Chapter 1

 “But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven,

cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!1 Kings 8:27 (NIV)

Solomon’s question to God at the dedication of the temple.

Most of what we know about John comes from the Bible itself, particularly the

gospels. Interestingly, the Apostle John is mentioned by name in every gospel

except the one named after him. According to the Synoptic Gospels

(Matthew, Mark, and Luke) John was one of the first disciples Jesus called to follow

him. Like many of Jesus’ disciples, he was a fisherman by trade. (Matt 4:21-22)

John was the son of Salome and Zebedee and the brother of James.

Salome was not only a fellow disciple but also a financial contributor to Jesus'

ministry. As her husband owned a fishing license she had probably accumulated

some wealth over the years that allowed her to do so.

The Apostle John was one of Jesus Christ’s 12 disciples, and a prominent

leader in the early Christian church. Along with James and Peter, John was one of Jesus’ closest confidants, so he appears in more biblical accounts than the other

disciples.

John (the disciple) is never mentioned in the Gospel of John. In ancient writings it was

common for writers to omit themselves from an account or use third person descriptions

to disguise their identity. In the Gospel of John, the author uses “the one whom Jesus loved” five times to refer to a disciple who

was particularly close to Jesus. It appears in John 13:23, John 19:26, John 20:2, John

21:7, and John 21:20.

We know from context that this title isn’t referring to Peter (“the one whom Jesus loved” interacts with Peter), and scholars

believe James died too early to have written this gospel (he was executed in

Acts 12:2).

The author clearly positions “the one whom Jesus loved” as one of the most important disciples, perhaps having the

closest relationship with Jesus. Interestingly, with one exception, whenever the beloved disciple is mentioned, it tends

to be in contrast to Peter.For example, at the Last Supper, Peter

asks “the one whom Jesus loved” to ask Jesus who will betray him: (John 13:23-24)

And once Jesus is betrayed and arrested in the garden of Gethsemane, only two disciples follow Jesus to his trial from a distance: Peter and the beloved disciple. While the beloved

disciple pulls some strings to bring Peter closer to Jesus, Peter denies any association

with the Lord (John 18:15–17).But perhaps the most well-known example of

“the one whom Jesus loved” comes in John 20 after Jesus died on the cross, when Mary

Magdalene discovers the empty tomb.

So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have

put him!”So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb

first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in.

Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around

Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb

first, also went inside. He saw and believed.

John 20:2-8 (NIV)

Jesus gives John and his brother James the nickname “Sons of Thunder” (Mark

3:17). Probably because of their passion and maybe quick temper. Remember,

they wanted to call fire down from heaven to destroy the Samaritans (Luke 9:54)!

John is one of three disciples Jesus keeps closest. Peter and James are the

others.1. Jesus raises Jairus’ daughter from the dead, and he doesn’t allow anyone else to

watch besides these three (Mark 5:37).

2. Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up to a mountaintop, where he is

transfigured before them. Jesus speaks to Moses and Elijah, and John is one of the

only three people to witness his glory (Matthew 17:1–11, Mark 9:2–8, Luke

9:28–36).

3. On the night of his betrayal, in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus takes

Peter, James, and John with him to pray, and asks them to keep watch

(Matthew 26:36–46).

Paul refers to Peter, James, and John as pillars of the church because they played an integral role in supporting, building up, and maintaining

the Christian movement. The early church stood on their leadership. When there were

disputes about how exactly Christians should behave and what following Jesus looked like, the church appealed to these three original

disciples of Jesus, who had witnessed more of his personal ministry than anyone else.

(Galatians 2:9)

Before Jesus died on the cross, He entrusted his mother Mary to John’s care (John 19:26–27). When Mary died, John

went to Ephesus and wrote his three epistles. Then he was exiled to Patmos

for preaching the gospel, where he received the revelation from Christ and

wrote the Book of Revelation. Eventually he made it back to Ephesus and died an

ordinary death sometime after 98 AD.

According to church tradition, John is the only apostle who died of natural causes.

