Lesson 2: Jesus: Revealer of God

(John 1:1-5)

February 24, 2013

In the movie, Ben Hur, Ben Hur had been imprisoned by the Romans and was
being taken to a galley ship where he would be forced to row. He was tired
and thirsty and had dropped to the ground from exhaustion. He cried out,
“God, help me!”
At that moment Jesus (the film never showed His face, but only His back)
reached down to give him a drink. When the Roman soldier in charge saw
this, he yelled at Jesus to leave the man alone and raised his whip. Jesus
turned and looked at the soldier, who stood there immobilized in awe as he
looked at Jesus’ face (which the camera did not show). He lowered his whip
and turned away. The effect that the film wanted to convey is that an
encounter with Jesus Christ would stun and perhaps even soften the hardest
of men.

John begins his Gospel by stunning us with his description of Jesus Christ. He
never mentions Jesus’ name until verse 17, but it becomes clear right away
that he is talking about Jesus. Rather than beginning with the story of His
birth, John confronts us with His deity in eternity. Moses begins Genesis (1:1)
by confronting us with the majesty of God, “In the beginning God created the
heavens and the earth.” In the same way, John 1:1 confronts us with the
majesty of Jesus Christ, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God.” John wants us to stand in awe of Jesus as
God and as the One who reveals the unseen God to us, just as a word reveals
an unseen thought.
It is foundational to the Christian faith and crucial to your personal faith that
you understand and embrace the truth that Jesus Christ is fully God. Bishop
Moule once stated (source unknown), “A Savior not quite God is a bridge
broken at the farther end.” John Mitchell put it (An Everlasting
Love [Multnomah Press], pp. 13, 14), “If Jesus is not God, then we are sinners
without a Savior…. If Jesus were only a man, then He died for His own sins.
And we are still in our sins. We have no hope.” In order to reconcile sinful
people to the holy God, Jesus must be God in human flesh. John skillfully
presents this in the prologue (1:1-18) of his Gospel. Colin Kruse (John [IVP
Academic], pp. 59-60) points out:
The Prologue … introduces the main themes that are to appear throughout
the Gospel: Jesus’ pre-existence (1:1a/ 17:5), Jesus’ union with God
(1:1c/8:58; 10:30; 20:28), the coming of life in Jesus (1:4a/5:26; 6:33; 10:10;
11:25-26; 14:6), the coming of light in Jesus (1:4b, 9/3:19; 8:12; 12:46), the
conflict between light and darkness (1:5/ 3:19; 8:12; 12:35, 46), believing in
Jesus (1:7, 12/2:11; 3:16, 18, 36; 5:24; 6:69; 11:25; 14:1; 16:27; 17:21;
20:25), the rejection of Jesus (1:10c, 11/4:44; 7:1; 8:59; 10:31; 12:37-40;
15:18), divine regeneration (1:13/3:1-7), the glory of Jesus (1:14/12:41; 17:5,
22, 24), the grace and truth of God in Jesus (1:14, 17/4:24; 8:32; 14:6; 17:17;
18:38), Jesus and Moses/the law (1:17/1:45; 3:14; 5:46; 6:32; 7:19; 9:29),
only Jesus has seen God (1:18/6:46), and Jesus’ revelation of the Father
(1:18/3:34; 8:19, 38; 12:49-50; 14:6-11; 17:8).

Kruse compares the Prologue in John to a foyer in a theater, where you can
see various scenes from the drama that you are about to see inside. Kruse
and several other writers point out a chiastic structure in the prologue, with
the center of it on verses 12 & 13, which is the central theme of John, that
when we believe in Jesus we are born of God and become children of God.
But today we have to limit ourselves to 1:1-5, where John shows us that…

Jesus Christ is the eternal Word, the Creator of everything, who

reveals the life and light of God to this dark world.

We cannot know God, who (1 Tim. 6:16) “dwells in unapproachable light,

whom no man has seen or can see,” unless He chooses to reveal Himself to
us. John’s point is that God has revealed Himself to us in the person of Jesus
Christ.
1. Jesus is the eternal Word of God (1:1-2).

John 1:1-2: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and
the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.” We need to be clear
on what John is affirming here, because it is foundational for the Christian
faith. Four things:
A. JESUS IS ETERNAL.

