John 1:1-14

The Gospel According to John - Chapter One

“The Word” is one of the highest and most profound titles of the Lord Jesus Christ.[1]

[1] J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible Commentary: The Gospels (John 1-10), electronic ed., vol. 38 (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1991), 19.

1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

- “In the beginning was the Word” - Before time began, Christ was already in existence with God. In this verse the Word (Christ) is said to be with God (in communion with and yet distinct from God) and

- “the Word was God” - Christ (Jesus) is God (identical in essence with God).

- In John, Jesus is the Logos, the Word Of God Who was with God and was God. The tense of the word shows the Logos' pre-existence.

- The Greek term logos referred to a message, not just a single word. In this context it is a title. John chose this term to assert that God's Word is both a person and a message.

Word = Christ = Jesus = Logos = God

- The Greek philosophers saw the logos as the power that puts sense into the world, making the world orderly instead of chaotic. The logos was the power that set the world in perfect order and kept it going in perfect order. They saw the logos as the “Ultimate Reason” that controlled all things. Therefore in this opening John said to both Jews and Greeks: “For centuries you’ve been talking, thinking, and writing about the Word (the Logos). Now I will tell you who He is.” - John met both Jews and Greeks where they were at, and explained Jesus in terms they already understood.

- “the Word was with God, and the Word was God” - With this brilliant statement, John 1:1 sets forth one of the most basic foundations of our faith – the Trinity. We can follow John’s logic:

· There is a Being known as the Word. · This Being is God, because He is eternal (In the beginning) · This Being is God, because He is plainly called God (the Word was God).

· At the same time, this Being does not encompass all that God is. God the Father is a distinct Person from the Word (the Word was with God).

- So, the Father and the Son (the Son is known here as the Word) are equally God, yet distinct in their Person. The Father is not the Son, and the Son is not the Father. Yet they are equally God, with God the Holy Spirit making one God in three Persons.

- Everything that can be said about God the Father can be said about God the Son. In Jesus dwells all the wisdom, glory, power, love, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth of the Father. In Him, God the Father is known.

John 14:9b “He who has seen Me has seen the Father.”

1:2-5 “He was in the beginning with God. v3 All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. v4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. v5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”

- v2 “He was in the beginning with God” - This verse is parallel to v1 and emphasizes again that Jesus, who was born around 6-4 b.c., has always been with the Father and, therefore, is Deity. It again makes the point that the Father is distinct from the Son, and the Son distinct from the Father. They are equally God, yet they are separate Persons.

- v3 “All things came into being through Him” - The Logos was the Father's agent of creation of both the visible and the invisible.

John 1:10a “He was in the world, and the world was made through Him.”

Colossians 1:16 “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.”

- The Word created all things that were created. Therefore He Himself is an uncreated Being.

- v4 “In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men” - The Word (Jesus) is the source of all life – not only biological life, but the very principle of life. This life is the Light of men; speaking of spiritual light. Jesus is life and Light. (Jesus is responsible for both our physical life and our spiritual life)

- “in Him was life” - This denotes salvation and deliverance, based on Christ’s atonement.

- “the Light of men” - This Implies revelation; the Light reveals the ‘life’ that is in Christ and which brings into judgement those who refuse it.

John 3:19-21 “And this is the judgment, that the Light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light; for their deeds were evil. v20 For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light, lest his deeds should be exposed. v21 But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought (done) in God.”

- In Jesus’ Light, we see ourselves as we really are; sinners in need of a Savior.

- v5 “The Light shines” - This is present tense, which means continuous action. Jesus has always existed, but now He is clearly manifested to the world.

- v5 “The Light shines in the darkness”

John 8:12 “Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”

John 9:5 “While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.”

John 12:46 “I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.”

- v5 “and the darkness did not comprehend it” - The Greek verb ‘comprehend” is not easy to translate. It contains the idea of laying hold on something so as to make it one’s own. This verb has another meaning, ‘overcome.’ - So another way to translate this phrase is: “and the darkness did not overcome it” -- The Light cannot lose against the darkness; the darkness will never overcome it.

1:6-8 “There came a man sent from God, whose name was John. v7 He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. v8 He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.”

- v6 - - We know him as John the Baptist. -- The author of this Gospel, the Apostle John, never refers to himself by name in this book. Every time we read the name John; it refers to John the Baptist.

I found an article by Heather Adams. Here is a small excerpt from that article:

Who Was John the Baptist? John's parents, Zachariah and Elizabeth, lived in the hill country of Judea. Zachariah was a priest, and according to Scripture, they were a devout couple who faithfully followed the Lord’s ordinances. Elizabeth was actually descended from the line of Aaron, and was a cousin of Mary, the mother of Jesus. So, John and Jesus were cousins, only months apart in age. John's birth was divinely foretold, and his name was given directly by God. In Hebrew, the name means “Jehovah is gracious.” (this can be found in Luke 1:5-13)

- John the Baptist was the last Old Testament prophet (in the sense of his message and perspective). He was the forerunner predicted in Malachi.

Malachi 3:1a “Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me.”

-- John the Apostle may have inserted vv6-8 because of the early misunderstandings which developed around John the Baptist.

Luke 3:15 “Now while the people were in a state of expectation and all were wondering in their hearts about John, as to whether he was the Christ.”

- John the Baptist bore witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. The work of John the Baptist was deliberately focused on bringing people to faith in Jesus the Messiah.

- v8 - - John illustrates what a proper witness of Jesus Christ does. - John is not the Light himself, but what he can do is reflect the Light of Christ. Jesus calls John….

5:35a “the lamp that was burning and was shining.”

- John’s life pointed others to the true Light and burns as a testimony to the transforming power of Jesus Christ.

- Believers are to reflect Jesus’ Light also….

Philippians 2:15 (NLT) “Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people”

- Paul was telling the Philippians that they must shine as lights in the world; which means they as believers must show their character in the midst of a dark culture; as the sun, moon, and stars shine in an otherwise dark sky.

- Matthew 5:14a,16, (NLT) Jesus is speaking to His disciples, “You are the light of the world v16 let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”

-- We, as Christians, are called to be lights in the world and reflect Christ. Light gives the gift of guidance, so that those who have lost their way can find the path home.

- Charles Spurgeon: The object of our shining is not that men may see how good we are, nor even see us at all, but that they may see grace in us and God in us, and cry, “What a Father these people must have.”

1:9-11 “There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. v10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. v11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.”

- v9 “enlightens every man” - John did not mean that the Word gives this Light to everyone in the ultimate, saving sense.

- v10 - - God came to the same world He created, to the creatures made in His image, and yet the world did not know Him.

- v11 "His own" - Is used twice in this verse. - The first refers to all creation. The second refers to the Jewish people.

- v11 “He came to His own” - We might translate these words, ‘He came home’. When the Word came to this world He did not come as an alien. He came home.

- vv9-11 - - Jesus came as the Light, but the world was blind and could not see it. The One Who ‘created’ the world was ‘in’ the world, yet the world did not recognize Him.

-- This is still true of all unbelievers today! * Jesus made our eyes, yet we refuse to see His glory. * Jesus made our ears, yet we refuse to listen to His words. * Jesus made our heads, yet we refused to bow before Him.

1:12-13 “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, v13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

- v12 “As many as received Him” - This is just another way to say, “those who believed in His name.” - Though some rejected this revelation, others received Him and thereby became children of God. They became children of God through a new birth, being born... of God.

- This shows humanity's part in salvation. Humans must respond to God's offer of grace in Christ.

Romans 10:9-13 “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; v10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. v11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.” v12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; v13 for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

- God is certainly sovereign, yet in His sovereignty He has initiated a conditional covenant relationship with fallen humanity. Fallen mankind must repent, believe, obey, and persevere in faith. This concept of "receiving" is theologically parallel to "believing" and "confessing," which denoted a public profession of faith in Jesus as the Christ.

Matthew 10:32 “Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father Who is in heaven.”

- Salvation is a gift that must be received and acknowledged. Those who "receive" Jesus (v12) receive the Father who sent Him.

John 13:20b “he who receives Me receives Him Who sent Me.”

-- Salvation is a personal relationship with the Triune God!

- v13 “not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man” - Those who received Him are born of God, and not of human effort or achievement.

Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; v9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

- This new birth is something that brings change to our life. It changes us from the inside out; rearranging our attitudes, desires, and motives.

- Charles Spurgeon: ‘The man is like a watch which has a new mainspring, not a mere face and hands repaired, but new inward machinery, with freshly adjusted works, which act to a different time and tune; and whereas he went wrong before, now he goes right, because he is right within.’

1:14 “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

- Jesus was truly human and truly God in fulfillment of the promise of Immanuel.

Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.” - Immanuel means ‘God with us.’

- God took up residence as a man among fallen mankind, the word “dwelt” literally means, "pitched His tent."

- When Jesus was conceived, God became a man. He was not part man and part God: He was completely human and completely Divine.

Colossians 2:9 “For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form”

- 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. Jesus is both God and man.

- Why did God become man? --- If Jesus did not become a man, He could not be tempted. . Apart from His human nature, Jesus could not have experienced temptation. The Incarnation provides us with an Advocate before the Father's throne Who knows exactly what we're going through and exactly how it feels. God became man so He could sympathize with our weakness and so He could assure us that victory over sin and temptation is possible through His strength. --- If Jesus did not become a man, He could not be an example. . Because Jesus became a man, we can know how He would respond. --- If Jesus did not become a man, He could not die for our sin.

-- Only Jesus could be an adequate Savior; for He must be human in order to be able to suffer and die, and He must be God to make that death effective as a payment for sin.