(The rest were martyred). Tertullian, a Christian writer from the late second and early third century, wrote that before the Romans banished John, they brought him into a coliseum and dunked

him in a vat of boiling oil. When he emerged unharmed, the entire coliseum

converted to Christianity.

Throughout his later life, John also had some significant students. Polycarp (who

eventually became bishop of Smyrna) learned from John and then taught

Irenaeus (the first to proclaim the Apostle John as the writer of the Gospel of John in the late second or early third century). John taught Ignatius of Antioch as well, whom Peter eventually appointed as the

bishop of Antioch.

The gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke are referred to as the synoptic Gospels because they include many of the same stories, often in a similar sequence and

in similar or sometimes identical wording. They stand in contrast to John,

whose content is largely distinct.

The Gospel of John simply is not written in a style that makes it synoptic to the

the other three Gospels. John's Gospel focuses almost entirely on the Divinity of Jesus. John wants people to understand

that Jesus and God are one.

Most commentators feel that each of the four Gospels was written to appeal to a specific audience. Matthew was written for the Jews, Mark for the Romans and Luke to appeal to the Greek audience.

The Gospel of John was written for the Gentile audience. Quite possibly written

to the Ephesian Gentiles where John pastored toward the end of his life. It is thought that John lived and wrote the Gospel in Ephesus, in modern-day

Turkey.

Commentators also believe that the Gospel of John was written to refute the teachings

of the gnostics. Gnosticism says that humans are divine souls trapped in the

ordinary physical (or material) world. They say that the world was made by an

imperfect spirit. In order to get free from the material world, a person has to get gnosis. That is the special secret knowledge given

only to a few special people.

Jesus is identified by some Gnostics as an embodiment of the supreme being

who became incarnate to bring gnōsis to the earth, while others adamantly denied

that the supreme being came in the flesh, claiming Jesus to be merely a human who attained divinity through

gnosis and taught his disciples to do the same.

What did the Apostle John say was the purpose of his Gospel?

Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not

recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

John 20:30-31

The active verb “believe” is used over a hundred times* in John’s Gospel and less than 40 times* in the other three Gospels.

The noun “faith” does not occur in John but is used in the other Gospels.

“Eternal life” occurs 35 times* in John but only 12 times* in the other 3 Gospels.

*Depending upon the translation

In the beginning was the Word

The imperfect tense of the word eimi (was), describing

continuing action in the past, reinforces the eternal preexistence of the Word (Jesus). It indicates He

was continuously in existence before the

beginning.

But of even more significance is the use of eimi instead of ginomai (“became”).

Ginomai refers to things that come into existence. Had John used ginomai, he

would have implied that the Word came into existence at the beginning along with the

rest of creation. But eimi stresses that the Word always existed; there was never a

point when He came into being.

In the beginning was the Word

The Jews would often refer to God as the Word (logos)

because they would not speak the name Yahweh.Jews would not speak the

nameYHWH (Yahweh).In Hebrew they would use

memrah meaning commandment, speech,

word.

The Jews would recognize the power of the “Word of the Lord” as indicative of

God’s power and wisdom!By the Word of God, the covenant was

introduced to Abraham (Gen 15:1).By the Word of God, the Ten

Commandments were given (Ex 24:3-4).

By the Word of the Lord, scripture was revealed to the prophets.

(Jer. 1:2; Ezek. 1:3; Dan. 9:2; Hos. 1:1; Joel 1:1; Jonah 1:1; Micah 1:1; Zeph 1:1;

Hag. 1:1; Zech. 1:1; Malachi 1:1)

In the beginning God

The word “beginning” in John differs from Genesis. Someday, the creation of

the earth might actually be dated and “In the beginning”

defined.

The Word (Jesus) in John has never NOT existed.

and the Word was with GodIn the Greek, “pros ton theon”, the

meaning of which gives the picture of two personal beings facing one another and

engaging in intelligent discourse.The Word is a person, not an attribute of God or an emanation from Him, and He is

of the same essence as the Father!

and the Word was GodNot only had the Word existed through all

eternity in face-to-face fellowship with God the Father, but also the Word was God (theos ēn ho logos). The clearest

and most direct declaration of the deity of Christ found anywhere in Scripture!

