John 1
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2The same was in the beginning with God.
3All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
5And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
Who is Jesus?
That is what I want you to think about as we go through this book. Who is Jesus?
How would you describe Him? What attributes would you place up on His name?
Who is Jesus? The answers will be based on our text.
I. Jesus Christ is God.
John starts with a bold statement that Jesus was God. Either John was deliberately trying to disturb his readers and maybe even anger them, making a mockery of what they believed, or He was about to say something that would change their life if they believed him. John boldly claims Jesus Christ is God.
Please look at 1 Corinthians 1:24
But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
Think about that for a moment. Christ is the wisdom of God.
An encyclopedia defines “wisdom” as having gained knowledge, understanding, experience, along with a capacity to apply these qualities well. It is the proper application of knowledge.
If we were to link this with what the Bible says about Christ, we would have something like this…
Christ is the very mind of God and the expression of all God’s knowledge.
Your mind belongs to you and you alone. Likewise, the mind of God is God’s. His wisdom belongs to God. When Paul says Christ is the wisdom of God notice he is not saying Christ has Godly wisdom. He is not saying Christ is very wise about the things of God. He is saying that all the wisdom of God generates and comes from Christ. Christ is the wisdom of God.
Now look at Proverbs 8 that talks of wisdom.
27When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth:
28When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep:
29When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth:
30Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him;
If God be wise, and God is wise, then Jesus Christ is God.
II. Jesus Christ is Eternal
Moving to verse 2- "He was in the beginning with God."
This point would seem not needed if Jesus is God. But that is not the case. Some would tell you that Jesus is a little God. You have God the Father that they call the mighty God and then they would call Jesus a lesser God. In other words some would say Jesus is less God than God the Father.
Before time ever was, God the Son and the God the Father and God the Holy Spirit dwelt in a perfect triune community. Notice in Colossians Chapter 1 verse 15 "He is the very image of the invisible God."
Notice John 4:24
"God [is] a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship [him] in spirit and in truth." Christ is the revelation of the invisible God.
Look down at John 1:18,
18 No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
The word declare means "to manifest," or "to let it be known," or "to reveal."
I Timothy 1
Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, [be] honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
One of the reasons that Jesus came into this world was to show us what God is like, because God is invisible. With your physical eyes you cannot see God. With the eyes of faith you can see a lot about God, and one day God is going to give you the privilege of looking on the face of His incarnate Son.
(Colossians 1:15-19)
Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things [preexistence], and by him all things consist [They hold together]. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell.
As part of Christ's mission, He is responsible for revealing to us what God is like.
If God is Eternal and God is Eternal, then Christ being the expressed image of who God is, and being that in Christ all of the fullness of God dwells, then Jesus Christ is also Eternal.
III. Jesus Christ is the Creator
Verse 3..All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made
The great truth that Christ created all things is stated positively in the past and then it is stated negatively in the present: that " without him was not any thing made that was made." This negative statement shows the power of Christ in creation. He was not just a robot of God the Father, but rather he was the creating power of the Father. God the Father said it, and Christ carried out creation. This verse is saying that nothing would have been created if Christ was not there.
We see this again affirmed in Colossians 1:16,
16..For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him….
If Scripture is true, and Scripture is true, God created all things, and Jesus is the Creator.
IV. Jesus Christ is the Life and Light
Verse 4…In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
This is not simply saying "by Him is life" which we would agree to. This text is saying that IN Jesus was life. Jesus actually holds and is the sustainer of life in His nature. He is the author and sustainer of life.
Man cannot live without Christ first giving him life and man can not see without Christ giving him light.
Many will take these two words as two different points. Whereas they are free to do this, I see the greater meaning as one point. When you have life you have light. When you have darkness you have no life, or death.
Where there is life there is movement and energy. If we work hard all day we may claim we are dead tired. We mean we are drained of our energy and no longer feel like moving around. We want to rest. We may even close our eyes, making our sight dark, that we may rest.
You have heard of a “live wire.” It’s a wire that has a current of electricity running through it. When we turn on a light switch we are giving live power to that light bulb. That power gives life to the bulb that then glows.
John will contrast light with darkness in the next verse. So before we can understand fully what it means when the Bible says, In Him was life and the life was the light of men, we must understand what darkness is.
This takes use to the 1st doctrine of grace found in the gospel of John. This state of spiritual deadness is what John is talking about when he says the darkness did not comprehend. The Greek word for comprehend gives the meaning ..to seize upon, take possession of. In other words, the light they did not make their own light. They looked at it and turned away.
This is total depravity, why man is not able to come to God on his own. The light shines…man sees it and says no thanks.
Man in his natural state does not see his need to come to Christ. They may hear the gospel message and even repeat it back to you. But they see no need for them to take Christ as Lord. They would rather have their own way. Man’s will is the problem. Man loves sin too much to follow a holy God that hates sin. He may tell himself that he will get right with God someday, after he sins a few more times. That day never comes for most. Sin controls the natural man. This does not mean that man is as bad as he can be in actions or deeds, but it means that man will never come to God in his natural state. Something must change in man.
Then how is one saved? John 3 tells us, “ye must be born again.” In other words, you must have life to see the light.
It is Christ that gives life. It is this life that brings light.
Closing statement on this factual point about who Jesus is…
The statement comes from 1 Peter Chapter 2 Verse 9
1 Peter 2:9 But ye [are] a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.
...because Jesus is life, the life that is the light of men.
Who is Jesus?
Jesus is God.
Jesus is Eternal.
Jesus is Creator.
Jesus is life and light.