John begins his Gospel not with Jesus' birth, but by declaring that Jesus is the eternal Word who existed before creation. The Greek concept of Logos represented the organizing force of the universe, while Jewish understanding saw God's Word as powerful and creative. John's revolutionary claim is that this Word became flesh in Jesus Christ, making God accessible to humanity. Though many rejected Jesus because His light exposed their spiritual darkness, those who receive Him become children of God through faith, not works. Jesus serves as our temple, priest, and sacrifice, making religion unnecessary because we have direct relationship with God as His adopted children.
