THE LIFE OF CHRIST
Lesson One
John 1:1-4
The Pre-existent Deity
01.w#text file
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the
Word was God.
John 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.
John 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made
that was made. KJV)
We begin by noting the similarity between the opening remarks of John and
the opening remarks of Moses.
Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (KJV)
I. This is an extremely bold thing for John to do. By introducing his
book this way he elevates s to the rank of scripture and undertakes to
modify our understanding of the scriptures which have gone before.
God created the universe in the beginning according to Moses, but John adds
that it was Jesus, whom he calls the Word here, who was the creating force.
There can be no doubt but that this elevated Jesus to the Godhead in the
mind of John as well as all of his contemporaries who knew the scriptures.
The unbelieving Jews would see this as blasphemy and that John would not be
welcome in Jewish synagogues.
John seems to also be consciously submitting this text as holy scripture,
which other writers seem not to be doing. He appears to be well aware that
he is adding to sacred writings and views his work as on a par with that of
Moses. If he did not, how could he think to add to or modify what Moses
said?
II. This is also without a doubt one of the most elegant passages of scrip-
ture concerning Jesus Christ which we have.
There are a couple of others which approximate its power and force. We think
of Isa.
Isa 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the govern-
ment shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful,
Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
(KJV)
Isa 9:7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end,
upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish
it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of
the LORD of hosts will perform this. (KJV)
And Hebrews,
Heb 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past
unto the fathers by the prophets, (KJV)
Heb 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath
appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; (KJV)
Heb 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his
person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by
himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
Heb 1:4 Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance
obtained a more excellent name than they. (KJV)
There can be little doubt by any rational and open-minded person that these
writers intended to convey the message of the Deity of Jesus Christ. Their
words can be wrested and twisted to make it seem as if they were saying some-
thing else, but the clear and simple message is very clear.
III. But more important than the elegant and grand nature of the text is the
power of the truths which are communicated in it.
Let us look carefully at the assertions made in this text.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the
Word was God. (KJV)
A. John says that the Word 'was' in the beginning.
John deliberately chose a construction which would represent the idea that
there was no beginning to the 'being' of the Word in the beginning. He
definitely is not saying, 'at the beginning the Word came to be.' The
structure of his statement absolutely precludes that kind of understanding
or translation.
B. He says that 'the Word was with God.'
This indicates a collateral existence with the Deity whom the Jews recognized
as Jehovah or YAHVEH. The Jews had mostly conceived of God as a singular
being through the representations of Him in their scriptures. The idea of
another being coexisting with Him is a challenge to their thinking.
John probably is intending to communicate here that this coexistence was one
of agreement and cooperation. That is the Word was not the competition of
Jehovah but a companion. This idea of companionship is one which John will
point to as he elaborately records the prayer of Jesus in the garden in
chapter 17.
John 17:4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which
thou gavest me to do.
John 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the
glory which I had with thee before the world was. (KJV)
John 17:11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world,
and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom
thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. (KJV)
The Word was the companion of God, existing with Him at the time which we
look to as 'the beginning.' Now the beginning is a very definite time for
us, having been identified to us by Moses through the Holy Spirit.
Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (KJV)
The beginning was the beginning for us, the creation of our universe. The
Word was present with God at that time, says John.
Now the third statement of this verse is the most radical one which John
will make in the entire book.
C. The Word was God.
Although we do not definitely know how much was understood in the OT con-
cerning the multiple person-hood of God, we know that John had a very definite
idea that there was more than one person involved in this entity which we call
God. The Word was both WITH God and WAS God.
Men have stretched their minds in many different ways to try to explain the
phenomenon which John here describes. There are a couple of reasons for
their perplexity.
1. The New Testament represents itself as a continuity of the revelation
begun in the Old. We have already looked at Heb. 1.
Therefore, we expect that the revelation of the New will not contradict nor
dispute the revelation of the Old.
2. The Old Testament is quite adamant about two things.
A. There is only one God.
Deut 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: (KJV)
1 King 8:60 That all the people of the earth may know that the LORD is God,
and that there is none else. (KJV)
B. No other Gods are to be worshipped nor served.
Isaiah 42:8 I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to
another, neither my praise to graven images. (KJV)
Exodus 34:14 For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name
is Jealous, is a jealous God: (KJV)
So introducing the idea of another personality into the Godhead was quite
a stretch for those Jews. And understanding that multiple personalities go
to make up the Godhead and yet God is only one boggles the mind of every
person who has ever attempted to contemplate the subject.
