John 1 - NIV Grace and Truth Study Bible

1:1–5 The prologue to John’s Gospel (1:1–18) sets forth in dramatic fashion the deity of Jesus Christ (vv. 1,18). The prologue is the lens through which the rest of John’s Gospel is to be read. Many of its most important themes are introduced here (light, darkness, truth, witness, and world). John applies the title “the Word” to Jesus in the prologue but nowhere else in his Gospel. The background to the term is found in the Old Testament, where God’s word is the dynamic force of his will (Ge 1:3; Ps 33:6; Isa 55:11). Though Jesus is not mentioned by name until John 1:17, the original readers would have known that Jesus is the Word from the opening lines.

The opening words of John’s Gospel are reminiscent of the opening lines of the Bible (Ge 1:1). In the first two verses John declares that the Word has always existed, is in the closest possible relationship to God the Father, and is divine. John continues by explaining that God created all things through the agency of the Word and that nothing has been created that the Word did not create. This includes both physical and spiritual light and life. In John 1:5 he hints at the future conflict between the light and the darkness. Throughout this Gospel, we read how Jesus’ opponents tried to kill him, but their efforts repeatedly failed. Yet there was an even bigger battle brewing: a cosmic battle between the light and the darkness, between truth and error, between the devil and Jesus. We learn in the beginning of this Gospel that no matter how hard the darkness tries, it will not defeat the light!

1:6–8 The individual named John in these verses is John the Baptist, not John the apostle. All four Gospels associate John the Baptist with the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. The apostle John contrasts the Word with John the Baptist. The contrast between them could not be stated any more plainly: John the Baptist was a man, while the Word is divine. John the Baptist, however, was on an important mission from God to bear witness to the incarnate light.

1:9–13 John the Baptist’s testimony was not to an abstraction but to a person. The reference to Jesus as the “true light” affirms him as the authentic light over and against every false light. John uses the term “world” in several different ways. It can refer to the universe, the earth, the people on the earth, people in opposition to God, or the human system in opposition to God’s purposes. John emphasizes the importance of the term by his repeated use of it. He moves from one meaning of it to another without explanation. Only context determines which emphasis John intends. The world of people the Word created did not recognize him, and the people that waited for him (the Jews) did not accept him. He was not the kind of military-messiah the Jews anticipated; however, all was not lost, for many put their faith in him, as this Gospel describes. Those who believe in him become God’s children. Becoming a part of God’s family is a divine work, a supernatural birth (see Nicodemus’s encounter with Jesus in Ch. 3).

1:14 The fact that the Word made his dwelling among us means he did not remain aloof or separate from those he created, but he lived among them, manifesting the presence and glory of God. The imagery is reminiscent of the Old Testament tabernacle, where God dwelt among his people (Ex 25:8–9; 33:7). The Word did not cease being God when he took on human flesh, but he became the God-man. Jesus is God’s Son in a way that is different from every other child of God. Furthermore, Jesus the Word is the perfect balance of grace and truth. In the Old Testament, grace and truth communicated God’s covenant faithfulness to his people (Ex 34:6). Christ manifested his glory to his disciples by the signs he performed and by his death and resurrection.

1:15–18 John the apostle brings the testimony of John the Baptist back into the discussion. What the apostle has just said about Jesus the Word is almost too marvelous to believe, and John the Baptist becomes a witness to his comments. John the Baptist’s statement is another affirmation of the Word’s preexistence, even though John the Baptist was born six months before Jesus. In the ancient world, the older person was given higher regard and respect than the younger person.

The apostle now turns to the abundant grace Christ bestows on his people (v. 16). This grace is inexhaustible and is even greater than God’s grace demonstrated in the old covenant. The superiority of this grace is seen in the fact that the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. John concludes the prologue (1:1–18) as he began it: by establishing the deity of Jesus the Word. Jesus makes the invisible God visible.

1:19–23 The religious establishment questioned John the Baptist about his own identity. What did he say about himself? As the passage unfolds, we see that John the Baptist established not only who he believed himself to be but who he believed Jesus to be. This section (1:19–23) and the following one (1:24—2:11) should be understood as a unit since the passages refer to seven consecutive days. John the apostle sometimes refers to Jesus’ opponents as “the Jews” and sometimes as “the Jewish leaders.” However, his wording should be understood as a reference to the Jewish leaders and authorities in most cases since almost everyone in this Gospel is Jewish, including Jesus and his disciples.

