John: Chapter 1:1-5

Below is but a small measure of revelation that my father had received from the Lord. I hope this will be a blessing to you. All that is written below are the words of my father.

June 15, 2020

In loving memory of my father
Robert Louis (Bob) Padgett
July 28, 1931-May 22, 2023

Many verses in the Bible speak of the works of God. John 21:25 says, 

"And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen." 

However there are five "Christology" Chapters in the Bible. That means that five specific Chapters in the Bible, perhaps more so than any others, emphasize the Person and nature of the Lord Jesus Christ. They are John, Chapter 1; Ephesians, Chapter 1; Philippians, Chapter 2; Colossians, Chapter 1; and Hebrews, Chapter 1. Those five chapters also speak of God our Father and the Holy Ghost.

We have previously shared with you five messages on Ephesians, Chapter 1. Paul, the apostle to the gentiles, was the supreme theologian who wrote the epistles of Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Hebrews, and many more. Now we want to look at the Gospel of John, Chapter 1.

In later messages we will look at Philippians, Chapter 2, Colossians, Chapter 1, and Hebrews, Chapter 1.

The Apostle John was the supreme mystic. A mystic is a person who seeks by contemplation and self-surrender to obtain unity with God and who believes in the spiritual apprehension of truths that are beyond the intellect or natural mind. John has sometimes been called the great eagle of the Bible because the eagle is the only creature that can look straight into the sun and not be blinded. Such was John, who perhaps more than any other man, could gaze into the eternal mysteries and truths and into the very heart and mind of God. In the Book of Acts there is no verse where John said a word. After my maternal grandmother went to be with the Lord I found many words of wisdom which she had written in one of her Bibles. One such word of wisdom was: "Some people never seem to realize why God gave us two ears but only one mouth." The focus of John's unique ministry was on "being" or becoming that for which the Lord created him, namely Christ in you the hope of glory. What glory? and whose glory? surely not for our glory but for the glory of God. In the Gospel according to John, which of course is really the Gospel according to the Holy Spirit through John, the miracles of Jesus are not so much deeds of compassion for men but rather deeds which demonstrate the glory of God. After the miracle at Cana of Galilee when Jesus turned water into wine, we read in 

John 2:11, "This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth His glory; and His disciples believed on Him." 

The raising of Lazarus from the dead was 

"... for the glory of God, that the Son might be glorified thereby" (John11:4). 

The blind man's blindness existed to allow a demonstration of the glory of the works of God (John 9:3).

To John, the miracles done by Jesus were not simply single events in time; they were examples or illustrations of what God is always doing and what Jesus always is. The feeding of the five thousand, in John 6, is only an illustration that Jesus forever is the real Bread of Life. The raising of Lazarus from the dead is followed by a discourse that Jesus is forever and for all men the resurrection and the life. The healing of the blind man is a supreme example that Jesus is the Light of the world. 

The Apostle Paul likewise knew and understood these same truths. Paul said, in 

Colossians 3:16-17, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him."

What did Paul mean when he said, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom?" Did he mean that we should memorize as much Scripture as possible? Well I am certainly not opposed to memorizing Scripture, but we can do that and have only a head full of facts. First, the word "Let" means that we must cooperate with the Holy Spirit; that is our choice or decision to make. Christ IS the Word of life. Let Him dwell in us richly or abundantly.

The Church today is still focused primarily on the theological or doctrinal stage, with all of our many arguments over meanings of Scripture. And of course there is an ever-increasing multitude of believers who can tell us what the Church needs to "do" in this hour. But talk is cheap. Action is not cheap. Action costs us our self-life. Faith without works is dead. We live today in the hour of Matthew 24:24 when "if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect," where the "very elect" does not speak of all professing Christians. This has re-produced the Church at Ephesus, which after receiving the best teaching possible through Paul, left their first love. We now live in the Church age of Laodicea, which was and is characterized by apathy, an attitude of being lukewarm, and great deception, with the same results as recorded in Revelation 3. If you would like proof of all of that, just look at all of the division, turmoil, anger, etc. in the natural world today. The earth and its inhabitants has always been a mirror reflection of the spiritual state of God's chosen people. Therefore, Paul's word to Timothy is applicable to each one of us today. 

