One of the things I love most about the gospel of John is that the weightiest of doctrines are delivered in the simplest of words. We’ve seen that already in the introduction of his gospel, but the four simple words that we’ll look at in detail this morning may very well be the four most significant words in the entire Bible. As we will clearly see, what we believe about these four words will determine our eternal destiny. So, as we’ve done each week in our journey through John’s description of the incarnation of the “logos” at the beginning of his gospel, let’s read the entire passage so that we can make sure to put this morning’s passage in its proper context:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it…The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:1-5, 14 (NIV)
This morning we’re going to focus on just four words at the end of verse 1:
…the Word was God
But before we do that, we need to take a moment to define three terms that we often use interchangeably, but which have some subtle differences in meaning that are very crucial to our understanding this morning.
Some definitions
“God” (Greek “theos”) = the one true God
In the polytheism of the Greeks, this word also was used to denote a god or deity. But the word was appropriated by the Jews and Christians to refer to the one true God. In the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the OT, “theos” is used, with only a few exceptions to translate the word “YHWH”, the personal name of God.
“deity” = The state or quality or condition of being God.
You will notice that this is the word I’ve used in my sermon title and the one we’re going to focus on this morning. In the sense that I’m using it this morning, “deity” is equivalent to God.
"divine" = Having qualities or characteristics possessed by God.
At first glance, the term “divine” doesn’t seem to differ all that much from “deity”. But, as we’ll see, there is a very significant difference when it comes to the identity of the “logos”. There are many who would agree that He is divine – having some characteristics of God – while at the same time denying His deity – that He is in fact God.
Having just brought up one of the common misconceptions about the deity of the “logos”, I thought it might be helpful for us to spend a few moments to discuss a few of those common misconceptions.
Misconceptions about the deity of the “logos”
Although we would expect that many outside the body of Christ would not completely understand the concept of the deity of the “logos”, many of the most common misconceptions actually come from groups that call themselves “Christians” and/or who claim that they believe in the Bible. To me, that’s what makes these teachings even more dangerous. While we can’t look at all of these today, I want to examine three of the most prominent and dangerous of these teachings.
1. The “logos” is just one of many” gods”
This teaching arises primarily from the New World Translation, which was produced by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society for the Jehovah’s Witnesses in 1961. They translate John 1:1 like this:
In the beginning the Word was, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god.
The difference between this and all other legitimate English translations is quite subtle, but also quite significant. They add the preposition “a” before God in the last phrase of that verse and then render the word “god” with a small “g”.
Not only does this translation violate every legitimate principle of translating Greek grammar, it is also inconsistent with how the New World Translation renders the identical Greek construction throughout the rest of its translation. Everywhere else we find the same Greek word in this form it is rendered “God” with a capital “G” and without the preposition “a”. So one can only conclude that this is a deliberate distortion of the truth in order to attempt to support the teaching that Jesus is only one of many Gods.
But even without arguing about grammar, the idea that the “logos” is only “a god” and not “the God” is clearly refuted by the rest of Scripture. To even suggest that there are any other Gods other than the one true God is completely contrary to Scripture. Even if we looked at nothing more that the six verses from John that we’re focusing on for this seven week series, it is clear that the “logos” is the one true God. As only God can be, He is eternal. And as we’ll see in the next four weeks, each of the attributes of the “logos” that we’ll look at in detail confirms that he is indeed God, and not just “a god”.
2. The “logos” is a less powerful god.
Since the “logos” is viewed as only one of many Gods, many of these groups who claim to be Christians also teach that he is therefore less powerful than God the Father.
As we’ll see in more detail in a few moments, one of the proofs of the deity of the “logos” is that he possesses all the attributes of God. So the Bible is quite clear that the “logos” is not just a god who is limited in his powers.
3. The “logos” became a god.
Many of these groups subscribe to some form of what is known as “divine progression” – the idea that man can somehow become a god. So they teach that the “logos” was merely a created being – either a spirit being or a man – who somehow progressed to the point that at his incarnation, He became a god.
Again, this clearly flies in the face of the clear teachings of the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation. That’s why John began his gospel with the words “In the beginning was the Word” to show that the “logos” was not a created being. He did not become a God, He was always fully God.
