No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known. John 1:18
If no one has ever seen God, then how could someone ever make him known? Because Jesus is the eternal, personal, divine, creating, life-giving, incarnate Son of God.
1. Eternal. In the beginning was the Word… (1:1)
John does not say, “In the beginning was God and no one has ever seen him or made him known.” John says, “In the beginning was the Word…” This means the God who is eternal (in the beginning) is the God who communicates himself (the Word).
2. Personal. The Word was with God… (1:1)
The Word is not simply an aspect of God, like God’s mercy or his love. There is distinct personality here. That is why John goes on to say, “All things were made by him and without him nothing was made that was made.” We are bumping up against the doctrine of the Trinity.
3. Divine. The Word was God… (1:1)
This Word is a divine person. He is not part of the creation like the angels or us. The Word was with God, and the Word was God (1:1). There is distinct personality and divinity. You find the same thing later on: “He is the only God and he is at the Father’s side” (1:18).
Are you beginning to see how it might be possible for “the Word” to make God known to us?
