“The Word of Worth”

(John 1:1-14)

The Word is the Creator of Everything (verses 1-3)

The Word is the Life and Light of Mankind (verses 4-11)

The Word is the Maker of Children of God (verses 12-14)

1:1-2

  • Arche: ruler, chief, first
    • Christ is supreme because He is God and the author of everything. His supremacy is based on ownership (Rev. 3:14; Col. 1:15-16).
    • The Beginning of all things should be the beginning of all we do.
  • Logos: divine utterance (decree), reason (logic)
    • The Word possesses God’s authority and power to carry out the purposes of the godhead. This is because the Word is God!
    • Christ is the Reason behind creation (i.e. the reason it exists and the reason it operates in a purposeful manner). As He created all things from nothing and continually upholds it (Heb. 1:2), He can create the lost into new creations and give them a Reason to live.

1:3

  • Ginomai: emerge, be born
    • The natural world and its inhabitants did not emerge on their own or beget themselves. They are the result of Christ, who made His children with loving care (Acts 17:28). Yet these children have gone astray… (Eph. 2:1-3)

1:4

  • Zoe: life (physical/spiritual); Phos: radiance, illumination (truth/goodness)
    • The One Who Begot Us All did so for us to have everlasting spiritual life, which comes from allowing the light of His truth and goodness into our minds and hearts!
    • Just as God’s physical light penetrated the world before man physically lived, the Word shone His spiritual light into the world so that man could spiritually live. The light of the Word brings with it rebirth (Eph. 2:4-5) and buys back His estranged children so that they can once again call God “Father” (Rom. 8:15).

1:5, 10-11

  • Katalambano: take hold of (receive=comprehend), overcome
    • When the Word presented Himself, many preferred to dwell in darkness (John 3:19). They did not comprehend the light because they did not apprehend it. Instead, they tried to overcome the Light. Yet, ironically, he who embraces the Light is he who overcomes (1 John 5:4).
  • Ginosko: know through personal experience
    • Christ’s own did not receive Him and, thus, they did not know Him (John 17:3).

1:7-9

  • “Him”: John or Jesus?
    • Like John, we must shine the Light so that through Him (Christ) “all men” may believe. He gives all men enough light to believe, but each person must apprehend it for himself.
      • John 5:39-40, 45-47 (cf. Rom. 10:17)
        • How shall they hear without a preacher? Rom. 10:14
  • “Every man”
    • John’s witness was for a particular time. But Christ, as the Word and the Truth, has an ongoing witness through the Church (Matt. 5:14-16).

1:12-14

  • Eksousia: delegated authority
    • We have no authority on our own to become God’s heirs through works. It is by His authority through our faith that we receive the gracious gift of being His sons and daughters. Moreover, as His children we have the right and privilege to proclaim the way of salvation to the world.
    • We have beheld His glory, but are we lifting Him up before others (John 12:32)?
    • If we are not sharing the good news of free adoption in the living Word, then we are robbing the world of life! For eternal life cannot come through…
      • “Blood”-physical birth. Eternal life is not something passed down genetically.
      • “Flesh”-works. We can never be pure enough to be accepted by God.
      • “Man”-humans. No mere human can give the gift of eternal life. It transcends mankind, for its origin is in the Word who created mankind. Yet has brought it down to our level by becoming one of us! Only the God-Man, Jesus Christ, can provide eternal life.

Author: James Buddy Smith
Ark of Hope
Jasper, Georgia