That You May Believe - Study Guide

Week 17 - April 25th, 2021

John 1:1-3

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 anything made that was made.

Context: John begins his Gospel by calling his readers back to the opening line of the Bible, letting us know that he is about to tell the story of a new creation, not of the world, but of life itself. Just as Genesis gave us a revelation of God, so too does Jesus give us a new revelation of what God is like. God is like Jesus.

Meaning: John traces the story of creation back to a word. This should remind us of the way God created the universe through speech in Genesis 1. But John develops this idea further—that Word has now become a human. Jesus is the Word that God has to say to the world. Jesus is the beginning of a new creation.

Life Application: The Word of God is still speaking. It is no accident that we often refer to the words of scripture as “The Word of God.” We believe that when we read the words of Scripture, we are reading the very words of God. The purpose of the Word of God (Scripture) is to point us to the Word of God (Jesus). When we read the Bible and find Jesus in, with, and under every book, chapter, and verse, we know we have read it properly.

For Further Study: The word “word” has several significant uses throughout Scripture in connection to Jesus. One such connection is found in Hebrews 1:3. Spend some time meditating on this verse in connection to John 1 and the concept of the Image of God. How does this help you understand Jesus’ role in the world?