What does "the Word was God" reveal about Jesus' eternal nature? Opening the Text “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1) Eternal Pre-Existence • “In the beginning” places the Word before Genesis 1:1, outside created time. • Colossians 1:17 affirms, “He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” • Revelation 22:13 records Jesus saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” Absolute Deity • The grammar is clear: “the Word was God,” not merely god-like or subordinate. • Hebrews 1:8 quotes the Father addressing the Son: “Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever.” • Full deity means all divine attributes—omniscience (John 16:30), omnipresence (Matthew 18:20), omnipotence (Matthew 28:18). Uncreated Creator • John 1:3: “Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made.” • By definition, the Creator cannot be part of creation; He is eternally self-existent (Exodus 3:14). Timeless Fellowship within the Godhead • “Was with God” reveals personal distinction while “was God” safeguards unity. • John 17:5 shows Jesus recalling that glory: “And now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with the glory I had with You before the world existed.” Immutable and Ever-Living • Malachi 3:6: “I, the LORD, do not change.” The same is true of the Word. • Hebrews 13:8: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Key Takeaways • Jesus is eternally God—no beginning, no end. • His divine nature guarantees the reliability of His promises and the sufficiency of His atoning work. • Worship of Him is not idolatry; it is the rightful response to the eternal, unchanging Creator. |
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