JESUS, THE WORD OF GOD!

TEXT:  ST. JOHN 1:2-14

John begins his gospel by calling Jesus “The Word”, the logos.  In using this designation for Christ, John presents Him as the personal Word of God and indicates that in these last days, God has spoken to us in His Son.  “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:1-3).

Scripture declares that Jesus Christ is:

Ø  the manifold wisdom of God - “To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ephesians 3:10-11).

Ø  the perfect revelation of the nature and person of God - “For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9).  Just as a person’s words reveal his or her heart and mind, Christ as “the Word” reveals the heart and mind of God!  This Gospel was penned by the aged Apostle in 85 A.D.  It was the last of the 4 gospels to be written.  The first three Gospels are called Synoptic Gospels, which means “to see together”.   This means that the first three Gospels contained many of the same stories and teachings that were told from a different angle.  Yet at the same time each was fully inspired by the Lord.

There was a difference in John's Gospel.  John shows us a side of Jesus the other writers did not touch on.  John gives us twenty one chapters which unfold and present a new facet of His divine character.  He gives us three main characteristics of Jesus Christ as “the Word”:  1) The Word’s relation to the Father, 2) The Word’s relation to the world, and 3) The Word’s relation to humanity.

·       His relation to the Father:  Christ was pre-existent with God meaning before in time, place, and rank.  In other words Jesus has always existed.  He did not come into existence in Bethlehem, but he has always been here throughout all the endless ages of eternities past.  John declares it in John 1:1, “In the beginning”, (in Christ)!  “And he is the head of the body, the church:  who is the beginning” (Colossians 1:18).  “In the beginning God created” (Genesis 1:1).  “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending” (Revelation 1:8).  “These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God” (Revelation 3:14).  “It is done.  I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end” (Revelation 21:6).  He was divine (the Word of God) having the same nature and essence as the Father (Colossians 2:9 above).  Essence is the basic nature of something; a concentrated substance that keeps the flavor, fragrance, etc. of that from which it is extracted!  “For I am the LORD, I change not” (Malachi 3:6).  “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever” (Hebrews 13:8).

·       His relation to the world:  It was through Christ that God the Father created and now sustains all things.  “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers:  all things were created by him, and for him” (Colossians 1:16).

·       His relation to humanity:  The Word was made flesh!  “And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father) full of grace and truth” (St. John 1:14).  In other words, the Son of God took on human nature yet without sin.  This is the basic statement of the incarnation:  Christ came down from heaven and entered the condition of human life through the gateway of human birth and became the God man!  When I speak of incarnation, it means to give bodily form to!  How many of you know God is a Spirit!  He wasn’t seen until he took on a bodily form in Christ Jesus.  “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us” (St. Matthew 1:23).

John gives us these three main characteristics of Jesus as the Word.  Even so, His (Jesus) teachings were controversial.  They thought He was strange as He came preaching repentance.  “Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand:  repent ye, and believe the gospel' ” (St. Mark 1:14-15).  When He performed miracles, men thought He was just a prophet.  When He spoke the Word of God with power, men thought He was amazing.  However, when He proclaimed equality with God, men thought He was crazy.  He stopped being a blessing and became a controversy when He claimed to be God and especially when He claimed to be the Son of God!  “When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify him.  Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him:  for I find no fault in Him” (St. John 19:6).  (Vs 7) The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God”.

 He was the way, the truth, and the life (St. John 14:6).  Remember in (Vs 9)  "Jesus saith unto him, 'Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father' "  Right about now someone may be saying, “Yeah, yeah, yeah, we know that so what does all that have to do with us”?  Glad you asked!!  His pre-existence, His relation to the world, and his relation to humanity have EVERYTHING to do with us!  “Because as he is, so are we in this world” (1 John 4:17).

When Jesus was speaking to them about the promise of His return, Thomas was the one to say or ask “Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way”? (St. John 14:5).  Then there’s Philip who sayest, “Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us” (Vs 8).  Thomas, whose name means twin or joined, was one of the disciples.  He sits right in the forefront of the frontal lobe of the cerebral portion of the brain.  This lobe deals with understanding speech and formulating words to express thoughts and emotions, hearing, etc.  He needed understanding!  This is what he typifies here!  Proverbs 4:5 ”Get wisdom, get understanding:  forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth”.  (Vs 7) ”Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding”. 

