Rick OgletreeTHE ETERNAL WORD, JESUS CHRIST, APRIL 28, 2013
THE ETERNAL WORD, JESUS CHRIST, APRIL 28, 2013
I. John 1:1-13: The Eternal Word, Jesus Christ.
A. When we consider the Gospels it is important for us to remember that Jesus was talking to Jews. The Jews were sure that there was only one God. The Romans had many Gods; that really troubled the Jews. When Jesus came on the scene he said some very controversial things to the Jews. He said that there is only one God, but He is in three persons, and “I’m one of them.” Jesus said, “I and the Father are One.” (John 10:30). Then He said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”(John 14:6). He added, “He who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9); and “I am in the Father and the Father is in Me.” (John 14:11) He added further controversy when He said, “the Father will give you another Helper; He’ll be with you forever; that is the Spirit; He abides with you and will be in you.” (John 14:16-17). To finish this discourse, Jesus added, “I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.” (John 14:20). When Nicodemus“in all of his Jewishness,” went to Jesus, Jesus said, “you must be born again, (from above).” (John 3:7). Later, when Jesus was speaking to a large crowd of Jews, He said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.” (John 6:44). Again, it wasn’t a anyone’s Jewishness that saved them; it was God, Who must draw them to Him, because all are alienated from Him by sin. Jesus added a sense of security to the Jews” minds of confusion when he said, “My sheep hear my voice and I know them, and they follow Me: and I give eternal life to them, and they will “never” perish; and “no one” will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. (that includes the one who has been given eternal life.) (John 10:27-29). Jesus was teaching that an intimacy of relationship would be necessary for anyone who would have eternal life. The following verses clearly show that intimacy means, “one in the other.” “Now the man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain.” (physical intimacy)(Genesis 4:1). “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.” And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus.” (both, physical and spiritual intimacy) (Matthew 1:23-25). “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” (a totally spiritual intimacy; a textbook definition of eternal life; an intimate relationship with God through Jesus). (John 17:3). Jesus made a very blunt statement about intimacy… “I never knew you.” (such a person “never” had an intimate relationship with Jesus, “Matthew 7:13).
B. The Deity Of Jesus is the theme of the Gospel Of John. The Godhead of Jesus is made very clear as it is in no other book of the Bible. Also written in Titus 2:13 is: “looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus.” In that, the Gospel of John affirms the Deity of Jesus, and is shown as follows in relationships:
1. 1:1: To time: “In the beginning,” Eternal. 2. 1:1: To the Godhead: “With God,” One of the Holy Trinity, 3. 1:1: To the Holy Trinity: “Was God,” the Revealer.
2. 1:3: To the universe: “All things were made by Him,” the Creator. 5. 1:4-5: To mankind: “Their Light,” 6. 1:6-9: Of John the Baptist to Jesus: “Witness of His Deity.”
3. 1:10-13: To the reception which Jesus met here: a. The world didn’t know Him. :10. b. Israel, His Own, didn’t receive Him. :11. c. Those who received Him were those who were born of God. :13.
C. John 1:1-3, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.”
D. As opposed to the Gospel writers, John immediately presents Christ, not as the Son of David, nor as the Son of Man, but as the Son of God. John goes back to the beginning and shows that the Lord Jesus had no beginning. John looks beyond creation and shows that the Savior was Himself, the Creator.
1. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1). “The Word was God,” A word is an expression. By words we articulate our speech. The Word of God, then, is Deity expressing itself in audible terms. “The Word was with God.” These words intimate His (Jesus) separate personality, and show His relation to the other Persons of the Trinity. “And the Word was God.” Not only was Jesus the Revealer of God, but He always was, and will ever remain, God Himself. Not only was Jesus, our Savior, the One through whom, and by whom, the Deity expressed Itself expressed Itself in audible terms, but He was Himself co-equal with the Father and the Spirit.
2. “In the beginning,” or, more literally, “in beginning,” because there is no article in the Greek. So, in what beginning? The “beginning” of John precedes the making of all things of John 1:3. Therefore, it is the beginning of “creation,” the beginning of “time.” The Word was before all things. He was not only “from the beginning,” but he was “in the beginning.”
