His Inheritance Ministries

“Love” in Hebrew.

LESSON 2 in the Gospel of John.

(See Lesson 1)

We are still on the first verse of the Gospel of John. This has been said to be “the profoundest page in the New Testament.” (MacLaren’s Expositions: John 1) 

JOHN 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

It shows that the WORD or “LOGOS” always was; it hints at the triune nature of God; and it establishes that Yeshua is God Himself! All that is wrapped up in one little sentence!

“SOPHIA” or WISDOM

Both Jews and Greeks, in that ancient culture, used the word “logos” to mean “true knowledge” or “the divine wisdom”. Yeshua the Messiah is the “true knowledge” or “divine wisdom” of God. So, with His wisdom, He was able to create this fantastic fine-tuned universe where if some of the details of this creation were off by a just a fraction, it would collapse. The Word of God says that Yeshua holds all things together.

COL 1:15 (ESV) He [Yeshua the Messiah] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

Yes, Yeshua is the true God Himself and He alone created the heavens and the earth! 

However, this is the end for those false “gods”: 

NOTE:

“Firstborn” does not necessitate you were “born first” as the Son has always existed! In this case, it means an “heir” as the whole universe is the Son’s.

Benson Commentary
“The firstborn, or first-begotten, in this passage, may signify the heir, or Lord: of the whole creation. For the firstborn was entitled to possess his father’s estate, (2 Chronicles 21:3).”

“WISDOM” PERSONIFIED

In Proverbs, “wisdom” is personified, using “I”.

Proverbs 8
1 Does not wisdom cry out, 
And understanding lift up her voice?

12 “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, And find out knowledge and discretion.

22 “The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way,
 Before His works of old.
 23 I have been established from everlasting,
 From the beginning, before there was ever an earth.

Notice the word “beginning” or “from everlasting”. As it says in the gospel of John, “In the beginning was the Word“.

27 When He prepared the heavens, I [wisdom] was there,
 When He drew a circle on the face of the deep,

NOTE:

Incidentally, some ancient people knew that the earth was round …

ISA 40:22 It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.

THE WISDOM OF GOD

Christ is therefore, the “divine wisdom”. Here Christ, in this passage, is called “the wisdom of God.”

1 COR 1:22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

CHRIST is the POWER, the WISDOM, and the LOVE of GOD!

Christ is the power of God expressed through the stellar power that created the stars, the galaxies, the planets, the earth and us!

Christ is the wisdom of God knowing how to create this spectacular masterpiece of the universe.

And Christ is the love of God expressed through His dying for us.

For the Messiah was “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” for us! (REV 13:8) Thank you, LORD!

The Amplified Version says this about the first verse of the above passage:

22 For Jews demand signs (attesting miracles), and Greeks pursue [worldly] wisdom and philosophy,

The wisdom that the Greeks pursue is human wisdom. Therefore, they wrongly perceive the gospel of Christ as “foolishness”. But the LORD so loved us, that the Messiah, Emmanuel, “God with us”, was crucified to pay for our sins! For the divine wisdom of God is far superior to our human reasoning! “God with us” endured this sinful world, was mistreated by callous men, and suffered a harsh and brutal death, so that we could live forever and ever with Him! This is the love of God! 

Yet Christ arose because He is LIFE!

JOHN 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

SO let us lift up our voice to Our Creator and sing:

“O God, You’re an awesome God
You reign from heaven above
With wisdom, power and love….”

(Song by Rich Mullins)

See “In the Beginning”, lyrics to a song.

NEXT IN SERIES: PART 3, THE BEGINNING & THE END