John is not referring to the creation narrative here. He is referencing the continuous revelation experience of the Christian life, which is contemporary all the time, new and fresh and vital, a continuous recreation that is eternal. It was always present—“the infinite Life of God”—but we only begin to experience it when we come to know Jesus.
John says this One from the beginning is a Person, and our faith rests upon our spiritual experience with that Person. Our faith does not rest simply on ideas or doctrinal statements. That is why becoming a Christian is not simply a matter of joining a Church, or believing a certain creed, or signing a doctrinal statement. Becoming a Christian is having a relationship with Jesus—one that is ever-evolving, ever-growing, ever-maturing.
John tells us that this eternal life was visible in the familial relationship of the Divine Parent and the Son. Jesus did not come to show us God; Jesus came to show us humanity related to God. As we look at the life of Jesus, we see a continual dependence on the Divine. Jesus keeps saying, “It’s not I who accomplishes these works, it is the Father who dwells in Me (John 14:10).” Jesus constantly reminds people that He says only what the Divine Parent is saying through Him, leading Him to think the thoughts and to say the things that God wanted Him to say. In doing this, Jesus expresses the mind of God.
It is that life that John is talking about—a new way of living, a new way of reacting to situations in dependence upon God.
This is a call back to truth. When we begin to drift, when some false concept creeps into our thinking or into our actions, we are to remember our call, our relationship and our purpose. It is all connected to our utter dependence on Christ, who reveals to us repeatedly the mind, the will and the heart of God.
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