John

Chapter 1

(1) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word
was God

The phrase “In the beginning was the Word”

1. Refers to the incarnate Christ but speaks of His existence before the
Incarnation. The word beginning refers only to the time of creation, and
not referring to God as being created. A bible scholar by the name of
Williams says that “As speech reveals mind, so Jesus as the Word reveals
God. But t reveal God He must Himself be God, for only God could reveal
God
2. The “Word” means Eternal Logos- which is given to denote speech,
utterance, or word. Jesus as a man, never once stopped being God.
Therefore, He was still “The Word” through the Incarnation as well as
before the Incarnation. The Word or Logos, helps us to understand what
took place at creation, for what we see from scripture is word’s being
spoken by God, and there is such a power in those words, that it is best
grasped as “The Word”
3. Jesus was in the beginning & existed before creation. Neither did Jesus
come into being, for He was not made, for He has been and always shall
be existing

The phrase “And the Word was with God”

1. Expresses the idea of the Trinity. This tells us that Jesus i.e. The Word,
was ever-existing and that He had a personal existence for He was with
God and is God. This phrase is equivalent to saying “Was in relationship
with God” or “Stood over against”, in eternity. In other words, it means
having the same relation

The phrase “And the Word was God”

1. Does not mean that before the incarnation He was God, but ceased to be
God during the incarnation, but He was God before the incarnation & He
was God during the incarnation, & He is God after the incarnation. Christ
existed before the world began to exist, and this existence being a
personal one distinct from the Father, necessitated His personal Glory as
God, i.e. “Son of God”, and so being God, that relationship was in its nature
eternal

(2) The same was in the beginning with God

The word “The Same” is defined this way

 1. The same refers to the person who was in eternity with God. The Holy
Spirit emphasizes this description to show Christ eternal relationship as
the son with the Father
2. An important thing to remember is there is no evidence or indication that
the Logos or Word, was a second God or merely divine or God like, nor is
He described as proceeding out of or from God
3. He is said to be God in His nature and being

Here is an attempt to understand the Trinity:

1. Father is God but not 1st God
2. Son is God but not 2nd God
3. Holy Spirit is God but not 3rd God

There is only one God but manifested in 3 persons, God the Father, God the Son, and
God the Holy Spirit. As God they had no beginning and have no ending. As God they
are uncaused, unformed, and unmade. As God they always were and always shall be

(3) All things were made by Him and without Him was not any thing made that was
made

The phrase “All things were made by Him”

1. Tells us that all things came into being through Jesus Christ. He is the
source of all creation, and without Him nothing would exist.
2. The words “All Things” refers to every item of creation one by one.
Colossians 1:16 says “For by Him were all things created, that are in
Heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be
Thrones, or Dominions, or Principalities, or Powers. All things were
created by Him & for Him
3. The Word or Logos, is the instrument in which everything came into
being

The phrase “And without Him was not anything made that was made”

1. Says the same thing as the first phrase, but in the opposite manner. This is
done to emphasize Jesus as creator
2. The words “Without Him” mean that nothing came into being without
Him. This completely shoots down the theory that in the beginning
everything pertaining to the creation of the universe was held in a dot not
larger than the tip of a pen

(4) In Him was life, and the life was the light of men

The phrase “In Him was Life”

 1. Presents Jesus the Eternal Logos as the first cause. Creation & Life exists
in Him, which He manifested in the beginning. Everything that man
creates, ultimately is dependent upon the first cause i.e. Christ. An
example is when man created the airplane, he had to power that
invention by some type of source which comes from God, & that invention
is dependent on other laws established by God
2. The Life that is in Christ, comes solely from Him, and He is dependent
upon nothing
3. At the fall, man lost the “Life” that was imparted to him by God, and
therefore has nothing left but death. Man is born dying, as all things that
have life are dying.

The phrase “And the Life was the Light of men”

1. Proclaims the following things:
a. Before the fall Jesus was the Light of men which means there is no
other life or no other light.
b. When man fell from that Light Source, they fell into darkness because
there was no other life, and therefore there couldn’t be no other Light.
Life & Light are exclusively in Christ
c. When man lost the light at the fall, God set about immediately to
restore the Life man rejected. Life from God automatically results in
the Light from God
d. Life is in creation, and man seeks to worship the life that is found in
creation. This is why Paul said in his epistles “Professing themselves
to be wise, they became fools”, “And changed the glory of the
incorruptible God into an image made like unto corruptible man, and
to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things”. Paul also said
“Who changed the Truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served
the creature more than the creator who is blessed for ever Amen
(Romans 1:22-25)

The phrase “Light of men”

1. Light cannot be unless it is derived from the Life. Light represents
illumination, God’s power that illuminates upon His creation. Without the
proper Light, the life man has is death. Because man has rejected the Life,
the light he seeks to find, he is looking to other places, and the
illumination from those sources leads to blindness and darkness
2. This searching for light in other places goes all the way back to Genesis
when Satan told man a lie, and was successful in getting man to believe it.
Any light outside of God closes the persons eyes and they become blind

(5) And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehened it not

The phrase “And the Light shineth in darkness”

1. Speaks of the Incarnation of Christ, and His coming into this world. His
Light is derived from His Life, and His light drives out all darkness.

