John 1:1-18
John / John 1:1–18
Who wrote the book?
• The Apostle John wrote the books of John, 1John, 2John, 3John and Revelation
• This is not John the Baptist
• This is John the fisherman (Mark 1:19, Matthew 4:21 ) Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.
• Mark 3:16-17 Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter; James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, “Sons of Thunder”;
• Luke 9:54 And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?” But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village.
• John is the only disciple not to die a martyr.
• John was the in the inner circle of disciples (Peter, James and John).
To whom is the book written to?
• To new believers and universally to the world.
• The first three gospels were synoptic and chronologically followed the life of Christ.
1. Matthew - Written from a Jewish perspective - Jesus as a King
2. Mark - From a Roman mindset and culture - Jesus as the servant
3. Luke - From a Greek perspective - Jesus as a man
4. John - Jesus as God- universal audience -written for all people and all cultures.
Key Theme of the book
• Jesus is the Son of God
• John 1:34 John the Baptist - And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.
• John 1:49 Nathanael answered and said to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”
• John 3:18 He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
• John 5:25 Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.
Where was the book written?
• The book was written in Ephesus in the time period of 80-90 AD. This would have been about 50 years after Jesus’ ministry and 10-20 years after the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD.
Why is the book so important?
• 90% of what John wrote is the meanings behind what the other gospels recorded.
• John writes so that we may believe
• John 20:30-31 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 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.
1. The gospel of John is attested - John 20:30 “… in the presence of His disciples”
2. The gospel of John is interpretative - John 20:31 “...these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,”
3. The gospel of John is regenerative. -John 20:31 “and that believing you may have life in His name.”
Three Key Words: (John 20:30-31)
1. Signs - a revelation ofGod
2. Belief - the reaction invoked by seeing the signs
3. Life - the result of your belief - brings eternal life those who believe
Six signs or miracles f only in the book of John
a. Turns water into wine (John 2:1-11)
b. Heals the nobleman’s son (John 4:46-52)
c. Heals the paralytic at Bethesda (John 5:1-13)
d. Heals the blind man (John 9:1-12 )
e. Raises Lazarus (John 11:38-42)
f. Jesus causes a miraculous catch of fish (John 21:1-14)
Jesus walks on water (John 6:16-21) also in Matthew 14:22-33 and Mark 7:24-30
Jesus feeds the 5,000 found in all four gospels (John 6:1-14 ,Matthew 14:13-21, Mark 6:30-44 and Luke 9:10-17
John never uses the name of Mary in the book, he refers to her as the mother of Jesus.
John 21:25 And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.
John 1:1-18
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
1. The eternal Word - The Bible teaches us that Jesus is eternal.
a. The "Logos' was in the beginning before time existed as man knows it. vs.1a
b. There is no article in the Greek simply "In Beginning". Jn. 8:58 Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”; 1Jn 1:1-2 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life—the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us—
c. The tense is the durative imperfect, a continuous existence reaching back before Genesis. Gen. 1:1
d. No beginning no end...Melchizedek. Heb.7:3 without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually.
e. Rev 19:13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.
2. Equal with God - The Word was with God, as in face to face.
The "Logos" was in fellowship with God and distinct from God.
a) The word with "pros" means literally "face to face" after the Old Testament type of the shewbread which means bread of the face.
b) The word describes intimacy timeless eternity with another, you can not be alone and say you are with someone else.
c) The triune Godhead said, "Let us make man in our image after our likeness". Gen.1:26
d) John 5:18 Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.
e) John 10:30 “I and My Father are one.”
3. Divine - And the Word was God
The Word was God. vs. 1c
a) Literally it says, "God was the word"
b) Jesus is called God by Thomas, "My Lord and My God" Jn. 20:28, by the Father, Heb. 1:8, by Matthew, Immanuel Matt. 1:23
The New King James Version Chapter 1
2 He was in the beginning with God.
The Word pre-existed before time with God. The verse is both a conclusion and summary statement of fact about the Word.
The Word was God as he existed before creation. Jesus is NOT a created being.
The New King James Version (Chapter 1)
3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
The person of Jesus has shined in the past, the present and will continue to shine in the future, for there has never been a time when the truth and illuminating work of God has not gone on.
1)He has been shining in the "darkness" meaning the fallen and depraved sea of humanity, the world.
2) The problem is not with God but with man.
a) The fallen world of humanity is enmity against God. Rom. 8:7
b) The fallen world of humanity is not open to receive the witness of God. Jn. 1:1
1) The word comprehended not, "katalombano" means to receive, apprehend or appropriate.
2) The darkness loves darkness and stays away from the light because it exposes the evil they do, remember!
Jn. 3:19-20 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.
3) Satan the god of this world blinds and holds men captive at his will. 2Cor. 4:4; 2Tim. 2:26 * The idea that this teaches that the darkness has never or can never overtake or seize the light is foreign to the context, though we do understand it to be a Scriptural truth. 1John 4:4
John 1:4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
Because darkness cannot comprehend it, thus you must be regenerated.
There was a man....
The New King James Version Chapter 1
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
The New King James Version Chapter 1
9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.
The Light revealed!
The New King James Version Chapter 1
10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.
The Light rejected!
The New King James Version Chapter 1
11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.
He came into His own Creation, and even the Jews did not receive Him.
The New King James Version Chapter 1
12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name
The Light is received!
The New King James Version Chapter 1
13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
1. Not by blood
2. Not of the will of the flesh
3. Not of will of man.
Salvation is of God!
The New King James Version Chapter 1
The Word became flesh!
V.1-2 The Word, Logos and God
V.3 - The Word, Logos and creation
V. 4-5 The Word, Logos and humanity
V. 6-13 Witness to the Word
V.14-18 The Word made flesh
