The Word Became Flesh
“1 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.
Key Points:
What does “with God” mean?
What do you think pre-Creation looked like?
Was God lonely before our beginning?
What does “with God” mean?
When John 1:1 tells us that the Word (who is Jesus) was “with God,” it is communicating to us that there was a co-existing, co-equal relationship that pre-existed humans. This relationship has existed for all eternity, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. We call this the Trinity.
This eternal relationship helps us to better understand that Jesus is divine and that His claims of being the Son of God can be trustworthy. If you were to study the life Jesus, you would be learning who the Father is. Jesus is the visible heart and mind of God. John 14:9–10. Jesus is the radiance of the glory of God. Hebrews 1:2–3
Understanding that Jesus was with God since before the creation of man helps us to better understand ourselves a bit more and our longing to belong, to be known, and to be loved.
We may not be able to fully grasp or even know all what God was doing before He created time, matter, seasons, all living creatures, and humans. John 1:1 gives us a small window for us to glance into the Godhead.
What do you think pre-Creation looked like?
What does the Bible have to say about Who and What existed before creation?
Was God lonely before our beginning?
God was not alone or lonely before creation. We live in a world where we are all on this quest to find our people.
Technology promises to "help" us feel more connected with all the “friend requests" and having "followers."
Because we are able to only see and understand the here and now, it makes it difficult for us to understand something so beyond us like God.
Before humans existed – God existed perfectly within Himself. He did not create us because He was lonely, bored, or looking for someone to fill a void that He somehow was experiencing. God has existed eternally within the Godhead of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit – (and heavenly beings.) He had a divine and eternal life within this perfect “family” found from within Himself.
Take a moment to reflect - this is beautiful yet heavy to understand
The Bible does not give us much information about what took place before the creation of the world, but it is clear that God that when God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like ourselves," Genesis 1:26 He was designing within each of us the same deep longing for relationships, just as God enjoys.
Sadly, ever since sin entered the world out of humans disobeying God by looking for something outside of God to satisfy them, we will never fully comprehend or experience the perfect relationship that exists within the Trinity, on this side of heaven.
One of the many realties of becoming a follower of Jesus is that when we receive Christ as our Savior, we receive the Holy Spirit.
Take a moment to read this passage and write down some things that stand out to you that reflect similarities within the Trinity and what us being in a relationship with Jesus really means.
The Vine and the Branches
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other.
To be in a thriving relationship with Jesus we need to allow His Holy Spirit to work within us, and embrace all that comes with Jesus. As our relationship with Jesus grows we will begin to experience the true joy of what a relationship can bring, and we can experience God’s love by way of the Fruit of the Spirit—
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”
God created us for one reason: to know Him and love Him and have fellowship with Him –
Ephesians 3:16 - 21 reminds us of God’s great love for us so we can enjoy His love and remain rooted in His love –
“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
Knowing about God’s love is very different than KNOWING THIS LOVE – We can know God personally and intimately, because He created you to be a part of His eternal family.