John Chapter One Part Two
John
Chapter One Part Two
The Word Made Flesh12But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. 14And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.15John testified about Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.'" 16For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. 17For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. 18No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him. |
As we continue the 1st Chapter of John from last week, we remember that Jesus was rejected by His own (v.11). The Jewish people rejected Jesus. In verse 12 we are told that someone else received Jesus or accepted Jesus.
Some questions about verse 12.
What is meant by:
(1) "born not of blood"
(2) "nor of the will of the flesh"
(3) "nor of the will of men"
Verse 12-13 is opposed to verse 11. In verse 11 Jesus was rejected by the Jewish nation. In verse 12 John tells us that those who receive Jesus are not of a particular blood line (Gentiles). And verse 13 gives us the same message. Physical linage has nothing to do with being a child of God.
Verse 14__"And the Logos became flesh and dwelt among us."
[A complete refutation of Gnostic beliefs. God really did appear on earth in the form of a human.]
The necessity of God becoming flesh!
God becoming incarnate accomplished: (1) It was now possible for Him to die. (2) He can now be touched with the feelings of our infirmities. (3) He has left us an example that we ought to follow His steps.
I. The word "dwelt" is an interesting word.
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σκηνόω (skēnoō, 4637), -ῶ; fut. σκηνώσω; 1 aor. ἐσκήνωσα; to fix one's tabernacle, have one's tabernacle, abide (or live) in a tabernacle (or tent), tabernacle, (often in Xen.; Dem. p. 1257, 6); God σκηνώσει ἐπ᾽ αὐτούς, will spread his tabernacle over them, so that they may dwell in safety and security under its cover and protection, Rev. vii. 15; univ. i. q. to dwell (Judg. v. 17): foll. by ἐν with a dat. of place, Rev. xii. 12; xiii. 6, (ἐν ταῖς οἰκίαις, Xen. an. 5, 5, 11); ἐν ἡμῖν, among us, Jn. i. 14; μιτά τινος, with one, Rev. xxi. 3; σύν τινι, to be one's tent-mate, Xen. Cyr. 6, 1, 49. [Comp.: ἐπι-, κατα- σκηνόω.]* |
II. As noted above, the Word (Jesus) became Flesh (human) and dwelt (tabernacled) among us. There are several implications by the use of the word "tabernacle."
1. The Tabernacle was a temporary appointment.
2. The Tabernacle was for use in the wilderness.
3. Outwardly, the Tabernacle was average humble, and unattractive in appearance.
4. The Tabernacle was God's dwelling place!
5. The Tabernacle was the place where God met with men.
6. The Tabernacle was the center of Israel's camp.
7. The Tabernacle was the place where the law was preserved.
8. The Tabernacle was the place where sacrifice was made.
9. The Tabernacle was the place where the priestly family was fed.
10. The Tabernacle was the place of worship.
III. In fact, the entire concept of the tabernacle versus the Temple is a theme in the Bible.
1. The tabernacle foreshadowed Christ in His first advent and the Temple looks forward to Christ at His second advent (The end of the second Temple was Judgment).
2. The tabernacle was first, historically; the Temple was not built until long afterward. Jesus came to establish the final kingdom.
3. The tabernacle was but a temporary erection; the temple was a permanent structure. Temple in heaven is eternal.
4. The tabernacle was erected by Moses the prophet, (which was the office Christ filled during His first advent); the temple was built by Solomon the king (which is the office Christ will fill at His second advent).
5. The tabernacle was used in the wilderness--speaking of Christ's humiliation; the temple was built in Jerusalem, the "city of the great King" (Matt. 5:35)--speaking of Christ's future glorification.
6. The numeral which figured most prominently in the tabernacle was five, which speaks of grace, and grace was what characterized the earthly ministry of Jesus at His first advent; but the leading numeral in the temple was twelve which speaks of government for Christ shall rule and reign as King of kings and Lord of Lords.
7. The tabernacle was unattractive in its externals--so when Christ was here before He was as "a root out of dry ground," but the temple was renowned for its outward magnificence--so Christ when He comes will return in Great Glory.
Verse 14, "We saw His glory, the glory of the Father."
