John 1:4

John 1:4 "In him was life; and the life was the light of men."

Here is a continued unfolding of this unique, distinct Being within the Godhead. It will be beneficial at this point to consider a couple of points.

In John 4:24, when talking to the woman at the well, Jesus told her:

"God [is] a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship [him] in spirit and in truth." God’s essence is pure Spirit.

Secondly, in 1Timothy 6:16:

"Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom [be] honor and power everlasting. Amen."

Immortality is self-subsistence. This is how God revealed Himself to Moses.


"I am that I am." This self-subsistence belongs only to God as a pure Spirit. For this reason, God reveals Himself in no less than 30 places in the scriptures as "living God."

Of the Word, though, John states:

"In him was life." Why would John make this statement if the Word were singularly God? Indeed, in the beginning the Word was God and God the Word is a self-subsisting, eternal, invisible Spirit. But, the Word that was in the beginning with God had life in Himself.

From the previous verses, we learned that the scriptures identify the Word as Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The Word hypostatically united with the Son of God is the visible manifestation of the invisible God. He is, as we are taught in the Hebrews"God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by [his] Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of [his] glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;"

The Son is divine by hypostatic union with God the Word. Jesus Christ is the express image of His person."χαρακτὴρ τῆς ὑποστάσεως αὐτοῦ." The God-man was so before His incarnation. This verse teaches us this. How can we be assured of this?

Consider what Jesus taught concerning Himself. Jesus said in John 5:26: "For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself." In the preceding verses, we saw that the scriptures teach that the Word, the Son of God and Jesus Christ are all terms speaking of the same distinct, divine Being.

1 John 1:1-3 teach us: "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen [it], and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that you also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship [is] with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ."

That which was from the beginning - Ὃ ἦν ἀπ᾽ ἀρχῆς

Of the Word of life - περὶ τοῦ λόγου τῆς ζωῆς
 
For the life was manifested - καὶ ἡ ζωὴ ἐφανερώθη

That eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us - - τὴν ζωὴν τὴν αἰώνιον, ἥτις ἦν πρὸς τὸν πατέρα, καὶ ἐφανερώθη ἡμῖν

Consider all of the above elements. These passages teach us that the Word that was with the Father from the beginning in Whom is eternal life was manifested to the apostles and others. The Word of life that was from the beginning with the Father was made manifest. He didn’t then begin to be in the days of His earthly ministry, but He that was already in the beginning with His Father was seen, heard and touched by many during His earthly ministry.

Take note of this unique Person, distinct within the Godhead. God essentially is that He is as He revealed Himself to Moses:"I AM that I AM." Life or self-subsistence is an essential attribute belonging only to Him. However, the life in the Word, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is bestowed and communicatable life that is manifested and given to men.

God the Father communicated this life to the Son of God, Jesus Christ. This communicated life was not the attribute of God’s self-subsistence. Such attributes are incommunicable belonging only to the Godhead. But, rather this life was given to the Son of God, the image of God because He was united to God. He was given this light to communicate it to men. 

To again quote my dear preaching brother:"Our Savior interacts with the Father. The Greek word actually means "face to face." It implies a very close, intimate fellowship, as one person speaking face to face with another person as they share with one other very private and personal things about themselves.

That’s something of the picture this word would have produced in the hearts and minds of those who first read this gospel. The Word, our Lord Jesus Christ, before anything was created, was in intimate and perfect fellowship with God the Father."