Then there is Philip whose name means warrior, fond of horses.  Horses in the scripture symbolizes strength and power.  He typifies “power”.  “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21).  Your taste buds are on your tongue!  “O taste and see that the LORD is good” (Psalm34:8).  What the tongue speaks is sounded or vibrated through the larynx or voice-box.  “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh” (St. Matthew 12:34).  So the term “power” expresses only a small part of his official capacity – yet they were with Jesus – but they hadn’t been disciplined.  They weren’t in the inner circle that Peter, James, and John were. 

Peter is faith, and when “faith” is wavering, you have not fully come into the understanding of who you are, whose you are, and where you’re going.  Therefore the “tongue” will say as Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father”.  So when Peter (their faith) lays hold of life, their very being, or existence, the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.  Faith is the central ability or power in the “consciousness” or awareness of a “Master”.  Jesus said, “That thou art Peter, and upon this rock, I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18).  So when “faith” stands at the forefront, then your “understanding” will become enlightened and your “tongue” will say, “I know who I am!  I know whose I am!  And I know where I’m headed!"

We too were pre-existent.  We were with Him when He said, “Let us make man” (Genesis 1:26).  We too, in relation to the world, are recreating Jesus in the Word, and the Word is working in and for you and I!  The same word is the true inner (inward) self of every individual.  Man therefore contains within himself the capacities of being through his words by using the creative principles of the Godly or spiritual mind to create.  We make our own world by our own words, whether silently or audibly expressed.  So let our words carry life!  “But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment”.  [That’s going on right now, not later beyond the blue].  (Vs 37) ”For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned” (Matthew 12:36-37).  “A wholesome tongue is a tree of life:  but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit” (Proverbs 15:4).

Regarding our relation to humanity, we too were made (became) flesh.  “Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (St. John 1:13).  Just as Jesus preached and taught the kingdom, there was controversy.  So it is with the “sons” of God today preaching and teaching the kingdom – there is controversy.  We like Jesus cannot be deterred nor compromise nor water it down to appease man.  Had he done so He would have debased Himself, for He is Truth!  "Jesus said, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life' ” (St. John 14:6)

From the Apocropha, 1 Esdras 4:38-40, “As for the truth, it endureth and is always strong:  it liveth and conquereth forever more.  With her there is no accepting of persons or rewards; but she doeth the things that are just, and refraineth from all unjust and wicked things; and all men do well like of her works, neither in her judgment is any unrighteousness; and she is the strength, kingdom, power and majesty of all ages.  Blessed be the God of Truth”.

Like Jesus, we the Word of God cannot compromise, give in or water down the gospel of the kingdom to appease man.  For it is written “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (St. John 8:32).  So it is “Truth” that will make you free.  In the context of “human” knowledge, many things are true.  Yet there is only one “truth” that will make people free from sin, destruction and Satan’s dominion - Jesus Himself and His revelation of “truth” in the scripture.  Remember, the “truth” is redemptive, and the lie is destructive!

Jesus – the Word of God - came to proclaim “light”:  meaning to shine – make manifest by rays.  Is He not called Alpha!  John was not that light, but he came to bear witness of that light (St. John 1:8).  Light is mentioned 23 times in John’s Gospel, more than any other New Testament book.  Because of Jesus we have become children of light.  “ 'While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light' ” (John 12:36).  “ 'Ye are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid' ” (St. Matthew 5:14).  “Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day:  we are not of the night, nor of darkness” (1 Thessalonians 5:5).  This light shineth in “darkness”, and the “darkness” comprehended it not.  The “darkness” is defined from the root word cho’shek, meaning misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, wickedness, obscurity, and night.  This light accomplishes one of two things – it will lead one to salvation or it will cause one to reject the light and continue on their course to damnation.

Jesus is the Word of God – so are we the Word of God.  “Because as he is, so are we in this world” (1 John 4:17). 

Just as the Holy Bible is the written Word of God, we are the “living Word” of God.  It’s written on these pages, but it becomes alive when we walk in it!!

Jesus, the Word of God – we are the Word of God!

What does the Word of God do?  It restores and heals, delivers, opens blind eyes, opens deaf ears; sets the captives free, shines bright in a dark world!  Every word of man has an idea behind it, and the power of the word is primarily in that idea.  All who have faith in its power to accomplish that where to it is sent may speak the word with effect!  For every word God spoke, it came to pass!  Words we speak come to pass, whether negative or positive.

Jesus knows we are like Him in being pre-existent with God.  We are like Him in relation to the world, and in relation to humanity!  We are Him in the earth!!  JESUS, THE WORD OF GOD!!!

~ Evangelist Mary Perry