John 1:1-14: Jesus is the Word; Pre-existent One
Why was John’s Gospel Written? The Purpose of This Book
John 20:30-31 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written {or recorded} in this book; (31) but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.
We will read about the 7 Signs (Miracles) of Jesus and the Seven “I AM” statements of Jesus in this book of John.
John’s Gospel covers 21 days of 3 ½ years of Jesus ministry; virtually half of John’s Gospel is devoted to the “Final Week”…1/3 (247 verses of 879) are devoted to one 24-hour period!
- John, the Person wrote the book of John, known as one of the sons of thunder.
- He was a fisherman contractor, a member of the “inner 3” along with James and Peter.
- Jesus assigned the custodianship of His mother, Mary to John and the only Apostle who died a natural death.
- Paul says the John, Peter and James were the pillars of the church (Gal 2:9).
- John’s gospel on what Jesus said and did in Jerusalem, Others center on Jesus’ ministry in Galilee.
- John focuses more on who Jesus is, others focus more on what Jesus taught and did.
- John shows us who Jesus is by highlighting seven signs (miracles) of Jesus. Six of these miracles are not mentioned in the first three gospels.
- John shows us who Jesus is by allowing Jesus to speak for Himself in seven dramatic, I Am Statements
- John shows us who Jesus is by calling forth witnesses who will testify about the identity of Jesus.
John: shows Jesus came from heaven, showing Jesus is God,
Matthew: show Jesus came from Abraham and is the promised Messiah,
Mark: show Jesus came from Nazareth and is a Servant and
Luke: show Jesus came from Adam and is the Perfect man,
The Word Became or Made Flesh, the Pre-existent One
John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) He was in the beginning with God. (3) All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was {has been} made.
The first fourteen verses are introductory. In order to set at rest all controversy the Divine nature of Jesus, and covering it all the way back to the beginning, recorded in Genesis.
Neither the Person of Christ, nor His Sonship, came into being at a point in time. Rather, the Father and the Son have always been in loving fellowship with one another.
Before time: we now know that time is a physical property; it varies with mass, acceleration, and gravity. God is outside our time domain. Hard to understand.
Before the creation of a material universe there was the Word (Gk. logos)
The Word”: The Logos: a title. Means a message, a communication or a revelation. Before the creation of a material universe there was the Word Gk. logos). The Word was preexistent where the eternal Word “became” flesh.
John affirms:
(1) That Jesus existed before creation began;
(2) that Jesus was present with God;
(3) that Jesus was divine;
(4) that Jesus was the Word;
(5) that by or through him were all things made that were made.
All Things: The expression cannot be limited to any part of the universe. It expresses everything which exists; including the vast material worlds, and all the animals and things, great or small, that compose those worlds.
These next few verses shows Jesus was with the Father before creation.
*Moses wrote: God created the heavens and the earth: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. {Starts with the moment of Creation} Genesis 1:1
*The Psalmist wrote: You had formed the earth and the world: Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. Psalms 90:2
*Proverbs said: From the beginning, before there was ever an earth: I have been established from everlasting, From the beginning, before there was ever an earth. Proverbs 8:23
*John wrote: glorify Me with the glory which I had with You before the world was: And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. John 17:5
*John wrote: You loved Me before the foundation {or creation} of the world: “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation {or creation} of the world. John 17:24
*Paul wrote in Ephesians: God who created all things through Jesus Christ: and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; Ephesians 3:9
*Paul wrote in Colossians: by Him all things were created, in heaven, on earth, He is before all things, and in Him all things consist {and hold together}: For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. (17) And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist {and hold together}. Colossians 1:16-17
*Paul wrote in Hebrews: He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds {universe}; has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds {universe}; (3) who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high: Hebrews 1:2-3
*Paul wrote in Hebrews: the worlds {universe} were framed by the word of God: By faith we understand that the worlds {universe} were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.: Hebrews 11:3
*John wrote in 1 John: from the beginning, concerning the Word of life. That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life. 1 John 1:1
*Peter wrote in 2 Peter: by God’s Word (Jesus) the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By the same Word (Jesus) the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly:. But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. (6) By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. (7) By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. 2 Peter 3:5-7
- Jesus is the Creator of the Universe. By him were all things created”: including Satan and the angels. Remember, Gnostics believed that various angel beings were the creators of the earth and that Christ was one among many of these angels.