3. “In beginning,” the absence of the definite article is designed to take us back to the most remote point that we can imagine. If then, Jesus, the Word, was before all creation, and He “was,” for “all things were made by Him;” if He was “in the beginning,” then He was Himself “without beginning.” which states that He is “eternal.” In perfect agreement with this statement, Jesus prays in John 17:5, “Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” We see that the Word was “in the beginning,” and if in the beginning, He was eternal, and as none but God Himself is eternal, the Deity of our Lord Jesus is confirmed.
4. “Was the Word.” As the Word, Jesus did not come into being, or begin to be, but He was “with God.” from all eternity.The “Word” was, that is. “existed” with God before time began.
5. “Was the Word.” The reference here is to the Second Person in the Trinity, the Son of God. We find in the following verse that Jesus is the final spokesman for God, the Father. “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son,” (Hebrews 1:1-2a). We can also see connected the Savior’s title as it is found in Revelation 1:8, “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty;” which intimates that He is God’s alphabet, the One who spells out Deity, the One who utters all that God has to say. Even more clear is that which is written in John 1:18, “No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.” The Word “explained,” means, “to unfold, reveal, make known, as a teacher.” Jesus is the One who is the Spokesman of God, and One who spelled out the Deity, the One who has declared or told forth the Father. It is Christ, then, who is the One who has made the incomprehensible God understandable. The force of this title of His found in John 1:1, may be discovered by comparing it with that name that is given to the Holy Scriptures, “the Word of God.” What, then, are the scriptures” They are the Word of God. Also, what does that mean? They mean that the Scriptures reveal God’s mind, express His will, make known His perfections, and tell of His heart. This is exactly what our Lord Jesus has done for the Father. But, let’s go a bit more into detail.
(a) A “word” is a medium of manifestation. You might have a thought, but no one else knows about it. But, the moment that you put that thought in words, it becomes understandable. So, words make unseen thoughts known. That is what Jesus did. As the Word, Jesus has made manifest the invisible God.
(b) A “word” is a means of communication. By words, you transmit information to others. By words, you express yourself, you make yourself known, and you impart knowledge. Jesus, as the Word, is the Divine Transmitter, and communicates to us the life and love of God.
(c) A “word” is a method of revelation. By our words, we display both our intellectual caliber and moral character. By our words, we are justified, and by our words, we are condemned. Jesus, as the Word, tells of the attributes and perfections of God. Jesus fully revealed God, as to His power, His wisdom, and His Holiness. He manifested His grace, and unveiled His heart. In Christ Jesus, and nowhere else, is God fully and finally “told out.”
1. “And the Word was With God.” The Word was toward, or unto God. This phrase tells of the Word’s separate personality. He was not, “in” God, but “with” God. The phrase does not say, “the Word was with the Father,” but “the Word was with God.” The word, “God,” is common to the three Persons of the Holy Trinity, whereas “the Father” is the special title of the first Person only. Had it said, “the Word was with the Father,” the Holy Spirit would been excluded; but “with God,” takes in the Word dwelling in eternal fellowship with both the Father and the Spirit. Notice, also, that it does not say, “And God was with God,” for while there is plurality of Persons in the Godhead, there is but “one God.” So, we have the accuracy of “the Word was with God.”
2. “And the Word was God.” More literally, it is, “and God was the Word.” (We are seeing the Divine glories of Christ.) The Holy Spirit continues, “and the Word was with God,” which denotes His separate personality, and intimated His essential relation to the Godhead. Then, the Holy Spirit adds, “the Word was God.” Who could express God, except Him who is God. The Word was not an emanation of God, but God, Himself, was made manifest; not only the Revealer of God, but God Himself revealed.
3. “The Same was in the beginning with God.” The “Same,” that is, the Word; “was,” that is subsisted, not began to be; “in the beginning,” that is before time began; “with God,” that is as a distinct Personality. It is not said that the Word was “in God;” He was eternally, “with God.” It is only in Christ that God is fully “told out.” In John 14:9, we read, “he that has seen me has seen the Father.”
