A Work in Progress Bible Commentary
By: Chip Crush

JOHN
CHAPTER 1

The Word Became Flesh

1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning.
3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood[1] it.
6There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.[2]
10He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-- 13children born not of natural descent,[3] nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.
14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only,[4] who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
15John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' " 16From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. 17For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only,[5] ,[6] who is at the Father's side, has made hi known.

  1. V1-3 – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Through Him all things were made. John gives us the Deity of Christ early and often in His Gospel. Notice the parallel to Genesis 1:1 right off the bat – “In the beginning…” Matthew and Luke begin with Jesus’ birth, but John takes us back to before the universe was created. We know from this passage that John is calling Jesus “the Word” or “logos.” Aristotle said that three things can convince men of truth: the ethos (personal character of the speaker) the pathos (persuasion from within) and the logos (the proof or evidence). The logos, to the Greek mind, was the ultimate proof or evidence. In the beginning was the proof, and this proof was with God, and the proof was God Himself. Jesus is the proof. John Calvin says, “Jesus is the eternal Wisdom and Will of God; He is the lively image of His purpose…God reveals Himself to us by His Speech.” Why the Word? Clear communication. Words are important – “Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34). Jesus’ role as Mediator serves to clearly communicate the Father to us in His Incarnation and in a strange way, clearly communicate us to the Father through His death on the cross to pay for our sins.

    An early church heresy, known as Arianism, claimed that Jesus was the first of all God’s creation, that God the Father existed apart from Jesus for some time. But John refutes that right here, saying that the Word was in the beginning, and the Word was with God the Father in the beginning, and the Word was God, and nothing was made apart from Him. Even before manifesting His presence through speaking to His people or through the Incarnation, The Word was and has always been. He was begotten, not made, and He has never not been. “Before Abraham was, I AM” (John 8:58). C.S. Lewis gives a good analogy here: Picture two books, one on top of the other, sitting on a coffee table. While we may logically perceive that the book on the bottom had to be there first, it could be said that the two books were there simultaneously, and as such, the bottom book begets the top book. While the Father has logical priority, His priority is not chronological as well. From the beginning, the Father and the Son were One with the Spirit, and all three Persons of the Godhead were inseparably active in creation. This Arian heresy (akin to modern day Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons) will come up again in v9-10.

    So Christ is above all creation, “One in being with the Father” (the Word was God – ala the Nicene Creed), yet He is also eternally distinct from the Father (the Word was with God). “With” implies an intimate personal relationship. And that’s hard to understand. Hebrews 1:3 helps: “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful Word.” God is One Essence, yet three Substances or Persons. John Piper says, “Everything we are and believe as Christians depends upon this: That Jesus Christ is God and Jesus Christ is man.” Consider the H20 analogy – water is solid, liquid, and gas.

    Notice how v2 summarizes v1. Jesus is the One, True God, yet He is eternally distinct from God the Father. And v3a gives us evidence of this doctrinal truth. Jesus is proven to be God by the fact that He made all things. Genesis 1:1 tells us that God created the universe, and everybody knows it. We learned that in Romans 1:19-21. Paul gives credit to God for all things (Romans 11:36). John tells us that this truth is evidence that Jesus is God, because, as v3b says, nothing that was made – or even, as we see both in the next couple verses and elsewhere in Scripture, sustained – was made or sustained apart from Him.

  2. V4-5 – In Him was life, the light of men, shining in the darkness, which has not understood or overcome it. John explains in his prologue that Jesus is life, and in Him is life, and that life, as the light of men, shines and neither understood nor overcome by the darkness of sin. This is a brief introduction to John 3:19-21, where we read that men love darkness and hate the light because their deeds are evil.

    John has shown us that Jesus created all things. And here we see that He sustains all things. “In Him was life.” This applies to not only animate life, but also all that exists and does what it is supposed to do according to the will of God – that is, Jesus. Consider a rock. It glorifies God by doing what a rock is supposed to do. Consider a tree. It glorifies God by doing what it is supposed to do. And the same is true for humans. Paul says in Acts 17:28: “For in Him we live and move and have our being.” It is God who gives life, but this happens only through Jesus. John Piper says, “When John says, ‘In Him was life and that life was the Light of men,’ he probably means that Jesus Christ, the Word-made-flesh, is both the power to see spiritual splendor and the splendor seen.” This statement fits with an overall theme of John’s gospel – the battle between the spiritual and the physical, between faith and unbelief.

    “That life was the light of men.” Calvin says that John is speaking of the light of understanding that humans have but that other creatures lack. There is a human spirituality that is not seen in other creatures, and this is a result of Jesus’ creation and sustaining of life. Again, we appeal to Paul from Acts 17:26-27: “From one man [God] made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.” God imparts His light to men that we might worship Him. Humans worship. That’s who we are. But we worship the wrong thing in the wrong way. By His grace, God grants us the ability and willingness to worship Him rightly.

    Though our sinfulness has brought in darkness, the light still shines. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome or understood it.” At the end of v5 is a play on words: the Greek word can mean either “understand,” or “overcome”. It seems as if John has both these words in mind: the unbelieving world-at-large does not understand the marvelous gospel of grace; but they can never conquer the powerful truth of the Gospel. Humans still have a recognizance of God. But they deny Him (Romans 1). Humans have not understood Him, due to sin. But that sinfulness cannot overcome Jesus. Calvin says, “The light which was originally bestowed on men must not be estimated by their present condition; because in this corrupted and degenerate nature light has been turned into darkness. And yet [John] affirms that the light of understanding is not wholly extinguished; for, amidst the thick darkness of the human mind, some remaining sparks of the brightness still shine… The mind of man is blinded; so that it may justly be pronounced to be covered with darkness. For he might have used a milder term, and might have said that the light is dark or cloudy; but he chose to state more distinctly how wretched our condition has become since the fall of the first man. The statement that the light shines in darkness is not at all intended for the commendation of depraved nature, but rather for taking away every excuse for ignorance.”

