Verse 1¡Xin the beginning was the Word, and the word was with god and the word was god. It is striking to note how John begins his book with the same wording as Genesis¡Xin the beginning, God ¡Kin the beginning was. It may be worth noting that if the apostle John is writing primarily to the Jews of that period of history, then he has their immediate attention with those words¡Xmuch like he has captured ours now. And so, just as Genesis begins with In the Beginning GOD¡Xso we have the same revelation here¡Xin the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was GOD¡Xin the beginning GOD. Now we shouldn¡¦t look at this phrase in the beginning and think for some reason that God had a beginning, for we know that the remainder of Scripture speaks the opposite¡Xthat he always was, always is, and always will be¡XRevelation 22:13 says he is the alpha and omega, the first and the last.When God reveals his name to Moses in Exodus 3:14, he says his name is I AM¡Xin other words, God just IS¡Xand as the Creator of everything, this makes sense¡Xbecause to be the creator of everything means you do not have a creator

Now, who is it that is in the beginning? It is the Word. Our simple English grammar tells us that a proper noun, as this is in our English text, refers to a specific person, place, or idea. And, if we look down in our text to verse 14, we see that the Word does have a body, has taken on flesh, and if we look further still in v. 17, the Word¡¦s name is Jesus.

And who is the Word, who is Jesus with? In the next phrase we see the Word is with God. He was already co-existent with the Father at the creation.

But it is the next phrase that clarifies and solidifies who the Word is. The Word was God. John gives us a glorious revelation upon which the foundation of our faith stands. This Word, who is Jesus, was in the beginning with God, He was not created, for He was already with Him, and indeed He was God. He was and is and always will be God. Notice that John says he is not merely a God, but God. This is the hinge of John¡¦s gospel, of the NT, the OT, in fact our entire faith stands or falls on this declaration, and John has made it for us.

Verse 2 leads us in to verse 3, noting that Jesus was in the beginning at Creation with God, for we learn that in verse 3, this Word is the Creator. He was there and was the fabricator of it all. Notice how John makes it clear that the beginning¡Xthe creation¡Xeverything hangs in the balance because of Christ. Positively all things were made through him, but negatively and contrasted to this fact, nothing was made without Him„³ every person born, every idea, every material thing, every event¡Xhinges on the reality of Creation through Jesus. Stop and consider that¡Xthat you have been made rests in the reality of Jesus as the Creator.

Continuing in verse 4, we see that that the Word gives life and light to creation. So, not only does the word create, but he continues to sustain and bring life to his creation. He has brought life and this life was the light of men¡Xand as John proclaims later in 5:26¡Xit has been granted from God the Father that life be found in Jesus. This life is the light of men. What is the light of men? Read in light of the first three verses and so continuing the theme of creation, the life of men may be bound up in being the image bearers of God¡XGenesis 1:27¡Xso God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him, male and female he created them. The image that we bear implies that we in some way have a relation to God, and indeed some kind of fellowship with him. In fact, this is the case, but man¡¦s own sinfulness has corrupted this fellowship, indeed we have distorted our own likeness to the one we were created in the likeness of. But, if we look forward to the future, when Christ shall return for His people we read in John¡¦s first letter in chapter 3, verse 2, that ¡§we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.¡¨ This image will be restored in all its splendor.

Moving to verse five and continuing to think about creation¡Xthe light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it¡XJesus shined into the darkness at creation by creating, yet he continues to shine despite the darkness of sin in the world. John must be foreshadowing the coming verses in which we find that despite denying the light, God has made children of some. Despite the fact that men choose to live and act in the darkness and sin of their hearts, Jesus continues to shine, and is not overtaken.

So in these first five verses, John shows that God has made the Word who is Jesus known in creation as THE GOD, THE creator, THE life, and THE light.

