John 1

1 – 3

In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through Him, and nothing was created except through Him.

Matthew, Mark, and Luke start at a certain place to tell us about the life of Jesus. John starts in the beginning and the Jews who read this would think of the first page in their Bible. "In the beginning...” Genesis 1:1
The Jews respected God's name so much that they would not even repeat it. John wants to show us that Jesus is God. He shows respect for Jesus' name by slowly showing who He is and that Jesus has always been.

This shows us that Jesus was not created but that He is one of the persons of God. The Bible teaches us that God is three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In the beginning God said, “Let us make man in our image." Genesis 1:26

There are some false teachers who change the Bible to say the Word was “a” God. The Greek language does not allow this. It is an idea that they use to say that Jesus was not God.

4 – 5

The Word gave life to everything that was created, and His life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never stop it.

The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of darkness, a light will shine. Isaiah 9:2

6 – 8

God sent a man, John the Baptist, to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his witness. John was not the light; he was a witness to tell about the light.

It is the same with us. People can tell that there is something different about us. All that we can tell them is that we believed the Gospel and it was like a light came on and we are not the same as we were before. We can beg them to ask the Lord to do the same for them.

9. The One who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

Jesus became man because men did not understand God. We try to follow our own light. John was a witness that God's light is there to show us how to live and to make the right decisions. It is ready for anyone who wants it.

We bring to you the One who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw Him with our own eyes and touched Him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. 1 John 1:1

10. He came into the world He created, but the world did not know Him.

You will hear people say, “I am an agnostic.” The word agnostic means "I do not know." You can tell them that you do know the Lord, and you can show them how to know Him.

11. He came to His own Jewish people, and even they rejected Him.

The Jews thought that the Messiah would get rid of the Romans. When they heard Jesus say that God loved the whole world they did not want to listen to Him.

12 – 13

But to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not by natural birth or from human ideas, but a birth that comes from God.

We are not born-again because we were born in a Christian family or because someone talked us into it.

14. So the Word became human and made His home among us. He was full of true love and faithfulness. And we have seen His glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

There was a man who did not believe that Jesus was God. One cold winter night, he saw some birds sitting in the trees freezing and falling to the ground. He went outside and opened his barn door and tried to get them to go in. They were afraid of him and would not go. The idea came to him that if he were a bird he could lead them to a place where they would be safe. God showed him that this is what Jesus had to do. He had to become a man so that we would not be afraid and would follow Him to escape from death.

15 – 16

John testified about Him when he shouted to the crowds, “This is the One I was talking about when I said, Someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for He existed before me. From His riches we have all received one grace after another.”

The idea that we receive grace and forgiveness that we do not deserve is not found in any religion made by men. Wave after wave of grace to us is constantly being replaced by another wave. 2 Corinthians 12:9

17. For the law was given through Moses, but God’s grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God made an end to the control sin had over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. Romans 8:3

18. No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is Himself God, is near to the Father’s heart.

Jesus has shown God's heart to us. He has shown us the kind of person that God is. Men think of God as angry and only wanting to send people to hell but Jesus showed that this is not true. Men make their own decision to go to hell.

As surely as I live, says the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people. I only want them to turn from their wicked ways so they can live. Turn! Turn from your evil, O people of Israel! Why should you die? Ezekiel 33:11

19 – 20

This was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders sent priests and temple leaders from Jerusalem to ask John, “Who are you?” He said, “I am not the Messiah.”

He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less. John 3:30

21. “Well then, who are you?” they asked. “Are you Elijah?” He said, “No.” “Are you the Prophet we are expecting?” “No.”

John's parents were told that John would have a ministry with the power of Elijah.

And He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. Luke 1:17, Malachi 4:5, Luke 1:17

22 - 23

“Then who are you? We need an answer for those who sent us. What do you have to say about yourself?” John told them the words of Isaiah: “I am a voice shouting in the wilderness, Clear the way for the LORD’s coming!”

Isaiah showed us what Jesus would do when He comes. He takes people out of the desert. He shows them the road they should walk on. He walks with them in the valley. He helps them climb the mountains in their lives. He repairs crooked lives.

Listen! It is the voice of someone shouting, “Clear the way through the wilderness for the LORD! Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God! Fill in the valleys, and level the mountains and hills. Straighten the crooked places, and smooth out the rough places. Isaiah 40:3-4

24 -25

Then the Pharisees who had been sent asked him, “If you are not the Messiah, or Elijah, or the Prophet which Moses talked about, what right do you have to baptize?”

Jesus later explained that John the Baptist is the one that Malachi 4:5 was talking about.

