John declares Jesus to God by emphasizing His eternal nature, role in creation, and incarnation. 

While many people think of Bethlehem as the beginning place for Jesus, this is not where John begins his Gospel. To appreciate what happened in Bethlehem, we must travel back through time eternal. Then, we may understand the baby of Bethlehem was the eternal God who took on human flesh to save human beings.

ESV passage John 1:1-14