Read and believe in Jesus

“And the WORD became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14

The Gospel according to John

REVIEW – We’ve read the gospels of Mark and Luke, both of which draw on eyewitness accounts. John (and next, Matthew) were actual disciples of Jesus. Daily they were with Him for most of three years. Matthew was probably written first. John, written last, was written many years later, when the “beloved disciple” was an old man.

John doesn’t write his account in specific chronological order. Instead, he gives seven signs (miracles) that prove Jesus was the Messiah and Savior. He also uses seven “! AM” statements that identify Jesus as God. He had a purpose for writing his book that you will find at the end of his Gospel: “that YOU may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing, you might have life in His name.” John 20:31.

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John 1:1-5

“In the beginning was the WORD, and the WORD was with God, and the WORD WAS God.

“He was in the beginning with God. ALL things were made through Him, and without Him was not any thing made that was made.”

According to Greek philosophy, the “Lagos” (or WORD) is the “initiator” of all that exists. THIS is Jesus. John uses this word not only to reach Jews, but also Greeks with the Gospel.

“In Him was LIFE, and the life was the LIGHT of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

LIFE and LIGHT are spiritual and eternal qualities shared in the Godhead, and also in those who respond to the gospel message about Jesus.

LIGHT refers to Biblical truth, as well as to holiness and purity, while darkness points to Satan, rebellion, and death. Darkness will never conquer the LIGHT of Christ, just as a single candle can overcome a room filled with darkness, but not vice versa. (PRAISE GOD!)

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John 1:6-8.

John mentions John the Baptist, a man sent by God as a “witness” to tell about the light of Jesus, so all might believe in Him. John wasn’t the light, but he came to point to the light. And indeed he did, to all who came to him to be baptized … and even to King Herod who had him beheaded for it.

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John 1:9-13.

Jesus, the true light, came into the world (the world that He created), and they (for the most part) DID NOT KNOW HIM.

He came to His own people, the Jews, who since Abraham had been expecting their Messiah, and they (for the most part) DID NOT RECEIVE HIM.

BUT …. to all WHO DID RECEIVE HIM, who did believe in His name, He gave the right to become children of God. Spiritual children of God, not of flesh and blood or the will of man … but by THE WILL OF GOD.

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John 1:14-18

Here, John the disciple can’t help but testify on his own behalf.

“The WORD became flesh and dwelt among us, AND WE HAVE SEEN HIS GLORY, GLORY AS THE ONLY SON OF THE FATHER, FULL OF GRACE AND TRUTH!”

In John’s first letter, verse 1, you see that amazement again.

“That which was from the beginning, WHICH WE HAVE HEARD, WHICH WE HAVE SEEN WITH OUR EYES, WHICH WE LOOKED UPON AND HAVE TOUCHED WITH OUR HANDS…. the life was made manifest, and WE HAVE SEEN IT…”

(This is the one who is writing this Gospel we are about to read. A man who knew Jesus, who walked with Him, hugged, linked arms with. The Word of Life, John knew personally. And he’s going to tell us about Him.)

Then John the disciple tells the testimony of John the Baptist.

“John bore witness about him and cried out, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because He WAS before me.”

And John’s final words of introduction before going into more of what John the Baptist said and did:

“And from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, the only God, who is at the Father’s side, HE has made Him known.”

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Yes, this is a tough section of John’s Gospel. Jesus is presented not as a babe in a manger or even a man being baptized, but as the Eternal God, author of life and all that exists. Let’s try to keep this image of Him in our minds as we read.