John 1 - Jon Courson's Application Commentary

John’s use of the Greek word logos is important. The Greeks had developed a philosophy articulated by Plato and others that was built upon the assumption that the logos, the word, was the foundation of everything on earth. The earth, Plato said, was simply a shadow of the reality of the logos that existed somewhere in the heavens. The Jews took the Greek concept of the logos one step further. Whereas Plato said behind everything there’s a perfect thought (logos), the Jews said that behind the thought there must be a thinker.

“We don’t see perfection (logos) here on earth, but it must exist somewhere,” said the Greek.

“Yes. And if there is a true, perfect thought (logos), there must be a true, perfect thinker,” added the Hebrew.

John bursts into the middle of this discussion, saying, “In the beginning was the Logos, the Word, God-not just a philosophy but a Personality. In the beginning was the Logos-the perfection and the Thinker.”

The Hebrew word for God in Genesis 1:1 is Elohim, a word that speaks of three or more. The use of Elohim way back in Genesis hints at the mystery of the Trinity. Its use by John reiterates the reality of the Trinity.

For topical study of John 1:1 see “Jesus is God”.

Contrary to the teaching of most cults, Jesus was not the first Created Being. He was already present in the beginning. He has always existed.

Everything was made by Jesus Christ-even this day.

Our sun is big-so big that 1,300,000 of our earths could fit inside. It is small, however, compared to Anteres, a star in our galaxy. Anteres is so big that 64 of our suns could fit inside of it. But Anteres is a relatively dinky star. Hercules is a big star. 110,000,000 Anteres could fit inside Hercules. So, 110 million Anteres, each big enough to hold 64 of our suns, which are big enough to hold 1,300,000 of our earths could fit into Hercules.

When we realize this, it is clear that on this planet, we are nothing more than specks on a speck in a speck. And yet most of the time we think we’re pretty “speck-tacular,” don’t we? Now, put down your telescope, pick up your microscope, and consider a drop of water, which is equally amazing.

If you think back to junior-high science class, you’ll recall that each molecule of water is composed of two atoms of hydrogen and one atom of oxygen. If you were able to enlarge each of the atoms in only a single drop of water to the size of a grain of sand, you would have enough sand to make a slab of concrete one foot thick and one half-mile high, stretching from San Francisco to New York City.

Of Jesus, Paul said, “All things were created by Him” (see Colossians 1:16). Scientists call the atomic force that holds together the nucleus of the atom “atomic glue.” The Bible, however, identifies this mysterious atomic glue as Jesus Christ, for “by Him all things consist, or hold together” (Colossians 1:17). There is coming a day when Jesus will let go of His hold on the atom. And the result will be chaos and utter devastation (2 Peter 3:10,11) . But in this day of grace, He continues to hold the galaxies, the atoms, and our lives together. Why do you exist today? You were made by Him. You were made for Him. And if you don’t give your life to Him, like errant atoms you’ll fall apart. Life won’t make sense. You’ll wonder what you’re doing, where you’re going, and why you’re living. The secret of life is found here in the prologue of John. All things were made by Him.

The Greek word translated “comprehend” can mean either “extinguish” or “understand.” Both meanings are applicable in this verse, for the darkness could neither understand nor extinguish Jesus. For three hours, the earth was darkened when it seemed the Light of the World was extinguished (Matthew 27:45). But three days later, He was back-to shine in our hearts as the Bright and Morning Star (Revelation 22:16), the Dayspring From on High (Luke 1:78).

Here, John the apostle introduces us to John the Baptist. As a prophet, John the Baptist spoke to people on behalf of God. As a priest (Luke 1:5), he spoke to God on behalf of the people. That’s what ministry is all about. Ministry is both prophetic and priestly-talking to people about God and talking to God about people.

God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). The desire of God’s heart is that not one person should die without knowing Him. Think of the person who bugs and irritates you the most. Did you know that our Lord is madly in love with him, and desires that he be saved? I personally reject the ultra-Calvinistic teaching that says God has already determined that some are born to be damned. The Scripture says John was sent for a witness that all through him might believe. The word “all” in Greek is an interesting one. It means “all”!

