This past week, I had the blessing of teaching our 7-10 year old's Friday night group. As I was praying about what to speak on, the importance of the centrality of Christ came to mind. We must always remember Him supremely, not only in our teaching, but in all things! I was so blessed being able to study, meditate and teach on the glories of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Thus, since He is so worthy of our worship, I thought I would briefly share my findings from John 1:1-5:
The Deity of Jesus Christ
"1 In the beginning was the Word, and the
Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He
was in the beginning with God.
3 All
things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being
that has come into being.
4 In
Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.
5 The
Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.[1]"
The book of John is about revealing Christ. John 20:30-31 gives us the purpose statement:
"30 Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;
31 but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name."
Praise the LORD! Are not His purposes and works so "...splendid and majestic..." (Ps. 111)?
Back to John 1:1-5. Let's look at this text briefly by defining the terms therein:
- "Beginning": what beginning? Cf. Gen. 1:1: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."
"30 Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;
31 but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name."
Praise the LORD! Are not His purposes and works so "...splendid and majestic..." (Ps. 111)?
Back to John 1:1-5. Let's look at this text briefly by defining the terms therein:
- "Beginning": what beginning? Cf. Gen. 1:1: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."
- "was": Jesus was already there in the beginning. He is eternal.
- "Word":
a. In the OT the Hebrew word for "word" is "dabar." "communication which comes
from God to men in the form of commandment, prophecy, warning or encouragement... Yahweh’s word is an
extension of the divine personality, invested with divine authority, and is to
be heeded by angels and men.[2]"
b. In the NT the Greek word for "word" here is "Logos", which in short means "meaningful utterance.[2]" Jesus is God's
Word, the Word incarnate (1:14). When the book of John was written, the Greeks believed that "Logos" held the world together; essentially, nature
was God. God counters this in John 1:1-5.
- "was God": Jesus was not only with God but was God. Here we see two separate Persons of the Trinity coexisting
in eternity.
- For John 1:3 cf. to Hebrews 1:1-2:
"1 God, after He spoke long ago to the
fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways,
2 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.[1]"
- John 1:4:
o
"life:" the Greek word here is "Zoe." This word is used elsewhere in Scripture to describe the life that God
gives, and that life is eternal. It is a spiritual life. This life is in Jesus from before the
beginning.
o "Light": as you may see from v 4, this "...life was the Light of men." The Light is life manifested.
- John 1:5: "Darkness": what is darkness? It's the absence of light. This is important. Darkness is that which is not Christ's given life. Against the darkness of this world, the Light of
life shines! This leads to the next word...
- "Comprehend": the Greek word here is: "Katalambano." It is, "...the most vivid way to explain that would be 'to pounce on and overpower, pounce on and overtake, overcome.'...the one who is life has come into the world and is the Light of the world, and the darkness cannot overpower it, it cannot overwhelm it. You know that, darkness cannot overcome light. Light always overcomes darkness." (John MacArthur: http://www.gty.org/resources/sermons/43-2/jesus-the-divine-word).
What a wonderful passage on Jesus Christ! May you believe in Jesus Christ and He will grant you His life, and nothing can overpower it! John 6:35 says, "Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.[1]
Come to Him!
- "Comprehend": the Greek word here is: "Katalambano." It is, "...the most vivid way to explain that would be 'to pounce on and overpower, pounce on and overtake, overcome.'...the one who is life has come into the world and is the Light of the world, and the darkness cannot overpower it, it cannot overwhelm it. You know that, darkness cannot overcome light. Light always overcomes darkness." (John MacArthur: http://www.gty.org/resources/sermons/43-2/jesus-the-divine-word).
What a wonderful passage on Jesus Christ! May you believe in Jesus Christ and He will grant you His life, and nothing can overpower it! John 6:35 says, "Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.[1]
Come to Him!
[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 update.
(1995). (Heb 1:1–2). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[2] Taylor, J. B. (1996). Word. In (D. R. W. Wood, I. H. Marshall, A. R. Millard, J. I. Packer, & D. J. Wiseman, Eds.)New Bible dictionary. Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
[2] Taylor, J. B. (1996). Word. In (D. R. W. Wood, I. H. Marshall, A. R. Millard, J. I. Packer, & D. J. Wiseman, Eds.)New Bible dictionary. Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
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