John 1:3 3All things were made through him, and without him nothing was made that has been made.
When God communicates, that communication comes as the Word. When God said at the beginning of time, “Let there be” (Genesis 1:3), that spoken “word” (Hebrew dabar) was the Son who came in the flesh in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. Through him expresses the agency by which everything came into existence. The impact and significance of the word all things (panta) should not be diminished. The idea is similar to what Paul wrote in Colossians 1:16-17. Whenever God speaks, the speaking brings forth life and existence. The communication creation experiences is the Son. The Son came at one point in time to reveal God’s essential character. Those who believe in this will experience eternal life (John 20:30-31).
An assumed thought behind this verse is the pre-existence of the Messiah. God did not create the Messiah. The Messiah as God’s Word has always existed but came at a particular point in time to help humanity know and experience God’s power as his creation. This experience can come in two ways: as loving forgiveness or as judging condemnation. John will make that point clear in 3:16-18.
Just as the Word brought all things into existence at the beginning of time, so in the first century, a new creation began with the new utterance from God through the incarnated Son. Those who put their faith in Jesus can participate and experience this new life on a personal level. Jesus will later use the image of being born again in chapter 3. The new birth is an aspect of the divine Word spoken long ago and that echoes today through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit, through whom the new birth comes.
For older posts, click here.