John 1:1-18

Time written/Date
1. The Gospel of John was written sometime between 50-100 AD

Authorship
1. The author was John, one of Jesus’ original twelve apostles
2. He identified himself in the book only as, “The disciple whom Jesus loved.”
3. (John 21:20, 24) John was a son of a fisherman from Galilee named Zebedee.
4. He was the younger brother of another apostle named James. The brothers were also known as
the “sons of thunder.”
5. John had an especially close relationship with Jesus and was included in the “inner circle.” John
was seated next to the Lord at the Last Supper.

Purpose
"Many other signs, therefore, Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are
not written in this book; but these have been written that you may believe Jesus is the Christ,
the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name." John 20:30, 31.

Emphasis:
When the Gospel of John is compared with the other three gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke),
the emphasis is clearly different. John does not include Jesus' genealogy, birth, baptism,
temptations, casting out of demons, parables, transfiguration, the Lord's Supper, His agony in
Gethsemane or His ascension. John does stress the ministry of Jesus in Jerusalem, the feasts of
the Jewish nation, Jesus' private conversations with individuals and His ministry to His disciples.

Themes:
Deity and Humanity, "He Dwelt Among Us" is the wonderful message of this gospel. God was
manifest in the flesh. God became a man, lived in a body and walked on the earth. Jesus was
fully God and fully man.

The key word in the Gospel of John is "believe," which occurs 98 times. John wanted to stress an
active, continuous and vital trust in Jesus.

OBSERVATION:
What does it say?

1. The Word v1 & 2

- In the beginning was the Word
- He was in the beginning with God
- the Word was with God
- The Word was God
- Word - G3056 λόγος masculine noun
In John, denotes the essential Word of God, Jesus Christ,
the personal wisdom and power in union with God, his minister in
creation and government of the universe, the cause of all the world's
life both physical and ethical, which for the procurement of man's
salvation put on human nature in the person of Jesus the Messiah,
the second person in the Godhead, and shone forth conspicuously
from His words and deeds.

2. Light & Life v3, v4, v5

- All things came into being through Him (Word)
- In Him (Word) was Life, and the life was the Light of men
- The Light shine in the Darkness
 3. Witness to Testify v6, v7, v8
- John (John the Baptist, son of Zacharias & Elizabeth) a man sent from God
- He came as a witness and to testify about the Light
- He was not the Light
4. His coming, Unaccepted & unrecognized v9-11
- the true Light which coming into the world
- and world did not know Him
- those who were His own did not receive Him
5. God’s will
- the right to become His children by His will
- those who will receive Him
- those who will believe in His name
6. Dwelt among us, full of grace & truth v14-18
- the Word became flesh and dwelt among us
- Full of Grace and Truth that were realized through Jesus Christ.

INTERPRETATION:

The Word who was in the beginning, and was with God, and He is God. He became flesh
who dwelt among us and He is Jesus Christ, full of Grace and Truth, who gave the right to
become His children to those who will receive and believe His name. This is the will of God.

Application:

Because I have received and believed in Jesus Christ, I have been given the right to become His
Children, by His Grace and Truth, and by the will of God.