Although the four words “and the Word was God” are completely adequate by themselves to support the deity of the “logos”, the Bible is filled with other proofs of that fact. Let’s look at just a few of them briefly:
Proofs of the deity of the “logos”
1. The ”logos” fulfills Old Testament prophecies which testify to the deity of the Messiah
There are a number of places where the New Testament writers have taken Old Testament Scriptures which very clearly describe God and His attributes and then shown that those were unmistakably prophecies concerning the Messiah. I’m going to share just one example with you this morning, but there are many, many more.
Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.
Psalm 45:6, 7 (NIV)
So I said: "Do not take me away, O my God, in the midst of my days; your years go on through all generations. In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.
Psalm 102:24, 25 (NIV)
Both of these Old Testament Scriptures clearly refer to God and in Hebrews, the writer of that book very clearly takes and applies those passages to the “logos”.
But about the Son he says, "Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy." He also says, "In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.
Hebrews 1:8-10 (NIV)
There is absolutely no doubt that the writer of Hebrews and the other New Testament writers believed that the “logos” was the fulfillment of these Old Testament Scriptures and that therefore He was fully God.
2. The “logos” possesses the names and titles of God
Throughout the Bible, Jesus is consistently given names and titles that demonstrate his deity. Once again the number of these occurrences is far too great to cover this morning, but a couple of examples are quite instructive:
Matthew quotes the Old Testament prophecy from Isaiah 7 to show the deity of Jesus:
"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" - which means, "God with us."
Matthew 1:23 (NIV)
The title given to Jesus, Immanuel, clearly refers to his deity. He is God with us.
According to the prophet Isaiah, one of the names given to Jesus was Mighty God:
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6 (NIV)
In the next chapter, Isaiah uses that same title to refer to God the Father:
A remnant will return, a remnant of Jacob will return to the Mighty God.
Isaiah 10:21 (NIV)
The fact that the Bible gives the same names and titles to Jesus as it does to God the Father confirms the deity of the “logos”.
3. The “logos” possesses the attributes of God
Throughout the Bible, we find that Jesus possesses all the same attributes of God the Father. Again, time does not permit us to even begin to scratch the surface here. For those of you who have been through either our New Members’ Class or our Doctrine Class, you may remember that the materials for those classes contain dozens of references to the omnipotence, omniscience and omnipresence of Jesus in addition to many more references to the other attributes of God.
In addition, we’ve already seen that the “logos”, like God, is eternal and that He has a personality. And in the coming weeks, we’ll look at several more attributes of the “logos” that also prove Him to be fully God.
4. The “logos” did the work of God
Throughout His life here on earth, Jesus consistently did the work of God, things that only God could do. He performed miracles, he healed people. He even raised the dead back to life. And, as His own words show, those works testify to his deity:
Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working." For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does… "I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the very work that the Father has given me to finish, and which I am doing, testifies that the Father has sent me.
John 15:17-19, 36 (NIV)
5. Jesus accepted worship
There is absolutely no doubt that Jesus understood that the Scriptures absolutely forbid the worship of anything or anyone but God:
Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ’Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only."
Mathew 4:10 (NIV)
But Jesus very knowingly accepted worship here on this earth both before and after His resurrection. Again, we only have time to look at a couple of examples.
Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."
Matthew 14:33 (NIV)
Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"
John 20:28 (NIV)
There is absolutely no evidence that Jesus ever was uncomfortable with the worship of others or that He ever instructed anyone not to worship Him. Since He clearly understood the seriousness of worshipping anyone or anything other than God, the only rational conclusion that can be made is that Jesus is indeed fully God.
This is such an important concept that I know I’ve spent a lot of time on the truth that the “logos” is God. But once again, this needs to be more than just an academic exercise for us. In fact, there are some very serious implications that arise out of the deity of the “logos” that we must make sure we address this morning.
THE DEITY OF THE “LOGOS” - IMPLICATIONS FOR US
1. Belief in the deity of the “logos” is required for salvation
The subject of the deity of the “logos” is not just an academic issue. His deity is vital to everything He did. Far too many people have denied the deity of the “logos”, which results in demoting the Son of God to the level of an ordinary man. They accept Him as a good teacher and admit that He lived a great life. Many even believe that He preformed miracles. But they deny that He is God in the flesh.
