John
© copyright 2008 Darroll Evans, all
rights reserved
Chapter 1
John 1:1-9
1 In
the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by 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 And the light shineth in
darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men 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 lighteth
every man that cometh into the world.
John begins with a contrast of Christ and John the baptizer!
Some incorrectly teach that Christ Jesus is a created being.
Such a concept is nonsense!
The Bible is explicit!
“In the beginning was the Word, and
the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
“In the beginning” (Heb. B’reshith-בְּרֵאשִׁית) mat also be translated “In or By the Firstfruits!”
Christ Jesus is the Firstfruits!
It was by Him, at the word of the Father that all things
were created!
God is the Creator
and not the created!
God (Father, Son, or Holy Spirit) is not a created being!
Furthermore, God the Son was there in the beginning of
creation with God the Father!
The Bible tells us that every created thing was made by Him, by God the
Son, Christ Jesus!
In addition, nothing was made without created without His creating power!
In Christ was and is Life!
That Life in Christ was and remains the “light of men!!
His light shines even in the extreme darkness of sinful
rebellion against the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit!
Moreover, darkness cannot “comprehend” (Gr. katalambanō-καταλαμβάνω),
or overtake the Light!
Have you ever been in a very dark room?
What happens when the light comes on?
The light immediately dispels the darkness!
The Light does not struggle with darkness!
Light simply shines and darkness has no choice but to be
driven out!
John the baptizer was sent by God as a witness to the Light,
the Christ!
True witnesses bring the Truth so that those who hear them
may believe!
So, it was with John and is with us today!
The goal is that “all” may believe!
Do you believe that the goal shall be attained?
The Light is Christ!
John the baptizer was not the Light!
Instead, he told about the Light!
That is the work of a witness!
Christ’s work, as the True Light, is to bring His Light to
all men!
John 1:10-14
10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and
the world knew him not.
11 He
came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them
that believe on his name:
13 Which 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 was made 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.
Christ
Jesus was here in the world!
He is the agent of creation for the world!
And yet, the world, society, did not know Him!
Much of the world still does not know Him!
We world as a whole has no positive relationship with the Creator!
Christ Jesus came “unto his own.”
He came to Israel!
His earthly ministry was focused on Israel!
Matt. 15:24 But
he answered and said, “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep
of the house of Israel.”
However, they did not accept Him!
Israel would not accept their Messiah!
Some did accept Him, and to them He gave “power to become
the sons of God”!
All they had to do was to “believe on his name.”
But, the vast majority would not!
Today, all we are required to do is to believe!
But in “believing” out spiritual focus is on His work on the
cross on our behalf!
“Believing” means we place our full and complete trust in
Him!
And yet, most refuse!
Those who do believe are reborn!
They are reborn, or “born again!”
They are born again, not due to physical birth blood of
human will of the flesh, nor of the human will power!
They are born of God!
They are born by means of the Word, Christ, God the Son Who became flesh
and lived among men.
In our rebirth, we are baptized into Christ!
Romans
6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as
were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Being baptized into Christ, we are also seated with Him in heavenly
places!
Eph 2:6 And
hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places
in Christ Jesus:
That fact is more than most Christians can comprehend!
Those in that day saw His glory which was the glory of the
only begotten of God the Father!
He was and is “full of grace and truth.”
John 1:15-51
15 John bare witness of him, and cried,
saying, This was he of whom I spake,
He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.
16 And of his fulness have all we
received, and grace for grace.
17 For the law was given by Moses, but
grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
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.
19 And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests
and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?
20 And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not
the Christ.
21 And they asked him, What then?
Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am
not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.
22 Then said they unto him, Who art
thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us.
What sayest thou of thyself?
23 He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness,
Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.
24 And they which were sent were of the Pharisees.
25 And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias,
neither that prophet?
26 John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but
there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;
27 He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me,
whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.
28 These things were done in Bethabara
beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.
29 The next day John seeth Jesus
coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God,
which taketh away the sin of the world.
30 This is he of whom I said, After
me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.
31 And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to
Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.
32 And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending
from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.
33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with
water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see
the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.
34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.
35 Again the next day after John stood, and two of his
disciples;
36 And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!
37 And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed
Jesus.
38 Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say,
being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou?
39 He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and
abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour.
40 One of the two which heard John speak, and followed
him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.
41 He first findeth his own brother
Simon, and saith unto him, We
have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted,
the Christ.
42 And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he
said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona:
thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by
interpretation, A stone.
43 The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto
him, Follow me.
44 Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.
45 Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him,
of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the
son of Joseph.
46 And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come
out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.
47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith
of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no
guile!
48 Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus
answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast
under the fig tree, I saw thee.
49 Nathanael answered and saith
unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.
50 Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee,
I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these.
51 And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter
ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon
the Son of man.
John came telling all who would listen that the Christ was
coming!
Today, many are crying out that Christ is soon returning!
Many question His return!
