In the beginning was the Word (John 1:1-18)

Intro: Words of God, not John.

a. If John were to speak to us in his own words, we would need to be aware of his family, his education, his country. But since it is not him, But God by him, we don’t need any of this. We come to realize the power of God and Christ’s deity. (The JWs change scripture) We can tell by the heavenly wisdom in this Book that these doctrines don’t belong to him, but the divine power stirring his soul, that mighty Holy Spirit revealing all things. John links his gospel to the original creation by echoing the opening words of Genesis, “In the beginning.”

---The book of John is seperated from the other 3 gospels known as the Synoptics- Greek meaning ‘to see together’. Matthew, Mark, and Luke have many similarities, they follow the same structure and perspective. John’s gospel is much different then the other. John has no narrative parables, no accounts of Jesus exorcising demons or healing lepers, and no record of Jesus birth, baptism, transfiguration, temptation, agony in Gethsamane, or ascension. On the other hand John’s gospel includes more than 90% of the gospel not found in the Synoptics, such as Christ’s pre-existence and incarnation, His claim to be living water, and more teaching on the Holy Spirit than found in the Synoptics.

---Short bio- John was known as the disciple “whom Jesus loved”. John and his brother James were known as “the sons of Zebedee”. Zebedee being their father who was also a fisherman. John was one of the 3 most closest followers of Jesus along with Peter and James. these 3 are frequently mentioned together alone with Jesus. After Christ’s ascension, John became a pillar in the Jerusalem chruch (Gal. 2:9). He ministered with Peter until he went to Ephesus, where he wrote this gospel, and where the Romans exiled him to Patmos (Rev. 1:9). John also is the author of 1-3 John, and Revelation.

The Word, with God, was God

------- a. The Word- He is to God what man’s word is to himself. The manifestation or expression of himself. As we know that Jesus is the image of God. (Colossians 1:15) The term “Word” (Greek: logos) designates God the Son with respect to His deity; “Jesus” and “Christ” refer to His incarnation and saving work. In this introduction he states the eternal Divinity of Christ, in order to inform us that he is the eternal God, who was manifested in the flesh.

(1 Tim. 3:16.) And most certainly, great is the mystery of godliness:

Who was revealed in the flesh,

was vindicated by the Spirit,

was seen by angels,

was proclaimed among the Gentiles,

was believed on in the world,

was taken up in glory.

The design is, to show it to have been necessary that the restoration of mankind should be accomplished by the Son of God, since by his power all things were created, since he alone breathes into all creatures life and energy, so that they remain. (without Him all would crumble to nothing.)

In this verse, the Word is cleary affirmed to be God. The Word existed in the beginning, which is a way of explaining the eternity that is unique to God. (hard to comprehend God before all things were, but He is self suffient and in need of nothing.)

-----— b. With God- having a conscious personal existence distinct from God (as one is from the person he is “with”), but inseparable from Him and associated with Him. “the Father” is used in the same sense as “God” here.

The nature of this union between the Father and the Son, we have no mental capacity to explain. From the sun and its rays, and from fire and the light of fire, which, though two distinct things, are yet inseparably united. Where one is the other is also. Our Lord says distinctly, “I am in the Father and the Father in me.” “I and the Father are one.

-------c. Was God- in substance and essence God; or possesses essential or proper divinity. (The Word has always been God from eternity.) He was in the beginning with God. To ensure no one can draw a false idea that Christ was not always a part of the Godhead, he declares that the same Word who was eternal, and was God, was also from all eternity a Person in the Godhead distinct from God the Father.

Sinclair lewis in his novel ‘Arrowsmith’ wrote “Ask the sun, if ever it were without its beams. Ask the fountain, if ever it were without its streams. So God was never without His Son”.

2. He created all, in Him was life (1:3-5)

-------a. Through Him all was created, by the Word of God. This verse also emphasizes the diety of Christ because creation belongs to God alone. Colossians 1:16-17 says “because all things in the heavens and on the earth were created by Him, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers, all things were created through Him and for Him, and He Himself is before all things, and in Him all things are held together”.

-------b. (1:4) Christ is the source, fountain, origin, and cause of life. Through Him all life flows. (The power of the Word of God is overwhelming, He holds it all). Acts 17:28- “for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring’”.

The life was the light of men. This sentence means that the life which was in Christ, was intended before the fall to be the guide of man’s soul to heaven, and the supply of man’s heart and conscience,—and that since the fall of man it has been the salvation and the comfort of all who have been saved. It is those and those only who have followed Christ as their light and hope, who have lived before God and reached heaven. There has never been any spiritual life or light enjoyed by men, except from Christ. (As we know before Christ came, they looked forward to the future of Christ’s salvation, we look back unto it.)

-------c. (1:5)- [The light shines in darkness.] This sentence means that the spiritual light which Christ, the source of life, offers to man, has always been neglected since the fall, and is still neglected by unregenerate men. It has been like a candle shining in a dark place, a light in the middle of a world of darkness,—making the darkness more visible. Unregenerate people are darkness itself about spiritual things. “You were darkness.” Ephes. 5:8.-for you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live like children of light.

[The darkeness did not comprehend it]- From the beginning of the fall they could not take in the light of God. They are blind. Humans by their own guidance are always led to vanity, lies, and destruction. (Even crucifying Jesus because they refused to comprehend).

3. John sent from God. (1:6-9)

-------a. (1:6) Short bio of John Matthew 3:4 - John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.

---The rough camel-hair garment seems to have been characteristic of a prophet. His garment being made of camel hair distinguished him from royalty who wore soft raiment. This was also the case with Elijah (2 Kings 1:8), who is called “a hairy man,” from his wearing such raiment. “This is one of the most admirable materials for clothing; it keeps out the heat, cold, and rain.”

--- John the Baptist was a prophet who is both the fulfillment of OT prophecies and a model of the OT prophets themselves. Matthew 11:13-14- “For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John, and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah, the one who is going to come.” John prepared the way for Christ to come, there is no reason to wonder, that John disappeared, in order that Christ might shine alone in greater brightness.

-------b. (1:7-9) [A witness]- John’s mission is articulated in legal terms; he is a witness coming to testify.

[Through him.] This does not mean “through Christ” and Christ’s grace, (lower case h in him) but through John the Baptist and his testimony. It is one of those texts which show the immense importance of the ministry. It is a means and instrument through which the Holy Spirit produces faith in someone’s heart. “Faith comes by hearing.” Through John the Baptist’s testimony, Andrew was led to believe in Jesus and become a disciple. Just so now through preaching and witnessing, sinners learn to believe on Christ and are saved.

[He was not that light.] Let it be noted that our Lord himself calls John the Baptist at a later period, “The burning and shining light.” (John 5:35.) But it is a curious fact that the Greek word there rendered “light,” is not the one used here. It is a word which is frequently translated “candle.” John the Baptist was a “candle,” but not the light itself. Believers are called “the light of the world.” (Matt. 5:14,) but only as members of Christ the light, and borrowing light from him. Christ alone is the great sun and fountain of all light, the light itself.

[That was the true light.] He is underived light, true in opposition to all light that is borrowed, communicated, or participated from another.

4.- (1:10-13) [He was in the world, & they knew him not.] This verse describes the unbelief of the whole world before Christ’s incarnation. He “was in the world” invisibly, before He was born of the Virgin Mary. He was to be seen in His works and in His power over all things, if men only had eyes to see Him. And yet the very world which He had made, the work of his hands, did not acknowledge, believe, or obey Him. It knew Him not. At Athens, Paul found an altar “to the unknown God.”

[He came unto his own, and they did not recieve Him.] This verse describes the unbelief of the Jewish nation after the incarnation of Christ, and during His ministry among them. He came to a people who were His own, by their redemption from Egypt, by their introduction into the land of Canaan, and by their possession of the law of Moses, and the covenants, and yet they did not believe on Him, or receive Him, but actually rejected and slew Him. The Greek words for His own in this verse are different. The first literally means “His own things”, the second is “His own men, servant, subjects.” It is probably meant to show that our Lord came to a people whose land, territory, cities, temple, were all His own property, and had been originally granted by Himself. The Jews, Palestine, Jerusalem, the temple, were all Christ’s possession. Israel was “His inheritance.” (Psalm 78:71.)—This made the sin of those who “did not receive Him,” even more sinful.

