Unpacking John 1: Seventeen Ways God Is Revealed in Chapter 1 of John’S Gospel

By Julie Guggino

Unpacking John 1 was conceived at my kitchen table. I had just finished an intense study the previous morning. Feeling somewhat aimless that morning, I said to myself, Its been a while since I studied one of the gospels. Guess Ill read John. Two-and-a-half years later I finished John 1.

The first chapter of Johns gospel starts in the beginning and concludes with a picture of heaven opening. That struck me as significant. As I explored what was contained between the beginning and the end, I was stunned to count seventeen themes in just that one chapter.

Unpacking John 1 is a topical study of the seventeen themes I discovered that morning while eating breakfast. As I wrote, I envisioned three primary audiences: people who were curious about the Bible and wanted an overview of some of its important themes; people who were interested in studying John 1; and pastors and teachers preparing to teach about Johns gospel, or any of the themes found in John 1.

What sets this book apart from other studies of John 1 is that the scriptures themselves become the commentary for the topics. Each theme is a chapter: Creation and the Word; Life, Light, and Darkness; John the Baptist and His Message; Children of God; Glory; The One and Only; Grace; Truth; Lamb of God; Baptism; The Holy Spirit; Following the Rabbi; The Messiah; The Law and the Prophets; The Son of God; The King of Israel; and Open Heaven.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jan 7, 2015
• ISBN: 9781490860329

Julie Guggino

Julie Guggino, MS, Family Studies, is Director of Research at Central Washington University. She studied at Northwest University for one year. Julie is an avid studier of the Bible, teaches adult Bible classes, and leads women’s groups. She is married to Joseph Guggino and has three children and six grandchildren.

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Copyright © 2015 Julie Guggino.

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ISBN: 978-1-4908-6031-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-6030-5 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-6032-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014920489

WestBow Press rev. date: 1/6/2015

Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1:    Creation and the Word

Chapter 2:    Life, Light, and Darkness

Chapter 3:    John the Baptist—His Role, His Message, His Baptism

Chapter 4:    Our Right to Become Children of God

Chapter 5:    Glory

Chapter 6:    The One and Only

Chapter 7:    Grace

Chapter 8:    Truth

Chapter 9:    The Lamb of God

Chapter 10:    Baptism

Chapter 11:    The Holy Spirit

Chapter 12:    Following the Rabbi

Chapter 13:    The Messiah, the Anointed One

Chapter 14:    The Law and the Prophets

Chapter 15:    The Son

Chapter 16:    King of Israel

Chapter 17:    Open Heaven

Appendix A:    John the Baptist: From Birth to Death

Notes

INTRODUCTION

T he first chapter of John’s gospel starts in the beginning and concludes with a picture of heaven opening and angels descending and ascending. That struck me as significant.

I envisioned the first and last verses acting as bookends for the chapter. With great curiosity I wondered what could possibly be in the middle of such grand themes as the beginning and the end. As I dug deeper into John 1, I realized the entire chapter was just as remarkable as the first and last verses. Much to my amazement, I discovered nearly everything a Christian needs to know is mentioned in the first chapter of John.

I hope you will join me in exploring the great themes of John 1. Like many of you, I had read John 1 dozens of times. But this time I saw it anew. It drew me like a magnet. I couldn’t put it down, nor could I get it out of my head. The more I read and studied, the deeper became the connection between John 1 and the rest of God’s Word and its relevance to my Christian journey.

Like well-known author Kay Arthur, I believe the Bible to be the best commentary on itself and have looked extensively throughout the Bible to bring increased light to John 1. Verses quoted are from The New International Version (2011). For reference, I used Zondervan NIV Exhaustive Concordance (1999) to help clarify and limit my search. For example, the word beginning is used ninety times in the NIV version of the Bible. But only thirty-one times in the Old Testament and thirteen times in the New Testament is it used to mean beginning, origin, first (Old Testament) or what is first, beginning (New Testament).¹

We will explore seventeen topics in depth that are mentioned in John 1, including grace, glory, baptism, the One and Only, the Spirit, and the Word. We will look at both Hebrew and Greek (Old Testament and New Testament) Scriptures to shed light on each of the topics.