II. (Will soon follow)
THE GOSPEL OF JOHN, INFORMATION, IDEAS, AND SCRIPTURE CROSS REFERENCES, APRIL 15, 2013
I. John 1:1-13: The Eternal Word, Jesus Christ.
A. When we consider the Gospels it is important for us to remember that Jesus was talking to Jews. The Jews were sure that there was only one God. The Romans had many Gods; that really troubled the Jews. When Jesus came on the scene he said some very controversial things to the Jews. He said that there is only one God, but He is in three persons, and “I’m one of them.” As a matter of fact, Jesus said, “I and the Father are One.” (John 10:30). Jesus said, “He who has seen me has seen the Father (John 14:9). He added further controversy when He said, “I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.” (John 14:20). When Nicodemus went to Jesus “in all of his Jewishness,” Jesus said, “you must be born again, (from above).” (John 3:7). Later, when Jesus was speaking to a large crowd of Jews, He said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.” (John 6:44). Again, it wasn’t a person’s Jewishness that saved them; it was God, Who must draw them to Him, because all are alienated from Him by sin. Jesus added a sense of security to minds of confusion when he said, “My sheep hear my voice and I know them, and they follow Me: and I give eternal life to them, and they will “never” perish; and “no one” will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. (that includes the one who has been given eternal life.) (John 10:27-29).
B. The Deity Of Jesus is the theme of the Gospel Of John. The Godhead of Jesus is made very clear as it is in no other book of the Bible. Also written in Titus 2:13 is: “looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus.” In that, the Gospel of John affirms the Deity of Jesus, and is shown as follows in relationships: 1. 1:1: To time: “In the beginning,” Eternal. 2. 1:1: To the Godhead: “With God,” One of the Holy Trinity, 3. 1:1: To the Holy Trinity: “Was God,” the Revealer. 4. 1:3: To the universe: “All things were made by Him,” the Creator. 5. 1:4-5: To mankind: “Their Light,” 6. 1:6-9: Of John the Baptist to Jesus: “Witness of His Deity.” 7. 1:10-13: To the reception which Jesus met here: a. The world didn’t know Him. :10. b. Israel, His Own, didn’t receive Him. :11. c. Those who received Him were those who were born of God. :13.
C. John 1:1-3, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.” As opposed to the Gospel writers, John immediately presents Christ, not as the Son of David, nor as the Son of Man, but as the Son of God. John goes back to the beginning and shows that the Lord Jesus had no beginning. John looks beyond creation and shows that the Savior was Himself, the Creator.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1). “The Word was God,” A word is an expression. By words we articulate our speech. The Word of God, then, is Deity expressing itself in audible terms. “The Word was with God.” These words intimate His (Jesus) separate personality, and show His relation to the other Persons of the Trinity. “And the Word was God.” Not only was Jesus the Revealer of God, but He always was, and will ever remain, God Himself. Not only was Jesus, our Savior, the One through whom, and by whom, the Deity expressed Itself expressed Itself in audible terms, but He was Himself co-equal with the Father and the Spirit.
“In the beginning,” or, more literally, “in beginning,” because there is no article in the Greek. So, in what beginning? The “beginning” of John precedes the making of all things of John 1:3. Therefore, it is the beginning of “creation,” the beginning of “time.” The Word was before all things. He was not only “from the beginning,” but he was “in the beginning.”
“In beginning,” the absence of the definite article is designed to take us back to the most remote point that we can imagine. If then, Jesus, the Word, was before all creation, and He “was,” for “all things were made by Him;” if He was “in the beginning,” then He was Himself “without beginning.” which states that He is “eternal.” In perfect agreement with this statement, Jesus prays in John 17:5, “Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” We see that the Word was “in the beginning,” and if in the beginning, He was eternal, and as none but God Himself is eternal, the Deity of our Lord Jesus is confirmed.
“Was the Word.” As the Word, Jesus did not come into being, or begin to be, but He was “with God.” from all eternity.The “Word” was, that is. “existed” with God before time began.
“Was the Word.” The reference here is to the Second Person in the Trinity, the Son of God. We find in the following verse that Jesus is the final spokesman for God, the Father. “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son,” (Hebrews 1:1-2a). We can also see connected the Savior’s title as it is found in Revelation 1:8, “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty;” which intimates that He is God’s alphabet, the One who spells out Deity, the One who utters all that God has to say. Even more clear is that which is written in John 1:18, “No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.” The Word “explained,” means, “to unfold, reveal, make known, as a teacher.” Jesus is the One who is the Spokesman of God, and One who spelled out the Deity, the One who has declared or told forth the Father. It is Christ, then, who is the One who has made the incomprehensible God understandable. The force of this title of His found in John 1:1, may be discovered by comparing it with that name that is given to the Holy Scriptures, “the Word of God.” What, then, are the scriptures” They are the Word of God. Also, what does that mean? They mean that the Scriptures reveal God’s mind, express His will, make known His perfections, and tell of His heart. This is exactly what our Lord Jesus has done for the Father. But, let’s go a bit more into detail. (a) A “word” is a medium of manifestation. You might have a thought, but no one else knows about it. But, the moment that you put that thought in words, it becomes understandable. So, words make unseen thoughts known. That is what Jesus did. As the Word, Jesus has made manifest the invisible God. (b) A “word” is a means of communication. By words, you transmit information to others. By words, you express yourself, you make yourself known, and you impart knowledge. Jesus, as the Word, is the Divine Transmitter, and communicates to us the life and love of God. (c) A “word” is a method of revelation. By our words, we display both our intellectual caliber and moral character. By our words, we are justified, and by our words, we are condemned. Jesus, as the Word, tells of the attributes and perfections of God. Jesus fully revealed God, as to His power, His wisdom, and His Holiness. He manifested His grace, and unveiled His heart. In Christ Jesus, and nowhere else, is God fully and finally “told out.”
“And the Word was With God.” The Word was toward, or unto God. This phrase tells of the Word’s separate personality. He was not, “in” God, but “with” God. The phrase does not say, “the Word was with the Father,” but “the Word was with God.” The word, “God,” is common to the three Persons of the Holy Trinity, whereas “the Father” is the special title of the first Person only. Had it said, “the Word was with the Father,” the Holy Spirit would been excluded; but “with God,” takes in the Word dwelling in eternal fellowship with both the Father and the Spirit. Notice, also, that it does not say, “And God was with God,” for while there is plurality of Persons in the Godhead, there is but “one God.” So, we have the accuracy of “the Word was with God.”
“And the Word was God.” More literally, it is, “and God was the Word.” (We are seeing the Divine glories of Christ.) The Holy Spirit continues, “and the Word was with God,” which denotes His separate personality, and intimated His essential relation to the Godhead. Then, the Holy Spirit adds, “the Word was God.” Who could express God, except Him who is God. The Word was not an emanation of God, but God, Himself, was made manifest; not only the Revealer of God, but God Himself revealed.
“The Same was in the beginning with God.” The “Same,” that is, the Word; “was,” that is subsisted, not began to be; “in the beginning,” that is before time began; “with God,” that is as a distinct Personality. It is not said that the Word was “in God;” He was eternally, “with God.” It is only in Christ that God is fully “told out.” In John 14:9, we read, “he that has seen me has seen the Father.”
THE GOSPEL OF JOHN, INFORMATION, IDEAS, AND SCRIPTURE CROSS REFERENCES, APRIL 15, 2013
The Gospel Of John, Information, Ideas, And Scripture Cross References.
Sources Of Information: Multiple Resources.
April 15, 2013
I. Date And Theme. The Gospel Of John is thought to have been written between A.D. 85 and A.D. 90. In the Gospel, we will find written such information that refer to the incarnation of the eternal Word of God/the Son of God, who is also Himself God, in Jesus the Christ/Messiah/Savior/Anointed One, who was to reveal God in the terms of human life; so that as many as would believe in Him as “the Christ, the Son of God,” may have life eternal. In John 20:31 we read, “but 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.” (“Christ,” meaning Messiah, Savior, Anointed One; key words of the scripture being “believing” and “life.”) For believers in Jesus as the Christ, the Apostle John writes the following in his first epistle (First John Chapter 5, verse 13). “But 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.” (again, key words in this passage are “believing” and “life.”)
II. Gospel Divisions. There are seven areas of teaching of the Gospel.
A. The prologue is written in Chapter 1, verses 1-14. It discusses the eternal Word that is incarnate in Jesus of Nazareth.
