JOHN: THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST’S GLORIFICATION

Bede translating the Gospel of John on his deathbed, by James Doyle Penrose, 1902, Wikimedia Commons, public domain.

Jim Gerrish

Light of Israel Bible Commentaries

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTER-NATIONAL VERSION® NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Used with permission.

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INTRODUCTION

When we open up the Fourth Gospel we note immediately that it is different from the other three. While the three synoptic gospels focus on what Jesus taught, the Fourth Gospel focuses on who Jesus is.¹ “Matthew and Luke begin with Jesus’ birth, Mark begins with his baptism, but John begins before the creation…” ² While the other gospels focus on the natural events related to Jesus, John focuses on the spiritual significance of these events. Early Christian writers symbolized the Gospel of John as an eagle, likely because of the lofty heights the author attained.³ It is reported that the great Augustine (354-430) said of this gospel that it is deep enough for an elephant to swim in but it is shallow enough for a little child not to drown.⁴

In chapters 2 through 11 John demonstrates Jesus as the Christ and Son of God by presenting seven selected miracles or signs.⁵ We are soon aware that the author of this gospel is an eyewitness to the events of Jesus’ life (Jn. 19:35; 21:24; 19:26).

From ancient times, John the son of Zebedee, and close disciple of Jesus, was regarded as the author of this book. He is not mentioned by name in the text, but that is also was the case with authors of the other three gospels. John’s authorship was attested by Clement of Alexandria (c. AD 180-200) and by Irenaeus (around 200).⁶ His authorship was attested by others such as Tatian, Theophilus of Antioch and by the church historian Eusebius.⁷

The Gospel of John was probably aimed at the millions of new Gentile Christians who had some basic knowledge of the faith but needed more depth. They needed grounding in order to counteract the numerous heresies that were appearing at latter part of the century.⁸ Many teachers were saying that Jesus was not the Son of God and some were claiming that he was not truly human. In addition, persecution of the church was beginning in a systematic manner and the believers were in need of strong faith.

In his late life, and probably before the fall of Jerusalem to Rome in AD 70, John moved to the large Gentile city of Ephesus. It was from there that he likely wrote his gospel. Most conservative scholars think that the date of the writing was around 85 to 90. ⁹

Today we have a papyrus fragment of John’s gospel, the Rylands Papyri in the John Rylands University Library Manchester, UK. This fragment is dated around AD 130. ¹⁰ It is thought to be the earliest fragment of any New Testament text.

CHAPTER 1

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. John 1:1-2

John, who was the beloved disciple of Jesus, was now looking back more than half a century and recalling his glorious days with Jesus, the Messiah of Israel. But over the half century many things had changed. Much of the land of Israel had been ravaged by the Romans in the late 60s and early 70s, including the Holy City of Jerusalem with the temple. Many of the Lord’s people had been killed, sold into slavery or dispersed to foreign lands. John himself was dispersed and was now a resident of the large Gentile city of Ephesus.

It seemed that almost everything had changed from the days of Jesus. No longer did most people around him speak and think in the Semitic languages of Hebrew and Aramaic. Instead, the Greek language with its patterns of thought had become almost universal. The Scottish great William Barclay says, “By A.D. 60 there must have been a hundred thousand Greeks in the church for every Jew who was a Christian. Jewish ideas were completely strange to the Greeks. To take but one outstanding example, the Greeks had never heard of the Messiah.” ¹ It was now imperative that a bridge from the ancient Hebrew to the popular Greek be built. It was to this great task that the aged John had now dedicated himself.

To add to these problems, many authors and writings in the Greek language were now proposing heretical teachings, based upon erroneous Greek theological understandings. It seemed that something had to be done to present the pure truth of the gospel in a language the people could understand.

John began his gospel by taking a Greek word and concept and using it to convey the wonderful truth of Jesus’ deity. For the “word of God” John substituted the Greek concept of “Logos.” This word had been around for some time in the Greek world and it was especially used among the Stoics. They felt that Logos was the mind of God, or reason that governed the universe. The Stoics saw Logos as roughly equivalent to God (theos).²

The ideas of “word,” “reason” and even “wisdom,” were also not at all foreign to the Hebrew language and tradition. In many scriptures we see these connections with God: e.g. Genesis 1:3; 1:6;1:11; Psalms 107:20; 147:15; Proverbs 2:1-22; 3:13-26; 4:5-13: 8:1-9; 8:22-30; Isaiah 55:11. In Psalm 33:6, it is said, “By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.” John was intent upon tying together the prevailing Greek language with the ancient Hebrew language in his new and fresh presentation of Jesus and his gospel.

It seems that today we are once again in need of understanding regarding the biblical concept of “word.” Today in our scientific age it sounds a bit like a fairy tale to state that God created the heavens and earth simply with his spoken word. No doubt there are many in the scientific world that would scoff at such an idea. Fortunately for us, there is now a growing number of prominent physicists who believe something very similar to this. The esteemed physicist Gerald Schroeder notes that his associate J. A. Wheeler sees the universe as “information” while James Jeans sees it as a “thought.” Werner Heisenberg likens it to an “idea” while Nobel Laurate George Wald observes it as “mind.” ³

It is particularly noteworthy what the great J. A. Wheeler has to say: “When I first started studying, I saw the world as composed of particles. Looking more deeply I discovered waves. Now after a lifetime of study, it appears that all existence is the expression of information.” ⁴ We must almost gasp at how closely this corresponds to John 1:1.

