ADULT COMMENTARY

ADULT COMMENTARY• • • • • • • • • • •FALL 2013

In-Depth Commentary for Explore the Bible Leaders and Learners

Ex

plor

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Joh

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Fall 2013

John’s Gospel (John 1-11):

One Word, One Life, One Way

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The ABCs Of SalvationSome people think a personal relationship with God is something only

theologians can comprehend. Actually, God’s plan of salvation is simple enough for everyone to understand. Here are the ABC’s of salvation. Admit

Admit to God that you are a sinner. All persons need salvation. Each of us has a problem the Bible calls sin. Sin is a refusal to acknowledge God’s authority over our lives. Everyone who does not live a life of perfect obedience to the Lord is guilty of sin. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Since none of us is perfect, all of us are sinners (Romans 3:10-18).

The result of sin is spiritual death (Romans 6:23). Spiritual death means eternal separation from God. By God’s perfect standard we are guilty of sin and therefore subject to the punishment for sin, which is separation from God. Admitting that you are a sinner and separated from God is the first step of repentance, which is turning from sin and self and turning toward God. Believe

Believe in Jesus Christ as God’s Son and receive Jesus’ gift of forgiveness from sin. God loves each of us. God offers us salvation. Although we have done nothing to deserve His love and salvation, God wants to save us. In the death of Jesus on the cross, God provided salvation for all who would repent of their sins and believe in Jesus. “For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Confess

Confess your faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord to others. After you have received Jesus Christ into your life, share your decision with another person. Tell your pastor or a Christian friend about your decision. Following Christ’s example, ask for baptism by immersion in your local church as a public expression of your faith. “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation” (Romans 10:9-10).

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Site where John theBaptist was beheaded

Site where JerusalemChristians fled just

before Rome destroyedJerusalem in A.D. 70

The road where thestory of the good

Samaritan takes place

Jesus addresses a Samaritanwoman at Jacob’s Well

Jesus visits Samaria,but is rejected

Mt. Carmel

Mt. Gilboa

Mt.Nebo

Mt. Tabor

Mt. Gerizim

Mt. Ebal

Scythopolis(Beth-shan)

Ptolemais (Acco)

Geba

Arbela

Tiberias

Thella

Gamala

Hippos

Gadara

NainTabor

Pella

NazarethBeth-shearim

Dora

Cana

Ginae (Jenin)

Sepphoris

Gennesaret

Chorazin

Merom

Gabara

Capernaum

Sebaste(Samaria)

Lebonah

Salim

Aenon

Jericho

Esbus(Heshbon)

Ephraim(Ophrah)

AcrabetaSychar

Bethlehem

Jerusalem

Emmaus

Bethany

Machaerus

Gedor(Gadara)

Arimathea

BethsaidaGergesa

LakeHuleh

Sea ofGalilee

ME

DI

TE

RR

AN

EA

N

SE

A

DEADSEA

Jord

an

R.

Yarmuk R.

Arnon R.

Kishon R.

Jord

an

R.

Jabbok R.

DECAPOLIS

PEREA

SAMARIA

TYRE

J U D E A

GAULANITIS

Esdraelon Valley

LowerGalilee

UpperGalilee

Magdala

35 E 36 E

35 E 36 E

33 N

32 N32 N

0 20 Miles

0 20 Kilometers

15105

1510 5

Land of Jesus’ Ministry

City

City (uncertain location)

Mountain peak

Travels of Jesus

Route to Jerusalem through Perea

JOHN 4:1–42; 10:40; 11:7LUKE 9:51–56; 17:11–19; 18:31–19:9

MATT. 19:1

“Land of Jesus’ Ministry” is adapted from The Holman Bible Atlas © 1998 B&H Publishing Group, page 225. Used by permission.

A D U L TC O M M E N T A R Y

Fall 2013Volume 7 , Number 1

Eli Landrum

John’s GospelOne Word, One Life, One Way

(John 1–11)

A D U L T C O M M E N T A R YThis periodical is designed for all adults using the Explore the Bible Series

COVER PHOTO:©iStockPhoto.com

Janice MeierContent Editor

Philip NationDirector

Adult Ministry Publishing

Faith WhatleyDirector, Adult Ministry

Send questions/comments toEditor, ETB: Adult Commentary

One LifeWay PlazaNashville, TN 37234-0175

Or make comments on the Web atwww.lifeway.com

Printed in the United States of America

Explore the Bible: Adult Commentary (ISSN 1092-7174; Item 005075123) is published quar-terly by LifeWay, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234, Thom S. Rainer, President. © 2013, LifeWay. For ordering or inquiries visit www.lifeway.com, or write LifeWay Church Resources Cus-tomer Service, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234-0113. For subscriptions or subscrip-tion address changes e-mail [email protected], fax (615) 251-5818, or write to the above address. For bulk shipments mailed quarterly to one address, e-mail [email protected], fax (615) 251-5933 or write to the above address. We believe that the Bible has God for its au-thor; salvation for its end; and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter and that all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. Read LifeWay’s full doctrinal guideline online at www.lifeway.com/doctrinalguideline. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman Chris-tian Standard Bible®, copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Stan-dard Bible®, Holman CSB®, and HCSB® are fed-erally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers. The suggestions in this resource for pro-nouncing Bible names are from That’s Easy for You to Say: Your Quick Guide to Pronouncing Bible Names by W. Murray Severance, © Copy-right 1997 by Broadman & Holman Publishers. Used by permission.

