John 1:1,14 | Marian Jordan Ellis

Summary

Marian Jordan Ellis explores two pivotal scriptures from the Gospel of John, focusing on the concept of 'The Word' as both God and Jesus in human form. These passages from John 1:1 and 1:14 highlight the divinity of Christ and his role as the physical embodiment of God's voice and presence. Through an examination of the context, content, and the call to believers, Ellis emphasizes the importance of understanding Jesus' divine nature and the miracle of him becoming flesh. The video encourages viewers to meditate on these passages, urging them to marvel at the grandeur and glory of Jesus Christ.

Highlights

• The passage starts with 'In the beginning,' echoing Genesis to emphasize the eternal nature of 'The Word.' 🌟
• John's Gospel uniquely stresses the deity of Christ, setting it apart from the synoptic gospels. 🕊️
• Understanding Jesus as 'The Word' is key to grasping his divine mission and presence. 🌠
• John 1:14 describes the profound mystery of God taking on human flesh and living among us. 🏠
• The call to action in these passages is to stand in awe and engage deeply with the nature of Christ. 🙏

Key Takeaways

• The Gospel of John emphasizes Jesus' divine nature and his identity as God. ✨
• 'The Word' is a title that signifies Jesus as the ultimate expression of God's will and presence. 📖
• Believers are called to trust, believe, and marvel at Jesus, who is the Word made flesh. 🙌
• John's Gospel begins with the cosmic Christ before creation, unlike other Gospels. 🌌
• Meditating on John 1:1,14 reveals the profound miracle of God becoming human. 🤯

Overview

Marian Jordan Ellis delves into the Gospel of John, particularly focusing on the identity of 'The Word' as both God and the divine Jesus. These passages from John 1:1 and 1:14 offer a profound understanding of Christ's nature not just as a historical figure, but as the divine incarnate. Ellis highlights the importance of recognizing Jesus as 'The Word,' an ultimate embodiment of divine will and grace.

This exploration brings to light the distinct viewpoint of John's Gospel compared to Matthew, Mark, and Luke, which start with Jesus' birth. Instead, John begins with the cosmic Christ, existing before anything was created, which reinforces his deity. Ellis brings attention to the language and imagery used to describe Jesus, urging readers to contemplate the weight of 'The Word' becoming flesh.

Ellis challenges her viewers to ponder deeply and marvel at the incarnation – God taking human form to dwell among us. The video encourages a reflection on how this revelation should impact our faith, urging believers to trust and find awe in the sublime mystery of the divine made manifest in Jesus Christ. Through meditation and memorization, Ellis hopes to inspire a deeper spiritual journey into understanding and appreciating the magnitude of these biblical truths.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 00:30: Introduction to Five Minutes in the Word In the introduction to 'Five Minutes in the Word', Marian Jordan Ellis introduces the purpose of the series. She highlights the focus of the current session: two key scriptures from the book of John, specifically John chapter 1, verses 1 and 14. The aim is to memorize and meditate on these verses to gain a deeper understanding of Scripture.
• 00:30 - 01:00: Scripture from John 1:1 and 1:14 This chapter explores the significance of the Biblical scriptures John 1:1 and John 1:14. It discusses how 'the Word', which signifies Jesus in Christian theology, was with God and was God from the beginning of time. Furthermore, it addresses how 'the Word' became flesh and lived among humans, displaying divine glory and embodying grace and truth. The chapter aims to delve into the 'context,' presumably to unpack the deeper meanings and implications of these verses within a theological framework.
• 01:00 - 01:30: Understanding the Context Chapter 1 "Understanding the Context" delves into the importance of context when interpreting a passage from the Gospel of John. The chapter emphasizes that the Gospel of John is uniquely crafted to reveal Jesus not merely as a man or Savior, but as God Himself, highlighting its attempt to establish the deity of Christ. Unlike the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, which start with the birth of Christ, John's narrative begins earlier, setting a distinctive theological foundation.
• 01:30 - 02:30: Content: Meaning of the Word The chapter titled 'Content: Meaning of the Word' begins by referencing the creation of the world with Jesus as the Word, connecting the gospel of John to the book of Genesis. The chapter focuses on the phrase 'In the beginning,' which is meant to remind readers of the Genesis account of creation, 'In the beginning, God created.' This reference highlights the intentional link John makes between the gospel and the creation narrative, emphasizing the divine nature of Jesus as the Word through whom the world was spoken into existence.
• 02:30 - 03:30: Jesus as the Word Made Flesh The chapter delves into the concept of Jesus as 'the Word made flesh.' It interprets the notion of 'the Word' as used in theological context, highlighting that the term signifies Jesus as an embodiment and expression of God's heart, mind, will, and emotions.
• 03:30 - 04:30: The Call to Trust and Believe This chapter emphasizes the divine nature of Jesus Christ, explaining that seeing Jesus is equivalent to seeing God Himself. It highlights the importance of recognizing Jesus as God in the flesh, as introduced in the Gospel of John. The chapter mentions the miracles Jesus performed and His sacrificial death for humanity's sins, underscoring the necessity of understanding Jesus' divine identity.