    What is this light? We can see it as both a spirituality (everybody is going to worship something or someone) and a moral conscience (everybody knows the general principles of right-and-wrong). The light is not, as some claim, the innate ability of mankind to co-operate with God in salvation. This light is not that grace. Calvin concludes, “Since man lost the favor of God, his mind is so completely overwhelmed by the thralldom of ignorance, that any portion of light which remains in it is quenched and useless. This is daily proved by experience; for all who are not regenerated by the Spirit of God possess some reason, and this is an undeniable proof that man was made not only to breathe, but to have understanding. But by that guidance of their reason they do not come to God, and do not even approach to Him; so that all their understanding is nothing else than mere vanity. Hence it follows that there is no hope of the salvation of men, unless God grant new aid; for though the Son of God sheds his light upon them, they are so dull that they do not comprehend whence that light proceeds, but are carried away by foolish and wicked imaginations to absolute madness” – ala Romans 1.

    A summary of v1-5 might be best achieved by working through these verses backwards. The point is that the Light triumphs over darkness. Why? Because Jesus is the living Light. Jesus is the source of energy and power; He cannot be extinguished. He has purpose and motion; He’s dynamic and lacks no motivation. He grows and expands His presence. And He makes His people lights in the darkness (John 12:36). Furthermore, Jesus is the Creator Light. Nothing that has been made (matter, ex nihilo) came into existence apart from Him. And lastly, the Light is God. God, by definition, triumphs.

  3. V6-8, 15 – John the Baptist: A Witness to the Light. God’s way of letting the light of Christ shine in the world and pushing back the darkness is by human witnesses. We’ll hear more of John the Baptist in the next portion of chapter 1 and through to the end of chapter 3. In the meantime, John is introduced as a witness sent by God who testifies concerning Jesus. John 5:34 tells us that Jesus did not require nor seek the testimony of others. His testimony – in agreement with that of the Father – was enough. Thus, John the Baptist’s ministry was not for Jesus but for us. We are the ones who require signs and wonders and witnesses and testimonies, not Jesus. And when we read that “all men might believe” as the purpose for which John testified about Christ, we are introduced to the first Greek “hina” clause. A more literal reading of this in v7 would be, “in order that all [kinds of men] would certainly believe.” We’ll see many examples of John’s use of this Greek literary device in his gospel, but the point I’d make in introducing it here is that there is a potentially vast difference in reading the English translation and studying the Greek. We’re better off to study the Greek to get the intended meaning of the author. Do you see the difference?

    John was not the light. The Gospel writer includes this statement, probably because John’s own light was indeed bright, and many failed to see the light of Christ because their vision was blurred by John’s light. We are the light of the world, and our light is meant to turn others to the source of our light, the True Light in its fullness – Jesus Christ. Yet, as was the case for the miracle-performing apostles, many bowed to worship them, rather than be directed to Jesus. Even our writer, John, bowed in Revelation 22:8-9 to worship an angel, who was bright with light, but the angel corrected him, saying, “No! Worship God.” Thus both Johns tell us that the Baptist was not the Christ, just a light pointing to the brighter light.

    God says about John the Baptist in Malachi 3:1, “See, I will send My messenger, who will prepare the way before Me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to His temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come.” And in Malachi 4:5, “See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes.” We’ll talk more about these passages next time, as we get a more detailed view of John’s testimony.

    Notice in v15 that John said that Jesus, who would come after him, has surpassed him, because He came before him. John the Baptist was a little older than Jesus, and his public ministry began a little before that of Jesus, and we all know that Jesus was truly existent before John the Baptist, yet the intent here is that Christ was justly preferred to John, because He was more excellent. John, wholeheartedly devoted to the preaching of the Kingdom of God coming with Jesus Christ, therefore surrenders his office to Christ. That is why Jesus says in Matthew 11:11 (Luke 7:28), “I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”

  4. V9-10 – The true Light enlightened the world, but the world did not recognize Him. Jesus, as the true Light, gives light to the world. “True” here means eternal or heavenly as opposed to temporal or earthly. Back to the Arians again, they say that Genesis 1 points to God’s begetting of Jesus as the Light when He said, “Let there be Light.” The sun and moon came on day 4, so the light of the world – here said to be Jesus Christ – was the light created by God as the first day of creation unfolded. And Jesus is the light that gives light to the sun and other luminous creations. How do we refute that claim?

    C.S. Lewis again offers an analogy: “We do not truly see light, we only see slower things lit by it, so that for us light is on the edge – the last thing we know before things become too swift for us… I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen. Not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” Some (i.e., Augustine) have argued that “the light that gives light to every man” is actually only given to the elect. Calvin disagrees saying, “Men have this peculiar excellence which raises them above other animals, that they are endued with reason and intelligence, and that they carry the distinction between right and wrong engraved on their conscience. There is no man, therefore, whom some perception of the eternal light does not reach.” John Piper’s assessment of this passage is perhaps the best: “The enlightenment of every man is probably not universal reason or intellect or the common grace of knowledge (as Calvin said) because: (1) the next verse shows people unknowing and blind to the light (Augustine’s reason for his claim); (2) light in this Gospel comes as judgment into the world and causes people either to approach or reject; (3) the meaning of photizo (1 Corinthians 4:5; 2 Timothy 1:10) means ‘shed light on so as to bring out the true quality of.’ This is probably the meaning here.”