Contents

INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 UNIT 1 THE WORD FROM ETERNITY

Sept. 1 God Revealed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 John 1:1-18

Sept. 8 Jesus Identified. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 John 1:19-51

Sept. 15 Authority Acknowledged. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 John 2:1-25

Sept. 22 Salvation Offered* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 John 3:1-36

UNIT 2 THE WORD WITH POWER

Sept. 29 The Power to Give Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 John 4:1-38

Oct. 6 The Power to Save* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 John 4:39-54

Oct. 13 The Power to Heal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70 John 5:1-47

Oct. 20 The Power to Meet Needs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80 John 6:1-71

UNIT 3 THE WORD FOR CHALLENGING SITUATIONS

Oct. 27 Asking Questions About Jesus? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90 John 7:1-52

Nov. 3 Wondering About Judgment? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 John 7:53–8:59

Nov. 10 Doubting Jesus’ Power? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 John 9:1-41

Nov. 17 Feeling Insecure? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 John 10:1-42

Nov. 24 Dealing with Death? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130 John 11:1-57

*Evangelistic Lesson

Explore the Bible: Adult Commentary6

JOHN’S GOSPEL: ONE WORD, ONE LIFE, ONE WAY (JOHN 1–11)

When I enrolled in seminary, I did so with the determined purpose of going as far as I could academically. My goal was to earn a doctor of the-ology degree with a view to equipping myself to be a pastor or a teacher should God open either door. (Little did I know at the time that He had in mind a third door.) I knew the goal was lofty; as I went along, I would learn precisely what a daunting challenge it was. One of many requirements was not only to study the Greek and Hebrew languages but also to receive high grades in the courses. I had studied English in high school and college and thanks to demanding, no-nonsense teachers, I had a fairly good grasp of it, but I never had tackled learning any other language. The closest I came to proficiency in another language was my decidedly drawl-laden south Mis-sissippi dialect picked up by osmosis and my new encounter with the de-lightful Cajun accent of south Louisiana.

With trepidation, I began the study of Greek. After extensive exercises in the language’s basics, the class was ready to embark on the exciting work of translating verses in the New Testament. As I recall, we began with passages from the Gospel of John. The reason was that the text of this Gospel is argu-ably some of the simplest Greek in the New Testament. John wrote using the common, marketplace Greek of his time. It was the form of the Greek language that people normally spoke and wrote in the first century. Thus, John’s Gospel not only communicated well to its first readers, but it also was a good starting point for budding biblical scholars in the 20th century.

Although the Greek John used is relatively simple and easy to translate, the concepts he presented are far from simple and easy to grasp. For ex-ample, Christ’s preexistence as the Word and the Word’s becoming flesh in Jesus are profound and complex truths. Also, what John meant by belief in Jesus is not as simple as appears on the surface. Other concepts such as the new birth, the gift and meaning of eternal life, and the Holy Spirit’s com-ing and work require concentrated study and reflection for Bible students’ understanding. Add to those factors John’s use of everyday terms with far deeper meanings—words such as bread, water, life, light, know, truth, free, and darkness or night—and John’s Gospel takes on the character of com-plexity couched in what appears on the surface to be simple language. In addition, the seven signs around which John structured chapters 1–11 are packed with below-the-surface symbolism that is not readily grasped.

Easy to read, not so easy to understand, but absolutely essential for spiri-tual growth, John’s Gospel is well worth our time and focused attention. I am glad you have joined me and numerous other believers in exploring

Introduction

Introduction 7

John’s marvelous Gospel. As you study, read it in more than one translation as an aid in grasping John’s divinely inspired message.

Type of Writing

John’s work is a Gospel, which differs from strict biography or history. The Gospels contain features similar to those of ancient biographies but are a unique form of writing. Writers of the Gospels had specific purposes in writing and focused on specific audiences. They recorded specific acts, events, and teachings from Jesus’ life and ministry in an effort to achieve their aims. Thus, the Gospel of John is not so much a life of Jesus but a divinely inspired, carefully written work designed to persuade people that Jesus was God in human flesh, to move them to place faith in Jesus for sal-vation, and to inspire them to follow Him faithfully (John 20:30-31).

