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

Jesus - God in the flesh

The vocabulary of John is so simple that a child can understand many of its words. The concepts of John are so lofty that a lifetime of study will not exhaust their meaning.

Verse one begins in eternity. “In the beginning” (Genesis 1:1) the Word (Jesus) was already there. He is, in fact, eternal. Moses begins “in the beginning”; John begins before the beginning. John carefully affirms that “in the beginning,” Jesus (always) WAS.

Jesus was “with God.” This denotes equality and intimate relationship in the Godhead. [John includes the Spirit in John 1:32].

The Word that “was God” refers to Jesus. “Was” shows He is and always was deity. He was “with God” (that is, the Father).

To affirm that “the Word was God” is to claim that both Jesus and His Father are deity. The Father made all things through His Son (John 1:3). John will confirm these claims throughout this Book.

The Word became flesh, dwelt among us, died to save us, and rose again (John 1:14-18; John 12:32-33). So simple, yet so profound.

– Rick Duggin