Preface
The Gospel of John was written to provide an account of the life, death, resurrection and nature of Jesus Christ. It was written for one purpose, which is found in chapter 20, verse 31, But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.
The human author of this gospel is John son of Zebedee who was the disciple whom Jesus loved (John 13.23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7,20,24) and who is referred to as the Apostle John. The Gospel of Matthew centers on the “kingship” of Christ, the Gospel of Mark centers on the “servitude” of Christ, the Gospel of Luke centers on the “humanity” of Christ and the Gospel of John centers on the “deity” of Christ.
John 1:1,2
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.
These two verses focus on the deity ofthe “Word” is Jesus Christ. This is verified by verse 14, The Word became flesh. . . . In two other books written by the Apostle John, he refers to Jesus as the Word of life(I John 1:1) and the Word of God (Revelation 19:13). A word is a unit of speech from which expressions are made. John is not speaking about speech but about a Person. God has expressed Himself in the Person of Jesus Christ. By coming and living in this world and dying on the cross to make payment for our sins, Christ has revealed to us the essence of God (His deity, which are revealed by His attributes, i.e., omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, immutable, eternal, veracity, sovereignty, righteousness, etc.). By His death, He demonstrated God’s grace and His love for us. Christ is God’s living Word to man; the perfect expression of God to man. To know the Word of God is to know Christ; therefore, the more Bible doctrine one knows the more one becomes personally acquainted with Jesus Christ.
The Greek word for “word” is the word used by various Greek writers to indicate the principle that controls the universe or the supreme mover. In this case “word” indicates “revelation” (only Christ can reveal God - Hebrews 1:1-3, since God is invisible - John 1:18; 6:46; I Timothy 6:16; 1 John 4:18), “intelligence” (only Christ, as God, is all-knowing and able to make sense to man God’s plan), “order” (only Christ is the designer/planner of all creation) and “communication” (only Christ is the perfect expression of the mind of God and is able to convey this to lowly man).
The Apostle John reveals three facts about the “Word” (Jesus Christ).
First, in the beginning was the Word. The Greek word and its construction for “beginning” actually mean “a beginning that is not a beginning.” It can best be translated “eternity past.” This is to say that Jesus Christ always existed. There was never a time that He has not existed. This is a quality that can only apply to God. We will see that since Christ is God, Christ’s personality and deity are without beginning. He has no beginning and will have no end. He is not created. He simply is, always was and will always be.
Second, the Word was with God. See Genesis 1:26, Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness. . . . Jesus said in John 17:5, And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began. Again in John 17.24 Jesus prayed, Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. In this phrase the Greek word for “was” actually means “something that always was.” The Greek word for “with” actually means “face-to-face;” therefore, this phrase can best be translated “the Word in eternity past was face-to-face with God.”
Third, the Word was God. Although there is one God, He is manifest in three forms, beings or persons. This Trinity is composed of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. All three are one and the same, yet they are manifest and function in different manners and capacities. This is a mystery and quite inexplicable to human intelligence and wisdom; nevertheless, it is fact and illustrative throughout the Bible. Referring to Christ, the Apostle Paul states in Philippians 2:6, who being in very nature God. . . . Again he says in Colossians 2:9, For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity [Godhead, KJV] lives in bodily form. . . . God’s separate personalities (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) are mentioned in conjunction with each other throughout the Bible (see Matthew 28:19; John 14:26; 15:26; 2 Corinthians 13:14; and 1 Peter 1:2). The wondrous mystery of it though is that all three are one; that is, each one is the other. “It is not enough to say that He is ‘a god,’ that He is godlike, or that He is divine. The Bible teaches that He is God.” (MacDonald)
In the third chapter of Exodus when Moses was being commissioned by God at Horeb (the mountain of God) to proceed to Egypt and deliver the Israelites from their misery under the Egyptians, in verse 11 Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites…and they ask me [speaking of God], ‘What is His name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” God answered in verse 14, . . . I Am who I Am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: “I Am has sent me to you.” It is clear here that God’s name for Himself is “I Am.” This is an expression of self-existence. In other words, God is the only One throughout space and non-space and through time and eternity who has had no beginning nor will ever have an end. He simply is! He is totally self-existing, totally self-sufficient and totally omnipotent (all powerful). Is it no wonder that in John 8:58, 59 the Jews attempted to stone Jesus once He said, I tell you the truth . . . before Abraham was born, I Am! In this passage Christ was clearly using God’s name to refer to Himself, and the Jews hated Him for it. They still do. There are many other scriptures that indicate Jesus and God are one. See John 10:38; 12:45; 14:7-10 and 1 Timothy 3:6. Jesus made it crystal clear when He said in John 10:30, . . . I and the Father are one. Make no mistake about it, Jesus is God! As God, Jesus possesses all the Devine attributes. He has and in some inexplicable way is eternal life. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, all-present, never changing, all-truthful, all-loving, all-righteous and all-sovereign. Everything that God the Father is, Jesus is.
One finds in the Gospels that Jesus says and promises things that can only be attributed to God. He said He and the Father are One. He stated that He existed before Abraham. He promised the forgiveness of sins, eternal life and a resurrected body. He called all men to come to Him. He never discouraged any from worshipping Him. So we see that the testimony of Christ and the testimony of Scripture is that Jesus Christ is God.
John then reemphasizes that this Jesus was with God in the beginning. In this phrase John combines the two Greek words, herein translated “was” and “beginning,” which specifically indicate that Christ was with God throughout all eternity; that it, there has never been a time Christ has not been with God.
The fact that Jesus is God along with the fact that it is revealed later in this chapter that He became a member of the human race makes Him the most unique person in the universe, truly God and true humanity in one person. God in eternity past and knowing that man would sin and be separated from God constructed a plan that would make it possible for man to be reunited with God. This plan required the payment for man’s sin, something that was impossible for man to accomplish. It was a plan that only God in the person of Jesus Christ could accomplish. To do it He had to become “flesh” or a member of the human race. He became every bit as human as you or me, the only exception is that He would not have a “sin nature,” which necessitated the virgin birth. While Christ lived on the earth He was without sin, and this qualified Him to be man’s substitute on the cross in order to satisfy the judgment of God regarding sin. Christ had to be human to die, since God cannot die. On the cross all the sins of mankind (past, present and future) were poured out on Christ. He took them all to the extent that He became our sin. Having done this, He suffered the penalty of God’s wrath for our sins. Having suffered the agony of this punishment, He then released His spirit back to God the Father and allowed His physical body to suffer death. In three days His spirit reunited with a resurrected body, a display to all that His sacrifice was sufficient to completely and forever atone for the sins of all men.