Writer

The Fourth Gospel does not include the writer’s name. While the titles of the Gospels are ancient, they do not go back to the respective writers of the Gospels themselves. In John 21:20 and 24, reference is made to the Gos-pel writer as “the disciple Jesus loved.” This disciple was the one who “was reclining close beside Jesus” during the Passover meal in the upper room (13:23) and who stood with Jesus’ mother at the crucifixion scene (19:26). Early Christian tradition identified the disciple as John, son of Zebedee, one of the Twelve. Neither John nor his brother James is mentioned by name in the Gospel. “Zebedee’s sons” are listed as being among the disciples to whom the resurrected Jesus appeared on the shore of the Sea of Tiberias (21:2).

As early as about A.D. 180, Theophilus [thee AHF ih luhs (th as in thin)] of Antioch ascribed the Fourth Gospel to the apostle John. In the latter part of the second century A.D., the Christian leader Irenaeus [IGH ruh NEE uhs] identified the writer of the Fourth Gospel as John, Jesus’ disciple—the one who reclined next to Jesus at the Passover meal.

Internal evidence or evidence within the Gospel itself indicates that one of the Twelve wrote the Fourth Gospel, with John as the most probable writer. The book reflects accounts of an eyewitness, shows thorough familiarity with the Holy Land, and displays detailed knowledge of Jerusalem. Although John’s Gospel does not include some of the material in the other three Gospels, it contains much the others do not present. In addition, the Fourth Gospel sometimes adds more details of events recorded in the other three Gospels.

Over the span of years, however, scholars have suggested other writers: (1) another man named John, often referred to as John the Elder, (2) John Mark, (3) yet another individual named John who was a personal follower of Jesus and wrote the apostle John’s words, (4) Lazarus, the friend Jesus loved (see 11:3),

Explore the Bible: Adult Commentary8

and (5) an unidentified member of the Christian community that accepted and confirmed the beloved disciple’s written materials. This commentary’s ap-proach is that John, the son of Zebedee, one of the Twelve, wrote or dictated the Fourth Gospel. The divinely inspired words came from the apostle John.

Date and Place of Writing

Early church tradition states the apostle John lived in Ephesus to the time of the emperor Trajan, who ruled A.D. 98-117. One suggestion is that John re-sided in Ephesus for 30 years, A.D. 68-98. Some conservative scholars date the Fourth Gospel during the last decade of the first century A.D. Other conserva-tive scholars have suggested dates between A.D. 85 and 100. Other suggested places of writing include Alexandria in Egypt and Antioch in Syria. John may well have written his Gospel from Ephesus between A.D. 85-100.

Occasion and Recipients

According to an ancient tradition, John’s associates in Ephesus urged him to write a Gospel that would supplement Matthew, Mark, and Luke. John’s associ-ates also desired that the apostle present a more spiritual interpretation of Jesus’ life, work, and ministry. In any case, the elderly John under divine inspiration wrote or dictated his eyewitness account. In addition, he wanted to help Chris-tians confronted with false teachings, particularly the beginning stages of a her-esy known as Gnosticism, which denied the reality of the incarnation. Also, he may well have wanted to counter Rome’s insistence on emperor worship by em-phasizing Jesus’ Deity as God’s Son. An additional suggestion is John wrote to counter the claims of some who held that John the Baptist was superior to Jesus.

Scholars have offered various suggestions concerning the Gospel’s ini-tial intended recipients: Jews of Asia Minor (the area around Ephesus) and beyond (Jews dispersed over the Roman Empire, who were influenced by Greek thought and culture); Greeks (Gentiles) who needed Christianity’s ba-sic truths restated in terms that would communicate to them; both Jews and Gentiles who needed the new life Christ offered. My view is that John wrote to anyone and everyone who would have access to his message of God’s love, mercy, and grace made incarnate in Jesus and offered to all people.

Purposes

John made clear his Gospel’s overriding evangelistic purpose: “But these are written so that you may believe Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and by believing you may have life in His name” (20:31). Additional suggested pur-poses are: (1) to address tensions between Jewish and Gentile converts, (2) to refute the view that John the Baptist was the Messiah, (3) to combat a devel-

9Introduction

oping heresy that denied Jesus’ true humanity and Deity, and (4) to refute the Jews’ contention that the law was God’s agent in creation. In any case, John’s primary purpose was to demonstrate that Jesus was the Messiah and God’s Son and to offer the good news of salvation in Christ to Jews and Gentiles.

Approach

Readers of the Fourth Gospel may immediately become aware that it dif-fers in approach from the other three Gospels, with some parallels and a number of differences. In contrast to the other Gospels, the Fourth Gospel presents lengthy, somewhat poetical and philosophical discourses along with a number of “I am” statements, leading some scholars to suggest that the Fourth Gospel is more interpretive than the other three.

