CHAPTER I. PRELIMINARY NOTE. The reader who opens the Gospel of John at once notices. marked difference between it and the three preceding gospels. They begin with the times of Jesus Christ upon the earth, while the fourth carries the reader back to the unknown period that lies before the dawn of C... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WORD MADE FLESH. 1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. This sublime preface of John carries us back to the account given in Genesis of the beginning of all things, when, "In the beginning God made the heavens and the earth." The passage declares that... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SAME WAS IN THE BEGINNING WITH GOD. John reiterates. part of his first statement, partly for emphasis, and partly to bring out the thought that there is. real distinction between the Word and the Father. He labors to make clear two thoughts, that the Word was divine, God, and yet had an individu... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ALL THINGS WERE MADE BY HIM. Having affirmed the divine and uncreated nature of the Word, John next proceeds to tell of his relation to creation. All things, the world and all it contains, and the whole universe, were made by or through him. Paul declares (Hebrews 1:2), "Through him the worlds... [ Continue Reading ]
IN HIM WAS LIFE, AND THE LIFE WAS THE LIGHT OF MEN. Here is. grand affirmation. He is. fountain of life from whence life flows like. river. From him life flowed in the beginning. Man can construct the statue, but he cannot breathe it into existence. The Word could create the form and endow it with l... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LIGHT SHINETH IN DARKNESS. Now the apostle comes more plainly to the thought that Christ is the light of the world. He is the light that shineth in the darkness, has shone in it as the Word, and who continues to shine. The sun shines in the heavens, but bats and owls that hate the light hid... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE WAS. MAN SENT FROM GOD WHOSE NAME WAS JOHN. Having declared the pre-existence of Christ, the apostle now begins the history of the Word being made flesh and dwelling among men as the Light of the World. He first presents the messenger who preceded him and who came to bear witness of the Light... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SAME CAME FOR. WITNESS TO BEAR WITNESS OF THE LIGHT. John came, not so much as. reformer, as. witness. His work, as declared by Malachi, was to be. messenger to go before the Lord. In all his preaching he testified of Christ. When he preached repentance he declared the Kingdom was at hand. When... [ Continue Reading ]
HE WAS NOT THAT LIGHT, BUT WAS SENT TO BEAR WITNESS. An early heretical sect held that John the Baptist was the Messiah. The apostle is explicit in order to correct this error. It is said by the Savior, of the Baptist (John 5:35), that he was. shining light. It is well to keep in mind that the term... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT WAS THE TRUE LIGHT, WHICH LIGHTETH EVERY MAN THAT COMETH INTO WORLD. That was the _real_ light who enlightens all men. Christ is the universal light. The Revision reads, "There was the true light, even the light which lighteth every man, coming into the world." Grammatically, both in the Greek... [ Continue Reading ]
HE WAS IN THE WORLD, AND THE WORLD WAS MADE BY HIM, AND THE WORLD KNEW HIM NOT. John has just spoken of the personal coming of the Light of the world. Lest any one should forget that he was already in the world as the Word, he says that he was in the world and was its Creator, and had been in it fr... [ Continue Reading ]
HE CAME TO HIS OWN, AND HIS OWN RECEIVED HIM NOT. It is stated above that he _was_ in the world, from the beginning. Here it is stated that he _came,_ to his own, when he came to Judea as the son of Mary, and, therefore, of the Jewish race. This passage is full of pathos and is an epitome of the Sa... [ Continue Reading ]
TO AS MANY AS RECEIVED HIM, TO THEM GAVE HE POWER TO BECOME THE SONS OF GOD. The Revision reads, "Children of God," which is better. While the nation rejected him, some received him. To such as receive him in every age he gives power to become the children of God. The manner in which he is received... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO WERE BORN, NOT OF BLOOD, NOR BY THE WILL OF THE FLESH. The Jews prided themselves on being Abraham's children, and trusted in their blood for salvation. John declares that blood, or race, has nothing to do with becoming the children of God; nor has this new birth which makes one. child of God a... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH, AND DWELT AMONG US. The Word assumed. human form and became incarnate as the child of Mary. It did not merely manifest itself, but _dwelt_ among us for about thirty-three years. There was already. heretical sect, the Gnostics referred to in 2 John 1:7, who denied that C... [ Continue Reading ]
JOHN TESTIFIED OF HIM. Verse. declares that John came to testify of Christ and here the substance of his testimony is given. When he saw Jesus he cried, "This is he of whom. said, He that cometh after me is preferred before me because he was before me.... [ Continue Reading ]
