In Him was Life
John 1:1-5
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
(message)
Welcome! The Word is who became Jesus. Let us learn about Him.
See v1.
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
“In the beginning was the Word” (1a): The Word existed before the creation and from the eternity.
“the Word was with God” (1b): The Word (God, the Son) was together and intimate with God (God, the Father).
“the Word was God” (1c): The Word (the Son) was one of the Triune God (the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit).
See v2.
2 He was with God in the beginning.
V2 summarizes or repeats v1a and v1b. The Word was together and intimate with God from the eternity.
See v3.
3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
The Word is the Creator of the universe. This fact is also written in Colossians 1:15-17.
See v4.
4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.
Here, ‘life’ is eternal life (John 5:24), abundant life (John 10:10), the resurrection (John 11:25-26), and the spring of living water (Jeremiah 2:13).
See v5.
5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Here ‘overcome’ is ‘understand/comprehend’. When the Word came to the world as Jesus, they did not recognize Him (the Creator) (John 1:10) and did not receive Him (the Owner) (John 1:11).