John 1:1-33

John 1:1. In the beginning was the Word,

Christ the Word has existed from all eternity. He is the eternal Son of the eternal Father; he is really what Melchisedec was metaphorically, «having neither beginning of days, nor end of life.» «In the beginning was the Word,»

John 1:1. And the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

The Word was as truly God as the Father was God, and as the Spirit was God:» these three are one,» and ever have been one. «Very God of very God» is that Jesus whom we trust, and love, and adore.

John 1:2. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

The light of Christ shone many times amid the darkness that enshrouded the world before his coming to live here in the flesh, yet comparatively few recognized that light, and rejoiced in it. Christ's light shines more brightly now, but the dark, benighted soul of man perceives not the brightness of our spiritual Lord until the Holy Spirit works the mighty miracle of regeneration, and so gives sight to those who have been blind.

John 1:6. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

What a descent it is from «The Word of God» to the «man sent from God, whose name was John»! Jesus himself said concerning John, «Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist;» yet, from the greatest of prophets, what a climb it is to get up to Jesus Christ, the Son of God! « There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.»

John 1:7. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

That John could not do, he could only bear witness to Christ, the true Light, who alone is able to illuminate, in a larger or lesser degree, «every man that cometh into the world.»

John 1:10. He was in the world, and the world was made by him and the world knew him not.

Oh, what terrible estrangement sin has caused between God and man!

What dreadful ignorance sin has created in the human mind! The world was made by Christ, yet «the world knew him not.»

John 1:11. He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

To those who were chosen as «his own» out of all the nations upon the earth, to those to whom he was specially promised of old, to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to these Jesus came, yet they «received him not.»

John 1:12. But

This is a blessed «But.» Though Christ's own nation, the Jews, as a whole «received him not,» there was «a remnant according to the election of grace,» there were some who received him. «But»

John 1:12. As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

How came those persons to receive him when others rejected him? There must have been some great change wrought in them to make them different from the rest of their countrymen; and truly there was, for these were twice-born men,

John 1:13. Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

So that those who receive Christ, those who truly believe on Christ, are people who have been born, as others have not been born, by a new birth from heaven, a supernatural birth, so that they are a people set apart by themselves as those who have been twice created, first as human beings just like others, and then as new creatures in Christ Jesus.

John 1:14. 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. John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

There is no way of knowing God, and being reconciled to God, except as we receive Jesus Christ, his Son, into our hearts, and learn of him, through the Holy Spirit's teaching, all that he delights to reveal to us concerning his Father.

John 1:19. And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, What then Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No. Then said they unto him, who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? He said, I am the voice

Not the Word, but «the voice» by which the Word was to be made known:

«I am the voice»

John 1:23. Of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the lord, as said the prophet Esaias. And they which were sent were of the Pharisees. And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet? John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not, He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.

See the true humility of this faithful servant of Christ. He does not dream of putting his own name side by side with his Master's. The unloosing of shoe latchets was work for a slave to do, but if we are privileged to perform this work for Christ, it will make us as kings before him. To do anything for Christ, to have even a menial's place in his palace, is better than being an emperor among men. May we have the portion of those who are not ashamed to unloose the latchet of Christ's shoes!

John 1:28. These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordon, where John was baptizing. The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. And I knew him not:

«When first I saw him,»

John 1:31. But that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.

Since John's time, many others have borne similar testimony. We also have received him, and rejoice to say that he has baptized us with the Holy Ghost. All that John said of him is true, and much more than John said is also true. He is the Lamb of God, who has taken upon himself the sin of all who believe in him, and therefore he is able to save unto the uttermost all that come unto God by him. Oh, that all men would receive the testimony concerning him which we find in this blessed Book, and which we delight to repeat in his name!