All this was accomplished so that any person may have eternal life by placing only faith in Jesus Christ alone, accepting His sacrifice for payment of one’s sin instead of anything or anyone else. There is nothing man can do to save himself other than accept the gift of God, which is eternal life in Jesus Christ. There is nothing man can do to terminate his salvation once he has accepted this eternal gift of God. Being a Christian by placing one’s faith in Jesus Christ alone is not “religion.” It is a “relationship.” Once you become related to God through Christ you remain a child of God and nothing can separate you from Him, not even God Himself.
John 1:3,4
Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.
In these two verses the Apostle John reveals three other facts about Jesus Christ.
First, Jesus Christ was the means or conduit whereby God created all things. The King James Version of the Bible often uses the word “by” instead of “through,” but the meaning is the same. Not only did God in conjunction with Christ create all things, He did it “in the person” of Jesus Christ. See what it says of Christ in verse ten, He was in the world, and . . . the world was made through Him . . . Notice the Apostle Paul’s statement in 1 Corinthians 8:6, . . . there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things come and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came . . . Speaking of Christ the Apostle Paul in Colossians 1:16 says, For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible . . . all things were created by Him and for Him. Again when Paul is speaking of God in Hebrews 1:2 he declares, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe. And then speaking of Christ in verse 10 he states, In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. In the King James Version Hebrews 11:3 reads, Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God . . We know by the first two verses in John that the Word of God is Christ. So we see that God the Father through God the Son made all things. The same is true of the Holy Spirit (Genesis 1:2; Job 26:13; 33:4; Psalms 104:30), which argument only confirms the Trinity as previously discussed.
“He Himself was not a created being; rather He was the Creator of all things. This includes mankind, the animals, the heavenly planets, the angels-all things visible and invisible. Without Him nothing was made that was made. There can be no possible exceptions. If a thing was made, He made it. Actually, it is best to translate “create” as “came into existence.” It was only by the work of Christ in eternity past that anything that has ever existed came into existence. It is only by the work of Christ that anything in existence today came into existence or will ever come into existence.
It is interesting to note that in this phrase the Greek word for “was,” when it refers to Christ refers to a “beginning without a beginning,” i.e., “eternity past.” On the other hand a different Greek word for “was” is used when referring to that which was made (or created) by Christ. That Greek word indicates “to become something that was not before.” These very specific words selected by the Spirit of God reveals quite clearly that in contrast with created beings and things, Christ is the Creator and has always been.
It is held by notable Bible scholars, with both physical and Scriptural proof, that the earth is billions of years old and that the “creation” depicted in Genesis 1 is only a restoration of earth by Christ through the Holy Spirit to make it suitable for the occupation of man. It is believed that the universe (to include earth), as well as angels and dinosaurs were created way before the creation of man. Unfortunately the angels made a mess of things, so God “restored” earth and brought forth man. Although I cannot be dogmatic on this rendition of “creation,” I find that it is most appealing and quite plausible.
Second, Jesus Christ was life. The term “life” is prominent (37 times) in this gospel, while no other New Testament book uses it more than 17 times. The Greek word for “life” in this application primarily signifies life in the absolute sense, life as God has it, that which the Father has in Himself, and which Jesus has in Himself. John 5:26 states, For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself.
This is none other than eternal life. From this life man has become separated due to the consequence of the Fall within the Garden of Eden, which has been man’s plight from there on out. Ephesians 4:18 says it this way, They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God . . . Fortunately, Jesus came to rectify this situation. Hear the words of Christ in John 10:10, . . . I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full [more abundantly, KJV]. Hear the words of 1 Timothy 1:10, But it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. Jesus is in fact the only source of life, for it is written in 1 John 5:12, He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. And finally hear it confirmed by the words of Christ Himself. John 3:15,16, . . . that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 11:25, . . . I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. . . . John 14:6, . . . I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Finally, the Apostle Paul declares in Romans 5:21, . . . so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Jesus Christ is eternal life. Only eternal life could overcome and destroy eternal death. It is only through faith in Christ that one may become united with Jesus, who is eternal life. This is the primary theme of the Gospel of John (John 20:31).
But life as used in this verse means even more. “This does not simply mean that He possessed life, but that He was and is the source of life. The word here includes both physical and spiritual life. When we were born, we received physical life. When we are born again, we receive spiritual life. Both come from Him.” (MacDonald)
When we accept Jesus Christ by faith, His life becomes our life. We enter into an eternal relationship with Him. This relationship is guaranteed by God and secured by the work of Christ on the cross. It can never be undone. Just as you cannot “do anything” to gain salvation, you cannot “do anything” to lose it. It is predicated only on the sovereignty of God.
Remember that Christianity is a “relationship,” not a religion. One has nothing to do with the other. The worst thing that has ever happened to this world is religion. Religion is nothing more than “legalism,” man by man’s efforts attempting to solve man’s problems, man by man’s efforts attempting to gain access to God (trying to please Him or trying to earn/deserve eternal life). Because of this Christianity is diametrically opposed to religion. It is impossible for man to do anything that will make him worthy of God. God alone is able to do this. In Christ He has done it. So Christianity is a person, the person of Jesus Christ and the relationship one has with Him alone. This is the message of the Gospel of John.
