Anchor My Faith

Title: The Beginning

The next section, which will take us several lessons to cover, is defined by the first verse of Mark and the first sixteen verses of John. We will begin with: “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (Mark 1:1 ESV). The gospel means good news, but here it takes on a greater meaning in that the gospel is connected to Jesus Christ, the Son of God. From this point on through many lessons we will be looking at the main facts of the life and works of Jesus Christ.

John also speaks of a beginning, but it is a beginning that takes us back to Genesis 1:1 (ESV): “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” God was in the beginning to which John now connects the Word to the beginning: “¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made” (John 1:1 – 3 ESV). The beginning is a time that existed before creation; a time in which God existed. John reaches back to the beginning and states that the Word was also there, that “the Word was with God.” This implies that the Word is also eternal as it was there in the beginning or before the foundations of the world. Whatever is meant by the term “Word,” it is clear that it existed before creation and thus was not created.

John continues by saying that “the Word was God.” If that is true then in the beginning God was with God, but isn’t there just one God? John then complicates the picture even more by saying “All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.” The Word, who is God, was not a created being because he was involved in creation.

Consider what John wrote in 1 John 1:1-2 (ESV): “¹ That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— ² the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us.” John is speaking about Jesus, who the disciples spent several years living with, and states that he was from the beginning with the Father and then was made manifest to them. John wrote in John 1:14 (ESV): “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.” The Word is the Son of God, who has existed with the Father in eternity past, who has come to earth and taken on the flesh of a man known as Jesus.

As we end this lesson, consider what Jesus said about himself: “Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”” (John 8:58 NKJV); “Jesus answered, “Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going” (John 8:14 ESV); “I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father” (John 16:28 ESV). Jesus, the Son of God incarnate in flesh, is the Word who was from the beginning.

Prayer

Father, we begin our study with Jesus Christ presented to us as the Son of God who came to earth, as we will see later in our studies, through a virgin birth to inhabit the flesh of man; Jesus is fully God and fully man. No one else can claim this and then, as we will see, back it up with a sinless lifestyle. Father, I look forward to writing these studies, to learn more about my savior, Jesus Christ.