2. He was with God in the beginning.

Again, the imperfect tense of the Greek verb eimi

(was), describing continuing existence before the beginning in an intimate relationship with God, the

Father!

3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has

been made.A double emphasis here! The Creator of

all things must be uncreated! Only the eternal God is uncreated! God is spoken

of throughout the Bible as the creator, therefore, Jesus is God!

This would have refuted the teaching of the Gnostics. The Gnostics believed in a

philosophical dualism that held that spirit was good and matter was evil. Since

matter was evil, the good God could not have created the physical universe.

Instead, a series of spirit beings emanated from Him until finally one of those

descending emanations was evil and foolish enough to created the physical universe.

John rejected the heretical view of the Gnostics by strongly stating and

affirming that Jesus Christ created all things in perfect harmony and union with

God the Father.God the Father was God, Jesus was God, and Jesus created all things.

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.Jesus, the light of the world (John 8:12). The eternal light existing with the Father came into a sin-darkened world and the world failed to understand the truth of it!

Light and life cannot be separated. Those who come into the light have LIFE!

Down through the ages, Satan has tried to extinguish the LIGHT.

Throughout the Old Testament, Satan tried to destroy the kingly line from which

Jesus would come. In the New Testament, he tried to kill the infant

Jesus. Then, 33 years later, Satan tried to tempt Jesus to turn from the cross

(Matthew 4:1-11).

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.

John the Baptist, son of Zechariah, a priest in the line of Aaron, and Elizabeth, also a

descendent of Aaron.Luke 1:5-26, 57-66

John was destined to “go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to

turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” Luke 1:17 (NIV)

 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who

was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month.

Luke 1:36 (NIV)And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath

also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was

called barren.Luke 1:36 (KJV)

If Mary and Elizabeth were related, possibly cousins, then there is a chance that John the Baptist knew of the sinless life that Jesus lived as He was growing.

John the Baptist was the first true prophet to appear in Israel in 400 years.

He was prophecied.A voice of one calling:

“In the wilderness prepare    the way for the Lord;

make straight in the desert    a highway for our God.

Isaiah 40:3

John was sent as a witness (maturia) to testify (martureō) about the light.

These are legal terms in Greek connoting the statements of true facts

and not opinions.John’s main purpose was to bear an unrefuted witness to Jesus so that

through him all might believe.

We’ll see in a bit that John will be questioned by representatives of the

Sanhedrin attempting to identify him as a prophet or messiah.

To counter any false exaltation of John the Baptist, the apostle John wrote that John the Baptist was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

John was called the Baptist because he was sent by God to baptize repentant

sinners in preparation for the Messiah’s coming!

9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world (the ministry of

Jesus was beginning). 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made

through him, the world did not recognize him (the sin-darkened world could not

recognize the light).

11 He came to that which was his own (His own creation), but his own did not receive

him.

12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name,

Those seeking salvation need to both receive Him and call on His name!

12b he gave the right to become children of God—

Though people cannot be saved until they receive and believe in Jesus Christ,

salvation is nonetheless a sovereign work of God on the sinner. John simply states

that no one would come to believe in Jesus unless He gave them the right to become children of God. They are saved entirely

by “grace through faith” Eph. 2:8-9

13 children born not of natural descent (racial heritage), nor of human decision or a husband’s will (Not born by the normal physical result of sexual intercourse), but

born of God.Children of God through the salvation

which is a sovereign work of God on the dead and blind sinner.

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,

God became man and walked the earth! John was an eyewitness to His glory at the Transfiguration and heard the very words of God, “This is my Son, whom I

love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”

14b full of grace and truth.The two attributes most closely connected

with salvation are grace and truth. Scripture teaches us that salvation is wholly by believing God’s truth in the

gospel, by which one receives His saving grace. Jesus was the full expression of

God’s grace!

15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out (spoke boldly), saying, “This is the

one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me

because he was before me.’”) (John was slightly older than Jesus by 6 months, but

did not come out of eternity!)

16  Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. The fullness of grace that that comes from Jesus will never run out. It is a

limitless, never-ending flow.Grace upon grace!