But if Jesus is not the unique Son of God, equal with the Father, then His work on the cross loses its redemptive power. Don’t just take my word for it. Here’s what Jesus had to say on the issue:
I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am [the one I claim to be], you will indeed die in your sins."
John 8:24 (NIV)
You’ll notice that I put the phrase “the one I claim to be” in brackets. That’s because those words are not in the Greek manuscripts. In fact, if you have an NIV translation, you’ll find that those words are in italics, which indicates that the translators have added them in for clarity in the translation. Most other reputable English translations, don’t have that phrase, they merely have the word “he”. But even in those translations the word “he” is also in italics, because it’s not in the Greek manuscripts either.
Unfortunately, this is one case where almost all of our English translations have done a great disservice to our understanding of these words of Jesus. So let’s look at this verse without the words that the translators have added:
I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am, you will indeed die in your sins."
When Jesus used the words “I am”, those who heard the words would have had no doubt that Jesus was using those words to claim that he was God. He was very clearly using the name by which God had revealed Himself to Moses at the burning bush and applying to Himself. And the principle that he expounded could not be more clear. If one does not believe that Jesus is “I am”, that he is fully God, then that person will die in his or her sins.
If Jesus Christ is not God, he cannot accomplish your salvation. If you throw away the deity of Jesus Christ, you throw away your soul and with it all your joy both right now and in the age to come.
2. I can make Jesus the Lord of my life
We have a tendency in the church to throw around the word “Lord” like it’s just part of Jesus’ name, without really thinking about the significance of what that word means. Jesus had something to say to those who would call Jesus “Lord” without actually making Him Lord by their actions:
"Why do you call me, ’Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?
Luke 6:46 (NIV)
I would even go so far to say that the church has so watered down the gospel, that the concept of the Lordship of Jesus has been nearly lost in many cases. In an effort to make the gospel more palatable to a lost world, we’ve minimized the importance of making Jesus the Lord of one’s life, in addition to just making Him our Savior.
As a result, we stress all the benefits of accepting Jesus into our lives without making clear the corresponding responsibility to yield the control of our lives to Him. But once again the Bible is clear that we can’t separate these two aspects of our salvation:
Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.
Acts 2:36 (NIV)
Yes, Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One who has come into this world to die on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. He is the one who redeems from slavery to sin and provides us with what Paul described as” every spiritual blessing” in his letter to the Ephesians.
But He is also to be Lord. And unless I believe in the deity of Jesus, I’m going to have a very hard time turning over the control of my life to Him. If I believe that He’s just “a god” or just a good man, then I might as well just keep control of my own life, because after all that means that I can be a god or a good man, too.
But if He is God, not only is He worthy of being the Lord of my life, He is the one I want to be in control. Because He is omnipotent and omniscient and omnipresent, He both knows what is best for my life and He has the ability to carry out His purposes in my life.
Thomas is the perfect example of how the deity of Jesus is inextricably linked with making Him the Lord of our lives when he proclaimed “My Lord and my God.” Because he understood that Jesus was God, Thomas had no problem making Him Lord as well.
3. The “logos” is worthy of my worship
If the “logos” is not God, then all of us are wasting our time every Sunday morning. There are plenty of other places you can go and sing songs and give praise with a large group of people. Maybe some of you did that yesterday when you went to the U of A football game and sang “Bear Down Arizona” and cheered and clapped and shouted for the Wildcats.
There are also plenty of places that you can go and listen to speakers that are far more entertaining, gifted and eloquent than I. There are some very gifted motivational speakers who have some good information to share with their audiences.
There is certainly nothing wrong with those kinds of activities. But hopefully, none of them have become worship in your lives. By the same token, if you just come here on Sunday mornings and sing some songs and listen to a message without recognizing the deity of Jesus, that is not worship either.
Because Jesus is fully God, He is worthy of our worship. That is why God has revealed that one day every person will acknowledge Jesus as God and as Lord:
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:9-11 (NIV)
But for those of us who recognize the deity of Jesus, we have the privilege of worshiping Him right here and now. We have the joy of acknowledging Him as God, and Christ and Lord, not just through this corporate time together that we call a “worship service”, but also by the way that we live our lives.
Just four simple words that express a profound truth.
…the word was God
What will you do with that truth today?