“In the beginning,” as I said, takes us back to Genesis 1:1, when God created
the heavens and the earth. The verb “was” indicates that at the beginning of
the universe, the Word already was in existence. John wants us to see that
he is writing about a new creation that centers in the eternal Word, who is
also the Creator of all things (1:3). Both statements (Gen. 1:1 & John 1:1)
don’t let you debate the question, “Does God exist?” They don’t ask for your
opinion, “What do you think about it.” Rather, before you have time to duck,
they hit you right between the eyes: “In the beginning, God….” “In the
beginning was the Word…” John means that there never was a time when
the Word was not.
Whenever Scripture makes such a bold declaration of Jesus’ deity, you can
be sure that the enemy will attack it. Virtually all heresies down through
history to the present deny either the full deity or the true humanity of Jesus
Christ. The heretic Arius and his modern disciples, the Jehovah’s Witnesses,
argue that Jesus was not eternal; rather, He was the first created being. The
Jehovah’s Witnesses base this in part on Paul’s statement (Col. 1:15), “He is
the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.” But if they would
read the very next verse, Paul explains what he means by “the firstborn”
(1:16-17): “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on
earth, visible and invisible, whether throne or dominions or rulers or
authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is
before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” If all things have been
created through Him, then clearly He is not created. He is eternal.
In our text, John emphasizes the same thing (1:3), “apart from Him nothing
came into being that has come into being.” Obviously, if Jesus is a created
being, then He came into being and verse 3 is false. But John denies this and
asserts that everything that had a beginning (that came into being) came
into being through Jesus. He is eternal. There never was a time when the
Word was not in existence. Jesus is eternal God!

B. JESUS IS THE SECOND PERSON OF THE TRINITY.

John continues, “and the Word was with God.” Leon Morris (The Gospel
According to John [Eerdmans, 1971], p. 76) explains the preposition (“with”):
“The whole existence of the Word was oriented towards the Father. Probably
we should understand from the preposition the two ideas of accompaniment
and relationship…. Not only did the Word exist ‘in the beginning,’ but He
existed in the closest possible connection with the Father.” This shows that
the Word is not an impersonal idea or philosophy, but a Person. This Person
is distinguishable from God, although (as the first and third phrases of 1:1
show), He is eternal God.
In verse 2, John repeats the first two phrases of verse 1, both for emphasis
and to make sure that we understand what he is saying. The Word was in the
beginning with God. While the Word is God (1:1c), the Word is distinct from
God.

Although our finite minds cannot comprehend the mystery of the Trinity,
Scripture is clear that God is one God who exists in three distinct persons.
Each person is fully God and yet He is not three Gods, but one God (see
Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology [Zondervan, 1994], pp. 226-258).
C. JESUS IS GOD.

The third phrase is, “and the Word was God.” As Morris states (p. 76),
“Nothing higher could be said. All that may be said about God may fitly be
said about the Word. This statement should not be watered down.” He
clarifies (p. 77), “John is not merely saying that there is something divine
about Jesus. He is affirming that He is God, and doing so emphatically as we
see from the word order in the Greek.”

If you’ve had an encounter with the Jehovah’s Witnesses, you know that they
claim that the Greek text (and their New World Translation says, “the word
was a god,” because there is no Greek definite article before “God.” How
should you answer their claim?
First, this is the only way in Greek to say, “the Word was God.” If John had
put the definite article before God, it would have equated the Word totally
with God, thus negating the distinction between the Word and God that he
made in the second phrase. It would not have allowed for the Father and the
Holy Spirit to be God (another serious heresy).

