Jesus The WORD

By general consent, "the Logos" or "the Word", is one of the greatest titles applied to Christ  in the New Testament.  The name is used only by John in the Prologue to the Gospel 1:1-18, and in the opening words of the 1 John 1: 1-4; but its ideas color the teaching of St. Paul in Colossians 1:15-20 and of the writer of Hebrews 1:1-3.

Some influence for this title have been suggested in the descriptions of Wisdom in Proverbs 8:22-31, Sirach 24:1-22, and Wisdom 7:25ff and the Creation story of Genesis 1 with its teaching concerning the word of God which brought order out of chaos.  

In the Prologue the Word exists "in the beginning", "with God", and as divine (1:1).  His activity is personal, for He is the Agent in creation and the source of life and light (1:3f).  Unknown by the world, He came to His own, but those who were His own received Him not, while as many as did receive Him were given by Him the right to become the children of God (1:10-12).  The Word, John declares, became flesh, and, using a verb which recalls the Shekinah, the visible dwelling of God among His people, he says that He "tabernacled among us, and we beheld his glory, glory as the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth" (1:14).  The identity of the Word is disclosed in the Baptist's testimony in 1:15, and in 1:17, "For the law was given by Moses; grace and truth came by Jesus Christ".  In 1:18 the language of Sonship is used, "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him."

There is little doubt in the Prologue that, from the first, John is thinking of Christ.  It is He who was in the beginning with God and was divine, though whom all things were made, who came to His own and became flesh, and whose glory was seen of men.  He is the Word, not Wisdom, not the Torah, and not any quasi-intermediary described by the philosophers of the day.  The usage is parallel to that in which Christ is said to be "the Truth", "the Life", and the "the Expiation".

-excerpt was adapted from The Names of Jesus by Vincent Taylor pg 161-3

Jesus The WORD Pt 2

In the opening chapter of the Gospel of John, John paints a picture of Jesus as "The Word Of God". There are three truths revealed in these verses about Jesus as the Word of God.

1. Jesus Is The Preexistent Word v1-3.
 
He Is The Constant Word, v1a.  According to this verse, Jesus has simply always existed!   He didn't come into being in Bethlehem, but He has been here throughout all the endless ages of eternities past.   He is the constant, unchanging Word of God.  (Heb 13:8) Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.   That is why we can depend upon Jesus, He will not fail us!  He will never fail us nor leave us - Heb. 13:5.

He Is The Controversial Word, v1b. When Jesus came preaching repentance, men thought He was strange.  When He began to heal and perform miracles, men thought He was a prophet sent by God.   When He spoke the Word of God with power, men thought He was amazing.  But when Jesus claimed equality with God, men thought He was crazy.  This is when He stopped being a blessing and became a controversy.  Men still grapple with these truths!  They are willing to accept the humble Christ, the teaching Christ, the meek Christ, the serving Christ, and the dead Christ.  But they won't give acknowledgment to Jesus as God!  But He is not just a good teacher; He is not just another prophet; He is God! 

He Is The Creative Word, v3.  This verse tells us that Jesus was the energy behind the creation of the universe. He spoke and it was!  He stood on the edge of nothing and spoke all this into existence.   (Col 1:16-17) 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: {17} And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

Jesus is the pre-existent Word of God. He has always been and He always will be!  This is of great comfort to the believer!  No matter where we wind up, or what we have to face as we travel through this world, we can rest assured that the pre-existent One is, and always will be, there for us!  He is the pre-existent Word of the Living God! 

2.  Jesus Is The Personalized Word

The Manner Of His Incarnation. v14a.  This verse tells us "The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us."   How could God become a man?  The answer to this question lies in the mind of God alone.  While Jesus himself had existed from all eternities past, He took up on Himself a robe of flesh there in Bethlehem.   This verse says that God "dwelt" among us. That word is rich in meaning.  It literally means that Jesus pitched His tent here among mortals.  He lived among us, worked among us, prayed among us, suffered among us and died among us.  God walked upon the earth and was unrecognized by many who came into close contact with Him.  What a tragedy that men came in contact with the Savior and still failed to recognize Him.

The Majesty Of His Incarnation, v14b.  "We beheld His glory."   John actually saw the glory of Jesus in a very real sense.  In Matthew 17, John, along with James and Peter accompanied Jesus upon a mountainside.  It is called the Transfiguration because Jesus literally changed before them to reveal His glory. But His greatest glory was revealed the day He allowed Himself to be nailed to a cross and died for us.  (Rom 5:8) But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

3. Jesus Is The Proclaiming Word v18

Jesus came to reveal God to man.  The word 'declare' means 'to unfold.'  Every thing the Lord did was simply to unfold more of the revelation of God to man.  Men needed to see God not just as a Lawgiver, but also as the One who loved them and would give Himself for them.  Jesus did this by His life.  Note: John 1:4-9  He came to a world in spiritual darkness and shined the light of the truth of God to men wandering in darkness.  This light will accomplish one of two things.  It will either cause men to repent of their sins and run to the opened arms of the Lord.  Or it will cause them to reject the light and continue on their course of darkness.  One will lead to salvation; the other will lead to damnation! (John 3:36) He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Note: John 1:10-13.  Jesus came to proclaim that there was a way to come to the Father and to experience eternal life.  What a sad response in verse 11, "He came unto His own, and His own received Him not.  Verse 12-13 make is clear that anyone who will come to Jesus by faith and receive Him into their heart and life will experience the new birth and will enter into eternal life. There is only one entrance into life and that is through the Son of God. If you have never met Jesus and received the free pardon of your sin, now is the time. Jesus stands ready to reveal the Father to you. He waits for you to respond to His light so He can give you of His life. Will you do what you need to do today and come to Jesus?

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