Jesus is the Word

Memory Verse: 1 John 1:1

Bible Dig: John 1:1-18

DAY 1: Chapel

What does it mean for Jesus to be “the Word”?

Define LOGOS

• Spoken word; the expression of a thought

Difference between abstract and concrete

Difference between human and God

• Difference between physical and spiritual

Just as these things are very abstract concepts, this phrase of Jesus being the Word is an abstract concept

But at the same time, Jesus takes these abstract concepts and makes them concrete

• That is at the heart of Jesus being “the Word”

How do words take something abstract and make it concrete?

• Words take abstract thoughts and make them concrete thoughts/actions
• “If our thoughts are to become visible in some way, they must move from the invisible realm of our mind and into the physical world. The progression from invisible to visible requires we transfer our invisible thoughts into a spoken command. The brain communicates our thoughts to our mouth where it becomes logos: spoken words. Once the spoken word leaves our mouth, it enters the physical world and yields its intended effect. This simple analogy helps explain how God the Father worked with God the Son (i.e., the Word) to establish CreationWhat It Means for Jesus to Be the "Word of God"

DAY 2: Bible Dig

Break down John 1:1-18

You might want to read all the verses first and then go back and discuss, or you might want to read and discuss as you go. Whatever works best for your group.

Vs. 1

• What do the opening words make you think of? (Genesis 1:1 - In the beginning)
• The Word (Jesus) was right there in the beginning of Genesis at the beginning of time
• How did God create everything? (he spoke)
• Interesting dynamic in this first verse: the Word is WITH God and the Word WAS God. What does that mean? (the Word is both God and separate from God)

Vs. 4

• God created everything through Jesus (the Word)
• Just as God’s spoken word brings life, Jesus brings life

Vs. 7-8

• Who was the witness about the Word? (John the Baptist)
• He was witnessing about the Word (Jesus) being life and light

Vs. 11-13

• What are the choices people can make regarding Jesus? (reject him or believe and accept him)
• What happens to those who choose to believe and accept Jesus? (they are reborn: they get new life)
• What did we say Jesus does? (Jesus brings LIFE)

Vs. 14

• The Word became HUMAN
• Can humans come close to God on their own? (no, they have sin, they are not holy)
• Part of what makes Jesus do amazing is that He is God become human
• God and human in one body: absolutely impossible and unheard of
• The spiritual becoming physical, just like words make abstract thoughts reality

Vs. 16

• What does Jesus bring to us? (gracious blessings; other translations say “grace upon grace”)
• What is grace? (getting what we don’t deserve)
• Through Jesus (the Word) there is grace

Vs. 18

• What has Jesus revealed to us? (Jesus reveals God to us)
• What does God look like? (no idea)
• What does Jesus look like? (a human)
• Jesus (the Word) makes what is abstract concrete
• Things about God that are hard to grasp can be grasped and understood better with Jesus

Close out by talking about the main things that John emphasizes a lot in this passage:

• Jesus is the Word
• Jesus existed in the beginning
• The Word was with God
• The Word was God
• God created everything through Jesus
• Jesus is life
• His life brings light to everyone who is in darkness
• Jesus reveals God to us

DAY 3: Chapel

Scripture Deep dive on Jesus being the Word

Start by reviewing the terms “abstract” and “concrete”

Review dig of John 1:1-18

Comparing 1 John 1:1-3 with John 1:1-4

• Jesus is the Word
• Jesus existed in the beginning
• The Word was with God
• The Word was God
• God created everything through Jesus
• Jesus is life
• His life brings light to everyone who is in darkness
• Jesus reveals God to us

Jesus is the Word who makes the abstract things of God concrete

Jesus is the physical expression of the spiritual God

“Jesus is what God has to say.” - Evan Wickham

John 5:39

Hebrews 1:1-3

Colossians 1:15-20 (what we know about Jesus being the Word and why it matters)

End with singing Beautiful Name