Jesus: the beginning

John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

In the beginning - This phrase parallels Genesis 1:1 and points to the beginning of creation.

Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”

It is describing that the Word existed from all eternity and was present during the creation of the universe.

John the Baptist said, John 1:29–30 “The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’”

Now if you know the story of Jesus’ birth you know that Mary the mother of Jesus went to see Elizabeth the mother of John in Elizabeth’s sixth month of pregnancy, so John the Baptist was six months older than Jesus. John the Baptist was Jesus’ older cousin. So why does John the Baptist say here that Jesus was before him?

In a discussion that Jesus had with the Jewish leaders they said to him... John 8:57–59 “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.”

Another time when Jesus was speaking to the Jewish leaders Jesus said...

John 6:45–48 “It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me— not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life.”

As we can see from these verses in the gospels, Jesus is the Word! Jesus is God and he was with God in the beginning.

Our Scripture continues...

John 1:3 “All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.”

John says here that

All things were made through him - What the apostle John is teaching here can be quite a revelation for some people. I know it was for me at one point in my life. What John teaches us here is that the Son of God took a leading role in the creation of the Universe. Although all three persons of the trinity were active in creation, God the Father, God the Son, and God they Holy Spirit. It was through the Son of God that all things were made.

Another verse that says this very same thing is...

Hebrews 1:2 “but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.”

Finally in the letter to the Colossians the apostle Paul describes how all things were created through Jesus and for Jesus.

Colossians 1:16-17 “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”

While the Father directed all things and the Spirit participated in creation, it was the Son of God who was the active agent through which everything came into being. Everything was made for Him, its existence is dependent upon Him, and eventually everything will come to an end by Him.

As we continue to look at our primary verses for today we see in ...

John 1:4 “In him was life, and the life was the light of men.”

After describing Jesus as the one who created all things, the Scripture tells us that it is Jesus that gives life to all things. In him was life - As the active agent in creation, the Son of God upholds all life on earth by His Word. The life that he has made proclaims his glory.

Psalm 19:1–2 “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.” However the life we have on earth ends in death.

The Scriptures teach us that we die because we have sinned against God.

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death...

Romans 5:12 “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—”

But because in Jesus there is life, he offers us life that will last forever.

All life both here on earth and eternal life rests in Jesus Christ.

In John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

and the life was the light of men -John says “The life was the light.”

The life that Jesus Christ offers is the light of men.

The life we have here on earth points to the Creator of all life who is also our Redeemer from sin.

The verse we read earlier continues Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Jesus offers eternal life to all who believe.

So what does this saving faith look like you ask?

Rom 10:17-18 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for “Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.””

While Jesus upholds all life here on earth the most important life Jesus offers us is eternal life. Because we have turned away from God to worthless idols we need to repent of our sin and turn back to the living God. Jesus tells us he has the power to give eternal life and one day Jesus will raise all of the dead back to life at the resurrection of the dead.

My brothers and sisters, how many tales and superstitions have been told about the fountain of youth? How many of us think about our younger years as being best years? How many of us even spend money trying to look young?

Yet only Jesus Christ has the authority to grant eternal life, and eternal life is just that, an eternal physical and glorified body that will be given to believers at the first resurrection of the dead, when we are raptured into the clouds at his coming.

In Christ Jesus is life!

Now we are going to skip down to John 1:10

John 1:10 “He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.”

the world did not know him - Although the Son of God is the Creator of heaven and earth, when he came to the earth, the people of the earth did not recognize the one who made them. This shows us how natural man is so far removed from the character of God. In our sinful nature we do not recognize what is good. The knowledge and wisdom of this world is twisted and distorted into darkness by the prince of lies himself who is at work among those who do not believe.

Eph 2:1-3 “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.”

Even when Jesus Christ the very one who gives light to the world, was in the world, the systems of this world did not know him and rejected him. Indeed the powers and authorities of this world hated him and crucified him for blasphemy.

Paul writes in....

2 Cor 4:3-5 “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.”

But yet there is hope! In verse 12, the first chapter of John changes course from how the world rejects the light to a remnant that believes in him.

John 1:12 “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,”

to all who did receive him - The word for receive here could be rendered accept, welcome, catch, take, seize, or even gather. It refers to a deliberate and self prompted reception of what has been offered freely. The righteous acts of Christ are final. Jesus Christ is the only and final sacrifice for sin that is sufficient and acceptable before God. In order for us as individuals to be at peace with God we must receive the free gift of God’s grace given through Jesus Christ. We must receive Him as our Lord and Savior.