The phrase “And the darkness comprehended it not”

1. Actually can be read “apprehended it not”. The Greek word for
comprehended is kata-lam-bano means “to seize upon, to keep down or
under, to stop. This has reference to the fact that Satan did everything he
could to stop the Light from shining, but failed in his efforts. He did not
overcome the Word, but in Truth, the Word overcame him. This is why 1
John 3:8 reads “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He
might destroy the works of the devil”

(6) There was a man sent from God, whose name was John

The phrase “There was a man sent from God”

1. Speaks of the place and purpose of Johns mission. God sent him for one
reason, and one reason only “To prepare the way for the Logos”, and “To
present Him”
2. John was the last of the Old Testament Prophets, and the only one God
chose to present the Logos Incarnate. The prophets before him were to
only point man toward his future coming. The old testament prophets
pronounced “He is coming”, John pronounced “Behold the Lamb of God”
3. Because of this great privilege of being the one called by God to introduce
Christ, there would be no one greater born of a natural union between a
man and a woman greater than John
4. Why God chose John we are not told. But through foreknowledge of who
the person John would be, God knew he was the one to lead in
announcing the coming Messiah

The phrase “Whose name was John”

1. Refers to John the Baptist. John baptized many into the waters of the
River Jordan who responded to his preaching of the coming Messiah. He
called for the people of Israel to repent and to turn to God
wholeheartedly, as a preparation for the coming Messiah. Those who
accepted Johns call, were called to acknowledge their belief in the
message publically (Which is why John’s baptizing was done in public)
2. As John preached repentance, those who went into the waters to be
baptized acknowledged their sins and made a commitment to live
righteously. John strongly warned them in Luke 3:8 “Produce fruit in
keeping with repentance”
3. The ritual of water baptizing did not save them, in fact it had no merit on
their salvation. It is an ordinance or practice of the church to show
 outwardly what the blood does for man’s sin. The belief in Christ changes
the heart and life of the person, and the baptism is simply a testimony to
the inner sincerity of their hearts in belief in God’s Son Jesus Christ

(7) The same came for a witness to bear witness of the light that all men through
Him might believe

The phrase “The same came for a witness

1. Speaks of the mission of the prophet. The word witness means that John
not only proclaimed the Truth of his message, but the power of that truth.
His mission was to carry out what God called him to do. The manner in
which he conducted himself is as follow:
a. John lived almost as a recluse, having little fellowship with his fellow
countrymen. Israel at that time was too immersed in the things of this
world
b. His diet was very Spartan, containing as its basics wild locusts and
honey. It is believed he shunned the normal foods of that day because
Israel had become too immersed in a wordly rich lifestyle
c. His clothes was that of camel’s hair, with a leather girdle about his
waits. This type of clothing was only worn by the poor. The rich used
girdles of silk or linen, decorated with gold, silver, and precious
stones. His diet and dress portrayed the opposite of the rich lifestyle
of Israel, which had become consumed with the things of this world
d. His ministry was carried out mostly in the wilderness, which could be
seen as the spiritual state of Israel
e. His message was repentance (Matthew 3:2, Mal 4:5-6, Rev 11:3-12)
f. He came baptizing people in water, which was new to Israel and the
world, and not part of the Law of Moses, except for the washings
which had to do with the sacrifices. By baptizing, John was in effect
introducing the new covenanant, in that Jesus Christ is the sacrifice
that will forever wash away our sins

The phrase “To bear witness of the Light”

1. Means that he was not focused on bringing the attention to himself, but to
Christ. He lifted up Jesus, as all ministers of the Gospel should do

The phrase “That all men through Him might believe”

1. Presents Jesus not only for Israel, but for the entire world. To think that
Christ only came for Israel, is to deny the words “That all men”. The
words “Through Him” tells us that Salvation is exclusively by and through
Jesus Christ. “By Him” means that salvation is paid for because of Him.
The only wan man can see the Father, is they must come through Jesus
Christ
 2. All who are trying to reach God outside of Christ, will not be heard. Men
do not use rationale when it comes to the things of God, for men balk at
accepting Jesus Christ as the only way to the Father, because man wants
to originate his own salvation. This makes man feel important, and it
appeals and glorifies self-righteousness. Deception is the root cause as is
sin, for man is easily deceived

(8) He was not that light, but was sent to bear witness of that light

The phrase “He was not that Light”

1. Means that John the Baptist was not the Light. “Light of Men” has to mean
a higher source than man, for if John was to be the Light of Men, then that
means he would have been the savior of man which would have been
impossible. Fallen man cannot save fallen man from his sins.
2. Many men claim to have “Light”, but in fact have none at all. This
statement written by John goes much further than what we realize. It
speaks of anything man does, especially when it comes to things in the
church. The Pope & all priests have no biblical standing, for it is
impossible for man to be mediators between God and men. This goes the
same for any religious office that claims to be the “Light Source” for men

The phrase “But was sent to bear witness of that Light”

1. Presents all that man can do as far as it concerns The Light. Every
Christian should be a witness of the True Light which is Jesus Christ. Our
light that shines does not originate with us, but it originates with Christ.
Our light is a reflection of The Light, which is Jesus Christ. The only thing
we can do is “bear witness” of the Light

(9) That was the true light which lights every man that comes into the world

The phrase “That was the True Light”

1. Has reference to two things
a. Light in the Greek is Pho-ti-zo which means to enlighten. In the case of
the believer it is spiritual enlightenment. The Light alone shows the
true meaning of all things. If one excepts The Light, one has accepted
Jesus Christ. Conversly, to reject the Light is to reject Jesus Christ
b. True tells us that the evil one is constantly attempting to deceive man
into accepting a false light. The apostle Paul wrote “For Satan himself
is transformed into an angel of light” & “Therefore it is no great thing
if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness,
whose end shall be according to their works

The phrase “Which lights every man that comes into the world”

1. Tells us several things:
a. This true Light enlightens all men without distinction be they Jew or
Gentile and irrespective of race
b. This light is shown to every man on the Earth in some manner,
although much more to some than others
c. Romans 1:20 tells us that creation is a witness of that Light, which
bears the truth that creation must have a creator
d. No man on this Earth is left without some direct communication of
Light
e. The Light is constatntly coming into this world
f. The sacrifices in the old testament where types of Jesus Christ as a
continued way to reach God, and served as the Light. The Light was
further shined at the giving of the Law through Moses
g. The Light shinned through the Patriarchs and the Prophets, and Jesus
now lightens the whole world

(10) He was in the world and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him
not

The phrase “He was in the world”

1. Speaks of the Eternal Logos being in the world in and through His
Creation. (Romans 1:19-32). This also speaks of the Incarnation of Christ.

