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

Greeks used the term “word” not only of the spoken word but also of the unspoken word, the word still in the mind – the reason. When they applied it to the universe, they meant the rational principle that governs all things. Jews, on the other hand, used it as a way of referring to God. Thus, John used a term that was meaningful to both Jews and Gentiles.

John is very positive that Jesus was a personality who existed from eternity, and that He had had a hand in the creation of the universe. Jesus is here called the Word. In Genesis we read again and again, “And God said.” In John 17:5, Jesus is quoted as referring to the glory He had with the Father before the world existed.

By calling Jesus “the Word,” John calls him the embodiment of all God’s revelation in the scriptures. This was written for us to know who Jesus Christ was that in the fulness of time was revealed and made flesh, and dwelt among us. He is God’s expression of Himself to humanity. He is God’s Message to us.

Sources:

Halley, Henry H. Halley’s Bible Handbook. ePub Format. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2000.

Keener, Craig S. The IVP Bible Background Commentary. New Testament. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993.

Zondervan NASB Study Bible. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1999.

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