 Continuation of my verse by verse study of John
In continuing with John I want to add further about the Greek word 'outos' translated "the same" in verse 2 which literally means "this one", referring to the person he is calling the 'logos' translated "Word" in verse 1. As John continues he indicates all the more to us that he is definitely referring to Jesus, the Son of God as the Word.
"All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." John 1:3
This is a topic that in itself, could fill a library.
I remember as a child my parents telling me for the first time that Jesus created the earth. Wow! This surprised me. I knew Jesus was the Son of God and I knew He was God in the flesh but it really did not register with me that He was involved in creation. My parents came to learn this about Jesus in their later years. And not only this, but that Jesus made many appearances to people in the Old Testament. Even Paul refers to Jesus in the Exodus, when the Jews came out of Egypt saying;
" And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ." 1 Corinthians 10:4
We should not be surprised to know that Jesus was living and appearing to people during Old Testament times and actively involved with them.
The Old Testament Jewish prophet Micah, whom today's 21st century Jew has no clue as to who their own prophet wrote about, prophesied of Jesus saying;
" But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." Micah 5:2
Micah knew Jesus was pre-existent before He was born a human being. There are many people who think Jesus was a created being that God created to put inside a human body and named him Jesus. So, in this sense they say they believe that Jesus is the Son of God. This is why I said earlier that you can believe that Jesus is the Son of God and still not be saved. I remember saying to someone who thought Jesus was created, " Oh, so you think that Jesus was only a man " and his response was, " Not only a man, He was the Son of God". But he did not believe Jesus was God. His argument was, " I cannot believe deity would become matter".
My friend, to be saved we must believe that Jesus is who He claimed to be. He claimed to be God. Even the demons knew it. But unlike us they cannot be saved for believing this. Jesus - God became a man and was and is both man and God.
John declares that all things were made by Jesus and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Genesis 1:1 the Hebrew word Elohim translated God is in the plural. This does not mean more than one God but it does mean that God was not talking to Himself when He said;
" And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. " Genesis 1:26
John clearly said that the Word, Jesus, was there with God, as God.
Technically, Jesus, the Father and the Holy Spirit were all actively involved in creation.
An interesting note on creation. If you are one who believes in the abracadabra theory of creation - that is, God snapped His fingers or spoke a magical word and all of a sudden everything appeared or waved a wand or whatever... this is not how it happened.
I was telling someone how I thought maybe God held the sun in one hand and the earth in the other and determined the distance necessary between the 2 so that it would work ok. He said I was limiting God. He must of believed in the hocuspocus theory of creation - when God spoke the word everything calculated itself automatically and God did not have to think or do anything.
Jeremiah said;
" He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion. " Jeremiah 10:12
Job knew better too;
" He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing. " Job 26:7
Interesting that Job knew the earth was round and rested on nothing! There was no scientist to tell him this and no space shuttle taking photos of the earth at the time.
God is clever. He figures things out and unlike us He never makes mistakes or miscalculates. God gave us the ability to figure things out. This is one of the ways we were created in His image, in His likenes. But we are only human and He is God. We are in error and He is perfect.
Let us not forget that.
Join me nextt Wednesday November 15 as we continue with John.
Wayne Brown |