- All things created was for himself,
- Jesus was there prior to all creation
4.Jesus is the preserver, governor and by Him all things consist.
John 1:4-5 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. (5) And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend {or overcome} it.
Notice that life is not said to have been created; life existed in Christ
In him was life. He had life in himself, and hence is the foundation of life to every living thing and as fountain from where life flows to man. Death could not hold him, because in him is life, and he became “the Resurrection and the Life” for us.
Each of us are dependent on God for life. Our existence, spiritually and physically, depends on God’s sustaining power. It is something we do not even think about in our daily life.
Jesus is the light for us and the light chases away the darkness of and in the earth.
John 1:6-8 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. (7) This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him {John} might believe. (8) He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
Reason Why John the Baptist was important
John now speaks of a witness to the Light, John the Baptist, a man sent from God. He was called to his work from his mother’s womb as a messenger to go before and prepare the world for Jesus our Lord.
- John was the lamp that bore witness to the Light,
- John came to give testimony to prepare the minds of the people to receive him;
- Baptize individuals,
- to lead them by repentance to God; and
- to point out the Messiah to Israel when he came.
- Jesus also baptize individuals through his disciples.
To bear witness means “to testify” or “to declare”
Not John, the Apostle, but John the Baptist
John was the last of the Old Testament prophets (Lk 16:16)
John uses the word witness thirty-three times as a verb and fourteen times as a noun in his Gospel of John.
John’s Summary
- Light will invade the dominion of darkness. Show where evil is.
- Satan the ruler and his subjects will resist the light, but they will be unable to frustrate its power.
- The Word will be victorious in spite of opposition.
John 1:9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.
Jesus is that true light.
*John wrote Jesus words: I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.: I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness. John 12:46
*John wrote Jesus words: As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.“: As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” John 9:5
John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know {recognized} Him.
John declares 3 things:
- Jesus was in the world
- The world was made through Jesus
- The world did not know Jesus
John 1:11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.
He came shows this is a definite, historical fact.
Jesus own is the Jewish nation {Israel}, own family, land, Jerusalem city, and his own people, who received him not.
Jesus, dwelt among human beings and was rejected by the Jewish rulers and had a door slammed in His face.
They would not Receive Jesus, and would not acknowledge him as the promised Messiah, nor believe in him for salvation. They rejected him and put him to death, agreeably to the prophecy,
*Isaiah 53:3 He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:
But as many individuals received him – Jews or Gentiles; that believe in his name. By believing, we as sinners can become full members of God’s family, children or sons of God, with the Holy Spirit living in us.
Name does not refer to the term by which He is called, but to what His name stands for; the Lord is salvation, His authority and His Character.
*Moses wrote in Exodus what God said: “I AM WHO I AM.” This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.’: And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ” (15) Moreover God said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.’ Exodus 3:14-15
Jews did not received him: The major tragedy of Israel’s history
John 1:13 {children} who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh {human decision}, nor of the will of man, but {from the will} of God.
Remember, the Jews prided themselves on being Abraham’s children, and trusted in their blood for salvation. Family heritage.
John shows 3 times that human life does not have anything to do with human change to Spirit. {were born not of blood, will of flesh, will of man}
We are change from the Will of God.
John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and {made His} dwelt among us, and we beheld {or seen} His glory, the glory as of the only begotten {son} of the Father, full of grace and truth.
The Word {Jesus} assumed a human form {flesh, frail, mortal condition} and became a child of Mary.
*Luke said John physically beheld Jesus glory: Peter and those with him, they saw His glory: But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him. Luke 9:32
Let’s compare the three statements of John 1:1 and John 1:14: Completes these 14 verses.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
In the beginning was the Word | Word became flesh |
Word was with God | dwelt among us |
Word was God | full of grace and truth |
Interesting add on about the Jesus, the Word
*The Psalms says: God’s Word is pure: Your Word is very pure; Therefore Your servant loves it. Psalms 119:140
*The Psalms says: Your Word above all Your name: I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name For Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name. Psalms 138:2
*The Proverbs: Word of God is pure: Every Word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. Proverbs 30:5
*John tells us: He who has seen Me has seen the Father: Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? John 14:9
How do we really discover God (The Father)?
We need Jesus Teaching, Instruction, Promises, Example and Commands for us to Live by Each Day. Living the Way.
By learning about Jesus and who He really was and is today.