In the realm of biology we know today that information or word determines growth and development of all living things. Lee Strobel says, “The six-feet of DNA coiled inside every one of our body’s one hundred trillion cells contains a four-letter chemical alphabet that spells out precise assembly instructions for all the proteins from which our bodies are made.” ⁵ Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates says, “Human DNA is like a computer program but far, far more advanced than any software ever created.” ⁶ Clearly, our world and universe are made and sustained by information or by the word of God.

We should note that these first 18 verses of John are called the Prologue. Southeastern Baptist Seminary professor Andreas Kostenberger says, “John’s Prologue represents one of the most beautiful and carefully crafted poetic portions of the entire New Testament…Think of John’s Prologue as a kind of foyer to the Gospel. In it John introduces the most important themes he will develop in the rest of his work…” ⁷

John makes clear at the beginning of his Prologue that the Word (Jesus) was with God in the beginning. He was not a creation of God but he always existed. This presents us with one of the most amazing mysteries, of how God could be one, but yet be manifested by the Word, or his Son, who is also God. We can be certain that man did not come up with this idea. It is much too complicated and bewildering to have originated in the small brain of humans.

We do not want to miss this incredible truth that is presented. The Word (Logos) was in the beginning with God and was God. Utley notes how the Greek theos (God) is placed before Logos for emphasis.⁸ Clearly, the Word is God and God is the Word. Some folks have a lot of trouble with this verse today. The Jehovah’s Witness organization has gone so far as to translate (mistranslate) the verse by adding an “a” before God. Their translation reads that the word became a god. Dr. Julius R. Mantey says that it neither scholarly nor reasonable to make such a translation, and so far as he knows no one else has ever made such a one.⁹ This simply illustrates how that even in this modern era there are many people who have serious problems with Jesus being God.

“Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made” (1:3). God could have made the universe and world by himself but it is clear here that he did not wish to do so. He made all things through his Logos or Word. We mentioned earlier the scientific reality of how all created things were made by the Word or by information from and through the Son of God.

Paul in Colossians 1:16-17 sums all this up pretty well saying: “For in him [Jesus] all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (cf. Heb.1:3; 2:1, 10). We must not miss the fact that Jesus not only created the world and universe but the whole thing is held together and sustained by the Lord. The sun came up this morning because of the Word; the ocean waves come in because of him and we live and breathe because of him. Australian New Testament scholar, Leon Morris, has it: “John is saying that everything owes its existence to the Word…The Father created, but he did it ‘through’ the Word.” ¹⁰

“In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind” (1:4). Broadcaster and author Warren Wiersbe points out how “life” is a key theme in this gospel, being used thirty-six times.¹¹Thus, more than a quarter of the New Testament references to life occur in this book.¹² The Greek word used for this spiritual and resurrection life is zoē. This can be contrasted with the earthly and biological life, which is seen in the Greek word bios.¹³

The other important Greek word used here is light (phōs), appearing some twenty-one times in the gospel. This is the special light, the spiritual light that is found in Christ. We observe that this special light was present even before the creation of the sun (cf. Gen. 1:3 & 14). The esteemed physicists Gerald Schroeder comments, “Both the Talmud and cosmology acknowledge that this first ‘light’ was of a nature so powerful that it would not have been visible by humans.” ¹⁴

It is through Christ that this light now shines in believing hearts, leading to the eternal life that is also promised us. In the natural world it is interesting how life and light are inextricably bound together. Where there is light, all manner of things grow but in the darkness there is usually only death. How interesting it is that in the Lord’s light we begin to see light (Psa. 36:9). With Jesus, the night shines like the day (Psa. 139:12).

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (1:5). The Greek root for overcome is katalambanō, meaning “to grasp.” Here it can mean to overpower or to comprehend.¹⁵ Several of our translations bring out these meanings: NASB, NKJV “the darkness did not comprehend it;” NRSV “the darkness did not overcome it;” and NJB “and darkness could not overpower it.”

We see today in our society an awful battle between light and darkness. The darkness hates the light and tries its best to put it out. The light however, is very persistent and keeps on shining even in the midst of the gross darkness. Evangelist Ray Stedman comments on The Sounds of Silence, which was written by Simon and Garfunkel back in the 70s. Its words are, “Hello darkness my old friend, I’ve come to talk with you again.” How this work describes the way people act and feel today.¹⁶ We are surely aware that much of the darkness today is found in the area of morality, or rather the lack of it. F. F. Bruce, Manchester professor, says, “a little candle can dispel a roomful of darkness and not be dimmed by it…1 Jn. 2:8.” ¹⁷

JOHN THE BAPTIST

There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. John 1:6-7

While on the subject of light the author introduces the ministry of John the Baptist who came to bear witness to the light. This is the first of two brief narrative sections introduced into the prologue. The next will begin with verse 15.

John the Baptist was surely one of the most interesting characters in the New Testament. He was the predicted forerunner of Jesus as we see in Malachi 3:1 (cf. Matt. 3:1-17; Mk. 1:4-8). He was a remarkable person in that he knew he must decrease while Jesus was to increase in popularity (Jn. 3:25-30). He came not for himself but to bear witness to Jesus the True Light. His work was well received, in that large crowds gathered for his preaching and baptism. He was the first prophet who had appeared to Israel in four hundred years.

