By The Rev. Ron Purkey
Guest Columnist

Read John 1:1-18

“ But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” (John 1:12).

The Rev. Ron Purkey

First, Jesus Christ is the creative word (John 1:3). There is certainly a parallel between John 1:1 and Genesis 1:1, the “new creation” and the “old creation.”

God created the worlds through his word: “And God said, ‘Let there be….” and it was done! “For he spoke, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast” (Psalm 33:9). God created all things through Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:16), which means that Jesus is not a created being; he is eternal God. He is part of the Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit!

The verb was made is perfect tense in the Greek, which means a “completed act.” Creation is finished. It is not a process still going on, even though God is certainly at work in his creation (John 5:17). Creation is not a process; it is a finished product.

Second, Jesus Christ is the incarnate word (John 1:14). Jesus was not a phantom or a spirit when he ministered on earth, nor was his body a mere illusion.

John and the other disciples each had a personal experience that convinced them of the reality of the body of Jesus (1 John 1:1-2). Even though John’s emphasis is the deity of Christ, he makes it clear that the son of God came in the flesh and was subject to the sinless infirmities of human nature.

In his Gospel, John points out that Jesus was weary (John 4:6) and thirsty (John 4:7). He groaned within (John 11:33) and openly wept (John 11:35). On the cross, he thirsted (John 19:28), died (John 19:30), and bled (John 19:34). After his resurrection, he proved to Thomas and the other disciples that he still had a real body (John 20:24-29), but it was a “glorified” body.

Third, How was the “Word made flesh”? By the miracle of the virgin birth (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38), Jesus Christ took on himself sinless human nature and identified with us in every aspect of life from birth to death.

“The word” was not an abstract concept of philosophy, but a real person who could be seen, touched, and heard. Christianity is Christ, and Christ is God.

The revelation of God’s glory is an important theme in John’s Gospel. Jesus revealed God’s glory in his person, his works, and his words. John recorded seven wonderful signs (miracles) that openly declared the glory of God (John 2:11).

The glory of the old covenant of law was a fading glory, but the glory of the new covenant in Christ is an increasing glory (see 2 Corinthians 3). The law could reveal sin, but it could never remove sin. Jesus Christ came with fullness of grace and truth, and this fullness is available to all who will trust him (John 1:16).

Read Ron Purkey’s Bible study outlines free at rcpbibleoutlines.com. Purkey has been an ordained Baptist minister for 50 years.