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Christ-centred Education According to John's Gospel

Jerry Nelson | Chief Ministry Office at ACSI

While re-reading the Gospel of John, I approached it with fresh eyes, discarding notes and study aids to “see” anew. Unplanned, I spent a week on the first five verses. And then I thought to myself, “If I designed a school’s curriculum from scratch, these first five verses could define its core objectives or aims.” From this thought, I began to outline ten essential aspects of Jesus, the Word, that I would make central in our schools, demonstrating Paul’s affirmation that in Christ are hidden all the treasures of knowledge and wisdom.

  • The Eternality of the Word – “In the beginning was the Word.” (v.1.1a)
  • The Associations of the Word – “and the Word was with God.” – (v.1.1b)
  • The Identity of the Word – “and the Word was God.” (v.1.1c)
  • The Unity of the Word – “He was in the beginning with God.” (v.1.2)
  • The Word is the Blueprint – “All things were made through him.” (1.3a)
  • The Word is the Architect and Engineer – “and without him was not anything made that was made.” (1.3b)
  • The Word is the Sustainer (necessary, essential, sine qua non) – “In him was life.” (v.1.4a)
  • The Word is Wisdom/the Ultimate Guide – “And the life was the light of men.” (v.1.4b)
  • The Activity of the Word – “The light shines in the darkness.” (v.1.5a)
  • The Triumph of the Word (authority in all reality – heaven and earth) – “and the darkness has not overcome it.” (1.5b)
  • The Eternality of the Word – “In the beginning was the Word…” (v.1.1a)
  • The Associations of the Word – “And the Word was with God…” (v.1.1b)
  • The Identity of the Word – “And the Word was God.” (v.1.1c)
  • The Unity of the Word – “He was in the beginning with God.” (v.1.2)
  • The Word is the Blueprint – “All things were made through him.” (1.3a)
  • The Word is the Architect and Engineer – “And without him was not anything made that was made.” (1.3b)

So, if our schools are to be truly Christ-centred, then perhaps a good universal starting point is for us all to look at every aspect of our school and ask whether it reflects the complete picture of Jesus Christ presented in John’s opening.