Jesus, the Word of God (John 1:1)

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

John 1:1 describes Jesus Christ as “the Word”. We know that “the Word” refers to Jesus because verse 14 says that “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us,” which describes Jesus’ birth.

The Greek word for “Word” here is logos (λόγος). It denotes an expression which communicates a thought. Jesus is “the Word” because he expresses God to us in a manner that we can perceive (v. 18). John 1:1 gives three descriptions of Jesus as the Word of God.

Firstly, Jesus always existed. The phrase “In the beginning” echoes Genesis 1:1, which recounts the event when God created the world. The Greek expression for “was” indicates that the Word already existed before the world was created. This means that Jesus himself was not created, but always existed.

Secondly, Jesus has a close relationship with God. Here, the word “God” refers to the Father. The Greek expression for “with” indicates closeness. Verse 18 says that Jesus was “in the bosom of the Father”. In biblical language, a person’s “bosom” is a place of close relationship.

Thirdly, Jesus himself is God. Previously, the word “God” was used for the Father. Here, the same word is used to describe the Word. This indicates that the Word is truly God in the same sense as the Father. Indeed, Jesus is “the exact imprint of [God’s] nature” (Heb. 1:3 ESV).

These three descriptions explain how Jesus is the Word of God because he expresses God most fully and accurately. Indeed, Jesus is the “image of the invisible God” (Col. 1:15). If a person sees Jesus, then he has truly seen God as though he has seen the Father (John 14:9).