THE BEGINNING WORD
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by 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 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
The Word Never Had a Beginning
The Person of the Word of God never began. But He is the source of the beginning of all things! Colossians 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
Who is this Word? He is God. He is with God. And he became flesh and dwelt among us! John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
He was brought up together with God! Proverbs 8:25 Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth: 26 While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. 27 When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth: 28 When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep: 29 When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth: 30 Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him;
The Godhead is three Persons in one nature! But as Incarnate God, Christ is 2 natures in one Person! And to have seen him was to have seen the Father! John 14:8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. 9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? For he was the fulness of the Godhead! Colossians 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
He had his glory with the Father from the beginning! John 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. 24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
He most certainly was before Abraham! John 8:56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. 57 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? 58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. Notice that he did not say, “Before Abraham was, I WAS!” He repeats what he had said to Moses in Exodus 3:14. I AM THAT I AM! For past, present and future only refer to him in his office as Mediator. Revelation 1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
“Beginning”
The Greek word, here translated, “beginning” is also the same word translated, “first estate” in Jude 1:6. And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. So the Word brought about the beginning, or, the first estate of all things.
And it is also translated, “at the … corners,” in Acts 10:11. We read of the Lord’s conversation with Job in order to silence Job’s complaints by the revelation of his sovereignty and eternality! And one of the things he brings forth is the laying of the corner stone of the world’s foundation! Job 38:1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, 2 Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? 3 Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me. 4 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. 5 Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? 6 Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;
And as God established the natural world by the Word providing the “beginning,” or by his establishing the corners thereof; so the Person of the Word is the head of the corner for the spiritual creation, the spiritual organism, the True Church! Matthew 21:42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? 43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. 44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. 45 And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.
Ephesians 1:22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 4:15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
The Darkness
Unlike the Word, this “darkness” has no self existence! It has no life of itself in order to “put out, or to absorb, nor to appropriate” the Light! (See the Amplified Bible.) It is completely unreceptive to the Life of the Word, and to the Light he provides!
Therefore the effect of which we read in Matthew 4:16, (The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.), was exclusively provided from the properties of the Word, and not at all from the darkness! The word, “darkness” in this verse actually comes from the Greek word, here translated, “shadow!” And notice the phrase in which this word is set forth. It is said to be the “shadow of death!”
For the sinner is not just “IN” darkness! He “IS” darkness! Ephesians 5:8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: The sinner is not just sick, he is dead! Ephesians 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Neither the sinner, nor the darkness have an ability to absorb, accept, receive, nor appropriate, either life or light unto themselves. They are totally passive until acted upon by the Holy Spirit!
As in the resurrection of dead Lazarus, Christ, the Word provided everything in his being raised! Lazarus provided nothing, but the stench and corruption! He had no hearing for the Word’s command! He had no understanding of “Lazarus, Come forth!”
Romans 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. 13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: 14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: 15 Their feet are swift to shed blood: 16 Destruction and misery are in their ways: 17 And the way of peace have they not known: 18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.
Neither Lazarus, nor the dead sinner have any ability to change themselves! Jeremiah 13:23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.
They not only have no ability to change, they also have no desire to do so! For the sinner LOVES the darkness and HATES the light! The sinner is not just some good ole boy, out there awaiting someone to convince him to “make a decision for Jesus!” He shall have to actually be conquered by the Lord and King, and translated from the powers of Satan’s darkness!
John 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
The Devil is the “strong man,” keeping lost souls bound. The Lord Jesus is the stronger man, delivering them from sins control! Luke 11:20 But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you. 21 When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: 22 But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils. 23 He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth.
After that is accomplished by Christ alone, the new born believer desires to come to the Light! John 3:21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. For there he seeks confirmation of this marvelous miracle of the Life and Light’s having invaded sin’s darkness to save his soul from the eternal darkness! Matthew 22:13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
1Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
Within the believers hearts no emotional or inordinate light is needed for his enthusiasm, or happiness! He has Christ as both his Life and Light! Revelation 21:23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
Pastor Gene Breed
