unaware of this structuring principle:
“Men have no comprehension of the Logos, as I've described it, just as much after they hear about it as they did before they heard about it. Even though all things occur according to the Logos, men seem to have no experience whatsoever, even when they experience the words and deeds which I use to explain physis (nature), of how the Logos applies to each thing, and what it is. The rest of mankind are just as unconscious of what they do while awake as they are of what they do while they sleep “ (Frag 1).
“On the one hand war is the father of all, on the other, the king of everything. On the one hand it designates Gods, on the other, it shows who is human. On the one hand it makes men slaves, on the other, it makes them free” (Frag. 53).
“It is necessary to understand that war is common, strife is customary, and all things happen because of strife and necessity.” (Frag 80)
The background to John's use of the word Logos ("Word") is rich and complex. While many people connect it to Greek philosophy, the idea also has deep roots in Jewish thought and Scripture. Themes such as God's creative word, divine wisdom, and God's self-revelation may all stand behind John's language.
It is likely that the author is drawing on both Jewish and wider Greek ideas, reshaping them around Jesus Christ. Exploring all these backgrounds would take us beyond the scope of this study. For now, it is enough to recognise that Logos is a rich and carefully chosen term that carries deep meaning for John's readers.
Resources for Further Study
Books
The Jesus Driven Life - Michael Hardin
Theology beyond Metaphysics - Anthony Bartlett
Courting Betrayal - Helen Orchard
Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World - Rene Girard