John 1 - NIV Application Bible

1:1–2 The initial allusion to Ge 1 cannot be missed. This is a Gospel that will record the re-creation of men and women, the giving of life in darkness where there is no hope. John begins by introducing Jesus as “the Word.” He is building on contemporary Jewish thought, where the word of God took on personal creative attributes. John identifies this Word as Jesus Christ.

But John goes further: “And the Word was God.” John is making an absolute affirmation about the eternal existence of the Word. Whatever we can say about God, we can and must say about the Word.

John is introducing deep theology about Jesus’ true nature and about the Trinity. John expands our picture of Jesus with increasingly profound images. Jesus is the greatest person to ever walk the earth. He is the Messiah for whom the Jewish people have been waiting for centuries. He is the Son of God, the divine Messenger from the Father. Jesus is God himself.

1:3–4 John’s language here is careful and specific: The Logos (the Word) has always existed; he was never created. Furthermore, nothing came into being without him. John stresses that the Logos does whatever God does. Therefore, whatever Jesus does is divine activity.

1:5 The entry of the Logos into the world (his incarnation) is described as light shining in the hostile darkness. The struggle between light and darkness will sound throughout the Gospel; the opposition to Jesus will be severe.

1:6 John the Baptist came as a witness to Jesus. This theme is clear in the other sections of the Gospel that refer to this forerunner.

1:7–8 This is the first time we see the word group for “witness” in the Gospel. Evidence and witnesses will come forward to verify the truth of Jesus’ case, just as in a courtroom. John the Baptist is the first of these witnesses. John’s main role is simply to identify and glorify Jesus.

1:9 John the Baptist was bearing witness to a reality, not simply to an idea. The “true light” was coming. This divine entry reaches all people, particularly those who are hostile to God. In John’s vocabulary, the “world” is an important theological term, appearing seventy-eight times in this Gospel alone. The world is not the created environment. It is the sphere of creation that lives in rebellion against God.

But if the world is hostile, how can the true light enlighten everyone? Perhaps John is thinking of the accessibility everyone has to this one source of illumination. The light shines on every person, exposing them for who they are.

1:10–11 Despite the presence of the Logos in the world, despite the evidence of creation, the world failed to recognize him. Even though the focus of revelation has been in Israel, the Word has come for the entire world, not merely for the Jews.

1:12–13 John indicates that the light has its followers; Jesus has his disciples. Those who receive him become God’s children. Those who follow the Word will share in divine rebirth. This is John’s understanding of conversion: deliberate faith joined with divine transformation.

1:14 This verse is one of the most important verses in the Bible. The Word did not just appear to be human; the Word became flesh. This Word “made his dwelling” among us and revealed his “glory.” This verb for dwelling is employed in the Greek OT for the tabernacle of God. The glory of God, once restricted to the tabernacle, is now visible in tangible form in Christ.

1:15–16 It is curious that the word “grace,” so common in the rest of the NT, appears only here in the prologue (four times) and then disappears. Grace is found in God’s coming and working despite the hostility and rejection of the world. John emphasizes our experience and reception of this grace as its chief merit.

The more important word for John, however, is “truth” (vv. 14, 16). Most simply, truth is the opposite of falsehood, but John sees truth as penetrating far deeper. Truth is the self-disclosure that alone comes from God; truth is not just what is right but what is divine—and this is right.

1:17 Throughout this Gospel, it is clear that the apostle John and his community are struggling with opposition from the Jewish synagogue. John does not intend to show that the grace of Christ stands at odds with the revelation of Moses. The law likewise contains the grace of God and is an earlier display of it.

1:18 This verse joins v. 1 as the closing frame of the prologue, offering a summary statement about the divine origin of the Son. Christ’s identity, his being, the essence of who he is makes his words God’s words. Christ is fully God, who in his incarnation is revealing himself to the world.

Application ✜ 1:1–18 The natural eye cannot see the glory of God since it is dimmed by sin. So it was necessary for God to work, to self-disclose, to send his Son, who alone exposed God’s heart. When God took this initiative, new possibilities were born—and still are today. Divine power is released into the broken world and its broken lives so that new life is possible. Transformation is not an inspired human work; it is a divine work through and through.

