The Beginning – Part II John 1:1-5

The Beginning – Part IIJohn 1:1-5

John 1:1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

The BeginningEternity – In the beginning was

the Word

Personality – and the Word was with God

Deity – and the Word was God

The Beginning III. The Word’s Relationship with God – Vv. 1-2

II. The Word’s Relationship to the Universe – v. 3

III. The Word’s Relationship to People – Vv. 4-5

The Beginning III. The Word’s Relationship with God – Vv. 1-2

John 20:30-31• Now Jesus did many other signs in the

presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name

C.S. Lewis…we can say Jesus lied to us and so we can say he is bad because he was a nasty liar.  We can also pity him and say he was a lunatic to think he was God and to lay down his life for a cause that was of his own making (or to surrender himself in his death on the wheel of history).  But if he is who he says he is, and HE IS because he said and proved that he was I AM, then we must call him LORD and because he is LORD we must obey him and worship him.

The BeginningI. The Word’s Relationship with

God – Vv. 1-2II. The Word’s Relationship to the

Universe – v.3

John 1:3• Positively - All things were made

through him

• Negatively - and without him was not any thing made that was made

• And God said, “Let there be light.” Genesis 1:3

• And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” Genesis 1:6

•  And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” Genesis 1:9

•  And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees…” Genesis 1:11

•  And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night.” Genesis 1:14

•  And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.” Genesis 1:20

•  And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds…” Genesis 1:24

•  Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” Genesis 1:26

MacarthurThe proof that the Word is God is that the Word created. And whoever creates all that is is God. I mean, you don't have to think very long to come to that obvious conclusion. Whoever made everything is God. And the verification of the statement that the Word was God is that everything that was made was made by the Word.

Morris“The relation of the first two Persons of the Trinity in the work of creation is of interest. There is a careful differentiation of the parts played by the Father and the Son in 1 Cor. 8:6. Creation was not the solitary act of either. Both were at work (and for that matter, still are; cf. 5:17, 19). The Father created, but He did it ‘through’ the Word.’

Colossians 1:15-19 He is the image of the invisible

God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church.

Colossians 1:15-19 He is the beginning, the firstborn

from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell

Hebrews 1:1-3 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high

Macarthur So, John wants to introduce us to the Word, to the force in the universe that made everything, to that emanation that comes from God, that revelation that comes from God, that manifestation that comes from God which expresses the will of God, the mind of God, the power of God, the purpose of God, the design of God, the plan of God. He wants us to meet this powerful force.

Doctrine of the Trinity Three Persons with one Nature.

• Three Persons: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

• One nature: the divine nature of the one living and true God.

Doctrine of the Incarnation One Person with two Natures

• One Person: the Person of God the Son.

• Two natures: a divine nature and a human nature.

The BeginningI. The Word’s Relationship with

God – Vv. 1-2II. The Word’s Relationship to the

Universe – v. 3III. The Word’s Relationship to

People – Vv. 4-5

John 1:4-5 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Hendriksen “the term [life] refers to the fullness of God’s essence, his glorious attributes: holiness, truth (knowledge, wisdom, veracity), love, omnipotence, sovereignty.”

Acts 17:28 for ‘In him we live and move and have our being’

John 1:9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. for ‘In him we live and move and have our being’

Ephesians 2:1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins

John 8:12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Divine Titles • Verse 1 He is spoken of as "the

word."

• Verse 3 as the Maker of all

things.

• Verse 4 as "the life."

• Verse 5 as "the light."

Pink The conclusion, then, is irresistible, the proof complete and final, that the Lord Jesus is none other than God, the second Person in the Holy Trinity.

Maclaren John takes “the Fall” for granted…the shining of the light is continuous, but the darkness is obstinate. It is the tragedy and crime of the world that the darkness will not have the light. It is the long-suffering mercy of God that the light repelled is not extinguished, but shines meekly on.

Carson By nature all human beings “love darkness because their deeds are evil (3:19), and when the light does put in an appearance, they hate it, because they do not want their deeds to be exposed”

Pink Thus, “nothing short of a miracle of saving grace can ever bring one out of darkness into God’s marvelous light.”

Ephesians 4:17-19 Now this I say and testify in the

Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 19 They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.

John 12:35-36 So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.”

Piper This is what I would call the "invincibility of light." It is not overcome. So you could label verse 5: "Light is triumphant over darkness."

Ephesians 5:8 …for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light

John 3:18-21 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.

John 3:18-21 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

Macarthur The world may deny till its blue in the face that the light came but the light did come.

Pink Here, as nowhere else in Scripture so fully, the Godhood of Christ is presented to our view. That which is outstanding in this fourth Gospel is the Divine Sonship of the Lord Jesus. In this book we are shown that the One who was heralded by the angels to the Bethlehem shepherds, who walked this earth for thirty-three years, who was crucified at Calvary, who rose in triumph from the grave, and who forty days later

Pink departed from these scenes, was none other than the Lord of glory. The evidence for this is overwhelming, the proofs almost without number, and the effect of contemplating them must be to bow our hearts in worship before ‘the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ’ (Titus 2:13)."

C.S. Lewis But if he is who he says he is, and HE IS because he said and proved that he was I AM, then we must call him LORD and because he is LORD we must obey him and worship him.