John 1:1-13

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. ⁴ In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 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 bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. ⁸ He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

⁹ The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. ¹¹ He came to his own,^[b] and his own people^[c] did not receive him. ¹² But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, ¹³ who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

In this first chapter, John speaks about the Word being God, Jesus and the light of men. “The Word” refers to the words of God spoken or written. The word of God is Jesus, and the Word is the light of men according to John. 

The statement “In the beginning” in John – takes us to Genesis 1 – where we recall “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth”. The Spirit was there, and God spoke light into existence. When we read these two excerpts (Genesis 1 and John 1) together we see that light is mentioned in both and this mention makes you compare and contrast light. This process can help us see this topic clearer.  

Genesis 1:1-5

1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. ² The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

³ And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. ⁴ And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. ⁵ God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

God created this light that separated light from darkness, giving us day and night. But when you compare this light to what John speaks of, you see the light stand out. John speaks about a greater light that lights up all men and gives us revelation of the truth (John 14:6). When Jesus came it was revealed that he suffered and died for our sins in order to reconcile us back to God because we were separated from Him (1 Peter 3:18).

He says that this light overcomes darkness and will be light to all people. This light being Jesus came to give those who believe in Him the power to become the children of God.

• The Word was in the beginning
• The Word is God
• The Word is Flesh
• The Word is Jesus
• All things came from The Word
• The Word is life, and life was the light of men. The light overcame darkness. This light enlighten men.

And Jesus gave those who believed in his name the power to become sons of God.

So, the word is the light, and the light is Jesus, and we must believe in who he is and what he came to do in order to be reconciled to God and be his children again. So, do we believe?