John 1 - NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible

1:1 In the beginning. Prior to creation. This echoes the Bible’s opening verse (Gen 1:1). See “Creation.” was. Already existed. Word. God’s “Word” in the OT is his powerful self-expression in creation, revelation, and salvation; God’s Son, Jesus, personifies that “Word” as God’s ultimate self-disclosure. with God. The Word is distinct from God the Father and enjoys a personal relationship with him (v. 2). was God. God’s own peer and God’s own self. Jesus is fully God (v. 18; 20:28; Rom 9:5; Titus 2:13; Heb 1:8; 2 Pet 1:1; 1 John 5:20). Here are some of the many elements in the NT that go into what is later called the doctrine of the Trinity.

1:1–18 Prologue: The Word Became Flesh. This foyer into the rest of John’s Gospel simultaneously draws the reader in and introduces major themes and thematic words (e.g., life, witness, world, children, glory, truth). It summarizes how the Word became a human being in order to disclose God’s glory and grace.

1:3 Jesus was God’s agent in creating all that exists (v. 10; Col 1:16–17; Heb 1:2; Rev 3:14).

1:4 life. The Word’s self-existing life, which he dispensed at creation. light. Either our essential constitution (i.e., humans are made in the image of God) or the Word’s reflection in the universe he created (i.e., what theologians call “general” revelation) or more specific revelation bound up with the Son’s coming.

1:5 A masterpiece of planned ambiguity: this may appear to refer exclusively to creation, without moral overtones (Gen 1:2–3), but it anticipates the light-darkness duality that dominates much of the rest of the book. light. Revelation bound up not only with creation but also with salvation (3:19–20; 12:36). darkness. Evil; not only absence of light (3:19; 8:12; 12:35,46; cf. 1 John 1:5–6; 2:8–9,11). overcome. Or “understood” (see NIV text note); translates a Greek verb that could mean either and here probably means both. At creation and in the coming of the Word, the light prevailed; the darkness has not “understood” the light (v. 10).

1:6–8 John the Baptist is a foil for the true light because he is transitory and functions as a witness (v. 15). See Matt 11:11 and note.

1:9 true light that gives light. The Word genuinely and ultimately discloses God to humans. Jesus announced, “I am the light of the world” (8:12). coming into the world. Incarnation (v. 14), an act distinct from creation. world. For John, it is usually not the universe in general but the created order, especially humans, in rebellion against its Creator (see note on 3:16; cf. v. 10; 7:7; 8:42; 15:18–19; 16:8; 1 John 2:15–17).

1:10 world. See note on v. 9. People are morally responsible to the Word because the Word made them.

1:10–13 There are two reactions to the “true light” (v. 9): reject it and flee lest it expose one’s deeds (vv. 10–11; 3:19–20) or receive it (vv. 12–13; 3:21).

1:11 his own . . . his own. The first “his own” (neuter in Greek) refers to Jesus’ own home or domain, especially the Jewish nation and heritage; the second (masculine in Greek) refers to Jesus’ own people (probably Jews; see 4:22).

1:12 receive . . . believed. Two ways of describing the same thing, which includes personally welcoming, trusting, and submitting to Jesus. John is introducing a theme of growing importance in his Gospel. name. A person’s character or even the person himself. children of God. Both John and Paul distinguish between the “sonship” of believers and the unique “sonship” of Jesus. In John’s Gospel, the believer becomes God’s “child,” but only Jesus is God’s “son.” Paul describes both Jesus and believers as God’s “sons,” but believers are characteristically “sons” by adoption (see note on Rom 8:15). This builds on how the OT frequently calls Israel God’s children (e.g., Deut 14:1). See “Sonship.”

1:13 born of God. Different from being born into a human family. This new birth is an act of God. See 3:3–8 and notes.

1:14 The Word became flesh. God became human. Jesus took on flesh (“incarnation”) without ceasing to be God (see Phil 2:6–7). The mere formulation scarcely does justice to this most staggering of assertions. made his dwelling. Pitched his tabernacle; lived in his tent. This recalls Israel’s “tabernacle” in which God dwelled among his people in the wilderness (Exod 25:8–9; 40:34–35). Now God dwells among his people in a more personal way: in the Word become flesh. See “Temple.” We have seen his glory. This verse alludes to Exod 33:12—34:28, where God’s glory is supremely his goodness (Exod 33:18–19). John and others with eyes of faith saw Jesus display his glory on earth (2:11; Luke 9:32). See “The Glory of God.” one and only Son. See “Sonship.” full of grace and truth. Describes Jesus’ “glory” and parallels “love and faithfulness” in Exod 34:6 (also in Ps 26:3; Prov 16:6), which describes the nature of the goodness that is God’s glory. “Love” (Hebrew ḥesed) refers to a gracious covenant love (see “Love and Grace”), and “faithfulness” (Hebrew ʾĕmet), when referring to words, means faithful words, truth. The glory that Moses saw in Exod 33:12—34:28 is the same glory that John saw in the Word made flesh.

