John 1 - Every Man's Bible

1:1-13  The same God who created the universe (1:3) is able to create new life within us. The light of life that exposes and drives away the darkness of the human race (1:4-5) is the same light that brightens the dark corners of our world. This true Light of the World and source of all life is also the source of our spiritual renewal.

1:14-18  The true Light of the World (1:1-9) became a human being, Jesus Christ. Through Jesus, who was both fully God and fully human, we can know what God is like and can enjoy a relationship with him. Jesus Christ came to bring us God’s forgiveness and to reveal God’s truth to us. God’s forgiving mercy says, “I forgive you for your wrongs; I love and accept you freely for the person you are.” His truth says, “I will show you what is true about me, about life, and about yourself and others.”

1:19-28  John the Baptist was a messenger of repentance. He himself was not the true light; he merely pointed to the one who was (1:6-8, 26-27, 30-31, 34). Likewise, those of us who have received Christ reflect God’s light and point the way to him, the true light. We should not draw followers to ourselves any more than John did. We are mere beggars telling other beggars where to find food. When we lay aside pride in our achievements and abilities, as John the Baptist did, we are better able to serve Christ by showing others the way to him.

1:21-23  In the religious leaders’ minds, there were four options regarding the identity of John the Baptist: He was either (1) the Prophet foretold by Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15), (2) Elijah (Malachi 4:5), (3) the Messiah, or (4) a false prophet. John denied being the first three personages. The leaders kept pressing John to say who he was because people were expecting the Messiah to come (Luke 3:15). But John emphasized only why he had come—to prepare the way for the Messiah. They wanted to know who John was, but John wanted them to know who Jesus was.

1:29-31  Jesus was a perfect picture of God and a perfect teacher of God’s truth. Here we see that he was also the perfect sacrifice—the Lamb of God. The Old Testament sacrificial system required that an unblemished lamb be slain on the altar in place of the people. Through its death the people could be forgiven of their sins and given a fresh start. By dying on the cross, Jesus fulfilled the requirements of that sacrificial system completely and forever. He is the Lamb of God who takes away our sin. He gives us a chance for a new start, no matter how terrible our past.

1:40-42  Once Andrew had met Jesus and realized who he was, he was quick to share the Good News with others. Here we see him rushing off to find his brother, Simon, whom he immediately brought to Jesus. When we experience God’s power in our lives, we should be just as eager to share our newfound hope with others. This is an essential part of our spiritual growth. As we share the Good News of God and his power to deliver, we will give great hope to others. We will also be encouraged to persevere when we remember all the great things God has done for us.