Second, you could say, “While neither of us understands the technicalities of

Greek grammar well enough to discuss the matter intelligently,
knowledgeable Greek scholars point out the inconsistency of the New World
Translation and they affirm the translation as it appears in every literal
modern translation.” (See Daniel Wallace, Greek Grammar Beyond the
Basics [Zondervan], pp. 266-269.) Wallace (p. 269) argues that the Greek
construction here emphasizes the qualitative aspect of the Word, which
means that He had all the attributes, qualities and essence of the Father,
though they differed in person. He states (ibid., italics and bold type his),
“The construction the evangelist chose to express this idea was the
most concise way he could have stated that the Word was God and yet was
distinct from the Father.”
Third, there are many other Scriptures that clearly proclaim Jesus as God,
even within John’s Gospel. In John 5:18, the Jews sought to kill Jesus because
He was making Himself equal with God. In response, Jesus doesn’t correct
them by saying, “I didn’t mean to imply that I’m God!” Rather, He claims
(5:22b-23a) that the Father “has given all judgment to the Son, so that all
will honor the Son even as they honor the Father.” That’s a bold claim to
deity! When, at the climax of John’s gospel (20:28), Thomas sees the risen
Jesus, he proclaims, “My Lord and my God!” He was not making an
exclamation, as the Jehovah’s Witnesses claim, which would have used God’s
name in vain. Surely, Jesus would have rebuked him. Instead, Jesus affirmed
Thomas’ confession. (Also, see John 8:58; 10:30; 14:9.)
Years later, on the Isle of Patmos, the apostle John had a vision of the risen
Lord (Rev. 1:17-18). John fell before Him as a dead man. Jesus said, “Do not
be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and
behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of
Hades.” Isaiah 44:6 says, “Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his
Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: ‘I am the first and I am the last, and there is no
God besides Me.’” In light of Isaiah, clearly Jesus was claiming to be the Lord
of hosts, the only living and true God! C. K. Barrett (cited by Kruse, p. 59)
comments on John 1:1, “John intends that the whole of his Gospel shall be
read in the light of this verse. The deeds and words of Jesus are the deeds
and words of God; if this be not true the book is blasphemous.”
Thus verse 1 affirms, Jesus is eternal; He is the second person of the Trinity;
and, He is God. Also, it affirms that…

D. JESUS IS THE WORD.

John 1:14 clearly makes this identification: “And the Word became flesh and
dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from
the Father, full of grace and truth.”
Many pages have been written on the possible links between John’s concept
of “the Word” in relation to how it was used in Greek philosophy. They
viewed the “logos” as the rational mind that ruled the universe. The problem
is, we can’t really know to what extent John may or may not have had the
Greek concepts in mind when he called Jesus “the Word.” Perhaps John,
aware of the Greek ideas, used this term to show them the true meaning of
the “logos.”

But I think the clear link in John 1 with Genesis 1 primarily roots his meaning
of “logos” in the Old Testament (Andreas Kostenberger, John [Baker], p.
27). Genesis 1 repeatedly states, “and God said ….” Psalm 33:6 states, “By
the word of the Lord the heavens were made….” Verse 9 repeats, “For He
spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.” Psalm
107:20 declares, “He sent His word and healed them ….” God’s word
accomplishes the purpose for which He sends it forth (Isa. 55:11). There is
creative power in the word of God and Jesus is that Word. So when John calls
Jesus “the Word,” he means that God has spoken to us and revealed Himself
to us in the person of Jesus Christ, the eternal Creator of all things. Also,
consider these two things:
(1). AS THE WORD, JESUS REVEALS WHAT THE INVISIBLE GOD IS LIKE.

You cannot know my thoughts unless I put them into words. God is spirit, and
thus invisible to our finite senses (1 Tim. 6:16). John (1:18) says, “No one has
seen God at any time; the only begotten God [some manuscripts read,
“Son”] who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.” Jesus
Himself asserted (John 14:9), “He who has seen Me has seen the Father.”
Thus it is only through Jesus that we can know God personally (Luke 10:22).
(2). AS THE WORD, JESUS SHOWS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TOWARDS GOD.

Hebrews 1:1-2 asserts, “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the
prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken
to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He
made the world.” If God has spoken to us through Jesus, His Word, then we
had better listen to and obey Jesus! John 3:36 draws the line, “He who
believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will
not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” To ignore God’s word to us
in Jesus is a serious mistake! Jesus is the eternal God, the authoritative Word
of God. Ignore Him to your eternal peril! Thus in verses 1 & 2, John asserts
that Jesus is the eternal Word of God, distinct from the Father and yet
equally God with the Father. The Father has spoken to us in Jesus Christ.
2. Jesus is the creator of all things that exist (1:3).

John 1:3: “All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him
nothing came into being that has come into being.” I’ve already pointed out
that if everything that has come into being came into being through Jesus,
then clearly Jesus never came into being. He has existed eternally.
The Bible teaches that all three members of the Trinity were involved in
creation. God the Father created everything, but He did it through Jesus
Christ (1 Cor. 8:6; Col. 1:16-17; Heb. 1:1-3). Also, the Spirit of God
participated in creation (Gen. 1:2). God’s statement (Gen. 1:26), “Let Us
make man in Our image” implies the involvement of the trinity in the
creation of human beings.
As with the person of Christ, it is not just a coincidence that Satan has so
strongly attacked the biblical doctrine of creation. If God created everything
that exists out of nothing by the word of His power, then contrary to what
atheists claim, matter is not eternal. Only God is eternal. Creation also points
to the amazing power and intelligence of God. It shows us that we are finite,
limited creatures and thus we must submit to God and depend on Him. In
other words, if Jesus is the creator, then He is God, which means, I am not
God! And that is a fundamental lesson in all of life!