2 Timothy 1:6, "Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands." 

Peter, in 2 Peter, Chapter 3, also exhorts us to stir up our pure minds. Many years ago a prophecy came forth in a gathering of local believers as follows: "The kingdom of heaven is like unto a concrete mixer truck and the people are like the concrete itself. They must constantly be stirred up or they get hard and set in their ways."

John was the disciple who leaned on the breast of Jesus at what men call "The Last Supper." He was the only early apostle who did not meet a violent death. His Gospel is the last of the four Gospels. His three epistles and the Book of Revelation are the last books in the New Testament.

He out-lived the other early apostles on earth by more than 25 years. Although John was primarily a mystic, he was also a good theologian. He never lacked for knowledge and understanding of the true Gospel. Likewise, Paul, although primarily a theologian, was also a mystic. Both attributes are necessary.

Although no one knows for certain, most scholars believe that John probably wrote his gospel from Ephesus sometime in the 80's A.D. If that is true, then John had gone to Ephesus some 20 years after Paul's ministry there, but before he wrote his three epistles or the Book of Revelation. Apparently the Church at Ephesus had started to leave its first love after the departure of Paul. John, in all of his compassion for his fellow men, wanted to help to restore them ... another example of the great love and grace of God for His chosen people.

The Gospel according to John is quite different from the three synoptic gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Perhaps that is true because the Apostle John was, and still is, different from every other writer in the New Testament. I say that John still is because God is not the God of the dead but the God of the living (Matthew 22:32). In the Gospel according to John, we find no parable, nothing of the birth or baptism of Jesus, nothing of His temptations, the Last Supper, Gethsemane, or His ascension. In John the main scene of Jesus' ministry is in Jerusalem and Judaea; the other three gospels mostly record Jesus' ministry in Galilee. The Gospel according to John contains the first acts of Jesus whereas the other gospels focus on the latter part of His life. No other gospel emphasizes the real manhood and humanity of Jesus. On the other hand, no other gospel sets forth such a clear view of the deity of Jesus. Jesus said, in 

John 8:58, "... before Abraham was, I am." 

Two major goals of John's Gospel were to present the Christian faith in such a way that it would be acceptable to the Greek world to which Christianity had just gone out, and to refute the heresies and mistaken ideas which had already arisen within the Church; particularly the heresy of Gnosticism. Gnostics believe that creation is evil, that the world was created by a lesser divinity, not God, that salvation is based upon hidden knowledge or gnosis, and that Jesus either was not in any real sense divine or else that Jesus was not in any sense human.

However, I must believe that John, Himself, states the major reason why he wrote his Gospel: namely, as recorded in John 20:30-31, 

"And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name."

Another somewhat astonishing fact about this fourth gospel is that it never mentions the name of the Apostle John, although the disciple whom Jesus loved is mentioned six times (John 13:23-25; John 19:25-27; John 19:34-35; John 20:2; John 21:20; and John 21:24). In this Gospel the name John always refers to John the Baptist. That illustrates a divine principle. We should never call attention to our self and what we have done; instead we should always focus on who God is and what He has done.

Now please turn to the Gospel of John, Chapter 1. In this message we will look at the first five verses.

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.

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

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

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

The first thing we want to note about those 5 verses is that the words Him, Word, God, and light occur 10 times. We previously saw the same pattern of emphasis on God in Ephesians, Chapter 1. That is why they are called Christology Chapters. Now let us look at each of those first 5 verses in John, Chapter 1.

Verse 1: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Hebrews 4:12, "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."

The Greek word translated as "Word" is logos. Greeks used the word logos not only of the spoken word but also of the unspoken word, the word still in the mind. That is confirmed by what Jesus said in 

Matthew 5:27-28, "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart."

