“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” ESV
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” NIV
In today's verses, John describes Jesus as the Word. Perhaps, your first thought is, "How can we know?" The answer is found later in the chapter. John writes, in vs. 14, "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 states what we already know: in the beginning, long before anything was made, God the Father and God the Son existed in perfect relationship.
"In the beginning was the Word." The Word dwelt with God and was God. Then, the Word spoke, but not as you or I speak. "Mountain, mommy, look, it's a mountain," a young girl says. You know what she means, but she did not speak the mountain. She did not bring it into existence from nothing. The Word spoke, "mountain," and pouring from his mouth came the mountain itself. John writes, in vs. 3, "All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made." He does not speak mere words. He speaks the very things themselves: his voice is the mountain's existence.
When John refers to Jesus as the Word, he makes it clear that you and I serve a God who speaks. Since the very beginning, God has been speaking into his creation. Indeed, God speaks to us through his Word (the Bible), and we should carefully listen when he speaks this way. There is, however, another way that God speaks to us, and it's through his creation. God continues to speak today through his Word, yes, but also through creation. David writes, "The heavens declare the glory of God." Every detail in creation, every blade of grass, and every flower is intended to tell us something about God.
Not long ago, I was driving to work early in the morning. When I left the house, the world was getting brighter outside — the sun was making another lap over the city of Ames, Iowa. Typically, my commute is on the interstate, driving directly East, which means I have a clear view of the sunrise. Watching the sunrise is always beautiful, but I was captivated that morning. I started thinking about Bob Ross — the guy who paints happy trees — and how cool it would be to paint a sunrise. Then I had this thought. Every second of sunrise is a totally new painting that God made to declare his glory. Each one is a masterpiece. Each one is unique. He does not need to save or take pictures of them because his power is infinite and his creativity endless. All creation exists because of Jesus and points to his creativity and design. Jesus is a speaking God; creation declares his glory. I hope that you will stop long enough to see and listen today.
Written By: Nick Harsh
Nick Harsh (MDiv, Clarks Summit University) is a ministry leader with The Salt Company, a ministry of Cornerstone Church in Ames, Iowa. While publishing regularly at nickharsh.com, his writing has also been featured at The Gospel Coalition, For the Church, and Relevant Magazine.
Website: nickharsh.com