The Word (John 1:1-3&14)

The Word (1:1–3, 14)

Just as our words show others what we think and feel, Jesus Christ is God's "Word" that shows us what He thinks and feels. "he that hath seen me hath seen the Father . ." (John 14:9). A word is made up of letters, and the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet are "Alpha" and "Omega" (Rev. 1:11). Hebrews 1:1–3 says that Jesus Christ is God's last Word to people because He is the highest point of divine revelation.

The eternal Word is Jesus Christ (vv. 1–2). He was there at the beginning, not because He was a creature with a beginning, but because He is eternal. He is God, and He was with God. "Before Abraham was, I am" (John 8:58).

The creative Word is Jesus Christ (v. 3). There is a clear connection between John 1:1 and Genesis 1:1, which talk about the "new creation" and the "old creation." God made the worlds with His word: "And God said, 'Let there be ...'" and "For He spake, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast" (Ps. 33:9). Because God made everything through Jesus Christ (Col. 1:16), Jesus is not a created being. He is God eternal.

In Greek, the verb "made" is in the perfect tense, which means "completed act." The act of creation is over. It is a completed act, even though God is definitely working in His creation (John 5:17). Creation is not a process; it is a finished product.

Jesus Christ is the Word made flesh (v. 14). When He lived on earth, He was a real man, not a ghost or spirit, and His body was real, not an illusion. J ohn and the other disciples had their experiences that made them sure that Jesus' body was real (1 John 1:1–2). John's main point is that Christ is God, but he also stresses that the Son of God came in the flesh and had to deal with the sinless weaknesses of human nature.

John's Gospel says that Jesus was tired (John 4:6) and thirsty (John 4:7), that He groaned inside (John 11:33), and that He cried openly (John 11:35). He died (John 19:30), bled (John 19:34), and was thirsty (John 19:28) on the cross. He showed Thomas and the other disciples that He still had a real body after He rose from the dead (John 20:24–29), but it was a glorified body.

How did the "Word become flesh"? The "Word became flesh" through the miraculous Virgin Birth (Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:18–25; Luke 1:26–38). He took on sinless human nature and identified with us in every aspect of life, from birth to death. "The Word" wasn't just a philosophical idea; it was a real person who could be seen, touched, and heard. Christ is God, and Christianity is Christ.
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The gospel talks a lot about how God shows His glory. In His person, His works, and His words, Jesus showed God's glory. John wrote down seven amazing signs (miracles) that clearly showed how great God is (John 2:11). The glory of the old law covenant was fading, but the glory of the new law covenant in Christ is growing (see 2 Cor. 3). The law could show sin, but it could never take it away. Anyone who believes in Jesus Christ can have the fullness of His grace (John 1:16).