I can imagine John, deep in thought, taking a walk through his adopted hometown of Ephesus. The last two decades had been a far cry different from his days in Galilee. Here the hustle and bustle of a large commercial center in the Roman Empire had drowned out the quiet memories of the homeland of his youth. But he would never, never forget them. Today they were fresh on his mind because he was observing the people around him. The people here appeared to be consumed with trying to be so important to themselves, to impress others, to make a buck at everyone else's expense. Where he grew up 55 years ago wasn't much different from that - until Jesus had come into the world. After that, every little event that had happened and every insignificant person Jesus had acknowledged stuck in his memory because Jesus had time for people and treated them right. And, most importantly, he represented God whose valued did not reflect those found on the Earth.
But here he was in the midst of an important Roman province where the Romans themselves were a ruthless, restless, and arrogant lot because of the extent of their great empire. The Greeks, whose city he was now living and walking around in, had a certain arrogance too, but for different reasons. They were the remnant of a worldwide empire whose glory years still appeared everywhere in their architecture and temples. They were a sophisticated people because they had established an educated citizenry. Ephesus had shared in that glory.
But as great as these two societies had been, both Romans and Greeks were guided by their own power and enlightenment even though they gave lip service to a pantheon of Gods. They failed to acknowledge that one God allows nations to rise and fall. They hadn't recognized the Maker of the world when he had arrived on his own created planet as light in the midst of darkness.
John Chaper 1
Verse 9
Ἦν τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινόν, ὃ φωτίζει πάντα ἄνθρωπον, ἐρχόμενον εἰς τὸν κόσμον
(He came into the world as true light, shining on everyone.)
John had for quite some time now wanted to write memoirs of a man who had had time to stop and affect people. He thought of Jesus - absent in the lives of most people of this city - but so ever present in the lives of those he had touched. Jesus had had time for people. He had changed people. John stopped his walk for a moment to watch people hustling around. For sure the people in Ephesus needed time with the Teacher. He wished they could feel his touch, change their lives, and know his spirit in their beings. Then they could understand the concept that people don't have to die. They could believe Jesus is God's son, escape from a world of death, and look forward to a world of life.
John last saw Jesus on the Earth somewhere between 29 C.E. and 33 C.E. From that point on, a tremendous turn of events had put Christianity on the path to become a worldwide religion. Paul had converted to Christianity within four years of Jesus' death, and by the 40s had begun his journeys through Asia Minor, including this city of Ephesus where John was now hurting for his fellow townspeople. For 25 years Paul had followed God's lead all over the north Mediterranean world spreading the news of Jesus. John had followed in some of Paul's footsteps and had ended up here in Ephesus. John interrupted his walk again to muse over the question of why so many people who had had exposure to Jesus through Paul's tremendous efforts wouldn't change. Why wouldn't they want to leave this world to go to their true home. Why wouldn't they recognize Jesus and accept what he had to offer?
Verse 10
ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ ἦν, καὶ ὁ κόσμος δι’ αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο, καὶ ὁ κόσμος αὐτὸν οὐκ ἔγνω
(He was in the world created at his hands, but the world didn't acknowledge him.)
John remembered feeling at Jesus' ascension into the heavens that Jesus' story was here to stay and would affect change in people's lives. Somewhere in the 50s the collection of stories called Mark began to be circulated to help the events of Jesus coalesce instead of dissipate into thin air. No longer would those events be merely a group of oral stories for centuries ahead to forget about. Paul helped the cause as well, going to the center of the empire, Rome itself, to affect the Master's change in the lives of people in the world's capital. Paul's story on the Earth ended there. He left for his new home from Rome. But the Romans had heard Paul tell them that Jesus had come to give them life and and an extraordinary place to go after their lives here had ended. What a model for everyone!
