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1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God.
2 He was with God in the beginning.
3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made
that has been made.
4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men.
5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood
it.
John 1:1-5
Explanation: 1:1--What Jesus taught and what he did are tied
inseparably to who he is. John shows Jesus as fully human and fully
God. Although Jesus took upon himself full humanity and lived as
a man, he never ceased to be the eternal God who has always existed,
the Creator and Sustainer of all things, and the source of eternal
life. This is the truth about Jesus, and the foundation of all truth.
If we cannot or do not believe this basic truth, we will not have
enough faith to trust our eternal destiny to him. That is why John
wrote this Gospel--to build faith and confidence in Jesus Christ
so that we may believe that he truly was and is the Son of God.
John wrote to believers everywhere, both Jews and non-Jews (Gentiles).
As one of Jesus' 12 disciples, John was an eyewitness, so his story
is accurate. His book is not a biography (like the book of Luke);
it is a thematic presentation of Jesus' life.
Many in John's original audience had a Greek background.
Greek culture encouraged worship of many mythological gods, whose
supernatural characteristics were as important to Greeks as genealogies
were to Jews.
John shows that Jesus is not only different from but
superior to these gods of mythology. What does John mean by the
Word? The Word was a term used by theologians and philosophers,
both Jews and Greeks, in many different ways. In Hebrew Scripture,
the Word was an agent of creation (Psalm 33:6), the source of God's
message to his people through the prophets (Hosea 1:2), and God's
law; his standard of holiness (Psalm 119:11). In Greek philosophy,
the Word was the principle of reason that governed the world; or
the thought still in the mind, while in Hebrew thought, the Word
was another expression for God. John's description shows clearly
that he is speaking of Jesus--a human being he knew and loved, but
at the same time the Creator of the universe, the ultimate revelation
of God, the living picture of God's holiness, the One in whom all
things hold together (Colossians 1:17). To Jewish readers, the Word
was God was blasphemous. To Greek readers, the Word became flesh
was unthinkable. To John, this new understanding of the Word was
gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ.
1:3--When God created, he made something from nothing.
Because we are created beings, we have no basis for pride. Remember
that you exist only because God made you, and you have special gifts
only because God gave them to you. With God you are something valuable
and unique; apart from God you are nothing, and if you try to live
without him, you will be abandoning the purpose for which you were
made.
1:3-5--Do you ever feel that your life is too complex
for God to understand? Remember, God created the entire universe,
and nothing is too difficult for him. God created you; he is alive
today, and his love is bigger than any problem you may face.
1:4,5--The darkness has not understood it means
the darkness of evil never has and never will overcome or extinguish
God's light. Jesus Christ is the Creator of life, and his life brings
light to mankind. In his light, we see ourselves as we really are
(sinners in need of a Savior). When we follow Jesus, the true Light,
we can avoid walking blindly and falling into sin. He lights the
path ahead of us so we can see how to live. He removes the darkness
of sin from our lives. Have you allowed the light of Christ to shine
into your life? Let Christ guide your life, and you'll never need
to stumble in darkness.
6 There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John.
7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that
through him all men might believe.
8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the
light.
9 The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the
world.
10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him,
the world did not recognize him.
11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive
him.
12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name,
he gave the right to become children of God-
13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or
a husband's will, but born of God.
John 1:6-13
Explanation: 1:6-8--In this book, the name John refers to John
the Baptist.
1:8--We, like John the Baptist, are not the source
of God's light; we merely reflect that light. Jesus Christ is the
true Light; he helps us to see our way to God and shows us how to
walk along that way. But Christ has chosen to reflect his light
through his followers to an unbelieving world, perhaps because unbelievers
are not able to bear the full blazing glory of his light firsthand.
The word witness indicates our role as reflectors of Christ's light.
We are never to present ourselves as the light to others, but are
always to point them to Christ, the Light.
