The gospel of John shows us Jesus as God. It is an awesome book so let’s get started and John 1 verse 1 reads.
John 1:1] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
This “word” is “logos” in the Greek. It is Jesus, Jesus is the Living Word. The Word was God and anytime you have Jesus and God present there is always the Holy Spirit. This is the Trinity. Can’t be denied, the three are One. Also, in the beginning should sound familiar, Genesis chapter 1. Back to John and verse 2 reads.
John 1:2] The same was in the beginning with God.
[3] All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
Jesus was there for all of creation.
John 1:4] In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
In the garden was the “tree of Life in the midst of the garden”. Also Gen.1:3 God said let there be light. This Light is Jesus, it is salvation. God intended salvation for all. It’s been his plan from the beginning.
John 1:5] And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
Evil will never comprehend salvation, they are a death cult.
John 1:6] There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
[7] The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
[8] He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
[9] That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
We are talking about John the Baptist here, not the writer of this gospel.
John 1:10] He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
[11] He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
Jesus comes in the first advent for salvation. Let’s go to Zec.9:9 and read.
Zec.9:9] Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.
Then the second advent follows in verse 10 and it reads.
Zec.9:10] And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from river even to the ends of the earth.
These are the two advents, Christ came on the foal of an ass first, 2,000 years ago. And we wait for the second advent now, he will come in wrath. Not against his children but against the evil in this world. Back to John and it reads.
John 1:12] But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
[13] Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
This is talking about being born from above. We must all be born once of the flesh to make our decision will we follow Christ or Satan.
John 1:14] And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
I include this verse whenever I talk about the first verse. “In the beginning was the word, the word was with God the word was God, and then he walked among us.” Emmanuel, being interpreted “God with us” Isa.7:14 and Mat.1:23.
John 1:15] John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.
[16] And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
[17] For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
[18] No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
John gives the comparison of law and grace. This means by law blood must be shed for our sins, but Christs blood on the cross was given once and for all time, meaning he was the sacrifice which done away with all blood ordinances. Jesus would tell us in Matthew 5 that he did not come to do away with the law, but to fulfill the law.
John 1:19] And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?
[20] And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.
[21] And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.
He said No, so don’t let anyone tell you he was Elijah but, that he came in the spirit of Elijah.
John 1:22] Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?
[23] He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.
John the Baptist told them who he was. Did they know scripture? Let’s go to Isaiah 40 and read.
Isa.40:1] Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
[2] Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD’s hand double for all her sins.
[3] The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
[4] Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:
[5] And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
And what is written will come to pass exactly as it is written. Back to John and verse 24 reads.
John 1:24] And they which were sent were of the Pharisees.
[25] And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?
[26] John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;
[27] He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose.
Now Jesus would bring this up to the pharisee’s when they questioned him “by what authority do you do this” and Jesus asked them a question, this was that. They knew they couldn’t say they didn’t believe John the Baptist was baptizing in the name of the Lord. Because they feared the people. Back to John and verse 28 reads.
John 1:28] These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.
[29] The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
The Lamb of God, that promise given to Abraham. When Abraham was instructed to sacrifice Isaac, but God provided a ram in the thicket. Meaning that God would provide his only begotten son.
John 1:30] This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.
[31] And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.
[32] And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.
[33] And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.
[34] And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.
John the Baptist is giving his sign from God to us that he would witness the Holy Spirit descending on Jesus. Also, that Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit, when Jesus dwells within us we have the Holy Spirit within us. Thank you, Father.
John 1:35] Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;
[36] And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!
[37] And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.
[38] Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou?
[39] He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour.
[40] One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.
Andrew was the first of the twelve to find Jesus. And immediately went to his brother Peter. They were waiting for the Christ, they were chosen.
John 1:41] He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.
[42] And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.
Jesus has started his ministries now, and would find his chosen, his Elect. Simon means ” hearing” and Peter means ” rock”, Peter would be that rock that Jesus would build the church on.
John 1:43] The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me.
[44] Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.
[45] Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.
[46] And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.
[47] Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!
[48] Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.
[49] Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.
Nathaniel needed proof, and Jesus gave to him what he needed. Jesus has called us to him today, will we follow him, yes we will. We, like his disciples have been waiting for his calling. The time has come for our eyes to be opened to his word, just like his twelve that were waiting, so are we.
John 1:50] Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these.
[51] And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.
They witnessed all the miracles and were blessed. But Jesus tells us that even so that we saw not the miracles, and still believe, we are blessed. Let’s go to John 20:29 and read.
John 20:29] Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
An awesome book and a great chapter, it only gets better. Let’s go to his throne.
Father, we thank you for your word and ask that you bless all that love you in Jesus’s precious name, Amen.
KJV along with The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance Of The Bible