Now he has made him known in creation, he has also made him know in the witness of John. Look at verses 6-8 and 15. READ these. Contrasted to Jesus as the Word in creation, who is the very God of everything, John relates how the Word is made known through the witness of John the Baptist. Already in verse 6, we see how John does not compare with the Word, because as we red in verses 1-5, the word has always been and always will be¡Xit was in the beginning with God. For John was merely a man SENT from God¡Xa man with a beginning¡Xnot at the beginning, but one who has life and light that comes from the Word. READ VERSE 7. John has the unique opportunity and commission of God to proclaim that the Messiah¡Xthe one referred to in the OT¡Xwho Abraham and Moses and David all looked and hoped for¡Xit is John the Baptist who proclaims to men in 1:29 ¡§behold the lamb of god who takes away the sin of the world.¡¨ He comes so that men might have a witness¡Xan affirmation that this man is indeed the Son of God¡Xhe is the word made flesh as in Luke 1:76-79 READ. John bears witness that salvation is found in Christ. Indeed, some thought that maybe John the Baptist was the Messiah, as in Acts 19: 1-7, but verse 8 dispels that belief¡XJohn was merely a witness to the light. It confirms again that the real light of the world was also revealed in creation. It also calls us to consider the gospel and what it is, before we would follow after some other gospel, or some other person claiming to be the Christ.

So as God has revealed the Word through creation, he has also borne witness to the word in John, and as well, we who know him as savior like John bear witness to the truth that Jesus is the light of the world.

Now, turning to verses 9-13, we see how the Word is made known in the world. Beginning in verse nine, we see another positive and negative contrast. READ v. 9. Because the light enlightens everyone, John must mean two things. First, there is salvation in the light. But negatively and contrasted to this, there is judgment as well. Turn over to John 3:19-21 READ. The light has come into the world and exposed man for who he is¡Xsinful¡XI grew up in Florida and we had large cockroaches¡Xeveryone did¡Xit was that common. There was nothing I disliked more than to turn on the kitchen light in the middle of the night and see those critters scurrying to find a place to hide from the light. So it is with man¡Xwe are like the cockroaches¡Xwhen exposed to the light¡Xthe truth about who we are¡Xwe try to cover it up. We lie, we cheat, we go into seclusion, we buy things, we fill our lives with trivialities and simple pleasures¡Xall for the sake of covering up who we really are when brought into the light.
John continues this thought in v. 10 be confirming that Jesus¡Xthe true light¡Xwas in the world¡Xthe one he made¡Xbut the world didn¡¦t know him. The world, mankind, all people, made in the image of God their creator, made to worship him, made to fellowship with him, to become like him, to be in relationship with him¡Xthey did not know him¡Xprobably because they were to busy scurrying around like the cockroaches. But as we know from Romans chapter 1, we are without excuse in this matter, for indeed we should know him, the one whom we are the image bearers. Yet instead, we decide to know something else¡Xin fact, picking up on this thought in verse 11 he came to his own and his own people did not receive him. John most likely continues the idea of verse ten, and this people just refers to all that Jesus created. But, we could look to Israel and how God revealed himself to them throughout history and yet even today the Jews do not know him. This reality is sad, and yet humbling for those who do know him. In fact, this positive reality is found in the next verse. Though Jesus has revealed himself in the world and the world did not know him, v. 12 but to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. Praise be to God that the darkness does not remain for all people. Some will not hate the light. Some will instead embrace the light. This phrase ¡§receive him¡¨ implies a response on our part, indeed a response of faith. And, those who receive alos believe in his name. Look at John 20:31„³ the summary of why he writes¡Xhe says I write¡Kthat by believing you may have life in his name. So, to receive and believe him brings with it the privilege of adoption¡Xadoption being the act of God¡¦s free grace whereby we are received into His people, the elect, the church, and are granted a right to all the privileges of being his son or daughter. We become heirs of grace. We can join Paul in saying in Rom 8:17 that we are fellow heirs of God with Christ.
Now, this glorious good news to receive the Word and believe in His name, by whom is it given? Look at verse 13 READ. This adoption into the family of God comes from God. We were not born of God by any will other than the Father¡¦s¡Xso John says in 6:37 ¡§all that the father gives me will come to me.¡¨ No man can will himself to become a child of God, no man may shed blood or sacrifice anything in order to become a child of God. Yet is this not how men try to usurp authority over God? Do we not try to perform in such a way as to receive the Word? Yet these attempts do nothing because John confirms that salvation¡Xfrom its beginning to its end¡Xis the work of God, not man.

In making known the Word of God to the world, we see that man is revealed for who he is by the light, that man did not know him¡Xeven though he was man¡¦s creator¡Xbut God works to adopt some as his children.
So, God made the Word known in creation, through John, in the world, and now in verses 14-17, he has made him known in the church.

