Lesson #02

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN
Lesson #02
THE INCARNATION OF THE WORD – Joh 1:1-14

Memory verse: Joh 1:14

• Read Joh 1:1-4
• John begins his gospel with a description of characteristics and facts without immediately naming the person about whom he is speaking. Of course, by reading ahead, we know he is speaking about Jesus Christ.
• Jesus Christ is introduced to us by a series of triplets (three related statements together) We find the first power-packed triplet in verse 1. (The number 3 is significant in the Bible in that it represents the Holy Trinity.)

• Triplet #1

(1)

• =1

= “In the beginning was the Word”

• The Word
• This is a profound title for Jesus Christ.
• John indicates to us that this is His universal, eternal name. We see it at his second coming in Rev 19:11-13, and we see it at creation in Gen 1.
• Everything that God created was spoken into being by the Word. (“and God said”)
• Read Psa 33:6
• Read Col 1:15-17
• The term, word, in Greek and Hebrew conveyed the idea of thoughts or creative energy. We see this idea in reference to creation.
• At the time of creation when everything began, the Word, Jesus Christ, was already there existing in eternity past.
• =2=

“the Word was with God”

• John tells us clearly that Jesus Christ, the Word, is separate and distinct from God, the Father, in personality, position, and role.
• John also indicates by this statement that God, the Father and Jesus, the Son have always had an intimate relationship one with the other.
• Jesus Christ was there existing with God, the Father at creation.
• =3=

“the Word was God”

• Now John tells us that Jesus Christ is clearly God.
• Putting together statements =2= and =3=, we see two members of the Holy Trinity. Jesus Christ is the second member of the Holy Trinity. All three members of the Trinity are distinct personalities but all are equally God. (God, the Father; God, the Son; and God, the Holy Spirit)
• Jesus is called God in John 1:1, John 1:18, and John 20:28.
• In the original language there is no qualifying article between the word “was” and the word “God”. Jesus Christ is not “a” god. He is God.
• Triplet #2

(2-4)

• This triplet expands on the meanings expressed through the first triplet.
• =1= “The same was in the beginning with God.”

(2)

• Usually when we read about Creation in Gen 1, we do not think about the fact that Jesus Christ was there. However, John stresses the fact that He was there at creation.
• Many cults believe that Jesus was created.by God.
• This belief was popularized in the 4th century by Arius. The Church Council of Nicea in 325 AD, persuaded by Athanasius, defeated this false teaching and established the Nicene Creed. The Church Council at Constantinople also reaffirmed the eternal divinity of Jesus Christ (381 AD) as found in John’s gospel.
• =2= “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.”

(3)

• John tells us specifically that Jesus Christ was the agent of creation. This is confirmed by the passage we read in Col 1:15-17. We also find it confirmed in 1Cor 8:6 and in Heb 1:2.
• Jesus Christ is not only the creator but He holds everything together. Humans usually call this force gravity.
• =3= “In him was life; and the life was the light of men.”

(4)

• At creation in Gen 1, physical life was created by the Word, Jesus Christ.
• However, there is also spiritual life in Jesus Christ. The Greek word used for life also refers to eternal life.
• Read Joh 14:6
• The life that Jesus Christ carried in Him was spiritual light that he brought to men.
• John, in his writings, has a way of blending life and light as expressed through Jesus Christ, our model, who taught us how the Christian must live. (1Joh 1:5-8; 2:8-10)
• Read Joh 8:12
• Jesus brings the only true spiritual light to man.
• He gives man moral insight, spiritual wisdom, and understanding to be able to see our sins in light of God’s holiness.
• Jesus shines the light of truth on God, the Father, and on us as sinners.
• Later in the gospel John will demonstrate how this light works in the hearts of people by giving us specific examples.
• The two words, light and life, are beyond definition. As soon as scientists think they know all there is to know about light and life, they find out that these two are strangely illusive.
• In science there was first the wave theory of light, then the particle concept of light was added.
• Science struggles with the concept of creating life.
• After introducing us to the Word that brings light to man, John tells us that this Light from God has come into this dark world through Jesus Christ. (5)
• Jesus Christ is the Light of the world. (Joh 12:46)
• Read Joh 8:12
• Because Satan is the god of this world system (2Cor 4:4 Eph 5:8) man is blinded by darkness.
• Darkness and light cannot both exist in the same place at the same time.
• Man was unable to distinguish or comprehend the true identity of Jesus Christ.
• Man cannot understand this light from God in the form of Jesus Christ because that man is in darkness.
• Satan’s kingdom of darkness can never totally extinguish the light from God or destroy Jesus Christ.
• The power of Jesus Christ as the light of the world overcomes the darkness.
• Later in our study John will present evidence to prove that Jesus is the Light.
• Inherent in the text is the idea of spiritual warfare…a struggle between ungodly darkness and the Light of Life…between Satan and God.
• The introduction of John the Baptist (6-8)
• God sent John the Baptist to come before Jesus so as to point to Jesus Christ, that man might recognize Jesus Christ for who He is in this dark world.
• John the Baptist was to enable people to see that Jesus was the Lamb of God, the sacrifice for sin. (Joh 1:29)
• John the Baptist was the first witness to bring people to the feet of Jesus Christ.
• Therefore, Jesus said John the Baptist was the greatest prophet. (Luc 7:28)
• The author of this gospel wants to make sure that his audience understands that John the Baptist was not the Light. He was only to prepare the way for people to come to Jesus.
• Just as John the Baptist was a witness of the light of Jesus Christ, believers are also to be a witness of Christ as the Light of the world. We are to bear that light to a dark world. (Mat 5:14-16)
• Christ gives light to every man who was ever born. (9)
• Even though this world is darkened by Satan, all humans have some light given to them by God.
• Man is born with a conscience to know right from wrong.
• Creation bears testimony that there is a God. (Rom 1:19-20 Rom 2:14-16)
• Man, created by God, did not recognize his own creator, Jesus Christ.
• “He came unto his own, and his own received him not.”

