John 1:1-5

The Word Became Flesh

1 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. 4 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.

The main theme of Gospel John is: Jesus is GOD, and he came to the world to show humans GOD's will.

1: The Word existed since the beginning. It means the Word exists before anything. The Word and God were together. The Word was GOD Himself.
2: "He existed in the beginning with God"(2). The verse emphasizes that in the beginning, there was only the Word and GOD.
3: The Word played a key role in the creation as it says: "God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him"(3). No exception.
4: There is life in the Word. And the life is the light of all mankind. This light points a direction to the truth.
5: "The light shines into the darkness" means that the Word came into the world; the darkness cannot overcome the light from the Word.



John 1:6-13

6 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. 9 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. 12 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.


6: The John here is John the Baptist (not the disciple John, who is author of the book John). John was sent by GOD.
7: John's purpose is to act as a witness, to help humans realize the light is from GOD.
8: John is not the light; his purpose is simply to spread the truth of the light.
9: The light came to the world by himself; the light shines on everyone in the world.
10: The light came to the world which was made through himself. However, the humans did not recognize him.
11: This verse emphasizes again that the light came to the earth he created and owned. Even so, the humans rejected him. This shows the rebelliousness of nature which we know as: sin.
12: Those who believed that he was the son of GOD, and received Him as their Lord, will be given a privilege: to become children of GOD.
13: The transition of becoming a child of GOD is not accomplished by human feat, but by GOD's.



John 1:14-18

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. 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.’”) 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.


14: The Word came to us in a human form, and lives among us. And he becomes a channel and the only channel for the human to know the GOD in heaven. He is the media filled with the grace and truth from GOD.
15: John's testimony was predicted in the old testament : Isaiah 40:3 3 Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting, “Clear the way through the wilderness for the Lord! Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God!
16: We , those who received him as the son of GOD, received the blessing again and again.
17: GOD sent the law through Moese. And the love and truth are from his son, Jesus, the Word. Refer Deuteronomy 31:9 So Moses wrote this entire body of instruction in a book and gave it to the priests, who carried the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant, and to the elders of Israel.
18: No one even sees GOD. Because we are human , and we were separated from GOD due to sin. But the son comes to earth and shows us GOD. Refer Colossians 1:15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.



John 1:19-28

John the Baptist Denies Being the Messiah

19 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.” 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?” 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.’” 24 Now the Pharisees who had been sent 25 questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 “I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. 27 He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.” 28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.


19: John the Baptist got lots of attention in Jewish area, and this caused the anxiety and uncertainty for those who were in power, like Pharisees and teachers. Therefore, them sent priests and Levites to confirm who John the Baptist was.
20: John the Baptist answered they "I am not Messiah" very firmly.
21: They kept asking John the Baptist "who are you?". They needed an answer to back to the sender. And then they guessed he was Elijah, a prophet in old testament, was fed by raven. Refer 1 Kings 17:2 Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah: 3 “Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. 4 You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there.”
22: They were in anxiety, so they kept asking
23: John replied in the words of Isaiah to imply that he was predicted by GOD through the words of Isaiah. Refer Isaiah 40:3 A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
24-25: They thought only those whom from GOD can baptize others. So they challenged his legitimacy.
26: John did not answer the question dorectly. But he answered in another perspective: to tell what are the difference between his baptize and Jesus's
27: He introduced Jesus in time sequence, and then used to untie his strape of Jesus's sandles to describe his glory.
28: This indicates where John was baptizing.



John 1:29-34

John Testifies About Jesus

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! 30 This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 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.’ 34 I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”


29: John clear said the purpose of Jesus, to take away the sin of the world.
30: This verse reflects what John said in verse 15.
31: This reflects that John did not know Jesus, but he knew what was the importance of his work ,to be baptizing with water, to Israel: knwoing Jesus.
32-34: This is how John recognize whom is sent by GOD: GOD told him that Spirit come down and remain is the choice one.



John 1:35-42

John’s Disciples Follow Jesus

35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” 37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning around, 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.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon. 40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 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. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter).


35: The same place where John met Jesus again seem indicates they appears in the same area and targeted the same group.
36: John mentioned again, Jesus is the Lamb of God (to take away sin). Verse 29 also mentioned it.
37: Theese two disciples must hear this many times and took action to follow Jesus. It looks like John acknowleage what they did.
38: Jesus wanted to know their motivation, and they just simply want to know where Jesus stayed. Their answers to Juses's question seem imply their curiosity about Jesus.
39: Jesus invite them to his place. Jesus seem change his original plan for them. And both of them and Jesus seem enjoyed together, so that they spent the day together.
40: Peter, Andrew's brother, is a important disciple, who is the author of 1 peter and 2 peter. He led the disciples after Jesus died.
41: What Andrew did reflected this is what they were looking for for a long time and were excited to find him.
42: Jesus gave Peter a name , the name indicates his expectation on him. Cephas (Aramaic) and Peter (Greek) both mean rock.



John 1:43-51

Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael

43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 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.” 46 “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip. 47 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.” 49 Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.” 50 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.”


43: Galilee locats in north.
44: Bethsaida located in north of the sea of Galilee, a lake.
45: Like Andrew and Peter, Philip and Nathanael seem already were looking forward the coming of messiah. Refer Deuteronomy 18:18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. 19 And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him.
46:Nazareth is the place the Jesus grew up. Nazareth is a tiny place.
47: Jesus discerned human's heart, and loved those whose heart have no deceit.
48: Jesus used that Nathanael was under a fig tree to show Nathanael His capacity.
49: Nathanael's words showed that he truely believed what Jesus said.
50: Jesus commend Nathanael because his pure heart. And Jesus also told him, the greater thing will come. Compared with many people saw the big miracle, but still not believed Jesus is the son of God, Nathanael's believing show his simple faith.
51: Jesus use the ladder to represent himself. The only channel to reach heaven. Refer Genesis 28:12 And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it!



[Bible study:John]