John told the crowds that He who was coming after him was
before Him and actually existed before him!
The created
cannot precede the Creator!
This may be difficult for some to understand, but when we
receive Christ we receive His grace!
The law was given by Moses!
However, grace
and truth came to us by way of Jesus Christ!
Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6)!
None of us has seen God the Father!
But in that day, many saw God the Son!
When the Jewish leadership sent priests and Levites from
Jerusalem confront John they asked him, “Who are you?”
John told them bluntly, “I am not the Christ!”
They continued, “So then, who are you? Are you Elijah? Are
you the Prophet Moses promised?”
Deut
18:15 The LORD thy God will raise up unto
thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him
ye shall hearken;
John answered, “No!”
Truth often brings controversy and conflict with the lost,
and the Jewish leaders were lost!
But, they continued to confront him!
“If you are not the Prophet Moses Promised, and if not
Elijah, exactly who are you?”
He told them, I am one “the voice crying in the wilderness.”
Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our
God. (Is 40:3)
John told them, “Make straight the way of the Lord!”
They rebuked John, “If you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah,
nor that Prophet, why do you baptize?”
They obviously thought that the question would put an end to
John’s ministry!
John’s response was a classic prophetic statement, “I
baptize with water: but one among you, whom you do not know, who it is coming
after me is preferred (Gr. ginomai-γίνομαι), existed
before me! I am not worthy to untie His sandals!”
These things were done in Bethabara
beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.
The next day John saw Jesus coming unto him, and said, “Behold the Lamb of God,
which takes away the sin of the world.”
This is where I must ask a question that is embarrassing to
many Christians!
How can Christ Jesus take away “the sin of the world” without
taking away the sin of the world?
“Take away” (Gr. airō-αἴρω) places the work of dealing with sin completely on Christ
Jesus!
The fact is that most Christ have
no trouble believing that Jesus is the lamb of God, but only a few believe that
he takes away the sin “of the world!”
I have read many mainstream commentaries, but none has
commented on the main statement in verse 29. Jesus is the Lamb of God that
takes away, completely takes away the sin of the world. He does not just make salvation
possible. He brings salvation to mankind thereby causing the salvation of
mankind. On the cross, Christ Jesus paid the full and complete price in all the
sin in the entire world! And, He defeated Satan in His resurrection!
When Christ returns, He will not be coming back to deal with sin!
Heb 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear
the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time
without sin unto salvation.
Anybody who teaches any form of self-salvation is deceived and a deceiver!
John
continued. “This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes
a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. And I knew him not: but
that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with
water.’”
And, John being a witness, said, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like
a dove, and it abode upon Him. And I knew him not: but
he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, ‘Upon whom you
shall see the Spirit descending, and remaining on
him,
the same is He which baptizes with the Holy Ghost.’ And, I saw and bare record
that this is the Son of God.”
John and two of his disciples saw Jesus as he walked along, and John told them,
“Behold the Lamb of God!”
The two disciples then followed
Jesus!
As they followed Him, Jesus turned and asked “What are you
seeking?”
They asked, “Rabbi, where do you reside?”
Jesus told them, “Come and see.”
So, they went with Him and stayed with Him that day.
That happened at about for it was about “the tenth hour” or
4PM!
The Jews do not recognize midnight in their day clock.
Their day centered on dawn and dusk.
One of the two which heard John and followed Christ, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.
He found Peter and told him, “We have found the Messiah!
Andrew then took Peter to meet Jesus!
This may seem at odds with “call” in Matthew 4:19, but it is
actually not!
Peter, Andrew, James and John could very easily have met
Jesus prior to their call!
When Jesus met Peter, He said, “You
are Simon the son of Jona: you shall be called Cephas.”
That name means, a rock, as in a pebble.
It does not indicate a boulder!
The day following Jesus went to Galilee, and found Philip!
He told Philip, “Follow me!”
Philip was from Bethsaida as were Andrew and Peter.
Philip went to Nathanael, and told him, “We have found Him,
of whom Moses in the law, and the Prophets wrote, He is Jesus of Nazareth, the
son of Joseph.”
Nathaniel did not think too much of the idea!
He said, “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?”
So, Philip said, “Come and see.”
That simple statement is the heart of evangelism!
When Jesus saw Nathanael He said, “Behold
an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!”
Nathanael’s reaction was predictable!
He asked, “How in the world do you know me?”
Jesus response was not predictable!
Christ told him, “Before that Philip
called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you!”
Immediately Nathanael acted in response, “Rabbi, You are the
Son of God! You are the King of Israel! Nathanael being under a fig tree
prior to meeting Jesus is an actual physical event.
Jesus then said, “Because I said I
saw thee under the fig tree you believe? You shall see greater things than
that. Truthfully I tell you that you shall see
heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of
man.”
He had seen Nathanael under and actual physical fig tree.
What Nathanael was doing under that tree is not made clear, but Jesus saw him
there.
Jesus saw things prior to the physical coming to pass! He is God the Son!