John 1:1-18
Jesus is the Word of God
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
John being with Jesus for three years was filled with the Holy Spirit...The Holy Spirit, whom the Father sent in Jesus' Name, would teach John and the rest of the Disciples all things and would remind them of everything that Jesus had said to them...The Holy Spirit, as the Spirit of Truth, is essential to John and all believers in guiding believers into all Truth...He helps us to understand the teachings of Jesus, to apply them to our lives, and to live in accordance with God's will...The Holy Spirit is not only a Teacher but also a Comforter and an Advocate with Power...As the Advocate with Power, in the sense, that He helps us to overcome our weaknesses and helps us with our challenges, to resist temptation, and to live a life that is pleasing to God...
And when I read about this concept of Jesus being with God in the beginning, I can see that it is a profound theological Truth that was revealed by St. John in the New Testament...John 1:1 states, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."...This Word, who existed before the creation of the world, is identified with Jesus Christ...This Word is the Important Part of bringing life into our world...John in knowing Jesus writes that He was the One who was supposed to come from the Old Testament Prophecies...The Logos, or Word, is instrumental in bringing life into the universe...The purpose of life, as revealed in the Bible, is to know God and to love Him with all our heart, soul, and mind...The Logos, as embodied in Jesus Christ, provides the means for humanity to achieve this purpose...Through His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus offers salvation and Eternal Life to all who believe...By following Jesus, we can experience the fullness of life and fulfill our ultimate purpose...So, while the Logos is essential to the creation and sustenance of life, it is through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ that we discover the true meaning and purpose of our existence...
Maybe the reason Jesus isn't explicitly mentioned in Genesis 1 is that the Old Testament was written before the incarnation of Christ...He had not resurrected yet from His death on the cross...This reveals God's creative power and His plan for humanity, but it doesn't explicitly identify Jesus as the agent of creation...John himself, received divine inspiration to write his Gospel account...This inspiration allowed him to access a deeper understanding of Jesus' Divine Nature and His role in creation...While Jesus may not have explicitly stated His presence during creation in the Gospels, the author of John, was guided by the Holy Spirit, and recognized the deeper theological implications of Jesus' identity...He understood that Jesus, as the Eternal Word, was with God at the beginning and was actively involved in the creation of the universe...This understanding is rooted in the Old Testament, particularly in the book of Genesis...While Genesis doesn't explicitly name Jesus, it hints at a Divine Figure who is distinct from God the Father yet works in unity with Him...This figure, often referred to as the "Word of God," is seen as a Pre-Existent Divine Being who played a crucial role in creation...The author of John, drawing on both the Old Testament and Divine Revelation, identified this pre-existent Word with Jesus Christ...This revelation sheds new Light on the nature of God and the significance of Jesus' role in salvation history...
The Old Testament does contain prophecies and would foreshadow the coming of the Messiah, who would ultimately be revealed as Jesus Christ...These prophecies point to the Divine Nature of Jesus and His role in God's redemptive plan...In the New Testament, we see a clearer picture of Jesus' Divine Nature and His role in creation...John identifies Jesus as the Logos...Jesus is identified as the Logos, a Greek term often translated as "Word."...This concept is rooted in ancient Greek philosophy, but John reinterprets it in a uniquely Christian way...The Logos, in Greek philosophy, was often understood as a Divine Principle or force that ordered and could sustain the universe...John, however, identifies the Logos with Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God...By using this term, John emphasizes the Divine Nature of Jesus and His role in creation...John identifies Jesus as the Logos...The Logos is a term that is often associated with reason, truth, and the creative power of the cosmos...
In the Gospel of John, the author uses the term Word of God or "Logos" to refer to Jesus Christ...John 1:1 states, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."...This verse identifies Jesus as the Divine Word, who existed before the creation of the world and was instrumental in bringing the universe into existence...By using the term "Logos," John is drawing on philosophical concepts and redefining the Word and the Logos in a Christian context...He is suggesting that Jesus is not merely a human being, but a Divine Being who is eternal and all-powerful...He suggests that Jesus existed before the creation of the world and was actively involved in bringing the universe into existence...John 1:1-3 explicitly states that Jesus existed before the creation of the world and that He was the agent of creation...He writes that all things were made through Him...This understanding of Jesus as the Eternal Word, who was with God and was God, is a core tenet of Christian theology...