The Glory of the Son of God

John 1:1-14

GOLDEN TEXT: “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth.”—John 1:14

THE first verse of our lesson, although not a bad translation, fails to give in the English reading the force and significance of the Greek, and gives the implication that there are at least two Gods, whereas the Scriptures declare that “there is one God, the Father, and one Lord Jesus Christ.” (I Cor. 8:6) Nowhere in the Scriptures are these said to be equal in power and glory. On the contrary, whether we take the words of the apostles or the prophets, or of the Lord Jesus Himself, they all harmoniously declare that the “Father is greater than I.” “I came not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me.”—John 14:28 and 6:38

When we read, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God,” that makes two, the Word and the God whom He was with or represented. And then with the statement that the “Word was God,” we are thrown into confusion. How could the Word of God be God? It is here that the Greek makes the matter plain. It reads, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with the God, and the Word was a God; the same was in the beginning with the God.” If we accept this just as the Greek gives it, with the emphasis of the Greek article in the one place and not in the other, all is made clear. Thus we can see that originally there was but the one God, the living, self-existent and true God; and that the glorious personage in this verse called the Word, or Logos, was the beginning of the Father’s creative work.

In verse three we read “All things were made by Him.” Let us notice carefully this statement. It refers to the Logos, and is in full harmony with the statement made by the apostle, All things are of the Father, all things are by the Son. (I Cor. 8:6) The power was of the Father, but it was exercised through the Son, the beginning of His creation; and hence “without Him was not anything made that was made.”

In verse four, the writer abruptly passes from our Lord’s great work in the creation of all things, to His appearance among men. He declares “In Him was life; and the life was the light of men.” Our Lord is here contrasted with other men. He was different from others because He was not born of the flesh, though born in the flesh. That is to say, His life did not come from a human father, though it was nourished, matured, by a human mother. Our Lord Jesus, having a perfect life transferred from a heavenly condition, was in consequence very different from other people. Jesus’ perfect life constituted the light among men. They perceived that He was a remarkable character, that “Never man spake like this man.” They “marveled at the gracious words that proceeded out of His mouth.” (John 7:46; Luke 4:22) They had never before seen one in whom was life; all others whom they had met, like themselves, were dying creatures rapidly passing into death.

The multitude of sin-darkened ones in our Lord’s day comprehended Him not, nor the light of truth and grace which shined from Him. And thus we read, “And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not.” And this is still true today, as the apostle says, “The God of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not.” (II Cor. 4:4) The apostle’s explanation of the matter is that Satan has blinded the minds of the human race that their eyes will not be opened until, at the second coming of Christ, Satan shall be bound for a thousand years. Then, during that Millennial period, under the reign of our dear Redeemer, all the blind eyes shall be opened and all the deaf ears shall be unstopped, and every creature shall come to a knowledge of the mercy and goodness and love of God, operating through Jesus Christ our Lord.

In harmony with the foregoing, we read in verse nine, “He was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” This is a prophetic statement, for our Lord at His first advent did not even enlighten all of His own nation, and made no attempt whatever to enlighten the world of mankind. Our Lord Jesus is that great light that is yet to enlighten Adam and every member of his race. While relatively few received and accepted His teachings and became His followers, yet our Lord during the years of His ministry, according to the Scriptures, “learned obedience by the things which He suffered,” and was thereby prepared for the exaltation He received in His resurrection, when He had finished the work which the Father gave Him to do.

Continuing we read, “As many as received Him, to them gave He power [privilege or right] to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.” These were the Israelites indeed, of whom were the twelve apostles, and the seventy, and also the “five hundred brethren,” and those Jews subsequently reached on the day of Pentecost and afterwards during the entire harvest of their age.

Now that the due time had come, these favored ones saw the true light, because they were in the proper attitude of heart, and they received from Him not only forgiveness of their sins through the merit of His sacrifice, but also the begetting of the Holy Spirit and adoption into the family of the sons of God. Verse thirteen emphasizes all this, saying, “Which were begotten, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, hut of God.” Later this same opportunity and these blessings were extended to the Gentiles, so that as the apostle said, speaking of the entire body of Christ, God would “make of the twain [Jews and Gentiles] one new man.”—Ephesians 2:13-15

QUESTIONS:

Explain the difference between God and the Word of God.

Explain how Jesus could he born of an imperfect mother and yet be perfect.

When will Jesus be the true Light that enlighteneth every roan that cometh into the world?

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