The Pre-existent Savior

The book of John is perhaps the most read book in the New Testament. It is often referred to when a person is a new convert or to someone who is seeking to find out who this Jesus really is. The book of John is unique from the other Gospels by acting like a supplemental gospel a sort of extra information. Not extra information as you would get from outside sources but rather from an eyewitness to Jesus’ life and work. John’s account contains about 92 percent of information that is not in the others. It provides not only Jesus’ existence before He became flesh but contains some of the acts and teachings of Jesus’ life and ministry starting with his baptism.
The first chapter is so chocked full of truths that one must take the time to fully understand them in order to fully appreciate the rest of the book. Although you may take a lengthy time to absorb all of what the Holy Spirit has for you, you may wish to read the book within a weeks time to gain insight on what to look for in the passage that is being examined.


Today we are looking at John 1:1-5

In the beginning was the Word ,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
2. He was with God in the beginning.
3. All things were created through Him,
and apart from Him not one thing was created
that has been created.
4. Life was in Him,
and that life was the light of men.
5.That light shines in the darkness, yet the darkness did not overcome it.

 In the first verse John established that the Word is connected to the Word that God spoke in Genesis 1:1 in creation. The Greek work used here is logos which literally means "word". By using logos in this context, John establishes that the Word had an existence before creation. The name Jesus is not used here because He had not become flesh yet but existed before creation.


Also extracted form this passage is the glimpse of two parts of the Trinity. If "the Word was with God" and "was God". The conclusion has to be that the Word is another person in the presence and existence of God. The doctrine of the Trinity is not the point of this study although a necessary one. It will be explained later in detail here.


Next John gives the role of the Word in creation. He explains that there is nothing created that the Word did not create. In other words, the pre-existent Jesus (the Word) created everything. Go through the creation story in Genesis and picture Jesus doing the "work" of creation. This is not to say the God the Father delegated the work of creation to the Son. Only it means that God is the creator.


In verse 4, John connects the Word to the person of Jesus in that the Word created all things then gave life to them namely to man. It is interesting to note that while John just established that the Word created all things, including man, gave life to them and then became the light for them He makes the reader think about the purpose of Jesus' ministry. It is understood that darkness exists in the world through sin. The very One who created man despite the sin of man establishes a restoration process. In other words, the pre-existent Jesus created man knowing that man would turn to sin. Even though this happened, Jesus loves us so much that He became one of us to restore the fellowship we once had before sin entered the world.


Like I say, there is much Theology in this short passage and so many rabbit trails that could be taken. This is not one of my best writing pieces but I think it starts some conversations and thinking.