Before the World Began, He Was
Month 1: The Word Became Flesh · Bible Story
Today's Scripture
Read together: John 1:1–5
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Memory Verse
“The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”— John 1:14 (BSB)memorize this week
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Genesis 1–3
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Day 1 of 365 — and notice how John 1 echoes Genesis 1: "In the beginning…")The Heart of It
Most stories about Jesus begin with a stable in Bethlehem. John starts much earlier. He starts before the stable. He starts before Bethlehem. He starts before there was a single star to shine over it. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John calls Jesus "the Word." A word is how someone makes themselves known. So Jesus is how God makes Himself known to us. Before there was anything to make, Jesus already was. He was not created. He was not a lesser god. He was God Himself, face to face with the Father. The baby in the manger we will meet this month is the eternal Son. He has always existed.
That changes everything about who Jesus is. He didn't begin to exist when He was born. He stepped into the world He had already made (). And He came as light into the darkness. The darkness could never put that light out (). This is the great announcement of the whole Gospel. The God who flung the stars into place came near enough to be held. As we open the Gospels together this year, we are not studying a good teacher from long ago. We are following the living Word. He was with God. He is God. And He loves us enough to come close.
Around the Table
Before there were any people, any animals, or any stars, Jesus was already there with His Father. Jesus has always been alive!
Let's do it: Hold up your hands and say, "Jesus was here first!" Then count three things Jesus made.
John calls Jesus "the Word." A word tells us what someone is thinking. And Jesus shows us exactly what God is like.
Let's talk: Jesus made everything. So what does that tell us about how powerful and good He is?
Jesus is fully God. He was with the Father from all eternity. He was never created. He is the eternal Son.
Let's go deeper: Why does it matter that Jesus existed before He was born? How would the rescue be different if He were only a man?
💬 Conversation Starter
What's the very first thing you remember in your whole life? Jesus has no "first thing." He was always there!
🛡️ Defending the Faith
Some say Jesus was just a wise man. Others say He was a created being, like an angel. But is plain. It says, "the Word was God." The earliest Christians worshiped Jesus as God. They did this because He claimed it and proved it (). We're always ready to give an answer for this hope, and we give it gently ().
For Dad · Go Deeper
John's prologue (1:1–18) is a doorway your whole family is about to walk through. Notice that John deliberately reaches back to Genesis. He opens with "In the beginning" to tell us the Creator of chapter one is the Christ of the Gospel. This is why the deity of Jesus isn't a side issue. If the Word is God, then following Jesus is the most reasonable thing a person can do, and worship is the only fitting response. As you lead this year, settle it in your own heart first. You are not teaching your children merely to admire Jesus. You are teaching them to bow before Him and walk with Him. The men who knew Him best ended up calling Him "my Lord and my God." Let that be the air your home breathes this month.
Draws on: D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, thank You that Jesus has always been with You. Thank You that the One who made everything came near to us. Help our family to know Your Son. Help us to love Him and follow Him. In Jesus' name, amen."
Jesus didn't start in Bethlehem. He was God with the Father before the world began, and He came for me.