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δόξα
(doxa 1391) |
1. First, "We beheld His glory" refers to His essential glory or Divine Perfections. That is: "The glory of the only begotten Father."
2. There seems to be a reference here to the official glory which was exhibited from the Holy Mount. See 2nd Peter 1:16.
3. There is also a reference to the moral glory or the perfections of the the God-man.
Verse 14, what is Grace and Truth?
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Grace χάρις
(charis 5485) |
We read about Grace above, now we read about "Truth"
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ἀλήθεια
(alētheia 225) |
Jesus being full of Grace and Truth is self explanatory if we define the words. Jesus met all the definitions of "grace" and all the definitions of "truth." Jesus brought God's favor to man.
Verse 15, Who was John the Baptist?
1. John the Baptist was the subject of OT Prophecy (Isa. 40).
2. His birth was due to direct and miraculous intervention of God (Lk. 1:7, 13).
3. He was filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb (Lk.1:15).
4. He was a man sent from God (Matt.3:3).
5. The Lord said of him, "Among them that are born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist (Matt. 11:11).
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The Testimony of John 19This is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent to him priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" 20And he confessed and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ." 21They asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" And he said, "I am not " "Are you the Prophet?" And he answered, "No." 22Then they said to him, "Who are you, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?" 23He said, "I am A VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, 'MAKE STRAIGHT THE WAY OF THE LORD,' as Isaiah the prophet said." 24Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. 25They asked him, and said to him, "Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the Christ or Elijah. |
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1. An Overview of John 1:19-34 |
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1. The Jews' inquiry of John, and his answers, 1:19-26. (1) "Who art thou?" Not the Christ; 19, 20 (2) "Art thou Elijah?" No; 21. (3) "Art thou that prophet?" No: 21 (4) "What sayest thou of thyself?" A "voice:" 22, 23. (5) "Why do you baptize?" To prepare the way for Christ: 24-26. 2. John's witness concerning Christ: 1:27. 3. Location of the Conference, 1:28. 4. John proclaims Christ as God's "lamb," 1:29. 5. The purpose of John's baptism, 1:30-31. 6. John tells of the Spirit descending on Christ at His baptism, and foretells that Christ shall baptize with the Spirit, 1:32, 33. 7. John owns Christ's Deity, 1:34 2. The leaders sent a deputation to inquire of John as to who he was and to inquire into his credentials. A. This is a group representing the Sanhedrin, largely controlled by the Pharisees, at the time of Christ. In the committee that was investigating John, there would have been Levites, and Sadducees. B. According to Lk. 3:15, the entire nation was on tiptoe because of John's powerful message.
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C. By sending the Levities, we can guess that the Pharisees and Sadducees were ready to engage John. No doubt he had been attacking the Doctors of Divinity of his day. |
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3. The Big Question: Who are you? A. John apparently had things upset in Jerusalem. They wanted to know if he was the Messiah. His answer was straight and to the point. NO! B. What a man John was. How many preachers today do we know who are willing to take a back seat and let Christ drive? |
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4. If you are not the Messiah, then you must be Elijah! A. The Jews had a tradition that Elijah was to come before the Messiah. This was probably based on Mal. 4:5. B. All matters disputed in the Jewish nation were put on hold anticipating the coming of Elijah who would settle all things. C. John's denial does not contradict Matt. 11:14 or 17:9-13, or Lk. 1:17 where we are told that John the Baptist is said to have come in the "spirit" and power of Elijah. |
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5. Well then, "Are you a Prophet?" A. Moses promised a Prophet like himself, Deut. 18:15. B. Moses was seen as the Great Deliverer. If this was a prophet like Moses, he was here to deliver. C. John himself was not even sure who Jesus was at times! |
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19Summoning two of his disciples, John sent them to the Lord, saying, "Are You the Expected One, or do we look for someone else?" Lk. 7:19 |
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6. And Now, John tells us who he is! A. John said that he was the voice of one crying in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Isaiah" (Isa. 1:23). B. Why did John not cry in the Temple, since that was the center of the religious world? (1) John did not cry in the Temple because God had left the Temple. Judaism was but a hollow shell. (2) John was sending a message about the bankruptcy of their religion. C. Why then was John in the wilderness? (1) The one who God sent was outside of religious circles of the day. Therefore, John cried in the wilderness and not in the Temple.