Here we see the word “witness” (Gk. martureō). It is another of the author’s key words and it is said that he uses it more than any other writer in the New Testament.¹⁸ Interestingly it is from this word that we get our word martyr. When his witness was finished John the Baptist would himself become a martyr under Herod Antipas. John came and gave his life that his hearers might believe in Jesus, the coming one. The word “believe” (Gk. pistis) is another key word in John’s gospel. It is said to be used 98 times by him. It is such a key word that Wheaton Bible professor Merril Tenney uses it in the title of his commentary, John: The Gospel of Belief. ¹⁹

“He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light (1:8). Although John the Baptist was quite popular, with great crowds coming out to him, he never took the glory unto himself. In every instance he pointed to the one coming after him (Jesus) as the one who was really important (e.g. vs. 15 & 20).

“The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world” (1:9). Morris says, “There is a general illumination of the whole race, and it is the common teaching of the New Testament writers that God has revealed something of himself to all people (Rom. 1:20).” ²⁰ There are probably ways unknown to us that the light of Christ illuminates all people to some degree. In 2016, biological researchers at Northwestern University in Chicago caught on film the bright flash of light that is emitted when the human sperm penetrates the egg at fertilization. Such an event had not been captured before. “‘It was remarkable,’ said Professor Teresa Woodruff, one of the study’s two senior authors and an expert in ovarian biology at Northwestern.” ²¹

The word for “world” here is the Greek kosmos. It appears some 78 times in John’s gospel but most often speaks in the negative of a world that is in rebellion against God.²² It was just to such a world that the Holy Christ Child came.

THE WORD MADE FLESH

He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. John 1:10

This is surely one of the most incredible and astounding statements ever made. The King of the Universe, indeed its very Creator, came to earth as a human being and was unrecognized. What a story! He was (and is) the Almighty God, incognito, clothed in human flesh, and he lived on earth for over thirty years unrecognized! Dear friends, we live on a visited planet. All nature must have held its breath as the Creator walked around in it for those years.

John is here speaking again of the kosmos, that world that is in rebellion toward God (7:7; 15:18-19; 1 Jn. 3:13). Sadly, the rebellious world continues, and should there be even a new incarnation of God on earth today he would likely still be unrecognized.

“He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him” (1:11). This is the tragedy of all tragedies. The Creator did not go to Babylon, Egypt or mighty Rome. Instead he came for a visit to his own people, the Israelites. They were his special and chosen people (Deut. 7:6; 14:2; 26:18; 32:9). Through hundreds of years God had prepared his people for just such an event. The prophets of Israel had spoken about it but still the Israelites were unprepared for the surprise visit.

Our youngest son has spent much of his adult life as a store manager, often in charge of very large retail outlets. On one occasion he traveled to visit a new store that was just assigned to him. He was quite young at the time and he is naturally of small stature. That day he came in his shorts and tennis shoes. He entered the store and noticed first of all that no one bothered to help him. He wandered around and waited some time, as he carefully observed the store and its employees. Eventually one of the associates came up and asked how he could help. Our son replied, “You can take me to your office.” When they got there the clerk asked what he could do to help. Our son then said, “You can give me my keys.” We can be sure that after this incident the store clerks were much more alert in assisting new visitors to the establishment.

Jesus came to his own people and they did not receive him. There should have been long lines of dignitaries to greet him. The king should have been first, followed by all the important officials of the kingdom. The high priest should have been in line and after him all the Sadducees and Pharisees. Then they should have been followed by hundreds of thousands of common folks all on their knees to greet the King of the Universe. But none of that happened.

The Greek expressions ta idia means “his own things” (19:27) and the second expression hoi idioi is used in a narrower sense, of intimates, friends and family (13:1).²³ How tragic that his own home town of Nazareth did not believe in him and even sought to murder him (Lk. 4:16-30). And alas, his very own family, including his mother, once came apparently to take him away, probably thinking that he had lost his mind (Mk. 3:31:35). Even his own brothers did not believe in him. (Jn. 7:5).

“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God” (1:12-13). Baptist professor Bob Utley says, “This concept of ‘receiving’ is theologically parallel to ‘believing’ and ‘confessing,’ which denoted a public profession of faith in Jesus as the Christ (cf. Matt. 10:32; Lk. 12:8; Jn. 9:22; 12:42; 1 Tim. 6:12; 1 Jn. 2:23; 4:15)…Those who ‘receive’ Jesus (1:12) receive the Father who sent him (cf. Matt. 10:40; Jn. 13:20)…” ²⁴

To those who received him and believed in his name he gave the right (exousian) to become children of God. This Greek word means the freedom, right, ability and authority to become God’s children.²⁵

These children are not born in a natural way but rather they have a spiritual birth (3:3-7). They are not the products of natural descent nor do they come about due to the sexual desires of men and women. We cannot be children of God because our parents were Christians. As it has been said, “God has no grandchildren.” Each one of us must make a decision for Christ and thus be born again in their inner spiritual self.