The phrase “And the world was made by Him”

1. Does not speak of the world as it now is, but rather the way it was prior to
the fall of man

The phrase “And the world knew Him not”

1. Means that the world as it currently is does not know God the Father, God
the Son, or God the Holy Spirit. The wisdom of the world cannot know
Him, for without proper Light which is Jesus Christ, it is impossible to
know God

(11) He came unto His own and His own received Him not

The phrase “He came unto His Own”

1. Refers to the world in general, but more specifically the Jews.

The phrase “And His Own received Him Not”

 1. Means that He came as the Heir unto His Own Possessions (Matthew
21:38), but His Own servants did not receive Him, instead they killed Him

(12) But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of
God, even to them that believe on His Name

The phrase “But as many as received Him”

1. Refers to two things:
a. Despite the rejection of His Own and the majority of the world, there
have been some and still are that have received Him
b. Those who truly receive Him do so as the Eternal Logos, the full
revelation of God

The phrase “To them gave He power to become the Sons of God”

1. Upon receiving Jesus as one’s Savior, by His Power and Authority, one
becomes a child of God. To believe upon Christ is to receive Him

The phrase “Even to them that believe on His Name”

1. Proclaims Him the Lord Jesus Christ as the author and developer of our
faith (Heb 12:2)
2. The name of Jesus means Savior, and Christ means anointed

(13) Which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man,
but of God

The phrase “Which were born not of blood”

1. Means that men become God’s children not by natural birth. It also refers
to the fact that no social status in life gains you salvation.

The phrase “Nor of the will of the flesh”

1. Refers to the will of the individual.

The phrase “Nor of the will of man”

1. Refers to the will of the religious man, and the will of the ordinances of
the religious man

The phrase “But of God”

1. Means that Salvation is not at all of man, but of God. Faith in Jesus Christ
is the criteria

(14) And the word was made 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

The phrase “And the Word was made flesh”

1. Refers to the incarnation. God the Eternal Word, became flesh in order
that man might be saved from his sins. For God to come down and
become man, shows a love which cannot be fully comprehended by man.
Christ will retain this “flesh” forever, albeit in Glorified Form. This made
Jesus, God’s Son, for sonship in connection with Christ always refers to
humanity never to Deity. He always was the Word, but not always flesh.
Even though He became flesh, He did not cease to be the Word
2. When Jesus became flesh, His moral glory brought back to humanity the
very image of God. Man departed from God and lost His image. The true
Image of God came to dwell with man, in order that the Holy Spirit could
dwell in man, that man might dwell in God

The phrase “And dwelt among us”

1. Refers to Jesus coming down from Heaven to dwell among men

The phrase “And we beheld His Glory”

1. Speaks of His Deity. Jesus Christ did not lose possession of His Deity, He
chose not to express or reveal Himself as God, but as the Savior or
Messiah of the world. He came as a servant, to carry out the plan of the
Father, which was redemption
2. His Glory was represented not only in who He was, but as well in what He
did. The healing of thousands was only showing a tiny part of His glory,
and so man was only able to get a small glimpse of His Glory
3. Beheld in the Greek is the-a-o-mai it means “a careful and deliberate
vision which interprets its object”. It is more than just seeing, but has the
idea in mind of an object, or able to view something that is tangible, an
attribute that one can see with the physical eyes

The phrase “The Glory as of the Only Begotten of the Father”

1. Presents Jesus Who is & was, and always will be “The Only Begotten Son
Of God”
2. Men will never be begotten or born in the same sense as Jesus was
(Matthew 1:18-25, Luke 1:34-35), for their sonship is on a different basis
– that of adoption, not an actual begetting and coming into existence
(Romans 8:15, 9:4, Gal 4:5, Eph 1:5)

The phrase “Full Of Grace and Truth”

1. Proclaims with the word Full His Deity, for only God is Full of Grace &
Truth
2. The glory in which He was seen was that of an only Son with the Father,
the one sole object of the Father’s delight. These are the two glories
displayed in these verses – His Glory as the Word who was with God in
Eternity, & His Glory on earth as the only Son of the Father

(15) John bare witness of Him, and cried, saying, this was He of whom I spake, He
that comes after me is preferred before me. For He was before me.

The phrase “John bare witness of Him”

1. Speaks of the essence of John’s ministry. John was raised up by God for
this purpose, and when this was done, his ministry was finished, and he
went home to be with the Lord.

The phrase “And cried saying, This was He of Whom I spake”

1. Concerns the ministry of John regarding the Person of Jesus, but speaks
more to John’s introduction of Christ when he baptized Jesus in water

The phrase “He that comes after me is preferred before me”

1. Testifies to the Eternity of Christ. John is testifying to the deity of Christ,
and what Christ would ultimately do for mankind
2. The word preferred is meaning “existed” and can be better understood
“He that comes after me existed before me”

The phrase “For He was before me”

1. Means that Jesus existed before John even though Jesus came after John in
the flesh. (Mat. 3:11, Lk. 3:16, Jn. 1:31-33)

(16) And of His fullness have all we received, and grace for grace

The phrase “And of His fullness have all we received”

Tells us two things

1. John has told us who Jesus is i.e. “The Eternal Word”, now he is telling us
what Jesus does. John is speaking of the grace and truth which alone can
be found in Christ, and everything that man needs is given in Christ
2. Christ is All in all. He is the provider of salvation, divine healing, baptism
in the Holy Spirit, etc. No one needs to look any other place apart from
Christ

The phrase “And grace for grace”

1. In the original text, it says Grace upon Grace. This is the provision of His
love that is given to supply the needs of all who accept Him as their Lord
and Savior.

