After Stacy had slapped Pastor Mark, Chad was concerned, not about Mark but about the kids who had to watch this unfortunate conflict. Nonetheless, he asked his friend John to read the final Bible verses from the book of John.
“We have only one more section from the Bible to read today, and then I will explain the entire purpose of all these verses we have read from Matthew, Luke, and John. John, I’d like you to proceed with John chapter 1, verses 1 to 18,” said Chad.
John 1:1-18 from NET Bible
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was fully God. 2 The Word was with God in the beginning. 3 All things were created by him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of mankind. 5 And the light shines on in the darkness, but the darkness has not mastered it.
6 A man came, sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that everyone might believe through him. 8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify about the light. 9 The true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was created by him, but the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to what was his own, but his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who have received him—those who believe in his name—he has given the right to become God’s children— 13 children not born by human parents or by human desire or a husband’s decision, but by God.
14 Now the Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We saw his glory—the glory of the one and only, full of grace and truth, who came from the Father. 15 John testified about him and shouted out, “This one was the one about whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is greater than I am, because he existed before me.’” 16 For we have all received from his fullness one gracious gift after another. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came about through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. The only one, himself God, who is in closest fellowship with the Father, has made God known.
After John had finished reading, Chad explained the reason he chose these verses from the gospels and how they are all connected.
"It may surprise you, but I noticed something for the first time in my life as I was reading through the four gospels. Although they start at different places in the story of Jesus, they all have a theme about being born differently. Matthew and Luke cover the unusual story of how Jesus was born of the virgin named Mary. The specific issue of Jesus not having a biological father because God was his father instead is most unusual.
Another unusual thing is that John the Baptist’s birth was unusual because Zechariah and Elizabeth were old and could not have children for many years. The books of Mark and John don’t talk about the birth of Jesus or John but start with what they did as adults. In any case, it is clear that John knew who Jesus was and told everyone to be ready for him. John also knew that Jesus existed before him, even though he was conceived by Elizabeth six months prior to the angel visiting Mary and telling her she was going to be the mother of Jesus.
Someone has to read all four gospels even to get a coherent picture of everything that happened because they start in different places and tell different details. But most importantly, I realized that the Bible is not the Word of God, but that Jesus is the Word who was with God and was also fully God. The Word became flesh, which means Jesus took a human form when he was conceived by his mother Mary after the visit from the angel.
I can see that humans were all trying to write down the story of Jesus from their perspectives. It also appears they made an error when including the genealogy of Jesus because he was not created by human parents but, just as John said, he existed before John the Baptist did and was with God in the beginning of all things before anything was created.
But the most amazing thing to me is that the book of John explains in verses 12 and 13 that we can become children of God by the decision of God, and it doesn’t matter who your biological parents were or when they decided to have you.
And I wanted everyone to know that I think it is important for people to read the Bible and understand these stories, not because the Bible is God’s Word, but because it covers the life and teachings of Jesus, who is the actual Word of God. I live my life always pondering the question: “What would Jesus do?” and I thought understanding this could be the most important thing I tell you since I was asked to be part of this ministry," said Chad.