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (1:14). Barclay says, “A life-time of study and thought could not exhaust the truth of this verse.” ²⁶ Famed pastor and church planter Chuck Smith describes it as a, “…tremendous downward sweep from the area of the infinity into the realm of the finite, from the eternal into time. Surely our minds cannot grasp the scope of this.” ²⁷

In this passage John is delivering a broadside charge against many of the heretics of the late first century. According to long-held Greek philosophical and theological opinions, it was absolutely impossible for God to come in the flesh. To the Greek, the whole realm of flesh and blood was defiled and useless. The Greeks considered that the spiritual world was the real world and that the spirit of man was only imprisoned in the body.²⁸ It was unthinkable that the holy God could come to reside in the lowly and defiled human body.

There were several strands of thought in the latter part of the century, and some of these ideas went on to make up full-blown Gnosticism. One strand, Docetism, (from the Greek dokein, “to seem”), was an idea that Christ did not have a truly physical body but that he only seemed to have one. Of course, this was in essence a denial of the incarnation. Docetism apparently was widespread in the area of John’s influence.²⁹

I wonder today if most of us Christians really believe that Christ came in the flesh. Wiersbe says, “In his gospel, John points out that Jesus was weary (Jn. 4:6) and thirsty (Jn. 4:7), he groaned within (Jn. 11:33) and openly wept (Jn. 11:35). On the cross, he thirsted (Jn. 19:28), and died (Jn. 19:30), and bled (Jn. 19:34).” ³⁰

It can easily reach 115 degrees (F) in a Galilee summer. Did Jesus sweat? Did he ever get body odor? Did the mosquitoes bite him during the hot Capernaum nights? If none of this happened, then he was not truly human. He came to be fully like us so that he could fully redeem us. The Word became flesh and lived among us (Lk. 1:35; 2 Cor. 8:9; Phil. 2:6; 1 Tim. 3:16; Heb. 2:14; 1 Jn. 4:2). We can never accuse God of not understanding our tragic human situation. Jesus made his dwelling with us. The Greek word for dwelling is eskēnōsen, from the old verb skēnoō, meaning to pitch one’s tent or tabernacle.³¹ He pitched his tent with us those thirty-three years.

We can thank God that the early church finally fought off the heresies and made the clear statements of faith in AD 325 at Nicea and in AD 451 at Chalcedon, affirming that Jesus, the divine Son of God, really did come in a human body. They fought off Arius and many others who sought to cheapen the incarnation.³²

John says, “We have seen his glory.” No doubt he was referring back to that wonderful day in Upper Galilee (probably on lofty Mt. Hermon) when he and the others experienced the transfiguration of Jesus. How could he ever forget that heavenly day when he actually saw Christ appear in his glory (Mt. 17:1-9).

John knew Jesus was the one and only Son of God. The Greek word is monogenēs, and it means the only Son of God. It stresses the eternal relationship of the Logos or Son with the Father. The word means “only” and “unique” Son of God.³³

(John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me’”) (1:15). John the Baptist bore true witness about Jesus. Although Jesus came after John, he was in essence before him, for he was and is eternal. What a witness was John! Wiersbe says of him, “John the Baptist is one of the most important persons in the New Testament. He is mentioned at least eighty-nine times.” ³⁴

“Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given” (1:16). When John speaks of “fullness” he seems to be chiding the Gnostic false teachers. The Greek word for fullness is pleroma. The Gnostics made much of this word as they described the imaginary angelic aeons that mediated between their god and lesser beings.³⁵ John knew nothing of aeons but he knew a lot about God’s grace. The idea here seems to be wave after wave of God’s grace coming down upon believers.³⁶ As the lines go:

We need your grace again
Grace for all our sin,
Grace to show the way,
Grace from day to day,
To help us in this fight,
To keep us through this night,
O Father, we need your grace again.

We can be thankful for God’s great grace. Barclay says, “The different ages and the different situations in life demand a different kind of grace. We need one grace in the days of prosperity and another in the days of adversity.” ³⁷ Wiersbe says, “The will of God will never lead you where the grace of God cannot keep you.” ³⁸ We can also be thankful that God deals with us according to grace and not just according to truth, otherwise we would probably not survive.

“For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (1:17). This is the first use of the name “Jesus” in the Prologue. John uses this blessed name 237 times, more than the other gospels and more than one quarter of all the times the name is used in the New Testament.³⁹ How thankful we are that we do not live under the dispensation of law. The law did not grade on the curve. When a person broke one law that person automatically broke them all and thus struck out (Jam. 2:10). With God’s grace, our sins are forgiven through the blood of Jesus.

“No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known” (1:18). Stedman tells the story of a little boy who was busy drawing pictures while his mother was ironing. His mother asked “What are you drawing?” He replied, “I’m drawing a picture of God.” His mother said, “How can you do that? Nobody knows what God looks like.” The little boy replied, “They will when I get through!” ⁴⁰

The simple biblical truth is that no person has ever seen God. He dwells in such unapproachable light that if we in our sinful state caught a single glimpse of him we would likely be destroyed. Moses was said to have seen him in Exodus 33:20-23, but what he likely saw was the afterglow of God rather than a face to face encounter.⁴¹

While no one has seen God, many people got to see the Son of God in the early first century. We can now get a very accurate picture of him as we read through the gospels. Remember, Philip once asked to see God. “Jesus answered: ‘Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” (14:9).