(17) For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ

The phrase “For the Law was given by Moses”

1. Refers to it being given to the people i.e. Israel. The law was given to
Moses by God, and as such was and is Truth
2. The Hebrew word for Law is Torah, and it means to teach or instruct. The
law focused on how one should live (Deut. 4:5-8)

The phrase “But grace and truth came by Jesus Christ”

1. Proclaims Him as the representative law-keeper for all humanity that will
believe
2. The law was given, but Grace and Truth came. The Law manifested man –
full of wickedness; the Son manifest God – full of goodness
3. The law demands from man the Righteousness which he cannot provide,
Jesus is both grace and truth, and imputes Righteousness that man does
not deserve
4. Jesus Christ is both grace & truth, for if Grace were not in Him, He would
not be the Truth, and Christ gives Grace & Glory. When He came, Grace &
Truth came because He is Grace & Truth
5. Jesus Christ revealed the fullness of Grace

(18) No man has seen God at any time, the only begotten son, which is in the bosom
of the father, he has declared Him

The phrase “No man has seen God at anytime”

1. Could be better understood, “No man has ever comprehended or
experienced God at anytime in all His fullness, save the only Begotten
Son; He has declared Him”
2. The word seen not only means to see with the eyes, but it also means to
comprehend fully or understand clearly
3. God has been seen by men with the eyes many times (Gen 18:2, 33:32:24)
(Exodus 24:10, 33:11) (Josh. 5:13) (Isaiah Chapter 6) (Ezek. 1:26-28)
(Dan. 7:9-14, 10:5-6) (Acts 7:56-59), (Rev. 4:2-5, 5:1-7)

The phrase “The Only Begotten Son”

 1. Refers to Jesus Christ in the Incarnation,, who perfectly alone could
declare the Father

The phrase “Which is in the bosom of the Father”

1. Proclaims the most intimate and loving fellowship with the Father as the
Only Begotten

The phrase “He Has declared Him”

1. Means that the Incarnation was not only to provide a perfect sacrifice as
the sin-offerring, but to declare the Heavenly Father to man. This was
done in several ways:
a. Jesus is the personification or image of the Father (John 14:8-9). This
verse speaks of such a union, that they are of the same essence
b. Israel had known God by many names, but not as Father. God in a
sense was called Father (Deut. 32:6) in that He called Israel into being
a people
c. Jesus has declared that God has always intended for a deep intimate
relationship

(19) And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and levites from
Jerusalem to ask him, who are you?

The phrase “And this is the record of John”

1. Proclaims a part of his Ministry not mentioned by Matthew, Mark, or
Luke.

The question, “When the Jews sent Priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask
him, Who are You”

1. Was posed because there is said to have been a widespread impression
that John the Baptist could be the Christ. The ministry of John had
produced an excitement among the people not seen before. People
flocked to the side of John & his baptism

(20) And he confessed, and denied not, but confessed, I am not the Christ

The phrase “And he confessed, and denied not”

Has somewhat of a double meaning:

1. And he confessed – Means there was absolutely no hesitation in John’s
confession regarding who he actually was
 2. And denied not – John did not deny that some were calling him the Christ,
however, he did not encourage this, and in fact denied

The phrase “But confessed, I am not the Christ”

1. Says in the Greek “I for my part am not the Christ” and is said with emphasis
that he was not the Christ. John is saying that he knows another to be the
Christ

(21) And they asked him what then? Are you Elias? And he said I am not. Are you
that prophet? And he answered no

The question “And they asked him, what then? Are you Elias?

1. Is referring to Elijah the Tishbite. Malachi (4:5) had predicted the coming
again from Heaven of Elijah the prophet. It is believed that John the Baptist
came in the spirit and power of Elijah. What this means, is that John’s
ministry was like that of Elijah, preparing the generation for the Messiah.
2. John had attempted to get Israel ready for the Messiah, yet they would not
accept
3. Elijah will only come during the Great Tribulation, when Israel will be subject
to great opposition they have never seen before (Rev 11:3-13)
The phrase “And he said, I am not”

1. The Jews were not asking if he had come in the spirit and power of Elijah, but
rather he was the reincarnation of Elijah. They assumed this because of the
message John came preaching. Tradition said that Elijah would come back 3
days before the Messiah, and that he would come in the mountain’s of Israel
saying “O land of Israel, how long will you remain arid and desolate”
2. This is not something that is scriptural, and because John came with a
message resembling this belief, they assumed he was Elijah.
3. John repeatedly stated that he was not Elijah
The question “Are you that Prophet?”

1. Spoke of the prophet mentioned by Moses in Deuteronomy 18:15-18. This
was the Messiah predicted by Moses, and it is believed that the Jews
interpreted this passage to mean something else.
The phrase “And he answered no!”

1. Presents John’s answer to their question. John wanted them to know without
question, that he was not the Messiah
(22) Then said they unto him, who are you? That we may give an answer to them
that sent us. What do you say of yourself?

The question “Then said they unto him, Who are you?”

1. Pinpoints as they demanded, exactly who he is, and what is his mission. John
was the first prophet since Malachi (400 years had past)

The phrase “That we may give an answer to them that sent us”

1. Tells us that they were not seeking information about Truth, but they wanted
to use his answer to accuse him of something evil.
The question “What say you of yourself?”