1:19–20 People from Jerusalem and the surrounding regions of Judea came out to be baptized or to investigate John. The term “the Jews” in John’s Gospel generally represents the Jewish leadership in Jerusalem who are hostile to Jesus.

1:21–22 Here we have an interrogation by delegates from “official Judaism,” from the temple and its interests. They ask John about his identity using three names, each of which probes John’s intentions regarding Israel. First, John first denies that he is “the Christ.” “Christ” is a Greek translation of the Hebrew word for “Messiah.” Hope in a coming Messiah was widespread and filled with political implications. Second, they asked if he was Elijah. Jewish speculation proposed that Elijah was mysteriously alive and would return at the end of time. But John denies he is Elijah. Third, “The Prophet” is likely a reference to Dt 18:15–19, where a prophet “like Moses” would return to Israel sometime in the future. John’s answer is succinct: I am not.

1:23–28 John identifies himself as “a voice” and quotes Isa 40:3 to identify his role in Jesus’ mission (v. 23). He is a tool in God’s hand, pointing to the dawn of the messianic era, which is now at hand.

1:29–34 John’s certain knowledge of Jesus had come to him through revelation—when the Spirit descended on Jesus (v. 32).

1:29–31 John identifies Jesus as “the Lamb of God . . .” Here we see Jesus as a gift provided by God to take away sin. As a lamb he becomes a sacrificial animal whose death “carries away” sin.

1:32–33 John’s second testimony is that he saw the Spirit descend and remain on Jesus. This is a permanent anointing unlike anything witnessed before in Judaism. Here John testifies that he has witnessed the dawning of the messianic era.

1:34 The final testimony given by John the Baptist here on this day is that Jesus “is God’s Chosen One.” “Chosen” likely comes from Isa 42:1, which emphasizes the Spirit-anointing of the Messiah and uses this title for him.

1:35–39 Two disciples hear John the Baptist testify to Jesus’ identity. One is Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. The other is not named in v. 37. This unnamed disciple may be our first hidden reference to John, likely the “Beloved Disciple.”

We are told that these events occur “about four in the afternoon” (v. 39). Jesus has invited them to spend the entire day with him. This visit becomes a teaching session, in which Jesus discloses his messianic identity and mastery over these new followers.

1:40–42 In Jewish culture, renaming indicates the authority of one person over another. Jesus is here asserting his authority over Peter and telling him that he is a different man. Despite Peter’s frailty, which we will learn about later, this name signals Jesus’ vision for what Peter will become.

1:43–47 Philip appears only rarely in the Gospels. Nathanael is not listed among the apostles; some speculate he is Matthew or Bartholomew. In all three Synoptic stories Bartholomew is listed with Philip. But we cannot be sure.

1:48–49 Much to Nathanael’s surprise, Jesus refers to seeing him “under the fig tree” (v. 48) at an earlier time. Jesus has a capacity for knowing that which is more than humanly possible. At once Nathanael, who now has experienced Jesus for himself, addresses him with a litany of titles. This man recognizes the true identity of Jesus.

1:50–51 This chapter has one more surprise: Verse 51 introduces Jesus’ first use of the “very truly” formula (alternately “amen, amen”). Jesus describes angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man. This image springs from the patriarch Jacob’s life (Ge 28:10–22).

Verse 51 also introduces us for the first time to the curious phrase “Son of Man.” In Da 7:13–14 it appears as the title of a heavenly figure who is given ultimate authority by God. Jesus likely picks up this term and uses it extensively to avoid titles that would be loaded with political ideas.

✜ 1:19–51 Today churches are filled with men and women whose love for God is strong, yet whose understanding of the context of their faith is diminishing. When challenged, they struggle to defend it or self-consciously claim ignorance. But the claims about Jesus that John records in this first chapter form the bedrock for Christian belief in the identity of Christ as God. This is the firm foundation that all believers can stand on and to which they can confidently testify. It is the anchor that will keep disciples committed with their minds as well as their hearts when the going gets tough.