In the first 18 lines of John, the story of Jesus is introduced with a jarringly short and emphatic summary of the story from the beginning of time to the birth of Christ. This passage formalizes the concept, most subtly suggested in Genesis, that language precedes nature. Although we view words as human intellectual inventions in our daily lives, John asks us to take a leap of faith and believe that the Word existed before the physical universe, that the names of objects existed before the objects themselves. His statement that "the Word was God" shows that at the heart of his perception of religion is ultimate abstraction. John's opening passage serves to distance God from nature. It creates a clear division between the abstract realm of spirit and the physical world. Before beginning the story of Christ, John establishes that the realm of abstraction was the original state of the universe. When Jesus introduces the idea that it is with thoughts of this world that we should live our lives, his statement is already legitimized by this statement. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay John's description of the birth of Christ is simply "And the Word became flesh" [1.14]. Jesus is the embodiment of his own teachings, which existed before him. Later, Jesus' teachings echo this theme: "It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life" [6.63]. Instead of exalting himself as a man, he constantly focuses attention on his words. He defines himself as a messenger sent by God, whose function is to teach and spread the word of God. "You have already been purified by the word I spoke to you" [15.3]. According to Jesus himself, it is his words that bring about a change in the hearts of his followers; his physical presence is irrelevant. Although his miracles are a test for those with little faith, it is the otherworldly promise of his message that attracts his disciples. Jesus comes to them directly from that world of Word and spirit, offering the possibility of following him to their most distant origins, already outlined from the beginning of John. Jesus' personal rejection of the physical world is evident throughout the text. He is not subject to the natural desires that normal men live with. At 4.32 he states: "I have food to eat that you don't know about." He can resist hunger because his nourishment comes from the world of the spirit. In addition to ignoring the laws of the physical world by turning water into wine and healing the sick, he is untouched by many of the natural emotions that influence human behavior; both lust and the desire for revenge are unknown to him. Most amazing, however, is his ease in overcoming death, the inevitable fate of all living beings in nature. In John, Jesus is the personification of his own teachings, not a man of flesh and blood like his disciples. He is a being of pure spirit who does not live by the rules of nature as those among him did. However, Jesus offers himself as a substitute for nature, saying: "...my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink" [6.55]. Furthermore, it suggests that even the most innocuous and seemingly necessary parts of the physical world are somehow false. He wants his followers to have faith that the spirit world is indeed the force that sustains life. He preaches to his followers: "Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, no one can enter the kingdom of God... One must be born from above" [2.5-2.7]. Their salvation lies in the rejection of nature and the emulation of an impossible ideal. Christ's preaching of spiritual rebirth is closely linked to the.