Jesus Christ Is the Word

Genesis 1:1 declares, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” John 1:1–3 echoes that opening: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that has been made.” These passages share not only their opening phrase—“In the beginning”—but also a profound theological link: the Creator is revealed as the Word. In Genesis, God acts; in John, we learn who was acting—the eternal Word, fully divine and co-eternal with the Father. Then John 1:14 unveils the wonderful truth: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” Jesus Christ is the Word.

So God created the world “by His Word”—and that Word spoke each day of creation into being: “God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light,” and so on. But the Word is far more than speech. John reveals Him as a divine Person—the very essence of God—who entered time and space to become our Savior. Jesus Christ is the Word made flesh.

Lately, I’ve been reflecting on how the founders of many of the world’s major religions compare with Jesus Christ. Confucius, who lived five centuries before Christ, founded not a religion per se, but a moral philosophy—a system of ethics that has shaped Chinese and Southeast Asian cultures. Confucius was a moral teacher, but he was just a man. History records that he didn’t always live up to his own ideals.

The man who became known as the Buddha supposedly attained enlightenment around the fifth century B.C. He drew countless followers across Asia, but he never claimed divinity. In fact, Buddhism is essentially a godless religion.

Hinduism is often traced to Krishna, who may have existed around 3,200 B.C. Hinduism boasts millions of followers, especially in India, which is officially a Hindu nation. Those who teach Christianity there face persecution. Unlike Buddhism, which doesn’t have a god, Hinduism has millions of gods. Hindu followers can choose their gods, fashion idols, and worship them—a practice that echoes Isaiah’s scathing portrait of idolatry (Isaiah 44:9-20). 

Islam was founded by Muhammad much later, around 600 years after Christ. Today, it is the world’s fastest-growing religion. Its number of followers is second only to Christianity—and, by some estimates, is projected to equal or surpass Christianity in the coming decades. It has made strong inroads into the United States.

But contrast the religious founders’ teachings. Muhammad commanded violence against “infidels”—anyone outside Islam. Jesus commanded, “Love your enemies” (Matthew 5:43-48). The Buddha taught that one can escape suffering through self-effort by attaining nirvana, essentially a state of non-being. Hinduism teaches reincarnation. Moral conduct in this life determines one’s next life. Perhaps you might come back as a cow if you are really good, or as an insect if you are not so good. Some Hindus won’t till the soil, fearing they might crush an ancestor reborn as a bug.

Jesus Christ is the Word who came not only to model virtue and teach love. Because He knew we cannot keep God’s commands perfectly, He paid the penalty for our sins to restore our broken relationship with God. Our Creator entered human history—not as a philosopher, prophet, or enlightened teacher—but as the incarnate Word, bearing our guilt, conquering death, and securing eternal life for all who trust in Him.

One common factor among all the religious founders is that they all died. Only one, Jesus Christ, rose from the dead and is alive today. Those who die in Christ do not cease to exist. We will live with Him because of Him.   

— Roland Earnst © 2026