We are not called to be attorneys. We are not called to debate, argue, convince. We are called to be witnesses-to share the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth concerning what the Lord is doing in our lives.

“I see you got a new car,” someone says to you. “Wow. You sure are lucky.”

If you’re a faithful witness, you’ll tell the truth and say, “I’m not lucky. I’m blessed. The Lord provided this car for me.”

Or -

“I see your new car was towed away,” someone says to you. “You must be angry.”

If you are a faithful witness, you’ll tell the truth and say, “I know God will work this out for good. He always does.”

Too often people think witnessing is confrontational and argumentative. It doesn’t need to be that at all. I have found great freedom in simply sharing with people what the Lord is showing me. I feel no pressure to convert or convince anyone. Rather, I find great pleasure in simply sharing what the Lord has done, is doing, and will continue to do in my life.

At the time John wrote his Gospel, in A.D. 75 or so, people were already beginning to worship John the Baptist. We see the same thing happening today with the Baha’i mentality that teaches there are many men of equal greatness. Jesus is good, it says. So is John the Baptist, Moses, Buddha, and Mohammed. The apostle John wanted to nip this idea in the bud. Thus, at the very outset of his Gospel, he makes it crystal clear that John the Baptist was not Jesus’ equal.

At the end of time, no one will be able to say that he didn’t have an opportunity to know that there is a God. The Light has come, and it lights every man who comes into the world. Romans 1 tells us that creation around us is a testimony to God’s reality and that our conscience within us verifies His truth. Psalm 19 states that the heavens declare the glory of God, and that there is no place on earth where their voice is not heard. Thus, whether a man looks up to the sky, around at creation, or within his own heart, he is left without excuse regarding the existence of his Creator. Every man knows innately, intuitively that there is a God. I firmly believe that if there is someone in the most remote corner of the earth who is hungering and thirsting after a saving knowledge of God, God will do whatever it takes to contact that one. He may choose to speak to him through an angel, a miracle, or through… you. If you’re concerned about lost people and God’s ability to reach them, don’t stay here and discuss the ramifications of predestination. Go tell them Jesus died for them! You may be the very messenger the Lord uses to reach one who is waiting to hear the gospel.

The first time the Greek word translated “his own” is used in this verse, it is in a neuter form, referring to creation. The second time, it is masculine, referring to humanity. In other words, Jesus came into this world, and all of creation acknowledged Him. The winds obeyed Him. The water supported Him. The rocks were ready to cry out to Him. But there was one segment of creation that received Him not: man. Human nature is the only part of nature that refuses to worship God.

When the Bulls and the Blazers play basketball, people in the stands go crazy. They lift their hands in the air victoriously, clap exuberantly, and cheer wildly. They stand, yell, and stomp their feet. And they won’t care who sees them. The same thing happens at rock concerts and hockey games, beauty pageants and rodeos. Humanity creatively and radically worships with abandon. But when it comes to worshiping Jesus, arms fold, voices hush, and sitting becomes the position of choice. Our culture finds it very easy to worship sports, movie, or rock stars-but has great difficulty worshiping Jesus.

Praise God for the word “but.” How many great truths swing on this small hinge!

“Thou shalt call his name Jesus,” the angel said to Mary (Luke 1:31). The name “Jesus” means “Jehovah is salvation.” You will receive power to become a son of God when you believe that Jesus is not merely a Savior, or even the Savior, but that He is your Savior.

Nor does birth into God’s family have anything to do with desire. Paul tells us there is none that seeks after God, not one who really desires Him (Romans 3:11).

God does it all. It is His sovereign work in the hearts of men that draws them to Himself. “Wait a minute,” you say. “Didn’t verse 9 say that His desire is that not one should perish? Why, then, doesn’t He do His sovereign work in the heart of every man and draw everyone to Himself?” I don’t know. I do know we serve an enormous God. He has given every man the opportunity to choose Him and yet has retained His right to choose whom He will. How can these two principles be compatible? I don’t know. I do know that, according to Romans 8:29, God’s foreknowledge is a big factor. But did God choose us because He knew we’d choose Him-or did we choose God because He had already chosen us? I don’t know. I do know that if you think very long about this, your brain will short-circuit. You’ll get so frustrated that you’ll beat your fist against the wall and finally concur with J. B. Phillips, who said, “If God was small enough to figure out, He wouldn’t be big enough to worship.” Then you’ll fall on your face and worship Him, saying, “Lord, I don’t understand it all, but I thank You for choosing me.”

