John 1 Studies

For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each chapter is divided into a number of studies and each study or passage has a simple four-Part, verse-by-verse approach, to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: John 1:1-5,14: Introducing the Word

A. Find Out:    

1. How long has the Word existed? v.1
   • In the beginning was the Word,
2. Where was the Word? v.1,2
   • He was with God in the beginning.
3. How like God was the Word? v.1
   • and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
4. How was the Word involved in Creation? v.3
   • Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
5. The life of the Word brought what to men? v.4,5
   • In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6. What did the Word do? v.14
   • The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

B. Think:

1. What is a “word”?
2. How was Jesus a “word”? See Hebrews 1:2
3. How do these verses show Jesus to be far more than mere man?

C. Comment:

The Greeks used “the Word” (Logos) to mean reason or thought or wisdom. In Proverbs 8:22-31 Wisdom speaks as with personality in a most beautiful way, and John now takes this concept to reveal something of who Jesus is. He is THE Word (v.1).

He takes the rather intangible thought of wisdom and shows how it (he) became personal to us. A word is simply an expression. God is One but the Son, Jesus, is God’s expression of Himself to us. Whenever Jesus is revealed, he is shown as a distinct personality and yet totally one with God (the Father). When we speak our words are us; you cannot separate them from us. Similarly, you cannot separate Jesus from God, He is one with God in the same way. He was with God from the beginning (v.2)

Through Him, we see next (v.3), the world was made (see also Proverbs 8 and Hebrews 1 again). In ways that are beyond our grasp Jesus, the expression of God, was the means of making all that is this universe. With his Father, he had a very real part to play in Creation.

More than that He was life (v.4), the very life of God expressed, and when that life came to men it came bringing light to men, their lives were revealed for what they were. The world was dark by comparison as it lacked this life, and it didn’t understand the wonder of who and what had come into it (v.5).

D. Application?

1. God is a mystery. Let’s not try to be too clever!
2. God doesn’t demand that we understand Him, just that we worship Him. Let’s do that.

Passage: John 1:6-13: Jesus and John

A. Find Out:

1. As what did John come? v.7a
   • There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that ligh
2. What was God’s purpose? v.7b
   • so that through him all might believe.
3. How is Jesus again and again referred to here? v.9
   • The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.
4. What response did Jesus get? v.10,11
   • He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognise him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.
5. What right did he give believers? v.12
   • Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God –
6. How would they be born? v.13
   • children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

B. Think:

1. What was John’s function?
2. What does light do? How was Jesus light?
3. What seems surprising in verses 10-12?

C. Comment:

John the Baptist (v.6) came to act as a witness (just like a Court witness) to testify to Jesus (v.7), to tell what the Spirit within him knew about Jesus. John’s function was to get people ready to receive Jesus and he did this by pointing out people’s need for a saviour, and then by pointing to Jesus as the one who had come to save them (see later).

Jesus, as we saw above, came as light to “shine” into people’s lives, to show them themselves and their need, and then bring His own light into their very lives, His very own goodness (v.9).

The Creator of the world was coming into His world and the incredible thing was that people couldn’t recognise Him (v.10) for who He was (such is the effect of sin). “Yet” or despite this (v.12), it was possible for people to become children of God. Despite the fact that most rejected Him, some did receive Him.

When people do receive Jesus, John tells us, they become children of God (v.12b). The first requirement is that we BELIEVE in Jesus, in who He is and what He has done. The second requirement for us to become children of God, is that GOD makes us anew by placing His own Holy Spirit within us (v.13). These are ESSENTIAL and without them a person is NOT a Christian.

D. Application?

1. Salvation is not by “trying to be good” but simply by believing.
2. This Gospel is written that we might believe in Jesus (see 20:31). Let’s  read with that in mind.

Passage: John 1:14-18: Concerning the Son

A. Find Out:

1. Of whose glory had they seen? v.14b
   •  The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory
2. Of what was Jesus full? v.14c
   • the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
3. Why was Jesus greater than John? v.15
   • (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, ‘This is the one I spoke about when I said, “He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.”’)
4. From what have we received blessings? v.16
   • Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given.
5. What came through Jesus? v.17
   • For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
6. Why was Jesus able to make God known? v.18
   • No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in the closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

B. Think:

1. What are the indications here that Jesus existed and lived in heaven before coming to earth?
2. What do you think “grace” means that is mentioned three times?
3. What is “truth” mentioned here twice?

C. Comment:

The Word, that expression of God, came to us in human form (v.14), and as the expression of God He revealed something of God’s glory (not all by any means, but sufficient to help us understand something of Him). He came “from the Father”, from heaven (v.14) and because he knew God His Father, He could make Him known (v.18) to us.

This is the wonder of Jesus that differentiates Him from any other “religious leader”; He was the expression of God who lived with God in heaven BEFORE He came to earth. We will see this same idea come out again and again in this Gospel.