    Therefore, when we read that the true light gives light to every man, we ought to understand this to mean that Jesus reveals the condition of every man and the condition of the world, that is, a state of corruption, total depravity. Again, this foreshadows John 3:19-21, where we learn the reason for the world’s failure to recognize the Light. By choice, due to the sin nature of darkness, the Light is undesirable. Isaiah 53:2 “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him.” Calvin says that “no proper excuse can be found for the ignorance of the world in not knowing Christ,” even for those in the world before the Incarnation, as His rays of light give light to the world.

  5. V11-13 – He came to His own and was rejected. Those who did receive Him – those born of God and not according to particular ancestry and not by the will of man – were given the right to be God’s children. Notice the language used here: John says essentially that Jesus came to the place where He already was. He came into the world Incarnate, though He was already here as the Light. Jesus, the Light of the World, came to the people who should have expected Him, and they rejected Him. And if they rejected Him, who would have thought that the rest of the world would accept Him? Even though His own did not receive Him, some did receive Him. This is what Paul labored to explain in Romans 9-11 – that it was God’s good purpose to bring this to pass in order that His salvation would extent to every tribe, tongue, and nation worldwide. Calvin says, “The Jews’ impiety was no obstruction to Christ; for He erected elsewhere the throne of His kingdom, and called indiscriminately to the hope of salvation all nations which formerly appeared to have been rejected by God.” Thus, John says that even though His own rejected Him, those who did receive Him are privileged to be given the right (the claim, the power, the fitness) to be called sons of God. Fallen humans are not God’s children by nature (Ephesians 2:3); through faith by a sovereign act of God (regeneration) we are given that privilege.

    This is a controversial passage in regards to the order of salvation. Which comes first: Regeneration or Faith? Casual readers (Arminians) generally come to this passage and say that it is a clear testimony to not only the offer of salvation to all, but also the enabling to turn to faith in Christ for all. Calvin says, “They infer that it is this grace only that is offered to us, and that the liberty to enjoy or to reject it is placed at our disposal. But this frivolous attempt to catch at a single word is set aside by what immediately follows; for [John] adds, that they become the sons of God, not by the will which belongs to the flesh, but when they are born of God.” So it’s completely true that all who receive Jesus are sons of God. It’s just wrong to see from this passage that all are able to receive Him. Others (Calvinists) take this passage and move into v13 with it. Who gets the right to become sons of God? Whoever believes in, whoever receives Jesus gets it. Who believes in / receives Christ? None are able to do so, unless the Father enables them (John 6:63), unless they are compelled (Luke 14:23); none are able unless the Father draws or “drags” them (John 6:44). Those who believe are not believers by their flesh (ancestry), nor by their will, but as Calvin says, “They are already born of God. It is not therefore, a mere liberty of choice that is offered, since they obtain the privilege itself that is in question.” Those born of God receive Christ. John labors to explain this in detail throughout his gospel, but for now, consider Galatians 4:3-9: “So also, when we were children, we were in slavery under the basic principles of the world. But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father.’ So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir. Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. But now that you know God—or rather are known by God…” For more, see: John 3:6-8; 8:42; 10:27; 15:16; 17:6; 18:37; Acts 13:48; Ephesians 2:1-10; 1 John 5:1-2

    Calvin concludes, “…Faith does not proceed from ourselves, but is the fruit of spiritual regeneration; for John affirms that no man can believe, unless he be begotten of God; and therefore faith is a heavenly gift. It follows…that faith is not bare or cold knowledge, since no man can believe who has not been renewed by the Spirit of God… When the Lord breathes faith into us, He regenerates us by some method that is hidden and unknown to us; but after we have received faith, we perceive, by a lively feeling of conscience, not only the grace of adoption, but also newness of life, [fellowship with God Himself,] and the other gifts of the Holy Spirit…So far as respects our sense, it is only after having believed – that we begin to be the sons of God. But if the inheritance of eternal life is the fruit of adoption, we see how John ascribes the whole of our salvation to the grace of Christ alone; and, indeed, how closely soever men examine themselves, they will find nothing that is worthy of the children of God, except what Christ has bestowed on them.” Regeneration precedes faith, yet it is not a chronological priority, but a logical one. None believe apart from being born again, and none born again fail to believe. There is no life apart from receiving Christ.

  6. V14, 16 – The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. He came from the Father, full of grace and truth, and we have seen His glory. From the fullness of His grace, we have all received blessing. How does this make you feel? Jesus, the Word of God became man as God Incarnate. And we have all received blessing upon blessing as a result of His ministry.

    The fullness of God was clothed with the fullness of human nature. The eternal God became flesh. And from other Scriptural references to flesh, this is not a glorious image. Had Jesus been made man, that could have been seen by some humanist Christians as a positive thing, but flesh is not so pretty. Flesh is fragile and mortal – not something we like to consider for the image of Deity. Many have tried in futility to explain away this doctrine of the full Deity and full humanity of Jesus. They have suggested that Christ was only a man, filled with God only for a time. Some say that His divinity was not complete, but only partial. They have suggested that Christ was only God, entering a man for a time to give a message and show an example of love. Some say that His humanity was only partial and not complete. And others claimed that He was two people – one divine and one human, seen in different ways at different times over the course of His life. But we see here that when the Word was made flesh, He did not cease to be the Word. John upholds Jesus’ full humanity and full Divinity in this passage.