Third, Jesus Christ is the light of men. Consider that light is primarily a luminous emanation that enables the eye to discern form and color. Light requires an organ designed for its reception. Matthew 6:22, The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. Where eyes are absent or impaired, light is useless. Natural man is incapable of receiving spiritual light, because he lacks the capacity for spiritual truths. 1 Corinthians 2:14, The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. Light is an illumination source. In this respect, Jesus was and is the Great Illuminator, from whom comes all spiritual illumination. He said it best in John 8:12, . . . I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. In the light of Christ man understands that he not only is a sinner but that he is incapable in and of himself to overcome his sin and achieve a position pleasing to God. In the light of Christ, man then understands that only Christ was able to pay for his sins, and that only by trusting Christ and His sacrifice on the cross may he have eternal life. Once a person receives Christ Jesus as personal Savior, he/she then becomes a child of light. Ephesians 5:11, For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light. 1 Thessalonians 5:5, You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. Being “children of light” brings with it a responsibility of sharing the light, the Light of Christ. Acts 13:47, For this is what the Lord has commanded us: “I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.” How may we accomplish this? Heed Romans 13:12, The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. What is this armor? Romans 13:14, . . . clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ . . . Consider how in the physical world a bright light is easily and distinctively seen in the darkness of night, how it is directional indicating a path to a brighter area. How much more in a world of total spiritual darkness should “children of light” be easily and distinctly seen, directing all within the darkness to the brightness of Christ.
“The same One who supplied us with life is also the light of men. He provides the guidance and direction necessary for man. It is one thing to exist, but quite another to know how to live, to know the true purpose of life, and to know the way to heaven. The same One who gave us life is the One who provides us with light for the pathway we travel.” (MacDonald)
Just as light contains all the colors of the rainbow, it is analogous of Christ who contains all the attributes of Deity, that is, He is omnipotent (all powerful), omniscient (all knowing), omnipresent (everywhere), immutable (unchanging), eternal (without beginning or ending), veracity (all truth), sovereign (over all), righteous (without sin and incorruptible), perfect judgment, perfect love, etc. Just as light reveals specific colors (and not all colors) when shinning on an object (exception of a white object), Christ reveals specific attributes depending on the object of His attention.
Just as light has three properties, it is analogous of the Godhead, which is one in essence and three in manifestation. One property of light can neither be seen or felt, a representation of the Father; one property can both be seen and felt, a representation of the Son; and one property is felt but never seen, a representation of the Holy Spirit.
John 1:5
The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
Here the “light” is Christ, and the “darkness” is mankind. One is sinless and truth; the other is sinful and a lie. One is righteousness; the other is evil. One is eternal life; the other is eternal death. Christ spoke in John 3:19, This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. As was seen in 1 Corinthians 2:14 above, man in darkness is unable to understand the truth, which is that Jesus Christ is the Light of the world. To the degree that Christians by faith allow Jesus Christ, the “Light of men,” to flow through them by means of the Holy Spirit, they will be effective as individual lights in this world of total spiritual darkness. As Christians we must understand that it is only the Holy Spirit working in us who can enlighten the understanding of any person to the eventual acceptance of Jesus Christ.
The Greek words translated “has not understood” in this verse can just as accurately be translated “has not overcome.” This being the case, the phrase essentially says that Christ came into this evil world but the forces of evil could not defeat Him or His purpose for coming. The eternal struggle between God and Satan that began billions of years in the past culminated in a sense at the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Satan is totally defeated and his destination and eternal abode is the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:10); he just probably doesn’t fully understand or “appreciate” this yet.
John 1:6-9
There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through Him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.
In the Gospel of John the name “John” always refers to John the Baptist. John the Baptist was the human agent “sent from God” for the purpose of introducing the Word, i.e., the Light and the Life, to humanity. He was sent to awaken all persons to their need of God, to prepare the way for the coming Christ and to point them to the correct path to reach God, which was by faith in Jesus Christ. It is important to note that John introduces John the Baptist as simply “a man.” The principle is that God uses people to carry out His plan.
John the Baptist was born to Zechariah, a priest, and his wife Elizabeth (Luke 1:5-80). Many Jews of that day wondered if he was Elijah, since they remembered Elijah had not died (2 Kings 2:11) and thought he would return. John emphatically stated that he was not Elijah (John 1:21). This appears to be in contrast to what Jesus said regarding John the Baptist in Matthew 11:14, and if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. Essentially Christ meant what “an angel of the Lord” had told Zechariah about John in Luke 1:17, And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous-to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. Others asked if John the Baptist was the “Prophet” of Deuteronomy 18:15-18, but again John answered “No” in verse twenty one.
“. . . who was sent from God . . .” It should be noted here that God takes imperfect man and commissions him to do His will. This is the plan of God for all Christians. After all, it is not the messenger or personality that is important. It is the message.
John the Baptist came “as a witness to testify.” This was the purpose for which God sent him. The noun “witness” or “testimony” is used 14 times and the verb “testify” 33 times in this gospel, in both cases more often than anywhere else in the New Testament. The Greek word for “witness” (3140 - Strong’s Concordance) is one that connotes the telling of truth, as in court. John the Baptist in essence was giving testimony to the good news of the coming Savior, which testimony would stand the test in the highest court of all, i.e., the one in which God Almighty is the Judge.
To what did John the Baptist testify, or, better yet, of whom did John the Baptist testify? Here verse 7 it states, He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. It is clear that the light refers to the same light in verses 4 and 5, i.e., the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Those who heard John’s testimony were not to “believe in” him, but “through him” they were to believe in Jesus Christ. John was the conduit for the message of salvation by grace through faith in God’s Son. It is a mistake to believe that John the Baptist spoke only of the “gospel” of repentance. True he initiated God’s message with Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near. The Jews of that day were consumed with all the laws and rituals passed down through the years since they were delivered out of their bondage in Egypt. Their focus was not on the spirit behind what God had placed before them, but in their ability to keep these precepts and practices to the letter. They were obsessed in a system of works, and believed it was up to them to achieve God’s plan of eternal life. It was from this system of works that John the Baptist said they should “repent.” By this John meant they were to “change their attitude” or “turn completely around” from such thought. They were to turn from the sin (if you please) of attempting to save themselves, simply because this was an impossible task under the Law.
But John did not stop with the declaration of “repentance.” He went on to point to Jesus Christ, the Son of God who would take away the sins of the world, and impress upon his audience that it is only by believing in Him that one could obtain salvation. This is most clearly seen in John’s words to those who, when arguing about ceremonial washing, brought up the topic of Jesus (John 3:24-35). After some lengthy remarks regarding Jesus, and speaking specifically about the Christ, John stated, The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in His hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him. It can’t be any clearer than that. John’s complete message therefore was that those who thought they could come to God through their own works, i.e., keeping the Law and rituals, were to turn from this (repent) and place their trust (believe) only in Jesus Christ for their eternal salvation. Eternal life is achieved by faith alone in Jesus Christ alone; nothing more and nothing less.