As I read and studied the Scriptures while preparing this book, I found my own beliefs were challenged, sometimes changed, and often deepened or enriched by my studies. At times I was stunned by the amazing synergy contained in the Scriptures.

I pray that you, too, will be encouraged and challenged in your spiritual journey as you explore the great themes of John 1 with me.

CHAPTER 1

Creation and the Word

I n our discussion of creation and the Word, since John begins In the beginning, let us begin there as well: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1). Compare this to Genesis 1:1: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. I like to insert a pause after the word God when I read this passage: In the beginning God (pause) ... Doing so leads me to ponder God’s existence before creation and feebly try to wrap my finite brain around him as the uncreated God. I think this is what John is getting at as well - before creation, God and the Word were !

In the Beginning

God and the Word. John essentially tells us that God and the Word are one. In Philippians 2:6, Christ Jesus is described in this way: "Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage" (emphasis added). John also tells us the Word is with God, implying that they are two! God existed before he created the heavens and the earth, and John wants us to understand that the Word (Christ Jesus) also existed before creation and actively participated in creation.

John 1:3 states, Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. Later, in John 17:5, Jesus prayed, "And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began" (emphasis added). Other passages in the New Testament confirm and expound on their role in creation:

• First Corinthians 8:6: From God the Father came all things, and we live for him; from Jesus Christ came all things, and we live through him.

• Romans 1:36: All things are from him, through him, and to him.

• Colossians 1:16-17: He created all things and holds them together.

• Hebrews 1:2: Through the Son the universe was made.

• Hebrews 2:10: It was God who created all things and made our salvation perfect through Christ’s suffering.

Are you getting it? Jesus was God and was with God in the beginning! To make sure we understand it, verse two summarizes verse one: He [the Word] was with God in the beginning.

The Beginning and the Word. It is clear from the first two verses in John 1 that the beginning and the Word are inexplicably linked. Let us take a closer look at the first two verses by breaking them into four parts:

• In the beginning was the Word,

• and the Word was with God,

• and the Word was God.

• He [the Word] was with God in the beginning.

It reads like a logic puzzle!

Let us play with John 1:1-2 a bit more by breaking the verses into phrases. These two verses consist entirely of just six words or phrases repeated two or more times:

• in the beginning (two times)

• was (two times)

• the Word (four times)

• and (two times)

• was with (two times)

• God (three times – makes me think trinity)

Let us look at four of the phrases a bit more to underscore the relationship between God and the Word and the beginning that John is hoping we understand.

• In the beginning (a) was the Word, and (b) the Word was God.

• The Word (a) in the beginning was, (b) was with God, (c) was God, and (d) was with God in the beginning.

• If we think of was to mean equals, then (a) in the beginning = the Word, (b) the Word = God, and (c) not just once, but twice, the Word = with God."

• And we must not forget the seemingly insignificant and. If we think of and to mean plus, then the Word = in the beginning + with God + was God.

The Word

In addition to introducing the theme of the beginning and creation in verse one, John also introduces the Word. Goodrick and Kohlenberger tell us, ‘The Word’ is a title of Christ emphasizing his own deity and communication of who God is and what He is like.² In this verse, the Word is translated "logos" in the Greek. In Goodrick and Kohlenberger’s concordance, it is capitalized all three times it appears in verse one. Logos is only capitalized six of its 569 occurrences in the NIV version of the Bible, and three of those six times are in John 1:1! Let us look at the other three verses in which the Word ("logos") is capitalized:

• The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)

• That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched - this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. (1 John 1:1)

• He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. (Revelation 19:13)

We see in John 1:14 that the Word became flesh. Unlike Matthew, Mark, and Luke, the other three gospel writers, John does not mention Jesus’ birth in the context of his earthly mother, Mary. We know how Jesus came to earth from the other three gospels. John focuses instead on Jesus’ existence before the world was even created and his link to humanity by way of becoming like us - created in the flesh.

