Gospel Light Christian Church Thru-The-Bible Series (1.2)

The Gospel Of John

John 1:1-18 - Read this Bible passage once through before referring to the notes below.

Introduction Verses 1 to 18 is the "core" of the whole book because it reveals Jesus as the eternal God. This vital truth must first be understood before His condescending love can be fully appreciated.

v.1 Jesus was not from the beginning, but in the beginning (ie, He existed from eternity). The use of the 'Word' (in Greek: logos) is peculiar to John's writings (found also in 1 JOH 1:1 and REV 19:13). A word serves two main purposes:

(a) it expresses our inner thoughts, i.e., we think in words, without words our thoughts are not clearly defined;

(b) it reveals our inner thoughts to others. Therefore, Christ is the Word of God, because He expresses God's thoughts and reveals it to men (JOH 1:18, HEB 1:2,3).

Jesus was with God. The word 'with' means the closest possible relationship, ie face to face. Though Jesus was with God, He also was God. From this verse, we learn that there are more than one Person in the Godhead.

v.2 This verse emphasizes the distinct personal existence of Christ Jesus. The Holy Trinity is not (as some say) God who is One Person having three different functions or offices (eg. of a father, of a son, and of a spirit). Most "Christian" heresies either deny Christ's deity or the Trinity - because these two doctrines are impossible for finite minds to comprehend. The Bible teaches that there is One God and Three Persons in the Godhead. Therefore, it is as wrong to say that there are three Gods as to say there is one Person in the Godhead.

v.3 He is the Creator, not a created being. This is stated both positively and negatively for emphasis.

v.4 We do not have life through Him, but in Him. This life refers to the life of God in Christ - God's holiness, truth, love, omnipotence, etc. Since God's life was clearly revealed in Jesus, His life is our "light."

v.5 Jesus' life on earth clearly gave light of God's love, power, holiness, etc., but the world of sinners (ie, the darkness) did not comprehend (ie, did not accept) Him.

v.6 This verse differentiates John the Baptist from Jesus. John was a man sent from God (not God Himself). John means "Jehovah has been gracious".

v.7 This verse was given to clarify John's person and ministry because certain false teachers had elevated John. Through John's faithful preaching, all men might believe.

v.8 As the moon reflects the Sun's glory, John (& all Christians) reflect Christ's life in them.

v.9 Jesus was the true Light that reveals who God really is.

v.10 Even we today often forget this truth and live our lives ignoring Him.

v.11 Jesus not only came to His own world, but also to His own people (the Jews). The Jews had been prepared for His coming for hundreds of years through the rituals that they practised in their Temple at Jerusalem, and through the prophecies of the prophets.

v.12 Mark this verse in your Bible with "MV" (Memory Verse). Salvation is a gift ("gave") from God, received by faith (ie, them that believe). God gives all that trust in Him, the power (ie, authority, right) to become the sons of God. We not only receive the authority to be His children but we also receive the power to become His children. This process of transformation after we believed in Jesus Christ, is called sanctification. Much of this book demonstrates the transforming power of God in the life of Christians as they became partakers of His divine nature. [1]

v.13 Salvation is not by any effort of man (ie, the will of man) but of God. Salvation is not by faith and works but by faith that works. We do not need to work our way to the Cross but we must work from the Cross. [2]

v.14 God the Son took on another (human) nature (ie. flesh) to become God-man. In the process He did not cease to be the Word. [3] The phrase dwelt among us literally means: pitched His tent among us. [4] Jesus was full of grace to redeem men and full of truth to reveal God to men. Though others had revealed the truth of God before, Jesus was full of truth because unlike the prophets who revealed God imperfectly, He fully revealed all that we need to know about God.

v.15 John preached boldly ("cried"). Though John was older and had begun his public ministry before Jesus (ie He cometh after me), Jesus should be exalted because he is eternal (ie. he was before me).

v.16 Everything that we have comes from Him - both physical and spiritual. Jesus is the One who gives us grace upon the grace that He has already given to us (ie. grace for grace). The Christian life is one of endless grace upon grace from God beginning with our salvation.

v.17 God's grace and truth was also revealed in the Old Testament but His grace and truth is fully revealed in Christ.

v.18 Though God did make fleeting appearances of Himself to men (eg.GEN 32:30, DEU 34:10), those who saw did not fully apprehend God. Only the only begotten Son has known the Father well enough to declare Him to us. In the bosom signifies the closest relationship.


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Footnotes

[1] The Roman Catholics interpret this verse to mean that believing in Him merely gives one the "opening" to become His sons. After this "opening" has been granted, then the person must do certain things to become sons of God. This interpretation is negated by the next verse which says that salvation is not by human effort.

[2] Sola Fide (Latin for "solely by faith" was the battle cry of the Protestant Reformation).

[3] Though it is said that He became flesh it does not mean that He merely took on flesh without spirit and soul, Jesus had to be fully man (body, soul and spirit) to be an adequate sin-substitute (substitutionary atonement) for man, His incarnation is one of the hardest concepts to understand, and is the cause of many heresies from the beginning of the Church.

The definitive creed of the Church regarding Jesus' person was formulated in Chalcedon in 451 AD, which believes in:
(a) the reality of the two natures - divine and human;
(b) the infinity of the two natures - the two natures remain unchanged or diluted;
(c) the perfect union of the two natures in one person - there is no "boundary-line" between the two natures.

[4] He dwelt among men during His life on earth, and will dwell among us in His glorified body through eternity.