The Greek word for “believe” in verse 6 is in the form of a Greek tense that means “a point of time divorced from time and perpetuated forever.” Essentially it is saying that once a person places his faith in Jesus Christ, God transforms him and does it in such a fashion that the transformation is “taken out of time and places it into eternity.” This means that no matter what that person does subsequent to his salvation, God will never change the fact that he was transformed into a “child of God.” One’s salvation is only accomplished by the grace of God, and it is secured by the faithfulness of God. A person cannot save himself, and he cannot “unsave” himself. The fact is that Scripture amply teaches that once a person is saved, there is nothing or no one that can take that salvation, which is purchased by the blood of Christ, away from him; no, not even God Himself.
The Apostle John made it quite clear in verse 8 that John the Baptist was not the Light, that is, he was not Jesus, but he was only a witness declaring the truth of the coming Light, The true Light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. (verse 9) These verses then are the start of the Apostle John’s primary purpose for writing this gospel, i.e., But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name. (verse 20:31) John the Baptist realized that the power was in the message and not the personality. He came only as a witness to the Light.
Verse 9 also confirms that even though other persons down through the ages have claimed to be guides and saviors, Jesus Christ of Whom John the Baptist witnessed was and is the genuine and only true Light. This Light shines on all people irrespective of nationality, race or background. It reveals man in his true character. By His perfect character, Christ reveals man in all his imperfection. The dust and dirt in a room cannot be seen when it is dark inside. Once a light is introduced all the dust and dirt is illuminated. Christ, the Light, came and revealed man as he actually is.
John 1:10
He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him.
In this verse the word “world” has different meanings. In the first place (He was in the world) it refers to the physical earth. Christ (God) was incarnate, i.e., took upon Himself human form and flesh. In this form, with all the limitations it imposed, He occupied time and space. This alone represents an unbelievable sacrifice by Almighty God. For God to subject Himself in any capacity to the limitations and frailties of man is inconceivable. And yet this represents only the “tip of the iceberg” when it comes to the enormity of the sacrifice God made for the salvation of man.
The second use of the word (though the world was made through Him) not only refers to the physical earth but also refers to all living creatures on it, those who were, who are and who are to come. This goes back to verse 3, which declares that God the Father through God the Son created all things. See the prior comments on this verse.
The third use of the world (the world did not recognize Him) refers to those human beings who lived around and who had contact with Him during His earthly sojourn. These were the fortunate ones, the privileged ones. These were the men and women at “ground zero.” They were able to see God in human form (see Hebrews 1:3). They experienced His words, His love, His kindness, His wisdom, His healings and other of His miracles. They experienced God in person, a glorious event to which all Christians should look forward. Yet they rejected Him. The fact is that the day is coming that all men and women will experience this, some to glory and some to grave dishonor.
Then I saw a great white throne and Him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from His presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11-14)
The day is coming when every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord. But for so many it will be a transition from “throne to thrown,” as we see in the above passage. Those who have not accepted by faith the Lord Jesus Christ, the act that records their names in the Book of Life, will be judged by their works in so far as eternal life or death is concerned. This is the only format in which man’s deeds or works will impact upon his salvation. They won’t suffice! For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Man’s works/deeds are able to achieve for him only one destination, the Lake of Fire.
With this in mind, how much more terrible is the remaining portion of this verse, i.e., the world did not recognize Him. Not only did those fortunate and privileged ones not understand that Christ was in fact the coming Messiah for whom they were looking; but even if they did, they rejected Him (His right and authority) as such. This they did because they were unwilling to change from their self-centered, self-serving and sinful ways. They were unwilling to turn (repent) to Him by simply receiving Him and believing that He was whom He claimed to be. And because of this, the day is coming when they shall bow before His throne and will be forced to confess Him as Lord, only to find that their names are not recorded in the Book of Life and then be thrown into the Lake of Fire.
R.B. Thieme, Jr. who is the pastor of the nondenominational Berachah Church of Houston, Texas, points out in his presentation of this verse that there are five ways in which Satan confuses the world to divert mankind from Christ. They are:
Religion - which is Satan’s most successful plan. Matthew 23; John 3:1-18; 1 Corinthians 10:18-21; 2 Corinthians 11:13,14; 1 Timothy 4:1. Satan attempts to reduce Christianity to a system of ethics and morality, i.e., “good works,” which all are an abomination before God. Remember, Christianity is a “relationship,” and not a system of works or a “religion.” It is a union with the person of Jesus Christ.
Rationalism - 2 Corinthians 4:3,4; Luke 8:12.
Deceit - 2 Corinthians 2:11; 11:3; Revelation 12:9; 20:3.
Supernatural Phenomena - healings, tongues, miracles, spiritual readings, “crossing over” events, etc. 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12.
Snares - 1 Timothy 3:7; 2 Timothy 2:26; Ephesians 4:27; 2 Corinthians 2:11.
John 1:11
He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him.
The word “own” in this verse is listed in different genders and thereby has two different meanings. In the first place (He came to that which was His own) it is in the neuter gender. This refers to “things” and means all that belongs to Him. In this case it refers to all creation, for certainly all belongs to (is the property of) the Creator.
In the second place (but His own did not receive Him) it is in the masculine gender. This refers to “His own people,” the nation of Israel to which He belonged. Even though God from the beginning proclaimed through His established rituals and prophets the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, to come down through the linage of Abraham, “His own” would not recognize or receive Him. Even though Jesus came to the place He had created and had a right to possess, those who inhabited it turned Him away in rejection.