Nor does birth into God’s family have anything to do with determination. Man can’t will himself into a relationship with God.

Your grandfather may have been an awesome Christian, and you may have fourteen preachers in your family tree. But according to this verse, none of that makes a bit of difference because birth into God’s family is not passed on genetically. It has nothing to do with blood, which speaks of descent.

The Greek word translated “dwelt” literally means “tabernacled” or “encamped.” The Word, the Logos, the Creator, Sustainer, and Reason for All Things became flesh and tabernacled among us. The tabernacle, covered with badger skins, was plain on the outside. But the interior was adorned with gold, silver, fine embroidery, and precious stones, for the chabod-the presence, the substance, the glory of God-was to be found inside. The same is true of Jesus. So ordinary looking was He externally that Judas had to identify Him to the Roman soldiers with a kiss. But the presence, the substance, the glory of God dwelt within Him to such a degree that some of it “leaked out” on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17:2).

Internal and external evidence indicate that Jesus was probably not born on December 25, the Festival of Saturnalia. Based on the fact that the shepherds were grazing their flocks on the night of His birth, He was probably born sometime in the fall. Some scholars suggest He was born on the fifteenth of Tishri, the beginning of the Feast of Tabernacles-the week-long celebration wherein the Jews came together, lived in pup-tent-like booths, and celebrated how God had seen their forefathers through their pilgrimage from Egypt to the Promised Land. To the Jews, the Feast of Tabernacles was the most joyous time of year. And the fact that Jesus “tabernacles” with us and walks with us through our earthly pilgrimage should produce abundant joy in our hearts as well.

The longer I walk with Him and the more I learn about Him, the more I am impressed with Jesus because He is the perfect blending of grace and truth. Some people are very truthful but show little grace. They’re hard to be around because they have a tendency to make you feel guilty. Other people are gracious but not very truthful. They’re fun to be with for a time, but they have a tendency to be a little flaky. Jesus was neither hard nor flaky. He spoke the truth with great candor and honesty. Yet His grace caused people to marvel (Luke 4:22).

Just as the chabod, the glory of God, was seen in the tabernacle (Exodus 40:34), it was also seen in His Son. In Old Testament times, only the high priest on the Day of Atonement dared enter the Holy of Holies to behold the glory of God. But now, because of His atoning work on the Cross as Jesus rent the veil of the Holy of Holies (Matthew 27:51), we can behold His glory daily, freely, intimately.

Chronologically, John was six months older than Jesus. Yet Jesus said, “Before Abraham was, I AM,” (John 8:58). Thus, John’s reference was not to the chronological age, but to the eternal nature of his younger Cousin.

The phrase “grace for grace” literally means “grace upon grace”-continual grace, inexhaustible grace. Even where sin abounds, grace abounds more (Romans 5:20). You cannot exhaust the grace of God if you embrace the Person of Jesus Christ.

The law was given on a quaking mountain. Grace and truth were born in a quiet manger. The law was written on tables of stone. Grace and truth were wrought in a heart of love. When the law came down, three thousand people died (Exodus 32:28). When the Spirit came down, three thousand were saved (Acts 2:41). The law kills. Jesus gives life.

The Greek word translated “declared” is exegeomai, from which we get our word “exegesis,” meaning “to expound.” Jesus expounded on the Father because Jesus had seen the Father. We are to expound on Jesus because we have seen Jesus. Therefore, the key to all of Bible interpretation, the key to hermeneutics is really “Himaneutics.” Whether you’re teaching a Sunday-school class, preaching to thousands, or serving on the mission field, expound upon Jesus. Look for Him in every passage and on every page of Scripture. Focus on Jesus and you’ll behold the Father as well.

