February 20, 2009 - The Word Was God

Meditation on John 1

John 1:1 is a profound and superb message on the origin and status of Jesus. Let us study it phase by phase in the following:

"In (the) beginning was the Word," the Apostle John said. In the original Greek, there was no "the", such designating word. Thus, it pointed to the time of eternity past rather than the beginning of sometimes in the past. The Word was eternal.

"And the Word was with God." This Word that was from eternity past was with God together. And "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.......came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side has made him known." (v. 14, 18) Jesus Christ then was the Word who became the human being who had made known the Father God.

"And the Word was God." Jesus Christ who was at the side of the Father God was also God Himself. This was a most unusual statement by the Apostle John who was a Jew. The Jews were monotheistic. They only believed in one God. So John was telling us that the Father and the Word together was one God. Later on John said, "I and the Father are one." (John 10:30)

Again John emphasized in verse two about the equality of Jesus with God, "He was with God in (the) beginning." Therefore the Word had been existed with God in eternity past. But remember, there was only one God.

The revelation of God was amazing. God wanted to communicate Himself to us. That was why He called His Son, the Word. He sent the Word to make Him known. In eternity past, God the Son had already been designated as the Word who would become flesh!

Not only He was called the Word, He was also called the Lamb of God, who took away the sins of the world. (v. 29) He was also called Christ, meaning the Messiah. (v. 41) Furthermore, the disciples recognized that Jesus was the son of God and the King of Israel. (v. 49)