“He was not trespassing on someone else’s property. Rather, He was living on a planet which He Himself had made. His own (people) did not receive Him. In a general sense, this might refer to all mankind, and it is true that most of mankind rejected Him. But in a special sense, the Jewish nation was His chosen, earthly people. When He came into the world, He presented Himself to the Jews as their Messiah, but they would not receive Him. (MacDonald)
John 1:12,13
Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God-children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
The Apostle John here establishes a distinct relationship or parallel between the word “believe” and the word “receive.” In a sense one defines the other. The full name of our Lord is Jesus Christ, which is a composite Hebrew-Greek name meaning “Savior” and “Anointed One.” His name speaks of the work He did (not a work of man) as our sacrifice upon the cross of Calvary. To believe in “His name” is to simply by faith accept or receive this sacrificial work as the basis of our salvation rather than anything we can do. We only have to “receive” (by faith) the Gift of God. The word in the Greek for “receive” means “to receive in a non-meritorious manner,” i.e., to receive a gift that one does not deserve. The Greeks often used it to refer to an obnoxious person who receives a gift. It is a word that focuses upon the character of the giver, not the receiver. The receiver has no merit. He can’t earn the gift. He doesn’t deserve it. The gift depends only on the giver.
I appreciate two established commentaries on these verses, one from the “NIV Bible Commentary” and the other from “Vine’s Concise Dictionary of Bible Words.” A sharing of these will greatly illuminate your understanding and appreciation of these two verses.
NIV Bible Commentary
Just as there is a sharp antithesis in vv.4-5 between darkness and light, so here is an equally direct contrast between rejection and reception. In spite of the many who rejected the Word, there were some who received him. This provides the initial definition of “believe” (GK 4409) by equating it with “receive.” When we receive a gift, we demonstrate our confidence in its reality and trustworthiness. We make it part of our own possessions. By being so received, Jesus gives to those who receive Him a right to membership in the family of God.
“Become” indicates clearly that people are not the spiritual children of God by natural birth, for we cannot become what we already are. This verb implies a change of nature. “Not of natural descent” excludes a purely physical process; “nor of human decision” rules out the result of any biological urge; “or a husband’s will” shows that this kind of birth is not merely the outcome of a legal marriage. The relation is spiritual, not biological. There is a connection with the concept of the new birth as elaborated in Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus (vss. 3:3-8).
Vine’s Concise Dictionary of Bible Words (on “Right” the noun)
exousia (1849), “authority, power,” is translated “right” in the RV, for KJV, “power,” in John 1:12; Rom. 9:21; 1 Cor. 9:4,5,6,12 (twice),18; 2 Thess.. 3:9, where the “right” is that of being maintained by those among whom the ministers of the gospel had labored, a “right” possessed in virtue of the “authority” given them by Christ, Heb. 13:10; Rev. 22:14.
exousia first denotes “freedom to act” and then “authority for the action.” This is first true of God, Acts 1:7. It was exercised by the Son of God, as from, and in conjunction with, the Father when the Lord was upon earth, in the days of His flesh, Matt. 9:6; John 10:18, as well as in resurrection, Matt. 28:18; John 17:2. All others hold their freedom to act from God (though some of them have abused it), whether angels, Eph. 1:21, or human potentates, Rom. 13:1. Satan offered to delegate his authority over earthly kingdoms to Christ, Luke 4:6, who, though conscious of His “right” to it, refused, awaiting the divinely appointed time.
Through physical birth a person comes into this world. Through a second, spiritual birth, a person becomes a child of God. Verse 13 tells us three ways this “second birth” does not occur and the only way that it can occur. It is not (1) passed on through natural birth, (2) accomplished by one’s own human decision, i.e., human good or (3) realized by the will of any man-no other man may save another. How then is one born again? This birth can only come from and by God.
A review and understanding of these two verses can only bring forth rejoicing from Christians. These verses affirm concretely once again that salvation is the “gift” of God, that it is conditional only upon receiving (believing in) Christ Jesus as our Savior. Additionally, they affirm that once one receives Christ as Lord, that person is “born again,” a spiritual “child of God.” How glorious is God’s plan!
John 1:14
The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
The Word became flesh . . . . Here we have amplification of the message contained in the first few words in verse 10, He was in the world . . . . This speaks of the incarnation of God as Jesus Christ, i.e., the fact that God Almighty, without losing any of the essence or attributes of God, became man. The word “became” is a word in the Greek denoting transition, i.e., to become something that was not before, which indicates that the “Word” existed before in another form before He became flesh. This takes us back to verse 1 in which we learned that the “Word” was “in the beginning,” an expression that does not refer to a particular moment of time but assumes a timeless eternity.
God became true man in the person of the Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus, as well as others, referred to Himself as “Son of Man.” See Matthew 8:20; 9:6; 11:19; 16:13; 18:11; 20:28; 24:27; Mark 8:38; Luke 18:8; John 1:51; 5:27; 6:53; 12:23; 13:31; Acts 7:56; Revelation 1:13. As true man, He shared in the common experiences of humanity, e.g., sorrow (Matthew 26:37), natural growth (Luke 2:40), hunger (Luke 4:2), eating and drinking (Luke 7:34), sleep (Luke 8:23), poverty (Luke 9:58) and weariness (John 4:6).
Let’s consider how Christ became flesh, or, if you prefer, was made in human form. To gain an appreciation of this fact, we need to understand how Christ originally made man in the Garden of Eden and why Christ had to be born of a virgin into the human race.
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground. So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. . . . the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. (Genesis 1:26,27; 2:7)
On the sixth day of creation God made man in His own image. God formed man from the dust of the ground; therefore, man’s flesh came from the dirt much in the same way that all earth’s creatures became flesh (Genesis 1:24). But God made man different from all the other creatures of earth, because God made (formed) man in His own image or likeness. After forming man from the dirt, God then made man a living being by breathing into man the breath of life. Here we see that God not only gave man physical life, but He also gave man spiritual life, i.e., the capability to live forever. In this fashion man was made in the image or likeness of God.
In Leviticus 17:11 &14 we are informed by God that the life of every creature [flesh] is in the blood; therefore, we know that after God formed the flesh of man from the dust of the earth, He introduced life into him and made him a living being. This life is contained in the blood. The relationship between “life” and the “blood” is very important in understanding the birth of Christ. M.R. DeHaan, M.D., in his book, “The Chemistry of the Blood,” said this, “The Bible is a Book of blood and a bloody Book . . . the only thing that gives life to our teaching and power to the Word of God is the fact that it is the blood which is the very life and power of the Gospel . . . Without the blood the Bible would be like any other book and of no more value, for the Bible plainly teaches that the life is in the blood.”