In John 12:46-48 Jesus says.... “I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.”

who believed in his name - This phrase describes that we must believe on the Word and the light that John is describing. It means to believe in the person of Jesus Christ. It is not describing simply having head knowledge about Jesus and being able to recite the truth. We must both believe with our mind and receive in our heart the light of God. It is through the living God alone that you can be personally reconciled to God. This is a surrender of your will to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

John 3:18 “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”

John 6:40 “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.””

he gave the right to become children of God - Just as we are born into an earthly family with a mother and father, so we are born into an eternal family with God when we believe on the name of Jesus. This is a permanent status of family. While the example of an earthly family can be flawed because of divorce and abandonment, being part of God’s family is an eternal covenant. God is always faithful in the relationship. There’s an old saying that exemplifies how family bonds are permanent. The old saying goes, blood is thicker than water. Well if that is the case, there is no family that is thicker blood than those who have the blood of Jesus flowing through their veins.

We do not loose our family status with God.

Gal 3:26 “for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.”

Gal 4:6-7 “And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.”

Continuing in

John 1:13 “who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

not of blood - Being born of God does not come through our human family's or our national heritage. Christ made it clear that he did not come to die for the sins of the Jewish nation but for the sins of all nations. Likewise people are NOT saved because they come from or belong to a family that believes, salvation is personal.

nor of the will of the flesh - Being born of God can not come through an act of human effort, human planning, or human passion. The new birth is an act of God. Many of the Jews under the Old Covenant had come to trust in the promises of God rather than in God Himself. They began to believe that because God had given them the sign of circumcision as a symbol of his covenant that because they were circumcised they were God’s children. We are not God’s children through our works but through faith in the work of Jesus Christ.

nor of the will of man - Some translations use the word husband instead of man. Being born of God does not come because a husband demands it or proclaims it over his children. We can not bring our children into God’s kingdom by parental will or effort. Being God’s child is between God and the individual. Neither a parent , a priest, nor the government can control it. Being born of God is a new birth of the Spirit of God.

born of God - The new birth is a birth of the Holy Spirit and through the message about Christ. It is the gospel that is the power of God unto salvation for all who believe. While we must deliberately yield our will to Christ, it is Christ that saves us and His Spirit that seals us. Under the New Covenant and by His Spirit we are made a new creation. We must be willing to be saved but it is not by our wills that we are saved.

Jesus is the beginning of eternal life.

John 3:3 “Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.””

1 Peter 1:23 “since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God;”

John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

dwelt among us - meaning to pitch a tent ; The Son of God pitched a tent in the flesh of man. This is actually a reference back to how God dwelt in the tent of meeting with Moses and everyone that wanted to speak with God came to the tent of meeting. Just as God dwelt with man in the tent of meeting now, God dwelt with man in this tent of flesh called Jesus.

we have seen his glory - Jesus is the glory of God the Father’s character, full of grace and truth.

The writer of Hebrews speaks of Jesus saying …1:3 “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,”

The Messiah Jesus is the full expression of grace and truth. He is the exact imprint of the Father’s nature. He came to find that which was lost, he met mankind at his level and spoke truth to humanity at every level. His life, ministry, death and resurrection are testimonies of his grace and the truth and of our need for eternal life.

Col 1:19 “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,”

Col 2:9 “For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,”

John 1:16 “For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.”

grace upon grace - meaning “maximized grace” or “one gracious gift after another”. John is describing that Jesus is never lacking in anything and that he has completeness and a superabundance. That all people benefit from him and even more those who believe. Christ has given us everything we need and has all we will ever need. Believers need not look anywhere but Christ himself for a source of spiritual power. He does not lack for anything and when he gives he is never diminished.

If you have not recieved Jesus Christ as your LORD and Savior and would like to draw from the well the never runs dry, I invite you to pray with me now. Dear heavenly Father, I confess that I am a sinner and I have lived in rebellion against you. Today I have heard your message of truth that it is only through faith in Jesus Christ that I can have eternal life. I believe this and I receive Jesus Christ today as my LORD and Savior. I thank you Lord Jesus for making me a new creation through your Holy Spirit and the message about Christ. I commit to putting off my old ways and living for you. In Jesus name Amen! If you just prayed that prayer with me, please see your pastor about being baptized. Now may the grace and peace of our LORD and Savior be with you always