Jn. 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. Jesus (the Word that was made Flesh) states Himself that He was with the Father before the world was. 1Jo 5:7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. The Bible records for us that the Trinity consists of the Father, the Word and the Holy Ghost, rightly replacing the word ‘Son’ with ‘Word’. To try to eliminate this verse would be to try to eliminate the deity of Christ and the cross reference to John 1:1. Re 19:13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. When Jesus Christ comes back in Rev. 19 He is known by the name ‘the Word of God’. There can be no doubt to the regenerate mind that the Word is Jesus Christ.
1:2 The same was in the beginning with God. This verse reiterates the truth stated above. Jesus Christ was not created, but is God and was present in the creation of the world.
1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. Those who believe that Jesus Christ was a ‘good man’, or even a ‘great teacher’, have seriously understated the truth. If it weren’t for Jesus Christ, nothing would even exist. He is not only the Saviour of the world, but the world’s creator as well. How great a truth this is considering that an Omnipotent Creator would humble Himself in order to redeem a fallen and corrupt creation, even to suffer shame and reproach and the weight of sin and death at the very hands of this wicked creation! Eph 3:1-9; vs. 9“ And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:” Paul had a revelation from God about the “mystery of Christ” concerning the “dispensation of grace”. He was to preach “the unsearchable riches of Christ” and to make all men see the fellowship of the mystery which, according to verse 9 included the fact that God created all things by Jesus Christ. To further explain this revelation that was given to Paul concerning Jesus Christ we have recorded in Col 1:15-17 “Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 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, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.” Christ is the image of the invisible God and He created all things by Jesus Christ just as it was stated in Ephesians. Paul goes further hear to reveal that not only were all things created by Him, but also for Him. As the verse shows, He didn’t just create all things and leave them be, He is the reason things stay together “by him all things consist”. The Bible goes further and tells us in Heb 1:2 that He is heir of all the things that were created by Him. “Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;” God had a plan for creating all things by Christ and that was to give Him glory, honor, power and pleasure. Re 4:11 “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”
1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. This is the first reference concerning the life that was ‘in’ Christ. To the outward observer this would be physical life as there is no difference to an unsaved man. The natural man cannot receive the things of the Spirit, therefore no thought is given to spiritual life. The life spoken of here is not the breathing, flesh and blood body of the Lord Jesus, but the spiritual life he came in order to impart to lost and sinful man. Jn. 5:26 “For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;” This life was generated by the Father, who gave the Son (see John 3:16 God…gave). This life was not only spiritual, but was also the light of men. An unregenerate man walks in darkness and there is no life in him. This spiritual life also gives spiritual light. It is the illumination to see the spiritual things of God that are hidden to the natural man in darkness. Jn. 8:12 “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” See also Jn. 9:5, 12:35, 46. 1Jo 5:11 “ And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” The eternal life that God gave us is in His Son, and if you have the Son then you have life (spiritual). If you don’t have the Son, you don’t have spiritual life (obviously man has physical life without the Son). We can know that we have this life because of the things written in the Bible (1 Jo. 5:13).
1:5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. This sin cursed world is the darkness that Jesus came to shine in. This verse confirms the revelation to Paul in 1Co 2:14 “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” Things that are spiritual must have the light and life that Jesus Christ alone can bring.
1:6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. God sent John to bear witness of Jesus. He explained in verse 15 that Jesus is the one whom he had been preaching all along, and that Jesus was preferred before him. In verse 20 John confessed that he (John) was not the Christ. The Priests and Levites came and asked him if he were Elias or ‘that prophet’, to which he replied with a straight faced ‘no’. When pressed with the question ‘who art thou’, John told of his commission that was prophesied hundreds of years before his birth—Jn. 1:23 “He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.” (Is. 40:3)
1:7-8 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. While this reiterates what is said in verse six, it also brings out another facet of this life, and that is that all men might believe. To some this plain statement is hidden in the cloak of Calvinism where ‘all’ doesn’t mean every person ever born.
1:9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. This true light lights every man that comes into the world. While the natural man, of himself, cannot understand spiritual things, he can receive or reject the light of salvation. We know this because every man is lighted by the True Light, but not every man gets saved. 2Pe 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” If God is not willing that any should perish, then we can be sure that He will light every soul with the offer of salvation. Jesus said ‘if I be lifted up I will draw all men unto me’ John 12:32. This verse is a reference to the death He would die, verse 33 (see also John 3:14). He was lifted up from the earth so He does draw and lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. ‘God was manifest in the flesh’ (1 Tim. 3:16), the Creator stepped into His creation in order to redeem it. His status as creator has been established above, but His creation did not know him. Israel was not looking for someone meek and lowly, but for a Mighty King to sit on the throne of David. Isa 9:7 “Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.” The people were looking for their King to deliver them from the Romans and to bring peace to the land. Mankind has ever had to keen ability to look on the outward things of this life yet dim the eyes to matters of the heart and righteousness. A physical kingdom (Dan. 2:44) would not have helped them in the life to come. Today people are seeking everything they can get from this life. How tragic to live and hope for peace and judgment, but never know the Creator and the Life and Light of the world! Israel at this time was looking for the King in glory but not the Suffering Saviour of Isaiah 53.
1:11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. Matt. 15:22-28 tells of a woman of Canaan who sought the help of the Lord. She addressed Him as ‘thou son of David’, but He didn’t answer her. Jesus told his disciples that He was sent unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Israel’s King came to His own people to establish the Kingdom of God in their hearts and the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. Unfortunately, they only wanted the earthly reign and not the spiritual reign of Christ in them. The lost sheep surely would have accepted a King that would set up an earthly kingdom, overthrow their enemies, and establish peace, but the King that told them of the need to be born again was rejected. They didn’t want a Prophet to tell them of spiritual needs or a Priest to mediate between God and man, but a King to reign over their physical lives only.
1:12 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: Israel as a nation rejected their Messiah, but there were individuals that received Him. It became not a matter of a physical kingdom, but the matter of a Personal Saviour for their souls. Mt 28:18 “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” Jesus is the only One who has to power to make a child of the devil into a child of God, but He reserves that power only for those that believe on His name.
1:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. “ye must be born again” These words were spoken by Jesus to Nicodemus and tells the only way to become a child of God. It is not of blood because the life of the flesh is in the blood (Lev. 17:11) and according to the Lord this birth is spiritual—Jn. 3:6 “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” This birth into God’s family is not of the will of the flesh because all flesh is grass (Is. 40:6, Job 14:2, Ps. 90:5, 102:11, 103:15, Jas. 1:10, 1 Pet. 1:24-25). Neither is it by the will of man but of God as He is the One who initiates the call (see verse 9 notes above).
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. This Word that was in the beginning with God, is God, and created all things, was made flesh. We have the prophecy in Isaiah 7:14 and the fulfillment in Luke 2. Paul told Timothy that God was manifest in the flesh. John and the other disciples dwelt with the Lord and beheld His glory as of the only begotten of the Father (Jn. 3:16). Christ came full of grace bestowing unmerited and unearned favor on the sinful soul of man. He was also full of truth for He is only Truth (Jn. 17:17 ‘thy word is truth’!).
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