The blessed Person, life and work of our Lord Jesus Christ on earth are set forth in the four Gospels. The chief feature in Matthew is His presentation as the Messiah; in Mark, as the Prophet and perfect Servant of God; in Luke, as the Son of Man; and in John, as the Son of God. In beautiful keeping with this, our Lord’s genealogy is traced in Matthew to David and Abraham, is omitted in Mark, is traced back to Adam in Luke, and is also omitted in John as it is obvious that, as the Son of God, He had none. At the same time, in all the four Gospels, other titles, names and traits are also brought forward, but the above is the salient feature of His presentation in each.
The Word Incarnate
In the first chapter of the Gospel of John, the varied glories of the ever-blessed Son of God come out in a most marked way. It commences with the sublime statement, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” The Word existed eternally. The Word never had a beginning. In the beginning the Word already was, and the Word was with God. The latter clause brings before us distinct personality, and, moreover, the Word was God, which shows His deity, so that in this wondrous verse we have before us the eternity, personality and deity of the Word — His glories before creation and which eternally abide. As another has beautifully written of Him, “He is, and He is the expression of, the whole mind that subsists in God — ‘the Word.’ ”
The Holy Spirit adds emphatically, “The same [or, He] was in the beginning with God,” thus carefully guarding His distinct personality in eternity, before creation and time.
And this wondrous divine being, the Word, who was with God and who was God, was the Creator. “All things were made by Him.” He it was who spoke, and it was done, who commanded, and it stood fast. He it was who called heaven and earth into existence, who studded the boundless sky with untold myriads of mighty orbs, who said, “Let there be light,” and there was light, who clothed the earth with greenery and gave life to every living thing. All things, visible and invisible, were made by Him. Every living creature in heaven or on earth, every principality, power, might, dominion, the innumerable company of angels and the whole race of man all owe their existence to the mighty fiat of the everlasting Word. “Without Him was not anything made that was made.”
“In Him was life.” It was nowhere else. The Word, God, is its eternal source and spring. The life was ever in Him. “And the life was the light of men.” The life was revealed, manifested down here in the world, “the light of men,” as we get also in 1 John 1:1-31In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2The same was in the beginning with God. 3All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. (John 1:1‑3), “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (for the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you.”
The Light of Men
Men were here in darkness. The world was under the power of it through the entrance and reign of sin. Men as fallen creatures had their minds and hearts darkened. But the Light appeared. “The life was the light of men.” The ever blessed Son of God, walking here as man upon the earth (sin apart), Jesus, was the life. The Holy Spirit passes from the presentation of the Word in eternity to His manifestation here in time among men. He in whom was life came into the world. The life was the light of men, not of angels. But though “the light shineth in darkness,” and that with unclouded luster morally, yet so gross was the darkness that it comprehended it not. Instead of the darkness being dispelled by the bright shining light, it remained as it was. Man as such was completely under its power. Gross darkness covered the world, and there was no comprehension of that wondrous light.
John, a man sent of God, came and bore witness of the light that all men through Him might believe. “That was the true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” The true light did not shine for that people only whom God had blessed of old, who had the law and the law is light (Prov. 6:2323For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life: (Proverbs 6:23)), but for all, for men in general. The world knew Him not, and the Jews received Him not, but there was a people who did, a people born of God, to whom He gave right to be the children of God, all believers in this day of grace (John 1:12-1312But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12‑13)). Blessed are all they who are found among them.
The Incarnation
Pursuing this wondrous chapter, we come next to the incarnation. “The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us” (John 1:1414And 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. (John 1:14)). Wondrous grace! The eternal Word was here on the earth as man, clothed with true humanity (without sin) — holy. A real Man, Jesus, dwelt among men — the holy One of God. “Great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh” (1 Tim. 3:16). “We have contemplated His glory, a glory as of an only-begotten with a Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:1414And 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. (John 1:14) JND). How deeply blessed! Who does not know the joy of an earthly parent in an only-begotten son? How much greater the joy and delight of the Father in His only One! How wondrous that men should contemplate such a One! No man has seen God at any time. He is invisible, “dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see” (1 Tim. 6:1616Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen. (1 Timothy 6:16)). He is a Spirit — light, love — the invisible God, but the only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. In Him we learn here what God is, for He was Immanuel, God with us.
The Lamb of God
John the Baptist, seeing Jesus coming to him, said, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world!” Wondrous mystery! This same blessed One is the Redeemer, the One who was about to offer Himself a sacrifice for sin — the Lamb of God. Abraham said to his son Isaac, “My son, God will provide Himself a lamb.” Here is the great antitype of whom we may take these words as prophetic — God’s Lamb, the Holy One, without blemish and without spot, the Lamb which takes away sin. He was the One who was going to die, and who, later on, did die. At Calvary Jesus offered Himself without spot to God to put away sin (Heb. 9:14,2614How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (Hebrews 9:14)
26For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. (Hebrews 9:26)). Sin is gone from before God for everyone who believes, and that forever. But He was on the cross in relation to the sin of the world, and eventually, as the result of His work, sin will be taken away from the world altogether. And God will establish an eternal system wherein righteousness shall dwell, based on the perfection of the finished work of Jesus, the holy Lamb of God.
Of this same blessed One, John bare record when he saw the Spirit descending on Him at His baptism, that it is He who baptized with the Holy Spirit, the Son of God (John 1:33-3433And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. 34And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. (John 1:33‑34)). “Again the next day after ... looking upon Jesus as He walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!” Not only is He the sin-bearer, but the Lamb of God in whom God could find His perfect satisfaction and delight, and who, as a burnt offering on the cross, was a sweet savor before Him. Disciples followed Him as they heard John’s words, and the gladness spread from one to another, that the Messiah, the Christ, the anointed One of God, was found. Jesus Himself called Philip; the latter found one, named Nathaniel, confessing Him as Jesus of Nazareth, of whom Moses, in the law and the prophets, did write. Nathaniel confessed Him as the Son of God and the King of Israel, and Jesus, among other things, said to him, “Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.” This precious portion thus closes with a foreshadowing of that blessed day for this poor earth when, the curse being removed (Rev. 22:33And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: (Revelation 22:3)), Jesus, Son of God and Son of Man, shall reign as King of Israel, and when all things shall be gathered in one in Him, both in heaven and on earth (Eph. 1:1010That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: (Ephesians 1:10)).
Manifold Glories of the Son
How wondrously the Holy Spirit brings before our souls in this chapter the manifold glories of the Person of God’s beloved Son! Surely every heart that knows Him and His love must bow in worship, adoration and praise, as we think of Him — He who is the everlasting Word, God, the mighty Creator, and yet became a Man that He might glorify God, accomplish redemption, and eventually deliver this groaning scene. This is He who is now seated at the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens, crowned with glory and honor, the triumphant Saviour in the eternal glory of God.
“Thou art the everlasting Word,
The Father’s only Son;
God manifest, God seen and heard,
The heaven’s beloved One;
Worthy, O Lamb of God, art Thou
That every knee to Thee should bow.”
May God engage each Christian’s heart’s affections increasingly with His blessed Person and give us a holy jealousy for the glory of His name.
E. H. Chater