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What did John mean by calling The son the Word Jesus is called the Word exclusively by John the apostle who writes this term in his gospel and epistle and his prophetic book of revelation. 1 John 1:1 Jesus is called “the Word of life” Later in his epistle he writes,1 John 5:7-8 “ three that bear witness in heaven: the Father , the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.” When Jesus returns he is the lion of Judah, John in his last book the revelation says, “His name is called The Word of God.”( Rev. 19:13) There are cults do everything they can, they use scriptural gymnastics to not have the bible say what it actually means. This is seen in the most crucial of passages such as Jn.1 that identifies who the Son is. John tells us the Word is the Son – that ‘He’ is “the Word of life.” Meaning the one in whom eternal life resides, the source and fountain of life. At one point in Jesus' ministry they were leaving him because some of his sayings were so hard to comprehend and the people could not understand them, so he asked the disciples if they too were going to leave - Peter responded where else can we go, ‘only you have the words of eternal life.’ He being the word is eternal life. Life- in Greek is the word zoe, “of life,” when accompanying a subject, it is often used to characterize the word which accompanies it. For Ex: we have the “crown of life” (Rev 2:10); “water of life” (Rev 21:6); “book of life” (Rev 3:5); “bread of life” (John 6:35); and yet we are told The Word Himself is the Life. John Recapitulates Genesis John used the word the logos because of the Greeks esteemed it as being the highest knowledge, the highest ideal. John is showing the logos (Word) is not a thought or an ideal but a “he.” John’s Gospel begins by using the Greek word logos for “divine reason” or “the mind of God” to explain to the readers who Jesus is by his Hebraic view. He uses the Greek Logos to explain Jesus’ eternal position of deity. It was a way to connect with the readers of his day and introduce Jesus to them as God who is the Son. Greek philosophy may have used ‘the word’ in reference to divine reason, but John used it to express the attributes and nature of God the Son from the Hebrew perspective. In fact, John used the Greek word logos ‘the Word’ in a Hebrew/Aramaic setting (called Memra), to show that the Son existed before he became man, that he is God and He was always with God. The Father always calls Jesus his Son. The concept of father and son is meant to reveal relationship. Throughout the Old and New Testament he is called the Son, who was not human, just as the Father is not a human. The Word was also a theophany in the Old Testament (the means by which God became visible) such as in the appearances of The Angel of The Lord. HisGospel carries a replay to Genesis 1:1. “In the beginning , God created the heavens and the earth. ” There was darkness and the light came, not by creation but by God himself in his glory. John 1:1-5 “ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” Before anything was formed the one called the word is there; (notice), “He” was with (God) the Father. Jesus is eternally existent (“In the beginning was the Word”). In continuing his explanation John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father , full of grace and truth.” As the son he has the same glory of the father. The term Logos is applied to Christ only by John. In John 1:1, 14; Rev. 19:13; John 1:1. The Logos John presents is of a pre-existent eternal being, who is God, and is with God. Showing that he who is called the son shared in Gods glory before creation. Later in Jn.17 John explains Jesus had shared this glory with the Father before anything was created. Jesus speaking to the Father “And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. ”(John 17:5) John tells us the Word was there from the beginning, it is a substitute title for the Son. God began the great work of creation there was light both John and Gen.1 mention this (Gen 1:3-4). Jn.1:5 the light shines in the darkness ” v.10 “He was in the world, and the world was made through Him , and the world did not know Him.” The Lord in John 1:1, Jn.1:2“Hewas in the beginning with God, In him was life... From this we see this life is synonymous with a person. And in V:4 both are joined, “In him was life, and that life was the light of men” -- His life is the source, for He is the living Word. Paul in1 Tim.3:16 says it was, ‘He’, “God was manifested in the flesh,” (appeared in). 1 Jn.4:2; and 2 Jn. 7 it says ‘He,’ “came in the flesh.” Refuting the Gnostics that claimed God was only spirit, and cannot become flesh. Contrary to this Jn.1:14: “The word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld H is glory, the glory as the only begotten of the Father.” Here Jesus’ glory is that of the Father visible to men. It is the glory he shared with him before anything was made. John in his epistles still explains the deity of the Son, 1 Jn.1:2 this eternal life that was with the Father was manifested to us.”From eternity, before anything was made he contained this life. Eternal life, life without ending (nor beginning) which is God’s nature became known to man. 1 John 3:8, it specifically says “ the Son of God was manifested.” He assumed mortality, put on flesh and blood - our human nature. How incredible that the creator of all things, the fountain of all life was made flesh. He became one of his own creatures and dwelt among us and conversed with us and then died for us so we can have a relationship with God. That is what historical Biblical Christianity teaches. To summarize the epistle, John’s focus on who Jesus is -- John tells us in his epistle he is theV.1-Word of life—2. the life was manifested” and that v.5.“God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.” John is reiterating what he has written in his Gospel, 1:4-5 “ In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” Calling Jesus the word meant he embodied the full revelation of God to man. We have John writing that this word was both God and with God throughout eternity . Ps.33:6 “ By the Word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. vs.9 “ For he spake, and it was done, he commanded , and it stood fast." Ps.148:1-6 "For he commanded and they were created." Who is the He that spoke? The Son according to Scripture. The first thing created was the heavens and the earth. In Jn.1:3 it states “all things were made by him.” The word dia means t hrough him, that he was existent as God to make these things along with the Father. Heb.1:2 says “by whom He made the worlds”. The Bible calls ‘the word a he, a him, having a personal identity. This ‘he’ is not a plan, nor a thought, not a speech pattern, as the Greeks interpreted logos. H is a person who existed at the same time as the Father. John calls Jesus (the Son) the Word because He is the active cause of the world. It is He whose word brought all things into existence. Ps. 138:2: “For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.” God’s Word is His communication, the revelation of Himself to His people so they can grow into a relationship with him.. Jn.6:33 "For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. Deut. 8:3-4“man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD.”Jesus says this ancient phrase to the devil who was tempting him .(Matt 4:4) Jesus is not just the word by John but bread, meaning the sustenance of life. Numerous symbols are use to describe the son of God. God’s word is literal, it is spiritual. John calls Jesus (who is the Son) 'the Word' because He is the active cause of the world. It is He whose word brought all things into existence. this word is identified as a 'He' who is the Son of God. Rom.10:17 “faith comes from hearing the word of God.” Our faith is in the one who spoke the word, who is called the word, Gods son. The Father spoke audibly when Jesus was transfigured voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son. Hear Him !” ( Mark 9:7) Paul explains, “it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Gal 2:20-21) |
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