    And He dwelt among us. Jesus tabernacled with us. (John offers rich imagery of the tabernacle in his gospel – seeing Christ revealing the Father is like touring the tabernacle). He pitched His tent in our camp and showed that He desired intimacy with us, despite – even on account of – our sin. He visited us. “Us” here probably refers to the disciples of Jesus, since John writes, “we” beheld His glory (ala, the Transfiguration and the Resurrected Body). Can we view it as “believers” or “all of us?” Jesus demonstrated not only that He was God in the flesh by His miracles, but also that He was full of grace and truth, or “true grace,” or “perfection,” by His fulfillment of the Law and His patience with our feeble humanity.

    In all things, He showed Himself to be the Messiah, which is the most striking mark by which He ought to be distinguished from all others. And that’s where John goes in v16, after the brief reminder of John the Baptist in v15. When we read, “We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only,” that is a single Greek word (monogenes), alluding to the uniqueness and eternal nature of the Son. When we read, “Full of grace and truth,” note that it is parallel to the Old Testament phrase, “Full of steadfast love and faithfulness.” Grace is like steadfast love, and truth is like faithfulness.

  7. V17 – The law came through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. John, as any Messianic Jew would, contrasts Moses and Jesus to show not the weakness of Moses but the greatness of Christ. The author of Hebrews goes to great lengths to show Jesus’ superiority to Moses. This statement feeds from v16, where Jesus is shown to be the fullness of true grace. Even the patriarchs were extended grace, and this grace came from Jesus Himself, even prior to His Incarnation. Calvin offers great insight here, saying, “Grace, in which the truth of the Law consists, was at length exhibited in Christ.” The point is not that Christ and His truth and grace dominate any talk of Moses and the law, but that the true law pointed to grace in Christ, and that Christ by His fulfillment of the law, exhibits true grace (Colossians 2:17). Furthermore, Moses revealed God’s glory in his shining face after seeing God’s backside in Exodus 33:18-23. But Christ reveals God’s glory in His entire life, death, and resurrection as One who is God and as One who is with God. As the author of Hebrews declares, Christ is better.

  8. V18 – No one has ever seen God the Father, but God the Son, who is at the Father’s side, has made Him known. How could we miss the clear declaration that Jesus is God? I have a tape of a Muslim caller to the Hank Hanegraaff’s show (The Bible Answer Man), and he asks for evidence of Jesus’ claim to Deity apart from the Gospel of John. He didn’t accept the Gospel of John, because it wasn’t a synoptic Gospel. But we saw it in Romans repeatedly; we saw it in Mark 6:50 when Eric led Coram Deo through Jesus’ walking on water. Jesus is “I AM.” We can see Jesus’ claim to Deity elsewhere (Titus 2:13-14), but it is no doubt most evident in John’s Gospel. And we might expect this, as no human knew Jesus more intimately than John, the one Jesus loved.

    One important thing here is that if “no one has ever seen God,” how can anyone prove or deny that He exists? God revealed Himself through Moses in the law. God revealed Himself in a greater way in the Incarnation of Jesus Christ, who pitched His tent in our midst. In Jesus, we see God’s full image and know what He is like. And finally, we don’t just see what God is like; we experience the fullness of true grace in His presence by His indwelling Spirit.

    The simple point here is that Jesus is the only way to the Father. And He has done that work which brings His people to the Father. Jesus has made the Father known, as He has taken all of the qualities of the Father and wrapped them in Himself in bodily form in order to reveal the Father to the world. When John says that “no one has seen the Father,” he refers to God’s existence as unapproachable light (1 Timothy 6:16). But there’s more to it than that. We have an experience in knowing the Father through Jesus Christ that the patriarchs before Christ did not have. They knew the Father only by His mysterious revelation – in the storm, the cloud, the fire, the whirlwind, the dreams, etc. We know the Father by the Son and the Spirit who dwells within us. That’s the only way to know the Father since the Incarnation.

    And finally, “at the Father’s side,” shows a position of authority and involvement. The Son is not just about the Father’s business without being privy to His eternal purposes and expectations. The Son was acquainted with His Father, in order to inform us that we have this same closeness with God laid open to us in the Gospel. Jesus has explained the Father; Jesus has given His earthly life as an expository sermon on God the Father. It is in that sense that Jesus is the Word made flesh. Psalm 138:2 declares that God has “magnified His Word above [or according to] His Name.” In C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia, in the final book (#7), The Last Battle, Tirian and Lord Digory are looking into a stable, and there is an astonishing statement that the inside of the stable was bigger than the outside. And Lucy says, “In our world, too, a stable once had something in it bigger than the whole world.” This prologue is meant not meant to bring full comprehension, but to bring wonder, awe, reverence, a sense, a sight, a little glimpse of the glory of Jesus Christ. And so it does. And we’ll continue the journey as John reveals Christ and His purpose more fully throughout this glorious Gospel, and as Christ makes the invisible God visible.

    John the Baptist Denies Being the Christ

    19Now this was John's testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, "I am not the Christ.[7] "
    21They asked him, "Then who are you? Are you Elijah?"
    He said, "I am not."
    "Are you the Prophet?"
    He answered, "No."
    22Finally they said, "Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"
    23John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, "I am the voice of one calling in the desert, 'Make straight the way for the Lord.' "[8]
    24Now some Pharisees who had been sent 25questioned him, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"
    26"I baptize with[9] water," John replied, "but among you stands one you do not know. 27He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie."
    28This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

    Jesus the Lamb of God

    29The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30This is the one I meant when I said, 'A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' 31I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel."
    32Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' 34I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God."