Life is mysterious. Science has never yet been able to define or fathom it. God says it is in the blood of the flesh, so there can be no life without the blood. In the body there are different kinds of tissue. There is skin, muscle, nerve, fat, gland, bone, connective tissues, etc. All these tissues are fixed cells, microscopically small and having a specific and limited function. Yet they have one thing in common. They all have access to the blood and derive their life from it.
A normal body contains approximately 5 quarts of blood. It is a fluid and therefore mobile. Since it is not limited to any one part of the body, it moves throughout the entire body touching all fixed cells as it supplies them with nourishment and carries off their waste products. This is a process called “metabolism.” This circulation process repeats itself about every 23 seconds, so that every cell in the body is constantly supplied and cleansed. And by this process every cell in the body is in constant communication with every other cell in the body. “This blood is the most mysterious of all tissues, being composed of scores of elements and compounds and strange chemical bodies, whose function is not fully understood, but all of which have to do with the mystery of life, for the ‘life . . . is in the blood.’ Once the blood fails to reach the cells and members of the body, they promptly die. . . .” (M.R. DeHaan, M.D.)
The life that God gave to Adam was dramatically altered once Adam ate of the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God instructed Adam that he was free to eat from any tree in the garden except that one, “. . . for when you eat of it you will surely die.” (Genesis 2:17). So when Adam ate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he died - died spiritually and, ultimately, he died physically. Since life is in the blood, when Adam died, something happened to his blood. Sin affected his blood, not his body (flesh), except indirectly, because the blood supplies it. “For this very reason sin is not in the flesh but in the blood and flesh can only be called sinful flesh because it is nourished and fed and sustained by sinful blood.” (DeHaan)
But when Adam by his sin died, so all mankind died. Adam’s sinful blood has been passed on to all living human beings, and we therefore all share in Adam’s sin.
And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth . . .” (Acts 17:26,KJV)
Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned. (Romans 5:12)
“Sin is transmitted through the blood and since God hath made of one blood all nations, the sin is transmitted to all of Adam’s progeny. For in that one sinned all have sinned.” (DeHaan)
Because of this fact that the "life of the flesh is in the blood” and that due to Adam’s sin the “sinful nature” and spiritual death is passed on through the blood to all persons after Adam, it was necessary that Christ be born in such a manner so as not to share in Adam’s blood.
“This very fact that sin is in the blood necessitated the Virgin Birth of Christ if He was to be a son of Adam and yet a sinless man. For this very reason Christ could partake of Adam’s flesh, which is not inherently sinful, but He could not partake of Adam’s blood, which was completely impregnated with sin. God found a way by which Jesus, born of a woman (not man), could be a perfect human being, but, because He had not a drop of Adam’s sin in His veins, He did not share in Adam’s sin.” (DeHaan)
. . . We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, Who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
“In the Bible, ‘glory’ often means the bright, shining light which was seen when God was present. It also means the perfection and excellence of God.” (MacDonald) Although Jesus veiled His glory in a body of flesh while on earth and prior to His resurrection, there are two ways in which He revealed His glory. First, He revealed His moral glory. This was the radiance of His perfect life and character. Second and after His resurrection, He revealed His transfigured glory. This was the visible outshining of Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1,2). On this mount Peter, James and John were given a preview of the splendor that the Lord Jesus will have when He comes back to earth and reigns for a thousand years. The apostle John is probably referring to both kinds of glory in this verse.
. . . the glory of the One and Only . . .
Here it is speaking of the uniqueness of Christ. Although all who are born again are sons of God, there is truly only one Son of God. He is unique because (1) He had no beginning-He is eternal, (2) He is the Creator-He created all things, (3) He is the image of God-as the Word of God He is the perfect expression of God and (4) He is God. But what makes Him even more unique is that He is the only being that is both truly God and truly man. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the only person with this attribute throughout time, eternity, space and non-space. He is truly unique.
Of a more practical note, Christians living today are able to behold the glory (essence) of Christ more completely than even those who walked with Him during his physical tenure on earth. We may do this through the Scriptures, which reveals His essence in a much more comprehensive manner. While Christ walked with the apostles He told them “. . . everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:15) and the Apostle Paul proclaimed in I Corinthians 2:16, “For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. In other words we have been given a more complete revelation of Jesus Christ. It came partially from Him by His direct words to the apostles, but subsequently much more came by way of the Spirit of God. This has been recorded and passed down to us as the Holy Bible. To put it succinctly, to have the “mind of Christ” is know Bible doctrine. The more one learns correct Bible doctrine, the more one will have the “mind of Christ.”
It is wise that we always remember that . . . man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. (Deuteronomy 8:3) A Christian’s strength and stability depends on his foundation in Bible doctrine.
. . . Who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Christ’s birth was supernatural, an act of God. “The Savior was full of grace and truth. On the one hand, full of undeserved kindness for others, He was also completely honest and upright, and He never excused sin or approved evil. To be completely gracious and at the same time completely righteous is something that only God can be.” (MacDonald)
In this phrase we see that our Lord Jesus Christ (1) came from the Father, i.e., He was in essence God; (2) was full of grace, i.e., the unmerited blessing and kindness of God toward man; and (3) full of truth, i.e., Bible doctrine. In brief, everything you will ever need was embodied in Jesus Christ.
In verses 15-18, we have a very stimulating and provocative statement by John the Baptist, which then introduces 4 days within his life (verses 19-28, then verses 29-34, then verses 35-42, and finally verses 43-51). John the Baptist was designated by God to announce the first coming of Christ Jesus to this earth. The second coming of Christ to this earth will be announced by two witnesses, believed to be Elijah and Moses (Revelation 11).
John 1:15
John testifies concerning Him. He cries out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because He was before me.’”
John the Baptist had only one testimony, which was Jesus Christ. He bore witness of Christ as the Son God before Christ entered His public ministry. Jesus was born physically about 6 months after the birth of John and by Jewish tradition should have been considered subordinate to and worthy of lesser respect than John, but John exclaimed loudly that Jesus was in fact intrinsically vastly more important than him. John’s proof of this was in his statement that Jesus existed before him, referring to the eternal existence of Christ as the Son of God.
