“The Word” -- John 1:1-4

When I was in my first semester at junior college, I had an English teacher that taught me more than just about any English teacher I ever had. That’s probably not true, but there is more I remember from his class than I do from any other English teacher’s class.

One of the things he taught is that a writer should never use the word “you” when writing about someone. For instance, he said a writer should never write, “You want to have a peanut butter sandwich when you’re hungry.” Instead, a good writer will write, “A hungry person will almost always want a peanut butter sandwich when he or she is hungry.” Of course, that rule doesn’t apply if a character in the story is speaking to someone, but as a rule never use “you” when speaking of a generic person.

The one rule he taught me that I want to point out today is this: When a person reads a book, it’s important to read the introduction or preface to the book. In the preface/introduction, the reader learns where the author is coming from, what the author wants to focus on and where the author wants to go.

So think of this sermon as the introduction to a series of messages about God’s Word. Over the next few Sundays, we are going to consider various aspects of the Word and how it can transform us and bring us into a closer walk with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. In fact, we are going to consider how the Word—the Incarnate Son of God, Jesus Christ—truly is the greatest manifestation of God the Father in every sense of the word.

Today, as we look at John 1:1-4, we will use this passage as a springboard to introduce us to various aspects about the Word and our response to the Word.

Central Truth: Understanding the Word is a lifetime of devotion and discipline.

The Word in our life:

1. Aspects of the Word (1-4)

John’s introduction to this Gospel account is one of the most challenging and thought-provoking passages of the New Testament and the Bible. Unlike the other Gospel writers, John has had time to consider, to contemplate the impact of Jesus on his life and his world. John is looking back at the life of Jesus after living a relatively long life himself, and the life he has led has been infused by the presence of Jesus in the depths of his life. Knowing this, John wants to convey that significance to each reader, setting the stage for the power and majesty and glory that is Jesus.

In these few short verses, John introduces us to Jesus in a way that lets us know there is far more to Him than simply being a great teacher or rabbi. We are introduced to the Word made flesh (v. 14), and in doing so, we see that God’s message comes to earth to speak directly the message of truth that comes directly from God.

The aspects of the word that John begins to show us is this:

• The Word is eternal. According to John, the Word was in the beginning. God was in the beginning. That is, God and the Word are pre-existent. Before time, God was, and the Word was, also. The fact that the Word is eternal means that it cannot lapse into misuse or become outdated. The Word is eternal, and being eternal, it is not limited or ruled by time, so it is always fresh, always pertinent, always relevant. The Word has great staying power, because the Word is eternal.

• The Word is God. The significance of this statement cannot be overstated. Oftentimes, when a person speaks, the words do not always represent that person. We sometimes use words to couch our true feelings, letting the circumstances dictate the things we say and how we say them. Not so with the eternal Word. Because the Word is God, and because the Word became flesh, then the Word is a direct representation of God into our world. That’s why Jesus tells Phillip, and us, (John 14:9).

Earlier, Jesus knew “many of the leaders believed in Him. To them, He said, (John 12:44-45).In John 10:30, Jesus says plainly,

The writer of Hebrews says, (Hebrews 1:3a).

The Word made flesh is God in our world. He is the Word, and He is God.

• The Word is creative. John tells us next, (v. 3). When we read Genesis 1, repeatedly we read the words, “And God said . . .” and a new aspect of creation came into being. The Word made our universe, our world, ourselves. Everything we can see, from the strongest telescope to the mightiest microscope and everything in between has all been made by the Word. And that only begins to describe for us all that the Word has created. Paul reminds us that we are new creation when we become children of God (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:17). The Word made flesh is creative.

• The Word is life and is living. John tells us next that (v. 4a). When we first sinned, we died spiritually and were incapable of communicating with God again. Just as a dead person cannot communicate with the living, so we who died in our sins were unable to live any longer. That is, until the Word touched us through the Holy Spirit. By the grace and mercy of God, we were restored to life through the Word, that Word that became flesh and willingly went to Calvary and so redeemed us from our sins. The Word is life.

But the Word is also living. The writer of Hebrews tells us (Hebrews 4:12).

The Word is life and is living.

• The Word is light. John continues by telling us the Word is light of men. Jesus tells us that He is the light that leads us out of the darkness. He tells us that we who follow Him are the light of the world. John tells us in 1 John, (1 John 1:7).