1:15 before. In time and rank: as the Word, Jesus existed before John was born, and Jesus is God (see v. 1 and note; see also v. 30).

1:16 fullness. Connects to “full” in v. 14. grace in place of grace already given. Grace instead of grace, probably not “grace in addition to grace” or “one blessing after another.” Verse 17 gives the reason (see note there).

1:17 Explains the reason for “grace in place of grace” (v. 16): “the law [that] was given through Moses” is an earlier display of grace (what v. 16 calls “grace already given”), and the “grace and truth” (see note on v. 14) that “came through Jesus Christ” replaces the Mosaic law-covenant. Jesus is the climax of God’s revelation in the history of salvation (see Matt 5:17–20; 11:13; Heb 1:1–4 and notes). See “Law.”

1:18 No one has ever seen God. That is, fully. This alludes to Exod 33:18–20 (see note on Exod 33:20). See also note on v. 14. who is himself God. Jesus is God (see v. 1 and note; cf. 2 Cor 4:4; Col 1:15,19; 2:9). has made him known. Jesus later says, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (14:9; cf. 5:37; 6:46). The rest of John’s Gospel explains how the Son expounds God to humans.

1:19—10:42 Jesus’ Self-Disclosure in Word and Deed. In miracles, conversations, and public discourses, some of them tied tightly together (e.g., the feeding of the 5,000 [6:1–15] is tied to the bread of life discourse [6:25–58]), Jesus discloses who he is and why he has come.

1:19 Jewish leaders. See NIV text note.

1:19–28 John the Baptist Denies Being the Messiah. First-century Palestine was filled with Messianic expectations, and some people wondered if John was the Messiah.

1:19–51 Prelude to Jesus’ Public Ministry. John the Baptist is a “witness” (v. 7) concerning Jesus (vv. 19–34), who gains his first disciples (vv. 35–51).

1:20 Messiah. A title that means “anointed one.” In the OT “anointed one” refers to Israel’s king (see, e.g., 2 Sam 1:14; see also 1 Sam 16:1–13), priest (see, e.g., Lev 4:3; see also Exod 29:7), and patriarchs in their role as prophets (see Ps 105:15; see also 1 Kgs 19:16). Jesus is the anointed king, priest, and prophet par excellence.

1:20–21 John the Baptist’s three denials contrast with Peter’s three denials of Jesus (18:15–18, 25–27; see 21:15–17 and notes).

1:21 Elijah. An OT prophet who never died (2 Kgs 2:11). Jesus identified John the Baptist with the promised Elijah of Mal 4:5 (see Matt 11:14; 17:12; Mark 9:13; see also Luke 1:17), but the Gospels never suggest that John the Baptist himself made the connection. Here he refuses to make it, which suggests that he did not detect as much significance in his own ministry as Jesus did. the Prophet. One whom many Jews expected based on Deut 18:15,18 (see notes on Deut 18:15, 17–18); cf. 6:14; 7:40; Acts 3:22; 7:37.

1:23 John the Baptist applies Isa 40:3 (see note there) to his own ministry (see Matt 3:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4). Isa 40:1–11 comforts God’s exiled people by announcing that God will deliver them out of their captivity in Babylon, and Isa 40:3–5 commands them to ready themselves for the Lord’s coming by preparing a way for him. Similarly, John the Baptist’s audience must ready themselves for the Messiah’s coming by repenting. This connection to Isa 40 suggests that John the Baptist is proclaiming a new exodus in which God will, through Jesus, deliver his people from their bondage to sin (see “Exile and Exodus”).

1:24 Pharisees. Religious leaders who were extremely scrupulous about attaining righteousness and keeping God’s favor by observing every minute detail of his law as they understood it and by establishing an oral tradition about how to observe it. See notes on Mark 2:16; Luke 5:17.

1:25–27 Some converts to Judaism baptized themselves in their conversion process by a washing ceremony, but John was baptizing people who were Jewish. The Pharisees are asking by whose authority he does so. John affirms that he does indeed baptize people and implies that he does so with God’s authority but that he himself is nothing compared with the coming Messiah.

1:27 not worthy to untie. At the time, students were expected to do for their teacher whatever a slave would do—except take off his shoes (cf. 3:30; 13:1–17).

1:28 Bethany. Located east of the Jordan, possibly Batanea (Bashan in the OT); different from the Bethany located west of the Jordan and just east of Jerusalem (see, e.g., 11:1,18).

1:29 Lamb of God, who takes away the sin. John the Baptist probably has in mind the apocalyptic warrior-lamb (found in some Jewish texts and picked up in Rev 5:6,12; 7:17; 13:8; 17:14; 19:7,9; 21:22–23; 22:1–3), who would come in terrible judgment of all unrepentant sinners (see Matt 3:12). But John the author, writing after Jesus’ sacrificial death and resurrection, could grasp a fuller picture than John the Baptist and also apply this title to Jesus as the sacrificial, substitutionary lamb of Isa 53:7,10 or perhaps as the Passover lamb. See “Sacrifice.” world. All humans without distinction, not all without exception (see vv. 11–12). The sacrifice is not restricted to ethnic Jews.

