Who is Jesus? | Is Jesus God? Understanding John 1:1-5

Topic: Who Is Jesus?

Reading: John 1:1-5

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God; 3 all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. 4 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.

Introduction and Overview

Today I begin studying the Gospel of John. It is much different to the other three gospels. Those speak about what Jesus did, showing His teachings, miracles, and so on. But the gospel of John answers the question: Who is Jesus?

This is an important question. Since Jesus is the centre and the focus of Christianity, it is important to understand who is Jesus. There are many varied opinions about who is Jesus, and they cannot all be correct. So, we will examine the scriptures written by the apostle John, who was perhaps the closest disciple to the Lord with Peter and James. John’s account of Jesus in his gospel is a very personal account. He knew Jesus, not as some distant teacher, but as a personal friend and companion.

If anyone is able to explain and answer the question, who is Jesus, John is one of the most knowledgeable and well equipped people to do so. He focuses on the words, conversations, and relationships of Jesus with those around Him. Through John’s words we gain a glimpse of who Jesus was and what He meant to John.

And in these opening verses of John chapter 1, we see a most powerful insight into the nature of Jesus Christ. He was no mere man, but we see in these words that He was in fact the Creator of the universe with God the Father. There are many questions about the deity of Jesus, but when read correctly, these first verse remove all doubts that He was indeed God and the Son of God.

Key points from reading:

• Jesus existed prior to His birth and visitation to the earth.
• Jesus was The Word who spoke the universe into existence.
• Jesus is a God, but not the same God as the Father, contrary to some church doctrines.

Discussion:

1. Scripture: John 1:1 – Who is Jesus? The Word.
   • This opening verse speaks about a mighty being that existed before the beginning of time and before the beginning of the Creation. This being was known simply as The Word. We learn later in verse 14 of this chapter, that this being came into the world in the form of flesh and blood. He came in the form of Jesus.
   • If we look back at the history of the Creation, we find that Adam and Eve sinned and caused a separation between man and God. They brought death into the world through their actions when they rejected the word of God and listened to the serpent. The darkness of sin has existed in the world ever since that time.
   • But Jesus came to bring light into the world. He came to destroy the darkness of sin and to bring the light of the knowledge of God to those who would listen. His purpose was to provide a means to reconcile the rift between man and God, to breach the gap caused by sin, and to destroy all causes of sin in the world. So, in answer to the question of who is Jesus, He is the redeemer, Saviour and the one through whom God has offered a second chance to those who believe. Jesus is The Word and He speaks salvation and life to all who will listen.
2. Scripture: John 1:2 – In the beginning
   • When we consider The Word, we see that He was in the beginning with the Father. He was present and active in the work of Creation with the Father.
   • There is an important point that we see in these first two verses that speak to the nature of Jesus Christ. We are told that “The Word was with God, and that the Word was God.” Arguments have raged for years over these words as to whether Jesus truly is God. The words are quite clear here that He was and is indeed, God. There can be no question about that.
   • But is The Word who became Jesus the SAME God as the Father? Is He really the second person in the trinity, or is He someone else? The truth of this can be learned through looking at the words used. In these verse we see the use of the word “with” in several places. The Greek word (Strong’s Greek: 4314 “pros”) translated as “with” is very clear. In the original Greek it meant something or someone that is “to, towards, by the side of, near to,” but not the “same as.” Thus, The Word was beside the Father but not the same as the Father. The Word was a separate and distinct individual, and He was God, but not the same God as the Father.
   • We see this also in Hebrews chapter 1 where God the Father refers to the Son as “God,” saying:
     
     8 But of the Son he says, “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever, the righteous scepter is the scepter of thy kingdom. 9 Thou hast loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, thy God, has anointed thee with the oil of gladness beyond thy comrades.”
     
     
   • If God the Father refers to Jesus as “God,” then who are we to argue? And if Jesus as the Son of God and “God” stands with or beside God the Father, then how can they be the same being or part of the same being? These scriptures create a significant problem for the doctrine of trinity. And that doctrine needs further examination because if it is incorrect, then the doctrine of trinity has no validity. In fact it is found to oppose the words of the scriptures, which are the words of God Himself. (Note: I have written a detailed examination of the doctrine of trinity in a free eBook that can be located at this link.
3. Scripture: John 1:3 – Who is Jesus? The Creator.
   • When we ask the question, who is Jesus, we learn something powerful in this next verse. Here we see that, “…all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In a nutshell, this is showing us that Jesus, as The Word, was the Creator of the universe with the Father. This is also referenced in Hebrews chapter 1 where it also quote the words of the Father and says, “Thou, Lord, didst found the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of thy hands.” There can be no doubt then that Jesus is the Creator.
   • But the Father also worked in the Creation too. My understanding of this, which I would add may be incorrect, is that the Father and Son were joint creators of the universe and everything in it. The fact that John 1:3 says that “…all things were made THROUGH him…” suggests to me that Jesus, as The Word, was the builder, while the Father was the architect. And I am the first to admit on this point that I may be completely wrong. However, I take this point of view knowing that Jesus constantly subordinated Himself to the will and desires of the Father. This then fits with the relationship between an architect and a builder, where the builder follows the directions of the architect.
   • Anyway, the point is not too significant, but what is clear when asked the question, who is Jesus, He was the Creator, or at least the joint Creator.
4. Scripture: John 1:4-5 – Who is Jesus? The light of the world.
   • In these verses we see that Jesus is referred to as the life and the light of the world. The light that He sheds on this world takes away the darkness in which we currently live. As mentioned above, man has been in the darkness of sin ever since the fall of Adam and Eve. But Jesus came to being the light of truth into the world.
   • When we look back at the very beginning of the Creation, on the first day we saw the creation of light. The words “Let there be light” were spoken and light appeared. And we note that God saw that the light was good. This is interesting because it was not until the fourth day of the creation that the sun, moon, and stars were created. The lights as we know it were not created until well after God created the light of the first day.
   • Given that we see that Jesus is the light, as mentioned in these two verses from John chapter 1, it seems likely that when God said in the beginning, “Let there be light,” He was not referring to the processes of day and night due to the movement of the earth around it’s axis and the sun. The division between light and dark spoken of on the first day of Creation is the recognition of good and evil. The light was good, and it was called “good” but the darkness was evil. And the two are separated so that they cannot exist together at the same time and place.
   • So, already in these introductory verses of John chapter 1 we see a tremendous amount of information to answer the question: Who is Jesus? Jesus is the Son of God, He is God, He is the Word, and He was the Creator. And He came to earth, emptying Himself of all His power to also become our Redeemer, Saviour, and Lord.

Prayer Points:

• Pray and thank God for the mercy and compassion He has and is showing to us that He sent His son as our Saviour and redeemer. Thank God for His great mercy and compassion, and that He has allowed us to learn these things and to receive the inheritance of the just, with Jesus.
• Pray also and ask the Lord to open your eyes to the truth of these things. Seek Him so that you can fully know and appreciate who Jesus is.