“Who am I?” John could have answered, “I’ll tell you who I am. I am a priest. I am a prophet. I am the miraculously born son of Elizabeth and Zacharias. I am called of God and chosen by God. I am the one prophesied in Isaiah and Malachi. I am the forerunner of the Messiah-that’s who I am.” But he didn’t.…

With both of his parents from the house of Levi, John could have followed in his father’s footsteps and served comfortably as a priest.

When John uses the term, “the Jews” (seventy times throughout his Gospel), he is not making a racial or a religious distinction, for virtually all of the people in the Gospels are Jews. No, when he speaks of “the Jews,” he is referring to the Sanhedrin-the equivalent of our Supreme Court-comprised of the religious leaders of Jerusalem.

We will find our true identities when, like John the Baptist, we realize we are not the Christ. “Oh, I already know I’m not the Christ!” you say. Do you? If you go to your job thinking you can pull it off through your own ability; if you work on your marriage thinking you can make it because of your own insight; if you raise your kids thinking you can draw on your own experience-no matter what your mouth may say, your life says, “I am the Christ.” If, however, you truly realize you are not the Christ, you will be a man or woman who spends significant time in prayer today, because you will know that without Him, you can do nothing (John 15:5). Life starts when you put away your “Can Do” mentality and realize you can’t do anything without Jesus.

Still needing a label for this paradoxical prophet and peculiar priest, the delegates pressed further. “Are you Elijah?” they asked.

“No,” answered John.

The term “that prophet” refers to the one prophesied in Deuteronomy 18 who would come to the nation of Israel and fully explain the way of God.

Folks, you will never lack identity if you learn the secret of John the Baptist: that you’re simply a voice to talk to people about Jesus Christ. So many people go through midlife crises because they don’t realize their stability can’t be found in the right situation vocationally or the right location geographically. Consequently, they’re always wondering, Should I work somewhere else? Should I live somewhere else? Should I do something else?

Gang, follow the example of the Baptist and say, “No matter where I am, I realize I’m not the Christ; I’m not the prophet; I’m not Elijah. I’m simply a voice to talk to whoever comes my way on any given day about the Person, nature, and return of Jesus Christ.

Baptism was singularly reserved for Gentile converts to Judaism as a sign of renunciation of their past life. Thus, when John burst on the scene baptizing Jews, he caused a ripple that could be felt all the way to the Sanhedrin.

“The One standing in your midst is my motivation for doing what I do,” said John. So, too, the person who perceives the presence of the Lord at the office, in the shop, at school, or in the home cannot help but speak about Him. Why was Jesus in the desert with John? Was it because He wanted to talk about politics, sports, or financial strategy? No. Jesus was standing in the midst of that group because He knew John the Baptist would be talking about Him. Talk about Jesus in your home this afternoon, and that’s when you will sense His presence. Talk about Jesus in the office tomorrow morning, and that’s when you will have an awareness of His nearness. Whenever someone talks about Jesus, He’ll be there.

Bethabara was located in the rough, rocky region surrounding the Dead Sea. Sometimes, like John, that’s where we are called to witness as well. Never think you must wait until your life is perfect, your walk pure, or your circumstances plush before you can talk about Jesus. Sometimes we witness most effectively when we share from our desert experiences.

As Abraham climbed Mount Moriah to offer his son as a sacrifice in obedience to God’s command, Isaac said, “Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” (see Genesis 22:7). Where is the lamb? That is the question that rings throughout the Old Testament. Here in the New Testament, we hear John the Baptist’s answer as he points to Jesus and announces, “Behold the Lamb!” In Revelation 5, we hear ten thousand angels join him, declaring “Worthy is the Lamb!”

The message of the Lamb of God grows wider and becomes more encompassing as you travel through Scripture. In Genesis, as Abel brought a lamb for sacrifice we see a lamb offered for an individual. In Exodus, as each household sacrificed a lamb during Passover, we see a lamb offered for a family. In Leviticus, when the people of Israel were instructed to sacrifice a lamb, we see a lamb offered for a nation. In John, as the Baptist identifies Jesus as the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world, we see a Lamb who would be offered for the world.

Reiterating his statement of verse 15, John refers to the eternal nature of Jesus.