1. They wanted to know what he claimed himself to be (a prophet, the messiah,
Elijah, etc)
(23) He said I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, make straight the way of
the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias

The phrase “He said I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness”

1. Is taken from Isaiah 40:3. Those who questioned John most likely were
familiar with this passage, and in fact should have known what it meant.
2. When John came preaching in the wilderness, they should have known it was
a fulfillment of this prophecy
3. The word voice has great significance in this passage. It denotes that John
was not the Messiah, but the one who spoke with a voice that introduced the
Messiah
The phrase “Make straight the Way of the Lord, as said the Prophet Esaias
(Isaiah)”

1. Proclaims his mission. Malachi proclaimed the same Message as spoken of by
Isaiah (Mal. 3:1)
2. Both the passages of Isaiah & Malachi point to the second advent of Christ,
when Elijah & Enoch will serve in the capacity of preparation
(24) And they which were sent were of the Pharisees

The Holy Spirit choosing of identifying those who are asking these questions
has great significance. This tells us where the opposition begins, and how it
will come against Christ. They did not love Christ, and would not love the one
who pointed to Christ

Jesus said two things about this opposition:
1. If the world hate you, you know that it hated me before it hated you (John
15:18)
2. If they have kept my saying, they keep yours also (John 15:20) – If men truly
love me, they will truly love you

(25) And they asked him and said unto him, why baptize you then if you be not that
Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?

The phrase “And they asked him, and said unto him”
1. Poses the framing of a question which in essence meant the same thing as
they would later ask Christ, “Tell us by what authority do you these things”,
Or who is he that gave you this authority? Luke 20:2

The question “Why baptize you then if you be not that Christ nor Elias, neither
that prophet?”
1. In effect is asking John for the source of his authority. The custom of
baptizing was done by what they called “ceremonial cleansing”. This was
done by an order of the Sanhedrin or before 3 Magistrates or doctors of the
Law. Because John did not adhere to this custom, they were angry that John
not only baptized without Jewish authority, but baptized Jews contrary to the
practice of the Pharisees
(26) John answered them saying, I baptized with water, but there stands one among
you whom you know not

The phrase “John answered them, saying I baptize with water”

1. Speaks of several things:
a. One they should have known what the scriptures said concerning him
and his ministry, and there was no reason to ask
b. The Lord calls men to do certain things, and He does not need
approval from man nor their religious hierarchy
c. The fruit of what John was doing should have shown them that his
efforts where ordained by God
d. They only spoke ill of John’s efforts because it was outside of their
religious ways
e. The baptism of Jesus by John was not done because of sin, but as a
portrayal of His death, burial, & resurrection. It symbolized the new
covenant
The phrase “But there stands one among you”

1. Points to their spiritual ignorance, in that they didn’t realize Christ was
among them
The phrase “Whom you know not”

1. Refers to the fact they did not know Christ because they were not serving the
one the claim to represent
(27) He it is who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am
not worthy to unloose

The phrase “He it is”

1. In effect says “The Messiah is already here, even though you do not know
Him, and He as stated is not me
The phrase “Who coming after me”

1. Refers to himself as the forerunner of introducing Christ
The phrase “Is preferred before me”

1. Means that John’s ministry was a prelude to the Ministry of Christ.
The phrase “Whose shoe’s latchet I am not worth to unloose”

1. Describes the comparison that John though a great prophet and the one who
was called to introduce Christ, still was not worthy to be in the same category
as Christ. This shows John’s humility
(28) These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing

Beth-abara was probably on the other side of the Jordan River not too far from
Jericho. It is believed to be the wilderness to which Jesus went after His
baptism.

(29) The Next day John seeing Jesus coming unto him, and said behold the lamb of
God which takes away the sin of the world

The phrase “The next day John seeing Jesus coming unto him”

1. Took place after the baptism of Jesus and the wilderness experience
a. The next day refers to the day after John had been questioned from
members of the Sanhedrin
b. John upon seeing Jesus coming toward him, is given a revelation by
the Holy Spirit. John saw something he did not see previously
The phrase “And said Behold the Lamb of God”
1. Proclaims Jesus as the sacrifice for sin, in fact the sin-offerring

The phrase “Which takes away the sin of the world”
1. The sins of all believers of the old testament (those who looked to the
coming Messiah as their deliver), were covered and not taken away. The
bible states in Heb 10:4, “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and
of goats should take away sins”
2. What this means is God looked upon those whose faith was in God as
being justified & righteous, even though their sins were not taken away.
Covered theologically means that the sins remained, but a payment was
soon coming to remove the sins. And because payment was coming, God
could call them justified & righteous even though the payment had not
been deposited
3. The sacrifices all pointed to Jesus Christ, before the Law & up until Christ
was offered up on the cross
4. Prior to calvary & the resurrection, all believers though saved, could not
enjoy all the fruits of their salvation (i.e. the Holy Spirit living on the
inside of us, victory over sin, etc), because Jesus had not yet been glorified
(John. 7:38-39)
5. Before Calvary, when believers died due to their sins not having been
taken away, but covered by the Atonement (which was brought about by
the sacrifice of certain innocent animals), they were not able to go to
Heaven, but rather to paradise (Luke 16). It seems that Elijah & Enoch
were granted entrance into Heaven. It is believed that they saw Christ
before His coming to Earth, and accepted Him & was granted entrance
into Heaven. Their ministry and purpose was different from those in their
times
6. Believers in the old testament could not be baptized in the Holy Spirit
even though they had the help of the Holy Spirit
7. When Jesus took away the sin of the world, Paradise was emptied and all
believers entered into the presence of God. All believers have their sins
taken away, and can in fact be baptized in the Holy Spirit
a. During the time of Cain & Abel the Lord demanded a sacrifice for each
person (Gen 4:4)
b. At the time of the deliverance from Egypt, it was a sacrifice for each
family (Ex. 12:3)
c. During the time of the Law, it was a sacrifice for the entire nation of
Israel (Great day of Atonement Lev. Chpt 16)
d. Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice for the entirety of the world
(30) This is he of whom I said after me comes a man which is preferred before me.
For he was before me

The phrase “This is He of Whom I said”

1. Proclaims John make a positive identification of the one who takes away
the sins of the world

The phrase “After me comes a Man which is preferred before me”

1. Proclaims a testimony affirming the actual humanity of Jesus Christ

The phrase “For He was before me”