Let me qualify what I mean when I say the church. By church, I mean all those who are born of God¡Xwho like vv. 12-13 say have become children of God. These are believers in Christ, collectively known as the church. It is to these¡Xto us¡Xthat he has revealed himself in a way that is distinct from others in the world. In v. 14 we read READ. We see that this distinction is in the fact we have seen his glory¡Xwe have seen Jesus for who he is and and we were effected by it. The only people who can speak this way ¡Vof seeing Jesus¡¦ glory¡Xare Christians, the church. God has worked in us to reveal His Son to us. Before, the Word came in the flesh as v. 14 says, we learn in Ex 40:34 that the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle of His people. In v. 14, we read that the Word became flesh and so the presence of God was embodied in the flesh¡Xindeed the glory of the Lord was made to be seen. We as believers in Christ¡Xthe church¡Xhave beheld this glory that God has made known. Hebrews 1:1-3 reflects this¡Xbefore, God spoke by the prophets and now he has spoken to us by his son through whom he created the world and he is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature. We see the reality that before, the only word God had given man was written on stone tablets. Now, it has become flesh, full of glory for those he has revealed it to behold.

In the last phrase of 14 & then in verse 16, we see the outworking of this glory. READ v. 14 and 16. Whereas the glory which Moses saw in the book of Exodus was from God who was love and faithfulness, John characterizes the glory of Jesus as being full of grace and truth. And is not verse 16 declaring for us how Jesus is revealed to us as the church¡Xeven how we are able to live¡Xwhy we live„³ we have all received grace upon grace upon grace upon grace¡Xwe deserved punishment, wrath, destruction because we denied the true light, as in verse 9. We did not know or receive the Word. In fact, we tried to be the light instead. But, by being born of God, we have received that which we did not deserve. We have been given life¡Xlife now to fellowship and grow in relationship with Christ and then when we die eternal fellowship with Him. Oh church, this is overwhelming and humbling indeed. God has revealed himself to us the church¡Xwe have not found grace. He has freely given it.
Now, turning to verse 17, those who are members of Cornerstone who have listened to our pastor unpack God¡¦s message from the book of Hebrews over the past few months should have a good understanding of this verse¡Xso I can just skip over it or ask any member, right? READ v. 17. from Hebrews, we learned that the word God revealed to Moses¡Xthis law¡Xbrought to man an awareness that he had transgressed or broke the law of God, that he had sinned, that he had done something wrong. But, we also learned that this law pointed to something better. It pointed to a better word, a superior word in which truth was revealed and grace saved us. This word is obviously the Jesus John refers to in verse 17. So John shows us that this grace and truth were revealed through Jesus, and it is in this verse that John first reveals his name¡Xyet because of the evidence of other Scripture, we already know his name.

So, the word is made known in creation, through John, in the world, and in the church. And in closing, I want us to realize the truth of verse 18 in light of how and where Christ has made Himself known. READ v. 18. We know from John 20:31 that John writes so you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and that by believing you may have life in his name. And in his introductory to his Gospel, he shows how the Word, who is Jesus is made known. But we see this truth at work¡Xit is the last five words of v. 18¡Xit is because he has made him known. In creation, it was he that made him known. Through the witness of John, it is he that has made him known. He has made him know in the world, and he has made him known to his church. So it is only be the hand of God that He has made it possible that we may believe that Jesus is the Son of God and only by the hand of God that we may have life.

Now how do we apply this? Really, the only application we can make would be a response¡Xthat is why John says he writes anyway. The response is twofold.
(1) The first refers back to vv. 9-13 and applies to those who do not believe in Jesus, who have not revieved him. READ vv. 9-13. Consider that which God has said in His word about who Jesus is. Receive it. Believe in His name. Repent and turn from your sin and trust in the grace and truth which come through Jesus.

(2) the second application and response refers to those who already confess faith and belief in Jesus¡Xso to the church. John says that part of believing is that we have life3. I pray today that as Christians we might ponder the uniqueness of Christ and His perfection, His glory¡Xeven the perfection of how it has been revealed to us in grace and truth. I pray we may ponder that and have life¡Xthat we may live in the fullness of Christ.

Jesus has made himself known¡Xwhy would we put off knowing him more intimately or knowing him for the first time?

Let us pray.

THE WORD MADE FLESH

Listen to Audio