John the Baptist was a truly focused individual. He was most likely of little stature, of no wealth, of limited if any education, of no social life and had no pleasures or hobbies. Although by birth he was from the tribe of Levi and the family of Aaron and thereby had claim to certain spiritual priesthood rights, he never claimed them. He had only one purpose, one drive, one passion and one objective. He focused on Jesus Christ and the message of salvation by grace through faith in Him.
John 1:16
From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another.
This verse refers back to and connects with verse 14, in which was declared that Jesus was full of grace . . . In this case the Greek word translated “fullness” indicates absolute fullness or abundance. Jesus always had and continues to have an abundance of grace, i.e., unselfish love and kindness. From this abundance, He has imparted to all of us numerous blessings. In other words when one supply of grace is exhausted, another is always available.
The Greek words for the phrase one blessing after another may be translated “grace for (taking the place of) grace.” If taken as such, then this may refer to (1) the grace of God in providing a faith-based salvation for us and (2) the grace of God next providing a faith-based way of living the Christian life for us.
John 1:17
For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
Here the Apostle John contrasts the “law” under the Old Testament era with “grace and truth” under the New Testament era. The law given through Moses was never a manifestation of grace. It contained only legal and explicit instructions that commanded men to obey. It contained no mercy, condemning men to death if they failed to obey. The law informed men what was just and good, but it did not provide men with the power to do what was just and good. Essentially, the law was given to reveal to men that all men sin (missed the mark) and come short of God’s standard. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). But “grace and truth” came through Jesus Christ. Here the contrast between law and grace as God's manner of dealing with men is expressed as it is by the Apostle Paul in Romans 5:20-21-The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord, and in Ephesians 2:8,9-For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-by by works, so that no one can boast. The law represented God's standard of righteousness; grace revealed His approach to human beings who found that they could not keep the law. His grace was depicted in the person, life and especially the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus came not to judge mankind. He came to save mankind by taking upon Himself while on the cross all of man’s sins, by becoming these sins and by paying the price for them, which was required by God. Now all a person has to do to be saved, i.e., receive eternal life, is to accept by faith (trust in) the (substitutional) sacrifice of Jesus Christ as full payment for one’s sins. This is what it means to “believe in Jesus.” This is indeed “grace,” i.e., “heaven’s best for earth’s worst.”
Not only was grace manifest through Jesus Christ, but He was truth personified. Of Himself He declared, . . . I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6) He often prefaced His remarks with “I tell you the truth” (see John 3:3&5). He was absolutely truthful in all His words and works.
So we see that John the Baptist was a “grace” preacher. Much is made regarding his cry of “repentance,” but little is said about his emphasis on “grace.” This is done to the extent that the implication is that “repentance” is some type of human generated sorrow for sins (thereby reducing it to a “work of man”) in order to achieve the salvation of God. Nothing can be farther from the truth. When John the Baptist spoke of repentance, he was warning all who heard him that they should “turn” or “change their minds” (the meaning of repentance) regarding the way they were going and turn in faith to Christ. What way were they going? They were trying to lift themselves up “by their own bootstraps,” i.e., they were trying to achieve God’s favor through their own merit and good works. Nothing man does pleases God. Nothing man does will achieve for man eternal life. Otherwise there would not have been the need for Christ. Because man cannot do anything to save himself, Christ had to come to bear the sins of mankind on the cross, to suffer and pay the penalty for those sins while on the cross and to conquer sin and the grave by rising from the dead on the third day. Man is only saved by turning from all else (good works, religion, sacraments, etc.) and accepting by faith the work of Christ for his salvation. One’s salvation then depends not on man and what he is or has done; it depends on Christ alone and who He is and what He has done. This is grace and John the Baptist was a preacher of grace.
John 1:18
No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made Him known.
The noun (Gk. theon) translated God has no article in the Greek text, which indicates that the author is presenting God not as a person but in His nature or essence of being. "Deity" might be a more accurate rendering. The meaning is that no human has ever seen the essence of Deity. Jesus stated in John 4:24 that God is Spirit . . . Man cannot see spirit.
There are three systems in which man perceives and makes conclusions during his sojourn on this earth. They are:
1. Empiricism, which is the practice of relying on observation and experience.
2. Rationalism, which is the practice of relying on the exercise of thought.
3. Faith, which is the acceptance of fact improvable by empirical proof.
John the Baptist was saying that through empiricism or rationalism man cannot see God. This is covered in greater detail in 1 Corinthians 2:5-16.
But then the Apostle John, in an absolute affirmation of the Deity of Christ, states that God the One and Only (Christ), which is to say that Christ was and is the manifestation of God, has made known to mankind the essence of God. Kenneth S. Wuest in his exegesis of this verse of Scripture translates quite literally as follows, “God in His invisible essence no one has ever yet seen. The only begotten God who is constantly in the bosom of the Father, that One has fully explained Him.” Jesus said in John 14:9, . . . Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. Christ was one with God and equal with God. He alone could reveal the true nature (essence) of God. When men saw Jesus, they saw God. When they heard Him speak, they heard God. When they were in His presence, they felt the love and compassion of God. God was fully revealed by Jesus Christ, because He was and is God.
We now come to the first day in the life of John the Baptist as present in this gospel.
John 1:19, 20
Now this was John's testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, "I am not the Christ. "
The preaching of John the Baptist regarding the Messiah (Gk. Christ) attracted such large crowds that the Jewish hierarchy from Jerusalem investigated him. The priests represented the theological authorities of the nation; the Levites were concerned with the ritual and service of the temple. John did not fit into any ecclesiastical category familiar to Jewish authorities, so they needed to understand his unusual popularity and success.
More than this, the system that these “religious leaders” represented depended entirely on the strict adherence of a ridged set of rules and practices in order to achieve acceptance before God. Their system was one of works, and this was in direct contrast with what John the Baptist offered to the masses. Additionally, the crowds were ignoring them to go out into the desert and hear the gospel of grace by John the Baptist. This greatly upset them. Their purpose in coming out to John this day was to examine him and in doing so to possibly discredit him.
