John 1: Prologue, baptism & early disciples

• v.1-5 Introducing the Word
• v.6-8 Introducing John the Baptist
• v.9-18 The Word made Flesh
• v.19-28 John the Baptist Denies Being the Messiah
• v.29-34 John Testifies About Jesus
• v.35-42 John’s Disciples Follow Jesus
• v.43- 51 Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael

NB. v.1-18 are often referred to as the Prologue to this Gospel

v.1-5 Introducing the Word

v.1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

v.2 He was with God in the beginning.

v.3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

v.4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.

v.5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

[Note: At the start of everything, God expressed Himself and the all-encompassing Word came forth; this Word was one with God. God used him to create the world, he brought life into the material world and lit up mankind and his light cannot be extinguished.]

v.6-8 Introducing John the Baptist

v.6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John.

v.7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe.

v.8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

[Note: In history there was a man called John who was sent by God, he came to help people believe in this light. He himself wasn’t the light, just one pointing to it.]

v.9-18 The Word made Flesh

v.9-13 The life-bringing light

v.9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.

v.10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.

v.11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.

v.12,13 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

[Note: This real light was coming into the material world, he came but the world didn’t recognize him for who he was, he came to his prepared people but they didn’t receive him. Principle: if you did receive him you were given the right by God to be called a child of God, ‘born’ by His will.]

v.14 This word became flesh

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.

[Note: This Word became human flesh, real and full of grace, and lived among us, and he revealed the glory, the wonder, the splendour of the Son from God the Father

v.15-18 Explanations of him

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.’”)

v.16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given.

v.17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

v.18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

[Note: John pointed out who he was, one who had existed before him. It was from his wonder we have each received his grace, because Moses brought the Law, but Jesus Christ brought grace. Although no one has seen God, the Son, this Word, this light, has made Him known.]

v.19-28 John the Baptist Denies Being the Messiah

v.19-22 John’s decreasing denials

v.19 Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was.

v.20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.”

v.21 They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?”  He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?”  He answered, “No.”

v.22 Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”

[Note: When the authorities (* see below)  came to John they asked who he was and he told them he wasn’t the expected Messiah. When they suggested who he was he kept saying no, but they demanded an answer.]

(Additional Note on v.19 from footnote:  The Greek term traditionally translated ‘the Jews’ (hoi Ioudaioi) refers here and elsewhere in John’s Gospel to those Jewish leaders who opposed Jesus; also in 5:10, 15, 16; 7:1, 11, 13; 9:22; 18:14, 28, 36; 19:7, 12, 31, 38; 20:19)

v.23-28 John’s eventual explanation

v.23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”

v.24,25 Now the Pharisees who had been sent questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”

v.26 “I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know.

v.27 He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”

v.28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

[Note: John quoted Isaiah’s prophecy of Isa 40. They demanded to know why he was baptizing then, and he said he was merely a baptizer in water but yet another was coming soon. John felt he wasn’t worthy even to untie the sandals of this one. This happened near Bethany on the Jordan.]

v.29-34 John announces Jesus

v.29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

v.30 This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’

v.31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”

v.32 Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him.

v.33 And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’

v.34 I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”

[Note: John heralded Jesus as the Lamb of God who would take away sins, and referred to what he had said before, he baptized so this one would come and be revealed. John saw the Spirit come down on Jesus when he came. God had told him what to watch for, and so John testified to who Jesus was

v.35-42 John’s Disciples Follow Jesus

v.35,36 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”

v.37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.

v.38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?” They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”

v.39 “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.

v.40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus.

v.41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ).

v.42 And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter).

[Note: John pointed out Jesus to two of his disciples who then followed Jesus. Jesus questioned them and invited them to go with him. Andrew was one of the two and he found his brother Simon and told him and brought him to Jesus who renamed him Peter.]

v.43-51 Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael

v.43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.”

v.44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida.

v.45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “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.”

v.46 “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip.

v.47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”

v.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.”

v.49 Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”

v.50 Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.”

v.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.”

[Note: Getting ready to leave for Galilee, Jesus calls Philip, who was from the same town as the others, to follow him. Philip found Nathanael and said he had found the messiah, but Nathanael doubted whether the messiah came from Nazareth (possibly because there is no link in the Old Testament). When Jesus meets him, he gives a greeting implying he knows him and when Nathanael questions this, Jesus said he saw him previously. Nathanael realizes this is revelation and declares he is the Son of God. Jesus says he will see greater than this, indeed he will see heavenly things.]

(Additional Note: we should understand that when, throughout the gospels Jesus refers to himself as ‘the Son of Man’, he is applying a prophetic understanding from Dan 7:3, one coming from heaven, the Messiah)

For those who may wish to make a study of this chapter, to perhaps think some more about what you have been reading, use the link below: