A somber declaration of Jesus’ divinity can be found in the Gospel of John. The apostle John asserts that Jesus is both the Word of God and God Himself using the term “Word” (logos in Greek) (John 1:1; 1:14). He demonstrates that the very essence of Jesus is the essence of God as revealed in the Old Testament within the framework of this statement.
God is Eternal, Creator and Redeemer
It is highly probable that the apostle John had the entire Old Testament, particularly the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible, mostly penned by Moses), in mind when he wrote his Gospel. Because the fourth Gospel makes several references to these writings, both directly and indirectly, it is worth reading.
It’s amazing to observe how John uses what Moses had stated about God to relate to Jesus and accomplish his goal of demonstrating Jesus’ divinity. For instance, Moses disclosed the attributes of God in the opening lines of Genesis (Genesis 1:1–3). He is the Creator (“In the beginning, God…”), the Redeemer (“Darkness… and there was light”).
John states in his opening words (John 1:1–5) that he perceives these three aspects of God in Jesus.
Jesus is Eternal (John 1:1)
John opens his Gospel in the same manner as Moses, declaring, “In the beginning was the Word.” In doing so, he somberly presents Jesus’ eternity, referring to him as “the Word.” He goes on to say that Jesus “was God” and “was with God” in eternity regarding this first reality.
He expands on this wonderful reality later in his narrative by quoting Jesus’ own words, “Father, magnify Me in Your own presence with the glory that I had with You before the world existed” (John 17:5) and “Before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58).
Jesus is the Creator (John 1:2-3)
In order to educate us that “all things were made through Him,” John highlights Jesus’ eternity once more. This takes us to the writings of Moses, where it is said that everything was created by the Word of God (Genesis 1:3–30). Therefore, everything came into being by Jesus, and nothing that was created would have existed without Him.
Later on in John 1:10, he reiterates this point by declaring that “the world was made through Him,” meaning that nothing has ever been apart from Jesus’ creative ability. He is the Creator as a result.
Jesus is the Redeemer (John 1:4-5)
John will now declare that “life was in Him,” meaning that Jesus is the source of [everlasting life]. He is therefore “the light of men”—that is, the humanity that is in the dark due to sin. Jesus himself “… shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it,” just as light overcame darkness in the creation story (Genesis 1:2–3). (John 1:4-5).
Jesus says, “I am the light of the world,” which further clarifies that He has rescued and will continue to rescue His people from the depths of darkness. According to John 8:12, “Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”
Conclusion: Jesus is God
God is eternal, Creator, and Redeemer, as Moses revealed. John made clear that Jesus is the Creator, Redeemer, and Eternal. Therefore, Jesus’ deity is beyond dispute. It is a profound truth, equally certain as the reality that [Jesus was truly human].
Praise Him as your God and Lord.
