Day 69 – Monday, April 7, 2025

One Year Journey Through the New Testament

John 1

Welcome to our journey through the New Testament!

The Deity of Christ

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. 

(John 1:1–2, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• The book of John has many distinctions. It has the least in common (source-wise) with other gospels of any of the other three.
• John tends to speak of the power and deity of Christ more so than the other gospel writers. Many phrases and entire stories are told in John that do not appear in the other gospels. He started fresh, without reaching out to other sources for His background.
• He starts with a statement that reaches back before the creation of the earth, and establishes Jesus as God from the very beginning. The verse speaks for itself, but it does establish Jesus’ eternity, His relationship in the Godhead, and His actual deity.

The Preincarnate Work of Christ

³ All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. ⁴ In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. ⁵ And the light shined in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. 

(John 1:3–5, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• John then speaks to Jesus’ role in creation, showing Him as essential to the process.
• He says that life and light initiate in Christ.
• He said that the light shined in the lives of all men, but the darkness could not understand it.

The Forerunner of Christ

⁶ There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷ This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. ⁸ He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 

(John 1:6–8, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• He then identifies John the Baptist. He describes him as a witness, bearing witness of the light so that men could believe and be saved.
• He makes it clear that he is not the Light, but simple the bearer of the light.

The Rejection of Christ

⁹ That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.

¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. ¹¹ He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 

(John 1:9–11, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• He then establishes the idea that Jesus was the true Light, and the source of all light upon mankind.
• He further decries the shame that although the Light (Jesus Christ) was in the world, and was the maker of the world, the world did not recognize Him fully.
• Even His own people, called and redeemed by Him, did not receive Him.

The Acceptance of Christ

¹² But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: ¹³ who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 

(John 1:12–13, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• But… those who received Him were given the right of sonship, to be children of God.
• They were born again, not buy flesh or man, but of God.

The Incarnation of Christ

¹⁴ And the Word became 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.

¹⁵ John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ ”

¹⁶ And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. ¹⁷ For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. 

(John 1:14–18, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• John’s story of the incarnation is less historical and more conceptual. He speaks of the Word becoming flesh and living among men. We had the opportunity to see His glory, albeit veiled, as of the Son of God.
• He recounts his own witness of Jesus as the one who comes after John, but Who was preferred before John.
• John speaks of the blessing of Jesus’ appearing, that of grace and truth. Although no one has seen the Father, the Son truly and deeply declared the Father to this world.

John’s Witness to the Priests and Levites

Matt. 3:1-12; Mark 1:2-8; Luke 3:3-16

¹⁹ Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”

²⁰ He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.”

²¹ And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?”

He said, “I am not.”

“Are you the Prophet?”

And he answered, “No.”

²² Then they said to him, “Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?”

²³ He said: “I am

‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

“Make straight the way of the Lord,” ’

as the prophet Isaiah said.”

²⁴ Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees. ²⁵ And they asked him, saying, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”

²⁶ John answered them, saying, “I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know. ²⁷ It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.”

²⁸ These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing. 

(John 1:19–28, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• When the Jews asked John who he was, he quickly told them that he was not the Christ.
• They asked if he was Elijah. He said he was not. The Prophet? No. Then who are you?
• The voice crying in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord.
• They questioned him about his baptism, He told them that his baptism was in water, but that the One coming they did not know, but is much greater than John. John was baptizing near the Jordan at this time.

John’s Witness at Christ’s Baptism

Matt. 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21, 22

²⁹ The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! ³⁰ This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ ³¹ I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.”

³² And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. ³³ I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ ³⁴ And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.” 

(John 1:29–34, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• The very next day, John saw Jesus coming to him. He declared that Jesus was the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, and that He was the one of whom John spoke, Who would come after him.
• John recorded that when John the Baptist saw Jesus as the Spirit descended on Him like a dove, and John said that this was the one Who would baptize with the Holy Spirit.
• Jesus was now identified by John in the Biblical record as the Son of God.

Andrew and Peter Follow Christ

³⁵ Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. ³⁶ And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God!”

³⁷ The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. ³⁸ Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, “What do you seek?”

They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), “where are You staying?”

³⁹ He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).

⁴⁰ One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. ⁴¹ He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated, the Christ). ⁴² And he brought him to Jesus.

Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is translated, A Stone). 

(John 1:35–42, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• The next day, John again declared Jesus to be the Lamb of God. Two of John’s disciples were present, and they followed Jesus. Jesus asked what they wanted and they simply asked where He was staying. They stayed with Him all that day.
• Andrew first heard of Jesus, and then found his brother, Peter, and told him they had found the Messiah. He brought Peter to Jesus.
• Jesus told Simon Peter right away that his name would not be Cephas, or “A Stone.” Thus he was known as Peter.

Philip and Nathanael Follow Christ

⁴³ The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, “Follow Me.” ⁴⁴ Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. ⁴⁵ Philip 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.”

⁴⁶ And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”

Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

⁴⁷ Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!”

⁴⁸ Nathanael 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.”

⁴⁹ Nathanael answered and said to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”

⁵⁰ Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” ⁵¹ And He said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.” 

(John 1:43–51, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• And then on the very next day (Jesus started strong), He called Philip, and Philip found Nathanael. Nathanael at first mocked that Jesus was from Nazareth, but when he met Jesus face to face, Jesus told him where he was sitting when Philip told him about Jesus.
• Nathanael was convinced, and called Him the Son of God.
• Jesus basically told him that he had see nothing yet of what Jesus would do. He would literally see the angels of God descending to assist Jesus in anything He would do.
• John shows Jesus to be the Son of God. He leaves no room for equivocation. John shows us the power and presence of God on earth. John made sure that we knew the score.

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All Scriptures from New King James Version unless otherwise noted.

Join us this afternoon at 5:00 pm for a discussion of this chapter live online. Live@5 with Dr. Greg Sloop can be found on Facebook on the Dr. Greg Sloop page or on the Kannapolis Church of God Facebook page or Youtube page. Another blog will be posted each weekday at 6:00 a.m.