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7. An Important point about baptism is found here. Notice, "Why do you baptize if you are not the Chirst, nor Elijah or a Prophet?" A. Notice they did not ask John the purpose of baptism. They expected the Christ to baptize! B. Baptism was not a strange thing to them since baptism was already in practice among the Jews and usually called the "Mikvah" in the OT. C. See these pages for the history of Baptism or listen to a short movie on the Mikvah (click here)username:lane password:sylvia (Baptism in Paganism The Only way to God is through the Mikvah The Jewish Roots of Christian Baptism The Reality of the Micvah Baptism in the Dead Sea Scrolls Baptism in Modern Judaism Baptism before Augustine and total Depravity Baptism in the Early Church (200 A.D) Baptism in the Bible |
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Baptism performed by the Essenes, DEAD SEA SCROLLS TEXTS
A Baptismal Liturgy 4Q414 F.2 Col.1 (... And he shall) say (in response)"Blessed (are You, ...) The unclean for the festivals of (...) Your (...) and to make atonement for us (...to be) pure before you (...) in every matter (...) to purify oneself prior to (...) You made us (....) F.2 + 3. Col.2 And you shall cleanse him for Your holy statutes (..) for the first, the third and the sixth (...) in the truth of Your covenant (...) to cleanse oneself from uncleanness (...) and then he shall enter the water (...) And he shall say in response "Blessed are You (...) for from what comes out of Your mouth (...) men of impurity (...) F.10 Soul (...) he is (...) to Yourself as a pure people (...) And I also (...) the day which (...) in the times of purity (...) the Yahad. In Israel's pure food (...) and they shall dwell (...). And it will happen on that day (...) a female and she will give thanks (...) F.12 For You made me (...) Your will is that we cleanse ourselves before (...) and he established for himself a statute of atonement (...) and to be in righteous purity and he shall bathe in water and sprinkle upon (...) (...) And then they return from the water (...) cleansing His people in the waters of bathing (...) second time upon his station. And he shall say in response : "Blessed are You (...) (...) Your purification in Your glory (...) (...) eternally. And today (...). |
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26 John answered them saying, "I baptize in water, but among you stands One whom you do not know. 27 It is He who comes after me, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie." 28 These things took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing. |
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8. vv. 26-28, Notice John immersed with water. This point is made clearer later. A. The One who stands among them whom they do not know is Jesus. B. John takes no credit for himself. John steps out of the way so Jesus can shine. |
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28 These things took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing. 29 The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said,"Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! |
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9. Christ the Lamb A. Christ was presented as "The Lamb" instead of the "the king" or "the prophet" because it was this that Israel needed most. They would have welcomed Him on the throne as a king, but they must first accept Him on the altar as a sin sacrifice. B. But John Probably had the "Passover Lamb" in mind since "Passover" was near. (1) Since he was the son of a priest, John thought about the daily lamb that was offered (Ex. 29: 38-42). (2) Since John has already quoted from Isaiah, he must have been thinking of Isaiah 53. (3) But it really does not matter since Chirst was the anti-type for all three (1 Peter 1:19; Acts 8:32-35). (4) For those interested, you can read this article about the Passover Lamb and Exodus 12. (Click Here for Ex. 12)
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10.
It is exceedingly striking to observe the progressive order
followed by God in the teaching of Scripture concerning "the
Lamb." 1. In Gen. 4 we have the lamb typified in the firstlings of the flock slain by Abel in sacrifice. 2. We have the lamb prophesied in Gen. 22:8 where Abraham said to Isaac, "God will provide Himself a Lamb." 3. In Ex. 12 we have the Lamb slain and the blood applied. 4. In Isa. 53:7, we have the Lamb personified: here for the first time we learn that the Lamb was to be a man. 5. In John 1:29, we have the Lamb identified, learning who He was. 6. In Rev. 5, we have the Lamb magnified by the host of heaven. 7. In the final chapter of the Bible we have the Lamb glorified, seated on the eternal throne of God. 11. There are also these other thoughts suggested by the "Lamb of God. a. His moral perfection. b. His sinlessness. He was a lamb without spot or blemish. c. It tells of His gentleness. His voluntary offering of Himself to God on our behalf. d. His sacrifice. He was the Lamb who takes away the sins of the world.
