John 1:1-5
The Explanation of the Word
Introduction.
When we try to get an overall perspective of the Gospel of John, the most common way that we find the book divided, is that it divides fairly evenly down in the middle. The first half of the Gospel of John splits (from chapters 1-12) and is focused on presenting Christ before the world. (You could say that this is the public ministry of Christ that has taken place over a period of about three years.) The second half of the book (which is divided into chapters 13-21) took place in about three weeks. Here in these chapters, we see John presenting Christ before His intimate followers. (You could say that this is the private section of Jesus’s ministry.) Some commentators also like to define the first half of the Book of John (chapters 1-12) as the “book of signs,” and the second half of the Book of John (chapters 13-20) as the “book of glory.”
The Book of John is such a masterpiece because it’s a book that can be read by a child with understanding, or the Book of John can be studied by the most well-known of theologians with the greatest amounts of theological depth. Someone once said (and many think it was coined by Augustine) that the Gospel of John is, “deep enough for an elephant to swim in and shallow enough for a child not to drown.” The Book of John is simply a profound book which we have been given.
If I could take the liberty to summarize the Book of John in one simple word, that word would be, “believe!”
Just like with every good research paper or term paper, one must have a powerful thesis statement if it’s going to be a strong and effective work! It’s important, because this thesis statement is an announcement for what the writer says the purpose is for which he is writing the paper on. So, we shouldn’t expect less from the Book John as John himself even has a thesis statement for the Book of John. We find that wrapped-up in John 20:30-31.
John 20:30-31
30 Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.
John was written for the purpose of bringing life to a dead soul, that you may believe that Jesus is Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.
So, without any delay, let us begin to jump right into our study in the Book of John today.
Today, we will look into the first five verses of the prologue of the Book of John (or its introduction). Let’s begin by reading our text.
John 1:1-5
1 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 came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. 5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
As we look at this text, I believe that John here is defining persons right off the bat, trying to create the reality of what He says in that thesis statement in in John 20:31.
John 20:31
31 but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.
Five verses bring about five items that I believe we find within the text that point us to the explanation of the Word. Let us look this morning out our five main points.
1. The Word as He relates to eternity
2. The Word as He relates to relationship
3. The Word as He relates to deity
4. The Word as He relates to creation
5. The Word as He relates to life
Let’s begin this morning by looking at the first point.
1. The Word as He relates to eternity
John’s very first words create a timeframe!
John 1:1a
1 In the beginning was the Word,
In the explanation of the Word, John feels it necessary to give us a timeframe into when the Word existed. The Greek for Word (????) can have a few different meanings, and the context always defines that meaning. It’s true that ???? can mean “ruler,” “source,” and “authority” as in other passages of Scripture it’s defined. And those are true about Christ, as He is the Authority, the Ruler of Nations, and the Source of Life (as He will state in John 14:6, “‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life’”). Here in the context of what John is trying to communicate to us, ???? is referring to the beginning of the universe. The same idea is found in Genesis chapter one when it says, “In the beginning, God created.”
Whatever the “Word” is (at this point), we don’t know, but what we do know, is that the Word was there at the beginning of TIME. And if the Word was there at the beginning of time, it can be considered eternal. You may say, “Well, how sure can you be that this Word was eternally preexistent?” Well, when you and I read the text in English, it can be easy to miss the original structure of this passage. When it says, “In the beginning was the Word,” we simply see that it existed at some point in the past. It doesn’t guarantee that it was there eternally. But that word (“was”) in the Greek, is ?? ? ?????. ?? is the imperfect tense of the verb, eimi. The imperfect tense of the verb describes continuation of action in the past. This confirms our idea that the Word was, as John MacArthur says, “continuously in existence before the beginning.” Notice that John didn’t say that He became the Word in the beginning (that He was created or fashioned). But no, rather, it says that, “In the beginning was the Word.” He already existed.
I love the fact that Jesus (whom I believe was the Word, which we will see as we walk through this book) makes known this fact in John 17:5 when He says the following:
John 17:5
5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory
that I had with you before the world existed.
This Word, existed eternally with God! John is pointing surely to the same idea which we find in
Genesis 1:1.