1. Affirms His Deity. There should have been no question that the Jews
understood who Jesus was. The name “The Lamb Of God”, was a name
that was easily understood. Scripture was clear on the Messiah

(31) And I knew Him not, but that He should be made manifest to Israel, therefore
am I come baptizing with water

The phrase “And I knew Him not”

1. Does not mean that John was not acquainted with Jesus considering how
close Mary & Elizabeth were (Luke. 1:39-45). The Greek word used in the
scripture for cousin is “suggenes” which means countryman, not
necessarily a cousin in the sense of blood kin.
2. Zechariah & Elizabeth the parents of John the Baptist, were from the
Tribe of Levi, which Zechariah had to be in order to be a Priest. Joseph &
Mary were from the Tribe of Judah through David. That they were cousins
in the sense of blood relationship is possible but not likely. John meant
that up until this present revelation given by the Holy Spirit, which began
at the baptism of Jesus, and include the “Lamb of God Revelation”, he was
 not absolutely certain that Jesus was indeed the promised Messiah, even
though it was certain that his mother discussed the conception of Mary
(Luke 1:26-56)
3. It wasn’t until it was revealed to Him by the Holy Spirit, which at that
time left no doubt as to who Jesus was

The phrase “But that He should be made manifest to Israel”
1. Means that at a certain time, and not before, Jesus was to be introduced to
Israel as the Messiah

The phrase “Therefore am I come baptizing with water”
1. Proclaims that which the Holy Spirit told him to do (Matthew 3:13-17)

(32) And John bare record saying, I saw the spirit descending from heaven like a
dove, and it abode upon Him

The phrase “And John bare record”
1. Means that this is exactly what the Holy Spirit said would happen
concerning the identity of Jesus as the Messiah. There were 7 witnesses
which bare record of the Identity of the Messiah
a. The Father (John 5:30-38, 8:13-18)
b. The Son (John 5:17-27, 8:14, 18:37)
c. The Holy Spirit (John 15:26, 16:13-15)
d. The Written Word (John 1:45, 5:38, 45)
e. Divine Works (John 5:17, 36, 10:25, 14:11, 15:24)
f. John the Baptist (John 1:7, 32-34, 5:33-35)
g. Disciples (John 15:27, 19:35, 21:24)
The phrase “Saying I saw the Spirit descending from Heaven like a Dove”
1. Tells us several things
a. This is what the Holy Spirit said would happen and which would
identify the Messiah.
b. The revelation came from the throne of God. John saw the spirit which
tells us that the Holy Spirit can be seen in some form or fashion, and
that He has some type of Spirit body
 c. John is not saying the Holy Spirit looked like a Dove, but the manner in
which He descended looked like how a Dove would descend. John uses
this as a symbol to explain what he say. The Holy Spirit does have a
bodily shape, as expressed by John.
The phrase “And it abode upon Him”
1. Refers to the Holy Spirit. The Greek word for abode is “meno” it means
to abide, dwell, and remain. The coming of the Holy Spirit upon Him
signaled the beginning of His ministry.
2. Jesus in the incarnate state chose to limit himself around the limitations
of the human body. Therefore, even though He was God and never lost
His deity, He chose to lay aside the expression of His deity (He did not
exercise His powers as God), an take upon the form of flesh. By Him doing
this, He needed the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish the plan of
salvation
3. Nothing that is righteous can be done on this earth without the power of
the Holy Spirit

(33) And I knew Him not. But He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said
unto me, upon whom you shall see the spirit descending, and remaining on Him, the
same is he which baptizes with the Holy Ghost

The phrase “And I knew Him Not”
1. Is repeated for the second time to denote that John’s introduction of Jesus
Christ as the Messiah was not according to the flesh, but revelation from
God. No one can truly know Jesus unless He is revealed by the Holy Spirit

The phrase “But He that sent me to baptize with water”
1. Tells us that baptizing with water was something that was not known nor
practiced, but originated with God and brought to fruition through John
the Baptist. In other word’s, it was not John’s idea to baptize, but rather it
was God’s idea to baptize, and prior to John baptizing, this was not
practiced by Israel or any other person
2. This further angered the religious leaders of Israel, because baptizing
went against their religious practices, and John did this without their
approval

The phrase “The same said unto me, Upon Whom you shall see the Spirit
descending and remaining on Him”
1. This was to be the revelation from God which John was to heed to. Again
this was a revelation from God to John for Him to recognize who the
Messiah was.

The phrase “The same is He which baptizes with the Holy Spirit”
1. Proclaims what Jesus would do after His death & resurrection. No man
can say that Jesus is Jehovah (Lord), but by the Holy Spirit – 1 Cor.12:3).
Therefore, John nor anyone could have recognize Jesus as Lord until they
were illuminated by the Holy Spirit in order to recognize Jesus as Lord
(34) And I saw and bare record that this is the Son of God

The phrase “And I saw”
1. Presents the greatest testimony there is that of an eye-witness

The phrase “And bare record that this is the Son of God”
1. Is said by Revelation from God. This revelation is two-fold
a. John was an eye-witness
b. That which was done & seen was exactly what God told him it would
be
(35) Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples
At this time these two disciples were followers of John the Baptist. One was
Andrew, & the other possibly was John the writer of the book of John, 1, 2, 3
John, & Revelations
(36) And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he said, behold the lamb of God
The phrase “And looking upon Jesus as He walked”
1. Takes us back to verse 29 for both speak of the same event
The phrase “He said Behold the Lamb of God”
1. The name “Lamb of God” has reference to the purpose of the sacrifice. In
OT times, the blood of bulls, goats, rams, lambs, etc. was used as a type of
Christ. What this means, is that the practice of the sacrifice would be the
purpose of redemption. The shedding of blood so that the guilty could go
 free is what Jesus came to do. Therefore, John uses this language because
it would have be easy to understand the purpose of Jesus
(37) And the two disciples heard him speak and they followed Jesus