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The Remainder of Verse 29 this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.30"This is He on behalf of whom I said, 'After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.' 31"I did not recognize Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing in water." 32John testified saying, "I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. 33"I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, 'He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon34"I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God. |
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12. What did John mean when he said that Jesus would baptize with the "Spirit?" A. Some in the charismatic movement claim that what is meant by this passage is the "John" was to baptize with water, but Jesus would not baptize with water but with the Holy Spirit. B. But of course this not what is meant by this passage at all. This is a prophecy of Acts chapter 2. C. We must remember that "baptize" is a manufactured word by early translators who insisted on infant baptism. The word is really "immersed." Thus, Jesus promised the Holy Spirit in Lk. 24:49. That Spirit was "poured out" or the apostles immersed in it in Acts chapter 2. D. This idea is reinforced if not proved by looking at Acts 11:16. |
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Acts 11:16,17 16"And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' 17"Therefore if God gave to them the same gift as He gave to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God's way?"
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E. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit was used by God to confirm His Word (Heb. 2:4ff). In this case, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit was used by God to confirm that salvation had come to the Gentiles. Since we have no modern apostles, and the Word of God has been delivered once in for all, the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit also ceased. Can we go beyond the Scriptures? |
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12. John the Baptist bore a seven-fold witness to the excellency of the One he heralded. 1. John testified to His pre-existence: "He was before me." 2. He testified to His Lordship. v.23. 3. He testified to His immeasurable superiority: "I am not worthy ot unloose" His "shoe's." 4. He testified to His sacrificial work: "Behold the Lamb" v. 29. 5. He testified to His moral perfections: " I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove and it abode on Him" v. 32. 6. He testified to His Divine right to baptize with the Holy Spirit, v. 33. 7. He testified to His Divine Son-ship, v. 34. |
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13. The Anointing Of Jesus A. In the OT, when one was anointed, it meant that individual was set apart for a special function in God's kingdom. In this case, it is Jesus being set apart. See Leviticus chapter 8 for the anointing of Aaron. B. See Hebrews 1:9 for the anointing of Jesus. |
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Jesus' Public Ministry, First Converts 35Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples, 36and he looked at Jesus as He walked, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!" 37The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. 38And Jesus turned and saw them following, and said to them, "What do you seek?" They said to Him, "Rabbi (which translated means Teacher), where are You staying?" 39He said to them, "Come, and you will see." So they came and saw where He was staying; and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. 40One of the two who heard John speak and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41He found first his own brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which translated means Christ). 42He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon the son of John; you shall be called Cephas" (which is translated Peter). 43The next day He purposed to go into Galilee, and He found Philip And Jesus said to him, "Follow Me." 44Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter. 45Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote--Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." 46Nathanael said to him, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." 47Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!" 48Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." 49Nathanael answered Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel." 50Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these." 51And He said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."
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14. An analysis of John 1:35-51. 1. John points to Christ as God's Lamb, 1:35, 36. 2. The effect of this on two of his disciples, 1:37. 3. Christ's searching question, the disciples' reply and communion with Christ 1:38, 39. 4. The effect of this on Andrew, 1:40-42. 5. Christ finds and calls Phillip to follow Him, 1:43, 44. 6. The effect of this on Philip, 1:45, 46. 7. The meeting between Christ and Nathanael, 1:47-51 |
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1. Verse 35, The Greatness of John the Baptist! A. Did he not know that once he pointed out the Messiah that his preaching career was over? B. One of the two disciples in verse 40 as Andrew. C. That leaves an unnamed disciple, probably John. |
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2. Verse 40-41 As soon as Andrew came to Christ he went at once and found his brother Simon and told Him of the good news of the Messiah and brought him to Jesus. |
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3. Since Verses 41-51 are narrative they will be commented on in the class. |
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4. What are the seven that bear witness to Christ's Deity in the Gospel of John?" |
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Answer The seven that bear witness in the gospel of John are: 1. John the Baptist (1:34) 2. Nathanael (1:49) 3. Peter (6:69) 4. Jesus Himself (10:36) 5. Martha (11:27) 6. Thomas (20:28) 7. John, the writer of this gospel (20:31)
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