John begins his gospel a little different than all the others. He wants us the reader to recognize from the very first verse, who Christ really is. John does not want us to stumble around the way even he as an apostle did while learning of Christ. Jesus Is God’s Message to us. He was with God and is fully God, willingly taking on human flesh for you and for me. He is life eternal. Present since before the earth began. In the beginning He existed beside the Father and is fully God, Himself. He is the full revelation of God to humanity. Truth, life all begins in Him and exist in Him, the Word of God.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me. John 14:6 (NASB)
Jesus is the truth, the message of God to the World and the Revelation of God’s Glorious Character in a form we might see, behold, and understand. The Father really is perfectly reflected like a mirrored image of Himself in His son, whom we could see because Jesus took on human flesh becoming fully human while remaining fully God.
14 Now the Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We saw his glory—the glory of the one and only, full of grace and truth, who came from the Father. John 1 (NET)
In the Beginning the Word
Just as Genesis 1 (the beginning story of creation), so does John take us back to that here. In the Beginning was the Word. God spoke all the heavens into being by the power of His Word. Imagine this! Jesus is that very word, speaking everything into being. Every galaxy, star, planet, and creature began by the power of the Word. And is held together by the power of the Word. The power of His Word–” logos.” In the beginning Elohim is the Supreme Deity-plural-designating that from eternity past—the One and Only true God has existed as three in one. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all existed eternally.
The absolute depth of this truth is mind boggling as to its implications. God has always existed in relationship with perfect love. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit existing in perfect harmony of thought, purpose, devotion, love, and righteousness. Jesus spoke of this in His prayer as recorded in John 17.
22 The glory which You have given Me I also have given to them, so that they may be one, just as We are one; 23 I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and You loved them, just as You loved Me. 24 Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. John 17 (NASB)
The Word is the Light of the World
How miraculous is that? He came to shine the light of truth, the Word into this darkened world.
9 This was the true Light that, coming into the world, enlightens every person. 10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through Him, and yet the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own people did not accept 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 a man, but of God. John 1 (NASB)
HELD TOGETHER BY THE WORD
So, the question again is. Do you know Him? Can you honestly say who Jesus Christ is?
for us there is only one God, the Father, from whom are all things. And we exist for Him. One Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him. I Corinthians 8:6 (NASB)
Did you get that? There is one God and we exist for Him and through Him. Furthermore,
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. Colossians 1 (NASB)
The word consist is a verb meaning be composed or made up of. Everything exists and is made up of His Word. Without Him, nothing would exist. As Paul spoke in Athens after walking around looking at all the gods they worshipped and had built statues to.
ACTS 17 (NKJV)
22 Then Paul stood in the midst of the [i]Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; 23 for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription:
TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.
Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: 24 God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. 25 Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. 26 And He has made from one [j]blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, 27 so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; 28 for in Him we live and move and have our being
In Him, The Word We Have Our Being
In Him, we live and move and have our being. Being-existence is only because of Him. He is the true difference between being and nothingness. Unless we find our being in Him, everything is vanity and vexation of spirit. Furthermore,
18 He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. Colossians 1
He came to earth to pay the penalty of our rebellious hearts. He took upon Himself the wrath of God the Father and Holy Spirit against sin, so that He might declare us who believe in Him righteous. Not by any merit of our own, but because of Him. He was separated for a moment in time from the Father and the Holy Spirit, crying out, “My God, my God why hath you forsaken me?” A punishment unimaginable for the Son but bore by Him willingly. He died and rose again from the grave to conquer sin and death once for all who would believe and trust in Him. Because of that we may be reconciled in Christ.
Reconciled in Christ-The Word
19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, 20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.
21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled 22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight— 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister. (Colossians 1 NKJV)
So, why did John begin His Gospel This Way?
That we might know and knowing believe.
30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written 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 (NKJV)
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. Ephesians 1 (NKJV)
Yes, indeed to the praise of the glory of His grace-the Word was made flesh
The Word was made Flesh, so that
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. Ephesians 1 (NKJV)
Therefore, to the praise of His Glory, we are saved by His Grace-that is all who know Him as Lord and Savior are. And we know that in the dispensation—in the fulness of time, all things will be gathered in Christ.
at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2 (NASB)
And What is Your Assurance?
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. (Ephesians 1, NKJV).
16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. (Romans 8 NASB)
And how does He do that? Through that soft nagging voice reminding you that the fruit of the Spirit is:
love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Galatians 5 (NASB).
So, whenever these are not what I am truly feeling and being, I know I need to bow before Him. I need to Seek Him more fully. Ask for forgiveness of sin that may be standing in the way of my fully trusting Him. Then, I wait upon Him, knowing He will fully restore me to Himself.
DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.
Therefore if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you today. Go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.
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DISCLOSURES
©Effie Darlene Barba, 2023Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
Additionally, there are quotes from myself that are noted in my book- “When God Commanded Build that Wall”
Credits
New King James Version (NKJV)Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible (NASB)New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
New English Translation (NET)
NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.
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