But then comes the description of Him: full of grace and truth. Grace here probably means all of God’s goodness towards men. In Jesus there was just utter goodness, not a detached sort of goodness but goodness that was constantly directed to blessing mankind.

Truth is ‘what is’.  There is nothing false or unreal about it.  In us there is pretense, guile or deception. In Jesus there is none of this. He is totally real, without pretense, without anything false. This is the One with whom we deal, and His goodness and reality shows us up for what we so often are.

John testified in his preaching that Jesus had existed long before him (v.15). John, the writer, realises that all good things from God, come to us through Jesus’ grace (v.16). Moes had brought the Law, but Jesus brought grace (v.17). Yes, we’ve never seen God but Jesus has made Him known to us (v.18).

D. Application?

1. Jesus is unique and has no one to compare with Him.
2. All that God desires for us is good; He purposes our blessing constantly. Jesus proves it.

Passage: John 1:19-28: John’s Testimony

A. Find Out:

1. Who did John say he was NOT? v.20,21
   • Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, ‘I am not the Messiah.’ 21 They asked him, ‘Then who are you? Are you Elijah?’ He said, ‘I am not.’ ‘Are you the Prophet?’ He answered, ‘No.’
2. Who DID John say he was? v.23a
   • John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, ‘I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness
3. What did he say he was doing? v.23b
   • “Make straight the way for the Lord.”’
4. How did he describe the coming one? v.26
   •  ‘I baptise with water,’ John replied, ‘but among you stands one you do not know.
5. When did he say he would come? v.27a
   • He is the one who comes after me
6. What sort of person would he be? v.27b
   • the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.’

B. Think:

1. How did John the Baptist seek to take the eyes of the religious leaders off himself?
2. How did he obviously feel about Jesus?
3. How can you “prepare the way” for someone?

C. Comment:

The writer John now focuses on John the Baptist as the forerunner to Jesus. He was clearly baptizing many people and so, because the religious people in ‘the capital’ (Jerusalem) saw this as a religious exercise, they sent their religious leaders to see what he was up to (v.19).

When they start questioning him, his answers get shorter and shorter (v.20,21). He is not concerned about justifying his own position; he knows his own calling and he simply wants to fulfil it. Out of exasperation they finally demand, “Well who are you?” or “Who do you think you are to be doing this then?” (v.22)

John’s answer is truly prophetic; he quotes Isaiah 40:3 to indicate he is part of the fulfilment of God’s purposes for the present time (v.23). The religious ‘seekers’ still question his authority to baptize (v.24,25). John simply replies with the inference that baptizing by water is no great thing but there is one there who will do far more (v.26,27, see also v.33).

When he speaks of Jesus, he declares His greatness (v.27). He is very clearly aware of who Jesus is. It seems John is almost reticent to say anything about Jesus to these ‘religious’ people. Perhaps he understood that they really would not be interested in Jesus, they already had their ‘religion’.

D. Application?

1. We do not have to justify our calling; we simply proclaim Jesus.
2. Don’t cast pearls before swine (Matthew 7:6)

Passage: John 1:29-34: John speaks about Jesus

A. Find Out:

1. How does John refer to Jesus? v.29a
   • The next day John saw Jesus coming towards him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God
2. What was Jesus coming to do? v.29b
   • who takes away the sin of the world!
3. Why had John been baptizing? v.31
   •  I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptising with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.’
4. What had John seen happen? v.32
   • Then John gave this testimony: ‘I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him.
5. What was this to show John? v.33
   •  And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptise with water told me, “The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptise with the Holy Spirit.”
6. So how does John describe Jesus? v.34
   •  I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.’

B. Think:

1. What had been John’s twofold function?
2. What two things in this passage tell us what Jesus is going to do?
3. How was John sure about all this?

C. Comment:

This passage is full of prophetic imagery. First John describes Jesus as the “Lamb of God” (v.29).   In Old Testament times a lamb without blemish was sacrificed to save God’s people from the destroying angel at the Exodus (see studies on the Exodus). Jesus is obviously going to become God’s sacrifice to save present day people from God’s judgement for their sins.

John reiterates that Jesus is the one he had been referring to previously (v.30). Now John confesses that he hadn’t known about Jesus (v.31a) but he had coming baptizing (as instructed by God – implied) so that Jesus might be revealed (v.31b). How that came about is next made clear.

Jesus, according to John, is to baptize people in the Holy Spirit (v.33). Now the Greek word for baptize means “to immerse in” so Jesus was to immerse people in the Holy Spirit. What does that mean? Well, when you immerse something in water it either fills it (e.g., a cup) or saturates it right through (e.g., cloth). When we are baptized by Jesus in His Spirit it means we are also filled with His Spirit in the same way.

The reason that John knew all this was that God had obviously told him (v.33). He knew that someone was coming after him, greater than him, and he knew he would only know Him by the sign of the Spirit coming down in the form of a dove (v.32). When this happened, John knew that this was the One (v.34). Interestingly, Jesus’ name hasn’t been mentioned yet, but we’ll see tomorrow how all this does very clearly apply to him.

