Reading John 1:1-51
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.
He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ ”
16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”
He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.”
And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?”
He said, “I am not.”
“Are you the Prophet?”
And he answered, “No.”
Then they said to him, “Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?”
He said: “I am
‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
“Make straight the way of the Lord,” ’
as the prophet Isaiah said.”
Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees. And they asked him, saying, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
John answered them, saying, “I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know. It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.”
These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.”
And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”
Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God!”
The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, “What do you seek?”
They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), “where are You staying?”
He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).
One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus.
Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, “You are Simon the son of [m]Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is translated, [n]A Stone).
The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, “Follow Me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”
Philip said to him, “Come and see.”
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!”
Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?”
Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”
Nathanael answered and said to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”
Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” And He said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter[o] you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.” – John 1:1-51 NKJV
Authorship
With the title “The Gospel According to John” in the strict sense of the term, the Fourth Gospel is anonymous. But that does not mean one cannot know who the authors were.
An author may indirectly reveal himself within the writing, or his work may be well known in tradition as coming from him.
Purpose
The purpose of the Gospel of John is stated in John 20:31 that it was to record Jesus’ “signs” so that readers would come to believe in Him.
“but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.” – John 20:31 (NKJV)
The major body of the Gospel of John is contained in a “Book of Signs” (John 2:1-12:50) which embraces seven miracles or “signs” which proclaim Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God.
The Theme
The key word in the Gospel of John is “believe” which occurs 98 times.
John wanted to emphasize a continuous, active, and vital trust in Jesus.
Outline
The Book of John can be divided into the following main sections:
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- Prologue (Chapter 1:1-18)
- The Book of Signs (Chapters 1:19 – 12:50)
- Farewell Instructions (Chapters 13 – 17)
- Passion and Resurrection (Chapters 18 – 20)
- Epilogue (Chapter 21)
The Prologue (John 1:1 – 18)
All four Gospels begin by placing Jesus within a historical setting, but the Gospel of John is unique in the way it opens.
The Book of Matthew begins with the genealogy of Jesus that connects Him to David and Abraham.
Mark starts with the preaching of John the Baptist.
Luke has a dedication of his work to Theophilus and follows with a prediction of the birth of John the Baptist.
But John begins with a theological prologue.
The Prologue set the theological introduction, which enabled readers to understand that the Words and Deeds of Jesus are the Words and Deeds of
God manifest in the flesh.
It is almost as if John had said, “I want you to consider Jesus in His teaching and deeds. But you will not understand the good news of Jesus in its fullest sense unless you view Him from this point of view.” (theologically)
“Jesus is God manifested in the flesh, and His Words and Deeds are those of God.”
John 1:1 (NKJV)
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
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- As far back as man can think (in the beginning).
- Was the Word (the Word was existing).
- The Word was with God (in a special relationship of eternal fellowship).
—“with” God suggests “—in company with. - John then added “the Word was God.”
John 1:2 (NKJV)
“He was in the beginning with God.”
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- The Word has always been in a relationship with God the Father.
- In eternity past the Father (God) and the Son (the Word) have always been in a loving relationship with each other.
- Both Father and Son are God, yet there are not two Gods. They are one.
John 1:3 (NKJV)
“All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.”
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- God is eternal, and He is the Creator of all things.
- And the Word was the agent of Creation.
John 1:4 (NKJV)
“In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.”
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- John affirmed that in the ultimate sense, life is in Christ.
- Jesus is the light of men. (ref. John 8:12)
- Light is commonly used in the Bible as representing God, while darkness is commonly used to denote death, separation from God, ignorance, and sin.
John 1:5 (NKJV)
“And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”
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- Light’s nature is to shine and dispel darkness.
- Darkness is unable to overpower or overcome light.
- John summarized “Light will invade the dominion of darkness.”
The Word will be victorious in spite of the opposition of darkness.
John 1:6 (NKJV)
“There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.”
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- In addition to the Word, a man came on the stage of history: his name was John. This man was not the author of this Gospel but he was the great forerunner of Jesus known as John the Baptist.
- This man was sent from God.
John 1:7 (NKJV)
“This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through Him might believe.”
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- The word witness is important in this Gospel. John the Baptist was sent for people’s benefit to be an additional pointer to the truth of Jesus.
- People in darkness need someone to tell them what is light.
- John’s goal was that all men might come to trust in Jesus.
John 1:8 (NKJV)
“He was not the Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.”
John 1:9 (NKJV)
“That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.”
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- This does not mean universal salvation or that everyone will be saved on the earth.
- It does mean that Christ as the Light shines on each person either in salvation or in illuminating him.
John 1:10 (NKJV)
“He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.”
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- The world means the world of men and human society which is now in disobedience to God.
- The failure to recognize or know Him was because of darkness, blindness, and human ignorance.
John 1:11 (NKJV)
“He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.”
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- He went to His own home, His own people, the nation Israel, but they as a whole rejected Him.
John 1:12 (NKJV)
“But as many as received Him to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His Name”
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- The privilege by the new birth or being born-again to become a part of the family of God.
- People are not naturally children of God but can become so by receiving the gift of salvation.
John 1:13 (NKJV)
“who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor or the will of man, but of God.”
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- This being born-again or new birth does not come by natural descent or of a blood line.
- The birth of a child of God is not a natural birth, it is a supernatural work of God.
John 1:14 (NKJV)
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth,.”
The Remaining part of John 1:
A Voice in the Wilderness (John the Baptist as a witness)
The Lamb of God (John the Baptist points to Jesus as the Lamb of God)
The First Disciples (John the Baptist continues/Jesus’ Disciples are mentioned by name)
Including Philip and Nathanael (To become Jesus’ Disciples)