John 1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. John 1:1-2 NKJV.
“The Word” in verse 1 refers to Jesus. He was with God when the world was created, because the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are three parts of the same being. (See Genesis 1:26: “Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness,…”). However, Jesus came to Earth to live as a human being for a short period of time: “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us” (John 1:14). Beginning with Jesus’ lifetime all the way to current times, there have been numerous groups of people who did not believe that Jesus was, in fact, the Son of God. Belief in this fact is one of the foundations of the Christian faith, and is one that is easily proven. Firstly, the Old Testament clearly states that no one is allowed to be worshiped except God alone: “Do not worship any other God…” (Exodus 34:14). Jesus allowed Himself to be worshiped on many occasions (especially immediately before or after a miraculous healing), and allowed Himself to be called Lord. “Thomas said to Him, ‘My Lord and my God!’” (John 20:28). If He was not God’s Son, then He would not have allowed others to bow before Him and call Him Lord. A second example of the divinity of Jesus comes from the numerous miracles that He performed, which are mostly recorded in the four gospels. Why can we trust these accounts? The Bible has been proven to be an accurate historical document in addition to being God’s Word, so even events as amazing as Jesus’ miracles can be regarded as true. Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish council, even said to Jesus: “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with Him” (John 3:2). Thirdly, unlike any other person on Earth that has ever lived, Jesus was completely sinless. Being divine is the only explanation for this characteristic, which was never questioned while He was on Earth. Jesus even asked people to test Him in this: “‘Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me?’” (John 8:48). The more than 300 Old Testament prophecies that were fulfilled by Jesus are also compelling evidence for Jesus’ divinity. One of these many fulfilled prophecies is from Psalm 22:16, written over 600 years before the crucifixion of Christ: “Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce my hands and my feet.” Ultimately, we have the evidence of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is the foundation of the Christian faith, that which gives all of us the hope of eternity. Jesus’ life, teachings, miracles, death and resurrection are recorded in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and various letters of the apostle Paul. Some of Paul’s letters are even dated back to within 5 years of the crucifixion, which makes them very reliable sources. There are also multiple recorded encounters of the risen Christ by numerous people in the New Testament. He appeared to over 500 people over a time period of more than a month. This immediately and completely changed the life of every single believer in Jesus Christ from that time on.
In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. John 1:4-5 NKJV. Jesus said “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). Jesus is the exclusive source of spiritual life and truth. His light is life-giving, and allows us to live the bountiful life that God has prepared for us to live. Jesus lights the path ahead of us and shows us how to live and where to go, despite living in a world where we are surrounded by darkness. Darkness represents sin, as well as unbelievers, who are void of His light. Because they do not believe, they cannot understand His Words, which is why it is so hard to discuss spiritual matters with someone who is skeptical of the Christian faith. Unbelievers are incapable of understanding the truths that we know, like Jesus being God’s Son, the importance of obedience, and the spiritual blessings we receive simply by putting our faith in Him. He is also the only One who is able to remove the darkness of sin from our lives. “But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).
He said: “I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord,” as the prophet Isaiah said. John 1:23 NKJV. John the Baptist was sent into the world to prepare people’s hearts to be able to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. When the religious leaders asked him who he was, he quoted Isaiah and said that he was: “A voice of one calling: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God’” (Isaiah 40:3). Here is yet another amazing fulfilled prophecy from the Old Testament! His role was to get the people to repent of their sins and realize that they needed a spiritual Savior. We need to constantly remind ourselves that we cannot do this life without Jesus. We need Him as our spiritual guide and leader. Keeping this truth fresh in our minds will allow our hearts to be prepared so that we can be a highway that God can use to let His love flow into the world through us.
And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is translated, A Stone). John 1:42 NKJV. Jesus immediately saw Simon’s potential. He re-named him Cephas, which is translated to Peter, and means “a rock.” He knew that Peter would deny knowing Him, but He also knew how strong Peter’s faith would become, and that he would eventually be a bold and fearless preacher. See Acts chapters 2-4 for the transformation of Peter, John and the other disciples from scared, confused and timid followers of Jesus to courageous and daring leaders of the early Church. When Jesus gave Simon a new name, He was introducing a change in his character. In the same way, God sees our potential and He knows that with His help, we can accomplish amazing things for His Kingdom. “If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work” (2 Timothy 2:21).
Make sure not to let impurity, fear, doubt or unbelief get in the way of letting God use you in this world for His glory. You were called into this family of believers for a reason. So let’s all get out into this world and do the good works that God is asking us to do! Amen!