# John 01 📖: The Word Became Flesh [[📚 Explore the Bible Books]] [[-John Overview]] | [[Luke 23]] | [[John 02]] > [!info] Table of Contents > [[#📜 Scripture Text (NET)]] > [[#📖 Verse-by-Verse Commentary]] > [[#🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights]] > [[#🧠 Chapter Summary]] > [[#✝️ Christ in This Chapter]] > [[#🔎 Key Observations / 🛟 Life Application]] > [[#💬 Discussion Questions]] > [[#✍️ Key Verses to Remember]] > [[#🔗 Related Passages]] > [[#🙏 Devotional Reflection]] > [[#📂 Internal Notes]] ## 📜 Scripture Text (NET) (The NET Bible: New English Translation. Biblical Studies Press, 2005) ### The Prologue to the Gospel **Principle**: Jesus is God from the beginning of time. [[#Verse 01.]] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was fully God.  [[#Verse 02.]] The Word was with God in the beginning.  [[#Verse 03.]] All things were created by him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created.  [[#Verse 04.]] _In him was life_, and the life was the light of mankind.  [[#Verse 05.]] And the light shines on in the darkness, but the darkness has not mastered it. [[#Verse 06.]] A man came, sent from God, whose name was John.  [[#Verse 07.]] He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that everyone might believe through him.  [[#Verse 08.]] He himself was not the light, but he came to testify about the light.  [[#Verse 09.]] The true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.  [[#Verse 10.]] He was in the world, and the world was created by him, but the world did not recognize him.  [[#Verse 11.]] He came to what was his own, but his own people did not receive him.  [[#Verse 12.]] But to all who have received him—those who believe in his name—he has given the right to become God’s children  [[#Verse 13.]] —children not born by human parents or by human desire or a husband’s decision, but by God. [[#Verse 14.]] Now the Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We saw his glory—the glory of the one and only, full of grace and truth, who came from the Father. [[#Verse 14]] Now the Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We saw his glory—the glory of the one and only, full of grace and truth, who came from the Father.  [[#Verse 15.]] John testified about him and shouted out, “This one was the one about whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is greater than I am, because he existed before me.’”  [[#Verse 16.]] For we have all received from his fullness one gracious gift after another.  [[#Verse 17.]] For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came about through Jesus Christ.  [[#Verse 18.]] No one has ever seen God. The only one, himself God, who is in closest fellowship with the Father, has made God known. ### The Testimony of John the Baptist **Principle**: Jesus is the greatest of all. [[M0016- John the Baptist]] [[#Verse 19.]] Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”  [[#Verse 20.]] He confessed—he did not deny but confessed—“I am not the Christ!”  [[#Verse 21.]] So they asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not!” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No!”  [[#Verse 22.]] Then they said to him, “Who are you? Tell us so that we can give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” [[#Verse 23.]] John said, “I am **_the voice of one shouting in the wilderness, ‘Make straight_** **_the way for the Lord,’_** as the prophet Isaiah said.” [[Isaiah 40]] [[#Verse 24.]] (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.)  [[#Verse 25.]] So they asked John, “Why then are you baptizing if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” [[#Verse 26.]] John answered them, “I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not recognize,  [[#Verse 27.]] who is coming after me. I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandal!”  [[#Verse 28.]] These things happened in Bethany across the Jordan River where John was baptizing. [[#Verse 29.]] On the next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!  [[#Verse 30.]] This is the one about whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who is greater than I am, because he existed before me.’  [[#Verse 31.]] I did not recognize him, but I came baptizing with water so that he could be revealed to Israel.” [[#Verse 32.]] Then John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending like a dove from heaven, and it remained on him.  [[#Verse 33.]] And I did not recognize him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining—this is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’  [[#Verse 34.]] I have both seen and testified that this man is the Chosen One of God.” [[#Verse 35.]] Again the next day John was standing there with two of his disciples.  [[#Verse 36.]] Gazing at Jesus as he walked by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”  [[#Verse 37.]] When John’s two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. [[#Verse 38.]] Jesus turned around and saw them following and said to them, “What do you want?” So they said to him, “Rabbi” (which is translated Teacher), “where are you staying?”  [[#Verse 39.]] Jesus answered, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. Now it was about four o’clock in the afternoon. ### Andrew’s Declaration **Principle**: Finding Jesus causes us to want to share Him with others. [[#Verse 40.]] Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two disciples who heard what John said and followed Jesus.  [[#Verse 41.]] He first found his own brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah!” (which is translated Christ).  [[#Verse 42.]] Andrew brought Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon, the son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter). ### The Calling of More Disciples **Principle**: Jesus sees you. [[#Verse 43.]] On the next day Jesus wanted to set out for Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” [[#Verse 44.]] (Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the town of Andrew and Peter.)  [[#Verse 45.]] Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the law, and the prophets also wrote about—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”  [[#Verse 46.]] Nathanael replied, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip replied, “Come and see.” [[#Verse 47.]] Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and exclaimed, “Look, a true Israelite _in_ _whom there is no deceit!_”  [[#Verse 48.]] Nathanael asked him, “How do you know me?” Jesus replied, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”  [[#Verse 49.]] Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel!”  [[#Verse 50.]] Jesus said to him, “Because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” [[#Verse 51.]] He continued, “I tell all of you the solemn truth—you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” ## 📖 Verse-by-Verse Commentary ###### Overall. ###### Verse 01. ###### Verse 02. ###### Verse 03. ###### Verse 04. ###### Verse 05. ###### Verse 06. ###### Verse 07. ###### Verse 08. ###### Verse 09. ###### Verse 10. ###### Verse 11. ###### Verse 12. ###### Verse 13. ###### Verse 14. ###### Verse 15. ###### Verse 16. ###### Verse 17. ###### Verse 18. ###### Verse 19. ###### Verse 20. ###### Verse 21. ###### Verse 22. ###### Verse 23. ###### Verse 24. ###### Verse 25. ###### Verse 26. ###### Verse 27. ###### Verse 28. ###### Verse 29. ###### Verse 30. ###### Verse 31. ###### Verse 32. ###### Verse 33. ###### Verse 34. ###### Verse 35. ###### Verse 36. ###### Verse 37. ###### Verse 38. ###### Verse 39. ###### Verse 40. ###### Verse 41. ###### Verse 42. ###### Verse 43. ###### Verse 44. ###### Verse 45. ###### Verse 46. ###### Verse 47. ###### Verse 48. ###### Verse 49. ###### Verse 50. ###### Verse 51. ## 🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights 1. "In the beginning" (1:1) deliberately echoes the first words of Genesis 1:1. 2. The Greek word for "Word" is *logos*. Greek thinkers used it for the reason that orders the universe, and Jewish readers would hear God's creative word that made all things (Psalm 33:6). 3. The verb for "took up residence" in 1:14 is related to the Greek word for a tent, recalling the tabernacle where God's glory dwelt among Israel. 4. The phrase "one and only" translates *monogenes*, which means unique or one of a kind. 5. In this Gospel, John the Baptist is never called "the Baptist." He is simply "John," a man sent from God (1:6). 6. John translates Aramaic words for his readers: Rabbi means Teacher (1:38), Messiah means Christ (1:41), and Cephas means Peter (1:42). 7. The two disciples met Jesus at "the tenth hour" (1:39). Counting from sunrise, that was about four in the afternoon. 8. Andrew, Peter, and Philip were all from the fishing town of Bethsaida on the Sea of Galilee (1:44). 9. Nathanael's question about Nazareth (1:46) reflects that it was a small, obscure village never mentioned in the Old Testament. 10. Jesus' words about angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man (1:51) recall Jacob's dream of the stairway at Bethel (Genesis 28:12). ## 🧠 Chapter Summary > [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way. ## ✝️ Christ in This Chapter Christ is the eternal Word who was with God and was God, and who became flesh to live among us (1:1, 14). He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (1:29; 1 Peter 1:18-19). ## 🔎 Key Observations / 🛟 Life Application > [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way. ## 💬 Discussion Questions 1. John says the Word was with God and was fully God (1:1). Why does it matter that Jesus is truly God and not only a great teacher? 2. John the Baptist kept pointing away from himself and toward Jesus (1:20-23, 29-30). How can we point people to Jesus instead of to ourselves? 3. Philip answered Nathanael's doubts with a simple invitation: "Come and see" (1:46). Who could you invite to come and see Jesus? ## ✍️ Key Verses to Remember - 📖 verses 1-3: The Word existed in the beginning, was with God, was God, and created all things. - 📖 verse 12: All who receive Jesus and believe in His name are given the right to become children of God. - 📖 verse 14: The Word became flesh and lived among us, full of grace and truth. - 📖 verse 29: John points to Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. ## 🔗 Related Passages - 🔗 [[Genesis 01#Verse 01.|Genesis 1:1]] - In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. - 🔗 [[Colossians 01#Verse 16.|Colossians 1:16]] - All things were created through the Son and for Him. - 🔗 [[Exodus 40#Verse 34.|Exodus 40:34]] - God's glory filled the tabernacle. - 🔗 [[Isaiah 40#Verse 03.|Isaiah 40:3]] - A voice crying out in the wilderness. - 🔗 [[Genesis 28#Verse 12.|Genesis 28:12]] - Jacob's stairway, fulfilled in the Son of Man (1:51). ## 🙏 Devotional Reflection 📝 SOAP: [[John 01 - SOAP|Come and See]] ## 📂 Internal Notes