12.—[As many as received Him.] This means “as many as believed on Christ, and acknowledged Him as the Messiah.” (it’s just another form of saying “believed on His name”) To believe on Christ with the heart is to recieve Him, and to recieve Him is to believe on Him. (Col. 2:6 - As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.)

[To them He gave the right to become children of God.] This expression means, “He gave them the privilege of adoption into God’s family.” They became the “children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” (Gal. 3:26.) “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.” (1 John 5:1.) There is no sonship to God without living faith in Christ.”

-------13.—[Which were born, &c., &c.… of God.] The birth here spoken of is the new birth, or regeneration, that complete change of heart and nature which takes place in a man when he becomes a real Christian. It is a change so great that no other figure but that of birth can fully express it. It is as when a new being, with new appetites, wants, and desires is brought into the world. A person born of God is “a new creature, old things are passed away, behold all things are become new.” (2 Cor. 5:17.)

5.- (1:14-18) And the Word became flesh.

-------a. (1:14)- Some believed that the gods visited the earth disguised as human beings. (Acts 14:11- Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!”)

[we have seen his glory] “Glory” applies supremely to God, the Creator and Ruler of the universe, the One before whom all knees must bow. The Son has the divine glory by right (John 17:5) (And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.) The Reformers declared their faith with the motto soli Deo gloria (to God alone the glory).

[the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.] Only begotten in Greek is monogenes -meaning “only, unique, one of a kind”. In English, only begotten implies a created being. This is not what it means in the Greek term. It means Single of it’s kind. To be one’s only son or daughter. We become sons and daughters of God, but we are never God the Son.

full of grace and truth. - The full grace of God, and the full truth about the way of acceptance, were never clearly seen until the Word became flesh, dwelt among us on earth, opened the treasure house, and revealed grace and truth in His own person. Full of grace were His actions. Full of kindness, love, and favour to men. Full of truth were His words. no deception or lies, but preaching the way of salvation.

-------b. [John bore witness and cried out] Cry out in Greek - krazo - call out; shout; cry aloud. John the baptist was making a loud proclamation here.

[He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.] The first “before” signifies before in place or position. The second “before” signifies a point of time or existence. John is saying “He existed before me, at the time when I was not.”

[And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.] This sentence means, “all we who believe on Jesus, have received an abundant supply of all that our souls need out of the full store that resides in Him for His people. It is from Christ and Christ alone, that all our spiritual wants have been supplied.”

17.—[For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth through Jesus] This verse seems intended to show the inferiority of the law to the Gospel. By Moses was given the law,—the moral law, full of high and holy demands, and of stern threatenings against disobedience;—the ceremonial law, full of burdensome sacrifices, ordinances, and ceremonies, which never healed the worshipper’s conscience, and at best were only shadows of good things to come.

By Christ came grace and truth grace by the full manifestation of God’s plan of salvation, and the offer of complete pardon to every soul that believes on Jesus,—and truth, by the Christ Himself, as the true sacrifice, the true atonement for sin.

18 [No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.] This verse seems intended to show the infinite personal superiority of Christ to Moses, or to any other saint that ever lived. No man has ever seen God the Father; not Abraham not Moses, notJoshua, not David, notIsaiah, not Daniel. All these, however holy and good men, were still only men, and quite incapable of beholding God face to face, because of their very weakness. None of the Old Testament appearances of God to man were ever the Father. It was always Jesus Pre-Incarnate.

In the bosom of the Father is figurative, simply for man’s simple understanding. as one lies in the bosom of another shows immense closeness. The union of the Father and the Son is more close than man’s mind can conceive.

He has declared Him - Not only through speaking did Jesus declare the Father, but also by the visible representation. Col. 1:15 - He is the image of the invisible God.

Close: John 5:39 - Open here. “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.”

This was a reference to the OT scriptures obviously. They testify of Christ in direct prophecies, promises, and ceremonies. Throughout all of history, the building up of the coming of the Messiah has been seen. (All things point to Jesus, our redeemer.)