Major Emphases in John

Jesus’ Deity and preexistenceThe necessity of being born from aboveEternal life that comes as God’s gift through faith in ChristGod’s inclusion of all people in His offer of graceThe demand for committed discipleshipJesus as the Good ShepherdThe exclusivity of Jesus: He is the only Way, the Truth, and the Life.The Holy Spirit’s presence and powerThe crucial importance of close relationship with ChristJesus’ voluntary death and triumphant resurrection

Outline of John 1–11

I. The Eternal Word (1:1–3:36) A. As the Word of God (1:1-18) B. As the Messiah from God (1:19-51) C. As the One with Authority (2:1-25) D. As the Son of God (3:1-36) II. The Powerful Word (4:1–6:71) A. The One Who Gives Living Water (4:1-54) B. The One Who Enhances Life (5:1-47) C. The One Who Offers Eternal Life (6:1-71)III. The Reassuring Word (7:1–11:57) A. The One Sent by God (7:1-52) B. The Light of the World (7:53–9:41) C. The Good Shepherd (10:1-42) D. The Resurrection and Life (11:1-57)

God Revealed10

God RevealedBackground Passage: John 1:1-18

Lesson Passages: John 1:1-5,9-14,16-18

INTRODUCTIONIf ever I thought I knew a lot about God—how He thinks, feels, acts,

and evaluates people—years of study and reflePction have increasingly im-pressed me with the truth that He purposely retains a great deal of mystery for Himself. What I know about God is a decidedly small insight into His character, and that has come through His Self-revelation, not through my efforts at discovery. God has made known to us what He wants us to know and what we need to know about Him; and His Self-disclosure has occurred supremely in Jesus of Nazareth.

In your study of the Scriptures, what truths about God have you made the bedrock of your faith? The Old Testament reveals that He is all-powerful, all-knowing, and present everywhere. He is Creator and Sovereign over His world, and He is the Shepherd of His people. These truths are foundational truths about who He is. Turning to the New Testament—and especially to the Gospels—we learn additional truths. God loves all people and sent His Son to provide salvation for all who will receive it. People are free to accept or to reject His offer of grace, but to reject His offer is to choose self-imposed judgment. Love is the central mark of God’s character. He is the Heavenly Father who wants to include all people in His family. He welcomes them on the basis of their faith in Jesus. He forgives His people when they sin and restores them to usefulness in His service.

Jesus revealed an additional key element of God’s character that is central to my faith. In His parable of the father and his two sons in Luke 15, Je-sus emphasized the father’s compassion for both His erring sons. In Psalm 103:13, the psalmist had compared God’s compassion for people who rev-erenced Him with a father’s compassion for his children. Yet without Jesus’ beautiful word picture, we might have missed the truth that far from being a stern, angry Deity ready to punish, God is compassionate. Moreover, Je-sus modeled that compassion in His interactions with people to whom He ministered. I do not know as much about God as I would like to know, but I am convinced that love and compassion are central to His nature. I know those truths because of Jesus, God in human flesh.

Many people do not believe in Jesus’ Deity. They may think of Him as merely a man or they even may believe He was an extraordinary teacher.

The Week of September 1

11Week of September 1

They might rank Jesus only as an equal of leaders of other religions. Under no circumstances, however, would they say what Christians believe—that Jesus is God. Unfortunately, this statement is as far as many Christians go. They look only at its surface and stop there. They do not realize the state-ment has much more depth to explore. As a result they rob themselves of a fuller understanding of Jesus’ identity. People who seek to enrich their understanding will learn that Jesus is also the Word of God and the One who is the fullest revelation of God. Individuals who go on to dig into these terms will find more reasons to be grateful for who Jesus is.

This lesson begins Unit 1 of our study of John 1–11. The unit is titled “The Word from Eternity” and deals with John 1:1–3:36. This lesson emphasizes that Jesus reveals God.

John 1:1-181. Recognize the Word (John 1:1-5)2. Welcome the Light (John 1:6-15)3. Experience the Revelation (John 1:16-18)

THE BACKGROUNDLikely, approximately 60 years had passed since Jesus’ ascension. Three Gos-

pels dealing with His life, ministry, death, and resurrection had been written. Matthew had written primarily to convince readers that Jesus was the Promised Messiah who established His church. Mark likely initially wrote to Christians in Rome under threat of persecution to stress that Jesus was God’s powerful, living Son who was able to sustain them and who called them to faithful discipleship. Luke wrote to Theophilus [thee (th as in thin) AHF ih luhs] (and to a largely Gentile audience) to present an orderly account of the gospel, to stress that Christianity was not a political threat to Rome, and to emphasize that Gentiles’ inclusion in God’s purpose had always been a part of His plan. John also wrote to a specific audience with clear purposes in mind as he wrote.

