We read John 1:1 and we focus on Jesus being God. He’s eternal. He embodies everything that is God. And John begins his Gospel this way to show that Jesus was more than a prophet; more than a great teacher; that this Messiah was even more than the promise of a man who God would tap to be a Super-Judge for Israel. John sets the stage to show that Jesus was God Himself, coming to earth to do for man what man cannot do for Himself.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1 ESV).
And later, John says this…
“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.” (John 1:14 ESV).
But rather than focus on His deity, I want us to think about the fact that Jesus is called the Word. This is such a powerful lesson for us to comprehend. The Word is the very communication from our Creator to us. It is the special revelation that God gives to man to show that man is special to God. The Word is what sets man apart from all of creation.
And the Word is eternal. “In the beginning.” (Vs. 1). And the Word was not only with God, but He was God. We see that Jesus played an important role, not just in the beginning of the first century when He came to earth, but as the eternal Word, He was there from the first utterance of “Let there be light.” Verse 10 even says that the world was made through Him.
When God said to Adam, “Don’t eat the forbidden fruit,” this was the Word that was there at the beginning. When God told Cain to “rule over sin,” it was the eternal Word. When God spoke to Noah and told him to build the ark, it was the Word that existed from the beginning. When God spoke to Abraham and the patriarchs, it was the eternal Word.
When God spoke through Moses and the prophets, when He spoke through donkeys, and even through dead Samuel, it was the eternal Word who spoke. He spoke face-to-face with people, through visions, and through dreams. But in every case, it was the Word of God Who spoke.
John is setting the stage for a radical and amazing revelation. Jesus wasn’t merely a man who God spoke through, He was the Word. He was the revelation of God to man. And when John writes of the ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus from Nazareth, the author wants us to understand that no other speaker ever arose like Him. And people witnessed this special truth about Jesus. They might not be able to understand it, but they saw it:
“The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring him?” The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this man!” (John 7:45-46 ESV).
And
“And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.” (Mark 1:22 ESV).
John begins His Gospel with a line in the sand. He shows that Jesus is God. And as God, He is the eternal Word to man. And up until the time when God came to earth, He spoke to man in different ways and manners. But during the 33 years He was on earth, God spoke to man himself, with His own physical mouth.
When we read that Jesus is the Word, we need to understand that He was more than the Word at the moment of His birth as a man; He was the Word then, and before, and forever more. That is why the Hebrew writer says,
“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 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.” (Hebrews 1:1-2 ESV).
And our God, the Word Who existed from the beginning, became flesh and dwelt among us. And He loved us enough to visit us and speak His Words to us Himself, to ears we heard with and into hearts that caused us to say, “No one ever spoke like this man.”
Open your Bible and read it daily. When you do, you get the wonderful, marvelous, privilege of hearing Jesus speak to you today. His Words have power and will change your life. His Words can transform you into a new creature. His Words can save your soul. This is the eternal Word Who always existed with God, as God.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1 ESV).
I just read about the crossing of the Jordan as Joshua led the new generation of Israelites into the promised land. It had been about 40 years since the crossing of the Red Sea and the only people alive who witnessed the Red Sea crossing were Joshua, Caleb, and a few people who were very young when it happened and were too young to be among those condemned to fall in the wilderness.
So, most people were witnessing this event for the first time, or at least for the first time since being young children. Perhaps Joshua and Caleb were the only ones with vivid memories of the original crossing. Even though it happened over 40 years ago, something like that would stay fresh in your mind.
I’d like to think that Joshua and Caleb were standing side-by-side when this happened. Two men of God who were beaming ear-to-ear with a smile that brought back powerful memories. And together, they could enjoy the wonder on the faces of this new generation as they experienced the mighty power of their God.
Have you had a similar experience? Parents, have you seen the joy and wonder on the faces of your children as they experience for the first time God’s action in their life? An answered prayer, the gift of wisdom just when they needed it, comfort when all seems lost?
When we see the younger generation getting to experience the joys and marvels of being children of the living God, I imagine we experience a lot of what Joshua and Caleb must have experienced during the second crossing. These are the unifying experiences that unite multigenerational cultures under one Faith.
When you get the blessings of experiencing these moments, enjoy them and give praise to God.
“and as soon as those bearing the ark had come as far as the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest),
the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far away, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, and those flowing down toward the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. And the people passed over opposite Jericho.” (Joshua 3:15-16 ESV).
Now this blows my mind. Abraham was born 2 years after Noah died.
Shem, Noah’s son whom Abraham descended from, was alive during most of Abraham’s life.
Shem died when Abraham was 150 years old, just 25 years before Abraham died.
Think about that.
While Shem, a person saved by God on the ark, was still alive, man had so quickly fallen away from God.
When Joshua was about to die, he said this…
“And Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Long ago, your fathers lived beyond the Euphrates, Terah, the father of Abraham and of Nahor; and they served other gods.” (Joshua 24:2 ESV).
It’s hard to believe, but while the son of Noah, Abraham’s forefather, was still alive, people had already forgotten God and His power.
It’s not surprising that after Joshua, there arose a generation that didn’t know God.
We learn from Shem that it doesn’t take long for generations to stop seeking after the Old Paths.
Unfortunately, it’s all too easy to underestimate the importance of bringing up our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, isn’t it?
How smart is it to ignore the God who created you and will judge you by His words on the last day?
I don’t get it.
Have you seen some of the images from the JWST? They are amazing and demonstrate just how much the heavens declare the glory of God. The smarter man becomes, the more God allows us to see how great He is.
Wherever you travel, you can see the glory of God.
Whatever the weather, whatever the season, whatever the environment, you can see God’s glory.
His glory is everywhere. If we have an open heart, He will continually amaze us.
If we remain willingly ignorant, then we will miss out of some of the most amazing moments of life.
Open your heart and be amazed by God.
“For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” (Romans 1:20
There is joy in serving the Lord. But that joy happens when we want to serve the Lord, not when we do it grudgingly.
When we serve out of compulsion alone, we are missing the inherent joy that serving the Lord brings.
When we refuse to give over our will fully to His, then we serve with resentment and a secret desire to be doing what our heart really wants to do. This can be a most dreary place to be.
But when we desire to serve Him and we seek every opportunity to do so, then our joy is pure and absolute. When we seek to serve God eagerly, we are filled with anticipation and gratification every day.
And best yet, when our desire and joy line up with our service to King Jesus, the Father Himself will look upon us and bestow His honor upon us.
Our selfless service pays two priceless benefits. It gives us joy that cannot be taken away and it brings honor from the One who created us.
The journey to lose self in Jesus is a wonderful journey to make that transforms us into the image of our Master, and one that truly brings honor when the carnal man sees only dishonor.
“If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.” (John 12:26 ESV).
The day is coming when everyone will want to be like those who serve Jesus; when everyone will confess Jesus as Lord; when there will be no one left to resist Him as Lord and King.
Sadly, for most, on that day it will be too late.
Be among the few today who will be among the ones most envied on that day.