The expression “one and only Son who is himself God” has brought about a great deal of discussion through the centuries. Some Greek manuscripts read “monogenes ‘uios’” (only begotten Son) while others read “monogenes theos” (God only begotten). It seems the best and most ancient manuscripts read monogenes theos.⁴² Hood Seminary professor Craig Keener simply says of this passage, “John calls Jesus ‘God.’” ⁴³

Jesus is in closest relationship with the Father. The NKJ reads, “who is in the bosom of the Father;” the ESV reads, “who is at the Father’s side;” while the NJB has it, “who is close to the Father’s heart.” Early Methodist theologian Adam Clarke says, “Lying in the bosom, is spoken of in reference to the Asiatic custom of reclining while at meals; the person who was next to the other was said to lie in his bosom; and he who had this place in reference to the master of the feast was supposed to share his peculiar regards, and so be in a state of the utmost favor and intimacy with him.” ⁴⁴ We recall that John lay in Christ’s bosom at the last supper (13:23).

Clearly, Jesus has declared the Father to us. The Greek word for declare is exēgēsato. It is from this root word that we get “exegesis.” Simply, Jesus Christ is the “exegesis” of the Father.⁴⁵

THE CONFESSION OF JOHN THE BAPTIST

Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.” John 1:19-20

The ministry of John the Baptist in the wilderness caused quite a stirring in Israel. Great crowds came to hear him and many subjected themselves to his baptism. This got the attention of the religious establishment in Jerusalem, and they sent representatives to question John about his authority. The fact that John was from the priestly line (Lk. 1:5ff.) probably caused the priests in Jerusalem to wonder about him also. So a legal delegation from the Jerusalem headquarters came out to hear him.

The term “Jewish leaders” here in several other translations is rendered simply as “Jews” (ESV, NJB, NKJ, NRS). We will hear the term “Jews” a lot in John’s gospel. It does not describe the Jewish people as a whole but is usually meant to describe the Jewish leadership around the temple and in Jerusalem. This leadership remained hostile to Jesus and the gospel throughout much of the first century.⁴⁶ This opposition actually intensified after the Jewish Council of Jamnia that was held in the year 90.⁴⁷

At this time in Israel’s history messianic fervor was running at a high pitch. There had already been a number of false messiahs that had come and agitated the people. No doubt the first question asked by this delegation was whether or not John was the real Messiah. He settled that question quickly by stating plainly that he was not. The word Messiah (Gk. Christos) Christ or anointed one. This was the one promised by Israel’s prophets.

John had great and far reaching influence and we can believe that many of his disciples actually thought he was the Messiah. Later in the church we see people who had only John’s baptism (Acts 18:25; 19:1-5). Barclay mentions that as late as AD 250 the Clementine Recognitions mention some of John’s disciples who still referred to him as the Messiah.⁴⁸

Several scholars have wondered if John had any connection to the Qumran community that produced the Dead Sea Scrolls. They were situated in the wilderness very close to the area of John’s ministry and he no doubt had some contact with them. While there may be some similarities there are many differences. John is unique and independent in his thinking and in his ministry.⁴⁹

“They asked him, ‘Then who are you? Are you Elijah?’ He said, ‘I am not.’ ‘Are you the Prophet?’ He answered, ‘No.’” (1:21). They asked if he was Elijah who was prophesied to reappear. He denied being Elijah. This at first seems to present us with a problem. Jesus would later say that John was Elijah (Matt. 11:14). How do we explain this? After the disciples had seen Elijah with Jesus in the transfiguration, they asked Jesus about Elijah (Matt. 17:1-13). Jesus told them that Elijah was to come and restore all things. Jesus made plain to them that Elijah had come in John the Baptist. However, Israel did not listen to him or accept him (v. 12). Clearly John came in the spirit and power of Elijah (Mt. 11:13-14; Mk. 9:11-13; Lk. 1:17) but was rejected. In Matthew 11:14 Jesus said, “And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come.” They were not willing to accept it, making it necessary for Elijah to appear yet again. The plain conclusion was that Elijah would have to appear once more at the end of the age. (cf. Mal. 4:5).

They asked if he was the prophet who was to come. Moses had spoken of one like unto himself who would come (Deut. 18:15, 18). Utley says, “There are two distinct ways this term was used in the New Testament: (1) as an eschatological figure distinct from the Messiah (cf. John 7:40-41) or (2) as a figure identified with the Messiah (cf. Acts 3:22).” ⁵⁰ Obviously, the questioners were becoming frustrated with John.

“Finally they said, ‘Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?’” (1:22). “John did not seem to fit into any category familiar to the Jewish authorities, and his unusual success demanded an explanation.” ⁵¹ They were trying to put John into a box but he just would not fit. There was no religious tag that they could attach to him.

“John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, ‘I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, Make straight the way for the Lord’” (1:23). Here John the Baptist is mentioning Isaiah 40:3, and laying claim to the office of harbinger of the Messiah (cf. Matt. 3:3; Mk. 1:3; Lk. 3:4).⁵² Utley feels that the author may here be intent on depreciating John the Baptist just a bit in light of the heretical groups of his day who were still acclaiming him as Messiah.⁵³

The Baptist cried out for Israel to “make straight the way of the Lord.” In Bible times Israel stretched from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south. This journey would have taken perhaps a week on foot. Today in modern Israel, and because of the new Route 6, the journey of some 170 miles (273km.) takes only about three hours by car. That is what happens when the ways are made straight, the hills are leveled and the valleys are filled in (Lk. 3:5). John was calling for Israel to do something like that in the spiritual realm. The religious high places of pride had to come down and the valleys of despair and unbelief had to be filled in so the Lord could come.

