John 1 - Africa Study Bible

The Word Is Life • John 1:1-18

Jewish people believed God made himself known in his written Word: the Law, the Writings, and the Prophets. When God made a covenant with the people of Israel, Moses asked God to show himself. The Lord said he would show his glorious presence, but not his face (Exodus 33:18-23). God told Moses that he, Yahweh, was full of love and faithfulness (Exodus 34:6). He also promised to live among his people, but his people would never see him.

Centuries later, God, here called the Word, becomes human. The disciples of Jesus saw God’s glory, full of unfailing love and faithfulness (John 1:14). Not like with Moses, God has now shown his face fully (John 1:17-18). In Jesus Christ we see God’s love for us most deeply. In both our traditional and modern cultures, words of a respected senior person such as a politician or a chief are powerful and taken seriously. But in contrast, God’s Word is more powerful than such words; it is eternal. God’s Word brings life, even at the cost of his own. In receiving Jesus, God in person, we have life.

In the days when powerful kings and queens ruled many parts of our continent, it was common to see a person running ahead of the royal party to announce its arrival or passing. This person, known as the forerunner, alerted others that someone important was coming. Those in the path of the royal party listened to what the herald said. Then they would show honour according to the person’s status. Today, such forerunners have been replaced by sirens and flashing lights on cars.

John the Baptist entered into the Jewish community as a forerunner. He was alerting people to the soon arrival of Jesus, the King of kings. John told the people how they should prepare themselves for Jesus’ arrival. John’s message was about the coming King and his Kingdom.

If you want to know who Jesus is, a good place to start is to listen to what the forerunner, John the Baptist, said about him. John, great man and prophet that he was, did not even think he was worthy to be Jesus’ slave (John 1:27). If you regard Jesus as your King, it is important for you to listen to what his herald says.

Augustine (ad 354–430), a well-known leader of the early church whose writings are often still read today, was born in what is today Algeria. He wrote:

Many times when people are older and do not have a son, they adopt a son to have what nature or circumstance has denied them. But if they have only one son, they rejoice that the son will not have to divide his inheritance with anyone else.

God does things differently. God sent his only Son, Jesus, into this world so that he might not be alone but have adopted brothers and sisters. We are not born into God’s family the way Jesus was, but we are adopted into God’s family by his grace. Jesus came to release the chains of sin that made us slaves and to redeem us. Jesus freed us himself and made us to be joint heirs with him.

Unlike an earthly son who is the only son of his father and mother, Jesus was not afraid to make us heirs with him. His inheritance does not decrease if he shares it with the people who are adopted into God’s family. God’s Kingdom has no end. In fact, those who are joint heirs with Christ—all who trust in Jesus for their salvation—become his inheritance and he in turn becomes their inheritance. Let Jesus claim us, and let us claim him. He is our Lord, our salvation, our light, and our inheritance. What did Jesus give to those who received him? “To all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.”

John’s Example • John 1:19-28

Many people claim a connection with an influential person, especially if it is going to improve their own status. They tell you that a certain “big” person is their brother, or uncle, or sister. These people enjoy this status and pull attention to themselves. John the Baptist was in such a situation, but he refused to draw people’s attention from Jesus Christ to himself. John the Baptist was a person of integrity. He was sincere and humble. He did not think highly of himself. He admitted that he was not the Messiah but had come to bear witness to Jesus, who was the Messiah, the Son of God. Some Christian leaders of both the church and the society do not honour Jesus. They draw attention to themselves as important people and fail to give Jesus his rightful place as the Son of God. We should follow John’s example of humility and integrity.

A Kikamba proverb from eastern Africa says, Mbui imwe ndyumasya ithangona ili, meaning, “The medicine man demands a goat for each ceremony.”

“For stealing your neighbour’s clothing, you need to sacrifice a sheep to right the wrong," said the priest. "For saying false things against your uncle, you may need another lamb. And for insulting the elders, you need to slaughter a ram to avert the anger of the ancestors whom the elders represent.”

“Is one sacrificial animal not enough to rectify all these wrongs?” asked the penitent offender. “No,” said the priest. “One act of sacrifice cannot make right all wrongs.”

Contrary to the Kikamba saying and many traditional practices, in Jesus there is one perfect sacrifice. John refers to Jesus as the one Lamb of God who took away all the sin of the world. The crucifixion of the Lamb of God took away all your sins. You need no more sacrifice. Jesus is enough. He is all you need.

You Just Need a Mouth • John 1:29-51

How do you get news about the world or your community? Perhaps you read a newspaper, hear from other people in town, or find it on the Internet. When something happens today, it takes only a few seconds before the news travels around the world.

In Jesus’ day, there was no Internet, cell phones, radio, or television. News spread by one person telling another. But even by the standards of that day, news about Jesus spread quickly. After John the Baptist believed that Jesus was the Son of God, he passed it on, and two of his disciples believed and followed Jesus. One of them, Andrew, passed the message to his brother, Simon Peter, who believed immediately. Then Philip believed and passed the message to Nathanael. Within two days, Jesus had five disciples. They did not need Twitter or Facebook accounts—they just shared their faith with others.

People need to hear the Good News that the Prince of Peace, the Saviour of humanity, has arrived! If you have modern technology—use it to spread the word. But even if you do not, you have a mouth to share what you believe with others. That’s all you need.