Logou tēs Zōēs
Logou tēs Zōēs
Does anyone know what "Logou tēs Zōēs" means in English? It is a phrase that does not come up in everyday conversation, and yet it sits at the very heart of who we are as a church.
Logou tēs Zōēs means Word of Life.
Our church started in 1980, and in the mid-nineties Pastor Randy changed the name to Word of Life. But what does that name actually mean? Where did it come from? It is certainly not a phrase we routinely use. There are a handful of times in Scripture where this idea shows up, the partnering of word or communication or message with the promise of life. But two verses specifically use the phrase logou tes zoe.
1 John 1:1b says, We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life.
Philippians 2:16a says, Hold firmly to the word of life.
Two authors writing to two different groups of believers, with two different emphases. John is more abstract and theological. Paul is more practical and encouraging. Together they give us a complete picture, and they lead us to one truth.
Jesus is the Answer You're Looking for and The Life You Need
The Meaning Behind Logos
In the ancient Greco-Roman culture, logos was a word used in lofty philosophical discussions. The literal meaning includes words, speech, message, or reasoning. But in the ancient world it often carried deeper meaning than just a spoken sentence. It was used when describing the quest for truth and understanding. Conversations about logos were about the ultimate meaning of life and the grand scheme of reality.
Jewish readers would hear another layer behind this term. In the Old Testament, God's word was never empty talk or hollow speech. When God spoke, the universe was created. Light broke into darkness. Promises were set in motion. Nations rose and fell. Deliverance came. His word carried authority, power, and certainty. What God said, God did. God's word was active, effective, and trustworthy.
Then John opens his Gospel and takes a word that would mean something to both cultures and says all of that finds its fulfillment in a person.
John 1:1 says, In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John is saying the meaning behind reality is not just an idea. The power of God is not abstract. The promises of God are not hanging unresolved. The truth humanity has searched for is not distant. The Logos, the Word, lived and breathed and walked among us. His name is Jesus.
The One who created it all stepped into creation Himself. The Author put Himself in the story. The Maker entered what He had made. Today people have the same questions and concerns about logos as the ancient Greeks. We also ask and wonder. What is truth? What is the ultimate reality? What is God doing? Why am I here? What is the meaning of life? Does any of this matter? Is my existence of any consequence at all? How can I know God? How are His promises fulfilled?
John decisively points us to Jesus, the Word of Life.
The Meaning Behind Zōē
The word used for life here is just as important as the word logos. This idea stretches across the New Testament. Jesus is the Word of Life, and the gospel about Him is the message of life.
John 1:4 says, The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.
Throughout the New Testament, Jesus and the gospel are repeatedly connected to life. John 10:10 says, My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. Acts 5:20 says, Go to the Temple and give the people this message of life. Romans 6:23 says, The free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. 1 Timothy 6:19 says, Then they will experience true life. 1 John 5:11-12 says, God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
The New Testament picture is unavoidable. Jesus does not merely improve life around the edges. He gives life at the center. The apostles did not preach Christianity as rule-keeping, empty religion, or mere survival. They proclaimed Christ as the source of true life now and eternal life forever.
The New Testament does not use a word that simply means existing, breathing, or biological survival. It uses the Greek word zōē, which means life in its fullest, richest, and deepest sense. There is another common Greek word for life, bios. That is where we get words like biology and biography. Bios often referred to physical life, livelihood, or the outward span of earthly existence. It speaks of being alive in a basic sense. But zōē goes deeper. It speaks of true life, spiritual life, abundant life, eternal life, the life that comes from God Himself. Not just a heartbeat. Not just survival. Not just making it through another week. This is life as it was meant to be. The moments that bring joy and fulfillment. The things we are grateful for and the reason we keep on going.
What makes this especially interesting is that when the Old Testament was translated into Greek a few hundred years before Jesus was born, the translators used zōē in some significant moments. God breathing life into Adam. The tree of life. The Hebrew to Greek translators recognized that the life given by God in Eden was more than physical animation. It was sacred, a gift from God, the fullness of life.
Deuteronomy 30:19 says, Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!
The choice is not between existing or not existing. It is not a choice about merely surviving. It is about the fullness of life.
We need to remember that life is more than biological existence. So when the New Testament uses zōē, it is not presenting a new idea but reaching all the way back to creation itself. Many people have bios. They are breathing, working, paying bills, scrolling, surviving. But surely we know in the depth of our soul that there is more to life than that. This is what Jesus promises. Life that is vibrant and full.
