John 1:1–18
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 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.
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.
9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.
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: 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 beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
15 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. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 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.
The first chapter of the Gospel of John begins by introducing Jesus Christ. It is a masterful introduction. Whether or not you believe this introduction is a litmus test of your faith.
1. The Relationships of Christ (John 1:1–5)
One of the greatest passages in the Bible is the first five verses of the Gospel of John. It shows Christ’s relationship to God, the galaxies and the Gospel. You must get the subject of these five verses correct if your doctrine is to be correct. The time covered in these first five verses is from before time began (creation of the universe) all the way to the victory of Christ on the earth in the future.
A. His relationship to God.
This relationship is vital to Christ’s identity. First, His designation. “The Word” (John 1:1). Words reveal thoughts. Christ is the great revealer of God’s thoughts (Hebrews 1:1, 2; John 1:18). That is why He speaks of Himself as the “Alpha and Omega” (Revelation 1:11). Alpha and Omega are the first and last letter of the Greek alphabet. The expression “Alpha and Omega” takes in all the letters of the alphabet. Letters make words. Christ is all the words to reveal God. Second, His duration. “In the beginning was the Word” (John 1:1). The beginning refers to the creation. Christ was in existence before the creation. He did not come into being at Bethlehem. The word translated “was” in John 1:1, 2 is in the imperfect tense meaning continuous action in past time. This speaks of the eternality of Christ. He has always existed. Third, His dwelling. “With God” (John 1:1). Jesus did not live with Mary Magdalene as some critics want us to believe, He lived with God. Fourth, His deity. “The Word was God” (John 1:1). You cannot make the fact of the deity of Christ any plainer than this last statement in John 1:1. The deity of Christ is taught absolutely and clearly in the Scriptures. This statement not only teaches it but so does the duration of Christ teach it.
B. His relationship to the galaxies.
The next significant relationship John gives of Christ is His relationship to creation. It certainly invalidates any evolutionary ideas. First, the extent of the creation. “All things were made by him” (John 1:3). Christ did it all. What power, what genius! To emphasize this truth, John adds it again only in the negative, “And without him was not anything made that was made” (John 1:3). One of the habits of John in his writing is to state a fact in the positive then to follow with a negative (see John 1:20, 3:36, 8:23; I John 1:5 and 4:6). Second, the energy for the creation. “Made” (John 1:3). The word translated “made” means “to be made or created from nothing” (Zodhiates). What enormous power to create the universe out of nothing! Christ did it! Third, the exclusiveness of the creation. “All things were made by him … without him” (John 1:3). There is no room for evolution in this statement. Christ did all the creating. The world of unbelief hates this truth.
C. His relationship to the Gospel.
The important information for the sinner is this fact about Christ and the Gospel. First, the remedy in Christ. “In him was life; and the life was the light of men” (John 1:4). Death and darkness are the product of sin. But life and light are a product of salvation, and soul salvation is all in Jesus Christ. Second, the radiating of Christ. “The light shineth in darkness” (John 1: 5). This speaks of the Incarnation and the grace of God. Christ came to a world of darkness to shine a light of salvation (John 8:12). Third, the reaction to Christ. “The darkness comprehended it not” (John 1:5). The word translated “comprehendeth” has a twofold meaning here. It can speak of (1) rejection, for it can mean not received—Christ was not received well; He was not perceived as essential. It can also speak of (2) rebellion—it can mean to overtake and to conquer. The “not” in this text means Christ will not be conquered or overwhelmed. As an example, Christ will destroy the antichrist by the brightness of His coming (II Thessalonians 2:8).
2. The Response to Christ (John 1:10–13, 16)
Christ came into the world to help the world through the work of the Gospel. John records the response to Christ.
A. The rejection response.
In spite of Who Christ was and what He had done, He still was rejected by many. First, the rejection was inexcusable “He was in the world, and the world was made by him” (John 1:10). In spite of the presence of Christ (“in the world”) and the power of Christ (“the world was made by him”), He was still rejected. Such a rejection was totally inexcusable. Second, the rejection was of ignorance. “The world knew him not” (John 1:10). The world knows many things, education is high in the world’s priorities, yet in all their knowledge they did not know the most important. They did not know Jesus. All the great institutions of learning are condemned by this failure. Third, it was insulting. “He came unto his own, and his own received him not” (John 1:11). This speaks of the rejection of Christ by the Jews. They rejected Him in spite of privilege. The problems of the Jews today is the result of the rejection of Christ by the nation. Once Christ is received, the Middle East crisis will be over!