D. Application?

1. Thank God that He sent Jesus to die in your place.
2. Thank Him that He provides His Holy Spirit to be the life power within us as His children.

Passage: John 1:35-42: Andrew & Peter with Jesus

A. Find Out:

1. Who were with John? v.35
   • The next day John was there again with two of his disciples.
2. How did John again describe Jesus? v.36
   • When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God!’
3. How did the 2 come to go with Jesus? v.37-39
   • When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning round, Jesus saw them following and asked, ‘What do you want?’ They said, ‘Rabbi’ (which means ‘Teacher’), ‘where are you staying?’ 39 ‘Come,’ he replied, ‘and you will see.’
4. Who was one of these two? v.40
   • Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus
5. What did he do? v.41,42a
   • The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (that is, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus.
6. What did Jesus do with Peter? v.42
   • Jesus looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas’ (which, when translated, is Peter).

B. Think :

1. How were these first two disciples clearly ‘prepared men’?
2. How are these first two an example to us?
3. How is Andrew a further example?

C. Comment :

We are now introduced to two of John’s disciples or followers (v.35), one of whom is Andrew (v.40).  Having been followers of John they are clearly men with whom God has been dealing (you couldn’t remain with John without that happening!) and as soon as Jesus is pointed out to them (v.36) they are off after him (v.37). This is a sign of real godly desire, when people seek to be in Jesus’ company.

There follows a simple but significant interchange between them and Jesus. As they follow him, Jesus turns round and asks them what they want (v.38a). It is as if he challenges their motives and makes them face what they really want. They simply ask where he is staying (v.38), as if to imply they want to experience more of him. Well come and see, is his reply (v.39), so they do. Encountering Jesus is not to be a quick fragmentary thing; it is to be an ongoing encounter.

We next see the response of Andrew (v.40) who, as soon as he gets the chance, brings his brother, Peter, to Jesus (v.41,42). We speak about “bringing people to the Lord” and that is just what it is, bringing people to come to know Jesus. If John was the first evangelist, then Andrew would be the second!

Then we see what happens to Peter (v.42); Jesus gives him a new name! What does that mean? Well, Simon means “small pebble” and Peter means “big rock”, so Jesus is doing two things: first he is starting him off in a new life and second, he is declaring his potential. When we come to the Lord we come as a nobody and Jesus makes us a somebody, and that ‘somebody’ has great potential as a child of God!

D. Application?

1. When we come to Jesus, He shares Himself with us and gives us a new life.
2. Once we are made anew we can just rest in the future, knowing that He sees what He can do with us, and HE will bring it about as we allow Him to lead us on, day by day.

Passage: John 1:43-51: Nathanael with Jesus

A. Find Out:

1. What was Jesus’ call to Philip? v.43
   • The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, ‘Follow me.’
2. What did Philip go and do? v.45a
   • Philip found Nathanael
3. How did he describe Jesus? v.45b
   • We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote – Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.’
4. How did he answer Nathaniel’s query? v.46
   • ‘Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?’ Nathanael asked. ‘Come and see,’ said Philip.
5. In what 2 ways did Jesus indicate he knew Nathaniel? v.47,48
   • When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, ‘Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.’ 48 ‘How do you know me?’ Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, ‘I saw you while you were still under the fig-tree before Philip called you.’
6. What reply did this evoke from Nathaniel? v.49
   • Then Nathanael declared, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.’
7. What more did Jesus promise him? v.50,51
   • Jesus said, ‘You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig-tree. You will see greater things than that.’ 51 He then added, ‘Very truly I tell you,  you will see “heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on  the Son of Man.’

B. Think:

1. What seemed to be the natural response of these disciples when they met Jesus?
2. How did they deal with questions about Jesus?
3. Why is Nathaniel so surprised?

C. Comment:

Jesus found Philip (v.43). We so often think we “found” Jesus but in fact it is always the other way round.   Philip’s first reaction was to tell someone else about Jesus (v.45), just like Andrew had done. When Nathaniel shows his prejudice about Nazareth (v.46a), Philip gives the classic answer, “Come and see (for yourself)”. (v.46b)

If we are sharing with the right people, they may be seekers and the best answer to them is, “Come and meet Jesus yourself”.  When Nathaniel comes to Jesus, Jesus speaks to him with clear knowledge of him (v.47). As if to confirm this knowledge about Nathaniel, Jesus tells him something private about himself (v.48). Nathaniel had obviously been in some private place, possibly praying. Perhaps there he had been pouring out to God his feelings of his own unworthiness. Jesus reveals insight and knowledge of Nathaniel that clearly touches him deeply and he acclaims Jesus as teacher, Son of God and King of Israel.

D. Application?

1. Sometimes the best way to deal with people asking questions is to say,  “Come and see” and lead them to God through them praying.
2. Jesus knows us through and through and meets us at our point of need.  When we come to him he shares more and more revelation with us.