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the WORD Eternal


In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him and without him was not any thing made that was made. John 1:1-3

In the beginning was the Word.
I can’t get enough of that phrase. I love letting its truth soak in, deep and secure. 

John’s opening statement, echoing that of Genesis 1, reveals much about the Word--later revealed as Jesus (John 1:16). The Word was in the beginning. The Word was with God. The Word was God. Through the Word, all things were made. Nothing was made without the Word.

Sometimes I think it can be easy to imagine Jesus as an afterthought of sin entering the world. Plan B. A divine Band-Aid, if you will. But in the first verse of John, in the prologue of the book we will study together for the next seven weeks leading up to Christmas, John dispels that lie. Jesus is eternal.

“When the beginning began, the Word was already there,” writes David Guzik in his study guide on John. Take some time to mull that one over. It is a profound mystery.

The Word was not created. He was. Always.

The Word


The word, "Word" is translated from the Greek word “logos.” Logos is the “notion of divine self-expression or speech.” Strong’s Dictionary further explains: “In John, [logos] denotes the essential Word of God, Jesus Christ, the personal wisdom and power in union with God, his minister in creation and government of the universe, the cause of all the world's life both physical and ethical, which for the procurement of man's salvation put on human nature in the person of Jesus the Messiah, the second person in the Godhead, and shone forth conspicuously from His words and deeds.”

The Word is effective. By the Word, things come to existence. The Word is also used to relate to God’s people.

“Much as our words reveal to others our hearts and minds, so Jesus Christ is God’s ‘word’ to reveal His heart and mind to us,” writes Warren Wiersbe in his commentary on John.

Eternal


Where the first three Gospels--Matthew, Mark and Luke--focus more on what Jesus taught and did, John focuses more on WHO Jesus is. And John starts out with a bang.

The Word is eternal. Divine. With God. Fully God. 
The Word was not created. The Word existed in the beginning with God. The Word IS God. The two--God and Word--are unique and yet one! 

“This again makes the point that the Father is distinct from the Son, and the Son distinct from the Father. They are equally God, yet they are separate Persons,” explains Guzik.

This mystery cannot be grasped, but may we trust in its truth!

Dominion


Just as Jesus is eternal and fully God, He also has full reign. 

John 1:3 says that all things were made through the Word, then the verse restates plainly that nothing was made without Him. Hebrews 1:3a echoes this saying, “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the Word of his power.” Colossians 1:16-19 says it this way: “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

Isn’t it marvelous to think about? The Word--Jesus Christ--has full and complete dominion! We are called to relate to Him as eternal, as creator, and as master and Lord of all! Every single thing that was made belongs to Christ! And this bears a question: Are we living this way? Are we living as a creature--one who was created--under the dominion of our Creator? 

The Word Eternal made us, therefore we are not our own. 

Advent Desire


As we prepare our hearts for celebrating Christmas this season, may our wonder of the eternally divine deity of Christ increase. May our faith to believe increase. May our love and devotion to the Word Eternal increase. And, may we desire a heart that would increasingly bend to Christ’s dominion, bowing and submitting to the Word!



More in this series:
the LIFE & LIGHT
the Un-Neutral Heart

Unknown & Unreceived
Receive & Believe
From His Fullness
A Critical Declaration

Let's connect!

Article Sources:
  • English Standard Version (ESV) Study Bible 
  • Guzik, David. Study Guide for John 1. (Blue Letter Bible)
  • The New Bible Commentary: Revised. Edited by Guthrie, Motyer, Stibbs, Wiseman.
  • Wiersbe, Warren. Commentary on John. 


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