(11)

• Light was specifically given to the Jews but they, too, did not recognize or receive Him as their Messiah.
• What kind of light was given to the Jews?
• The scriptures of the Word of God.
• The prophets who preached God’s Word. (Isa 53:1-3)
• Jesus came to the world he created and the majority of that creation rejects him.
• “But as many as received him…”

(12)

• John tells us that a few did recognize Jesus Christ when he came. They received him.
• This is a key phrase that tells us what man is supposed to do with Jesus Christ. We are to receive Him into our hearts.
• The meaning of the word, receive, has the idea of giving a welcome to or an acknowledgment as to who He is in your life, as your life and your savior.
• The results of receiving Christ causes you to be born into the kingdom of God. You are born again spiritually. (12-13)

• “…to them gave he power to become the sons of God…”

(12)

• You are now part of God’s family because you now have a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ by faith. Physical birth causes you to be part of your parent’s family, but spiritual new birth causes you to be part of God’s family. He gave you the authority to call yourself a child of God.
• Notice that faith is a part of the equation at the end of verse 12.

• “…to them that believe on his name.”

(12)

• Notice that you must believe “on” Him. In other words, you must put your whole trust on Jesus Christ…your burdens, your hopes, your whole life and future. Belief “in” Him is not sufficient, for Jam 2:19 says that Satan and all his demons believe, but they are not part of God’s eternal family.
• The person that receives Christ by faith experiences a new spiritual birth that is an act of God. (13)
• Therefore, contrary to popular belief, all humans are not children of God and part of His family. We are all part of God’s creation, but the rights and responsibilities of a family member are reserved to only those who have received Jesus Christ by faith as Lord and Savior.
• John returns to the pattern of triplets to give us the third one in this chapter. (14)

• Triplet #3

(14)

• =1= “And the Word was made flesh…”

• John tells us that the creator he spoke of in the first triplet became human flesh.
• This is a very important concept in that some believe that Jesus Christ was fully divine and did not actually have a physical body. It is for this reason of false doctrine that John uses the word, flesh.
• The doctrinal heresy was called Docetism which said that Jesus only seemed to have a body but in actuality did not. (1Joh 4:3)
• Jesus Christ was fully human and fully divine, fully God and fully man. (Col 2:9 Phi 2:5-9)
• Most of the doctrinal errors in religion are made over this point. The false teachers either minimize Christ’s divinity or they minimize Christ’s humanity.
• =2= “…and

(He) dwelt among us…”

• The Greek word, dwelt, means = tabernacled.
• In the Old Testament, the tabernacle was the place that symbolized to the people the presence of God with them.
• The people came to the tabernacle to meet with God.
• In the New Testament, the body of Jesus Christ was the physical symbol that God was with us on earth physically for 3 ? years.
• We come to Jesus Christ to meet God.
• =3= “…(and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

• The glory that John speaks of is the same as the Shekinah glory over the tabernacle in the form of a pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night. It was this physical manifestation that told the people of God’s presence on earth just as the body of Jesus Christ tells us of God’s presence on earth in the gospels.
• The only begotten of the Father is a phrase that refers to Jesus’ special relationship to God. He is the only begotten Son.
• Believers in Jesus Christ are sons of God but not the only begotten son.
• The word, begotten, means = uniquely born, and the one and only.
• Grace and Truth:
• Grace is a word that refers to a free gift given because of God’s loving kindness.
• Truth is a word that refers to a reality or the true genuine article.
• Summary and application:
• John the Baptist became the messenger of the Word of God, and Jesus Christ, the Word, became the message in the flesh.
• We learn in this lesson that:
• The Word of God is Jesus’ eternal name, and that Word became flesh when Jesus came to earth.
• Creation came into being by Jesus Christ and is sustained by Him.
• The Light is another name for Jesus Christ who gives us spiritual light about our sins and how to come to God, the Father through Jesus, the Son.
• Life is another name for Jesus Christ through whom we have life if we receive Christ by faith.
• How does this passage prove that Jesus is God and not just a god?
• The uniqueness of Jesus Christ is explained to us by John when he uses certain words that are packed with meaning.
• Word – the eternal nature and aspect of Jesus Christ as the Word make Him unique.
• Creator – Jesus Christ as the creator makes Him unique.
• Life – Jesus Christ as the only one who can bring true spiritual life to man certainly makes Him unique.
• Light – Jesus Christ as the only true light of God uniquely reveals the truth of the Word of God.
• Begotten – Jesus Christ as the only unique Son of God.

HOMEWORK
The Nature and Character of Jesus Christ — John 1:15-18
This is a self-study. Please do not send homework answers to the teacher for correction.

• Application of Joh 1:1-14
• Who have you decided is Jesus Christ?
• What do these verses tell you that a person should do about Jesus Christ?

• Preparation for Joh 1:15-18
• Read Joh 1:15-18
• John told us in verse 12 that we can become the sons of God. In verse 18 he tells us that Jesus is the only Son. How do you explain what John meant?
• What specific characteristics about Christ do you learn in this passage?
• What do you learn about the humanity and the deity of Christ from this passage?

• Memory verse: Joh 1:18