During all of this time, Peter also had worked hard in spreading the story of Jesus. He had ended up in Rome about the same time as Paul and closed his life on Earth near the same time. John himself had migrated to Ephesus about a decade after Paul had been there and had become the renowned leader of the faith in the commercialized coastal area of western Asia Minor. Yet even after almost 50 years after the presence of Jesus on the Earth and three great leaders to tell the people his story, here he was, wondering why so many people bustled about with no regard for the Teacher's touch.
John continued his walk through Ephesus thinking about how Jesus' story had come together even more with the efforts of Luke to recount Jesus' life and Paul's efforts for the people living in the northern Mediterranean. At about the same time, another Jewish writer, had written the story of Jesus' life for the Jews of Asia Minor, Greece, and Rome in the fading years of the century before Domitian became Emperor in 81 C.E. People called it Matthew because it had used stories circulated right after Jesus' life, the ones Mark recorded, but had added others from Matthew's connection to the family of Joseph. He felt grateful that the Christian faith had taken root in most of the provinces across the Roman Empire as a result.
Now times had begun to change. A really different kind of emperor had taken the seat of power in Rome who thought he was God. Eyewitnesses to Jesus' life had disappeared. Only he was left to combat this most imperious of all emperors to date. For a moment he thought he knew how Jesus must have felt.
Verse 11
εἰς τὰ ἴδια ἦλθεν, καὶ οἱ ἴδιοι αὐτὸν οὐ παρέλαβον
(He came to his own creation, but the people of his own creation didn't accept him.)
As the only remaining eyewitness to Jesus' life and teachings, death and resurrection, he resolved to take action. The people needed the Teacher's touch and his forgiveness. How could he convey that? Not through simply retelling the events of Jesus' story. That had been done. John needed to share the heart of Jesus, the mind and soul of the Son of God. He wanted people to believe that Jesus really had come in the flesh, died, and woken again to live. He wanted people to trust the stories already in circulation, the stories of forgiveness for wrongs against others and God. Someone needed to give insight to God's Imprint on humanity, the one who had been with God, who was God. His light had pierced the darkness never to be extinguished.
Besides the Romans and Greeks in this city needing the Master's touch, a group of Christians called Gnostics, had emerged who actually disclaimed that Jesus, the Son of God, had walked the Earth. Jesus had been only a man. God could never inhabit a man's body - his psyche, maybe, but not his body. They needed the real message of Jesus, and they needed his forgiveness.
John knew he had to quell that message. He had to tell the stories of real people with real personalities that had seen a real Jesus and been changed. Jesus had been authentic. His teaching was actually and exactly what God wanted for his creation. Who could really reject Jesus if they saw his heart fully and his father's unfailing love?
So, as John finished his walk and entered his house, he decided then and there that he would reach out to the people in Ephesus and the surrounding region. He would put pen to parchment telling of actual people who had encountered Jesus, one after another, and changed the course of their lives here and in the next life, that extraordinary place where he was waiting for them. He got excited to eloquently articulate and illustrate the mind, heart, and soul of Jesus and show that Jesus met people and changed each one.
Verse 12
οσοι δε ελαβον αυτον εδωκεν αυτοις εξουσιαν τεκνα θεου γενεσθαι τοις πιστευουσιν εις το ονομα αυτου
(But to all those that did accept him and believe who he was, he gave the power to become the children of God.)
John's telling of Jesus' goodness, forgiveness, and love has allowed every Christians who has succeeded him, including me, to see the one who changed the world. I can accept Jesus for who he was, believe and trust him, and receive the gift of the power to also become God's son.
And I do. I accept... and believe... and trust... and have been on the path of transformation... from grace to grace... from death to life!
[Introductory photo of reflection is found at http://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-child-children-little-boy-kissing-his-reflection-in-a-mirror-school-33689180.html]
[The first song is The Light of the World by Lauren Deigle. The second song is Grace to Grace by Hillsong Worship. The third song is Home by Chris Tomlin. The fourth song is Forgiveness by David Crowder. The last song is Behold by Hillsong Worship.]
[The Greek text used for the New Testament references is the Nestle Aland 28th edition]
[Translations from Greek are my own.]
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