Jesus became human like us to redeem us for himself. Galatians 4:4-5 states, But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Other passages in the New Testament expound on the necessity for Jesus, the Word, logos, to become human, to be subject to physical death in order to secure our salvation. These passages tell us why Jesus came - to die for us.

• Philippians 2:7-8: Jesus became a man subject to death.

• Hebrews 2:17: In every way Jesus was a man. Because he is also God he could become our high priest and atone for our sins.

• First Timothy 3:16: Jesus appeared in human form and experienced humanity.

• Hebrews 2:14: Jesus consisted of flesh and blood.

Hark back to the phrase in Galatians 4:4 that states, when the set time had fully come God sent His Son. Jesus did not randomly appear on earth over two thousand years ago but came to us in accordance with God’s divine plan. Other Scriptures confirm God’s plan. John the Baptist declared that with Jesus’ advent the kingdom of God was near (Mark 1:15), and Paul wrote that Christ was sent at the perfect time for the purposes of God (Ephesians 1:9-10).

From before the beginning, God and the Word existed. I believe the Word, who the Scriptures proclaim Jesus to be, actively participated in creation. Then when the timing was perfect, according to God’s timetable, God’s Word became flesh and blood. The Word experienced infancy, childhood, adolescence, early adulthood, and eventually dying on a cross. Jesus became the perfect substitute on our behalf. He became a more perfect way for us to be in relationship with God.

CHAPTER 2

Life, Light, and Darkness

I n the Genesis account of creation, light, life, and darkness are central themes. On the first day, God created light and separated it from darkness (Genesis 1:3). On the fourth day, he separated day from night, to separate light from darkness (Genesis 1:14-19). On the third, fifth, and sixth days, he created life: vegetation for the land, living creatures for the waters, birds for the air, land animals, and finally, humans (Genesis 1:11-13, 20-28). These three - life, light, and darkness - are also prominent themes in John 1.

Life

After John describes the Word’s relationship to God and creation, he introduces us to life and light, declaring that Jesus was both life and light, and that His light shines in the darkness. This echoes creation’s theme of life and light emerging from or in spite of darkness: In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it (John 1:4-5).

The Greek word for life used in this passage is zoe, which means life, physical or spiritual.³ This form of the word life is used thirty-five times in the book of John. Let’s look closer at the ways in which zoe appears in John’s gospel: as life in himself, as the light of life, as life without him, as the Bread of Life, and as eternal life.

Life in Himself. John 5:26 expounds on the life in him mentioned in John 1:4-5: For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. In addition to life in the Father and the Son, the Spirit, too, has life: The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you - they are full of the Spirit and life (John 6:63). His very words breathe spirit and life into us. Clearly, the Father, the Son, and the Spirit are the source of life and are spoken of interchangeably in the creative process.

Light of Life. In John 8:12, Jesus promises the light of life to those who follow him. Not only is Jesus the light of life, but he is also the way and the truth (John 14:6). Furthermore, to those who believe, life is exchanged for death (John 5:24).

Later, Jesus proclaimed himself to be the resurrection and the life for those who believe in him (John 11:25). In addition, Jesus promises not just life, but life to the fullest (John 10:10).

Life without Him. John also speaks about those who reject the Son. The consequences for rejecting him are dire. Apart from him, true life escapes us.

• Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them. (John 3:36)

• You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life. (John 5:39-40)

• There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. (John 12:48)

The Bread of Life. Five times John specifically refers to Jesus as the Bread of Life. Let us take a closer look at the five passages in John’s gospel that link life to the Bread.

• For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. (John 6:33)

• I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. (John 6:35)

• I am the bread of life. (John 6:48)

• I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. (John 6:51)

• Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. (John 6:53)

Jesus as the Bread of Life can be a hard concept to grasp. How is Jesus like bread? And to what extent is he bread?