One of the earliest challenges to the unity of the Christian faith was over
this subject. Several ideas were formed as to the explanation of this
situation.
1. Some suggested that although Jesus obviously preceded creation and
was the agent by which God created the universe, He was still a created
being, unique and superior to all other created beings, but created none-
theless.
2. Others suggested that He really was God, but the One Person come down in
human flesh, that there is no multiple personality situation.
3. Still others said that He was not real but only a vision sent by God to
communicate with men.
We do not have the time to refute all of the variant ideas here, but there
is just rebuttal to all of them. One of the earliest councils of the church
discussed the issue in full and agreed that the scriptures represent three
separate persons as united together in a single Godhead, the Father, the Son
(Word), and the Holy Spirit. This is the doctrine which we call the Trinity.
There are groups which challenge the credibility of this doctrine, but they
are not credible themselves, being given over to many heretical and false
notions besides their errant view of God.
There is one place where all three of these Persons made themselves known
to human beings and faithful men described what they saw.
Matt 3:16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the
water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of
God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: (KJV)
Matt 3:17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in
whom I am well pleased.
It was obvious to John that he was seeing three separate entities expressing
both their uniqueness as well as their unity. Some would have one Person
play-acting as if He were three. We accept this revelation on its face,
there are three persons in the Trinity whom we worship as God.
One might ask the question as to what possible difference it could make in
any practical terms as to whether one believes in the Trinity or one of the
other ideas that have been put forward. We believe that there are several.
1. The Old Testament, our original revelation, strictly forbids the
worship of any person except for God Himself.
Exodus 34:14 for thou shalt worship no other god: for Jehovah, whose name is
Jealous, is a jealous God: (ASV)
If Jesus is not God, then the New Testament is an invalid document, for it
shows Jesus receiving worship in strict violation of previous revelations
from God.
John 20:26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas
with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst,
and said, Peace be unto you. (KJV)
John 20:27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my
hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not
faithless, but believing.
John 20:28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. (KJV)
John 20:29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou
hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
(KJV)
If Jesus received worship and was not genuinely God in every way, He blas-
phemed God by receiving worship due only to Him. Not only that but the
writers of the New Testament blasphemed as they referred to Him as God.
1 Cor 15:47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the
Lord from heaven. (KJV)
Acts 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over
the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God,
which he hath purchased with his own blood. (KJV)
Col 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that
are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions,
or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
(KJV)
1 Tim 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God
was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached
unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. (KJV)
Titus 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; (KJV)
Heb 1:8 But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever:
a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. (KJV)
II. We believe that in the Deity of Jesus Christ lies His perfection, which
is our hope that His sacrifice is accepted by God.
Heb 10:14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are
sanctified. (KJV)
Isaiah 53: 4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet
we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our
iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes
we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own
way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is
brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is
dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his
generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the trans-
gression of my people was he stricken.
9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death;
because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when
thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall
prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his
knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their
iniquities.
12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide
the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death:
and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and
made intercession for the transgressors. (KJV)
The perfect justice of God required a perfect sacrifice for sins.
In the fact that the Deity Himself moved to come into the world lies our
surest testimony of our needy state.
When the children of Israel needed to be delivered from Egypt, God sent
Moses.
When they were overcome and oppressed by the Philistines, He sent Samson,
Gideon, Samuel and the other judges.
When Nineveh needed to repent from sin, He sent Jonah.
But when you and I needed a Savior, He came Himself. No one less would do.
No prophet, no judge, no king could do what needed to be done for us. No
angel could rescue us, even though one of them was more than enough to con-
quer any army. Not even the great living creatures which stand continually
before His throne had the ability to do what needed to be done for us.
We needed for our sins to be paid for in such a way that the Perfectly Holy
and Just God might release us from their debt and receive us as His own
sons.
Our case was so desperate that if God Himself did not move to save us we
would forever be lost. This passage of scripture should be committed to the
memory of every child of God and be his constant source of rejoicing for the
marvelous love which it communicates to us.
Our grandest hope and continual rejoicing is that the God of Glory moved
with compassion toward us, arose from His throne, laid aside His glory, and
clothed Himself in human flesh to purchase our redemption,Phil. 2:5-8.
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