“Now the Pharisees who had been sent questioned him, ‘Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?’” (1:24-25). The Pharisees were the religious guardians of the day. They were interested in religious purity and doctrinal correctness. Josephus the historian mentions that there were about 6,000 Pharisees at this time.⁵⁴ In those days it was only proselytes, those coming into the Jewish faith, who were baptized. Those who were born Israelites were never baptized.⁵⁵ However, some apparently expected that baptizing might appear once more at the dawning of the messianic age (Ezek. 36:25; Zech. 13:1).⁵⁶ At the time the practice of baptizing Jews created a serious doctrinal question for the Pharisees.

“‘I baptize with water,’ John replied, ‘but among you stands one you do not know. He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie’” (1:26-27). It appears that John’s baptism was by immersion. He apparently looked for places where there was much water (3:23). His baptism was one of repentance (Mk. 1:4; Lk. 3:3) designed to prepare a people to meet their God. John never forgot his lowly place. In Bible times the lowest slave in the house was responsible for loosing sandals and washing the feet of guests.⁵⁷ John put himself in that low position in his relationship to Jesus.

In the gospels of Matthew and Mark, John the Baptist adds that the coming one would baptize with the Holy Spirit (Mk. 1:7-8) and with fire (Matt. 3:11). Truly, John’s baptism was an introduction to the great spiritual work of Christ who was now appearing.

“This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing” (1:28). For many centuries there was a confusion of this location. Following Origen, the King James Version had it Bethabara. Most all modern translations have corrected this to Bethany, a town across the Jordan on the east in Peraea.⁵⁸ This town is not to be confused with the Bethany near Jerusalem. Today the location of the eastern Bethany remains unknown, however it must be located near the Jordan River.

JOHN INTRODUCES JESUS

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29

John had obviously seen Jesus on at least one other occasion. Prior to that, he may have not known Jesus, since most of his life was spent in the desert. He is here silent about Jesus being baptized by him and seeing the Holy Spirit descend like a dove upon Jesus (Matt. 3:13-17; Mk. 1:9-11; Lk. 3:21-22). It was this vision that assured John that Jesus was the Messiah (v. 32-33).

Kostenberger says, “This is one of several instances in John where the readers are assumed to have a basic familiarity with the gospel story (cf. 1:40; 4:44; 6:67; 11:2).” ⁵⁹ The three Synoptic Gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke were already in print by this time and they tell the basic story of Jesus and his coming to earth. John does not necessarily tell the story but he brings out much spiritual significance of the story. The word “synoptic” is a combination of two Greek words meaning “to see together.” Although sometimes slightly different the synoptics give us the gospel from three different points of view.⁶⁰

John here declares Jesus as the Lamb of God. Some scholars act surprised by the use of Lamb here, acting as if it were not a biblical symbol of redemption. Nothing could be further from the truth. The lamb sacrifices were everywhere in the Old Testament. A lamb was offered at the temple for Israel every morning and every evening (Exo. 29:38-42). Lambs were constantly offered for the sins of the people and for fellowship and other offerings. Isaiah uses this redemptive picture in 53:7 and applies it to the coming Messiah. In Revelation the picture is used 29 times and gives us one of the most precious titles of Christ Jesus.⁶¹ Donald Guthrie of London Bible College says, “…The offering of lambs in temple sacrifices was so familiar to Jewish minds that it would be difficult to think of the concept ‘Lamb of God’ apart from this…” ⁶² Morris says, “All that the ancient sacrifices foreshadowed was perfectly fulfilled in the sacrifice of Christ.” ⁶³

“This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me’” (1:30). Here John repeats verse 15 as he emphasizes his relation to Jesus. The Lord, unlike John, was preexistent (cf. Jn. 1:1, 15; 8:58; 16:28; 17:5, 24; 2 Cor. 8:9; Phil. 2:6-7; Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:3).⁶⁴

“I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel” (1:31). Again, John may never have actually met Jesus prior to these events, although he was related to him. John did not baptize to start a new doctrine or a new cult. He baptized for one purpose, that Jesus might be revealed to Israel. He was the forerunner. He led the way.

“Then John gave this testimony: ‘I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him’” (1:32). The baptism of Jesus, which was not recorded in John’s gospel, was of critical importance to John himself. In Israel the dove was not hunted or eaten. It was a sacred bird.⁶⁵ That beautiful and gentle bird became the blessed symbol of the Holy Spirit and the baptism with the Spirit.

In earlier biblical times the Holy Spirit came upon a number of people in order that they might do the mighty works of God, but the Spirit did not remain upon them after the works were done (Psa. 51:11). With Jesus a new era began where the Holy Spirit would come and remain. First of all, it remained on Jesus at his baptism and this was a sign for John. Then, Jesus gave us the promise that the Holy Spirit will never depart from those believing in him (14:16).