In ancient civilizations bread was often considered a staple, foundational food, supporting life often in the absence of other nutritional food. Bread comes in many forms - raised loaves, flat breads, crackers, tortillas, to name a few - and is made from a wide variety of grains, such as wheat, corn, oats, rye, millet, and barley. Bread is still considered a staple food in most of the world. It is typically widely available, and consumed by rich and poor alike. In the United States, for example, it’s not uncommon for bread to be eaten during all three meals - toasted for breakfast, made into a sandwich for lunch, and accompanying the dinner meal. In South American countries tortillas made from corn or wheat flour are typically eaten at every meal.

If bread is but a metaphor, then Jesus is foundational, staple, life-supporting, ubiquitous, and a satisfying delight. I believe the Living Bread is more than a metaphor. I responded to an altar call to accept Jesus as my Savior when I was seven years old, and my life was changed from that point forward. I can’t imagine life without him. He feeds me, gives me true life, and surrounds me with his presence. Without him my soul would be starved.

Eternal Life. Of the thirty-five times the word zoe is used in John’s gospel, seventeen times it is modified by the adjectives eternal or everlasting. The Greek word for eternal is an adjective used eighty-one times in the New Testament (aionios); sixty-three of those times it means eternal, long ago. Everlasting is used three times in the New Testament of which two times are the same Greek word used for eternal, aionios. One of those two times it appears is in John. Let’s take a closer look at the seventeen verses in John that speak about eternal and everlasting life. I know you will probably skip over these verses because there are so many of them - but even so my point will have been made: eternal life is promised to those who believe!

• John 3:15: All who believe in him have eternal life.

• John 3:16: Whoever believes in the Son will have eternal life.

• John 3:36: Whoever believes in the Son will have eternal life.

• John 4:14: Eternal life springs from the water Jesus provides.

• John 4:36: The reaper harvests a crop for eternal life.

• John 5:24: Whoever believes has eternal life.

• John 5:39-40: Studying the Scriptures doesn’t guarantee eternal life; coming to Jesus does.

• John 6:27: The Son provides food that results in eternal life.

• John 6:40: It is the Father’s will that those who believe in the Son will have eternal life.

• John 6:47: Believers inherit life everlasting.

• John 6:54: Whoever partakes of Jesus receives eternal life.

• John 6:68: He has given us the words that result in eternal life.

• John 10:28: Jesus gives us eternal life.

• John 12:25: Gaining eternal life is more important than an easy life.

• John 12:50: Jesus and the Father’s commands lead to eternal life.

• John 17:2: Jesus has the authority from God to give us eternal life.

• John 17:3: Eternal life is to know God and Jesus.

John is unequivocally clear: Jesus is the key to eternal life - life everlasting after physical death.

Until I studied these passages as a group, whenever I thought about eternal I thought of it as being in the future. But to the uncreated God, eternal is from the beginning, long ago. So when I leave this world and am ushered into the next, I am stepping into the beginning of eternity. It’s a challenging concept, but since God is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, even if I don’t fully grasp it, I get to be part of it!

Light

In addition to being introduced to life in John 1:4, we are introduced to the true light of the world. What do we know about light in this universe? We know light displaces darkness, and that just a little light displaces much darkness. We also know light is born from the expenditure of energy: the sun and stars, firelight, light bulbs, lightning.

What do we know about the light in John’s gospel? The Greek word for light, phos, is used seventy-three times in the New Testament. It means light, daylight, firelight.⁴ Altogether the word phos appears twenty-two times in sixteen verses in the book of John; six of those sixteen times phos appears in John 1:

• In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. (John 1:4)

• The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:5)

• He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. (John 1:7)

• He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. (John 1:8)

• The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. (John 1:9)

• This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. (John 3:19)

• Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. (John 3:20)

• But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God. (John 3:21)

• John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light. (John 5:35)

• I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. (John 8:12)

• While I am in the world, I am the light of the world. (John 9:5)

• Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light. (John 11:9)

• It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light. (John 11:10)

• You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever who walks in the dark does not know where they are going. (John 12:35)

• Believe in the light while you have the light so that you may become children