Who is the Word? Do we receive the Word? Does the Word live with us? Let’s look at Jesus’ pre-existence as God and how we receive Him in John 1:1-18.
Jesus is God
John 1:1-5 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 made. 4 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 it.
Before the Gospel of John was available in all churches, some thought that Jesus was a created being and not God. This Arian heresy is still believed today by some groups, notably the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Athanasius bishop of Alexandria in Egypt used our text today to counter this wrong idea.
Not having a complete New Testament meant parts of the puzzle were omitted. It’s simple enough to see in the very first verse of John that the word (Logos in Greek) was God, that through the Word (Jesus) all things were made. He was not created, but created all things.
Receive Him
John 1:6-13 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 might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 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: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
We receive the word by listening. Faith comes from hearing the word (Romans 10:14-17). An ancient practice was to read the Bible aloud, because then it is also heard. Public reading of the Bible, making it clear and giving the meaning is also an ancient practice (Nehemiah 8:7-9).
When preachers avoid the Bible, especially the words of Jesus, the sheep cannot receive “the Word.” Why would we want to go to a church where the Word may be quoted in the Gospel text for the day every Sunday, then ignore him in our politics, business practices and marriages?
The Word Became Flesh
John 1:14-18 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. 15 John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ ” 16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
The word “dwelt” is “tabernacled.” Christmas, remembers the incarnation whereby the Word began to “tabernacle” in an earthly tent among us as He did in the first Tabernacle in the wilderness and looks forward to that time when the New Jerusalem descends to earth and God permanently dwells with us.
Jesus is the Word? If we skip too much church how can we hear and receive the Word? The Word wants to tabernacle with us. Someday heaven will descend to earth and He will live with us for all eternity.
New King James Version (NKJV) Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Readings
Jeremiah 31:7-9
7 For thus says the Lord: “Sing with gladness for Jacob, And shout among the chief of the nations; Proclaim, give praise, and say, ‘O Lord, save Your people, The remnant of Israel!’ 8 Behold, I will bring them from the north country, And gather them from the ends of the earth, Among them the blind and the lame, The woman with child And the one who labors with child, together; A great throng shall return there. 9 They shall come with weeping, And with supplications I will lead them. I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters, In a straight way in which they shall not stumble; For I am a Father to Israel, And Ephraim is My firstborn.
The restoration of Israel is foretold and a redeemer will come. Though the people had strayed and were punished for a season, God stayed true to His covenant and in His grace, eventually saves His people.
Psalm 147:12-20
12 Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem! Praise your God, O Zion! 13 For He has strengthened the bars of your gates; He has blessed your children within you. 14 He makes peace in your borders, And fills you with the finest wheat. 15 He sends out His command to the earth; His word runs very swiftly. 16 He gives snow like wool; He scatters the frost like ashes; 17 He casts out His hail like morsels; Who can stand before His cold? 18 He sends out His word and melts them; He causes His wind to blow, and the waters flow. 19 He declares His word to Jacob, His statutes and His judgments to Israel. 20 He has not dealt thus with any nation; And as for His judgments, they have not known them. Praise the Lord!
The forensic evidence for God’s Providence is everywhere in His Creation. Because God rules all creation, we are in good hands and we have no need to fear.
Ephesians 1:3-14
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. 11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.
13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
Before time, God had planned to adopt a people as His own, redeeming us by His blood, and we don’t get the glory for that, He does. We trusted and believed.
John 1:1-18 in Rhyme
In the beginning was the Word
The Word with God, God was the Word
Always with God from origin
Everything was made through Him
Without Him nothing came to be
Not one thing that has come to be
In Him life was
And the life was
The light of all humanity
And the light shines in the darkness
Which the darkness could not possess
God sent a man whose name was John
To bear witness concerning one
To testify about the Light
That all through him believe alright
He was sent and was not that Light
Sent to bear witness of that Light
The true Light, every man lighting
Into the world He was coming
He was in the world, made through Him
The world He made did not know Him
Even His own rejected Him
But as many as received Him
Their right as God’s children became
To those who believe in His name
Not born of blood, nor fleshly thrill
But of God, not of human will
The Word became flesh and with us dwelled
And so His glory we beheld
Of the Father’s one and only
Full of grace and truth in glory
John bore witness and cried and said
“This was He of whom I had said
‘He who follows me is preferred
For long before me, He was heard.’”
Of His fullness we’ve all received
And even more gifts, grace for grace
The law was given through Moses
Grace and truth came through Christ Jesus
No one has seen God ever yet
The only one God did beget
In the Father’s intimate zone
He has come and made Him known