They first wanted to know if he claimed to be the Messiah. Since “Christ" is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew "Messiah," meaning "Anointed,” and it was the Messiah who was the prophesied deliverer and who would bring renewal and political freedom to Israel (John 4:25). John the Baptist pointedly disclaimed this title. To do otherwise not only would be false but it would have political implications, making him a potential insurrectionist as far as the Romans were concerned.
John 1:21,22
They asked him, "Then who are you? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" He answered, "No." Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”
The Jews asked if John the Baptist might be Elijah whom they expected would return prior to the advent of the Messiah. They knew that Elijah had not died but was taken by a whirlwind up to heaven (2 Kings 2:11) and that Malachi had prophesied: See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse (Malachi 4:5,6). John's rough exterior and ascetic tendencies corresponded to Elijah's type of personality (Matthew 3:4), some identified him with the stormy prophet who had challenged Ahab (1 Kings 17-19). John rejected the suggestion and denied that he was Elijah raised from the dead. When Jesus later referred to John the Baptist as Elijah (Matthew 11:14; 17:10-13), He may have meant it in the sense that John was a fulfillment of the prophecy of Malachi 4:5 in the spirit and power of Elijah (Luke 1:17)
Next these religious leaders attempted what some believe to be trick question. They asked, Are you the Prophet? Here they were referring to God's word to Moses: The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him (Deuteronomy 18:15). [The “profit” in this verse is actually a prediction of the coming of Christ.] The populace of Jerusalem later suggested the same of Jesus (John 7:40). Since the prophecy said that he would be like Moses, the Jews were inquiring whether Jesus would lead them in a new Exodus and overcome their enemies. John’s answer to them was an emphatic “No.” To answer yes would have allowed them to accuse John of sedition. John wouldn’t fall into their trap. Of course as a person of truth, he could not anyway.
In light of John’s disclaimer, the Jewish delegation of priests and Levites then inquired in exasperation as to his identity. They had to have an answer or most likely suffer embarrassment upon their return to Jerusalem.
John 1:23
John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, "I am the voice of one calling in the desert, `Make straight the way for the Lord.' "
John the Baptist, the son of Zechariah the priest (Luke 1:5-13), a man sent from God (John 1:6), a man filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth (Luke 1:15), and declared by Christ as the greatest man born of women, did not take this occasion to confirm any of these facts. He took no credit for himself. He knew that if he was anything, it was due to the grace of God. He could have no pride because all these things were not due to “who or what he was,” but on “who and what God is.” His very existence and purpose in life was based solely on the grace of God. He was indeed a “grace person.” Because he was centered in the concept of grace, he never thought of himself as great or independent in any way. And this should be true of every Christian.
How often do Christians who are complimented or recognized in their service to God allow themselves to become “puffed up,” thinking they did the good service? How often do they give into pride, thereby excluding God from the “circle of attention?” They often say in false humility the response, “Oh no, give the glory to God” (and in this way draw more attention to themselves), when actually they should simply say “thank you,” think nothing more about it and go on serving Christ.
But John the Baptist was a “grace person.” He (1) knew God’s Word (Bible Doctrine), (2) applied God’s Word and (3) entertained no illusions about himself. He understood that everything that came to him in terms of success or prosperity was strictly due to “who and what God is.” This flew in the face of religion. Religion cannot tolerate grace. With religion it is “who and what the person is,” which is diametrically opposed to grace.
John simply and succinctly said he was “a voice.” This was his impersonal reply calling attention to the message and not the personality. It should be noted that a “voice” is heard and not seen. But more than this by quoting Scripture (Isaiah 40:3), his was a voice that said something. He communicated Bible doctrine. Many who speak today are nothing more than shallow cheerleaders. This is not to say that ministers shouldn’t cheer Christians on to service, but blessings and strength come only by the digestion of God’s Word, i.e., Bible doctrine. It is not enough to relegate the teaching of Bible doctrine to 30-40 minutes of Sunday school each week. Often those who teach in Sunday school know little of the depth of God’s word, and they in turn end up as shallow cheerleaders. It is the responsibility of the designated pastor of God’s flock to lead God’s children deeper into the Word of God.
John was a voice that cried out in the desert. Why the desert. The desert is desolate. It contains no people or provisions for sustenance. The rational person would conclude that John should have gone to the great metropolitan centers, to the cities, to radio and television stations in order to reach the masses. But no, he went and cried out in the desert. And guess what. The people came. They came from the populated areas out to the desert to hear his message. What should we learn from this? First, if we have a message the people will come and listen. If we present God’s Word (Bible doctrine), the people will respond no matter where we might be. Second, God will provide. No matter how strange it may seem, God will make His plan work. Third, the desert being away from the “religious centers” of that day was the perfect place to convey Bible doctrine. There are times when we need to get away from religion and “religious people,” to provide the plan of God. The worst people to deal with are those steeped in the “church” or “religion.” If only a person will open and read God’s Word independent of his past religious beliefs, God will convict him of the truth. How refreshing at times to find someone who has had no religious upbringing and who thirsts for the Word of God.
John 1:24-28
Now some Pharisees who had been sent questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” “I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.” This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
The Pharisees represented the strict interpreters of the Law and were particularly interested in examining the credentials of any new religious teacher in Judaism. As a class they were hostile toward Jesus because he did not observe traditional rules and because he openly rebuked their superficial and often hypocritical religiosity. When the delegates from the religious leaders in Jerusalem challenged John concerning his right to baptize, he stated that he did not profess to speak with ultimate authority. He was preaching repentance, which was a turning (indicating a change of mind) from the previous way of works (for salvation) and to a faith in the coming Christ for one’s salvation (Luke 1:76-78; 3:18; John 3:35,36). His baptism was as baptism is today, an outward display of an inward decision.
John drew his reference to untying the sandals of his successor from the practice of using the lowest slave of a household to remove the sandals and wash the feet of guests. John's witness, therefore, reflected the exalted nature of Jesus and placed the latter far above himself.
Bethany on the other side of Jordan was so named to distinguish it from the Bethany near Jerusalem (see John 12:1). Its exact site is unknown. That it was located "on the other side" shows that the author must have been accustomed to thinking of the west side of the Jordan as his home territory. And so we come to the end of the passage of the first day.
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