17  For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

The law never saved anyone. It merely convicts sinners of their inability to keep

perfectly God’s righteous standards.But as the Son over the house in which

Moses was only a servant, the grace came through Jesus Christ. In Him God’s

salvation truth was fully revealed and accomplished!

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.

To see God would bring instant death! (Ex. 33:20; Judges 13:22).

But, Jesus was with the Father, in close and loving relationship, through all eternity past and came to earth to make the Father

known!

19 Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders (Sanhedrin) in Jerusalem

sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was (and why was he baptizing?).

The priests were the human intermediaries between God and man. The experts on religion who served in the temple and officiated at religious ceremonies. The Levites assisted the priests in temple

rituals.

20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.”

John didn’t hesitate to dispel the first question that he knew they had on their

minds. Judging by the esteemed nature of the group sent to interrogate them, he had

come to the attention of the Sanhedrin.

21a They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?”

Because of Malachi’s prophesy (3:1 and 4:5), the Jews expected Elijah himself to return in bodily form just before the Messiah returned

to establish His earthly kingdom. In the traditional Passover Seder, there is an empty

seat for Elijah at the table. John’s appearance was somewhat like Elijah’s. But

Malachi’s prophecy had to do with Jesus’ return, not His first coming!

“I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then

suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty. “See, I will send

the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes

Malachi 3:1; 4:5 (NIV)

21b He said, “I am not.”(not Elijah)

21b “Are you the Prophet?”

This came from a prophecy in Deuteronomy about how a prophet like

Moses would come and speak the word of God.

 The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from

your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him.

Deuteronomy 18:15 (NIV)

21b 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?”

Probably dangerous to go back to the Sanhedrin empty-handed. They needed a

positive answer from John as to who he was.

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.’”

 A voice of one calling:“In the wilderness prepare    the way for the Lord;

make straight in the desert    a highway for our God.

Isaiah 40:3 (NIV)

A Challenge to both the nation of Israel and those who had come to question him!

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?”

In other words, who gave you the authority to baptize?

The Jews would typically baptize non-Jews who converted to Judaism. But, John was

baptizing Jews. This troubled the Sanhedrin (especially the Pharisees) because they felt Jew’s were already God’s chosen and did not need baptism. Hence their question

regarding where John’s authority came from.John was proclaiming that the sins of the

Jews placed them outside of God’s covenant and they were no better than

Gentiles!

26 “I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know.

John deflects their interest off of himself and onto Jesus. The Messiah was already among them and they did not know Him!

27  He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to

untie.”

The lowliest task of a slave was to untie the sandals of the master and to wash the feet of

the master (Jesus reduced Himself to the lowliest servant when He washed the feet of

the Apostles). John is making a stark contrast to his role versus the role that the amazing

Messiah would play!

28  This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was

baptizing.John makes it clear that the location is east of the Jordan. Calling the location Bethany was confusing. Bethany was small village

on the eastern slopes of the Mount of Olives just outside Jerusalem, situated in

the West Bank.

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!

The remission of sin could only be through the shedding of blood. The blood of the lamb covered over the sin of the people.

Jesus was God’s perfect lamb to be sacrificed once for all!

30   This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed

me because he was before me.’

John was a man. Jesus was God who became man. Though John was 6 months older, Jesus had no beginning. John was

finite, Jesus was infinite!

31   I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was

that he might be revealed to Israel.”

Jesus was revealed to John as the Messiah when John baptized Him. God the Father had ordained John the Baptist to baptize Jews leading to the revelation

that Jesus was the Messiah.

32   Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and

remain on him.The Holy Spirit came down from God the

Father and entered Jesus, proving undeniably to John the Baptist that Jesus was indeed the

Messiah!and the Holy Spirit descended on him in

bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love;

with you I am well pleased.” Luke 3:22

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.’Again, John was ordained by God the

Father to reveal Jesus through this baptism. God informed John beforehand how the Messiah would be recognized.

34   I have seen and I testify that this is God’s

Chosen One.”

Martyreō! A legal term used to indicate a legal testimony in a Roman

court.