John 1:1 says, In the beginning, was the Word (aka Jesus, THE Son of God) and the Word was WITH (pros - face to face) God and the Word was God. John starts his gospel with, IN the beginning, IN the eternal place - the place not bound by time and space, was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John is not saying that Jesus and the Father were hanging out in heaven side by side, or hanging out WITH each other. IN the beginning, was the Word – en arche ēn ho Logos. IN the eternal place exists the Logos. The word exists (ēn) is imperfect verb tense. In other words, there never was a time when the Logos wasn't IN the eternal place with God… even when He came to earth, He was still IN the eternal place with God. As ONE!
The rest of verse 1 says, "And the Word (the Logos) was (exists - ēn) [imperfect tense again] with (pros – face to face!) God (Theos – Father, Son, and Spirit). And God was (exists - ēn) [imperfect tense again] the Word (the Logos). John is describing ONENESS… the eternal union of Father, Son, and Spirit. This verse is literally timeless. It is the eternal, continuous existence of oneness of the Word and God. The incarnation is not the origin of Jesus (the Word, the Logos). He is I AM! ONE… IN God (Father, Son, and Spirit) IN the eternal realm (in the beginning).
When the Word (aka Jesus) stepped into time and space, He never left the eternal realm of IN… the eternal WITH-ness with His Father (face to face, mouth to mouth, breath to breath).
And I love verses 9 and 10 of John 1! Verse 9 says, "The true Light who gives light to every man was coming into the world!" There isn't an exclamation point in this verse, but really I think there should be. Can't you just hear the excitement in this verse… He's coming!!! The true Light of the world is coming!!! Get ready!!! Can you hear the anticipation, the hope, the expectancy in this verse? The true Light, the King of kings, the Christ, the Son of the Living God, God of God, the Eternal One, Jesus is coming into our world!!!
And then verse 10 declares that there was never a time He wasn't in our world! Although no one recognized Him.... He was ALWAYS in our world.
