Divinity of Christ

John 1:1-3, 14, 18 ESV

Speaker: Dr. Ed Pilapil Jr.

Sermon Summary

Written by Dr. Ed Pilapil Jr. • Apr 27, 2025 • English Service 10:00 AM

John 1:1-3, 14, 18


John 1:1-3
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

John 1:14
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 1:18

No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known

Notes

One of the major themes in the Book of John is the deity of God’s only Son. By deity, we mean divinity. From the beginning up to the end, in the book’s prologue and embedded in dialogues, John wrote about Christ’s divine nature, even though in physical (human) stature.1 The author claimed to be an eyewitness who personally knew other witnesses. This showed credibility in all that he confessed. He began with the Word as God, and near the book's end, Thomas said, “My Lord and My God.” In John’s prologue, one could see the pre-existent nature of the Word of God, the incarnation, and the Word as God who revealed the Father. It is difficult not to see in John’s writings that the Lord Jesus Christ is both God and the expression of the grace of the Father.²

  1. The Word

    John begins similarly to the Genesis account, “In the beginning.” Both accounts deal with creation. However, in John’s account, he introduces the Word who was with God and was God. The author intended to make the reader understand that the Word, who is God, created the world.


    In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made (John 1:1-3).

    Gems in the text

    1. The Word existed before the creation of the World.

    2. The dual reality that the Word was with God and was God.

    3. The Word created all things; nothing was created without the Word; the Word is the Creator.

    4. The author makes a parallel to the Genesis creation account.

  2. The Incarnation

    The author narrates that the Word became man, known as the incarnation. The Creator, the Word who was with God and was God, took on our flesh except our sin.3 Note that the Word did not transition to be a human, but remained God in human form as revealed in the context.4 His purpose was to show His glory, full of grace and truth.

    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 1:14).

    Gems in the text

    1. The Word became flesh, the incarnation, is the Word dwelling with His people, similar to the tabernacle in the wilderness. Who is the incarnate Word? The Lord Jesus Christ.

    2. In the wilderness, Israel saw the glory of God in the tabernacle. The apostle claims that they saw the glory of the Word in the flesh.

    3. The author wrote that He was full of grace and truth. Because of the immediate context, the reader would be led to the encounter of Moses with the LORD. The LORD would be gracious to whom He would be gracious.

    4. John supports his first line that the Word was God. In effect, the author is saying that Jesus is God.

  3. Only God

    The Jewish people reading John’s Gospel account would quickly agree that no one has ever seen God. At the end of his prologue, the author restates the first verse. No one else, except God, has seen God face to face. And God was at the Father’s side.

    No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known (John 1:18).

    Gems in the text

    1. No one has ever seen the Father. No one has ever been with God side by side. Only God has been with God.

    2. Although the Father is God and the Word is God, there is only one God. John does not mention that there are two Gods.

    3. Only the Word is qualified to make God known because He is at the Father’s side, which signifies intimacy.

    4. The Word is God; He is above Moses and Isaiah.

    Application:

    1. Believe in the divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ.

    2. Proclaim the divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ.

    3. Defend the divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Reflection & Discussion

  1. What do the first three verses reveal about the Word?

  2. Why did Jesus dwell/tabernacle with His people?

  3. How can we grow in knowing God through the teachings of Jesus and His apostles?