by Tony Evans
One of my favorite explorations of Jesus’ nature and character comes from the opening of John’s Gospel. It’s a lovely passage that condenses the core elements of Jesus’ nature and mission into a memorable mix of imagery and prose.
Look at the way it starts:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. —John 1:1-3
The Word John wrote about was Immanuel—God with Us.
Jesus is the very representation and likeness of God.
He was “with God” (v. 1) in the beginning, not because He was just hanging around and not because God created Him first. Rather, Jesus “was God” (v. 1).
But John didn’t stop there:
The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. —John 1:14
Jesus walked among us. He was flesh, bones, sinews, and blood, and yet He was also perfectly divine. At one moment He was hungry because of His human nature, and in the next moment He fed five thousand men with a few loaves and fish because of His divine nature. He could be thirsty because He was fully human, but He could also walk on water because He was fully God.
In a similar way, Jesus agonized on a Roman cross and died because He was fully human. He possessed a physical body, and that body lost the spark of life. And yet Jesus rose from the grave three days later because He was fully God—the Creator of all bodies and all things.
You and I need to realize that without Immanuel—without Jesus—we have no chance of understanding God.
John made that clear a few verses later:
No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him. —John 1:18
How does God make Himself known? Through Immanuel—God with Us. Therefore, to understand and know Jesus is to understand and know God.
In The Power of God’s Names, pastor Tony Evans examines prominent names of God in Scripture. God’s names invite you to know him as Creator, Ruler, Provider, Warrior, and more. Dr. Evans explores the biblical meanings of the names and the related attributes of God. By understanding His names, you can experience Him more deeply. For a free sample, click here.