    Jesus' First Disciples

    35The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!"
    37When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, "What do you want?"
    They said, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?"
    39"Come," he replied, "and you will see."
    So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was about the tenth hour.
    40Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ). 42And he brought him to Jesus.
    Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas" (which, when translated, is Peter[10] ).

    Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael

    43The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, "Follow me."
    44Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 45Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote--Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."
    46"Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked.
    "Come and see," said Philip.
    47When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false."
    48"How do you know me?" Nathanael asked.
    Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you."
    49Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."
    50Jesus said, "You believe[11] because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that." 51He then added, "I tell you[12] the truth, you[13] shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."

    Recall from John 1:14 that Jesus tabernacled among us. He fulfilled what the tabernacle signified – God with us. John paints a picture for us (actually for his Jewish audience) that will show how Jesus fulfills this tabernacle type. Recording John the Baptist’s words, “Look, the Lamb of God…” John the author begins to walk us through the visual image of the tabernacle. Before approaching the tent of meeting, one must offer a sacrifice at the brazen altar. And so, with our text, “Behold – the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”

    1. V19-23 – Who is John? The voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’ John’s ministry kicks off, and he draws lots of people to hear him and repent and be baptized. This is a genuine spiritual revival, and the Jewish religious leadership was concerned. One of the roles of the Sanhedrin was to deter false teaching and maintain order among the multitude of teachers and preachers that would spring up during the 400-500 years of inter-testimental history. The leadership asks John, “Who are you?” And they must have had it in the back of their minds that he could have been the Messiah. That’s how influential his ministry was. But our text says that John had no trouble confessing that he was not the Messiah. Who then was he?

      God says about John the Baptist in Malachi 3:1, “See, I will send My messenger, who will prepare the way before Me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to His temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come.” And in Malachi 4:5, “See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes.” So here the Jewish leadership asks if he is Elijah. Calvin explains that “the question is founded on a false opinion which they had long held; for, holding the opinion that the soul of a man departs out of one body into another, when Malachi announced that Elijah would be sent, they imagined that the same Elijah was to come. It is therefore a just and true reply which John makes, that he is not Elijah; for he speaks according to the opinion which they attached to the words; but Christ, giving the true interpretation of the Prophet, affirms that John is Elijah (Matthew 11:14; Mark 9:13).” Luke 1:17 records the angel telling Zechariah that John “will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous – to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” So they expected the same Elijah. John knew he was not what they expected. Jesus affirms that he was in the spirit of Elijah. The Jewish leadership then wonders if John is the Prophet (Deuteronomy 18:15-22). This is not merely a prophet, but The Prophet signifying the end times, the Day of the Lord. Only Jesus could fulfill this description (Acts 3:22, Acts 7:37), and John rightly answers that he is not The Prophet. Jesus calls John the Baptist a prophet, and even adds that he is more than a prophet (Matthew 11:9).

      Instead John says, “I am the voice of one calling in the desert, or the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’” This quote is from Isaiah 40:3, but the whole of chapter 40 is probably in view. Just listen to the first part, Isaiah 40:1-8, which reads like this: “Comfort, comfort My people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins. A voice of one calling: ‘In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.’ A voice says, ‘Cry out.’ And I said, ‘What shall I cry?’ ‘All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the LORD blows on them. Surely the people are grass. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of our God stands forever.’” It’s about God’s Israel returning from exile.

      A couple things here: John is “in the desert” or “in the wilderness.” This is critical. It’s not that he’s literally outside the city limits and in the wilderness of the region, though that is true. Rather, John is in the spiritual wilderness, the spiritual desert. Just as the Isaiah passage says, the people of God have been rescued from exile in Babylon and slavery in Egypt; their “hard service has been completed,” and Israel is on her way to the Promised Land. What comes upon leaving exile or departing Egypt? The wilderness, the desert. And so Jesus comes to the people of Israel where they are – in the desert, in the wilderness. God’s promises to deliver them from physical slavery had come true. Now was the time for deliverance from spiritual slavery as well. (Jesus will talk to the leaders about their slavery to sin in John 8.) And there’s even more in this loaded phrase. God is in the process of restoring creation. It was originally the Garden of Eden. And sin corrupted it; creation was subjected to frustration, and it became wilderness and desert. The Incarnation of Jesus Christ, and the beginning of His ministry, is a critical stage in this process of restoration and renewal. John writes about that here, and he will write about the completion of that in Revelation.

    2. V24-31 – Why does John baptize? That Jesus would be revealed to Israel. The Jewish leaders, seemingly content with John’s answer regarding his identity, though no doubt perplexed, probe further into his ministry. They ask why he baptizes if he is not the Christ, not Elijah, and not the Prophet. Baptisms of Gentile converts to Judaism were performed by the priests, and John was not a priest. So the leadership saw John as challenging the Jewish system of Temple and worship order. Later, Jesus will ask this question of the religious leaders to show them that John’s baptism was legitimate, as decreed by God (Matthew 21:23-27). John says, “I’m only baptizing in water, or with water, but Jesus is here, and – [from other Gospels] – He’ll be baptizing with the Holy Spirit.” Jesus is standing in their midst. They should be excited to meet and learn more about this Person John describes, but we don’t hear a response from the Jewish leaders.

