The Word of God

May 27

May 27 The Word of God

God Makes Himself Known

The opening verses of the Gospel of John are important—a key for understanding the Gospel of John. These verses are significant to me in my journey of faith. Though I believed in the existence of God from my youth, I had a nebulous, vague sense of God.

Throughout my teen and college years, I wandered in the darkness of my ignorance and whatever the world around me had to offer. I write about this in more detail in my first book. The short of it is this. I was lost in my own darkness.

God seemed distant yet ever-present to me in the natural world. I believed God was real, but my understanding of Him was abstract and impersonal.

As God began to make Himself known to me, I discovered how God made Himself known in a very personal way to all humanity. The opening verses of John Chapter 1 were key to my gaining this insight and continue to be a powerful statement of how God made Himself known to all humanity.

Scripture

In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was already with God in the beginning. [vss 1-2]
Everything came into existence through him. Not one thing that exists was made without him.
He was the source of life, and that life was the light for humanity. The light shines in the dark, and the dark has never extinguished it. [vss 3-5]

(John 1:1-5 GW) [Context– John 1]

Key phrase—

In the beginning the Word already existed...was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1

Reflections...

The Word is Jesus, the only Son of God. The Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer of humanity. He is eternal and the origin and source of life and light for all humanity. The apostle John intentionally started his gospel account with the same words as the beginning of the Bible — “In the beginning God…” (Genesis 1:1).

The phrase “the Word” is the translation of the Koine Greek word “logos.” The grammatical construction clearly indicates it refers to a person, not merely an abstract term.

The meaning of Logos on its own is the embodiment of thought. All thoughts are unknown until expressed in intelligible words. And so, God became known when He took on human form in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ (John 1:14).

When we entrust our lives to Him, as I did many years ago, Jesus brings light into our darkness. Just as the darkness cannot overcome or extinguish Him as the Light of the world (John 8:12), we do not need to be overcome by darkness when we trust in the Lord Jesus.

Digging Deeper...

What are four specific things we are told about the Word?
How is the Word described? What are other specific things expressed about the Word?
Which statements make it clear that the Word is God the Creator?
What is the connection between the Word, light, and life?

Taking it to heart...

Have you had your own personal encounter with God? Has He made Himself known to you?
Do you understand how these few verses make clear that Jesus—the Word—is God?
How is this an encouragement or help to you today?
In what way is it relatable to everyday life and your relationship with others?