Genesis 1:1
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
The Word is eternal, had no beginning, and will have no end.
John 1:1a
In the beginning was the Word,
So, who is this Word that is found here to be eternal? While we don’t find that answer right this second in the text, the context points us to that information. The Greek word, logos, that is used here by John to describe the eternal Being, “had been a profoundly significant concept among philosophers for at least three centuries before Christ. It referred to an uncreated divine mind that gives meaning and order to the universe. And so, John co-opted the concept, saying in effect, “the concept that pagan philosophers have theorized about actually exist; He is God and Jesus Christ is He.” John is going to show us that the Word is Jesus Christ. Verse 14 points to fact that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
But let us notice that we do not only see the Word as He relates to eternity.
2. The Word as He relates to relationship
Relationship and partnership are closely related to where John takes us next.
John 1:1b
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,
Just like in the beginning the Word existed, the imperfect form of eimi is pointed to here. But this time, we come to encounter the Greek word p??? t?? ?e??! When the word, pros, is used in this manner, it represents familiarity. You see, there was a preexisting God and a preexisting Word that existed closely together. They shared a placed, purpose, and intimacy. It would picture two persons facing each other, engaging in discourse, showing there was relationship. Again, this points us to John 17:5.
I love the idea that 1 John 1:1-4 drives home in relation to this topic. It points us to the fact that, first, Jesus is the Word, and, second, that He had had fellowship, partnership, or relationship, with the Father in the beginning.
1 John 1:1-4
1 What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life— 2 and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us— 3 what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete.
The incarnate Word of God is Jesus Christ, and we see the Word (p??? t?? ?e??) was with God. The Word was with the Father in relationship from the beginning. We can even go as far back to Genesis in creation.
Genesis 1:1
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
The Hebrew for “Word” here, is “Elohim,” and it’s used in plural form. There is relationship with God in the beginning. We also see the following in Genesis 1:26.
Genesis 1:26
26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness;”
I believe that this shows us again that the Word was there with God in the beginning before the creation of the World. Why does this matter? In the prologue, John is explaining to us who the Word is, and it’s piece by piece, bit by bit, in which he is revealing that. If this is true, and the Word is truly Christ, in the beginning with the Father, then we must respond to the incarnate Word, Jesus Christ, when He says the following in John 14:6.
John 14:6
6 “I am the way, the truth, and the Life; no one comes to Father but through Me.”
We not only see the Word as He relates to eternity and the Word as He relates to relationship, but we also see,
3. The Word as He relates to deity
Here we find one of the most revealing truths about the deity of the Word! I mean, think about it. Here, John is about to make a claim. He is drawing his listeners in to this culturally-crafted masterpiece, and he has made some pretty bold statements about the Logos (the Word), and here comes the final straw. And that final straw is how the Word relates to deity.
John continues in John 1:1,
John 1:1c
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
This is mind-blowing! There goes the Jehovah’s Witnesses out the window. There goes Mormonism out the window. There goes any cult that discredits the deity of Christ out the window. If the “Word” is Christ, He was there in the beginning. He was with God in relationship, and now we find that He is, in very nature, God Himself.
And so, of course, you could imagine the fight that this passage is up against by these cults. I don’t want to get too technical, but I think for sake of argument, I must clarify a few things.
In the last part of the verse here in John 1:1, we have claim that the Word is God!
The New World Translations (Jehovah’s Witnesses “bible”) translate this passage differently. They translate it as ?a? ?e?? ?? ? ?????. The Jehovah’s Witnesses would state that since the Greek word for God (?e??) doesn’t have the definite article, then the word, “a” must be inserted. This isn’t the case though, and I think what we find here is a false cult trying to justify a passage that contradicts their foundation of belief.
There are several reasons why this isn’t the case. (Take Greek if you want the logistics of all of them!) Here is the simple reason why this isn’t necessary to translate it as “a” God. Just because it doesn’t have the definite article doesn’t make it not definite. You don’t even need to know Greek.
Look at John 1:12.
John 1:12
12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God,
No article. No questions.
Look at John 1:13.
