The religious Church Year known as Advent began on Sunday. However, it is important that we examine scripture in order to discover the true identity of the Son of God. John in Chapter 1 of his Gospel gives us powerful insights into the Deity of Jesus Christ. Verses 1-2: “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.” “Word” in the Old Testament is the unpronounced name of God. In the Greek it means: A thought or concept or utterance of that thought. Christ being designated as the Word is important because (1) in Him are embodied all the treasures of the Divine wisdom, the thought of God (2) He is, from eternity, (infinity—eons) but especially in His incarnation, the utterance or expression of the Person and thought of Deity. He is the exact likeness of the Father. (Colossians 1: 15) Jesus is God.
Now, let’s look at the preincarnate work of the Son of God revealed in verses 3-5. “All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” We are drawn back to the words of Genesis 1: 1-3 where we see that in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. God made the Plan, Jesus carried out the Plan by the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is the Creator. In verse 2 we see that the earth was “without form and void” and darkness covered the earth. We then see the appearance of God the Holy Spirit who made light to appear—a light that could not be extinguished!
John then identifies Christ as the Light in verses 6-9 as he bore witness to the Light. In verses 4-9 “light” is mentioned seven times which is the number of the completeness and perfection in scripture. Jesus is the Light who came into the world to bring life and power for mankind to become sons of God. “But as man as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (vv. 12-13) Jesus became the Shekinah Glory of God in the flesh! “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (v. 14) No man has seen God at any time but we see Jesus Christ a reflection of Him. (v. 18)
Let us now go to the Divine revelation and connection identifying Jesus as the Lamb of God. In verse 29 we read: “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith ‘Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” Peter gives us further clarification in I Peter 1: 19-20: “But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot; Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but manifest in these last times for you.” And then in the book of the Revelation of Christ, John says in 13: 8 “And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Jesus is the Lamb of God. The Bible tells us God “calls those things which do not exist as though they did.” (Rom. 4: 17) God’s plans are so sure that it is as if they had already happened. So, when Jesus Christ volunteered to die for our sins from the foundation of the world, it was as if He had already been slain. Isaiah 46: 10 says: “Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, ‘My plan will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure.” Revelation 13:8 describes a time at the end of the age when an unholy leader (the Antichrist) will rule much of the world. Only those who have repented of their sins by the blood of the Lamb will be written in the Lamb’s book of Life and inherit the kingdom of God. (Mt. 25: 34)