Abide in Him: John 1:1-18

It’s time for another study. This time, we will study the book of John. I chose John for a couple of reasons. When I was a child and was interested in reading the Bible, my mom told me to start with the book of John because it contained an easy-to-understand explanation of the Gospel. Now that I’m grown, I’m also finding a richness in John that I hadn’t really seen before. My prayer as you go through this study with me is that you learn more about Jesus and the love He has for all of us.

John chapter 1 is a lengthy text, so I’m going to divide it into two parts. The first part will cover verses 1-18, which focuses on The Word in the Flesh. This section is quite significant as it not only introduces Jesus Christ as the Son of God, but as God as well. I’ll go through verses 19-51 in a different post.

For reference, I use the English Standard Version (ESV) of the Bible.

The Author

The book is authored by John, a disciple and follower of Jesus. He was also the son of Zebedee and the brother of James, another one of Jesus’ disciples. Jesus referred to James and John as “The Sons of Thunder,” though there’s really no explanation as to why He calls them that. A story in Luke 9 might shed some light though as it tells of how James and John asked Jesus if they could “tell fire to come down from heaven and consume” the Samaritans who had rejected Jesus. Jesus rebuked the brothers, but the incident gives us insight into their passion for Christ. John also interestingly refers to himself a few times throughout the book as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” No one really knows why he refers to himself that way, other than the fact that he and Jesus were very close. In fact, John, James, and Peter were the disciples that were closest to Jesus. He allowed them to see Him transfigured (see Matthew 17) and He confided in them at the Garden of Gethsemane (see Mark 14). Jesus also instructed John to care for His mom, Mary, as He hung on the cross (John 19:26-27). John was the last of the Apostles to die. He died of old age, rather than being martyred like the other Apostles. John not only authored the Gospel of John, but also the letters of 1, 2, and 3 John and the book of Revelation.

The Text

The Word in the Flesh and The True Light (verses 1-18)

John spends the first 18 verses of chapter 1 introducing Jesus. He begins in verse 1 with “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” If the phrase “In the beginning” sounds familiar, it is because it’s how Genesis 1:1 begins. John would have known this as Genesis is part of the holy scriptures the Jewish people studied. Therefore, it is safe to conclude that his introductory phrase is purposeful and not coincidental. John writes this to show that Jesus was present at the creation of the world. Not only was He present, He was with God the Father as He created the heavens and the earth. Not only was He with God the Father, but He is God (God the Father and God the Son). In this first verse alone, John establishes the deity of Christ. Verses 2 – 3 echo John’s point in verse 1. Jesus was with God in the beginning and everything was made through Him. This is important to know as well to show that God didn’t create Jesus in the beginning, He was with God in the beginning. Also, everything that was made was made through Him and nothing was made without Him. Again, John is establishing the deity of Christ.

John calls Jesus the Word (or Logos in Greek), which means “word, reason, or plan” (Strong’s Concordance). Many scholars believe John wrote this because many people at the time were into Greek philosophy. However, according to the Jewish New Testament Commentary, (JNTC) John is referring to the Aramaic term “memra” (which also means “word”), a “technical theological term used by rabbis in the centuries before and after Yeshua (Jesus) when speaking of God’s expression of Himself.” The JNTC also states that God expresses Himself by “commanding, calling, and creating.” To command, call, and create requires words, which God spoke. Whether John used “Logos” to draw the attention of the Greeks or to refer to a term rabbis had used for hundreds of years is not really the point as both really apply here.

For example, let’s look at how God created the heavens and earth. In Genesis 1:2, it says the earth was “without form and void,” meaning it was without order and empty. When God created the heavens and the earth, He spoke (or “commanded”) it into existence. He said “Let there be…” and there was. He not only created the heavens and earth through His Word, but He also brought order to the earth through His Word.

Now, back to John 1. In verse 4, John writes that “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” Again, this reflects back to Genesis as God created life and breathed life into Adam. Now we have Jesus, who sacrificed His life so that we could have life. Verse 5 adds “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” In verses 2-4 of Genesis 1, it says that darkness covered the earth, but then God created light and called the light day. In John 8, Jesus calls Himself the “light of the world” and that whoever believes in Him will no longer live in darkness, but will have “the light of life.” When “light” and “dark” were mentioned in Genesis, they referred to actual light and darkness (day and night). In John, the terms “light” and “dark” are metaphorical and refer to one’s spiritual condition. To have the “light of life” is to know the truth and to have knowledge, spiritual purity, and reason (which ties in to Jesus being the “Word”).

Verses 6-8 introduce John the Baptist. Hundreds of years before the birth of John the Baptist, the prophet Isaiah spoke of him in Isaiah 40:3 (the “Voice crying in the wilderness). John was to bear witness about Jesus. Why was it important for John to bear witness about Jesus? As we’ll see in John 5, one couldn’t bear witness about one’s own self because the testimony wouldn’t be seen as true. Also, John was preparing the way for Christ. We’ll examine these further in future posts.

We return to Jesus in verses 9-18. Again, He is described as the true light “which enlightens everyone” (v. 9). John goes on to say that even though the world was made through Jesus, it didn’t know Him. Tony Evans explains why in his commentary: “Sin blinds people so that they do not know their own Creator.” (Tony Evans Bible Commentary, page 1019). Which is why we needed Jesus to enlighten us.

Verses 12 – 13 go on to explain that those who believe in Him, whether Jew or Gentile, would become children of God because of God. It has nothing to do with nationality, works, or our own will, but through Christ alone. All we have to do is believe in Him and receive His gift of redemption.

Verse 14 explains that the Word took on flesh. He is now fully the Son of God and the Son of man – fully God and fully human. The phrase “dwelt among us” is interesting (at least I think so). The Greek word for “dwelt” means “dwell, (lit. tent), shelter,” (ESV Exhaustive Concordance). What does that remind you of? For me, it reminds me of when God dwelt with the Israelites in the Temple and the Tabernacle. Once again, God was dwelling among His people, this time through His Son, Jesus.

Verses 16-17 explain how we receive grace through Christ. Moses was given the Law. No matter how hard the Israelites tried, they couldn’t abide by God’s law perfectly. This also applies to us. We can’t perfectly live by God’s law. As Romans 3:23 says, we have all sinned. Now, through Christ, not only were the Israelites about to receive grace upon grace, but it would also be available to us. It’s not just a one-time gift of grace, but it’s grace given to us over and over. It’s grace to be given forgiveness of sins. It’s also grace to be given freedom from sin and eternal life. I could go on and list numerous ways we receive grace, but hopefully you get the point. We have been given grace upon grace.

Finally, verse 18 declares that no one has ever seen God fully, but now we can through Christ. Here’s an interesting footnote regarding the phrase “the only God.” Some ancient manuscripts say “the only Son,” which means verse 18 could be read as “No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is at the Father’s side, He has made Him known.” Jesus reveals God to us as He has seen God and been by His side.

Application

So, how does this apply to us today? Actually, it applies to us today the same way it applied to John’s audience 2000 years ago. It’s important for us to know that Jesus is truly the Son of God. John establishes that by explaining Christ’s presence at creation and showing us how God is revealed to us through Christ. All we need to do is believe and accept Jesus Christ as the Son of God, the Word in the flesh.

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