      Then John testifies of Jesus in v29, saying, “Look, Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” This was why John was baptizing, that he would baptize Jesus to signify the beginning of His ministry, that Jesus would be identified as the Messiah, not for Jesus’ benefit, but for the benefit of the Jewish people. And v31 gives a surprising truth: John says, “The reason I came baptizing with water was that [Jesus] might be revealed to Israel.” We might consider John’s baptism to have a different meaning, perhaps a more personal meaning for those engaging in its practice. And I think we’d all agree that it probably had that personal significance for all those who repented under John’s ministry. But the apostle John tells us here than John the Baptist recognized a much deeper and more important significance to his practice – that of revealing Christ.

      John was revealing the Messiah by calling Him the “Lamb of God.” How amazing! A lamb to the Jewish people was synonymous with sacrifice. Think: Passover lamb. That’s Jesus. He’s the Passover Lamb, the lamb of priceless sacrifice. But it’s much more. Jesus is the Servant Lamb of Isaiah 53:7. Countless lambs were offered on altars in Old Testament times. But Jesus is The Lamb. What an honor to be able to point to Jesus of Nazareth and say, “He’s the One! He’s God’s Messiah! He’s The Prophet! He’s the Lamb; it’s His blood that’s going to forgive us our sins.” And the word “sin” is singular to convey any kind of iniquity. And “the world” is intended to convey non-discrimination of any people group. This is not just for Jews. This is for humanity in its hostility to God.

    3. V32-34 – How does John know Jesus? The Holy Spirit descended and remained on Jesus. John the Baptist has cried out, “Look, the Lamb of God!” Any Jew paying close attention here – namely our writer, the apostle John – may have wondered how John the Baptist knew that Jesus was the Messiah. John the Baptist certainly knew Jesus; they were cousins. But we are told that John the Baptist would not have known Jesus except that God told him to watch for the Holy Spirit to descend upon and remain on the Anointed One. And John describes the Holy Spirit as being “like a dove.” John did not see a dove. The Holy Spirit is not a dove. He is Spirit, and therefore invisible. But why describe a dove?

      Consider three meanings: First, in the account of creation from Genesis 1, which obviously played a major role in John’s prologue, we read that the Spirit of God hovered or brooded over the face of the deep. Can you picture a dove calming the turbulent waters of an unformed earth in that image? Second, as Noah searched for dry land after the flood, it was a dove that brought him an olive branch as a symbol of peace and comfort and safety, a symbol of the end of the raging waters of the just wrath of God. And third, when a poor person couldn’t afford a lamb or goat, they would come to the temple in need of having their sins forgiven, and they would bring two turtledoves. The image of the dove is forgiveness of sins and peace with God. Furthermore, it had long been prophesied of the Messiah that He would accomplish His work on earth by the power of the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 42:1-4; 61:1-3). The synoptic gospels make clear that these prophecies in Isaiah were fulfilled in Christ (Matthew 12:17-21; Luke 4:17-21). It was not by power, nor by might, but by His Spirit that Christ accomplished His task.

      John is saying, “I didn’t realize it until I saw Him identifying Himself with all of the sinners that were coming into the wilderness to the river to be baptized, and then, all of a sudden, the dove descends and God is saying, ‘This is the One; this is My Son; this is the One in whom I am well pleased.” Many have stumbled here, because Matthew 3:13-17 seems to show that John already knew Jesus’ identity prior to His baptism (“I ought to be baptized by You, and yet You come to me!”), yet the apostle John notes that the Baptist did not know Christ until the Spirit landed and remained on Him. What do we make of this? Most say that the statement of not knowing Jesus was simply made for the audience – to confirm that God Himself revealed that Jesus is the Christ – even though John really did know earlier that Jesus was the Christ, but even his prior knowledge was a result of God’s making it known to him. Any thoughts?

    4. V35-37 – John loses disciples to Jesus. Every time that John the Baptist sees Jesus, he declares, “Look, the Lamb of God!” John is trying to lose his disciples. Losing followers = success! John rightly is shrinking his own ministry for the sake of the Savior’s. John will later say, “He must become greater. I must become less” (John 3:30). Picture him saying to his two disciples, “What are you still doing with me? I am not the One you need to be following. There He is. Go follow Him. He’s the One who will forgive your sins. Not me.” And so the two disciples go to Jesus. Following meant, “to walk behind,” in this cultural of rabbis and learners; but needless to say, John has more in view here.

    5. V38-39 – Jesus speaks: Come and see. Jesus doesn’t wait to hear from these two men who come to Him; rather, He initiates the conversation. “What do you want?” This is not harsh like we might perceive it. It’s more like, “What can I do for you?” The apostle John will later quote Jesus as saying, “Whoever comes to Me I will not drive away” or “The one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out” (John 6:37). And the two men, moved by the commendation of their former Rabbi, John the Baptist, hold Jesus to be a Prophet and teacher, which is the first step towards receiving instruction, so they call Him Rabbi.