John probably lived in Ephesus and was quite elderly when he wrote the Gos-pel of John. He may or may not have been familiar with the first three Gospels. Regardless of the role friends may have played in urging the apostle to write an eyewitness account or the role John’s burning desire that people place their faith in Jesus may have contributed to the writing of this Gospel, the primary Mo-tivator was the Holy Spirit (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:20-21). Under divine inspira-tion John produced the Fourth Gospel. After years of reflection on his personal experiences with Jesus during His earthly ministry, John interpreted the events of that ministry. He explained Jesus’ words and acts as if to state: “This is what Jesus meant by what He said and did.” Matthew began with Jesus’ descent from Abraham in His humanity; Mark began with Jesus’ baptism; Luke traced Jesus’ genealogy to Adam. John, however, began in eternity. (For more background information concerning John’s Gospel, see this Commentary’s “Introduction.”)

God Revealed12

THE BIBLE PASSAGE

John 1:1-18 commonly has been called the Prologue to the Gospel. Be-fore he began the narrative of Jesus’ life, ministry, death, and resurrection, John stated the theme of his entire book in elevated or rhythmical prose that some interpreters have considered to be poetry closely akin to a hymn. Whatever the literary form, the verses are more than a preface or mere in-troduction; they comprise an extremely complex theological statement that expresses John’s faith and reflects His purposes in writing.

In these verses, as a first priority John presented Jesus as preexistent Deity and as the instrument of creation (John 1:1-3). In so doing the apostle re-futed false teachings that were prevalent when he wrote. As God’s revelation of Himself, Jesus was God’s unquenchable Light shining in a dark world, and Jesus alone could impart God’s kind of life (1:4-5). Jesus was superior to John the Baptist, who was the messenger testifying about Jesus to lead peo-ple to believe in Him (1:6-8). The Baptist was not God’s ultimate revelation; Jesus was the real or genuine Light who could enlighten all people concern-ing God’s nature and purpose (1:9). Thus, at the beginning of the Gospel of John, the writer established Jesus’ preeminence over John the Baptist.

In verses 10-11, John expressed the sad truth that the preexistent Jesus entered the world He had created, and His own people did not welcome Him as God incarnate. Yet some people did place faith in Him, and to them He gave the privilege of being God’s children through a new, spiritual birth, whose source was God (1:12-13).

With simplicity and brevity, John declared the incredible truth that the eternal Jesus came as a human and revealed God’s redemptive nature and reliability (1:14). By John the Baptist’s own admission, Jesus was infinitely greater than he (1:15). John the Gospel writer further asserted Jesus was su-perior to Moses and to the law given through him (1:17). Jesus, unique and the only One of His kind, has made God known in clearest terms (1:18).

1. Recognize the Word (John 1:1-5)

Verse 1: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

The opening words of John’s Gospel constitute a salvo aimed at false teachers who maintained Jesus was not God incarnate. The phrase in the beginning (literally, “in beginning”) echoes Genesis 1:1 and refers to the period before cre-ation. The tense of the Greek term was (“was being”) conveys continuous, ab-solute existence. John began in eternity to stress that the Word was preexistent.

In John’s time, the term Word (the Greek word written in English is Logos [LAH gahs]) was a familiar philosophical term for the rational principle (cre-ative energy) that ran through the entire universe. For the Hellenistic Jewish


writer Philo, the Logos was divine, second to God as the first order of creation, and God’s means of creating and ruling the universe. John asserted, however, that the Logos was not a created being but was personalized Deity. Most likely, John’s use of the term had an Old Testament background. In Hebrew though word was His active power in creation, revelation, and deliverance. To John, God’s Word was His Self-expression, the communication of His redemptive purpose in a divine Person. In 1:17, John identified the Word as “Jesus Christ.”

John stated that the Word was with God. The Greek term rendered with has the sense of being face to face with God. Two ideas are involved: equal-ity and intimacy. Jesus shared God’s nature and was in perfect fellowship with God. Furthermore, Jesus was God—absolute Deity.

Explore Further: Write an expression of your understanding of Jesus as God’s living Word. What resources help you deepen your understanding? How can you help others understand this truth?

Verse 2: He was with God in the beginning.John asserted that Jesus (literally, “this One”) always was with God. The

phrase in the beginning repeats John’s opening words in verse 1 and em-phasizes that Jesus, the eternal Word, was present at the dawn of creation, was related intimately to God, and shared God’s Deity. There is no time when the Word was not in existence or in perfect fellowship with God.

Verse 3: All things were created through Him, and apart from Him not one thing was created that has been created.

Jesus was the Agent of creation (see Col. 1:13-17). He who always ”was” (1:1) acted as the Instrument through whom everything came into being. For emphasis, John stated the same truth from a different perspective: not one thing in creation came into existence apart from Jesus’ active involvement. Again, John’s point was that rather than being part of cre-ation, Jesus was apart from the created order, above it, and instrumental in bringing it into being.

