John 1:1-18

Prologue

John 1:1–18 ESV

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. 9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’ ”) 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

Jesus as pure goodness, is offered to you by grace…believe!

Theme: Jesus is creator of all life, giver all of life, denied by men, giver of grace, to be believed upon for life

Creator of all life (yet men deny the light of life)

1-5

6-13

Witness of life denied by world, but those who are born of God believe.

14-18

This new birth comes from grace, which Jesus reveals this as well.

Jesus is creator and giver of life, denied by men, giver of grace, to be believed upon for life.

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

The Word

Genesis 1 we read nine times “And God said”

Psalm 33:6 “6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.”

Psalm 107:20 “20 He sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction.”

Proverbs 8:27–30 “27 When he established the heavens, I was there; when he drew a circle on the face of the deep, 28 when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep, 29 when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth, 30 then I was beside him, like a master workman, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always,”

Greek problem of how there is anything constant. Heraclitus: you can never step into the same river; it is never the same because the water has flowed on. He answered how how there can therefore be order is the Logos, reason or word of God. This was the principle that held everything together in a world of change. There is a purpose and design to the world and events and this is the Logos. Plato said “it may be that some day there will come forth from God a Word, a Logos, who will reveal all mysteries and make everything plain.” John is thus saying hear this you Greeks, Jesus is the Word, Logos, reason. (REC)

Genesis 1:4 “4 And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness.”

Isaiah 9:2 “2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.”

The first five verses needs to highlight well the blessedness of the being of God…the Word being God and with God (face to face)…a blessed existence before the world began.

The Word had an inexpressible existence before creation, and then created from this existence.