John 1 - Holman KJV Study Bible

1:1-18 John's prologue presents ­Jesus as the eternal, preexistent Word-become-flesh (v v. 1,14) and as the one-of-a-kind Son of the Father who is Himself God (v v. 1,18). ­Jesus culminated God's plan of salvation. Previous to ­Jesus this plan included God giving the law through Moses (v. 17), His dwelling among His people in the tabernacle (v. 14), and the sending of John the Baptist (v v. 6-8,15). The prologue introduces several themes that are emphasized later in the Gospel, including ­Jesus as life, light, and truth, believers as God's children, and the world's rejection of ­Jesus.

1:1 In the beginning was the Word echoes Gen. 1:1, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." John located ­Jesus' existence in eternity past with God. "The Word" (Gk logos) conveys the notion of divine self-expression or speech (Ps. 19:1-4). God's Word is effective. He speaks, and things come into being (Gen. 1:3,9; Isa. 55:11-12).

1:4-5 The references to life . . . light, and darkness continue to draw on Genesis themes (cp. Gen. 1:3-5,14-18,20-31; 2:7; 3:20). Light symbolism is also found in later OT messianic passages (Isa. 9:2; 42:6-7; 49:6; 60:1-5; Mal. 4:2; cp. Luke 1:78-79).

1:7-8 On John as a witness to ­Jesus, see note at 5:31-47.

1:11 His own refers to the Jewish people, the recipients of God's covenants, the law, and promises of a Messiah (Rom. 9:4). The Messiah's rejection by the Jews despite convincing proofs of His messiahship (esp. the "miracles") is a major subject in the first half of John's Gospel (cp. 12:37).

1:12-13 Reference to sons of God builds on the OT characterization of Israel as God's children (Deut. 14:1; cp. Exod. 4:22). True children of God come into being through faith in the Messiah, not physical birth or ethnic descent (8:41-47; cp. 3:16). This opens the way for Gentiles to become God's children (11:51-52; cp. 10:16).

1:14 The Word continues the theme of 1:1. Made flesh does not mean the Word stopped being God. Dwelt ­literally means "pitched His tent" (Gk skenoo), an allusion to God's dwelling among the Israelites in the tabernacle (Exod. 25:8-9; 33:7). In the past God demonstrated His presence to His people in the tabernacle and the temple. Now God has taken up residence among His people in the Word-made-flesh, ­Jesus Christ (1:17). The references to God's glory hark back to OT passages that describe the manifestation of God's presence and glory in theophanies (appearances of God), the tabernacle, or the temple (Exod. 33:22; Num. 14:10; Deut. 5:22). The Greek word monogenes underlying only begotten means "only child" (Judg. Ze11:34; Jer. 6:26; Amos 8:10; ch. 12:10). "Only" may mean "one of a kind," as in the case of Isaac, who is Abraham's "one of a kind" son (Gen. 22:2,12,16 in contrast to Ishmael; cp. Heb. 11:17). In the OT, the Son of David and Israel are called God's "firstborn" son (see Ps. 89:27). The reference to God's giving His "only begotten Son" in 3:16,18 may allude to Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Isaac (Gen. 22).

Full of grace and truth recalls "goodness (Hb hesed) and truth (Hb emet)" in Exod. 34:6, where the expression refers to God's covenant faithfulness to His people Israel. God's covenant faithfulness found ultimate expression in His sending of His "only begotten" Son, ­Jesus.

1:15 John the Baptist was six months older than ­Jesus (Luke 1:24,26), and he started his ministry earlier than ­Jesus (Luke 3:1-20). Usually priority in time (such as being the firstborn) implied preeminence, but ­Jesus' preexistence overrode John's temporal precedence.

1:17 The contrast between the law and grace and truth is not that the law was bad and ­Jesus was good; rather, both the giving of the law and the coming of ­Jesus Christ mark stages in God's reaching out to humanity. ­Jesus, however, marks the final, definitive revelation of God's grace and truth. He is superior to Abraham (8:53), Jacob (4:12), and Moses (5:46-47; cp. 9:28).

1:19-2:11 This introductory unit presents the first week of ­Jesus' ministry: Day 1, John's witness about ­Jesus (1:19-28); Day 2, John's encounter with ­Jesus (1:29-34); Day 3, John's referral of two of his disciples to ­Jesus (1:35-39); Day 4, Andrew's introduction of his brother Peter to ­Jesus (1:40-42); Day 5, the recruitment of Philip and Nathanael (1:43-51); and Day 7, the wedding at Cana (2:1-11). During this early stage ­Jesus was hailed by John the Baptist as the "Lamb of God" (1:29,36), gathered His first disciples, and performed His first "miracle"—turning water into wine (2:11).

