John 1:1 states, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” This profound verse has been the subject of much study and debate over the centuries as Christians have sought to understand the full meaning and significance of the apostle John’s words.
By referring to Jesus Christ as “the Word,” John is drawing on an important concept from the Old Testament. God’s Word in the OT often refers to God’s divine self-expression, revelation, and action. So, by using this title for Jesus, John is teaching that Jesus is the ultimate revelation of God – His perfect self-expression. Jesus reveals who God is, coming to earth to show us the Father.
The verse also teaches that the Word – Jesus – was present at the very beginning of time, even prior to the creation of the universe. This affirms the eternal pre-existence of Christ. He has always existed as the second person of the Trinity. There was never a time when the Word/Jesus did not exist. He is co-eternal with the Father and the Spirit.
Not only was Jesus present before the beginning, He was also completely unified with God the Father – “the Word was with God.” Though distinct persons, Jesus and the Father share the same divine nature and are One. This relationship of love and intimacy within the Trinity stretches into eternity past, before anything was created.
And the most stunning truth in John 1:1 is that “the Word was God.” In the person of Jesus, we meet God Himself face to face. Jesus is not merely a powerful being or exalted teacher, He is fully divine. The Word existed as God from all eternity. The teaching of His deity could not be more emphatic.
In summary, John 1:1 reveals that Jesus Christ is eternal, that He is distinct yet equal with the Father, and that He possesses the very nature and character of God. He is co-existent and co-equal with God. He is the perfect manifestation of the Father. Jesus reveals to us God in words and deeds because He Himself is God. He is divine in the flesh.
The Significance of John 1:1
Why is John 1:1 so significant? Let’s explore some key reasons this verse about the eternal Word matters:
- It sets the stage for John’s entire Gospel and establishes that Jesus is God. Everything that follows in the book must be interpreted through this lens. The miracles, teachings, death, and resurrection of Christ all reveal His divine identity.
- It means that when Jesus took on human flesh, His divine nature was not diminished. He remained 100% God even while being 100% human. The incarnation was the Creator entering His own creation.
- It places Jesus at the very beginning of all things, prior to the universe, revealing that He is the uncreated, uncaused, self-existent Creator of all. The Word is the source of life and existence itself (John 1:3).
- It demonstrates that you cannot have God the Father without God the Son. The deity and eternal nature of Christ is inseparable from who God is.
- It allows us to know God more deeply by seeing His glory revealed in the person of Christ. The invisible God has been made visible through His Son (Colossians 1:15).
In just 18 words in the Greek, John has powerfully and concisely declared the divine eternal nature of Jesus Christ. He is the uncreated Word through whom all things were made, the fully divine Son in relation with the Father and Spirit outside of time, and the perfectly revealed image of the invisible God. What an awesome, profound truth!
Examining Key Words
To better grasp the significance of John 1:1, it will be helpful to closely examine some of the key words in this profound verse:
1. In the Beginning
“In the beginning…” These opening words would have immediately grabbed the attention of John’s original Greek readers and reminded them of the opening words of Genesis 1:1. John is deliberately echoing the creation account in Genesis, drawing a connection between the Word being present at the very beginning of time at the first creation, and the new spiritual creation brought through Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Not only was the Word there at the beginning (“en arche” in Greek), but Jesus was also the beginning. He is the uncreated, uncaused first cause of all things. So John takes us to genesis, origin, and source – deity of the Son.
2. Was
The simple but profound word “was.” Not “became” but eternally existed without beginning. There was never a time when He was not. The Word did not come into being but simply was. He is the great I AM (Exodus 3:14). In contrast to the created universe which came into existence, the Word existed eternally.
3. The Word
“The Word” translates the Greek term “logos” which carries meanings of divine self-expression or emanation. Christ is the embodiment and revelation of the unseen God, expressing the Father’s nature. Through the Word, God communicates and reveals Himself. Jesus is the ultimate and final Word, the perfect revelation of God. He displays God’s truth and glory.
4. With God
Not only was the Word present at creation and eternal, He was also “with God” in intimate relationship and holy community inside the Triune nature of the one God. Though distinct persons, the Word and God the Father share the same divine essence. This speaks of both distinction and equality – completely united yet distinct.
5. Was God
No clearer statement of Christ’s deity could be made. He possesses the very nature and essence of God. As God the Son, one in being with the Father and Spirit, the Word created all things and reveals God to us. In Jesus, God was reconciling the world to Himself (2 Corinthians 5:19). The Word was nothing less than fully divine.
In looking closely at the word choices in John 1:1, we gain a deeper understanding of the eternity and deity of Christ. What an amazing truth!
Old Testament Connections
John’s description of Jesus as the Word connects strongly back to important Old Testament themes and passages about the nature of God and His revelation to mankind. By using “Word” John is tying the full revelation of God in Christ directly to God’s previous revelation of Himself through both His words and actions in the Old Testament.
Some key Old Testament connections include:
- God’s creative word – God spoke the creation into being (“And God said,” Genesis 1). Christ the Word creates all things (John 1:3).
- Personified wisdom – Wisdom is personified as existing at creation and endowed with divine attributes (Proverbs 8). Christ is the embodiment of God’s wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:24).
