1. We read in John:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. This was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men; and the light shines in darkness, but the darkness comprehended it not.

Further,

The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory of the Only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1: 1-5, 14.
In the same,

Light is come into the world, but men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil

                                                                                                                      John 3: 19.
And elsewhere in the same,

While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may be the children of light. . . .I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believes on Me should not abide in darkness.                                                                                      John 12: 36, 46.
From these passages it is evident that the Lord is God from eternity, and that God Himself is the Lord who was born in the World. For it is said that the Word was with God, and that the Word was God; also that without Him nothing was made that was made; and again, that the Word became flesh, . . .and they beheld Him.

Why the Lord is called the Word, is but little understood in the Church. He is, however, called the Word because the Word signifies Divine Truth or Divine Wisdom itself. For this reason He is called the Light, which likewise is said to have come into the world. Since Divine Wisdom and Divine Love make one, and in the Lord had been one from eternity, it is therefore also said, "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men": the life is Divine Love, and the light is Divine Wisdom. The oneness is what the statement that in the Word was God means. With God means in God, for wisdom is in love, and love in wisdom. So also in another place in John:

And now, O Father, glorify you me with your own self, with the glory which I had with you before the world was.                                                                John 17: 5

With your own self means, in yourself. Therefore it is also said:

And the Word was God; and elsewhere that the Lord is in the Father, and the Father in Him; and also that the Father and He are one. 

Now, as the Word is the Divine Wisdom of the Divine Love, it follows that it is Jehovah Himself, and thus the Lord, by whom all things were made and are made; for all things were created from the Divine Love by means of the Divine Wisdom.

That the Word which is here specifically meant is the same as that which was manifested through Moses and the Prophets, and through the Evangelists, may clearly appear from this consideration, that this Word is Divine Truth itself, from which is derived all wisdom with angels and all intelligence with men. For angels have in the heavens the very same Word that men have in the world save only that in the world with men it is natural, whereas in the heavens it is spiritual. Moreover, since the Word is Divine Truth, it is also the Divine proceeding; and this is not only the Lord, but it is also the Lord Himself. As this Word is the Lord Himself, therefore all things in general and in particular of the Word are written concerning Him alone: from Isaiah even to Malachi there is not any thing which is not about the Lord, or, in the opposite sense, against the Lord.

One sees here that by the Word of the New Testament there is clear evidence that the Lord, who is the Lord Jesus Christ, is the same God of the Old Testament, who is there called Jehovah. And that they are one person, for God is within the Lord who was born in the world. Further, these verses show that God is also the Word from which all things exist. Since the Lord is the Truth and has created all things, then it is through the Word that all things come into existence, for it is from Divine Truth that all things were created.

One sees here, then, that it is from the Lord who came into the world that all things came into existence, thus, the Lord is the same God, who the Old Testament says created all things. Often, one may have heard that God created all things just by speaking, such as, "God said, let the let there be light, or waters, etc".  This, however, is not what is meant. It is the Word, that is, the Divine Truth proceeding from the Divine Good, from which all things came into existence. The Divine Truth, or the Word, comes from Divine Good, which is the supreme reality and essential in the universe; this is what makes and creates.

Again, it is from these passages in John that we see that the Word became flesh, of which we said is the Lord. We know and accept that by 'flesh' is meant man, so in the highest sense it means the Lord's Human and that Human became Divine. This is the Word or that which proceeds from the Divine Good or Divine Love. Here, we quote John 6: 51, 58, "I am the living bread which came down from Heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give for the life of the world. This is the bread which came down from Heaven not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever." By bread is meant 'good' and, so, is the Divine Good or Divine Lord.

Thus is the manifestation of the Lord's Divine Human, which as said, is the Divine Good or Divine Love. Also, from this text it is learned that it is the 'flesh' that signifies the body, while it is the blood that signifies the Divine Truth or the Word, who is the Lord.

Again, we know that the Lord is called the Light from which life comes. So then, also, is the truth that there comes faith from which life comes. Thus, one comes to understand that he is but a recipient of life from God. This brings us to understand that the Good, which proceeds for Divine Good is through Divine Truth. The Lord is that Life itself and within life there is both wisdom and intelligence. The reason this is, is because when one receives good, he can will good, which is of wisdom. To receive truth, a person may believe the truth, which is his intelligence. Thus, from wisdom and intelligence we have life. It is the Lord who is the Light, which illuminates our understanding.

Finally, these verses in the book of John teach that the Word and God are one, for it has been with God from the beginning. The Father's 'own self' is within the Lord by which glorification came to the Lord. It is the Lord alone, who has this 'own self', and that a man may be saved. This is known as the Proprium or what is the Lord's own. One sees that this is the life that vivifies or makes alive.

[1] That the Word which is here specifically meant is the same as that which was manifested through Moses and the Prophets, and through the Evangelists, may clearly appear from this consideration, that this Word is the Divine Truth itself, from which is derived all wisdom with angels, and all spiritual intelligence with men. For angels have in the heavens the very same Word that men have in the world; save only that in the world with men it is natural, whereas in the heavens it is spiritual. Moreover, since the Word is Divine Truth, it is also the Divine proceeding; and this is not only from the Lord, but it is also the Lord Himself. As this Word is the Lord Himself, therefore all things in general and in particular of the Word are written concerning Him alone: from Isaiah even to Malachi there is not anything which in not about the Lord, or, in the opposite sense, against the Lord.

[2] That this is the case, has not hitherto been seen by anyone; but yet everyone may see it, provided he is made aware of it, thinks of it while he reads, and further knows that in the Word there is not only a natural sense, but also a spiritual sense; and that in this spiritual sense, by names of persons and of places is signified something of the Lord, and consequently something of Heaven and of the Church from Him, or something of an opposite sense. Now, as all things in general and in particular of the Word concerns the Lord, and as the Word, because it is Divine Truth, is the Lord, it clearly appears why it is said, "and the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory"; and why it is said, "While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may be the children of light . . . .I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believes on Me should not abide in darkness." The light is the Divine Truth, and consequently the Word. Therefore everyone, even at this day, who, while reading the Word, approaches the Lord alone, and prays to Him, is enlightened therein.