John 1:13
13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
No article. No questions.
Look at John 1:18.
John 1:18
18 No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.
No article. No questions.
You don’t need the article to define whom or what you (or the text) is talking about in every case. When we say, “Those that don’t believe in Jesus Christ go to Hell, and those that do believe in Jesus Christ go to Heaven,” we don’t need the article. We don’t say, “They don’t go to the Hell, and they don’t go to the Heaven,” because it is assumed.
It’s the same case here.
John 1:1c
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
It’s the purest form of deity.
Flip over to Hebrews 1:8, if you will. Here, we find some pretty clear evidence that again, the Word was God.
Hebrews 1:8
8 But of the Son He says, “YOUR THRONE, O GOD, IS FOREVER AND EVER, AND THE RIGHTEOUS SCEPTER IS THE SCEPTER OF HIS KINGDOM.”
Jesus Christ is called by God. Not only does God call Christ the Son, “God”, He calls Him the “Son,” or, the “Word,” the eternal “God, forever and ever,” and He calls Him, “righteous.”
“That’s no big deal,” you may say, but, well, it is, because of what Romans 3:10 says.
Romans 3:10
10 as it is written, "THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;”
So, when God calls Jesus “God,” “eternal,” and “righteous,” well that’s a pretty amazing truth that confirms that here in our text, John meant what he said.
John 1:1
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
And to throw just a few more passages out there, look at Revelation 1:8. Here, we find John pointing to this same truth of deity.
Revelation 1:8
8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."
Who is this speaking about? Well, it’s God, right? I mean, it has to be God, because He is claiming to be the Beginning and the End. There is an eternal aspect to this Word, to the point that he says, “who is and who was and who is to come.” It seems like only God could make these claims, but, within the same chapter, when John receives a vision, he writes what we find here in Revelation 1:17.
Revelation 1:17
17 When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. But He placed His right hand on me and said, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last,”
Here is the eternal aspect once again, the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last. And then He continues from, “I am the First and the Last,” to say,
Revelation 1:18
18 “and the Living One. I was dead, and behold, now I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and of Hades.”
Wait one second. Are you telling me that God died? Of course not! But who did? Jesus Christ! What I’m telling you is that in John 1:1, when John says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God,” we find the deity of Jesus Christ!
No cult, and no false teachers, can rip it out of the text of God’s Word. If you do not like it, you might not understand it, and you might reject it, because it’s a fact, that Jesus is God in the flesh.
We will see even into John 5:18, where Jesus makes Himself out to be God and the people try and stone Him for it.
John 5:18
18 For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.
In John 10:30, as He is talking about the saved (and how no one could snatch them out of the Hands of God as they are protected), Jesus says,
John 10:30
30 “I and the Father are one.”
And then in verses 31-33,
John 10:31-33
31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone Him. 32 Jesus answered them, “I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?” 33 The Jews answered Him, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God.”
If you have any confusion as to John’s claim that the Word was God, Jesus thought of Himself to be the same. I love the fact that John just leaves no room for error here, and he continues into verse 2,
John 1:1-2
1 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.
The Word has now been given personality. I told you that John does this thing byte-by-byte, leaving no gap of error! So, John clarifies that this Word (which is deity), that HE was in the beginning, with God. He is eternally existing. Listen. Jesus Christ is deity!
Not only do we see the Word as He relates to eternity, the Word as He relates to relationship, and the Word as He relates to deity, but fourthly, we see,
4. The Word as He relates to creation
If you are still not sold that the Word is deity, then I believe that you will be after this point.
John 1:3
3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.
It’s basically saying that the Word (Him) created all things. Jesus, the Word, as Creator, verifies His deity, not only because only God can create, but throughout the Bible, God is the one that gets all the credit seemingly for creation.
Genesis 1:1
1 In the beginning, God created
Psalm 102:25-27
25 “Of old You founded the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. 26 Even they will perish, but You endure; And all of them will wear out like a garment; Like clothing You will change them and they will be changed. 27 But You are the same, And Your years will not come to an end.”
Mark 13:19
19 "For those days will be a time of tribulation such as has not occurred since the beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never will.”