OUT OF HIS FULNESS HAVE WE ALL RECEIVED. It is John, the apostle, who speaks. The thought refers to the two preceding verses. John had seen the glory of Christ, who was "full" of grace and truth, and the Baptist declares that Christ existed before he came into the world, and then John declares, "We... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LAW WAS GIVEN BY MOSES. It was not. system of grace, nor could it make men perfect; in contrast with it the system of _grace and truth_ (see verse 14) were given by Jesus Christ.... [ Continue Reading ]
NO MAN HATH SEEN GOD, with bodily eyes, but he was manifested as the Word and at last the "only begotten Son hath declared him." "He that hath seen me," said Christ, "hath seen the Father. The Father is in me and. in him." Christ came in human form, in order to reveal the Father to. race who knew hi... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THIS IS THE RECORD OF JOHN. The history now begins its sweep onward. All before is prefatory. The historian passes by the incidents connected with the birth of John and of Jesus, the early history, and even the account of John's preaching and the baptism of Christ, given in the other Gospels. H... [ Continue Reading ]
AM NOT THE CHRIST. The idea had already begun to receive currency that John might be the expected Christ. In his preaching recorded by Matthew he denied this with great emphasis and explained his relation to the Coming One. Here he is equally emphatic. The stress which the apostle here lays on this... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY ASKED HIM, WHAT THEN? ART THOU ELIAS? Malachi (Malachi 4:5) had declared that Elias would precede the Messiah. Hence when John denied that he was the Christ, the next question was whether he was Elias. He said that he was not; he was not the literal Elias whom they expected; nor is it certain... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO ART THOU? The conjectures are exhausted and they demand an explicit answer, that they may carry the information to "them that sent them," or to the Sanhedrim.... [ Continue Reading ]
AM THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS. John answers this question by quoting Isaiah 40:3, where the prophet describes his mission. The passage is applied to John, Matthew 3:3; Mark 1:2, and Luke 3:4. He sinks his own personality, and is simply the "voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make... [ Continue Reading ]
OF THE PHARISEES. The messengers were not only of the religious tribe, but of the strictest of Jewish sects. The Pharisees were far more attentive to external rites than any other class, and as the next question is concerning such. rite, the fact that they were Pharisees is noted.... [ Continue Reading ]
WHY BAPTIZEST THOU THEN? This question shows that John's baptism was, to them,. new rite. They could understand that Christ, or Elias, or "that prophet" might establish. new ordinance by the divine authority, but if John is none of these, why does he do so? Their perplexity shows that, in some way,... [ Continue Reading ]
BAPTIZE WITH WATER. The correct rendering is _in_ water, and the preposition _en_ is thus rendered by the American Committee of the Revisers, as well as by Canon Westcott of the Church of England and the most judicious scholars. Even in the Common Version, out of 2,660 times that _en_ occurs in the... [ Continue Reading ]
WHOSE SHOE'S LATCHET. AM NOT WORTHY TO UNLOOSE. The latchet was the thong by which the sandal was bound on the foot. To loose or fasten it was the work of. menial. The dignity of Christ was so exalted, that John counted himself unworthy even to attend to this office.... [ Continue Reading ]
THESE THINGS WERE DONE IN BETHABARA, BEYOND JORDAN, WHERE JOHN WAS BAPTIZING. The Revision substitutes Bethany for Bethabara. Both terms are found in the manuscripts, but Bethany has the better authority. The Bethany named was not the one near Jerusalem, but. village, whose site is not now known, o... [ Continue Reading ]
29. CHRIST'S MINISTRY BEGINS. At this point Jesus breaks suddenly in upon the narrative. The Fourth Gospel passes by all the details contained in the other three concerning the early life of the Savior; the miraculous conception, the birth at Bethlehem, the flight to Egypt, the return to Nazareth,... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS IS HE OF WHOM. SAID. In verse 27 the words he refers to are given. The One who will come after him in point of time, precedes him in eminence, for he was before him in existence. John might be first known on earth and older by human birth, but Christ had existed from eternity.... [ Continue Reading ]
KNEW HIM NOT. Knew not whom God had chosen as the Christ. He knew Jesus personally, but did not know he was the Christ until God pointed him out. THEREFORE AM. COME BAPTIZING WITH (in) WATER. His whole mission of preaching and baptizing was to prepare for and reveal the Christ. In his baptizing t... [ Continue Reading ]
JOHN BARE RECORD. Gave witness to the fact, either at this or some subsequent time. I SAW THE SPIRIT DESCENDING FROM HEAVEN LIKE. DOVE. See Matthew 3:16. At this time, as Jesus came up out of the water, the Spirit was seen descending in the form of. dove, and the voice of God was heard declaring,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND. KNEW HIM NOT. Knew not who was the Messiah. The Lord had however, given him. sign by which he could recognize him. Upon whomsoever the Spirit visibly descended and abode, the same would baptize in the Holy Spirit. The only one baptizing in the Holy Spirit is the Christ. The Spirit in its fulne... [ Continue Reading ]