B. The reception response.
Some received Christ, however. First, the position from the reception. “As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God” (John 1:12). Receiving Christ results in the greatest blessing one can have, namely, becoming a son of God an expression that speaks of conversion. Receiving Christ puts us into the family of God. We become His children. Second, the people for the reception. “To them that believe on his name” (John 1:12). Those who become the children of God gain this blessing not by church membership or baptism or other work but by believing in Christ. He is the way to salvation. One either receives or rejects Christ. Only those who “believe” on Him gain salvation. Third, the process in the reception. “Which were born, not of blood, not of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:13). This is the first verse of the Gospel of John to speak of salvation as the new birth. The new birth (salvation) is not a result of human heritage (“not of blood”) nor works (“will of flesh”) or by proxy (“will of man”); no preacher or priest can forgive your sins. But one is saved by God (“of God”). Fourth, the product of reception. “Of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace” (John 1:16). All the redeemed have received “grace for grace” which is the piling up of blessing on blessing. It is not grace for works, but grace for grace. Salvation blessings are continually piling up in abundance.
3. The Residency of Christ (John 1:14)
This is a great text on the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. It speaks of His coming to earth to reside among mankind.
A. The means of the residency.
“The Word was made flesh” (John 1:14). This is a great mystery but speaks of the duo-nature of Christ. He was very God (“Word”) and very man (“flesh”). He was Deity in human form.
B. The manifestation of the residency.
“Dwelt among us” (John 1:14). First, the nature of the manifestation. The word translated “dwelt” means to tent or tabernacle. The tabernacle in the wilderness in Moses’ time is a great type of Christ. There are three types of Christ in the first chapter of John. The sanctuary (tabernacle/“dwelt”), the sheep (“lamb”), and the steps (ladder—John 1:51). Second, the necessity of the manifestation. Christ came into the world this first time to reveal God (John 1:18) and to redeem sinful man (I Timothy 1:15).
C. The meditating on the residency.
“We beheld” (John 1:14). First, the devotion in the meditating. The word translated “beheld” means a continuous contemplation. It is not a casual, curious look but a serious study of and devotion to Christ through diligent beholding. Second, the duty of the meditating. “Beheld.” After God has given us such a marvelous manifestation of Himself in Christ, we have a duty to behold it. Third, the delight of the meditating. “We beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father” (John 1:14). The experience would bring delight.
D. The manner of the residency.
This speaks of the way in which Christ showed Himself to mankind. “Full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). First, the rareness of the manner. “Full of grace and truth.” Grace speaks of warmth, devotion, help, the Gospel. Truth speaks of wisdom, doctrine, holiness, Sinai, law. Man has a tendency to be strong in one or the other. Second, the fullness of the manner. “Full of grace and truth.” Christ had an abundance of both. He was not unbalanced. Third, the essentialness of the manner. “Grace and truth.” We need both. We do not want the apostates’ message that makes the benevolence of God preeminent and the holiness of God incidental, for that will send all to heaven and make heaven an unholy and unpleasant place. But neither do we want the thunderings of Mt. Sinai alone which make the holiness of God eclipse the grace of God, for that takes away any hope and sends all to hell. Gospel is truth and grace. It is truth in that it indicts sinners, but grace in that it invites sinners; it is grace in that it offers pardon, but truth in that it requires Calvary. Truth condemns the sinner; grace commends the Savior. The Psalmist describes the Gospel as a wonderful combination of grace and truth. “Mercy [grace] and truth are met together; righteousness [truth] and peace [grace] have kissed each other” (Psalm 85:10).
4. The Replacement by Christ (John 1:17)
“The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ” (John 1:17).
What Christ brings is better than the law. The book of Hebrews emphasizes this truth when it speaks of a “better” covenant and “better” promises (Hebrews 8:6).
5. The Revelation by Christ (John 1:18)
“No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him” (John 1:18).
[1] John G. Butler, Analytical Bible Expositor: John (Clinton, IA: LBC Publications, 2009). 9–13.
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