“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.”
John 1:1–3 (NIV)
I’ve never quite understood the prologue of the book of John, have you? Who is “the Word”? Is it Jesus? Why is Jesus called “the Word”?
The Gospels
As a child, I believed Jesus miraculously appeared in the New Testament book of Luke. We listened to the Christmas story and displayed our nativity scene of Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, the shepherds, and the wise men. But where was Jesus before He was born on earth?
The first four books of the New Testament document the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Let’s review how they each begin for more insight.
Matthew began his gospel by tracing the lineage of Jesus from Abraham. The gospel of Mark opens with prophecies from the Old Testament—Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3. The opening of Luke’s book details the births of John the Baptist and Jesus.
However, the book of John is unique. His gospel goes all the way back to the beginning of time to show us Jesus has eternally existed with God.
So why is Jesus called “the Word”?
In the beginning was the Word
Echoing Genesis 1:1, John opens his gospel with the cryptic statement, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning” John 1:1-2 (NIV).
The Greek word logos, translated “word,” also means speech or the act of speaking 1. Ancient Jews would have understood the Word as God Himself, pointing back to the Old Testament. John affirms that “the Word was God.”
However, the Greek audience would be familiar with another meaning for logos, “the divine reason implicit in the cosmos, ordering it and giving it form and meaning.” 2 Greek philosophers viewed logos as a bridge connecting God and the universe.
The Word became flesh
John provides a clue about the identity of “the Word.” John 1:14 (NIV) states, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
When John refers to “the Word”, he places Jesus as fully God, creator, and sustainer of the universe, present with God from the beginning of time. This doctrine is called the preexistence of Jesus.
In addition, the Greek word for dwell in verse 14 recalls God’s dwelling with Israel in the tabernacle. 3 So Jesus lived or “tabernacled” on earth as fully human and fully divine, known as incarnation. He came to earth as a Hebrew baby but did not surrender His God-ness. 4
Imagine the humility of Jesus while He lived in a human body with all its needs and faults. Jesus left His heavenly home for earth, to die as a humble servant so we might live forever (Philippians 2:7-9). The magnitude of Jesus’ sacrifice for all people overwhelms my heart with gratitude.
Now that we know why Jesus is called “the Word,” John finally mentions the name above any other name in John 1:17: “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”
Conclusion
Jesus, who is God and has been with God since the beginning of time, is the eternal Logos, the Word. When He took on human form, He became Immanuel, God with us. (Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23)
One day, the Word will return to earth again, as the heavenly warrior on a white horse, to wage war, judge the world, and defeat evil once and for all.
We also find the word logos in the book of Revelation. John wrote, “He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God” Revelation 19:13 (NIV).
Who else is eagerly awaiting that day? Come, Lord Jesus!
References
- Estes, D. (2016). Logos. In J. D. Barry, D. Bomar, D. R. Brown, R. Klippenstein, D. Mangum, C. Sinclair Wolcott, L. Wentz, E. Ritzema, & W. Widder (Eds.), The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Lexham Press.
- Britannica, T. Information Architects of Encyclopaedia. “logos.” Encyclopedia Britannica, Accessed December 14, 2023. https://www.britannica.com/topic/logos.
- Blum, E. A. (1985). John. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 273). Victor Books.
- Masonheimer, Phylicia, Every Woman a Theologian: Know What You Believe. Live It Confidently. Communicate It Graciously, (p. 73). Thomas Nelson Pub, 2023.