B. The witness of John The Baptist is written in Chapter 1, verses 15-35.
C. The public ministry of Jesus is written in Chapter 1, verse 35, through Chapter 12, verse 50.
D. The private ministry of Jesus to His Own is written in Chapter 13, verse 1, through Chapter 17, verse 26.
E. The sacrifice of Jesus is written in Chapter 18, verse 1, through Chapter 19, verse 42.
F. The manifestation of Jesus in resurrection is written in Chapter 20, verses 1 through 31.
G. The epilogue, Jesus as the Master and life and service, in written in Chapter 21, verses 1 through 25.
III. Duration of recorded events in the Gospel. The period of time was seven years, from A.D. 26 through 33.
IV. Scripture Cross References (XRs).
A. God revealing Himself in the terms of human life.
Isaiah 7:14: “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.”(Immanuel, meaning “God is with us.”)
Isaiah 9:6. “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.(Immanuel will be known as, “Mighty God” and “Eternal Father.”)
Matthew 1:23-25. “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.” And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus.(Immanuel, God with us, was born to the virgin Mary and given the name of Jesus.) B. Associated scriptures that amplify John 1:1-2.
John 1:1. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (The Word, the Logos, The Christ, was God).
John 1:1a. In the beginning was the “Word.” XR Revelation 19:13. “He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called “The Word of God.”(Christ, the Head of the church, is described as being on a white horse. (vs 11)) His name is “The Word of God;” (vs 13). This Word was God manifest in the flesh. Angels and saints follow, and are like Christ in their armor of purity and righteousness.(vs 14).)
John 1:1b. And the “Word was with God.” XR John 17:5. “Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.”(Jesus prays for God to glorify Him, and looks for glory in the cross. He sees this glory for which he prays as linked with His pre-incarnate glory with the Father. Here we see a clear statement of Christ’s pre-existence. This is also the statement that He had enjoyed a unique glory with the Father in that pre-existant state. Jesus would be glorified with the glory that He had “before the world was.”)
John 1:1c. And the “Word was God.”
a. XR Hebrews 1:8. “But of the Son He says,“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, And the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom.” (The Son is God and yet distinct from the Father.)
b. XR 1 John 5:20. “And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. (“we may know Him;” an intimate relationship, a definition of eternal life, John 17:3; “we are in Him,” literally indwelling in Jesus, Col 1:27; we, who are believers in Christ, are literally indwelling in the God head, and the God head is literally indwelling in believers in Christ, John 14:20; “He is the true God” clearly affirms the full divinity of Jesus.)
(1) John 17:3. “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” (This is an intimate relationship)
(2) Colossians 1:27. “to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Christ in you - a literal indwelling in believers by the Spirit of Christ)
(3) John 14:20. “In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.” (A mutual indwelling of the God head in believers in Christ, and of believers in Christ in the God head; in order for this to take place, a person must be born again/born from above, John 3:3.”)
(4) John 3:3. “Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (Born again/born from above)
(5) John 3:8. “The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (Consider how the wind blows, Who controls it, its direction, and its velocity, when it starts and when it stops. Consider the entire context of John 3:3-8).
JOHN 1:1-2/THE DEITY OF JESUS CHRIST, APRIL 14, 2013
The Deity of Jesus Christ
I. John 1:1: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Commentary References: Multiple Sources.
A. The first eighteen verses of the Gospel of John give the key to the understanding of his complete account, and make clear how the Apostle wishes his readers to approach his presentation of “The Person and work of our Lord Jesus,” which is known as Christology. In these verses, brought before us, will be some of the great thoughts that will be developed as the story unfolds, e.g., the excellency of Christ, who is the Word of God, the eternal strife between light and darkness, and the witness which is provided by the Apostle. However, the principal topic in these verses is the incarnation, along with the rejection of the Word by those who might have been expected to welcome Him.
B. Of particular emphasis is the use of the word, “Logos” or “Word,” which is applied to Christ in these verses, and in these verses alone in this Gospel. It is clear that it is not “the Word,” simply, but the Word of God. The idea is that Christ stands to the Father. It is the relationship that is present throughout the gospel. The Gospel is a Gospel about the Word. The Logos, the Word, is the theme of the Gospel.
