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John 1:1-5 The Deity of Jesus Christ.

Introduction: The word Deity means “a person or thing revered as supremely powerful or beneficent.” The religious group which calls themselves “Jehovah’s witnesses” do not believe that Jesus is God. The Moslems do not believe that Jesus is God. The Buddhists do not believe that Jesus is God. The Mormons do not believe that Jesus is God. The majority of the people who currently live on this planet do not believe that Jesus is God. This text will teach us that Jesus is God. John does not undertake to convince the reader that there is a God. It is assumed by John that you are reading this book because you believe in God. He simply begins by putting forth the fact that Jesus is God. Now he does not call him Jesus in our text but we shall see in the coming verses that John is speaking about Jesus whom he calls in our text “the Word”.

John 1:1 ¶ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God.

I. When was Jesus? Jesus is God because he was in the beginning. Jesus existed before the creation of the world. The term beginning refers to the beginning of creation. It can not refer to the beginning of God for God is eternal which means He has no beginning and no end. Material things had a beginning. They began when the Word, who is Jesus, spoke them into existence. So called scientists have stated a theory that there was a big bang and every thing evolved into its present form over billions of years. They are forced to admit that they do not know how things had their beginning for the question arises “what caused the bang and how did the elements for the bang come into existence?” They must admit that something or someone has always existed. John would have us to believe the truth. God has always existed and the Word created all things.

II. What is Jesus’ function or purpose? He is the Word. A word is a vehicle that carries a thought from one mind to another. Thus words are used to communicate ideas, commands, questions, memories, and thoughts. God is spirit. God must manifest himself in order to be seen by men. Jesus is the one through whom we have communion with God. All we will ever see of God the father we see in His Son. When the heavens and the earth were created the Word spoke and they came into existence. The bible is the Word of God. It is God’s communication with man. It stands to reason that if God made man He would communicate with man. This communication came in the form of prophets and then through the written Word. This text does not speak of the bible which is the written Word but of Jesus who is the living word.

III. Where was Jesus? He was with God. Where ever God was Jesus was there. They were inseparable and have always been inseparable. Jesus would tell Phillip “if you have seen me you have seen the father”. Jesus said also “I and my father are one.” “Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me.” Sinners are separated from God because of sin. Jesus was with God because He knew no sin.

IV. Who is Jesus? The Word was God. The past tense of the verb to be is used here not to imply that Jesus was God and now He is not. It simply lets us know that He has always been God. He was God in the beginning. He had to be God for as Nicodemus would say “no man can do these miracles which thou doest except God be with him.” Only God could create the heavens and the earth. God was all there was in eternity past not even the angels existed until God created them. There was never a time when he was not God. Jesus did not become God. He is God.

3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

V. What has Jesus done that proves He is God? He made all things. The sky, land, sea, air, clouds, stars, moon, sun, plants, animals, mankind, rules of nature were all made by Him. He made me and you. I love the story about the scientist who came to God and said “we do not need you any longer for we can do everything you can.” God said “ is that so? Let us have a contest, a man making contest. The scientist said “ok.” God said wait just a minute. You must make your man the way I did using only dirt. The Scientist agreed and reached down a got a handful of dirt. God responded “no, no, you get your own dirt.” There is much discussion about cloning humans and all the moral questions that it raises. Know this, that only God can make a tree, or a man.

4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

VI. Life proves He is God. “In Him was life.” Life is something man can not make. Scientists would love to be able to take a test tube full of chemicals and cause it to have life. Though they have labored long and hard for many years and are still working they have never been able to give life to anything. This power is unique to God. All life comes from Jesus and is maintained by Jesus. Men are allowed the power to take a life or to kill but he does not have the power to give life. David said to God this great truth “Thy hands have made me and fashioned me.” We have life because God gave it and we will have spiritual life only through Jesus Christ. This life that John speaks of is the light of men. Now light designates truth. Men who receive this life have light. They have truth. They have it because the believe it. They are enlightened when they trust in Jesus Christ as their savior. When this is done they have eternal, everlasting life. Those who are in darkness do not have life. The only way to have life is to come to the knowledge of the truth.

5 ¶ And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

VII. Love proves Jesus is God. “the light shineth in darkness”. God has not hid himself from man. God has strived to communicate with man. God wants men to know the truth. So God brought light to men who were in the darkness of sin. He so loved the world that He gave His only son that we might have life. No greater love has anyone than that he would lay down his life for a friend. God has sent us word that in him there is light. What John is offering us in his book is the truth. Jesus will tell us himself that He is the way the truth and the life.

VIII. What men do with Jesus. “the darkness comprehended it not”. God has made the effort to reach you with His Word. Sense you are hearing this message today you have had the light shine on you. This light is the fact that there is life in Jesus Christ. John makes a rather sad commentary on human nature. The response of sinful men to the light of the truth was to not comprehend it. This word comprehend in the King James version means to apprehend or to grab hold of. In other words they refused to believe. You have that right and that choice. You may leave the book of John and not believe that Jesus is God. That Jesus is the Christ. You may leave the book of John not believing and when you do you will not have life. Last Sunday I spoke to you about the purpose of the book of John. It was that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and believing you might have life in His name. God knows us well. He knows how to talk to us. He knows what will make us understand. He puts forth truth to you and if you want to believe you may.

Conclusion: Jesus is God. He was around before creation, He made all things, He is God’s Word to mankind. He is our savior. He is the light and the life which we need so desperately. Will you let John’s purpose for writing this book be accomplished in you? You do not have to understand completely the doctrine of the triune God. You do not have to understand how Jesus is the son of God and also God in order to be saved. There are many things I do not understand which are recorded in scripture but I believe every word. You do not have to understand to believe. Jesus is God. I will leave it up to God how that is possible. I will simply believe what God has said. Jesus is God and He can save you if you will repent of your sin and trust in Him to save you. Will you trust Jesus Christ as your savior now?