The Divinity of Christ

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it (John 1:1-5).

The Holy Spirit has inspired the gospel writers to each reveal a different picture of Jesus Christ. Matthew presents Christ as the King-Savior, including the kingdom and the lineage of King David of Israel in his account. Mark presents Christ as the Servant-Savior, omitting the record of His genealogy because the history of a servant or slave is not worth mentioning. Luke presents Christ as the Human-Savior and traces His genealogy all the way to the first man Adam. Truth seekers have seen Christ illustrated as a lion in Matthew, a calf in Mark, and a man in Luke. There are many similarities in these three synoptic Gospels as they each reveal Christ in His humanity. But John's presentation of Christ is quite different from these. Some have seen Christ pictured as a soaring eagle in John’s gospel as he presents Christ as the God-Savior. He does not include any record of Christ’s supernatural birth and growth but through John’s gospel, the Spirit of Truth pulls back the natural curtain and invites truth seekers to discover some indispensable spiritual truth about the Savior. Using vivid language like The Word and focusing on the miracles of the Savior, the Teacher moved John to introduce and impress truth seekers with the divinity of Christ.

The Greek Word that the Spirit of Truth inspired the apostle John to use to introduce truth seekers to Jesus Christ is logos and it means reason, expression, communication, utterance. We know that a word can exist in our minds even before it is spoken. But The Word of which John speaks is not like our human words. In a sense, it is incomprehensible because it is speaking of that which was before any form, shape or conception of any mind beyond the mind of God. Yet, just as our words declare what is on our minds, so also The Word declares to us the mind of God… “Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works” (John 14:10); the truth of God… “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him” (John 14:6-7); the grace of God… “For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace” (John 1:16); the glory of God… “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). Truly, the Holy Spirit gave John eyes to see and a pen to record for us much wonderful truth about the divinity of Jesus Christ. The same Spirit inspired the author of the letter to the Hebrews to echo this truth… “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power” (Hebrews 1:3).

We often forget the power that words have, let alone the power that The Word has. The eternal, divine Word of the Father is powerfully creative… “All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:3). The unchanging, holy Word of God promises life to those who will listen in faith… “In him was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:4). This is why this Word should be set apart from all human words that are so lightly spoken and quickly forgotten. The Spirit moved Peter to declare the truth about The Word… “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God” (John 6:68-69).

As we grow up into Christ and get to know Him better, we are blessed to discover and experience the truth, grace, glory, power, and life of God up close and personal because of…

The Divinity of Christ.