The first five verses of the Gospel of John set the stage for a major theme of this book: the deity of Jesus Christ. The first verse states, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1, NKJV).” This verse echoes Genesis 1:1, which reads, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth (NKJV).”
John refers to Jesus Christ as “the Word,” which originates from the Greek “logos,” meaning an expression or utterance embodying a concept or idea. Here, John equates Christ with the Word of God which spoke the universe into creation. The phrase “in the beginning” refers to Christ’s eternal nature: He was present with God before the heavens and the earth were created. The phrase “was with God” implies a personal relationship between God and Christ, as well as equal status. “The Word was God” states that Christ was and is God.
John 1:2 reads, “He was in the beginning with God (NKJV).” Christ’s eternal existence is emphasized here by the repetition of the words “in the beginning.” John repeats this theme throughout this book. In John 8:58, Jesus states, “Most assuredly, I tell you, before Abraham was, I AM (NKJV),” in reference to Genesis 3:14, in which God commands Moses to refer to Him as “I AM." Jesus asserts His divine nature in a series of “I am” statements in the book of John, such as “I am the bread of life (6:35),” and “I am the good shepherd (10:11).” John 1:2, therefore, provides a prologue to the book of John’s proclamation of Christ’s deity.
Christ’s eternal existence is explored further in John 1:3: “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made (NKJV).” We understand from this statement that as God, Jesus Christ existed before all created things, and is the only uncreated being. All creation was created through Christ, and cannot exist without Him. Colossians 1:16 further develops this idea: “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him (NKJV).” John 1:3 and Colossians 1:16 combine to tell us that all things were created by God (or Christ), to serve His divine purposes.
John 1:4 states, “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” This verse foreshadows two of Jesus’ statements in the Gospel of John: “I am the resurrection and the life (John 11:25),” and “I am the light of the world (John 8:12 and 9:12).” We depend on Christ for spiritual and physical life; He created us, nourishes us, and provides us with everlasting life. As “the light,” Christ enables us to see God’s truth, and delivers us from darkness and death. He gives us the spiritual sight we need to recognize and flee from sin.
“And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it,” states John 1:5 (NKJV). When God spoke the words, “Let there be light” in Genesis 1:3, He created light where there had been only darkness. Christ shines spiritual light where there was once the darkness of sin and death. We have access to eternal life, or light, from Christ the Savior. The phrase “the darkness did not comprehend it” can convey two ideas: 1) the darkness did not understand the light, and 2) the darkness did not overtake, or defeat the light. Jesus tells his disciples in John 12:35-36, “Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you…While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light (NKJV).” If we do not believe in Christ, or “the light,” we can be overcome by the darkness; the darkness , however, cannot overcome the light of Christ.
The first five verses of the Gospel of John provide crucial truths for the development of the Christian faith. The themes of Christ’s light and eternal existence are emphasized throughout the New Testament. As Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:6, “For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (NKJV).” We depend on Christ as our creator who gave us life; we look to Christ our Savior to give us new life as His new creation.
Sources:
Bible Study Tools, “Logos,” http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/nas/lo gos.html (accessed December 27, 2009).
Nelson’s NKJV Study Bible, Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1997.