Supporting Texts: Isaiah 9:6, 52:13; Matthew 28:20; Mark 10:45; Luke 22:44, 23:33, 24:39-40; John 10:30, 14:8-9, 17:5, 20:25, 28; Philippians 2:7; Hebrews 1:8-12.
In about the year 85 A. D., the Apostle John, now in his late sixties or early seventies, sat at his desk in the city of Ephesus and prepared to write. The light from the nearby window illuminated the small stack of expensive and blank parchments and his vial of ink. With his quill in hand and under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he wrote the words, “En arkē ēn ho logos, kai ho logos ēn pros ton Theon, kai Theos ēn ho logos.” While Aramaic was his native language, John had been a pastor for many years in this city, and the people in his church primarily spoke Greek, so I believe he wrote in Greek. The words, translated into English mean, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
God called John to write the fourth of four gospels about the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. He had read Matthew’s gospel, which depicts the Lord Jesus as the King of the Jews, the Messiah promised by God to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Matthew wrote to the Jewish people to urge them to trust in Jesus as their Messiah and filled his gospel with appropriate quotations from the Old Testament Scriptures that Jesus Christ, who was born in Bethlehem, descended from King David and was, therefore, the rightful heir to David’s throne.
He had also read Mark’s gospel and knew that Mark had framed his fast-moving and succinct gospel message for a Roman audience. Mark, who wrote under the guidance of the Apostle Peter, portrayed the Lord Jesus as God’s Servant, following Isaiah’s prophecy, “Behold, My servant will prosper, He will be high and lifted up and greatly exalted” (Isaiah 52:13) and quoting Jesus’ words, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). The Apostle Paul picked up on this theme in his epistle to the Philippians where he wrote that Jesus took upon Himself “the form of a bond-servant and being made in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:7).
In addition, he had studied Luke’s gospel, which portrays the Lord Jesus as a Man, a descendant of Adam, and included a genealogy of Jesus all the way back to Adam. Luke tells us about Jesus’ humble birth, a normal human birth, in the small town of Bethlehem. He speaks of Jesus’ presentation in the temple and of His growing up as a boy in Nazareth. Luke writes of Jesus’ very real agony in the Garden of Gethsemane where, during His fervent prayer, “His sweat became like drops of blood falling down upon the ground” (Luke 22:44). Luke tells us that while hanging on the cross, Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:33), and then granted eternal salvation to the repentant thief who was crucified beside Him. Later, after His resurrection, Luke reminds us that in His glorified body, Jesus said, “See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet” (Luke 24:39-40). As a human, Jesus was crucified and as a human, He rose from the dead.
The Holy Spirit chose John to write about Jesus, not as the King of the Jews, or the Servant, or a Man, but as God, God with full and complete deity, completely equal with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. In John’s gospel, Jesus said, “I and the Father are One” (John 10:30). In the Upper Room, on the night before His crucifixion, Philip, one of His disciples asked, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:8-9). In His prayer in the seventeenth chapter of John, Jesus said, “Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was” (John 17:5). John’s message is to believers. It is designed to strengthen their faith by knowing that the Savior who saved them is truly and really the all-powerful, omniscient, eternal, self-existent, and holy God. The eternal life of every born-again believer rests upon the eternal Lord Jesus Christ in whom they have believed.
His message is also to those who have not believed. John wants them to see that Jesus is their only hope of eternal salvation, the only hope of forgiveness and redemption. In order to be saved and be granted God’s gift of eternal life, they must repent, turn to Jesus, and trust completely in Him. In the twentieth chapter of his gospel, as he summarized his purpose for writing it, John wrote, “These have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:25).
Many of those who have written commentaries and other scholarly works on John’s gospel contend that John 1:1-18 is the prologue, which establishes the foundation and direction for the entire work. From those verses, I separate verse one through five and suggest that they serve as a preamble – a cornerstone that establishes the reality that the Jesus whom John reveals on the following pages is truly God, that He has existed from eternity, is entirely equal in every way with God the Father, has created the heavens and earth and all things, and that He has given light and life. We begin today with the eternal existence of the Word.
