Written ~ 04-04-2024
Read John Chapter One
John 1
I’m so excited to get into the Book of John. The Apostle John had a very special way of communicating who Jesus is. John makes Jesus even more real, he helps us understand that He truly is the Son of God and that He came to earth to make a way for all of us to have a relationship with the Almighty God.
John was one of the 12 disciples, he was there from the very beginning of Jesus’ ministry. In his book John often refers to himself as the disciple “whom Jesus loved.” Their friendship was extremely close which made John part of the inner circle of Jesus’ companions. We first hear about John and his brother James in Matthew 4:18-22, they immediately followed Jesus along with Andrew and Peter.
In the Book of John, the very first few verses of chapter one tell us where Jesus came from; then a few verses later we are told who Jesus is. If you are on a journey to find out who Jesus is, you’re in the right place. If you want to further clarify your relationship with your Savior you are also in the right place.
John 1:1-5,
1 “In the beginning the Word already existed.
The Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
2 He existed in the beginning with God.
3 God created everything through Him,
and nothing was created except through Him.
4 The Word gave life to everything that was created,
and His life brought light to everyone.
5 The Light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness can never extinguish it.”
So what does John establish in these first few verses?
JESUS IS THE WORD
In the first Book of the Bible, Genesis 1:1 it says, “In the beginning God…” Verse 1:1 here in the Book of John, he establishes three things.
- Jesus already existed
- Jesus was with God
- Jesus was God
In the “Expositor’s Bible Commentary” it says this…
- The three statements of verse one bring out three different aspects of the nature of the Word. The first speaks of His preexistence, the second of His distinctiveness, and the third of His deity.
I want to include the Amplified Version (AMP) of these first five verses, I think it helps clarify even further exactly who Jesus is.
1 “In the beginning [before all-time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself.
2 He was [continually existing] in the beginning [co-eternally] with God.
3 All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him not even one thing was made that has come into being.
4 In Him was life [and the power to bestow life], and the life was the Light of men.
5 The Light shines on in the darkness, and the darkness did not understand it or overpower it or appropriate it or absorb it [and is unreceptive to it].”
As believers we follow a wonderful Savior! He is not just an angel who God sent down to earth to help us. No, He is the Son of God, He is God Himself, He is LIFE!
(For further study on verses John 1:1-5, please see the Bible Study I did on November 4th, 2023)
Let’s continue with the next set of verses, the very reason Jesus came to earth!
John 1:6-14…
6 “God sent a man, John the Baptist, 7 to tell about the Light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. 8 John himself was not the Light; he was simply a witness to tell about the Light. 9 The One who is the true Light, who gives Light to everyone, was coming into the world.
10 He came into the very world He created, but the world didn’t recognize Him. 11 He came to His own people, and even they rejected Him. 12 But to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God. 13 They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.
14 So the Word became human and made His home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen His glory, the glory of the Father’s One and Only Son.”
When John the Baptist shouted out from the wilderness that the Messiah was coming, many believed his message, but there were many more who thought he was a crazy man who didn’t know what he was talking about.
Jesus was coming into the world and John the Baptist needed to communicate that very fact! His message was clear, the Word was coming. But why was He coming?
Jesus came to this world to bring Light into the darkness, He came to bring us Life, to be reborn into the family of God. He came so we could become children of God. Jesus walked on this earth to show us unfailing love and faithfulness, to show us the Glory of God! The Father’s presence was made known through Jesus as He walked among us.
Look at verses 1:16-18…
16 “From His abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is Himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.”
If our hearts, minds and souls are open to the truth of these first few verses of John chapter one, we can enter into a beautiful relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. We can have a personal relationship with God, our Father in Heaven.
As we dig further into the Book of John, my prayer is that we all will have our hearts and minds transformed by what we learn about our wonderful Savior.
John 1:29b says,
“Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!!
As we continue our journey through the New Testament, I want to encourage you to have your own prayers be more deliberate. Ask yourself… What do you want to get out of reading the Bible every day? Then ask God to fulfill those desires!
Transformed lives is what I desire for each and every one of us!!!
~AMEN~
- If you are already at the point of realizing you need Jesus as your personal Savior, pray this simple prayer and ask the Lord to come into your life…
Dear Jesus, You know my heart, all the things I have done and said. Please forgive me for my unbelief. Please forgive me for all of my sins. I believe You are the Son of God. I believe You came to earth to die on the cross for my sins. I believe You rose from the dead to give me freedom from sin and death. By faith through believing in Who You Are, I accept You as my Lord and Savior. Come into my life, cleanse this heart of mine, white as snow. Help me not to doubt any longer and breathe life into me, fill me with Your light. Thank You Jesus! Amen.
- If you solemnly prayed this prayer, tell at least one person, so they can share in your joy!! I rejoice with you! All the angels in Heaven rejoice with you!
- It is very important to me that those who might be reading these journal pages of mine and don’t yet know the Lord Jesus Christ, that you make that decision. Today. Your heart and mind may not understand everything you have been reading, but if you open your heart to the truth of who Jesus is, you will be saved from sin and death. By the Power of the Holy Spirit you will be amazed at how quickly after giving your heart to the Lord your eyes and ears will be opened to the truth.