John 1:1: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

 

Introduction:

In this writing, we will discuss the phrase in John 1:1 which says, “the Word was with God.” The Word described here is revealed in the person of Jesus Christ in John 1:14, which confirms that the Word—who is Jesus Christ—was with God the Father. This verse talks about the situation of Jesus with the Father, meaning His place, His position, and His location before the universe was created.

The text in John 1:1b clearly tells us that Jesus Himself was with His Father from eternity. To explain further, I will share three observations that may help us better understand the situation of the Word.

 

A. Co-existence with the Father and the Holy Spirit

The Word was with God. This shows where Christ is—Christ is with God, with the Father.

• It is Christ who reveals the Father, for He has been with God from eternity. Matthew 11:27: “All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

• From the beginning, the Father’s love was manifested to the Son, and the Son’s love to the Father as well. John 17:24–26: “O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

• It is Christ who sees the Father. John 6:46: “Not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father.”

 

B. Christ Shares Glory with the Father

John 17:5 is one of the proof texts of Jesus Christ co-existing and sharing glory with the Father. These are the very words of Jesus Himself:

John 17:5: “Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.”

 

C. Christ Created the Universe Along with the Father

John 1:2–3: “He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.”

In the creation of the universe, the Word was the agent of creation. In other words, Christ was at work every time God spoke. We can see this in Genesis 1:3, where God used His Word to create light.

• Psalm 33:6: “By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.”

• Colossians 1:15–17 reveals that everything was created through Christ:

Colossians 1:15–17: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”

 

Conclusion:

John 1:1a is not just a phrase from the Bible proving the existence of Jesus before the creation of the universe. Christ being with God in John 1:1b shows His eternal position above every creature in this world. That is why Jesus Christ is worthy of our worship. No other creature in this universe can ever reach the glory of God, except Jesus Christ.

Humanity is sinful—we need someone who shares glory with the Father, someone who is perfect and righteous. Someone who sees God and shares glory with Him. That person is Jesus Christ. He fulfilled all the requirements of God’s righteousness. He paid the debt of our sin by dying on the cross and shedding His blood. He overcame sin and the grave by rising again on the third day.

My friend, there is no other way to God but by faith alone in Christ alone. Repent of your sins, trust in Jesus Christ, and you will be saved—from sin, death, and wrath—into eternal life, hope, and rest.

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Authored by Chris John Apinan