The phrase “And the two disciples heard him speak”
1. Refers to what John said about Jesus
The phrase “And they followed Jesus”
1. Means that Johns’ statement made such an impression upon them, that
they followed Jesus
(38) Then Jesus turned and saw them following and said unto them, what seek you?
They said unto Him, rabbi (Which is to say being interpreted, master), where dwells
you?
The question “Then Jesus turned, and saw them following and said unto them,
what seek you?”
1. Presents the first words spoken by Jesus in this Gospel
2. The words “Saw them following” according to the Greek text represents
an intense gaze that looked deep within
The question “They said unto Him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted,
Master) where dwell you?”
1. The disciples where asking this question because they wanted to know
where He lived. What they didn’t realize was that He was from a
dimension where no man can see, and the full answer to the question
exceeds all comprehension. His actual dwelling place was the throne of
God, with this event being the first time that God dwelled with man on
Earth
2. The explaining of the word “Rabbi”, shows us that this Gospel was
primarily written for the Gentiles
(39) He said unto them, come and see. They came and saw where He dwelt, and
abode with Him that day. For it was about the tenth hour
The phrase “He said unto them, come and see”
1. Presents His answer to their question. The did not realize the invitation of
Jesus was of a great magnitude that they could not have realized. The
invitation to come and see, would catapult them to a witness of His glory
that one cannot begin to imagine
 2. The 12 apostles will forever have their names inscribed in the
foundations of the New Jerusalem (rev. 21:14) & they will sit on thrones
judging the 12 tribes of Israel (Luke. 22:30)
The phrase “They came and saw where He dwelt”
1. Represented a place not very far from were He was baptized in the river
Jordan.
The phrase “And abode with Him that day, for it was about the tenth hour”
1. This is a verse that has been heavily debated. Normally the 10th hour
would have ben 4:00 p.m. in Jewish time, but it is believed John was using
Roman time rather than Jewish time. This would have put the time at
10:00 a.m.. The reason this is believed, because the verse remainder of
the verse says “And abode with Him that day” which implies more than
two or three hours
(40) One of the two which heard john speak and followed him, was Andrew, Simon
Peter’s brother
It is believed that John wrote this Gospel when he was about 90 years old.
Andrew and Peter had long passed away, and he is recalling the experience
the Holy Spirit marked upon him. The manner in which Andrew is addressed
as the brother of Simon Peter, tells us that Peter’s name was now recognized
greatly at the time of this writing, and well respected
(41) He first finds his own brother Simon, and said unto him, we have found the
Messias, Which is being interpreted the Christ
The phrase “He first finds his own brother Simon”
1. Presents Andrew first of all looking for his brother, and when he finds
him, he brings him to Jesus. Andrew at this moment in time, had believed
in Jesus for quite some time, and his efforts were not that of someone
who had just been converted
The phrase “And said unto him, we have found the Messias (Messiah), which is
being interpreted, the Christ”
1. Andrew and John the beloved overheard John the Baptist proclaim Jesus
as the “Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world”. All that John
had said, along with the moving of the Holy Spirit, no doubt testified that
Jesus Christ was the long awaited Messiah.
2. Christ means anointed, and is a synonym of the Messiah in the OT.
Anointed as it referred to the Messiah was first used by Hannah (1 Sam.
2:20, 35, Ps. 2:2, 45:7, Isa. 61:1, Dan. 9:25-26, Jn. 1:41, 4:25)

(42) And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, You are
Simon the son of Jona. You shall be called Cephas, which is by interpretation a stone

The phrase “And he brought him to Jesus”
1. Denotes him being excited to bring his brother before Jesus.
The phrase “And when Jesus beheld him”
1. Refers more to just an observation. The Greek word for beheld is emb-le-
po means “To earnestly look”. This word also has reference to the Greek
word blepo which means “An intent, earnest contemplation”. In other
words, Jesus was enabled by the Holy Spirit to look into the very soul of
Peter, seeing what he was and what He could make of him
The phrase “He said You are Simon the son of Jona”
1. The name Simon means Hearing, and means that Peter was named after
Simeon, the second son of Jacob and Leah (Gen. 29:32-33). In Biblical
cultures a name did more than identify, it communicated something of
essecnce, the character, or reputation of the person or thing being named.
The mother had the privilege of naming the child in Jewish cultures, and
whatever the name chosen, it was meant to convey what she wanted the
child to be, or what name she received from the Lord
The phrase “You shall be called Cephas, which is by interpretation a stone”
1. Proclaims the ability of Christ to change men both fundamentally &
characteristically, or rather re-create men. This new name given to Peter
signified what the Holy Spirit would make of Him. Even though this name
was given, he was not to bear it until he was deserving it. Jesus referred to
him as Simon (Mat 17:25, Mk. 14:37, Lk.22:31, Jn. 21-15-17) until the
appointed time that all would know him as Cephas. It is to be understood
when I say “until he was deserving”, it is not meant to say we can earn
salvation or righteousness, but it is in reference of a reward for serving
God and carrying out the call
2. Jacob was a perfect example of being called his birth name & his new
name by God interchangeably (Gen. 32:24-32)
3. The name Cephas in the Aramaic means stone. In the Greek it is Petros
which means a piece of a rock. In 1 Cor. 10:4, Jesus is referred to as a
“Petra”, which denotes a mass of rock. The rock on which Jesus spoke of
in Matt. 16:18 is Himself
(43) The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and find Philip and said
unto him, follow me
The phrase “The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee”
1. Seems to indicate that His journey from the place of His water baptism
and wilderness temptation, will now continue in Galilee. Luke said in 4:14
“And Jesus returned in the Power of the Spirit into Galilee, and there went
out a fame of Him through all the region round about”. The majority of His
ministry was carried out in this region, for Isaiah in 9:1-2 prophisesied of
His ministry in this region
The phrase “And find Philip and said unto him, follow Me”
1. Does not tell us the location of this event, but it probably occurred in
Galilee. Philip is placed 5th in order of the Apostles (Matt. 10:3, Mark.
3:18, Luke. 6:14). The only other reference to him is in Jn. 6:5, Jn. 12:21
(44) Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter
This town was located on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, on the east
of the Jordan river which flowed into the lake. It seems this had been the home
of Andrew and Peter before they moved to Capernaum about 6 miles away
(45) Philip found Nathanel, and said unto him, we have found Him, of whom Moses
in the Law, and the prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth the son of Joseph
The phrase “Philip found Nathanael”
1. Nathanael is also called Bartholomew. Philip’s action in finding Nathanael
shows that he had no doubt that Jesus was the one prophesied in the OT
The phrase “And said unto him, we have found Him, of Whom Moses in the
Law, and the Prophets did write”
1. Proclaims him as understanding what the word said regarding the
Messiah. Jesus as believed by Philip, met the criteria for the Messiah.
The phrase “Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of Joseph”
1. Says several things:
a. Jesus of Nazareth – Nazareth was not a place held of high repute by
Israel. Nazareth was very close to several main trade routes for easy
contact with the outside world. Because of its location, this brought
depise by the religious leaders of Israel. It was also thought that a
Roman Garrison was located nearby, which further increased their
dislike and hatred for Nazareth. This place was chosen by divine
providence, to show that Jesus did not come with the satisfying allure
 of the flesh, but He came with a message from God. Jesus also lived
with the stigma of His virgin Birth, and He did not have the approval
of the religious leaders of Israel (See Isa. 53:2)
b. Son of Joseph – Jesus was not really the son of Joseph due to the virgin
birth, but was referred to in that manner because he was in fact the
step son of Joseph
(46) And Nathanael said unto him, can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?
Philip said unto him, come and see
The question “And Nathanael said unto him, can there ay good thing come out
of Nazareth?
1. On the surface one can take this question as a bit of sarcasm. However, it
is possible that Nathanael was startled at the possibility of the Messiah
arriving. Philips proclamation that the Messiah was here, let alone from
Nazareth, given the history and the perception of Nazareth, garnered a
reaction from Nathanael that would have come from anyone.
2. Places carried much weight with the Jews of Jesus’ time. Each place was
linked with either a great biblical person, or event. Nazareth was not once
mentioned in the Old Testament, and therefore Nathanael could not
fathom something good coming from Nazareth
The phrase “Philip said unto him, come and see”
1. Proclaims the basic foundation of Christianity. One must come to see
Jesus for himself, for man can only proclaim His greatness and glory. Until
one comes to see for himself, and accept Christ as their Lord and Savior,
he cannot know who Jesus really is
2. There must be a revelation of Christ to the soul, which only comes by the
Holy Spirit
(47) Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, behold an Israelite indeed,
in whom is no guile!
The phrase “Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him”
1. Speaks of Jesus looking upon Nathanael coming towards Him and the
request of Philip.
The phrase “And said of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile”
1. This phrase does not say that Jesus said such to him, but of him. In other
words, Jesus did not say that this man was sinless, but he did say the man
was guileless, which means “to be without deceit”. It speaks of one who is
full and free in his confession, knowing himself, and sheltering himself
under no devices.
 2. The Publican was without guile when he cried “God be merciful to me a
sinner” – Luke. 18:13, & the Pharisee was in self-deception & guile when
he said “God I thank you that I am not as other men” – Luke. 18:11
3. Jesus calling Nathanael an “Israelite Indeed” is an accolade of the highest
order, for it means “Prince with God”
(48) Nathanael said unto Him, where do you know me? Jesus answered and said
unto him, before that Philip called you, when you was under the fig tree, I saw you
The question “Nathanael said unto Him, where do you know me?”
1. Proclaims the soon to be disciple startled at Jesus
The phrase “Jesus answered and said unto him, before that Philip called you,
when you was under the fig tree, I saw you”
1. Presents the man Christ Jesus operating under the power of the Holy
Spirit. This is an example of the gift of “The Word of Knowledge” in
operation. Jesus could have only seen him through the power of the Holy
Spirit. Even though Jesus was God and man on the earth, He operated as a
man, being filled with the Holy Spirit
(49) Nathanael answered and said unto Him, Rabbi, you are the son of God, you are
the king of Israel
The phrase “Nathanael answered and said unto Him”
1. Proclaims an answer that is a result of revelation.
The phrase “Rabbi, You are the Son of God, You are the King of Israel”
1. Presents Nathanael great confession. When he looked upon Jesus he saw
God
(50) Jesus answered and said unto him, because I said unto you I saw you under the
fig tree, believe you? You shall see greater things than these
The question “Jesus answered and said unto him, because I said unto you, I
saw you under the fig tree, believe you?”
1. Jesus has phrased this question to be answered with a yes. There was no
way that Jesus could have seen Nathanael under the tree unless He was
either there, or God
The phrase “You shall see greater things than these”
1. Tells us that faith begets faith If the Lord is believed greater things are
then given
(51) And He said unto him, verily, verily, I say unto you. Here after you shall see
heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the son of man
The phrase “And He said unto him, verily, verily, I say unto you”
1. The meaning of this phrase is “Nathanael shall see “Truth”, “Truth”
The phrase “Here after you shall see Heaven open”
1. Has to do with Jacobs dream (Gen. 28:11-13), and it being fulfilled in
Jesus, for He alone could open Heaven
The phrase “And the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of
Man”
1. Is what constantly happened while Jesus was on Earth. Angels ministered to
Him during the temptation (Mat. 4:11), at Gethsemane (Lk. 22:43), the resurrection
(Lk. 24:4)