AND. SAW AND BARE RECORD THAT THIS IS THE SON OF GOD. While the apostle does not give the history of the Savior's baptism, his allusions to it are very full and can only be understood by comparing them with the accounts given in the other Gospels. John "saw" all that is recorded by Matthew (3:13-17... [ Continue Reading ]
AGAIN THE THE NEXT DAY AFTER, JESUS STOOD, AND TWO OF HIS DISCIPLES. In verses 19-28, the account is given of the visit of the priests and Levites, sent by the Sanhedrim to John. "The next day" after this John sees Jesus and points him out as the Lamb of God, giving. discourse of which, in verses 29... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD! On the preceding day John had recognized Jesus in. public discourse as "the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world." Now he personally points the disciples to him. The lamb, throughout Old Testament times, was commonly used as. sin-offering (Leviticus 4:32), at th... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY FOLLOWED JESUS. As John intended, the two disciples at once left him and followed the footsteps of Jesus. They did not become _followers_ in the religious sense, but literally followed him, possibly from curiosity, possibly from. yearning desire to know more of the Lamb of God.... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS TURNED... AND SAITH, WHAT SEEK YE? Jesus does not ask this in order that he may know their object, but to open. conversation and to draw them out. Such was his custom; for example, see the conversation with the woman at Sychar (Chap. 4:10-16). The Christian teacher may find. valuable hint in... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY ABODE WITH HIM THAT DAY, FOR IT WAS ABOUT THE TENTH HOUR. The Jew commenced the hours with. A. M. and hence the tenth hour would be. P. M. As it was near the close of the day the disciples remained over night. The conversation of that evening is unrecorded, but the impression that it made upon... [ Continue Reading ]
ONE OF THE TWO... WAS ANDREW, SIMON PETER'S BROTHER. Andrew and his brother Simon were sons of Jonas, of the town of Bethsaida in Galilee, and were fishermen by trade. The description of Andrew as Peter's brother shows the importance assigned by John to the apostle who was to open the doors of the... [ Continue Reading ]
HE FIRST FINDETH HIS OWN BROTHER SIMON. Andrew sought and found Simon, before he sought anyone else. This is the true spirit. Unless one is ready to tell the joyful story to his own relatives and neighbors, we have. poor opinion of his zeal for the conversion of the Zulus or Congo negroes. Christ a... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU ART SIMON... THOU SHALT BE CALLED CEPHAS. There was no hesitation on the part of Peter to go at once to see him of whom Andrew spoke. He, also, as one of John's disciples, was waiting for the King. To his name Simon, Christ added another by which afterwards he was known. Cephas is Hebrew, and... [ Continue Reading ]
THE DAY FOLLOWING. The next day after Andrew brought Peter to Jesus. According to Meyer, the order of this interesting week is as follows: First day, John's conference with the priests and Levites (verses 19-28); second day, John's testimony of Jesus (29-34); third day, the two disciples pointed to... [ Continue Reading ]
PHILIP FINDETH NATHANAEL. As we learn from John 21:2, Nathanael, like Peter and Andrew, James and John, and Philip, was. Galilean, his home being at "Cana of Galilee." His name only occurs in these two places. He is supposed to have been one of the Twelve, the same one mentioned in the other Gospel... [ Continue Reading ]
NATHANAEL SAID... CAN THERE ANY GOOD THING COME OUT OF NAZARETH? The Jews of Jerusalem despised Galilee and scornfully rejected the Galilean teacher, while the rest of Galilee seems to have despised Nazareth. From the manner in which the mob thrust Jesus out of the synagogue and tried to kill him,... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD AN ISRAELITE INDEED, IN WHOM IS NO GUILE! The Savior salutes Nathanael with. tribute to his honest, guileless character. He was. true Israelite, without hypocrisy, worshiping God with sincere soul, according to the light he had received.... [ Continue Reading ]
WHENCE KNOWEST THOU ME? Nathanael, who had never met Jesus before, was surprised to hear himself spoken of as one known. WHEN THOU WAST UNDER THE FIG TREE. There was Something about this answer that filled Nathanael with astonishment. Under the shade and shelter of the fig tree he had had some ra... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU ART THE SON OF GOD; THE KING OF ISRAEL. Philip had said, "Jesus, the Son of Joseph," as he supposed, but Nathanael, convinced, declared him the Son of God. This is the first confession of the divinity of Jesus, and is the spirit, rather than the letter of Old Testament prophecy of the Messiah.... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU SHALT SEE GREATER THINGS THAN THESE. Nathanael, as. follower of Christ, did see greater things than the revelation of hidden knowledge that convinced him. So, too, if all believers faithfully use their present opportunities they shall have greater. There is. growth in grace and knowledge.... [ Continue Reading ]
YE SHALL SEE THE HEAVENS OPEN, AND THE ANGELS OF GOD ASCENDING. Jacob, old Israel, in his dream at Bethel, saw the ladder that reached to heaven with the angels upon it (Genesis 28:12). Christ is that ladder, the way from earth to heaven, the way heaven sends messages to the world and the way we mu... [ Continue Reading ]