“And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One” (1:33-34). Once more, John declares that Jesus was unknown to him before his meeting in the wilderness. We need to believe him about this. He did not know Jesus and he did not know him as Messiah of Israel until he saw this sign.⁶⁶

John gave clear testimony that this was God’s Chosen One. This last expression has been disputed over the centuries. The Greek reads ho huios tou theou. It seems very plain that it should be translated “the Son of God” instead of “God’s Chosen One,” and we see this in several other translations (NAS, ESV, NKJ, NRS, RSV). The NET Bible commentary states: “The majority of the witnesses, impressive because of their diversity in age and locales, read ‘This is the Son of God.’” ⁶⁷

John’s clear testimony resulted in disciples beginning to follow Jesus.⁶⁸ Even some of John’s very own disciples left him that day and followed Jesus home.

JESUS’ FIRST DISCIPLES

The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God!’ John 1:35-36

There is a beauty, simplicity and freshness in these beginning days of Christianity. John remarked to his disciples “Look, there is God’s Lamb!” John was intent upon bearing witness to Jesus. Perhaps he was surprised to see two of his disciples turn away from him and begin following Jesus. But again, maybe he expected it, since he knew he was to decrease while Jesus was to increase (3:30).

“When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus” (1:37). When we read the synoptic gospels it appears that all the disciples heard Jesus for the very first time and immediately followed him, leaving their businesses and possessions. Here we get the other side of the story and realize that some of Jesus’ disciples were deeply involved with John’s ministry. Others had heard John and apparently had some previous relationship with Jesus. John did not minister in only one place. In Luke 3:3 we read of John: “He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.”

In John 3:23, we are given a place name for some of his baptisms. While the traditional place of his baptisms was near Jericho, we know he also worked at Aenon which was near Salim. This location on the Jordan has been tentatively identified as a spot about 25 miles (40 km.) south of the Sea of Galilee. From John’s gospel we realize that some of Jesus’ disciples were in a rather close association with John and that would seem to place him near the Sea of Galilee on some occasions. Perhaps he was not far from the new and beautiful baptismal site of Yardenit. This traditional site is at the south end of the sea near where the Jordan River makes its exit from the lake. Local traditions claim that John ministered there. If so, the fishermen on the Sea of Galilee would have had good access to his preaching. One thing we know, that it is the seeking people who find (Jer. 29:13; Lk. 11:9). The disciples were seekers as we will also later point out.

“Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, ‘What do you want?’ They said, ‘Rabbi’ (which means ‘Teacher’), ‘where are you staying?’” (1:38). Tenney says, “The inquiry was more than a polite request for his address. It was a desire for fellowship.” ⁶⁹ Their addressing Jesus as “Rabbi” was in the general sense a mark of respect.⁷⁰ The title “Rabbi” was somewhat of a degree placed upon the teachers and masters in Jewish schools. It meant “Great One.” It would probably correspond to the title “Doctor” today.⁷¹ While Jesus taught against being called Rabbi (Matt. 23:8) he nevertheless was often addressed by this title (Mar. 9:5; 10:51; Joh. 1:49; 3:2; 4:31).

Jesus here asked one of life’s most fundamental questions, “What do you want?” or “What do you seek.” ⁷² People want and seek many things today but we have to think that most people are not wanting and seeking the things that count. In most hearts there is no room for God and his things (Psa. 10:4). Jesus is far from the lips of most, unless that holy name is uttered in a curse.

“‘Come,’ he replied, ‘and you will see.’ So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon” (1:39). Jesus’ expression “come and see” is a very simple invitation that caught on. We see Philip using it in verse 46, and it would be well for us to use that same invitation today. The two disciples followed Jesus and we are told that it was about four in the afternoon. It is really difficult for us to tell exactly what time it was. The Greek reads “the tenth hour.” We do not know whether John is using Jewish time or Roman time. Utley tells us that Roman time began at 6:00 AM while Jewish time began at 6:00 PM or twilight. This would place the time in the morning. Utley thinks rather that the Roman time of 4:00 PM is correct.⁷³

“Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus” (1:40). We are told the name of Andrew but we are not told the name of the other disciple. By the time that John wrote, Simon Peter was so well known in the church that Andrew is here identified as Simon’s brother. ⁷⁴ Scholars have generally felt that the other disciple was John and that he is hiding himself in the modest and secretive manner that he does throughout the gospel. It is interesting that after so many years, John still remembered the exact hour of the day that he met Jesus.⁷⁵

“The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (that is, the Christ)” (1:41). Again, we realize that these disciples were seeking and it is the seeking ones who find. We have to realize that something was going on with all these fishermen in Galilee. There was a spiritual awakening breaking forth and they were surely not willing to miss it, even if their fishing business suffered in the process.

Andrew quickly found Peter and told him of his great discovery. What a difference it would have made in the church if this pattern had been kept— of each one telling another. It is interesting that wherever we see Andrew in scripture he is bringing someone to Jesus. (6:8-9; 12:20-22).⁷⁶ Since John is writing to many Gentile and Greek-speaking people, we will see him here and in other places stop to explain Jewish terms, like the term Messiah.⁷⁷

“And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas’ (which, when translated, is Peter)” (1:42). It is interesting that from this point Andrew begins to fade and Peter becomes the chief apostle of Jesus. From what we see in scripture, Peter had a difficult personality. He was hot tempered and had a vindictive, volatile and even violent side. Jesus knew he was unsteady but was determined to change that.⁷⁸ Jesus called him Cephas or Peter, which meant a stone.

