“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was fully God. The Word was with God in the beginning.” —John 1:1–2
I don’t think John could be any clearer. Jesus was in the beginning! He was with God in the beginning and He was fully God. My husband is always laughing at me because I am constantly following a statement I make with, “Do you know what I mean?” Likewise, I can almost hear John saying after these two verses, “Do you know what I mean?”
In a battle for truth to be known in the hearts and minds of his readers, John starts the onset of his gospel by stating clearly the deity of Jesus Christ. Unlike Matthew, Mark, and Luke, who begin their books by focusing on Jesus as a man through birth and his baptism, John begins his unique gospel with a discussion of the eternal existence of Jesus. John’s goal is to clearly present the signs and wonders performed by Jesus “so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God” (John 20:31).
Jesus, “the Word”
John begins by referring to Jesus as “the Word.” The Jews used this term to refer to God—they taught that the “Word of God” was the same with God. Interestingly, the Greeks used the term “Logos”—translated here “Word”—in reference to the governing power behind all things. John commences by stating Jesus’ existence “in the beginning”—Jesus existed not only before His incarnation but before all time. He was, and is, and is to come.
Indeed, Jesus tells us the same thing about himself in these verses from Revelation:
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God—”the one who is, and who was, and who is still to come—the All-Powerful!” —Revelation 1:8
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end!” —Revelation 22:13
Jesus, “the I AM”
The Word was with God, not from God—He was forever with God. Jesus also gives us information in scripture confirming His eternal existence:
“Then the Judeans replied, ‘You are not yet fifty years old! Have you seen Abraham?’ Jesus said to them, ‘I tell you the solemn truth, before Abraham came into existence, I am!’ Then they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus was hidden from them and went out from the temple area.” —John 8:57–59
“I AM” was the title of deity to the Jewish people. The Jews knew very well that in stating this Jesus was equating himself with God hence their desire to stone Him. “I AM” was also the name God used to identify himself to Moses in Exodus:
“Moses said to God, ‘If I go to the Israelites and tell them, “The God of your fathers has sent me to you,” and they ask me, “What is his name?”—what should I say to them?’ God said to Moses, ‘I am that I am.’ And he said, ‘You must say this to the Israelites, “I AM has sent me to you.”’” —Exodus 3:13–14
Become More
It is amazing that the great “I AM,” the One “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty” chose to remove His cloak of glory to become human, humbling himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross, in order to provide a way for us to be reconciled to God! What great love is this? If He went to such lengths of love to save us, how much more to keep us in this great love?
“By this the love of God is revealed in us: that God has sent his one and only Son into the world so that we may live through him. In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.” —1 John 4:9–10
What does it mean to you that God sent Jesus so that you can experience His love?
Further Reflections
“The Word had a being before the world had a beginning.” —Matthew Henry
“Now Jesus performed many other miraculous signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are recorded so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” —John 20:30–31
“Christ is before all Creation and He will continue to exist after the present creation is destroyed. He is the Eternal One.” —Bible Knowledge Commentary
“We love because he loved us first.” —1 John 4:19