Jesus Christ the Living Word part 2

Book of John and Genesis

Scripture Lesson John 1:1-5                     Genesis 1:1-31

Jesus Christ, Son of God— Eternal— Preexistent— Revelation: Christ is eternal. Note three deep statements made about Christ, the Word.

1. Christ was preexistent. This means He was there before creation. He had always existed.

a."In the beginning [En archē ]" does not mean from the beginning.  Jesus Christ was already there. He did not become; He was not created; He never had a beginning. He "was in the beginning with God"  John 17:5; John 8:58).

b.The word "was" (ēn) is the Greek imperfect tense of eimi which is the word so often used for deity. It means to be or I am. To be means continuous existence, without beginning or origin. John 6:20

Question: There are several scriptures in the Old Testament we read that God said “I AM”.  Can you find one that tells of God’s desire to deliver His people?

Answer: Exodus 3:14

"It is I" (egō eimi ): this is one word in the Greek, eimi, which is simply "I AM" (John 18:6). Jesus was saying, "I AM" has come—fear not. He was reminding the disciples who He was, the Son of God Himself. He possessed all power; therefore, there was no need to fear. This was the same message that God gave to Moses at the burning bush, "I am that I am" (Exodus 3:13-15,  It was the same message that Jesus used as a defense against the religionists, "Before Abraham was, I am" (John 8:58). It is the same message that Colossians. 1:15-17 claims for Him; and it is the same message that is proclaimed by the book of Revelation, "He that is, and was, and is to come" (Revelation. 1:4, Revelation. 11:17; Revelation. 16:5).

There are several "I Am's" claimed by Christ in the New Testament.

⇒  I Am the Messiah (John 4:26).

⇒  I Am (It is I); be not afraid (John 6:20).

⇒  I Am the Bread of Life (John 6:35).

⇒  I Am from Above (John 8:23).

⇒  I Am the Light of the World (John 8:12; John 9:5; John 12:46).

⇒  I Am before Abraham was, I am (eternal) (John 8:58).

⇒  I Am the Door (John 10:7).

⇒  I Am the Good Shepherd (John 10:14).

⇒  I Am the Son of God (John 10:36).

⇒  I Am the Resurrection and Life (John 11:25).

⇒  I Am the Lord and Master (John 13:13).

⇒  I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6).

⇒  I Am the True Vine (John 15:1).

⇒  I Am Alpha and Omega (Rev. 1:8).

Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God" (Psalm 90:2).

"I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was" (Proverbs 8:23).

"And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was" (John 17:5).

"[Christ Jesus] who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross" (Philippians 2:6-8;

Discussion Point:  In reading Genesis 1:1-31 , What revelation do you now have for Jesus Christ when you read “God said”

The testimony of John is that Jesus Christ was the Word, the One who had always existed. He was the Son of the living God. 

2.Christ has existed with God forever.  The word "with" (pros) has the idea of both being with and acting toward. Jesus Christ (the Word) was both with God and acting with God. He was "with God": acting, living, and moving in the closest of relationships.  Christ had the ideal and perfect relationship with God the Father. Their life together—their relationship, communion, fellowship, and connection—was a perfect eternal bond. This is exactly what is said: "The same was in the beginning with God" (John 1:2).

"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (for the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us)" (1 John 1:1-2).

This statement is a critical point. As mention earlier many religious groups/cults try to change the wording of this scripture to fit their thinking.  Their thinking is God can not be in two separate places at the same time. So with that thinking they say the Word was a god (little ‘g’) and not as John has told us the Word was God (big “G’). The testimony of John was that Jesus Christ was the Word, the One who had always existed with God. Jesus Christ was the Son of the living God.

3. John did not say that "the Word" was the God (ho theos) or a God . He says "the Word" was God (Theos). John was saying that "the Word," Jesus Christ is of the very nature and character of God the Father.

When you study the Word of God you see Jesus Christ, you see a distinct person, a person who is of the very substance and character of God in all of His perfect being.

Additional Scriptures 

Hebrews 1:3, John 14:9, John 14:20, Romans 9:5, Colossians1:15, Colossians 2:9, I Timothy 3:16, I Timothy 6:15-16, Revelation 19: