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John 1:1 - Jesus Is God.

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

INTRODUCTION

   "In the beginning." In contrast to 1 John 
1:1 where John used a similar phrase ("from the 
beginning") to refer to the starting point of Jesus' 
ministry and gospel preaching, this phrase parallels 
Genesis 1:1 where the same phrase is used. John used 
the phrase in an absolute sense to refer to the 
beginning of the time-space-material universe. "Was." 
The verb highlights the eternal preexistence of 
the Word, i.e., Jesus Christ. Before the 
universe began, the Second Person of the Trinity 
always existed; i.e., He always was (see 8:58). 
This word is used in contrast with the verb "was 
made" (or "were made") in v. 3, which indicate a 
beginning in time. Because of John's theme that Jesus 
Christ is the eternal God, the Second Person of the 
Trinity, he did not include a genealogy as Matthew 
and Luke did. In terms of Jesus' humanity, He 
had a human genealogy; but in terms of His 
deity, He has no genealogy.  
   "The Word." John borrowed the use of the 
term "Word" not only from the vocabulary of the 
Old Testament but also from Greek philosophy, in 
which the term was essentially impersonal, 
signifying the rational principle of "divine reason," 
"mind," or even "wisdom." John, however, imbued the 
term entirely with Old Testament and Christian 
meaning (e.g., Gen. 1:3 where God's Word brought the 
world into being; Pss. 33:6; 107:20; Prov. 8:27, 
where God's Word is His powerful self-expression 
in creation, wisdom, revelation, and salvation) 
and made it refer to a person, i.e., Jesus 
Christ. Greek philosophical usage, therefore, is not 
the exclusive background of John's thought. 
Strategically, the term "Word" serves as a bridge-word to 
reach not only Jews but also the unsaved Greeks. 
John chose this concept because both Jews and 
Greeks were familiar with it. 
   "The Word was with God." The Word, as the 
Second Person of the Trinity, was in intimate 
fellowship with God the Father throughout all eternity. 
Yet, although the Word enjoyed the splendors of 
heaven and eternity with the Father (Is. 6:1-13; 
see 12:41; 17:5), He willingly gave up His 
heavenly status, taking the form of a man, and became 
subject to the death of the cross (Phil. 2:6-8). 
"Was God." The Greek construction emphasizes that 
the Word had all the essence or attributes of 
Deity, i.e., Jesus the Messiah was fully God (Col. 
2:9). Even in His incarnation when He emptied 
Himself, He did not cease to be God but took on a 
genuine human nature/body and voluntarily refrained 
from the independent exercise of the attributes 
of Deity. [MacArthur Daily Bible 2003] 

COMMENTARY PEARL

   John, fisherman's son and all, was born 
with one of the finest minds that have ever been 
bestowed by God's goodness upon any of the sons of 
men. He had a profoundly intuitive mind - an 
inward, meditating, contemplative, imaginative, 
spiritual mind. His mind was by nature extraordinarily 
rich and deep and lofty. John has the immortal 
honor of having conceived and meditated and 
inscribed the most magnificent passage ever written 
with pen and ink. The first fourteen verses of 
his Gospel stand alone and supreme over all 
other literature. "The Word was with God, and the 
Word was God." These two phrases contain far more 
philosophy, far more grace and truth and beauty and 
love, than all the rest that has ever been written 
by pen of man or spoken by tongue of man or 
angel. The Word, spoken of John, is a divine person 
in human nature - a revelation, an experience, 
and a possession - of which John himself is the 
living witness and the infallible proof. 
   How did John sink so deep into the 
unsearchable things of his Master? What was it in John 
that lifted him so high, making him an apostle of 
wisdom and love? For one thing it was his gift of 
meditation. John listened as none of the other disciples 
listened to all that Jesus said, and then he thought 
on it continually. Meditation with imagination 
combined in John to stir up the most profound 
insights into the person of Jesus Christ that were 
ever written. 
   I encourage you to meditate on these 
divine things that John wrote. MEDITATION IS THE 
TRUE ROOT AND SAP OF ALL FAITH AND PRAYER AND 
SPIRITUAL OBEDIENCE. Why are our minds so impaired and 
barren in the things of God? Why do we have so 
little faith? Why have we so little hold of the 
reality, and nobility, of divine things? The reason 
is plain. Occasionally, we read our New 
Testament, but we do not take time to meditate. We 
seldom consider who we are and what we are, who and 
what Jesus is to us, and what we are to say, do, 
ask, and receive. If we allow the thought of 
Jesus Christ to delight and overawe our hearts, He 
will become more to us than our nearest friend, 
more real to us than our morning papers and all 
our business dealings. Meditate on John's 
Gospel. Alexander Whyte [Day by Day Through the 
Gospel of John by Lance Wubbels]  

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

   I am God, Your Joy and your delight. I 
want you to find pleasure in Me and in My Word. I 
am the ever-living Word; in the beginning and 
forevermore. So you can find Me richly present in My 
written Word, the Bible. As more and more Scripture 
soaks into your inner being, you will experience 
the delight of My Presence more consistently. 
Make time to meditate on Bible passages - and to 
memorize some of them. They will help you get through 
sleepless nights and encounters with adversity.  
   Knowing that I am your Joy can protect 
you from bemoaning your circumstances or envying 
others whose situations seem better than yours. 
Because I am always with you, you have an 
ever-present source of Joy in your life. You can find 
pleasure in Me by rejoicing in My Name all day long. 
Simply uttering "Jesus" as a prayer can lift your 
spirits. (Psa. 43:4; John 1:1; Psa. 89:16; Isa. 
61:10) [Jesus Always by Sarah Young] 

LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE

John 1:1 - Jesus Is God.

http://www.abible.com/devotions/2007/20071217-2118.html 

YOUR COMMENTS

If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or 
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either 
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in 
hearing from you.  Thanks in advance and let's keep 
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred 
Gibbs  

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT

Most Important Decision in Life: 
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0 

A Man without Equal by Bill Bright: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo 

Seeking God Made Real: 
http://vimeo.com/31489782 

Prayer Made Real: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE 

Importance of Choice: 
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]  

Medical Seminar on Healthful Living by David 
DeRose, MD, MPH: 
https://www.smartlifestyletv.com/lifestart 

LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES 

Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies: 
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/ 

Amazing Facts Bible Studies: 
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx  

Hope Awakens Bible Study Guides: 
https://www.hopeawakens.study/lesson-header;id=2 

Glow Tract Video Bible Studies: 
http://www.bibleresearch.info/ 

LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS

Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of 
Adventist World Radio (currently live): 
https://bible.awr.org/the-warning/ 

Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW: 
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens 

The Last Day of Prophecy by Pastor Doug 
Batchelor: 
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmGvdtMCf1aJTiC59-lPtuUMEq_uEn0BK 

Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet: 
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657