So what is the life Jesus promised? It is forgiveness replacing guilt. Peace replacing chaos. Purpose replacing emptiness. Hope replacing despair. Truth replacing confusion. Strength replacing spiritual exhaustion. Eternal security replacing fear of death.
Word of Life Together
When the New Testament speaks of Jesus as the Word of Life, it is not giving us a poetic slogan. It is declaring a profound truth. Logos tells us that Jesus is the truth of God revealed, the answer to our quest for meaning, the promises of God fulfilled, the voice of God made visible. Zōē tells us that Jesus is the source of true life. Not mere existence, not survival mode, not just getting by, but the full, vibrant, God-given life humanity was created for.
In other words, Jesus is both the answer our minds have been searching for and the life our hearts have been longing for. He brings clarity to confusion, purpose to emptiness, hope to despair, and He restores our relationship with God.
The Answer
The world is searching. This church has a history of being an outward focused church, and we have an ongoing commitment to remain that way. We live in a culture that is searching, even if it does not consciously realize it. To those who are searching, the words of Jesus are so important.
I am convinced that everybody wants Jesus, even if they do not know it.
John 14:6a says, Jesus told him, I am the way, the truth, and the life.
If you are looking for answers, it is Jesus. The way is the street, the path. The truth is understanding, the undoing of the lies. When you trust in Jesus, you stop feeling lost, you stop believing the lies that cause so many problems, and instead you find life. The pursuit and quest to find the fullness of life is the search for Jesus.
We have a responsibility to be a signpost pointing people to Jesus. Not just a few of us, but the whole church.
Sustained by the Word
Philippians 2:16a says, Hold firmly to the word of life.
John 6:66-69 says, At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, Are you also going to leave? Simon Peter replied, Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.
The promise of answers is fulfilled even in the complexities and upset of life. This verse has come to my mind so many times. When everything else feels uncertain, when other voices fade or fail, the question stands. To whom would we go? Jesus alone has the words that give eternal life.
Not Just Surviving
Deuteronomy 8:3b says, People do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.
If life was just about surviving and successfully keeping the species going, then we could live by bread alone. The word used here when they translated from Hebrew to Greek is from zoe, not bios. The plain truth is that if you have bread, food and water, you have all you need to survive. If bios was all there is, then this scripture would be confusing. If life was just about the survival of the species, then bread alone is just fine.
But even the most committed atheists understand that humanity is not built or wired to just survive. There is something in us that hungers for more. We are not content with just waking up and staying alive and then doing it again tomorrow.
Every single one of us understands this. We know there is more. We may struggle to articulate it or describe it, but we long for the fullness of life we were designed for. We were created by a loving Father to exist for eternity in perfection. Sin corrupted God's perfect creation, it distorted our way of thinking and our understanding, it resulted in death and decay, and it severed our relationship with our Heavenly Father.
Surviving and making it through another day and another year cannot be described as a zoe kind of life, even though we are alive. We know there is more to life than that. Our hearts cry for something more. In Him, we find what we are looking for. We rediscover what the fullness of life truly is.
We do not live by bread alone. Surviving is not it. We find life through the Word of God. Through His promises, through His kindness, and through His grace. It is found in Jesus.
A Real Word from a Real God
What you will notice as you read the Bible is that the events are rooted in real history. Christianity is not once upon a time in a land far, far away. The Bible points to known people, places, and recorded world events. The Bible points to eyewitnesses and is substantiated by archaeology. It is not a myth detached from reality. It is the account of God entering the world in a real moment of history.
This means that we are not just contemplating stories and speeches and thought exercises and nice sounding ideas. We are wrestling with the reality of God and the truth and reliability of His promises.
We should care what God says. People say talk is cheap, but not when God says it. He cannot lie. He only tells the truth. By the power of His word He created the world. He is dependable. He never fails. He lovingly guides and directs. His word stands forever. His word gives clarity in the middle of confusion. And we should imitate God in this.
Word of Life
Word of Life is a great name for a church because it points people directly to Jesus. He is not just one option among many. He is not merely a teacher with helpful advice. He is not just a religious symbol. He is the Word, the truth of God revealed, the answer to life's deepest questions, the promises of God fulfilled. He is the Life, the source of forgiveness, purpose, peace, hope, and eternal salvation.
This church exists to offer more than programs, traditions, or a weekly event. We exist to lead people to become faithful and effective followers of Jesus. In a world full of confusion, noise, emptiness, and people stuck in survival mode, Word of Life will continue declaring that real truth and real life are found in Him. We will continue what Jesus started.