John the Baptist made three denials in response to the inquiry concerning his identity. He denied first that he was the Messiah. Both Messiah (in Hebrew) and Christ (in Greek) mean “anointed one.” The Old Testament predicted that the Messiah would descend from David (2Sa 7:11–16). Many first-century Jews expected the Messiah to be a Davidic warrior who would lead a rebellion against Roman domination. John the Baptist denied further that he was the prophet Elijah. Elijah did not die (2Ki 2:11) and many believed he would return in the final days (Mal 4:5–6). Finally, John the Baptist denied he was the prophet Moses predicted (Dt 18:15–18). John the Baptist professed to be a voice in the wilderness (Isa 40:3). He saw himself as a herald and a forerunner preparing the people for the coming Messiah. John the Baptist knew his role in redemptive history and embraced it.

1:24–28 The Pharisees were an influential religious sect during this time. They are characterized as meticulously following God’s law and their oral traditions. The Pharisees believed John had no authority to baptize if he was not one of the prophesied figures from John 1:20–21. They failed to understand that John’s baptism was an outward act symbolizing inward repentance and cleansing from sin. His water baptism, however, was anticipatory as he awaited the greater one. The Bethany mentioned in verse 28 was located on the other side of the Jordan, different than the village of the same name located just outside Jerusalem.

1:29–34 John the Baptist’s statement that he did not know Jesus should be taken to mean not that he had never met Jesus but that he did not know him to be the Messiah. John the Baptist made three dramatic affirmations as to Jesus’ identity. First, Jesus is the Lamb of God. Jesus’ death would take away the sin of the world (Isa 53:7). The fact that Jesus’ death takes away sin teaches that his death was both sacrificial and substitutionary. Second, Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit often came on people for specific tasks in the Old Testament, but the Spirit remained on Jesus. The prophet Isaiah predicted the Messiah would be continually filled with the Spirit (Isa 11:2; 61:1). Baptism with the Spirit pointed forward to the day of Pentecost (Ac 2:1–4). Third, Jesus is God’s chosen one (cf. Isa 42:1; some Greek manuscripts read “the Son of God”). The thought is that God chose Jesus to be the Messiah and the one who would secure redemption for his people.

1:35–36 In verses 35–51 John recounts the testimony of some of Jesus’ earliest followers. The titles ascribed to Jesus here are impressive: Lamb of God, Rabbi, Messiah, Son of God, king of Israel. The encounters with these disciples preceded Jesus’ call of the four fishermen in Mark 1:16–20. John the apostle continues to recount the opening days of Jesus’ ministry. Two of John the Baptist’s disciples stood beside him as Jesus passed by. John the Baptist again declared Jesus to be the Lamb of God.

1:37–40 The two disciples followed Jesus, and he invited them to spend the evening with him since it was late in the day (4:00 p.m.). Only Andrew is identified specifically by name (v. 40). He is identified also as Simon Peter’s brother, even though Peter has yet to be introduced into the narrative. Jesus’ response was much more significant than it appears on the surface. His invitation to come (cf. 3:21; 5:40) and see (cf. 6:40; 9:39) was a call to salvation.

1:41–42 The following morning Andrew found his brother Simon and brought him to Jesus. John translates the term “Messiah” as “Christ” for his readers. Jesus changed Simon’s name to “Cephas.” Cephas is an Aramaic name; Peter is the Greek equivalent. Both mean “rock.” In the Old Testament, when God changed someone’s name, the change had important implications for their future (Ge 17:5). Peter became a leading figure in the early days of the church in the book of Acts.

1:43–46 The next day, as Jesus left for Galilee, he called Philip to follow him. In ancient Judaism a person would typically approach a rabbi about becoming a disciple rather than the other way around. Philip followed Jesus by immediately finding Nathanael. Philip clearly believed Jesus to be the Messiah. Nathanael’s comment about Nazareth is surprising (v. 46). Nathanael came from Cana. His negative response could have been the result of thinking the Messiah would come from Bethlehem (Mic 5:2). Both Andrew and Philip followed Jesus by telling someone else about Jesus.

1:47–51 Jesus knew Nathanael’s character even though he had never met him. Nathanael’s opinion of Jesus changed immediately after meeting Jesus, and he confessed Jesus to be the Son of God (cf. 2Sa 7:14; Ps 2:7) and king of Israel—two Messianic titles. Jesus’ promise of greater things (Jn 1:50) points in part to the very next episode in Cana. The words “very truly” (v. 51) are used often in this Gospel to introduce an authoritative statement by Jesus. The pronouncement was that angels would be ascending and descending on the Son of Man. The title “Son of Man” was one of Jesus’ favorite self-designations. The background is found in Daniel 7:13–14, where the Son of Man is presented as a heavenly figure who is entrusted by God with authority, glory, and power. Jesus alluded also to Jacob’s vision in Genesis 28:10–17. That passage describes a stairway extending from earth to heaven with angels ascending and descending on it. Jesus’ point was that he is the one who connects heaven and earth.