Bible Reading
The Word became Flesh
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. 14 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. 15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
John the Baptist Denies Being the Messiah
19 Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.” 21 They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.” 22 Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’” 24 Now the Pharisees who had been sent 25 questioned him,“Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 “I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. 27 He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.” 28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
John Testifies About Jesus
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33 And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”
John’s Disciples Follow Jesus
35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” 37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning 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 they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon. 40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). 42 And 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).
Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael
43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 45 Philip 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. 47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” 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.” 49 Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.” 50 Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” 51 He then added, “Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’ the Son of Man.”
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. 14 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. 15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
John the Baptist Denies Being the Messiah
19 Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.” 21 They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.” 22 Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’” 24 Now the Pharisees who had been sent 25 questioned him,“Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 “I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. 27 He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.” 28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
John Testifies About Jesus
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33 And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”
John’s Disciples Follow Jesus
35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” 37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning 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 they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon. 40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). 42 And 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).
Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael
43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 45 Philip 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. 47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” 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.” 49 Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.” 50 Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” 51 He then added, “Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’ the Son of Man.”
Devotional
The Gospel of John opens with a passage that at first read sounds strange if you have no context. The very first verse on its own can even have most readers scratching their heads. John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. So many questions are raised; When was the beginning? Who or what is this Word? How can the Word be with God and also be God? Why is this being that is God called the Word? What does all of this mean!?
As we read on, we begin to gain clarity as to the answers of these questions. We allow scripture to interpret scripture, which, by the way, is how scripture is supposed to be interpreted. It’s almost like reading scripture like Sherlock Holmes would, with a magnifying glass looking for clues and evidence that help to unravel and answer the most pressing of mysteries and questions in order to fill in the missing pieces of the puzzle until we see a clear, whole picture. Just be sure not to deduce theories out of thin air!
John starts out by letting the reader know that when the beginning began, the Word was already there. The Word was not created and had no beginning Himself, because He was already there at the beginning. We later read in Vs 14 that this Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. It’s now clear that this greek word Logos, which is the word for Word, is referring to Jesus Christ Himself. With this in mind, it opens up a whole host of truths related to who Jesus is.
First of all, Jesus was there at the beginning. Many people are led to believe Jesus arrived on the scene in a manger in Bethlehem around the year 0, but that’s only the point when Jesus became flesh. Jesus was already around since the very beginning of time. Jesus was there at Creation, He was there all through the Old Testament, He is here with us now and He will be with us in heaven at the very end of time and for all eternity. That’s a comforting thought, knowing that the same Jesus who was so full of compassion that He gave his life for us is watching over us even now and for all eternity.
Not only was Jesus there in the beginning with God, but John makes a bold statement by declaring that Jesus was God. They were and are one and the same being. The significance of this would not be lost on the Jewish leaders, as well as greek philosophers and anyone else who had knowledge of Old Testament scripture. To refer to the God of the old testament as the Word was common. Even in Exodus 19:17 we see Moses bringing the people out of camp to meet, “The word of God”. Greek philosophers saw the “logos” as the power that puts sense into the world, making the world orderly instead of chaotic. The logos was the power that set the world in perfect order and kept it going in perfect order. With that in mind, we see that in one simple sentence, John brilliantly lays out who Jesus is to both Jews and Greeks and, in a word, says: “For centuries you’ve been talking, thinking, and writing about the Word (the logos). Now I will tell you who He is. The word is God, and that Word is Jesus.” John met both Jews and Greeks where they were at, and explained Jesus in terms they already would be familiar with and understand.
Not only that, but in just one simple sentence, John brilliantly sets forth one of the most basic foundations of our Christian faith - the Trinity. We need only to follow the logic of John to arrive where he was leading us. Follow along with this thought pattern: There is a Being known as the Word. This Being is God, because He is eternal (In the beginning). This Being is God, because He is plainly called God (the Word was God). At the same time, this Being does not encompass all that God is. God the Father is a distinct Person from the Word (the Word was with God). So, the Father and the Son (the Son is known here as the Word) are equally God, yet distinct in their Person. The Father is not the Son, and the Son is not the Father. Yet they are equally God, with God the Holy Spirit making one God in three Persons.
As we read on, we begin to gain clarity as to the answers of these questions. We allow scripture to interpret scripture, which, by the way, is how scripture is supposed to be interpreted. It’s almost like reading scripture like Sherlock Holmes would, with a magnifying glass looking for clues and evidence that help to unravel and answer the most pressing of mysteries and questions in order to fill in the missing pieces of the puzzle until we see a clear, whole picture. Just be sure not to deduce theories out of thin air!
John starts out by letting the reader know that when the beginning began, the Word was already there. The Word was not created and had no beginning Himself, because He was already there at the beginning. We later read in Vs 14 that this Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. It’s now clear that this greek word Logos, which is the word for Word, is referring to Jesus Christ Himself. With this in mind, it opens up a whole host of truths related to who Jesus is.
First of all, Jesus was there at the beginning. Many people are led to believe Jesus arrived on the scene in a manger in Bethlehem around the year 0, but that’s only the point when Jesus became flesh. Jesus was already around since the very beginning of time. Jesus was there at Creation, He was there all through the Old Testament, He is here with us now and He will be with us in heaven at the very end of time and for all eternity. That’s a comforting thought, knowing that the same Jesus who was so full of compassion that He gave his life for us is watching over us even now and for all eternity.
Not only was Jesus there in the beginning with God, but John makes a bold statement by declaring that Jesus was God. They were and are one and the same being. The significance of this would not be lost on the Jewish leaders, as well as greek philosophers and anyone else who had knowledge of Old Testament scripture. To refer to the God of the old testament as the Word was common. Even in Exodus 19:17 we see Moses bringing the people out of camp to meet, “The word of God”. Greek philosophers saw the “logos” as the power that puts sense into the world, making the world orderly instead of chaotic. The logos was the power that set the world in perfect order and kept it going in perfect order. With that in mind, we see that in one simple sentence, John brilliantly lays out who Jesus is to both Jews and Greeks and, in a word, says: “For centuries you’ve been talking, thinking, and writing about the Word (the logos). Now I will tell you who He is. The word is God, and that Word is Jesus.” John met both Jews and Greeks where they were at, and explained Jesus in terms they already would be familiar with and understand.
Not only that, but in just one simple sentence, John brilliantly sets forth one of the most basic foundations of our Christian faith - the Trinity. We need only to follow the logic of John to arrive where he was leading us. Follow along with this thought pattern: There is a Being known as the Word. This Being is God, because He is eternal (In the beginning). This Being is God, because He is plainly called God (the Word was God). At the same time, this Being does not encompass all that God is. God the Father is a distinct Person from the Word (the Word was with God). So, the Father and the Son (the Son is known here as the Word) are equally God, yet distinct in their Person. The Father is not the Son, and the Son is not the Father. Yet they are equally God, with God the Holy Spirit making one God in three Persons.