In the Old Testament, a priest was washed with water when he began his role of priest (Leviticus 8:6). Thus, in a sense, as John stood in the water baptizing people, like priests of the Old Testament, he was washed with water. Through His baptism, Jesus Christ was washed with water as well-not because he needed cleansing from sin, but in order that He might identify with sinners.

Up until this point, apart from His birth, there is no record of the miraculous in the life of Jesus Christ, for it was not until the Spirit descended upon Him that He was miraculously empowered for ministry. You see, Jesus didn’t perform miracles simply because He was God. No, He laid aside that power when He became the Babe of Bethlehem and assumed humanity (Philippians 2:7). Every miracle Jesus did was based upon His dependency on the Spirit in obedience to the Father.

For the longest time, I didn’t understand this. I would read about Jesus’ miracles and think, “That’s not such a big deal. Of course He could walk on water, heal the sick, feed the multitude. He’s Jesus.” But when I began to understand Philippians 2, when I began to see that Jesus emptied Himself of His prerogatives and powers, when I begin to grasp the fact that He was truly just like me yet without sin, His life took on an entirely different dimension to me. He became an example for me, a model of One who worked the miraculous because He walked in the power of the Spirit. At last I realized that the same power upon which Jesus relied was available to me.

Have you been baptized in the Spirit? Oh, I know the Holy Ghost is in you. That happens at salvation. But has He come upon you, as He did the disciples at Pentecost, to empower you for greater service? I believe every believer needs his own personal Pentecost-when he knows he has been empowered with the Spirit upon his life. How does this happen? Simply by asking. Jesus said, “If you being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father give the Holy Ghost to them that ask?” (see Matthew 7:11). Ask for the Holy Spirit. Ask with the realization that His purpose is not to give you a “Holy Ghost high” or “Holy Ghost goose bumps” but that you might be a witness like John, that you might be a voice in the wilderness drawing people to Jesus.

As the disciples of John shift their allegiance to Jesus Christ, we see that the purpose of his preaching was not to draw people to himself, but to push people to Jesus. Such needs to be the purpose of your service as well. As you talk with people, your focus should not be on denominations or personalities. Your intent should always be to nudge people closer to Jesus.

The first words Jesus uttered in public ministry were, “What seek ye?”

Perhaps not knowing how to answer Jesus’ question, the disciples pose one of their own. Jesus asked them what they were seeking. And in essence, maybe even unbeknownst to them at this point, their answer was, “It’s You.”

What are you seeking? A wife, a husband, a better job? Help with raising your kids or getting them through college? More friends, a better personality, a way out of debt? In 2 Corinthians 1:20 Paul declares, “For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen…” In other words, all the promises of God are wrapped up in a Person-the Person of Jesus Christ. We think we’re after a change in our situation, or help with a difficulty. But, like these early disciples, what we’re really craving is the Lord Himself, for in Him all God’s promises are fulfilled.

The disciples came and never left. So radically did their lives change when they accepted Jesus’ invitation to come that they even remembered the very hour their pilgrimage with Him began.

I love this! Jesus didn’t say, “Go down the bank about three hundred yards, turn left, and look for a little house with roses and a white picket fence in front.…” No, He said, “Come with Me.”

Throughout Scripture, Andrew is referred to as “Simon Peter’s brother.” If I were in Andrew’s sandals, I think at this point, I might have been tempted to say, “At last! I’m out of his shadow! I’ve found the Messiah, and I’m not breathing a word about it to Peter. This is my moment to shine.” But that’s not what Andrew did because he was one who couldn’t help but bring others to Jesus. It was Andrew who introduced his brother, Peter, to Jesus. Jesus would later use Peter to bring three thousand to Himself (Acts 2:41). It was Andrew who brought the little boy to Jesus whose lunch He would multiply to feed five thousand (John 6:8,9) . And when a contingent of Greeks came to Jerusalem, saying, “We would see Jesus,” it was Andrew who brought them to the Master (John 12:20-22).

In changing Peter’s name, it was as if Jesus said, “Simon, you’re about as stable as the sand on the seashore. But I see your potential; I see what you will become. That’s why I’m changing your name to Cephas, or Rock. Stick with Me, Peter, and you will see incredible changes take place in your person.”