Once again we realize that Andrew, Peter, John and perhaps several of the others had prior experience with Jesus. When he later officially called them all to discipleship we can understand why they immediately left their fishing business and families and followed him without question and without lingering.⁷⁹

THE CALLS OF PHILIP AND NATHANAEL

The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.” Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. John 1:43-44

We realize that many of the disciples had a close association in their lives and work. Here we see that Philip (and Nathanael), Andrew, and Peter were from the small lakeside town of Bethsaida. Later Peter apparently moved to Capernaum (Mk. 1:21, 29). We gather from scripture that Peter, Andrew, James and John worked together in the fishing business.

There has been considerable discussion over the centuries about the location of Bethsaida. The name means “house of fishing” or “house of hunting.” There is a natural harbor and ruin with the name of el- ‘Araj located at the point where the Jordan River empties into the Sea of Galilee at its northeast corner. Some have felt the fishing village was there. In AD 30 Herod Philip, tetrarch of the area, elevated Bethsaida and made it a polis or city. It was enlarged and named Julias (Bethsaida Julias) in honor of Livia-Julia, the mother of Tiberias.⁸⁰ Some have even speculated that there were two Bethsaidas. Today many think that the large mound of et-Tell, about 1.5 kilometers (.93 mi.) east of the shore is the remains of the city. This tell has now been officially designated as Bethsaida by the State of Israel.

We see here that Jesus actually found Philip and called him to be a disciple. It is apparent in this verse that Jesus was in the process of moving his ministry from the area east of the Jordan to the Galilee. The following events may well have happened in the Galilee.

“Philip found Nathanael and told him, ‘We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote— Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph’” (1:45). Once more we see the blessed pattern of each one telling another and of brother telling brother. What a short work world missions would have been had this practice continued. Again, we see that both Philip and Nathanael were seekers and Jesus himself promised that seekers would be rewarded (Matt. 7:7-8).

Over the years there has been a little confusion regarding Nathanael. Some have understood that he is the same person as Bartholomew.⁸¹ That may be possible. Wiersbe notes: “John never mentions Bartholomew in his gospel, but the other three writers name Bartholomew and not Nathanael.” ⁸²

“‘Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?’ Nathanael asked. ‘Come and see,’ said Philip” (1:46). Nazareth in Jesus’ time was a very small town with probably no more than 500 inhabitants. It was situated on a ridge with elevation of some 1300 ft. (396 m.) overlooking the beautiful Jezreel Valley. The village was so small that scholars today feel that many of its citizens were employed in building the new and large city of Sepphoris, only 3.5 miles (5.6 km.) away. The city of Nazareth was located about 15 miles (24 km.) in the southwest direction from the Sea of Galilee.⁸³

Nathanael wondered if anything good could come from such a place. Had he paid attention to his Hebrew he might have realized the answer to his question. Through the centuries scholars have wondered if Nazareth was spelled with a “tz” or a “z.” That question was solved by a 1962 archaeological discovery in favor of “tz.” The root of the city’s name would be netzer, meaning shoot or branch, and aligning the city with the prophecy of Isaiah 11:1: “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch (Heb. netzer) will bear fruit.” ⁸⁴

Although Nathanael was hesitant, Philip repeated Jesus’ own invitation, “come and see.” This is a simple witness device that we would be wise to use today. If our churches are what they ought to be, we should be able to say to folks on the outside, “Come and see.”

“When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, ‘Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.’ ‘How do you know me?’ Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, ‘I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you’” (1:47-48). Jesus seemed to be delighted with Nathanael as he saw in him an Israelite without guile. My family and I lived among the Israelis for 16 years and we can affirm that Israelis are not generally prone to guile and deceit. In the US we politely deceive people with our talk. As the old song of Joe South goes, “Oh the games people play now, Every night and every day now, Never meaning what they say now, Never saying what they mean.” We do this to be nice, we think.

Most Israelis we have known would never do such a thing. An Israeli woman might say to your face, “That dress looks terrible on you!” At least, after your shock, you likely would just go and change dresses. It does not mean that Israelis are rude. It just means that they are prone to tell you the truth.

When Jesus spoke this prophetic word to Nathanael it melted him down immediately. He had been sitting under a fig tree. No doubt he was meditating since that was apparently a common practice.⁸⁵ From Jesus’ remarks we might assume he was meditating on Jacob’s ladder that reached to heaven (Gen. 28:10-16).⁸⁶

“Then Nathanael declared, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.’” (1:49). Nathanael correctly described Jesus as the Son of God. Then he called him the king of Israel. This is an unusual expression. It is found only three other times in the New Testament.⁸⁷

“Jesus said, ‘You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.’ He then added, ‘Very truly I tell you, you will see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man’” (1:50-51). Smith says, “Now, Jesus, in essence, is saying, ‘I am the ladder. I am the access by which man can come to God. I’m the One who ties heaven and earth together. You’re going to see heaven open. You’re going to see the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.’ So, the Son of man is the ladder by which heaven is joined to earth.” ⁸⁸

Here Jesus again refers to himself as the Son of Man. This was a divine title (Dan. 7:13) that was not currently in use in the political arena so it was a safe title for the Lord to use.⁸⁹ However, the Jewish people knew that it was a messianic title (Jn. 12:34).

Continue to Chapter 2

John’s Gospel

JOHN: THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST’S GLORIFICATION

Light of Israel Bible Commentaries

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 1

Notes

Scripture