1:29–34 John Testifies About Jesus. John the Baptist publicly witnesses concerning Jesus.

1:30 before. See note on v. 15.

1:31 did not know him. As the Messiah.

1:31–33 John the Baptist apparently had baptized Jesus before he said this (Matt 3:13–17; Mark 1:9–11; Luke 3:21–22).

1:32 saw the Spirit come down. This identifies the Messiah to John the Baptist. “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power” (Acts 10:38), fulfilling promises such as Isa 11:1–2; 42:1; 61:1. remain. Jesus permanently experienced the Spirit’s presence and power (unlike Saul; see 1 Sam 16:14; 2 Sam 7:15; cf. Ps 51:11).

1:33 will baptize with the Holy Spirit. The promised age (e.g., Ezek 36:25–26) is dawning.

1:34 Chosen One. See NIV text note.

1:35–42 John’s Disciples Follow Jesus. This occurs before Jesus formally “calls” his disciples in Matt 4:18–22; Mark 1:16–20; Luke 5:1–11.

1:36 Lamb of God. See note on v. 29.

1:41 Andrew is the first recorded person to privately witness about Jesus friend-to-friend, brother-to-brother—the most common and effective Christian testimony. Messiah . . . Christ. Andrew probably identifies Jesus as the “anointed one.” See note on v. 20.

1:42 Cephas . . . Peter. See NIV text note. In the Gospels, Peter is impulsive and unstable, not a rock. But in Acts, he gradually becomes a pillar of the early church. See note on Matt 16:18. Jesus knows people thoroughly (see vv. 47–48) and makes them what he calls them to be.

1:43 Galilee. See notes on Matt 4:15; Mark 1:9.

1:43–51 Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael. Although in general Jesus’ own people did not receive him (v. 11), some did (v. 12), including Philip and Nathanael.

1:44 Bethsaida. See note on Mark 8:22.

1:45 told him. The foundational principle of Christian expansion: Jesus’ new followers bear witness of him to others, who in turn become disciples and repeat the process (see note on v. 41). the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote. Jesus fulfills the OT (see 5:39; Luke 24:44). the Law . . . the prophets. Together refer to the entire OT (Matt 5:17). The earliest disciples could not have identified Jesus as the promised Messiah without believing that the OT points to him. See Introduction: Characteristics and Themes, 6. Joseph. Jesus’ legal but not natural father (see Matt 1:18–25 and notes).

1:46 Nazareth. A small town in Galilee that apparently even fellow Galileans despised (Nathanael was from Cana [21:2], another town in Galilee). Jesus was born in Bethlehem, but because he was raised in Nazareth, he was known as “Jesus of Nazareth” (v. 45) or “Jesus the Nazarene” (Mark 16:6) instead of “Jesus the Bethlehemite,” which would have carried royal, Davidic overtones (Mic 5:2).

1:47 no deceit. Without duplicitous motives (unlike Jacob in Gen 27:35–36, to whom Jesus alludes in v. 51). Nathanael examined the claims about Jesus for himself.

1:48 Perhaps Nathanael was meditating and praying in the shade of a fig tree. The point is that Jesus displays supernatural knowledge (see also 2:4; 4:17–18; 6:70; 9:3; 11:4,11; 13:10–11,38).

1:49 Rabbi. See v. 38. Son of God. The OT presents Israel as God’s son (Exod 4:22–23; Deut 1:31; 32:6; Jer 31:9,20; Hos 11:1), and the NT presents Jesus as the true Israel (see “Sonship”). More pertinent here (given the end of v. 49), the OT presents the Davidic king as God’s son (2 Sam 7; Ps 2), and the NT presents Jesus as the ultimate king in David’s line (e.g., Matt 1:2–17). king of Israel. Many Jews tied this title to a political liberator (12:13). Jesus is the promised King, but his kingdom is “not of this world” (18:36). See “The Kingdom of God.”

1:50 greater things. Including the miracles in John’s Gospel, starting with 2:1–11 and climaxing with Jesus’ death, resurrection, and exaltation. The “greater things” the disciples see will confirm that God has appointed Jesus as the Messiah.

1:51 heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending. Alludes to Gen 28:12 (see Jacob’s dream in Gen 28:10–22). Jesus is the decisive, ultimate connection between heaven and earth. Jacob “called that place Bethel” (Gen 28:19; see Gen 35:15), which means “house of God” (Gen 28:17), because God revealed himself to Jacob there. God is now revealing himself to people not at Bethel but through Jesus, the new Bethel. Son of Man. See note on Matt 8:20.