Just as the spoken word reveals the invisible thought, so the Living Word reveals the invisible God. Jesus came to earth in the form of a man in order to reveal to man who the Father is. Jesus said, in John 14:7-9,

"If ye had known Me, ye should have known My Father also: and from henceforth ye know Him, and have seen Him. Philip saith unto Him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known Me, Philip? he that hath seen Me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?"

When the Greeks applied logos to the universe, they meant the principle that governs all things. In contrast, Jews used logos as a way to refer to God. So John used a word that was meaningful to both Jew and Gentile.

In this first verse, John says three things about the Word, which is Jesus. First, the Word was already pre-existent before the very beginning of all things. The Word is part of eternity and was there with the Father before time and before the world began. John goes on to say that the Word was with God. That clearly implies that the Word was (and still is) distinct from the Father.

Deuteronomy 6:4 says, "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:"

This verse in Judaism is called the Shema, which is the central prayer in the Jewish prayer book and forms the basis for the Judaic monotheistic religion, with its rejection of Jesus as their Messiah. Some Christians have adopted this theological doctrine that the members of the triune God are not three distinct persons but rather three modes or forms of activity (the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) under which God manifests himself at different times. This is in contrast to the Christian Trinitarian view of three distinct persons within the Godhead. It is certainly very true that the word "trinity" does not appear in the Bible. However, the words "sovereign" and "sovereignty" also do not appear in the Bible, but make no mistake, God is sovereign.

A multitude of verses in the New Testament affirm the distinctiveness of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Consider Matthew 3:16-17:

"And Jesus, when He was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased."

Throughout the history of the Church, starting from the Day of Pentecost, men have tried to incorporate parts of Judaism into Christianity. We can read about that in Acts 15. But there is no such thing as Judeo-Christianity ... a mixture. Deuteronomy 6:4 speaks of the unity of mind, heart, character, and nature of our Triune God.

There has always been the most intimate relationship between the Word and God the Father. Only Jesus can tell us what the Father is like, what God's will for us is, and what God's love and heart and mind are like. Jesus used the phrase "I am" seven times in John, claiming the personal name of God as His own.

Finally, John 1:1 says that the Word was (and is) God. John did not say that the Word was identical with God. John means that Jesus is so perfectly the same as God in mind, heart, and being that in Jesus we see perfectly what God is like.

Continuing in John 1:1 ... In the beginning. The beginning of what? We might recall that there is a somewhat similar verse in Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." The Hebrew word translated as Genesis means "beginnings." Science speaks of space, matter, time, motion, and force. "In the beginning" speaks of time, which is the medium in which things change; God is the supreme force; created speaks of motion; the heavens speak of space; and the earth speaks of matter. We find a multitude of sets of three in the Bible. Time consists of past, present, and future. In space we have length, width, and height. Matter has solid, liquid, and gas. Paul speaks of being caught up to the third heaven. The Hebrew word for God in Genesis 1:1 is Elohim, which is plural, and points to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit ... the three Who are one in mind and one in purpose. However, the verb "created" is singular. 

Genesis 1:26, 

"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." 

The "us," of course, is the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

However, God transcends time, space, and matter. Our God is self-existent. He pre-existed before the beginning of anything. Although everything else had a beginning, God has always been. In order to create anything, the Creator must be outside of that which is created.

Psalm 90:2, "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever Thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God."

But the beginning in John 1:1 is not the same as the beginning in Genesis 1:1. Actually, what is expressed in John 1:1 occurs before what is recorded in Genesis 1:1. Genesis 1:1 says "in the beginning." John 1:1 speaks of before the beginning.

2 Thessalonians 2:13-14, "But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto He called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ."

1 John 1:1-4

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;

2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)

3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.

4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

Verse 2: The same was in the beginning with God.