Verse 4: Life was in Him, and that life was the light of men.In quick succession, John introduced three key terms that occur repeat-

edly in his Gospel. First, life was in Jesus. The Greek language in which John wrote had more than one word that can be translated “life.” One, refer-ring to a period or manner of existence—forms part of our word biology. In verse 4 John used a different word. The apostle characteristically used this term to refer to eternal life—spiritual life, God’s kind of life of superlative quality and endless duration. As various interpreters have suggested, John may have used the term life in verse 4 in the broad sense of all life—physi-cal, moral, and spiritual. All of life, and especially spiritual life, comes from Jesus—the Word, the Life-Giver (see John 1:3).

God Revealed14

The second key term John used was light. The spiritual life Jesus gives brings enlightenment to believers. John had in mind much more than in-tellectual illumination; he stressed God’s self-revelation in Jesus that brings spiritual insight. For John, light was a synonym for goodness and truth. He emphasized that Jesus has and gives life and reveals God’s redemptive nature.

Verse 5: That light shines in the darkness, yet the darkness did not overcome it.

John declared that the light of God’s self-revelation in Jesus shines; it con-tinues to shed light on God’s character as redemptive. The present tense of the verb stresses that the light never ceases to shine. The light of Jesus’ revelation shines in the darkness. In John’s Gospel, the term darkness is a third key term and is a synonym for evil and falsehood. When God created the universe, He spoke light into being to dispel the darkness enveloping the earth’s watery depths (see Gen. 1:2-3). In the new creation, He dispels spiritual darkness in the light of Christ. The spiritual darkness (evil) into which Jesus came did not overcome the light He is and brought. The Greek term rendered over-come can also mean “overpower (overwhelm),” “understand (grasp or com-prehend),” or “put out (extinguish as a flame).” The sense is that the darkness of evil could not extinguish or overpower the light Jesus brought.

Explore Further: What evidences do you see that a large percentage of peo-ple in our culture live in the darkness of evil and need the light Jesus is and gives? How can you help dispel that darkness?

In summary of John 1:1-5, Jesus is the Word of God and indeed is God. Our proper response to John’s soaring declaration of Jesus’ Deity should be gratitude for who He is. We express gratitude by recognizing Jesus is God’s Word—His ultimate revelation of Himself—and by seeking a better under-standing of the term Word.

2. Welcome the Light (John 1:6-15)

In verses 6-8, John the Gospel writer introduced another John, Jesus’ fore-runner, to whom the other Gospel writers referred as John the Baptist (see Matt. 3:1; Mark 6:14; Luke 7:20). Abruptly, the apostle John stated that “a man named John” suddenly appeared on the scene (John 1:6). In contrast to Jesus, the eternal Word, the Baptist began life when he was conceived by human parents; he was a significant man, but he was not equal to or superior to Jesus. God selected and authorized the Baptist to announce the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. John the writer acknowledged the Baptist’s importance but maintained Jesus’ preeminence. The Baptist’s role was to be a witness who testified “about the light” (Jesus) now shining in the world’s darkness (1:7).


The Baptist’s purpose was to give his hearers the opportunity to place faith in Jesus. The apostle John stated emphatically that the Baptist “was not the light” (God’s revelation of Himself; the Word or Deity) but bore witness to Jesus, the Light (1:8).

Verse 9: The true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

In contrast to the Baptist, who bore witness to the Light, Jesus was the true light. The Greek word rendered true conveys the sense of what is real, perfect, and substantial as opposed to what is shadowy, partial, and imper-fect. It means “real,” “genuine,” or “authentic.” Jesus was the genuine, perfect revelation of God—the authentic Light—coming into the world. This reve-lation of God’s character as redemptive was meant for everyone. The phrase who gives light to everyone does not mean that everybody would (or will) respond to Jesus in faith. It means that the Light shines for all people to see, that God’s saving grace revealed clearly and perfectly in Jesus is offered freely to all who will by faith receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. God desires all people to receive His saving grace made available in Christ (2 Pet. 3:9).

Today, we have the responsibility and privilege of reflecting the light of God’s grace in Jesus as we interact with others in our daily lives. One of the hymns the members of my church sing enthusiastically is titled “Shine, Jesus, Shine.” The first stanza declares that the light of the Lord’s love is shin-ing in the darkness and implores Him to set us free by the truth He brings us. The third stanza asks that believers’ faces display Jesus’ likeness and that their lives mirror it so they tell His story. That the words of this popular hymn are in harmony with the message of John 1:9 is clearly evident.

Verse 10: He was in the world, and the world was created through Him, yet the world did not recognize Him.

Jesus, God’s self-revelation, was in the world. One view, based on the form of the verb was in the original language is that the phrase presents the idea of Jesus’ continuous existence in the universe before the incarna-tion. The Greek verb form expresses the idea of continuous existence. An alternate approach is that the words refer to the incarnation. Either way, the term world refers to the created order, the sphere of people’s existence. In a real sense, Jesus—the eternal Word—always was present in creation; and at a point in time, He entered that realm visibly in the incarnation. John again stressed that the world was created through Him (see 1:3). The world ex-isted through Jesus’ creative activity. In his third usage of the term world in this verse, John narrowed its meaning to humanity in particular (see 3:16) and specifically to people among whom Jesus of Nazareth lived. The people who saw and heard Him did not recognize Him. The Greek term rendered recognize means “know” and has the sense of intimate knowledge, of per-sonal relationship. People failed to seize the opportunity to acknowledge Jesus as God incarnate and to respond positively to Him.