1:19-21 The Christ refers to the coming greater Son of David, predicted in the OT (2 Sam. 7:11-16; Hos. 3:5). Elijah, who never died (2 Kings 2:11), was expected to return in the end time (Mal. 4:5) to "restore all things" (Matt. 17:11; cp. Luke 1:17). John the Baptist resembled Elijah in his rugged lifestyle (Matt. 3:4; cp. 2 Kings 1:8) but denied ­being Elijah. Moses predicted the coming of a prophet in Deut. 18:15,18 (cp. Acts 3:22; 7:37), who was expected in ­Jesus' time (6:14; 7:40); John denied being that prophet as well (though he was a prophetsee ; 10:40-41; Matt. 11:11-14).

1:23 John was a voice in keeping with Isaiah's prophecy (Isa. 40:3; cp. Matt. 3:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4). This messenger of God was to prepare the way for Jehovah's coming by preaching repentance and divine judgment. Isaiah's vision in Isa. 40–55 drew heavily on exodus typology and envisioned a new exodus of God's people in which God's glory would be revealed and His people delivered. This would be accomplished by the coming of the Servant of the Lord (see esp. Isa. 52:13–53:12).

1:28 Luke 3:1 places this event in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius (a.d. 14–37), or a.d. 29. John would have been about 33 years old. Bethabara (cp. 10:40) was probably the region of Batanea in the northeast (called Bashan in the OT).

1:29 On the next day, see note at 2:1-2. John the Baptist's references to ­Jesus as the Lamb of God may echo the lamb led to the slaughter mentioned in Isa. 53:7. John may also have proclaimed ­Jesus as the apocalyptic warrior lamb who would bring judgment (Rev. 5:6,12; 7:17; cp. Matt. 3:7-12; Luke 3:7-17). ­Jesus' sacrificial, substitutionary death appeased God's wrath against sin and sinners (1 2:2; 4:10).

1:31 By I knew him not John probably meant that he did not know ­Jesus was the Messiah until he saw the sign from God mentioned in verses 32-33.

1:32-34 The Spirit did not just descend on ­Jesus, He abode on Him (cp. 3:34)—a sign of ­Jesus' divine anointing. In the OT, the Spirit came upon people to enable them to accomplish specific tasks. Isaiah predicted that the Messiah would be full of the Spirit at all times (Isa. 11:2; 61:1; cp. Luke 4:18; see note at 5:31-47).

1:35 In 1:35–4:42 John narrated events that fell between ­Jesus' baptism and the start of His Galilaean ministry. On the next day, see note at 2:1-2.

1:38 Rabbi (Master) is one of six instances where John translated an Aramaic term for his readers. The others are "Messiah" (Christ, v. 41; 4:25); "Cephas" (stone, 1:42); "Siloam" (Sent, 9:7); "Thomas" (Didymus, "Twin"; 11:16; 20:24; 21:2); and "Golgatha" (place of a skull, 19:17).

1:40 The other disciple of the two was probably John.

1:41 On Messias . . . Christ, see note at verse 38.

1:42 Cephas is an Aramaic word meaning "stone" (cp. "rock" in Matt. 16:16-18; see note at John 1:38). God frequently changed people's names to indicate their special calling.

1:43 On the day following, see note at 2:1-2. ­Jesus' calling of His disciples differed from customary practice. Usually a disciple took the initiative to follow a rabbi (15:16).

1:44 Most likely, Andrew and Peter grew up in Bethsaida and later moved to Capernaum (Mark 1:29; cp. 1:21), located only a few miles west. Similarly, ­Jesus was born in Bethlehem, grew up in Nazareth (1:45), and later moved to Capernaum (Matt. 4:13).

1:45 Nathanael is also mentioned in 21:2. Nathanael may be the personal name of Bartholomew ("son of Tholomaios"), who is linked with Philip in all three Synoptic lists (Matt. 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:14). Philip's reference to the One Moses wrote about in the law may allude to predictions of a coming prophet in Deut. 18:15,18 (see note at 1:19-21). The expression "the law and the prophets" commonly referred to the OT in its entirety (Matt. 5:17; 7:12).

1:46 Nathanael, who hailed from the small village of Cana in Galilee (21:2; cp. 2:1-11), used something of a double standard when he displayed prejudice toward Nazareth, a village of no more than 2,000 people.

1:48 ­Jesus displayed supernatural knowledge, identifying Himself as Messiah.

1:49 Son of God identifies ­Jesus as the prophesied Messiah (2 Sam. 7:14; Ps. 2:7); King of Israel likewise is a common OT designation for the Messiah (Zeph. 3:15). The two terms also appear in Matt. 27:42; Mark 15:32.

1:51 Verily, verily translates Hebrew amen, amen, a solemn affirmation emphasizing the authoritative nature of ­Jesus' pronouncement. The phrase appears 25 times in John's Gospel. ­Jesus alludes to the story of Jacob in Gen. 28:12-15. The greatness of the Son of man will far surpass the vision of Jacob the patriarch (). ­Jesus is the "new Bethel" where God is revealed, and the "new Israel." The expression Son of man harks back to the mysterious figure of "one like the Son of man" in Dan. 7:13-14. The Son of man would be "lifted up" by crucifixion (see note at 3:14), provide divine revelation (6:27,53), and act with end-time authority (5:27; 9:39).