• The Word is written. When Jesus was in the Upper Room the night of His betrayal, He told the disciples that He would ask the Father to send the Holy Spirit. One of the roles of the Holy Spirit was to bring to their remembrance everything Jesus said. Paul, writing in his second letter to Timothy, tells us that the Scripture is God breathed—inspired by the Holy Spirit that tells us of the Word.

The Word that was from the beginning spoke to Moses and to Jeremiah and to Daniel and to Malachi. He spoke to James and John and Matthew, Mark and Luke. He spoke to everyone who was called to record the Word of God and convey His message to His people. When we open our Bibles, we see not just the words on the page, but we see the Word brought to us in a simple, concise way that enables us to learn and grow in His ways.

• The Word transforms. When we are touched by the living Word—the Word who was with God and was God, the Word that is eternal—we are changed. The Spirit that reminds us of what the Word taught takes hold of us and makes us more like the Word in our daily living. The Word transforms.

1. How we respond to the Word

It’s not enough to know about the aspects of the Word. We also need to learn ways to respond to the Word. Following are some suggestions that will help us each grow in God’s grace and wisdom.

• Read. The Bible does no one any good by just being in a room, unopened and unread. In order to discover the message of God, we need to take His written Word and we need to read it.

There are many ways to do it. The New Testament consists of 270 chapters. Reading nine chapters a day will allow a person to read through the New Testament in 30 days. There are 31 chapters in Proverbs. A Proverb a day will complete the book in one month. I admit it’s hard to get through the seemingly tedious “begats” and obsure laws in the first five books of the Bible, but there’s no law that says we have to start at Genesis 1 and go through Revelation 22 in order. Begin with the Gospel according to John or the Psalms. Read Esther—it’s a great story. So is Ruth. But read the Bible.

• Study. More than just reading the Bible, take the time to dig into it with a study. The study can be topical—what does the Bible say about love? About money? About prayer? Or go through a book study.

When we study the Bible, take the time to look at the audience for the passage being studied. Is Jesus speaking to Pharisees, or to His disciples? To whom is the prophet speaking. Look at the context. What’s the point of the passage? What’s the key verse of the passage? And ask what God is saying to you as the person who’s studying the passage. Ask, “What’s the message of the time it was written/spoken, and what’s the message for me today?”

• Learn. This goes hand in hand with memorize, but they’re different, too. As we study the Word, we begin to learn more about it. We begin to see how the words relate to our lives and how we need to be conformed to its message. Realize that God will never contradict Himself, so if someone thinks God is leading them in a particular direction, then consider what the Bible says about it.

• Memorize. Take the time to put the Word into the head. This is done by memorizing verses. The way I have always done it is to start with the book, chapter and verse. Then I break the verse down into smaller bits, and I begin to read that bit over and over again, until I believe I can say it without reading it. Once I have that bit, I go to the next bit, repeating the procedure, then I repeat the “address” and both bits. I continue with this until I have learned the entire verse or passage.

• Meditate. To meditate on the Word is to take the time to simply ponder the Word. Just as memorizing places the Word in our minds, meditation places it in our hearts. The way to do that is to consider each word of a verse or passage prayerfully and slowly. For instance, the first verse of Psalm 23 is, “The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want.” Consider each of those words separately and in context with the other words. “The” tells me that the Lord of whom the verse speaks is unique; otherwise, it would say “A Lord.” “The” means a specific and singular person or things. “Lord” is the name that God told Moses when Moses asked Him for His name. And so on until you reach the end of the verse. Then consider the verse in its entirety. Ponder. Consider and let the Spirit open your eyes to see how the Word sinks deeper into you.

• Share. Finally, share the Word with others. As we memorize and meditate, as we read and learn, we begin to see how the Word begins to indwell us, and we discover that it’s easy to share the Word in conversation with others. It comes readily to mind, which is a promise God gave us. He told us not to worry about what to say before governors and kings. He told us the Spirit will give us the words to say. He does it by bringing to our minds that which we have learned and memorized and meditated upon.

Conclusion

The Word of God is the very presence of Christ within us. We find Him in through prayer and worship and fellowship with other believers, and we find Him in the pages of the Bible and the hymns we sing. The Word is real, and it is life and light and a guide. Every Christian needs to learn how to use the sword of the Lord deftly and accurately. We begin by realizing the Word was with God and the Word was God. We begin by allowing ourselves to sink into the Word with open hearts, minds and spirits.