And if you are willing to accept what I say, he is Elijah, the one the prophets said would come. Matthew 11:14

Then His disciples asked him, “Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must return before the Messiah comes?”
Jesus replied, “Elijah does come first to get everything ready. But I tell you, Elijah has already come, but they did know him, and they chose to kill him. And in the same way they will also make the Son of Man suffer.” Matthew 17:10 – 12

26 - 27

John told them, “I baptize with water, but right here in the crowd is Someone you do not recognize. Though His ministry follows mine, I’m not even worthy to be His slave and untie the straps of his sandal.”

John is saying, "I am not important. All I can do is point you to Jesus." We should be thinking this way.

28. This encounter took place in Bethany, an area east of the Jordan River, where John was baptizing.

Bethany is across the river from Jericho.

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!

All through the Old Testament they were taught that sins were forgiven with a blood sacrifice. John is getting them ready to think about the Messiah in a new way.

30. He is the one I kept talking about when I said, ‘A man is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for He existed long before me.’

All we can do is tell people that we believe Jesus is the Son of God, who died for our sins and came back from the dead to give us a new life. Like John, we prepare the way for Jesus but God does the rest.

31 – 32

I did not know that He was the Messiah, but I have been baptizing with water so that He might be revealed to Israel.” Then John testified, “I saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and resting on Him.

John the Baptist knew Jesus as his cousin but did not know who Jesus really was until God showed it to him. The Holy Spirit has to show us also.

33 – 34

I did not know He was the One, but when God sent me to baptize with water, He told me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit come down and rest is the One who will baptize with the Holy Spirit. I saw this myself, so I testify that He is the Chosen One of God.

John shows us the difference between being baptized with water and baptized with the Holy Spirit. Being put under the water shows that we are dead to our old life. When you confess that you have broken God's laws and that you need the blood of Jesus to cover your sins, you are baptized in the Holy Spirit into a new life.

35 – 37

The following day John was again standing with two of his disciples. As Jesus walked by, John looked at Him and declared, “Look! There is the Lamb of God!” When John’s two disciples heard this, they followed Jesus.

John was not looking for men to follow him. John 3:28

38 – 39

Jesus looked around and saw them following. He asked them, “What do you want?” They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?” He said, “Come and see,” It was about four o’clock in the afternoon when they went with Him to the place where He was staying, and they remained with Him the rest of the day.

God is also asking us, “What do you want?” Your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask Him! Matthew 6:8

40 – 41

Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of these men who heard what John said and then followed Jesus. Andrew went to find his brother, Simon, and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means “Christ”).

There there are other verses where we see Andrew bringing people to Jesus. If we walk close to the Lord, listening to and reading His words every day, we will bring the presence of Jesus to people. Instead of thinking that we need to talk someone into becoming a Christian, we can just explain the Gospel very simply and let them feel what it is like to be in the presence of Jesus. After we leave them, we pray every day for them and Jesus will explain Himself to them.

42. Then Andrew brought Simon to meet Jesus. Looking closely at Simon, Jesus said, “Your name is Simon, son of John—but you will be called Peter [rock].”

When God changes someone's name, He is telling them, “That is what you used to be and this is who you are now." Has God said this to you?

43 – 45

The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Come, follow me.” Philip was from Bethsaida, Andrew and Peter’s hometown.
Philip went to look for Nathanael and told him, “We have found the very person Moses and the prophets wrote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth.”

Moses said, “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from the people of Israel. You must listen to Him. Deuteronomy 18:15

46 – 47

Nathanael said, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Philip said, “Come and see for yourself,”. As they were walking, Jesus said, “Now here is an honest son of Israel—a man who can be trusted!”

Nathanael did not remember that Isaiah said the Messiah would be looked down on as the people of Nazareth were. He said this without knowing what he was talking about. Jesus did not hold Nathaniel's words against him. Matthew 2:23, Isaiah 53:3

48 – 51

“How do you know about me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus said, “I could see you under the fig tree before Philip found you.” Then Nathanael said, “Teacher, you are the Son of God—the King of Israel!”
Jesus asked him, “Do you believe this just because I told you I had seen you under the fig tree? All of you all will see greater things than this.”
Then He said, “I tell you the truth, you will all see heaven open and the angels of God going up and down on the Son of Man, the One who is the ladder between heaven and earth.”

Maybe Nathaniel was under the tree thinking or dreaming of the story of Jacob? Maybe God showed him that Jesus was the ladder in Jacob's dream? He was being told that he was going to see the same thing that Jacob saw. Genesis 28:12