THE ETERNAL EXISTENCE OF THE WORD. John 1:1-2
In the Beginning. Mark’s gospel takes us back to the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, Matthew back to God’s covenant with Abraham, and Luke, back to Adam. John takes us back even further. He takes us back to the beginning. In Genesis, Moses, takes us to the beginning and the very instant of God’s creative work, but John takes us back even further and focuses on the Lord Jesus Christ. Much has been written about John’s use of the word “Word” to identify Jesus. Rather than keep you in suspense, let me take you directly to verse fourteen and show you that John unquestionably means that Jesus is “the Word,” because he wrote, “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”
So why did John not use the name Jesus in verse one? Many ideas have been proposed for this. Some say in the pagan world of Asia Minor, where John was the pastor, that philosophers used “word” as a way to discuss logic or reason, and John used this to help those from a pagan background to understand that Jesus was the epitome of reason and logic. Others suggest that John’s Hebrew background caused him to reflect on the vast number of times the Old Testament said words like, “Thus says the Lord” or, “and the Lord said…” He may have even been thinking of the first chapter of Genesis and recalled the number of times it is written, “and God said,” as the various parts of the universe were created. For example, in Genesis 1:3 we read, “Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.” What better way to express the power, authority, and dignity of the living God than by showing the power of His word?
But there is another reason I prefer. John called Jesus “the Word” because Jesus is both the revelation and the revealer of God. Words have the purpose of communication and the greatest and most perfect way for God to communicate His power, glory, existence, and attributes is through Jesus the Son, and so He is the Word. John is the only New Testament writer who calls Jesus, “Word” and only here in the first chapter of his gospel, in First John 1:1, and in Revelation 19. So, John takes us back to beginning where he introduces us to the Word. The Word, Jesus, was there in eternity before anything was created. Were we to build a working time machine, we could not go back here because there was no time, no space, no energy, and no material – they had not yet been created. We could not exist there – there is no gravity and no air to breathe. But if, through His grace, God allowed us to exist here, even temporarily, and He permitted our physical eyes to see the supernatural, we would see a brilliant, blazing form, and we would know Someone was there.
The Eternal Word. Since He is there before anything was created, we know that Jesus is eternal. All created things and beings have a starting point, but Jesus has always existed. Our finite and limited minds cannot understand this eternal existence. But, in order for Jesus to create all things, He had to exist before anything else existed. He existed eternally before His incarnation. He is the eternal, self-existent One. This is not the only place Scripture tells us of the eternal existence of Jesus. Isaiah the Old Testament prophet declares it as well: “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). Isaiah told Israel that their Messiah would be born and grow up as a child. This Son would be the Eternal Father. Only one member of the divine rinity was born: the Lord Jesus Christ, and He is identified as the Everlasting Father, an attribute He shares with God the Father.
The Old Testament prophet Micah also declares the eternality of the Son born in Bethlehem: “But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity” (Micah 5:2).
The Eternal Word Was with God. The second phrase of verse one is “and the Word was with God.” If we could go back to our earlier illustration of being able to exist before anything was created, we would be amazed to notice that not only do we see one brilliant, blazing form, whom we now know is the Word, or the Lord Jesus, we now see another blazing, brilliant, glorious form. Our eyes could only note the blinding glory, but we would see God the Father and God the Son, side by side, enjoying a close relationship they have had from all eternity.
The phrase, “The Word was with (pros) God,” means far more than merely that the Word existed with God; it gives the picture of two personal beings facing one another and engaging in intelligent discourse, and enjoying being in company with each other. This is what Jesus meant in a verse I quoted earlier from John 17: “Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was” (John 17:5). This, then are two of the three members of the eternal, self-existent Trinity. There is only one God, but in unity of the Godhead there are three eternal and coequal Persons, the same substance but distinct in necessary existence: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
The Eternal Word Was God. In the final phrase of verse one, John tells us that the eternal Word, the Lord Jesus Christ, was actually and entirely God, completely equal in every attribute with God the Father. The description of Jesus Christ has now reached its height in this third phrase of the opening verse. Jesus has existed for all eternity, He has enjoyed an eternal, face-to-face fellowship with God the Father, and, in addition, Jesus Christ is, was, and always will be God. This simple statement is possibly the clearest and most direct declaration of the deity of Jesus Christ.