1:10, 11--Although Christ created the world, the
people he created didn't recognize him. Even the people chosen by
God to prepare the rest of the world for the Messiah rejected him,
although the entire Old Testament pointed to his coming.
1:12, 13--All who welcome Jesus Christ as Lord
of their lives are reborn spiritually, receiving new life from God.
Through faith in Christ, this new birth changes us from the inside
out--rearranging our attitudes, desires, and motives. Being born
makes you physically alive and places you in your parents' family.
Being born of God makes you spiritually alive and puts you in God's
family. Have you asked Christ to make you a new person? This fresh
start in life is available to all who believe in Christ.
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have
seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the
Father, full of grace and truth.
15 John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, "This
was he of whom I said, `He who comes after me has surpassed me because
he was before me.'"
16 From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing
after another.
17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through
Jesus Christ.
18 No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at
the Father's side, has made him known.
19 Now this was John's testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent
priests and Levites to ask him who he was
.
20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, "I am
not the Christ. "
21 They asked him, "Then who are you? Are you Elijah?"
He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?"
He answered, "No."
22 Finally they said, "Who are you? Give us an answer to take
back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"
23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, "I am the
voice of one calling in the desert, `Make straight the way for the
Lord.'"
John 1:14-23
Explanation:
1:14 The word became flesh means becoming human. By doing so, Christ
became [1] the perfect teacher-- in Jesus' life we see how God thinks
and therefore how we should think [Philippians 2:5-11]; [2] the
perfect example-- as a model of what we are to become, he shows
us how to live and gives us the power to live that way [Peter 2:21];
[3] the perfect sacrifice-- Jesus came as a sacrifice for all sins,
and his death satisfied gods requirements for the removal of sin
[ Colossians 1:15-23]. The One and Only , who came from the Father
means Jesus is God's only an unique son. The emphasis is on unique.
Jesus is one of a kind and enjoys a relationship with God unlike
all believers who are called children and said to be born of God.
When Christ was born, God became a man. He was not part man and
part got; he was completely human and completely divine [Colossians
2:9]. Before Christ came, people could know God partially. After
Christ came, people could know God fully because he became visible
and tangible in Christ. Christ is the perfect expression of God
in human form. The two most common errors people make about Jesus
are to minimize his humanity or to minimize his divinity. Jesus
is both God and man
1:17 law and Grace are both aspects of God's nature
that he uses in dealing with. Moses emphasized God's law and justice,
While Jesus Christ came to highlight God's mercy, love, and forgiveness.
Moses could only be the giver of the law, While Christ came to fulfill
the law [Matthew 5:17]. The nature and we'll of God were revealed
in the law; now the nature and will of God are revealed in Jesus
Christ. Rather than coming through cold stone tablets, God's revelation
[truth] now comes through a person's life. As we get to know Christ
better, our understanding of God willing crease.
1:18 God communicated to various people in the
Old Testament, usually prophets who were told to give specific messages.
But no one ever saw God. God the One and Only is a title showing
that Jesus is both God and the father unique son. In Christ, God
revealed his nature and essence in a way that could be seen and
touched. In Christ, God became a man who lived on earth.
1:19 the priests and Levites were respected religious
leaders in Jerusalem. Priests served in the temple, and low Levites
assisted them. The leaders that came to see John were Pharisees
[ 1:24], a group that both John the Baptist and Jesus often denounced.
Many of them outwardly obeyed God's laws to look pious, well inward
lay their hearts were filled with pride and greed. The Pharisees
believed that their own oral traditions were just as important as
God's inspired Word. These leaders came to see John the Baptist
for several reasons; [1] their duty as guardians of the state caused
them to want to investigate any new preaching [Deuteronomy 13:1-5;
18:20-22]. [2] they wanted to find out if John had the credentials
of a prophet. [3] John had quite a following, and it was growing.
They were probably jealous and wanted to see why does man was so
popular.
