What does it mean that the Word was in the beginning (John 1:1)?

from the old testament

• Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” The gospel of John and the book of Genesis start the same way: with the phrase, "in the beginning.” This parallel reinforces that God the Father and God the Son have always existed. All was created through the Son (John 1:3).
• In Exodus 3:14, God introduced Himself to Moses as “I AM.” He has always been and always will be; God is the self-existent One. The verse says, “God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ And he said, ‘Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” “I am” is present tense. The triune God is, always has existed from before creation, and always will exist (cp. Revelation 1:8).

from the new testament

• John 1:1 affirms the divinity of Jesus: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Word is from the Greek word logos. The Logos of God was God the Son, through whom all was created. He has no Beginning. He is eternal.
• In Colossians 1:16, Paul writes of Jesus, “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.” This passage reinforces John 1:1–3, indicating everything was created through Jesus.
• The Word—Jesus—revealed the Father to us. We see this in Hebrews 1:1–3 as well: "Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high." Like John 1, this passage from Hebrews further points to Jesus’ divinity. It also draws a parallel: God’s prophets proclaimed His word in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, Jesus is the Word who fulfills the Father’s will.
• Revelation 19:13 depicts the Lord as the Rider on the white horse and refers to Him in the same way John 1:1 does: “He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God.” Jesus is the Savior of the world.

implications for today

Jesus is the most pivotal figure in human history. Even unbelievers admit this. Many non-Christians also respect Him—but not as God. As John 1:1 shows, though, Jesus was not merely a wise moral teacher. Jesus is God. Everything was created through Him. He is the Messiah the Old Testament points to. He lowered Himself to take on human form, come to earth, and suffer for the sins of all mankind. And He rose on the third day—something no mere man could do. Knowing who Jesus is and what He did for us should impact how we live. Living a life for Christ includes telling others about who He really is. Christ came to save you and me, but not only us; He came to save our neighbor, our coworker, our sibling—”the world” (John 3:16). Have you told someone about Jesus this week? Have you shown others Jesus in how you conduct yourself? Have you shared the good news? In John's own words, the purpose of this gospel is "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name" (John 20:31). Our interactions should include sharing the good news of the Word (Romans 1:16; 1 Peter 3:15)