The Power of the Word

Yesterday, we talked about how the Greeks had debated the idea of the LOGOS for centuries. Heraclitus believed that everything was changing from moment to moment- that the universe was in flux. He is the one who made the statement that you can't step into the same river twice because when you step back in the river has changed. He also believed that all of this flux was not haphazard but rather well organized and controlled by an intelligent design...the LOGOS. For him, the LOGOS was the principle of order under which the universe continued to exist. Furthermore, the Greek Jew Philo also wrote and spoke extensively about the LOGOS. He believed that the LOGOS was the oldest thing in the world and the instrument through which God created the world, the thought of God stamped upon the world. Both men believed this was what gave mankind the ability to think and to reason.

The idea of the LOGOS was very familiar to Greek culture which is why it was so profound when John wrote the words of John 1:1...

In the beginning was the Word (logos), and the Word (logos) was with God, and the Word (logos) was God. 

In one short sentence, John solved the mystery of the universe...Jesus is the LOGOS of God.

But what about the Jewish culture? What was their thinking about the LOGOS, the Word of God?

The Jewish language and culture is much different than that of the Greeks. While the Greek language has some 200,000 words, the Hebrew language has only 10,000 words. For the Jew, a word is not merely a sound, it is a power which does things. In creation, it was the word of God that brought  about the universe. All throughout the Old Testament, words have a powerful and creative force. Not only did words hold power, the Word of God held a power beyond understanding. So when the Jews read John 1:1 they heard with different ears. They already knew that God was the creator, the reason behind all things, but it was a challenging thing to read that Jesus was actually the order of the universe, the actual word of God.

This is what makes John 1:1 one of the most profound verse in scripture. It squarely addresses both schools of thought in such a clear concise intellectual way. Even so, the Greeks and the Jews still had to believe in Jesus and place their faith in Him, The Lord of Creation.

Have you truly considered that Jesus is the Word of God? What does this mean to you today? How does this make a difference in your life?

Pray today asking God to reveal His true nature to you and to give you the strength to place your trust in Him.