1:21-23 In the Pharisees' minds, there were four
options regarding John the Baptist's identity: he was [1] the prophet
foretold by Moses [ Deuteronomy 18:15] ,[ 2] Elijah [Malachi 4:5],
[3] the Messiah, or [ 4] a false prophet. John d Knight being the
first three personages. Instead he called himself, in the words
of the Old Testament prophet Isaiah, A voice of one calling: in
the desert prepare the way for the Lord [Isaiah 40:3]. The leaders
kept pressing John to say who he was because people were expecting
the Messiah to come [Luke 3:15]. But John emphasized only why he
had come-- to prepare the way for the Messiah. The Pharisees missed
the point. They wanted to know who John was, but John wanted them
to know who Jesus was.
24 Now some Pharisees who had been sent
25 questioned him, "Why then do you baptize if you are not
the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"
26 "I baptize with water," John replied, "but among
you stands one you do not know.
27 He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals
I am not worthy to untie."
28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan,
where John was baptizing.
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look,
the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
30 This is the one I meant when I said, `A man who comes after me
has surpassed me because he was before me.'
31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with
water was that he might be revealed to Israel."
32 Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down
from heaven as a dove and remain on him.
33 I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to
baptize with water told me, `The man on whom you see the Spirit
come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.'
34 I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God."
John 1:24-34
Explanation: 1:25,26--John was baptizing Jews. The Essences
[a strict, monastic sect Judaism] practiced baptism for purification,
but normally only non-Jews [Gentiles] were baptized when they converted
to Judaism. When the Pharisees questioned John's authority to baptized,
they were asking who gave John the right to treat God's chosen people
like Gentiles. John said baptized with water-I he was merely helping
the people perform a symbolic act of repentance. But soon one would
come who would truly forgive sins, something only the Son of God-the
Messiah-- could do.
1:27--John the Baptist said he was not even worthy
to be Christ's slave, to prepare the humble task of unfastening
his shoes. But according to Luke 7:28, Jesus said that John was
the greatest of all prophets. In such a great person felt inadequate
even to be Christ's slave, how much more should we lay aside our
pride to serve Christ! when we truly understand who Christ is, our
pride and self importance melt away.
1:29--Every morning and evening, a lamb was sacrificed
in the temple for the sins of the people [Exodus 29:38-42]. Isaiah
53:7 prophesied that the Messiah, God's servant, would be led to
the slaughter like a lamb. To pay the penalty for sin, a life had
to be given-- and the God chose to provide the sacrifice himself.
The sins of the world were removed when Jesus died as the perfect
sacrifice. This is the way our sins are forgiven [Corinthians 5:7].
This sin of the world means everyone's sin, the sin of each individual.
Jesus paid the price of your sin by his death. You can receive forgiveness
by confessing your sin to him and asking for his forgiveness.
1:30--Although John the Baptist was a well known
preacher who attracted large crowds, he was content for Jesus to
take the higher place. This is truly humility, the basis for greatness
in preaching, or any other work we do for Christ. When you are content
to do what God wants you to do and let Jesus Christ be honored for
it, God will do great things through you.
1:31-34--Jesus' baptism John the Baptist had declared
Jesus to be the Messiah. At that time God had given John a sign
to show him that Jesus truly had been sent from God. John and Jesus
were related [ see Luke 1:36], sewage probably knew who he was.
But it wasn't until Jesus' baptism that John understood that Jesus
was the Messiah. Jesus' baptism is described in Matthew 3:13-17;
Mark 1:9-11; and Luke 3:21,22.
1:33--John the Baptist's baptism with water was
preparatory, because it was repentance and symbolized the washing
away of Sins. Jesus by contrast, would baptize with the Holy Spirit.
He would send the Holy Spirit upon all believers, empowering them
to live and to teach the message of salvation. This outpouring of
the Spirit came after Jesus had risen from the dead and ascended
into heaven [see 20:22;Acts 2].
1:34--John the Baptist's job was too point people
to Jesus, their long-awaited Messiah. Today people are looking for
someone to give them security in an insecure world. Our job is to
point them to Christ and to show that he is the one whom they seek.