John 1:1,14 | Marian Jordan Ellis Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 Hi, my name is Marian Jordan Ellis and I want to  welcome you to five minutes in the Word. Today,   we're looking at one of the best passages in the  Bible if you really want to unlock Scripture. And   we're looking at 2 scriptures from the book  of John that we're going to be memorizing   and meditating on this week. And it's from John  chapter 1 verse 1 and verse 14. Let's look at it
• 00:30 - 01:00 together. Verse 1, "In the beginning was the Word,  and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."   Let's look at verse 14, "The Word became flesh  and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His   glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came  from the Father, full of grace and truth." So   when we look at these passages, we want to look  at three things. The context, means what is the
• 01:00 - 01:30 setting? The content, what is it about? And the  call, what does it ask us to do? So first of all,   the context. This is crucial when we're looking  at this passage. It is from the book of John,   the Gospel of John. And the reason that's  important is because the Gospel of John is   written with a primary intention of revealing  Jesus, not just as a man, not just as Savior,   but as God Himself. It is set out to prove the  deity of Christ. All other gospels, Matthew,   Mark, and Luke, they begin in Bethlehem with  the birth of Christ. John's gospel begins before
• 01:30 - 02:00 the creation of the world with Jesus as the Word.  Now, that brings us into our content. Let's look   at our content. First of all, it says three words,  "In the beginning." Now, for anyone who's opened   a Bible, those three words should automatically  bring to mind the book of Genesis, the book of   beginnings, where it says, "In the beginning,  God created." John is intentionally harking us   back to the creation of the world. And it says,  "In the beginning," when God spoke the world
• 02:00 - 02:30 into existence, there was "the Word. The Word was  God," okay? So he uses this title for Jesus called   the Word. And we don't go around calling people,  you know, adjectives or nouns. But what does this   mean? The Word is a way of saying, just as I would  use words to express my heart, my mind, my will,   emotions, what John is saying is that Jesus,  being the Word, He is the expression. He is
• 02:30 - 03:00 the revelation of God's heart, mind, will, who God  is. When you see Jesus, when Jesus is revealed,   you are seeing God Himself. Now this is huge,  okay? He says, "In the beginning was the Word,   and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."  So from the very start of John's Gospel, he is   telling us up front that this Jesus, who was going  to walk on water, who's going to perform miracles,   who's going to die for our sins, He is God in the  flesh and this is so important to understand. But
• 03:00 - 03:30 verse 14 picks up this and it says, "Not only  is this Jesus God before the foundation of the   world but here's the miracle in the heart of  Christianity. The Word, He became flesh. He   took skin on. He became one of us. He became a  baby, and then a toddler, and then a young man,   and then He ultimately became the One who walked  and talked and shared the kingdom of God, and
• 03:30 - 04:00 who went to a cross, who died for our sin. That  very Savior was God Himself." And it says that,   "We beheld." We saw His glory. When we see Jesus,  we see the Shekhinah glory of God the Father with   skin on. And we have seen God's grace and we  have seen God's truth. And what does this verse   call us to? We've seen the context. We've see the  content. But it calls us to trust Him. It calls
• 04:00 - 04:30 us to believe Him. It calls us, really for me,  to marvel. To absolutely stand and marvel at the   One who is the Word made flesh. And I pray today  as you are meditating on this passage and we are   memorizing it, that your heart would be so full  as you just see the beauty and the glory of Jesus.