Written by Pastor Jack Wellman– John 1:1
With God
The Apostle John actually starts our introduction to God before Genesis 1 does. He writes, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1). This account came before creation was mentioned (John 1:3). John is saying that since Jesus is God, and has always been God, and was with God in the beginning, He is fully divine. He was not created as some false religions teach. Jesus had no beginning and will have no end. He is very much like Melchizedek, who was “without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever” (Heb 7:3), and also, was with God. And always has been.
Is God
Jesus was with God in the beginning, and He was the Word, and importantly, the Word was with God. The Word that was with God, Jesus, Was with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. Since the Word was God and was with God, there is more than one Person involved. In fact, there are Three Persons in the Trinity, just as it said in Genesis 1:1 where it was written, “In the beginning, God.” The word for “God” is plural, as the Hebrew “’Elohiym” states. Jesus was not “a God” as some false translations state. Those who deny Jesus’ divinity are those who are anti- or against Christ. Jesus, as the Word, was with God and was God, and always will be God.
Creator God
Next, John writes that “All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:3). How can some believe that Jesus was created? He is said to have created all things, and in fact, all things are upheld by Him, and as the Apostle Paul plainly puts it, “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” (Col 1:17). All things means since He created all things, He could not have been created, because He would have had to exist before creation. That makes Him fully God!
Light of the World
Jesus came into a sin-stained, darkened world to bring others into the light. In fact, He is that Light! This is why John writes that “In him was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:4). Of course, in Him is life; eternal life, at least for those who repent and believe. If He did not come into the world, we’d still be sitting in the darkness and not even know it, and worse, we’d all face an eternal separation from God because of our sins, however, Jesus as God, was the only One Who could end this wall of separation and allow us to step behind the veil someday.
Overcomes the Darkness
I went into a store the other day, but I just couldn’t find a “flashdark,” but I could find plenty of flashlights. The way to overcome darkness is to shed some light, and Jesus does that as the Light of the World (John 8:12). This Light is so bright that it “shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5). Run into the light and receive eternal life from the Light of the World. Why would you prefer darkness? Only if our deeds are evil, because that’s what sinful people do; they hide in the dark, so Jesus says, “this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil” (John 3:19).
Conclusion
Why have I tried to emphasize Jesus as God? It’s because if you don’t have the right Jesus, you don’t have the right Savior. Jesus Himself said, “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3). If you or anyone doesn’t know Jesus and the One Who sent Jesus, meaning the Father, then you or anyone else doesn’t have a personal and saving relationship with God. What’s at stake in knowing Jesus is fully God? It is eternal life by knowing Jesus and the Father Who sent Him. We have to get this right!