      They ask, “Where are You staying?” It’s a nice way to ask, “Can we come and rest in Your presence and be taught by You?” We can learn a very important truth here: Eric taught about this in Mark’s Gospel. Don’t just hear Jesus from the outskirts. You can do that, and you might hear some interesting stuff, but you won’t become His devoted follower that way. Instead, go with Jesus wherever He is and let Him personally instruct you. That’s what these two disciples want to do, and Jesus says to them, “Come and see. You want to know where I am staying? Come and see.” And so they went and spent the rest of the day with Jesus. It was the tenth hour (4 PM), late in the day to start “hanging out,” but they were so intrigued by Jesus that they had no concern for the time. They went to Him to learn from Him, and they didn’t care what time they’d get home. They weren’t even His disciples yet, but they were seeing if being His disciple would be something worthwhile. Do you have that type of experience in coming to Christ? I can remember staying up until 2 AM or later to stay immersed in the Word of God, to see if Jesus really was who He claimed to be, to see if I should devote myself to Him, or to carry on a conversation about spiritual things with others. Can you imagine what these two men experienced with Jesus that day? For them it was enough to conclude that He was the Messiah (v41), and enough to decide to follow Him for the rest of His ministry and beyond.

    6. V40-42 – Jesus, Andrew, and Peter. John here gives us the identity of one of the two followers of John the Baptist who left him to follow Jesus, namely Andrew. (The other was presumably John himself.) We see that Andrew, who has spent only a short time with Jesus and has what would certainly be considered a child-like faith at this point, is on fire to spread the news of the coming of the Messiah. He immediately (the first thing he does) goes to his brother – Simon Peter – and excitedly declares, “We have found the Messiah!” Can you imagine Simon’s reaction? And notice that Simon doesn’t come excitedly to Jesus. Rather, Andrew brings him to Jesus. And Jesus says that Simon will be called by a new name – Cephas or Peter, which, of course, means “rock.”

      Let’s look closer at this dialogue: Jesus says, “You are Simon, son of John.” Jesus is pointing out that this is an ordinary man from an ordinary family. There’s nothing special about Simon, and there’s nothing special about his father, John. Yet Jesus prophesies that he will be called Peter, and in so doing, prophesies that he will be an unshakably courageous man, boldly steadfast in faith. Calvin says of this prophecy, “I look upon it as a prediction, not only because Christ foresaw the future steadfastness of faith in Peter, but because He foretold what He would give to him. He now magnifies the grace which He determined afterwards to bestow upon him; and therefore He does not say that this is now his name, but delays it till a future time.” Furthermore, all believers may very realistically be called “Peters.” We are living stones with which Jesus as the chief cornerstone, our “Ebenezer” or “stone of help,” is building for Himself a church.

      Notice another point about Andrew and Simon Peter here. Looking back we notice that Peter was a much more prominent figure in the early church than was Andrew. Yet without Andrew, Simon would have never become Peter. The point is that none of us, however excellent or important, should refuse to be taught by an inferior, by a lesser one. Also of note here is that the whole region, not merely the purebred Jews, was intrigued by the prophetic coming of the Messiah. Samaritans, half-breeds, and even Gentiles (pagan nations such as Babylon (Daniel 9:25-26)) would have known about this prophesied figure. Yet, as many as looked for Him, it is amazing that so few received Him when He came.

    7. V43-46 – Jesus and Phillip. Next we read that Jesus found Phillip as He was leaving for Galilee and said to him, “Follow Me.” And Phillip does so. This is a great illustration of the power of Jesus’ word. We’ll read later in this Gospel as well of the power of Jesus’ word when He calls to Lazarus, “Come out!” Jesus has life-giving power in His voice, in His word, and it is this very same power that the Holy Spirit uses to quicken us to spiritual life. When we were dead, God made us alive, simply by calling our name. Now based on the language, it is likely that Jesus and Phillip knew one another, and only now does Jesus make His authority known to Phillip; and Phillip, who likely knew Jesus as a friend, now sees Him for who He is, and rightly obeys the command to follow Him.

      We also read in these verses that Andrew, Peter, and Phillip are from Bethsaida. Calvin comments, “The name of the city [was] mentioned on purpose, that the goodness of God to the three Apostles may be more illustriously displayed. We know how severely, on other occasions, Christ threatens and curses that city (Matthew 11:21; Luke 10:13). Accordingly, when God brought into favor with Him some out of a nation so ungodly and wicked, we ought to view it in the same light as if they had been brought out of the lowest hell. And when Christ, after having drawn them out of that deep gulf, honors them so highly as to make them Apostles, it is a distinguished favor and worthy of being recorded.”

      Next, like Andrew reaching out to Simon Peter, so Phillip reaches out to Nathanael. Phillip, despite not getting the quality time with Jesus that Andrew and John had, simply believes their testimony, and with a child-like faith, proclaims to Nathanael that Jesus of Nazareth is none other than the Prophet of Deuteronomy 18:15-22 that we addressed earlier and the One proclaimed by the prophets. We could get theological and point of that Jesus was “of Bethlehem” rather than Nazareth, and that He was “Son of God,” rather than Joseph, but Phillip is not technically wrong on these points. (We might learn here that God blesses our evangelism efforts despite our ignorance and/or error.) What is significant is that Phillip recognizes the important facts about Jesus – that the Law and the prophets testify of Him.

      Nathanael, who is a “true Israelite in whom there is nothing false,” as Jesus will proclaim in a moment, practically denies Phillip’s claims. Phillip persists with Nathanael, repeating the words of Jesus to Andrew and John, “Come and see.” This is for us as well. If I excitedly proclaim, “I have found the cure for cancer!” you might be inclined to say two things: First, “There is no cure for cancer.” And second, “You are incapable of that. It’s not in your skill set. You’re not a medical scientist.” Whatever the objection may be, if my claim is true, then I should invite you to come and see. The same goes for our efforts in evangelism. We, like Phillip, may not know the whole truth about Jesus. We may not be able to overcome all objections. But “we know who we have believed” (2 Timothy 1:12). And when we say, “I have found the way to eternal life – it is through Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of my sins and for the perfect righteousness required by God,” people may say it’s too simple, it’s only a story, I don’t buy it, I don’t need it, nothing good can come from Nazareth, you’re naïve, you’re wrong, that’s fine for you but not for me, or you couldn’t have possibly found it, because you’re not that smart. Whatever the excuse may be, persist and say, “Come and see.” Show them Jesus. Psalm 34:8 “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.”