- God’s dynamic word – The Word often refers to the active, dynamic power of God at work in the world to accomplish His will (Isaiah 55:11, Jeremiah 23:29). Christ is God at work bringing salvation.
- Incarnate word – The LORD’s word came to His prophets and was revealed to His people. Christ is this word revealed in the flesh, the very presence of God among us (Matthew 1:23).
By embracing existing ideas about God’s word and wisdom in the Old Testament, and taking them even further, John presents Jesus as the ultimate fulfillment of how God expresses Himself – the Word made flesh.
The Word in the Rest of Scripture
Once we understand what John means by calling Jesus the Word, we begin to see this truth echoed throughout the rest of Scripture in the ways Jesus fully reveals God to us. Consider these examples:
- Jesus reveals God to us (John 14:9) – “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.”
- Jesus is the radiance of God’s glory and exact representation of His nature (Hebrews 1:3).
- In Christ all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2:9).
- Jesus only does what He sees the Father doing (John 5:19). The words Jesus speaks are from the Father.
- Jesus declares and interprets the Father (John 1:18). He exegetes God.
- To know Christ is to know God (John 8:19,14:7). Rejecting Christ is rejecting God.
These verses give just a sampling of the close connection between Christ and God, revealing how Jesus embodies and expresses the divine nature. He comes to make God known to us because He Himself is God.
The Word Made Flesh
One implication of Jesus as the Word is that He then becomes the living, breathing embodiment of God’s communication and revelation to humanity. God has perfectly expressed Himself in the incarnation. The eternal Word took on human flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14).
As the Word made flesh, Jesus not only definitively reveals God to humanity, but also accomplishes God’s work of salvation. The author of Hebrews says, “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son” (Hebrews 1:1-2). Christ comes as both the message and the messenger.
The Word taking on human form to redeem sinful man is the ultimate demonstration of God’s love and grace. His incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection form God’s ultimate communication and divine self-revelation to mankind. God’s love has been perfectly expressed through Christ.
Jesus as God’s Revelation
John’s use of “Word” declares that Jesus is the ultimate revelation of God’s nature, character, purposes, and plan for mankind. Looking at how Jesus reveals God to us in the Gospels gives us insight into who God is:
- Jesus shows God’s power over nature, sickness, demons, sin, and death.
- Jesus reveals God’s mercy, love, compassion, patience, and kindness.
- Jesus displays God’s desire for relationship, His hatred of hypocrisy, and His heart for the marginalized.
- Jesus reveals God’s righteous anger at injustice, deception, and hard-heartedness.
- Jesus shows that God experiences sorrow and cares deeply when His children suffer.
- Jesus exemplifies qualities like self-control, humility, obedience, and submission to the Father.
In His 33 years on earth, Jesus gives us a picture of the invisible God as nothing else can. He puts the being and character of God on full display through His words and deeds. What an unspeakable gift!
Christ as the Embodiment of Truth
Jesus declared, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). As the Word of God, Jesus embodies divine truth. He is the fullest revelation of truth the world has ever known. The truth He ushers in is centered on His own identity as the Son of God and messianic King.
Some key truths that Christ embodies include:
- He is the promised Messiah and Savior of the world.
- He is God in the flesh – fully divine and fully human.
- In His incarnation, God entered His creation and became Emmanuel (God with us).
- Jesus accomplished God’s plan of redemption by His substitutionary death and glorious resurrection.
- Salvation is found in Christ alone. There is no other name under heaven by which we are saved.
- Those who place their faith in Christ are forgiven of their sins and receive eternal life.
- The way to the Father is through the Son. He is the only Mediator.
- Jesus provides an example of holy living, love, obedience, sacrifice, and righteousness.
Jesus taught the world absolute truth. But even more than that, He Himself embodied truth. In getting to know the incarnate Word of God, we discover the truth that sets us free (John 8:31-32).
The Gospel of John’s High Christology
Calling Jesus the eternal divine Word in John 1:1 sets the stage for the lofty view of Christ that runs through John’s gospel. John presents Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God (John 20:31). His goal is that readers would believe Jesus is who He claimed to be.
John’s gospel emphasizes Jesus’ divinity perhaps more than any other book. Here are some of the key ways John highlights Jesus as God:
- The “I am” statements – Jesus claims unity with Yahweh’s I AM (John 8:58).
- The signs and miracles show His power over creation.
- The “I and the Father are one” themes.
- “Before Abraham was, I am.”
- Thomas declares “My Lord and my God!”
- The prologue equates Christ with the Creator.
- The way Jesus affirms His pre-existence and heavenly origin.
All the evidence demonstrates John had a profoundly high view of Christ. And it all flows out of the Word being God Himself in John 1:1. This sets the trajectory for the rest of the gospel.
Conclusion
John 1:1 has been enormously influential in establishing the eternality of the Word and His complete deity. In just a few short words, John captures an amazing truth – the divine Word through whom the universe was made stepped into that same universe as the man Jesus Christ. God came near. The infinite became an infant. The Light shone in the darkness. Glory took on flesh.
This is the magnificent truth John proclaims right from the outset. And two thousand years later, it still fills us with awe and wonder. Understanding the full significance of John 1:1 takes a lifetime, but grasping even just a glimpse of its meaning can fuel our worship and encourage our faith. The Word was God and the Word became flesh. Hallelujah, what a Savior!