The grammatical structure in the original language describes the nature of Jesus Christ, which He is of the same nature as the Father. This phrase was inspired by the Holy Spirit and shows precisely and plainly that Jesus was God in His very nature. The Scriptures declare that Jesus is God! The writer of Hebrews, quoting Psalms 45 and 102 wrote, “But of the Son He says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness above your companions.” And, “You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of Your hands; they will perish, but You remain; and they all will become old like a garment, and like a mantle You will roll them up; like a garment they will also be changed. But You are the same, and Your years will not come to an end” (Hebrews 1:8-12).
John’s purpose in revealing this truth is to have us respond as did Thomas, one of the Twelve, who concluded that Jesus is God. John records his response to the resurrected Christ by saying, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28).
Conclusion: Jesus Is God. In a summary or conclusion, John tells us that Jesus is the eternal, self-existent God and He has always existed as deity. He existed with God before the universe was created. Jesus Christ is equally co-eternal with the Father. This verse tells us that the Father and the Son are One, having identical attributes, yet exist as separate persons. The eternal existence of the Lord Jesus must not be overlooked or minimized.
THE CREATIVE POWER OF THE WORD. John 1:3
Jesus Christ Is the Source of Everything. This text tells us that the Lord Jesus has created everything. In creating “all things” Jesus shows His omnipotence and His omniscience. Since He is the Creator, He is distinct from His creation. God is not the gentle breeze or the majestic mountain or the peaceful glassy sea. He created them. All things, including all people owe their existence to Him. Believers and non-believers were created by Him. There is nothing that exists the He did not create. Yet, He is omnipresent, which means He is always with His creation. He did not create and then go far away, leaving His creation to run itself. He is continually present to providentially sustain and care for His creation. The Lord Jesus told His disciples that He would always be with them (Matthew 28:20).
Other texts from the Bible tell us that Jesus is the Creator. We read in Colossians 1:16, “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things have been created through Him and for Him.” Hebrews 1:2 says God “in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.”
As the Creator of All Things, Jesus Is Lord of All Things. Jesus told His disciples, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18). He has rightful authority over all creation. The Lord Jesus, who is life and is the source of all that have life: the life that every creature possesses is a result of the life of the Creator. In the Bible, creation is attributed to each person of the Trinity. Here, in the preamble to John’s gospel it is stated, “All things were made by him.” Elohim, the triune God, created the heavens and the earth. The Father planned, the Word was the agent, and the Spirit was the executor of the divine wisdom.” (Dr. Harry Ironside)
The present world we live in, is radically different from God’s original creation, which He declared to be “very good.” The original sin of Adam and Eve produced catastrophic results that affected not only the human race, but also the entire creation. Creation itself looks forward to its future redemption: “For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God” (Romans 8:19-21). Jesus, the One through whom all things came into being, will one day soon redeem and restore His creation which has been polluted and corrupted by sin. That is a day we eagerly anticipate!
These verses of John’s preamble to his gospel help us to understand that:
• Through Christ the Word, we can have real knowledge of God. Jesus Christ was and is and always will be God. If we want to know what the love of God, the holiness of God, or the power of God are like, we need only to look at Jesus Christ.
• Redemption is available to any who believe in Christ. The death of Christ is sufficient for all sinners who have ever lived, for it was not merely the death of an ordinary finite human, but the infinite God who died. He is the Life; He is the Sustainer of life; the One who did not have to die, yet chose to die a sacrificial death for the redemption of lost souls.
• God and believing humanity have been reunited. It was neither a powerful angel nor an amazing human being who came from God to the human race, but God Himself crossed sins’ wretched and wicked chasm in order to save us.
• The worship of Jesus Christ is altogether appropriate. He is not simply the highest of all creatures, but He is the Creator; He is God in every sense and to the same degree as the Father. He is, therefore, deserving of our praise, adoration, honor, and obedience, as is the Father.
We notice in this first chapter of John’s gospel that there are two types of people. Verse eleven tells us that there are those who do not receive the Lord Jesus as Lord. Although He came, they chose to ignore His appeals for them to turn to Him, yet instead they rejected Him. But there is a second group we discover in verse twelve. These are the ones who received Him and to them He gave the right to become children of God. In which of these two groups are you?
