THE LIVING WORD
John 1:1-2
INTRO. This passage is one of the great summits of Holy Scripture. Notice how abruptly John plunges into the depths of eternal truth.
He makes no effort to explain himself or his argument. It almost seems as if John was standing at the foot of some enormous mountain. He is not interested in asking where it came from; he saw it, he accepted it, and he proclaimed it. (text)
It is amazing to note that many of the great mysteries of Scripture have their beginings in this passage of truth. For instance, John speaks of the plurality of persons in the Godhead. This harmonizes with the teachings of the O.T. (Gen. 1:26-27)--"And God said, ’Let US make man in OUR image, after OUR likeness:’...So God created man in HIS own image..." This also reminds us of that beautiful prophecy in Isa. 9:6. (read)
When you read this text you can’t help thinking about Gen. 1:1. There is a vast difference, however. In Jn. 1:1, in the original Greek Testament, the definite article "the" is missing. Literally, the translation would read, "In beginning, was the Word..." Whereas the definite article in Genesis indicates the beginning of an era; the absence of the article in John suggests that his beginning is even further back. We might understand it better as "In the beginning of all beginnings..."
Now, after having established the depth of this subject, John introduces us to the main character of this Holy Drama...the Word.
I. UNDERSTANDING THE WORD.
A. The Greek term for Word is "Logos".
1. "Vines Expository Dictionary" defines the Greek word "Logos" as the expression of thought-not the mere name of an object; the embodiment of a conception or idea.
2. In other words, "Logos" is not just the word I say but rather, the meaning of the word I say.
B. John proclaimed Jesus as the Word.
1. The apostle understood that a word is the expression of an idea, a thought, or an intention.
2. He realized that a word describes what is in the mind of a person. Thus, we see that God is speaking to the world and demonstrating Himself through the person of Jesus Christ.
C. As The Word, Jesus is the picture, the expression, the pattern, the very image of what God wants to say to man about Himself. All you want to know about God can be found in Jesus.
1. Jesus was God’s utterance, God’s speech, God’s Word to man.
2. Jesus Christ is the Word of God come down to earth in human flesh to bring man into a face to face relationship with God.
3. See Jn. 14:6-10
4. (Jn. 1:18)-- "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him."
II. WHAT JESUS TELLS US ABOUT GOD.
A. God is Life. (vs. 3-4)
1. Here we understand Christ as He speaks to every atheist, abortionist, evolutionist, agnostic, and idolater.
a. He is not simply alive, but He is the life-giver; the source of all life.
b. (I Cor. 8:6)--"But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, BY WHOM ARE ALL THINGS, and we by him."
2. See Col. 1:15-19
3. He and He alone is the source of all physical life as well as all spiritual. "I am come that ye might have life and have it more abundantly."
B. God is Light. (vs. 4-5)
1. You see, the light had always been there but it was, as yet, undiscovered; because no man could look on the light of God and live.
2. It is the light of truth, holiness, purity, righteousness, omnipotence.
a. This is not like when you or I walk into a room and flip a switch and thereby control the workings of light.
b. The Bible does not say that God has a light. It says, "God is light, and in him is no darkness at all."
c. He is an all-pervasive light that affects all He comes in contact with.
1. (Moses-after 40 days in the presence of God.)
2. (Mount of Transfig.)
3. (No need for a sun in the New Earth for Christ will be the light.)
3. Jesus Christ is the physical embodiment of the light of God. (Jn. 1:9)--"That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world."
4. He is the light from Heaven that dispels the shadows and hopelessness of sin.
C. God is Love. (vs. 14)
1. I Jn. 4:7-10
2. It is not just that God loves or that He is loving; but that love is the essence of His very Being. All love everywhere had its origin in the heart of God.
3. Notice Jn. 3:16. God loved the world and showed that love in the form of His only befotten Son, Jesus Christ.
4. It was a love that had never been fully realized by humanity until the Word embodied it in human form. (Lk. 4:16-21)
5. This is what the plan of salvation is all about. (explain)
III. THE DEITY OF JESUS. "The Word was God"
A. He is not said to be the God; for God is a trinity -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Neither is He said to be Divine, which would lessen the emphasis. But He is said, distinctly and emphatically, to be God. "God manifest in the flesh."
B. He was born of a woman -- yet he made woman.
He ate and hungered, drank and thirsted; yet He made the corn to grow and the mountains to spring forth rivers.
He became weary by the toils of this life -- yet He never slumbers nor sleeps.
He wept -- yet He is the source and reason for all joy.
He died -- yet He is the ever-living Jehovah. He created the tree that became His cross.
He inherited all things by death -- yet they were always His by inherent right.
C. ...And what is that to us?..
1. I Jn. 1:1-4
2. "fellowship" (vs. 3) -- means partnership, a common participation with. By accepting Jesus Christ we are allowed to share in the life and light and love of God.
3. As a man puts himself into his words, and by them communicates himself to others, so has God embodied Himself in Jesus, and those who receive the Son receive the Father, who sent Him.
CONCLU. So now we see how the Father is manifested to us. But the question may still remain, "How is the Son manifested to us?"
John 14:22-26
The secret here is, once again, the Word of God. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. If you will believe the Word that is given to you then you will come to know the Son who will reveal to you the Father.