Romans 1:25
25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
Isaiah 40:28
28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth Does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable.
These examples go on, and on, and on. Only God has the power and authority to create. So, we read that Jesus Christ, the Word, created all things. This should confirm for us that, YES, John is right that the Word was God. And when you read Colossians 1:15-20, it should put the nail in the coffin in confirming the fact that John was pointing-out. Yes, Jesus Christ is God, and the Word was God.
Colossians 1:15-20
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. 19 For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, 20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.
Jesus Christ is deity. He is God in flesh. He is the Word.
Not only do we see the Word as He relates to eternity, the Word as He relates to relationship, the Word as He relates to deity, and the Word as He relates to creation, but finally, we see,
5. The Word as He relates to life
John continues in verses 4-5,
John 1:4-5
4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. 5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
There are few observations that I think will be helpful as we try and understand what John is saying here. First, the word for “life” is ???! I know this would not mean much, but it’s where we get our English word, “zoology,” which is the study of life. The greatest note to see here when we deal with this word, ???, is to understand it in the term in which John was writing. You have the word, ???, which translates into English as, “life,” and you have the word, ß???, which translates into English as “life.” But why does John prefer (or why does the Holy Spirit prefer) ???, ß??? ? “Augustus marked the ‘beginning of life (ß???) and living (???).” MacAuthur pointed to the fact that ??? (life) refers to spiritual life, as opposed to ß??? (life), which describes physical life.
Let me render this down to reality. Jesus Christ is life. He obtains spiritual life and eternal life. He is with God, in fellowship with God, full of deity, and full of light! He has not yet taken on the form of flesh, and so He still dwells with the Father in Heaven, fully God, full of ??? (spiritual life). Here on earth is mankind. Mankind is fallen, stained, separated from God, and a very enemy of God. The world we live in is full of sin and darkness, chaos and confusion, and mankind is totally depraved. Mankind is dead. And when mankind is dead, there is total darkness. Dead people don’t see light. They don’t respond, and they have not an ounce of ability. They are dead.
This God. This Christ. The One full of ???.
John 1:4
4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.
The first time we begin to hear the heart of John, there is HOPE. There is light, and this light comes only from Him, the Word! If mankind is going to obtain anything but a ß??? kind of life (a physical life), there will need to be an intervention. I believe that we live among a people who obtain a physical life, but not a ??? (spiritual life). The Lord understands that unless He makes a way to bring light into the dark world, mankind will forever be the walking dead, full of physical life, but not obtaining a spiritual life!
John 1:5
5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
But the darkness doesn’t ?ata?aµß???. It’s translated as, “comprehend” here. The root word here is ?aµß???, which means, “to get hold of something.”
Listen. Jesus came into the world, but those that are dead (those that have the plain, simple physical ß??? kind of life), they did not seize, or hold fast, to the light that was given.
Listen. We have the whole picture of Scripture now, but just reading through to this point, the Word hasn’t even become flesh yet. John knows He has come, because He has already written the whole Book of John. However, what we see right here is the explanation of the Word. He is God. He is Creator. He is Life, the Light of men that shines, that opens eyes, that transfers ß??? life (physical lives) unto ??? (spiritual lives).
Are you living in the dark? Listen. The Light has come that you may have spiritual life. John has, “written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name,” (John 20:31).
Would you do that today? You have a few options!
1. For those that have not taken hold of the Light (those that haven’t placed their faith in Jesus Christ), you can receive Christ today
2. For those that have trusted in Christ (have taken hold of the Light), let your light shine before men. Stop trying to cover it or stop living like you are still in the darkness.
I don’t have to get creative here, for you have the Spirit of God living in you, to tell you just what is in your life that dishonors Him and reflects the darkness, rather than the Light. Repent and honor God.
Let’s pray.
MacArthur, J. (2006). John 1-11 MacArthur New Testament Commentary (p. 16). Moody Publishers.
Swindoll, C. (2014). Insights on John (p. 19). Tyndale House Publishers.
Arndt, W., Danker, F., & Bauer, W. (2000). A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature (3rd ed., p. 177). University of Chicago Press.
