What does John 1:3 mean?
The role of God as Creator is established here. The universe is not the product of mindless matter, but the intended product of an intelligent Creator. In prior verses (John 1:1–2), Jesus is said to be God. This is an important purpose of the first 18 verses of John: countering all other concepts of what God is or is not.Here, Scripture makes the interesting point that nothing created was created apart from Jesus. This is important for several reasons. First, it proves that Jesus is not an angel, a man, or some other formed being (Hebrews 1:3–4). Secondly, it implies a difference between things which begin to exist, and the One who always existed. In other words, there is one thing that did not "begin to exist," which did not "come into being." Logically, cause-and-effect must have an un-caused beginning. This one—and only—thing is God. A fancier term for this idea is the "Cosmological Argument," or the argument from a "first cause."
John 1:1–18 is a poetic introduction of Jesus Christ. Jesus is referred to using the Greek word logos, meaning "the Word." This passage clearly describes Jesus as God, and co-creator with God the Father. These verses summarize Jesus' ministry and mission on Earth. The passage also explains how John the Baptist—a different John from the author of this gospel—was sent ahead of Christ to prepare for His arrival.
The first chapter of John introduces Jesus as "the Word," from the Greek logos. This chapter clearly describes Jesus as God. After this prologue, the chapter describes Jesus recruiting the first of His disciples, as well as a conversation between John the Baptist and the Pharisees. There are seven names or titles for Christ in this chapter, including "the Son of God," "the Word," and "the King of Israel."