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Verse 11: He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him.The words He came clearly refer to the incarnation—Jesus’ coming in

human flesh. His own people—the Jews—did not receive Him. The Greek verb rendered receive has the idea of accepting (welcoming) and acknowl-edging someone to be who the person professes to be. The verb tense along with the negative expresses decisive rejection. Although some of Jesus’ peo-ple accepted Him, as a whole they generally rejected Him.

Verse 12: But to all who did receive Him, He gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in His name,

Although many of Jesus’ own people refused to acknowledge Him as God incarnate, some did receive Him. To those who accepted (welcomed) Him as God’s Son and Messiah, He gave . . . the right to be children of God. The Greek term rendered right also can mean “power” or “authority.” The idea is that Jesus enables people who believe in Him to be God’s children and invests them with the authority and right to be such. The term rendered right may also convey the idea of privilege. The Greek word translated be literally means “become.” People who received Jesus became something they previously had not been; they be-came His children. Observe that the privilege of being members of God’s family is a gift Jesus has power to give. All people are God’s creatures because He cre-ated them; only those who have placed their faith in Jesus are God’s children.

John stated clearly and emphatically the absolutely essential requirement for entering God’s family: only people who believe in His (Jesus’) name become God’s children. In John’s Gospel, the noun faith never appears; the apostle used only verb forms to convey the action of believing. With the term believe, John introduced another key word in his Gospel. The Greek term means much more than intellectual acceptance of information as factual. It means “to place confi-dence in,” “to be persuaded of,” or “to trust.” Thus, it has the deeper meaning of commitment. The word name stands for the whole person. To believe in Jesus’ name or to place one’s faith in Him, then, is the acceptance of Jesus Christ and commitment of one’s entire personality to Him as Lord and Savior.

Explore Further: Today, we may commonly hear or read the statement, “We all (meaning “all people”) are God’s children.” How can you use verse 12 to correct that assertion? Identify a person who is outside God’s family of faith. How will you tell that individual the good news that through faith in Jesus he or she can become God’s child?

People who welcome the light Jesus brings into the world believe in Him and become God’s children. As believers, our ongoing commitment to Je-sus is an expression of gratitude for who He is. When we placed our faith in Him, we acknowledged that He is the Source of salvation and that only through Him do we become God’s children.


Verse 13: who were born, not of blood, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God.

John stressed that people who placed their faith in Jesus were born (be-gotten) . . . of God. The Greek term rendered born . . . of God has the idea of receiving new life whose origin is God. John used three negatives to empha-size that humans cannot generate the new life only God can give. Eternal life is not the result of human bloodlines (not of blood), sexual desire (the will of the flesh), or human will (the will of man; possibly a husband’s will). What humans could not (and cannot) do for themselves—produce their salvation—God provided in Jesus.

Verse 14: The Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We observed His glory, the glory as the One and Only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

The English language does not have enough or strong enough words to cap-ture the eternal impact and profound wonder of this verse. To me, nowhere else in John’s Gospel can we find a better example of deep truth expressed in simple Greek terms. John stated briefly human history’s most significant event: The Word became flesh and took up residence among us. Deity (Jesus, the Word) became a human being and lived (literally, “tabernacled” or “pitched His tent”) among other humans. Those among whom Jesus lived and ministered observed His glory. In the Septuagint (a major Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament), the Greek term glory rendered the Hebrew word that means “honor,” “splendor,” and “dignity.” In Exodus 40:34, it was used of the brilliance of God’s presence in the tabernacle. The Hebrew term also could have the ideas of character and reputation. John and others around Jesus saw the excellence of His redemptive character. The magnificence of divine character they observed was that of the One and Only Son from the Father—literally, “the only-born from the Father.” The Greek word translated the One and Only refers to Jesus’ uniqueness. As God in human flesh, Jesus was the only One of His kind.

As God incarnate, Jesus was full of grace and truth. Behind John’s state-ment may well be Exodus 34:6, God’s revelation to Moses that He is “com-passionate and gracious” and “rich in faithful love and truth.” John used the word grace only in 1:14,16-17, but his doing so four times at the beginning of his Gospel is significant. Grace is God’s undeserved favor, His goodness in action. In Jesus, people encountered God’s redemptive nature, His good-will and loving-kindness. The Greek word translated truth refers to Jesus’ personal excellence, His integrity and perfection of character. It also con-veys the ideas of faithfulness and steadfastness. Jesus—God incarnate—was the authentic revelation of God’s active goodness and trustworthiness.