C. In the opening words, “In The Beginning,” we can see an obvious recollection of the first words of the Bible. We are viewing John’s description of a new beginning, a new creation, so he has used words that refer back to the first creation. John goes on to use other words that we find in the Genesis account of creation, such as,”life,” “light,”and “darkness,” (Gen 1:4-5). In Genesis, we read about God’s first creation. John writes about God’s new creation. As with the first creation, the second creation is not carried out by a subordinate being. Both creations are brought about through the”Logos,” the very Word of God. There is common ground, continuity, among the two creations. The “Word” was “in the beginning,” which means that He was before all else. “Beginning” can also mean “origin.” We can understand a combination of, “in the beginning of history,” and at the “root of the universe.” Both meanings are important. There was never a time when the “Word” “was not.” Never was there anything that did not depend on Him for its existence. When we see the verb, “was,” we also see the understanding of the eternal existence of the “Word.” We understand that the Word, “continually was.” The verb, “was,” indicates neither a completed state, nor a coming into being. It shows an eternal and unchanging being. John is making the case for an existence of the “Word” before creation, which makes it very clear that the Word was not created. Jews placed a special emphasis on “One God,” as being the source of all things. They had thought of the Word as being subordinate, as being a created being. John is stating that the Word is not to be included among created things. It is very important for us to understand that, “In the beginning …the Word was.”
D. The Word (Logos) points to the truth that it is of the very nature of God to reveal Himself. The word of a man or woman is the means by which they reveal what they are thinking. The Word of God is His thought which is spoken so that we can understand it. God is not to be thought of as being “standoffish” or indifferent. He reveals Himself, but in a way that He may so choose. He is sovereign in revelation as in all else. To know God is more than to know the revelation of certain truths of God. To know God is life eternal (Jn 17:3). The knowledge of God that the Word brings is not only information; it is life; it is creative. The Word is more than an attribute of even an activity of God. John thinks of the Word as coming to earth in the person of Jesus. At the same time, He partakes of the innermost being of God, for “the Word was God.”
E. “The Word was with God,” means that “the Word was towards God.” There is no opposition between the Word and the Father. The whole existence of the Word was oriented towards the Father. We see the the two ideas of accompaniment and relationship. John has established the personal existence of the Word. Now, he goes onto the Word’s personal character in relation to the Father. Not only did the Word exist “in the beginning,” he also existed in the closest possible connection with the Father. There is no differentiation between the two. John is refuting any idea that the Word is an emanation from God, which is very distinct from the Godhead. The Word and God are not identical; they are one.
F. The high point of John’s discussion is, “the Word was God.” Nothing higher could be said. All that can be said about God can also be said about the Word; that should not be watered down. “The Logos was divine.” It is not that there is something divine about Jesus. Very emphatically, Jesus is God.
G. The Jews believed that there could be only one /God. When John wrote, “the Word was God,” it must be understood in the light of Jewish pride in monotheism. Even though John regarded monotheism as the central tenet in his religion, still, he could not withhold from the Word the designation of “God.”
H. John said “the Word was God,” not, “God was the Word.” The later would have meant that God and the Word were the same. John is leaving open the possibility that there may be more to “God” than the “Word.” But, when he thinks of the Word, he lays it down clearly that nothing less than God will do for our understanding of the Word.
II. John 1:2. He was in the beginning with God.
Nothing is added in this verse, but two points are repeated from verse 1, and are given special emphasis. The Word was “in the beginning,” and the Word was “with God.” The eternity of the Word is not to be overlooked or minimized. The eternity of the Word is not be lessened. The other point concerns the close relationship between the Father and the Word. These are not the same, but they belong together. The fact that One may be said to be “with” the Other clearly differentiates them. Yet, though they are distinct, there is no disharmony. John’s expression points to the perfect unity in which they are joined.
Sermon: Knowing God Intimately - John 1:1-2 - MARCH 31, 2013
“Knowing God, Intimately”
The difference between knowing about God, and knowing God in an intimate manner, is immense. Without our having an intimate knowledge of God, and a matching intimate relationship with Him, we will be unable to share those finer aspects of God with anyone else. God’s Word is very clear that, in order for us to have eternal life with Him, we must have an intimate relationship with Him (Jn 17:3). The purpose of this writing is to expose God in such a way, that intimacy with Him is realized by anyone who does not know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. For those who have made a statement of faith in Jesus, as Lord and Savior, you may gain a greater appreciation of the One who has made it possible for you to spend eternity with Him.
