King of Eternity

John 1:1-14

As we begin this series of messages on the life of Christ we must have a proper understanding of the four Gospel accounts.

1. Matthew presents Christ as the King, the Son of David and was written primarily for the Jews.
2. Mark presents Christ as the suffering servant with the Romans in mind.
3. Luke presents Christ as the Son of Man who came to seek and save that which is lost. His gospel appealed to the Greeks
4. John emphasizes Christ as the Son of God was written to all people might believe on Christ (see John 20:30-31).With this background in mind we begin our walk with Jesus. It begins in the dateless past (John 1:1).

I. His CELESTIAL person (v. 1).

A. . He is ETERNALLY God (“In the beginning was the Word…”).

1. The life of Jesus Christ did not begin in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago. Jesus Christ existed “in the beginning” (cf. Gen. 1:1). Before there was a heaven and earth, Jesus was there (and Mary was not there). There has never been a time when Jesus was not.Bethlehem was just a “comma” in the eternal story of the Life of Christ. Jesus was born at Bethlehem, but His “goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting” (Micah 5:2).
2. Jesus told the Jews, “Before Abraham was, I AM” (John 8:56-58 cf. Ex. 3:14). They took up stones to stone Him.
3. The opening words of John’s gospel are so simple to read, but so profound in truth. Simple enough for the humblest believer to believe, yet so deep the most advanced theologian can study a lifetime without fathoming it’s depths.

“And he is before all things, and by him all things consist” (Col. 1:17).

As Squire Parsons wrote, He is the “King of Eternity.”

B.  He is EQUALLY God (“…and the Word was WITH GOD…”).

1. “WITH” denotes a relationship. For there to be a relationship there must be more than one person within the Godhead— God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit (1 John 5:7—“There are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are ONE.”)Jesus spoke of the glory He had with the Father before the world began—”O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had WITH THEE before the world was” (John 17:5, 24).
2. The Hebrew word for “God” in Genesis 1 is “Elohim” — “EL”= singular aspect of His name (“the mighty One”). “ohim” = the plural form. In Genesis 1:26— “And God [Elohim] said, Let US make man in OUR image…”

C. He is EXPRESSLY God (“…and the Word WAS GOD…”).

1. Words are expressions of thoughts. Calling Jesus “the Word” means He is the very EXPRESSION of God—“the express image of his person” (Heb. 1:3).

Jesus is the subject of the Bible. The Bible contains words.

Words are made up of letters. Jesus said, “I am Alpha and Omega,” the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet.

Men communicate with words. Therefore, God, being who He is, and man being who he is, it is reasonable to expect God would express Himself to man through words.

When Jesus returns to set up His Kingdom in Revelation 19:13, “his name is called The Word of God.”

2. “The Word WAS GOD”—It could not be stated any plainer. Jesus is God. The first century gnostics denied this. Every cult denies Jesus Christ is God. Mormons deny it. Jehovah’s Witnesses deny it. Unitarians deny it. Muslims deny it.

What do you say to these cults? Show them Revelation 1:8,”I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and is to come, the Almighty.” Ask a Mormon or a Jehovah’s Witness, “Who is this referring to? He will say, “God.”

Then, compare Revelation 22:12-13: “And, behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.” Ask him, “Who is this that says “I come quickly?” He will say “Jesus.” But now he has a problem, because if he says Jesus is not God, then he has two Alphas and two Omegas—two firsts and two lasts.