In verse 15, John the Gospel writer returned to John the Baptist’s testimony concerning Jesus. The Baptist acknowledged that Jesus, who came after him in sequence of birth and ministry, actually existed before him, again stress-ing Jesus’ preexistence. At the time the Baptist was speaking, Jesus already

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had surpassed him—was before or in front of him in rank and dignity. The Baptist acknowledged Jesus’ superiority and absolute priority to him.

Explore Further: Read the articles titled “Grace” (pp. 678-680) and “Truth” (p. 1631) in the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary. How should the reality that God is gracious help you in your daily living and in your efforts to serve Him?

3. Experience the Revelation (John 1:16-18)

Verse 16: Indeed, we have all received grace after grace from His fullness,From Jesus, One full of grace and truth” (1:14), all people who have placed

their faith in Him have received grace after grace. The Greek phrase grace after grace presents the idea of grace replacing grace continuously, as the manna God provided for the Israelites in the wilderness was new and fresh each morning. Thus, for believers, Jesus provides a new supply of grace ev-ery day. This daily, limitless supply comes from His (Jesus’) fullness. As Deity, Jesus was (and is) able to give His people uninterrupted grace.

Explore Further: In what ways do you experience the daily grace Jesus gives? How can you express that grace to others?

Verse 17: for the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

In his own way, John made the same point the writer of Hebrews made: Jesus is superior to Moses (see Heb. 3:1-6). John also asserted that Jesus is superior to the law mediated through Moses. Moses and the law played key roles in the early stage of God’s revelation, but John stressed that Jesus superseded both as God’s revelation of Himself.

God’s full revelation of Himself as gracious and trustworthy came through Jesus Christ. (See comments on John 1:14.) The term came re-ferred to the historical event of the incarnation. For the first time, John identified the preexistent Word (see 1:1-2). The Greek term rendered Jesus refers to His role as “Savior” and the word translated Christ is equivalent to “Messiah,” God’s anointed Deliverer. Jesus of Nazareth, the Word (Deity) incarnate, was God’s promised Deliverer.

Verse 18: No one has ever seen God. The One and Only Son—the One who is at the Father’s side—He has revealed Him.

Because God is Spirit and absolute perfection, no one has ever seen Him. Physical eyes cannot gaze on infinite majesty. In Exodus 33:20, God told Moses he could not see God’s face, for no one could see His face and live.


In the Old Testament, references to people’s seeing God refer to partial glimpses of Him. No one saw God in His total or essential being. Later in John’s Gospel, Jesus stated: “The one who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). Seeing, however, depended on faith in Jesus and even then was limited to what human flesh could reveal, not to God’s full glory. Thus, no human being has seen or grasped fully the totality of who God is.

John declared that Jesus, the preexistent Word, revealed God. As in verse 14, the Greek word translated the One and Only expresses uniqueness. Jesus (the Word, Deity) is at the Father’s side—literally, “in the bosom of the Father.” The Greek word rendered side (“bosom”) is the same word used in John 13:23 to indicate the position of the disciple who “was reclining close beside Jesus” at the supper in the upper room. The Greek phrase in 1:18 expresses the close person-al relationship between Jesus and the Father, and the term rendered is conveys the sense of their continuing oneness, of their eternal relationship or union.

Because of Jesus’ oneness with the Father, Jesus has revealed Him. The Greek term rendered revealed is not the usual word that means “to unveil,” “to disclose,” or “to make known.” Rather, the word John used in John 1:18 means “to lead out” or “to go before” and then “to tell,” “to report,” or “to recount.” It can have the further meanings of “to unfold in teaching,” “to describe,” or “to interpret.” Our English words exegete (“someone doing in-terpretation”) and exegesis (“critical analysis” or “interpretation”) are related to this Greek term. John emphasized that Jesus was (and is) God’s fullest explanation or declaration of Himself.

In Jesus, the eternal Word, God has communicated His nature adequately but not exhaustively. God retains a great deal of mystery about Himself. Yet Jesus explained or interpreted clearly God’s nature and purpose. In a real sense, Jesus is God’s final Word to us concerning His love, redemptive purpose, good will, and compassion. The writer of Hebrews wrote that in ancient times God had spoken partially through the prophets but in the last days had spoken fully “by His Son” (Heb. 1:1-2a). What more can God say to convince sinful humans He wants to forgive them and welcome them into His family as His children than He has declared in Jesus? He awaits people’s response of faith in Jesus, His redemptive Word to them.

In summary, Jesus alone supremely reveals God to us. We express gratitude for who Jesus is by exploring the revelation of God He pro-vides. In a real sense, our consistent involvement in Bible study is an ongoing expression of our thanks.

Explore Further: What evidences do you find in the Gospels that Jesus is God’s Word, is Deity, and explains God’s character and purpose? In what ways have you expressed gratitude for who Jesus is? In what additional ways can you do so?

ADULT COMMENTARY

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