This cracks me up! In verse 43, Jesus finds Phillip and says, “Follow Me,” but in verse 45, Philip says, “We have found Him.” According to Romans 3:11, we don’t find God. He finds us.

Off the beaten path, Nazareth was forgotten and forsaken economically, unimportant militarily, and insignificant politically. Nathanael, however, was referring to more than merely the isolation of Nazareth. A student of Scripture, he knew the promise of Micah 5:2, which stated that the Messiah would come not from Nazareth but from Bethlehem.

Although Nathanael raised a legitimate question, Philip wasn’t thrown off course. Why? One reason: Philip had tasted and seen that the Lord is good and, although at this point he couldn’t defend Jesus of Nazareth theologically or intellectually, Philip knew experientially that He was real. So, too, there will come those who will try to confuse you theologically. They’ll hand you a green Greek New Testament called The New World Translation, and say, “What John 1:1 really says is, In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was a god.” Or they’ll hand you a black Book of Mormon and say, “The Bible is great, but you also need to read this.”

At this point in my walk, I’m not thrown off course very easily theologically or intellectually. Because our faith is a rational faith, it can withstand any argument in every situation. There are times, however, when someone like Nathanael, with more clever arguments or keener intellect than I, has challenged me. But, like Nathanael, all of these people have been wrong. You see, what neither Nathanael nor Philip knew was that Jesus was not born in Nazareth but in Bethlehem. We know the story but they didn’t. In challenging situations, the best thing to do is follow Philip’s lead. Look those who question your faith in the eye, and say, “I can’t answer your question right now, but come and see. Come to church with me on Sunday and just watch what the Lord is doing. Come and see for yourself.”

Good for Nathanael! Even though he had questions spiritually and reservations intellectually, he accepted Philip’s invitation to “come and see.”

The word translated “guile” is “Jacob” in the Septuagint. Jacob was tricky. He tricked his brother Esau out of his blessing and birthright and tricked his uncle Laban out of the better part of his goods. But after wrestling one night with the Lord, Jacob realized that what he wanted all along was not Esau’s birthright nor Laban’s riches but the Lord’s blessing (Genesis 32:26). And at that point, the Lord changed his name from “Jacob” to “Israel,” from “Heel Snatcher,” “Guile,” and “Tricky One” to “Governed by God.”

In Jesus’ day, students traditionally studied under fig trees. The fig tree being the national symbol of Israel, I believe it was under a fig tree that Nathanael was very likely studying Genesis 28-the story of Jacob in the wilderness.…

Although it has been said that the softest pillow is a good conscience, fearing for his life because of his treachery and deceit, Jacob used a rock. As he slept, he saw a ladder extending from the heavens to the earth, with angels ascending and descending upon it. “Truly God is in this place and I knew it not,” Jacob declared.

That is why, in the midst of his study of Genesis 28, Jesus approached Nathanael, calling him an Israelite in whom there is no guile, or no “Jacob.”

Suddenly, Nathanael dropped his theological disputation and said to Jesus, “You’re making reference to the very passage I was reading. How can this be? Surely, You are the Son of God, the King of Israel.”

“Do you believe simply because I made reference to the passage you were reading?” asked Jesus. “Stick around, Nathanael. You’re going to see a lot more than that!”

“Think back to your story, Nathanael,” said Jesus. “The ladder you were reading about is Me. I am the stairway between heaven and earth. I am the Way to eternity. Upon Me the angels ascend and descend.”

Notice Jesus said “ascending and descending.” Most people think angels live in heaven, come down to earth occasionally, fly around a bit, and then head back up to heaven. Not true. Angels are ministering spirits assigned to specific saints, churches, and regions of the world (Acts 12; Revelation 2:1; Daniel 10). Although they can go up into the heavens, their primary place of residence is with us, with this church, and with various nations. Thus, the word order here is significant. Yes, angels ascend into the heavens, but they always descend back to earth.

“I am the ladder,” Jesus said to Nathanael.

And from that moment on, Nathanael followed Him.