3. Jesus is the author of life, which should point all people

toward Him (1:4).

John 1:4: “In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.” John uses “life”
36 times in his Gospel, more than any other New Testament book. D. A.
Carson (The Gospel According to John [Eerdmans/Apollos], p. 119) argues
that in light of verses 1-3, “the life inhering in the Word is related not to
salvation but to creation.” The next phrase, “the life was the Light of men,”
then either points to the fact of man being created in the image of God or to
the way in which God’s invisible attributes, eternal power and divine nature
are revealed in creation (Rom. 1:20). But since John goes on to develop the
truth that Jesus came to earth to bring spiritual life to those who are dead in
their sins and spiritual light to those who live in darkness, verse 4 may have
a dual meaning, pointing back to creation, but also ahead to the salvation
Jesus brings.
So the application is, those who are spiritually dead in their sins need life and
Jesus is the source of that life. They are spiritually in darkness, but when
they are born again, the light goes on. As Paul puts it (2 Cor. 4:4, 6),
referring to those who are perishing, “in whose case the god of this world
has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light
of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God…. For God, who
said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our
hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of
Christ.” Finally,
4. Jesus is the only source of true light in this spiritually dark
world (1:5).

John 1:5, “The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not
comprehend it.” The word translated “comprehend” can have two meanings,
much like our word “grasp.” It can mean to comprehend or grasp mentally,
or it can mean to overcome or take hold of something in the sense of
mastering it physically. If it refers to creation, then John’s meaning is that
when God said, “Let there be light,” it overcame the darkness. If you turn on
a light in a dark room, the darkness loses and the light prevails. But John
uses the present tense here, which probably focuses on Jesus’ coming to
earth and the conflict between Him and the powers of darkness that unfold
in this Gospel. They crucified Him, but He arose and conquered the darkness.
His salvation conquers the spiritual darkness in every heart that trusts in
Him.
But the word may also be translated “comprehend,” and this meaning also
fits a theme in this Gospel. In 1:10b, those in the world “did not know Him.”
In 1:11b, even His own people “did not receive Him.” Jesus points out (3:19-
20) that those in the darkness love the darkness and hate the Light because
their deeds are evil. Thus they didn’t “comprehend” Jesus. Because sinners
walk in darkness (8:12), they fail to see who Jesus really is. In John 8:48, they
 actually accuse Him of having a demon! So perhaps John’s use of this
ambiguous term has both meanings: the darkness will not overcome the
Light as it comes through Jesus. Also, the darkness cannot comprehend the
Light, unless Jesus opens their blind eyes to see.
Conclusion

So John’s point in this opening stunning description of Jesus Christ is to tell us

that He is the eternal Word, the Creator of everything, and that He reveals
the life and light of God to this dark world. Have you ever been stunned like
that soldier in Ben Hur because God opened your eyes to see who Jesus
really is? Because He is the eternal God, we should believe in Him and
submit everything in our lives to Him as the Sovereign Lord. Because He is
the Creator, we should worship Him as we see His handiwork in what He has
made. If His life is in us, our salvation is secure. Because He is our life, we
should be filled with hope because we will spend eternity with Him. Because
He is our light, we should let Him shine into every decision we make and into
every area of our lives. To know God, look to Jesus, the eternal Word of God!

Application Questions

1. Why is the deity of Jesus Christ foundational to Christianity? Can a person

who denies His deity be truly saved?

2. An early heresy (modalism) taught that God revealed Himself as the Father
in the Old Testament, as the Son in the New Testament, and as the Holy
Spirit after Pentecost. Why is this wrong? How does John 1:1-2 refute it?
3. Outside of the Gospel of John, what texts most strongly prove the deity of
Jesus? Which texts do the cults use to try to disprove it? How would you
answer them?

4. What are some practical benefits of Jesus being our life and light? How do
these truths apply to our daily lives?

Copyright, Steven J. Cole, 2013, All Rights Reserved.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture Quotations are from the New American
Standard Bible, Updated Edition © The Lockman Foundation