We begin a new series in today's Group Bible Study daily meditations. For the next three weeks, I will address the question, "Who is Jesus Christ?" We live in a time when the god of this world, Satan, seeks to undermine fundamental Bible teachings about Jesus as portrayed in the Scriptures. Let's start with the Gospel of John and his opening testimony:
The Mystery of the Word: Understanding John 1:1-3
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made (John 1:1-3).
Jesus was "in the beginning." He is eternal, existing before all creation, and was God made flesh (Isaiah 9:6). This also indicates that Jesus was not 'inside' God; rather, He was and is with God (v. 2), suggesting He has a separate personality. The one God possesses three distinct persons, yet the Word was and is God. Jesus appeared as the Triune God made known.
Why is Jesus Called "The Word"?
Elsewhere, Christ is referred to as the Alpha and Omega (Revelation 22:13), symbolizing the beginning and end of the Greek alphabet. God's chosen way of communication is through Jesus. The Scriptures clearly affirm that Jesus is God, fully self-existent alongside the Father and the Holy Spirit. Christ was the agent behind the creation of everything: “Through him all things were made; without him, nothing was made that has been made” (John 1:3). The Apostle Paul, inspired by the Spirit and writing to the Colossian church, expressed a similar idea, expanding upon it.
16For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him. 17He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together (Colossians 1:16-17, emphasis added).
The Creator of the Universe: From Stars to Atoms
Christ created all things (v. 16), and every quark, atom, and molecule in the entire created universe is held together by His power. Commentator R. Kent Hughes writes about this:
"There are about 100 billion stars in the average galaxy and at least one hundred million galaxies in known space. Einstein believed that we have scanned only one billionth of theoretical space with our largest telescopes, and he made this observation over six decades ago. This means there are probably about 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 stars in space (ten octillion). How many is that? 1,000 thousands = a million; 1,000 million = a billion; 1,000 billions = a trillion; 1,000 trillions= a quadrillion; 1,000 quadrillions = a quintillion; 1,000 quintillions = a sextillion; 1,000 sextillions = a septillion; 1,000 septillions = an octillion. So ten octillions are a ten with twenty-seven zeros behind it. And Jesus created them all! He is the Creator of the macrocosm of the universe and the microcosm in the inner universe of the atom. The text in Colossians explains that He holds the atom and its inner and outer universe together (“in Him all things hold together”).[1]
Scriptural Proof: Jesus in Genesis, Ephesians, and Hebrews
The eternal Creator brought the worlds into existence through the Word of God—the Lord Jesus. In Genesis chapter one, the phrase "And God said" occurs eight times; each day of creation, God's spoken word brought His creation into being. The concept that Jesus existed at the beginning of creation and that all things were made through Him is also supported by other scriptures. Paul states to the church in Ephesus, “God…created all things through Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 3:9). Additionally, the writer of Hebrews mentions that God “has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds” (Hebrews 1:2). Jesus is reaffirmed as God incarnate.
Continue Your Journey…
If you found this meditation meaningful, there is much more to explore about the life of Jesus in the All Studies box, and select the Gospel of John, study 1: The Word Was God (John 1:1-18).
YouTube video teachings at: https://www.youtube.com/@keiththomas7/videos
[1]R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word Series. John: That You May Believe. Published by Crossway, 1999. Page 17.