Session 6

Jesus From the Beginning

From Understanding and Applying The Bible

John 1:1-18

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. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. 14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

You might not know…
Jesus was fully God and fully man at the same time. He was a real person, but also He’s God. Not just a good person, literally Jesus is God. He’s been around literally forever.

What does it say?
God and “the Word” have existed together since the very beginning of time. It’s easy to assume that this is talking about the Bible - but it’s bigger than that. “The Word” is apparently a person because it says “He was with God in the beginning”. 

What does it mean?
“The Word” is Jesus. When it says “the Word became flesh”, that’s Jesus. God with skin = Jesus. It’s all about Jesus.

What does it mean to me?
It means that Jesus is the only way to have a relationship with God. He’s the truth, He was with God from the start, it’s always been all about Him.