John Ch. 1:1-18

Let's look at why we have four gospels when they all seem to say the same thing.  John's point in writing the book of John was to show that Jesus was/is God.   Matthew showed that Jesus was the Messiah promised in the Old Testament prophesies.  Mark showed that Jesus was a servant of God. Luke showed that Jesus was the son of man. 

The original readers of Matthew were meant to be to the Jews, as they would have understood the many Old Testament references.  The original readers of Mark were meant to be the Gentiles, us, and the Romans.  The original readers of Luke were the Greeks, as it shows that Jesus was the ideal man.  This was very important in Greek culture.  John was written to be read by all Christians. 

Matthew tells the story of Jesus' life as a teacher, Matthew as a story teller, Mark as a historian, and John as a Theologian. 

The emphasis in Matthew is on the fact that Jesus fulfilled many prophesies from the Old Testament regarding the Messiah, the promised one.  Matthew also focuses on Jesus' sermons.  Mark tells more of the mystery of Christ and the miracles Jesus performed.  More miracles are recorded in Mark then in any other book.  Luke focuses on Jesus' humanity and that He came for all men.  Luke also shows more how much Jesus prayed.  And John focuses on Jesus' diety; the fact that he was/is the SON OF GOD. 

John Chapter 1:

The Word Became Flesh

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made."

 

This passage is referring to Jesus.  I will cross reference it with another passage in Col. 1, " The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. ¹⁶ For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him."

 

All things were made by Jesus and for Jesus.  Jesus is God, but it specifies here that the world was made specifically by Jesus.  Jesus was there in the beginning with God.  He did not come into existence when he was born in Bethlehem.  He is referred to sometimes as the eternally begotten one.  He has forever existed, just like God the Father. 

 

The question I was looking into earlier is, why does John refer here to Jesus as "The Word."  I was looking into the verse that says, "The word of God is living and active."  Could Scripture be alive because Jesus is scripture?  It is a mystery, but that is something to think about. 

 

This passage also carifies that Jesus was fully God when it says, "The Word was God." 

 

"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."

 

Jesus said, "I came that they may have life and have it to the full."  He is the one who conquered death so that He can bring life to us, who are spiritually dead.   The light is also always an illustration for God and his followers.  The darkness always represents evil, sin and Satan's world.  The darkness cannot overcome the light, as Satan was created by God.  He cannot be stronger than God, even if he appears to be on this earth. 

^"There was a man sent from God whose name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. ⁸ He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light."  This is John the Baptist.  He testified in the desert that Jesus was coming soon.  He prepared people's hearts to be ready to see Jesus and accept Him. 

^"The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. ¹¹ He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him."

Paul states that the law was like a stumbling block for the Jews.  They could not recognize that Jesus was from God because they were hung up on the law.  They did not see that Jesus was revamping the way God and man would interact. 

They could not accept that he was establishing a new covenant.  So they resisted Him.  The Pharisees hated Jesus and tried to stop him, because they did not understand.  Partly because they did not want to understand.  Their hearts were hardened.  Jesus said of them, "These people honor me with their lips but their hearts are far from me." 

I also believe they were jealous of Jesus and his power; a power that they did not have as mere men. 

"Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— ¹³ children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God."  This is an argument for if we can loose our salvation.  I do not believe so.  No more then you can say your mom is no longer you mom.  She will always be your mom, no matter what you do.  Likewise once we "confess" with our mouth and believe in our hearts that Jesus is Lord we are saved, period.  We are adopted into God's family. 

Eph. 1 says, "When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴ who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory."  The gift of the Holy Spirit is a gaurantee that we are saved and in God's family. 

^"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."  God came down to earth in human form, as a baby, to show his love for us.  He made himself helpless and vulnerable to show us how much he cared about us. 

He lived among us, because he knew that would be the best way to really teach us. 

Jesus was full of grace and truth in that his love in this act of vulnerability showed his grace.  He was full of truth because he came to testify the truth that whoever believed in his free gift of salvation would inherit eternal life. 

He said of himself, "I am the way, the truth and the life.  NO man comes to the father but by me."  Also, "There is no other name under heaven by which we may be saved."  Jesus is IT.  He is THE TRUTH.

^" (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.’”) ¹⁶ Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. ¹⁷ For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 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." 

Jesus was before John the Baptist because he has existed forever.  He has never not existed. 

Jesus' goal in coming to earth was to help man fully understand God.  In the Old Testament God remained a mystery for the most part.  People rarely saw God.  They rarely heard from God. But then Jesus came!  God in the flesh.  And he taught the people everything they would ever need to know about God.  And he is still teaching us through his Word.   

I pray this has been useful to you in understanding the beginning of John.  I will go on from here and try to explain verse by verse the deep and profound meanings in John.  It truly is an incredible book of the Bible! 

May God bless you all!  :)