“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1
From the opening section of the gospel of John, the apostle John addresses this question, “Who is Jesus Christ?” John wrote this gospel to non-Christians so they “may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:31). As you discover the answers to the question, “Who is Jesus Christ?”, you will be challenged as to why you should believe in Him for His gift of everlasting life. The gospel of John focuses upon the central fact of our Christian faith: Christianity is not a philosophy, it is a Person.
While other world religions focus upon rules and regulations, Christianity focuses upon a personal relationship with Christ. That is why Jesus Christ is the most widely acclaimed individual in human history. More books have been written, music composed, pictures painted, and dramas performed about Jesus Christ than any other person. Why?
Why did other great figures come and go? Why do others fade into the annals of history but Jesus Christ looms as large in modern society as He did 2,000 years ago? Why is He the most powerful Personality to ever appear on this planet? That is the question John answers in the first verse.
John begins his gospel in an unusual way. Unlike the writers of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, who begin their accounts of Jesus in an historical context, John opens his gospel in eternity. Unlike Matthew who begins his gospel with the genealogy of Abraham and Mark who begins with the story of John the Baptist, or Luke who starts with a description of John and Jesus’ birth. John moves beyond human history. He writes, “In the beginning” (1:1a).
Do those words sound familiar to you? They take us back to Genesis 1:1: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” John starts with God. In the Bible, you cannot go any further back than God, and that is where John begins, in eternity past with God’s eternal purpose.
And what does he tell us? “In the beginning was the Word” (1:1b). The term “Word” (Logos) is used by John to refer to the Person of Jesus Christ (1:14, 17). A Word expresses a message. Jesus was God’s message to the world. He was and is the perfect expression of God (cf. Colossians 1:15).
What does the Bible tell us about the Word? He is ETERNAL. “In the beginning was the Word.” In the beginning of time and space, the Word already “was.” The Word really had no beginning. There has never been a time when “the Word” was not, because He is eternal. The Word has existed from all eternity. At creation, the Word was already present. He is not a created being as some false religions teach. He has no beginning and no end, because He is eternal.
This is why Jesus Christ, the Word, said to His enemies, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM” (John 8:58). Jesus is saying, “before Abraham came in to being, I eternally was, am, and will ever be.” Jesus was not only claiming to have existed before Abraham two thousand years ago, but He was also claiming to be the eternal “I AM.” “I AM” was the name of the Self-existing God who had revealed Himself to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:14). Jesus is the One who redeemed Moses and Israel out of Egypt! “I AM” is an emphatic form of speech and could not be normally employed in ordinary conversation. Jesus was claiming to be the Self-existent God.
The Jews’ response to Christ’s claim confirms this: “Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by” (John 8:59). To the Jews this was blasphemy, meaning they understood Jesus to claim to be the eternal God. Thus, they prepared to stone Christ in accordance with Leviticus 24:16.
We also see that the Word was RELATIONAL. The phrase “and the Word was with God” refers to the Word being “with” God the Father in a “face-to-face” relationship. “He was in the beginning with God” (John 1:2a).Jesus Christ has always enjoyed a personal relationship with His Father. They had perfect fellowship with one another. The word “with” also distinguishes the Word from God the Father. Jesus is separate and distinct from His Father. He has a separate identity. Jesus is a Person, not a principle or Star War’s force. Because Christ is eternal and relational, we can conclude that He desires eternal relationships with those He created (cf. John 1:3; I Timothy 2:3-4).
Finally we see that the Word was GOD. “And the Word was God” (John 1:1c). The Word was not “a god” as some false religions mistranslate. The Greek grammar does not allow this (see endnote) nor does the rest of Scripture (cf. John. 1:1; 5:17-23; 8:58; 10:30-33; Philippians 2:6-8; I Timothy 3:16; Titus 2:13; I John 5:20).
“And the Word was GOD.” These last five words are some of the most important words in all of the Bible concerning who Jesus is. He was and is God. Whatever God the Father was, the Word was. Everything that makes God-God, the Word possesses. Jesus Christ is the visible image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15). When you look at Jesus Christ, you are looking at God in human flesh (John 1:1, 14; 14:7-11; Philippians 2:6-8; I Timothy 3:16; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 1:8; I John 5:20). Only God can give us life that never ends (John 5:21; I John 5:20). Only God deserves to be worshiped (Exodus 20:4-5). Yet Jesus never refused to be worshiped (Matthew 8:2; 9:18; 14:33; 15:25; 28:17; Mark 5:6; Luke 24:52; John 9:38). Why? Because He is God (John 1:1; 5:23).
What we have here is the mystery of the Trinity which means “three in one.” The Bible teaches that God is one essence (Deuteronomy 6:4), yet eternally exists in three Persons as “Father…Son…Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). Both the Old Testament (Genesis 1:1-2, 26; Deuteronomy 32:6; Psalm 2:6-7, 12; 45:6-7; 139:7-12; Isaiah 9:6; 11:2-3; 63:10, 16; Zechariah 4:6; Malachi 2:10) and the New Testament (Matthew 3:16-17; 28:19; John 1:1-18; 14:16-17, 26; 16:13-14; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians 1:3-14; Colossians 1:12-20) teach about the distinction between God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Each Person of the Trinity is equal in every way, yet distinct in their tasks and relations to humanity.
The Word is “with” God (separate from Him), yet at the same time, He is fully God. So, John informs us that the Word, Jesus Christ, is God. If we cannot or do not believe this basic truth, we will not have enough faith to trust our eternal destiny to Him. Who is Jesus? He is God. Believe in Him. He wants you to spend eternity with Him in heaven.
Do you have a personal relationship with the only One who guarantees eternal life to those who believe in Him? If not, why not begin a never-ending relationship with Him today? Simply take Christ at His Word when He says in John 5:24: “Most assuredly I say to you, he who hears My word and believes Him who sent Me, has everlasting life and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.” What does Jesus say you must do to obtain eternal life? “Hear …Believe.” Hear His promise of eternal life and believe Him to give it to you. You will never regret doing this.
Prayer: Precious Lord Jesus, because You are God I can depend on You not only to give me everlasting life and a home in heaven, but I can also rely on You to meet all my needs here on earth. Thank You for pursuing me when I was an unsaved sinner and revealing Yourself to me when I was a first-year college student. Thank You for giving me eternal life then and for walking with me on this journey called life. You are an amazing Friend! Always full of grace and truth. Always faithful and trustworthy. There is no one like You in the whole universe! I bow my heart before You and worship You, my Lord and my God! I love You, Jesus. Thank You for loving me more than I ever thought possible! In Your name. Amen.
Endnote: In the phrase “And the Word was God” (kai Theós ēn ho Lógos), the Greek rule of grammar (Colwell’s rule) states that the definite predicate nominative, “God” (Theós), in front of the verb “was” (ēn) will not have the article. See E. C. Colwell, “A Definite Rule for the Use of the Article in the Greek New Testament,” Journal of Biblical Literature 52 (1933), pp. 12-21.