By Stephen Beale, Catholic Exchange - The first three gospels are firmly grounded in the historical Jesus. John is too, of course, but his initial perspective is a cosmic one. He looks back to the Jesus present at the beginning of time. The first verses of the Gospel of John are heavy with universal concepts—creation, nothingness, life, light, the human race, darkness, the world, flesh, glory, grace, and truth. Behind them stands eternal being itself: the Word who is with God and is God.