John 1:3, Jesus is creator, How to Study the Bible
3 Questions to ask when studying the Bible
1. What does it say?
2. What does it mean?
3. What does it mean to me?
John 1:3 – “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.”
The Master craftsman looked around his workshop. All his tools were in place and ready to go. The framework was already laid out. He called it “time”. It rested in the middle of eternity. He would use Wisdom to make everything perfect. His first creation would start the clock. From there time could be measured. It was the beginning, the starting point for all the ages. He would create the heavens and the earth first. They would be the canvas for the rest. What beauty he would command. What power he would demonstrate in his creation. The heavens would declare his glory, the earth would praise him, the mountains would sing for joy. The Father and the Holy Spirit would be there, but all the work would be done through him. The crown of his creation would be called man. Man would be like no other. He would be created in their image and have the best gift he could give, free will. That would be costly, but he was willing to pay the price. He loved them that much. (Genesis 1:1; Proverbs 8:30; Psalm 19:1; 69:34; 98:8; Genesis 1:26)
I hope you like my illustration, but perhaps you are wondering why I would focus a whole hub on a single bible verse. Especially one that is so straight forward. In plain English, it says that everything was created through Jesus. It is very simple, but it is also very important. I hope you remember it when someone comes along and claims that it’s not true. It is also a good verse to use to demonstrate my favorite method of studying the Bible, asking questions. There are three questions we can ask ourselves about any given verse or passage.
What does it say?
What does it mean?
What does it mean to me?
The first question, what does it say, is easy. That is simply the words used. “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made.”
The next part can get a little more complicated. What does this mean? To answer this, we want to ask ourselves several questions. This is a pretty straight forward statement, so there aren’t too many things to worry about. We can ask: Who is this talking about? What did he make? Are there other passages that shed more light on this subject? The first two questions, “Who is this talking about?” and “What did he make?” can easily be answered by looking at the previous verse. This passage is talking about the Word or Logos who is Jesus. As we discussed in previous hubs, this held a lot of significance to John’s audience. What did he make? Everything! Absolutely nothing was made without him. This is confirmed throughout the Bible.
1 Corinthians 8:6 – “and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.”
Colossians 1:16 – “For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.”
Hebrews 1:2 – “but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.”
Finally, what does this mean to me? This is where you take what you just learned and apply it to your life. Is there something that needs your attention in this verse? Does it contain a promise to hold on to, or a command to keep, perhaps it simply expands your knowledge of God and who He is. For me this verse is comforting. It tells me that Jesus made me. Since he is the creator of everything, He must know what he is doing. I am not a mistake. This is very encouraging when the world tells me I am worthless. It also tells me that Jesus is powerful and knowledgeable. I can trust Him to be in control. When the world makes no sense, I know there is someone who can see a bigger picture.
This seems pretty simple, right? But it is still important to make sure we understand it, because not everyone will agree. In my next hub, I will introduce a man named Arius who began the idea that Jesus did not create everything. Please click the links below and #5b John 1:3 an introduction to Arius to learn more!
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link to the first hub on John
- The Book of John, Who is the Apostle John? Part 1 - a character study
It took a brave man to fish in the Sea of Galilee. The peaceful lake could turn deadly in an instant. Cool air dropping down from the mountains would hit the warmer air on the coast, brewing up a wind that would go screaming across the surface of...
link to hub on Logos
- The controversy of the Word, Logos in John 1:1,14 Part 2
Words are powerful. We use them to get attention, make a statement, and prove a point. The words we choose are important. John’s words had to be important to be preserved in the most powerful book ever written. Knowing the meanings behind his... - The controversy of the Word, Logos in John 1; Part 1
His opening statements sent shock waves through the crowd. You could have heard a pin drop in those first few minutes. Then the murmuring began. Glances were exchanged, eyebrows were raised, faces turned red. Some of the more excitable among...
For another look at this method of Bible Study, called the Inductive Study method, please visit the hubs by Cedar Cove Farms called, How to study the Bible, Inductively. These hubs expand the method into 7 steps.