The phrase "the same" still speaks of the Word, Jesus. This verse simply reinforces part of John 1:1. Again, the phrase "with God" implies distinctiveness. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established (2 Corinthians 13:1).

Verse 3: All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made.

Jesus is the Agent of creation. When the Word speaks, things must come to pass.

Isaiah 55:11, "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."

Paul writes the same truth in Colossians 1:15-18:

"Who [Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him:

And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist.

And He is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence." 

Verse 4: In Him was life; and the life was the light of men.

This fourth Gospel begins and ends with life. Earlier we shared what we believe is the major purpose of John's Gospel, from 

John 20:30-31... "that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name." 

Verse 4 expresses one of the greatest concepts of this Gospel. The Greek word for "life" here is "zoe," which is found 36 times in the Gospel of John. No other book in the New Testament uses it more than 17 times.

Eternal life is knowing God and Jesus Christ, whom the Father sent (John 17:3). Knowing and believing are significant terms for John. Both words occur more than 85 times in this Gospel. Once more, knowing God and believing Jesus must be expressed in action. Life is Christ's gift (John 10:28), and He in reality is life (John 14:6). Six times in the Gospel of John we find the phrase "eternal life." What does that mean? Well it speaks of both an unending duration AND a superior quality of life. It is the life of God Himself!

John's Gospel also links light with Christ, from whom comes all spiritual illumination. He is the light of the world, Who holds out wonderful hope for man (John 8:2). David, in 

Psalm 36:9, said, "For with thee is the fountain of life: in Thy light shall we see light."

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

The stark contrast between light and darkness is a striking theme in this Gospel; for example, 

John 12:35-36, "Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.

While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide Himself from them."

John 9:4, "I must work the works of Him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work."

The word "darkness" speaks of destruction, death, sorrow, wickedness, misery, and ignorance; in other words the forces of evil. Satan's kingdom, the cosmos, is a kingdom of darkness. The enemy tries to pull us into his kingdom one baby step at a time. Just as God has His voice, speaking to us about the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God, in like manner there is a voice of darkness, which tempts us to partake of the lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Eve succumbed to the voice of darkness because she had no discernment; and we can only have spiritual discernment if we are partaking of the tree of life, which Adam and Eve never did.

Proverbs 4:14-19, 

"Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.

Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.

For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.

For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.

But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble."

God has allowed darkness to cover the entire earth twice. The first time is recorded in Genesis, Chapter 1, as a response to the rebellion of Lucifer.

2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. Genesis 1:2-5

The second time when darkness covered the entire earth is recorded in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. God brought that darkness about because He could not bear to see His Son, Jesus, die on the cross, even though both the Father and Son knew that what happened at Calvary must occur.

33 And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.

34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?

38 And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.

Mark 15:33-34, 38

However we are fast approaching the time when darkness will cover the entire earth for the third and last time. (Yes, there was a time when darkness covered all of the Egyptians during the time of Moses, but the Israelites had light; so darkness was not over the entire earth at that time.) The prophets Joel and Zephaniah both prophesied of the soon-coming darkness. It is called the day of the Lord, the great and terrible day of the Lord ... the day when the Lord Jesus Christ comes out of the Holy of Holies for the second time and returns to earth once more.

1 Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in My holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand;

2 A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations. Joel 2:1-2

 

14 The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.

15 That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, Zephaniah 1:14-15

However, we Christians have been delivered from the power of darkness.

Colossians 1:12-13, "Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son:"

Yes, we have been delivered from the power of darkness, but that does not mean that the voice of darkness has stopped whispering his lies to our mind. One of the clearest and most practical exhortations to combat the lies of the enemy is contained in Ephesians 5:1-21,

1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;

2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour.

3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;

4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.

5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them.

8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)

10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.

13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.

14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,

16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

In John 8:12, "Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."

Another, exhortation is given in Galatians 5:16, 

"This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh."

If we walk day by day in the Spirit, then

Isaiah 60:1-2, "Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee." 

Amen!