35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples.
36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of
God!"
37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.
38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, "What
do you want?" They said, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher),
"where are you staying?"
39 "Come," he replied, "and you will see." So
they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with
him. It was about the tenth hour.
40 Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what
John had said and who had followed Jesus.
41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and
tell him, "We have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ).
42 And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "You
are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas" (which, when
translated, is Peter ).
43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip,
he said to him, "Follow me."
44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida.
45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the
one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also
wrote--Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."
46 "Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael
asked. "Come and see," said Philip.
47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, "Here
is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false."
48 "How do you know me?" Nathanael asked. Jesus answered,
"I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip
called you."
49 Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God;
you are the King of Israel."
50 Jesus said, "You believe because I told you I saw you under
the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that."
51 He then added, "I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven
open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son
of Man."
John 1:35-51
Explanation: 1:35 These new disciples used several names for
Jesus; Lamb of God, Rabbi, Messiah, Son of God, and King of Israel.
As they got to know Jesus, their appreciation for him grew. the
more time we spend getting to know Christ, the more we will understand
and appreciate who he is. We may be drawn two him for his teaching,
but we will come to know him as the son of God. Although these disciples
made this verbal shift in a few days, they would not fully understand
Jesus until three years later. [Acts 2] What they so easily professed
had to be worked out in experience. We may find that words of faith
come easily, but deep appreciation for Christ comes with living
by faith.
1:37 One called the two disciples was Andrew. The
other was probably John, the writer of this book. Why did these
disciples leave the John the Baptist? Because that's what John wanted
them to do-he was pointing the way to Jesus, the one John had prepared
them to follow. These were Jesus' is first disciples, along with
Simon Peter and Nathanael.
1:38 When the two disciples began to follow Jesus,
he asked them, what do you want? Following Christ is not enough;
we must follow him for the right reasons. To follow Christ for our
own purposes would be asking Christ two follow us- to align with
us to support advance our cause; not his. We must examine our motives
for following him. Are we seeking his glory or ours?
1:40-42 Andrew accepted John the Baptist's testimony
about Jesus and immediately went to tell his brother. Simon, about
him. There was no question in Andrew's mind that Jesus was the Messiah.
Not only did he tell his brother, he was also eager to introduce
others to Jesus.
1:42 Jesus saw not only who Simon was, but who
he would become. That is why he gave him a new name--Cephas in Aramaic,
Peter in Greek (the name means--a rock). Peter is not presented
as rock-solid throughout the Gospels, but he became a solid rock
in the days of the early church, as we learn in the book of Acts.
By giving Simon a new name, Jesus introduced a change in character.
1:46 Nazareth was despised by the Jews because
a Roman army garrison was located there. Some have speculated that
an aloof attitude or a poor reputation in morals and religion on
the part of the people on Nazareth led to Nathanael's harsh comment.
Nathanael's hometown was Cana, about four miles from Nazareth.
1:46 When Nathanael heard that the Messiah was
from Nazareth, he was surprised. Philip responded, Come and see.
Fortunately for Nathanael, he went to meet Jesus and became a disciple.
If he had stuck to his prejudice without investigating further,
he would have missed the Messiah! Don't let people's stereotypes
about Christ cause them to miss his power and love, invite them
to come and see who Jesus really is.
1:47-49 Jesus knew about Nathanael before the two
ever met. Jesus also knows about what we are really like. An honest
person will feel comfortable with the thought that Jesus knows him
or her through and through. A dishonest person will feel uncomfortable.
You can't pretend to be something you're not. God knows the real
you and wants you to follow him.
1:51 This is a reference to Jacob's dream recorded
in Genesis 28:12. As the unique God-man, Jesus would be the ladder
between heaven and earth. Jesus is not saying that this would be
a physical experience (that they would see the ladder with their
eyes) like the transfiguration, but that they would have spiritual
insight into Jesus' true nature and purpose for coming.