“Beginning, Word, God” John 1:1-2
- “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
1.a.The opening words, “In the beginning,” are probably a conscious reminiscence of the first words of the Bible. The first book of the Hebrew Bible was named “In the beginning,” so the expression would be widely known. John is writing a new beginning, a new creation, so he uses words which re- call the first creation. He soon goes on to use other words which are found in Genesis 1, such as “life,” (vs 4), “light,” (vs 4), and “darkness,” (vs 5). God’s first creation is shown in the first chapter of Genesis. In John’s gospel, the theme is God’s new creation. Like the first creation, the second one is not carried out by some subordinate being. It is only brought about through the “Logos,” the very Word of God. There is continuity with the old creation. The Word was “in the beginning.” This means that He was before all else. The word, “beginning” can also mean “origin,” and can also combine two meanings: (1), “in the beginning of history, and (2), at the root of the universe.” There was never a time when the Word was not. There was never a thing which did not rely on Him for its very existence. The verb, “was” is most naturally understood of the eternal existence of the Word: “the Word con- tinually was.” The verb, “was,” does not indicate a completed state, or a coming into being. It is appropriate to eternal, un- changing being. The gospel is affirming that the Word existed before creation, which makes it clear that the Word was not created. It is fundamental to the gospel that the Word is not to be included among created things. “In the beginning,” (with all of the fullness of meaning that these words can hold) the Word “was.”
1.b.”The Word” points to the truth that it is of the very nature of God to reveal Himself. The Word of God is His thought that is uttered so that we can understand it. He is not aloof or indifferent; He reveals Himself. However, He reveals Him- self as He chooses (Consider Deu 29:29). He is sovereign in revelation, as in all else. To know God is eternal (Jn 17:3). The knowledge of God, that the Word brings, is not merely information. The Word’s revelation is not static. It is more than the revelation of certain truths about God. The Word is creative; it is life. The Word is not an attribute or even an activity of God, but is the coming to earth in the person of our Lord and Savior, Jesus of Nazareth. At the same time, He partakes of the innermost being of God, for the “Word of God.”
1.c.”The Word was with God,” literally means, “the Word was towards God.” There is no opposition between the Word and the Father. The whole existence of the Word was oriented towards the Father. Consider the two ideas of accompaniment and relationship. In verse 2, John will establish the personal existence of the Word. Now, he goes on to the Word’s personal character in relation to the Father. Not only did the Word exist “in the beginning,” He existed in the closest possible connection with the Father. The expression does differentiate between the two. The Word and God are not identical. But, they are at one.
1.d.The high point of this discussion is realized in the words, “the Word was God.” Nothing higher could be said. All that may be said about God may also be said about the Word. This statement should not be lessened. The Logos was Divine. John is not just saying that there is something divine about Jesus. He is affirming that “He is God.”
1.e.In John’s time, monotheism was more than a belief that was commonly held. It was actually a conviction for the Jews to defend and to hold onto. The Romans believed in many Gods. The Jews believed that there was only one God. When John writes, “the Word was God,” it must be understood in the light of Jewish pride in monotheism. Even though John regarded monotheism as a central tenet in his religion, he yet could not withhold from the Word, the designation of “God.”
1.f. John says “the Word was God,” not, “God was the Word.” The latter would have meant that God and the Word were the same. It would have pointed to an identity. But John is leaving open the possibility that there may be more to “God” than the “Word.” Clearly, he thought of the Father as God, and his latter references indicate a similar status for the Spirit. But, when he thinks of the Word, He lays it down unequivocally that nothing less than God will do for our understanding of the Word.
“The same was in the beginning with God.” (verse 2)
Nothing new is added in this verse, but two points are made again from verse 1, and thereby given emphasis. The Word was “in the beginning” and the Word was “with God.” The eternity of the Word is not to be overlooked or minimized. The other point concerns the close relationship between the Father and the Word. These two are not the same, but they belong together. The fact that One may be said to be “with” the Other clearly differentiates them. Even though they are distinct, there is no lack of harmony. John points us to the perfect unity in which they are joined.