    8. V47-50 – Jesus and Nathanael. Nathanael accepts Phillip’s invitation to come and see, though perhaps reluctantly. And Jesus sees him coming and pronounces that he is “a true Israelite;” Jesus introduces a surprising chasm here: Some Jews are true Israelites and some are not. Jesus defines for us what makes a “true Israelite:” one in whom there is nothing false, or no deceit. And of course, that definition sheds abundant light on the later conflicts that Jesus has with the Jewish leadership, in whom there is much deceit and falsehood. In this definition, we are also given an understanding of what it means to live the Christian lifestyle: integrity of heart before God, and uprightness before men. And that is fitting, because, as we will later read in John, the devil is a liar or deceiver, the father of lies and deceit. Furthermore, calling Nathanael an “Israelite” might have recalled thoughts of Jacob, the first “Israelite,” and Nathanael will be promised an experience like Jacob’s dream in v51.

      Jesus’ statement regarding Nathanael’s uprightness was meant not to flatter him, but rather to liven the conversation and draw from Nathanael this question, “How do You know me?” And now Jesus is in prime position to show him that He is the Messiah. Jesus’ response, “I saw you under the tree before Phillip called you,” does not yield the possibility of knowing Nathanael’s heart, and Nathanael gets that. Nathanael knew by Jesus’ response that He did not see him as I see you, but by a look truly divine. Only by virtue of seeing Nathanael’s heart could Jesus claim his uprightness. That realization leads him to conclude that Jesus is not only the Christ, which is what Phillip had already told him, but also that Jesus the Son of God and the King of Israel, who did not at that moment speak as a mere man, but as God. Nathanael’s statement is remarkable, as by grace and despite spending no time with Jesus, he exhibits faith not simply in a Jesus, but in the Jesus who is exercising His offices of Prophet, Priest (Redeemer / Mediator), and King. Nathanael knew from the Old Testament that Jesus was King of Israel, but we know that He is King of God’s Israel and the whole earth, even all creation.

      Lastly, Jesus approving of Nathanael’s faith, promises to him and to others that He will confirm the truth of Nathanael’s confession by many stronger arguments than that which caused Nathanael to believe. The proof for Nathanael was that Jesus saw him under the fig tree and knew his heart. That’s an individual episode, but Jesus promises greater things that would be common for and to all, and thus, instead of addressing Nathanael personally, Jesus turns to address everyone nearby.

    9. V51 – Jesus and Jacob’s ladder. Jesus’ image of Jacob’s ladder suggests several things: First, heaven is opened for those in Christ. We have access to the Father through the Son and by the Spirit. Second, we see examples of times when God’s people saw this image become a reality in Scripture: Stephen (Acts 7:55), the three disciples on the mountain (Matthew 17:5), and the other disciples at Christ’s ascension (Luke 24:51; Acts 1:9). Third, what was prefigured in Genesis 28:10-16 was fulfilled in Christ. Fourth, angels are said to ascend and descend, so as to be ministers of God’s kindness towards those in Christ – thus angels are ascending and descending ON the Son of Man; and therefore this mode of expression points out the mutual intercourse which exists between God and men. With and in and through Christ, angels have a friendly care to help us. Without Christ the angels have rather a deadly enmity against us. Jesus calls Himself the Son of Man – His favorite self-title from Daniel 7:13.

      Calvin concludes, “In short, this [verse] teaches us, that though the whole human race was banished from the kingdom of God, the gate of heaven is opened to [those in Christ], so that we are fellow-citizens of the saints, and companions of the angels (Ephesians 2:19), and that they, having been appointed to be guardians of our salvation, descend from the blessed rest of the heavenly glory to relieve our distresses.”

      John reveals two important and foundational truths in this passage: First, Jesus is the Lamb of sacrifice who conquers in glory as was expected; but He does so by laying down His life as a ransom for many (Isaiah 52:13-53:12), which was not expected though should have been. Second, that Jesus is the Christ is a well-testified-to fact. It’s not an obscure statement made by a lone radical. It’s a well-understood statement made by MANY. Thus, we may run with certainty and confidence to Jesus, finding in Him salvation for our souls.

      Footnotes

      1. 1:5 Or darkness, and the darkness has not overcome
      2. 1:9 Or This was the true light that gives light to every man who comes into the world
      3. 1:13 Greek of bloods
      4. 1:14 Or the Only Begotten
      5. 1:18 Or the Only Begotten
      6. 1:18 Some manuscripts but the only (or only begotten) Son
      7. 1:20 Or Messiah. "The Christ" (Greek) and "the Messiah" (Hebrew) both mean "the Anointed One"; also in verse 25.
      8. 1:23 Isaiah 40:3
      9. 1:26 Or in; also in verses 31 and 33
      10. 1:42 Both Cephas (Aramaic) and Peter (Greek) mean rock.
      11. 1:50 Or Do you believe ...?
      12. 1:51 The Greek is plural.
      13. 1:51 The Greek is plural.

      Bible text from Gospelcom.net.  Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.

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