Grow Through The Gospels - John 1

Read: John 1

John 1:1-4,14 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him, all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind…The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Think

Understanding and embracing the truth that Jesus Christ is fully God is foundational to the Christian faith and crucial to your faith. As Bishop Moule once stated, “A Savior not quite God is a bridge broken at the farther end.” John Mitchell put it succinctly: “If Jesus is not God, then we are sinners without a Savior. If Jesus were only a man, then he died for his own sins. And we are still in our sins. We have no hope.” For Jesus to reconcile sinful people to a holy God, he must be God in human flesh. John’s Gospel opens with a powerful prologue that establishes this essential truth.

In the opening verses of John (1:1-5), we find that Jesus is the eternal Word, who was with God and was God. He is the Creator of all things, revealing the life and light of God to a dark world. This passage emphasizes that there never was a time when the Word did not exist. Jesus is eternal, and this is a non-negotiable foundation of our faith. Without it, our understanding of salvation and our relationship with God collapses.

John 1:1-2 declares, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.” This means Jesus is eternal and existed before creation, affirming his divinity. Heresies throughout history have often attacked this truth, but Scripture consistently upholds it. Jesus is not a created being; he is the Creator.

Colossians 1:16-17 reinforces this, stating, “For by him all things were created. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”

Recognizing Jesus as God has profound implications for our lives. It means he has the authority to command our worship and obedience. When we truly grasp that Jesus is the eternal God, we realize the depth of his love and sacrifice. He left his divine throne to become human, suffer, and die for our sins. This truth should ignite our hearts with a passion for worship and a desire to live for him.

Apply

If Jesus is our Lord, then it means we will align our will with his and seek his guidance in all our decisions. It is a commitment to surrendering our desires to him. In what areas do you need to realign and recommit?

Pray

Jesus, I acknowledge that you are God. Teach me to surrender daily, letting go of my plans and trusting in your guidance. Help me to seek your will in every decision, no matter how big or small, and give me the courage to follow where you lead. In Jesus’ name. Amen.