CLARITY EDITION · OLD TESTAMENT
John 1
Chapter 1 of 21
Chapter Overview
What happens in John 1
John opens with a majestic prologue declaring Jesus as the eternal Word who was with God and was God, through whom all things were created. The chapter then introduces John the Baptist's testimony about Jesus, including his witness of the Spirit descending upon him, and the calling of the first disciples -- Andrew, Peter, Philip, and Nathanael.
Scripture
John 1
The Word Made Flesh
Study note
John's prologue is one of the most theologically profound passages in Scripture, declaring the pre-existence, deity, and incarnation of Jesus Christ as the eternal Word (Logos). The passage moves from eternity past to the moment the Word became flesh and dwelt among humanity, revealing the Father's glory, grace, and truth. Those who receive him are given the right to become children of God, born not of human will but of God himself.
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The Word was with God from the very beginning of everything. The same was in the beginning with God.
3 God made everything through him. Nothing in all of creation was made without him. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 Life itself was inside of him, and that life shone like a bright light for every person. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
5 His light keeps shining even in the darkest places, and the darkness has never been able to put it out. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
6 God sent a man named John into the world with a special job to do. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 John's job was to tell everyone about the Light so that people everywhere would believe because of what he said. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
8 John was not the Light himself. He was sent to point people toward the Light. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
9 The real Light, the one who shines on every person, was about to come into the world. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
10 He came into the world he had made, but the people living in it did not recognize who he was. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
11 He appeared among his own people, the ones he had chosen, but they turned him away. He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12 But some people did welcome him. They trusted in who he is. He gave them the right to become God's own children. 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:
13 These children were not born through a normal human process. They were born because God himself gave them new life. Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became 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. 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.
15 John spoke up about him and announced, "This is the person I was talking about! He came after me in time, but he is far greater because he was already alive before I was even born." 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.
16 Out of everything he has, we have all been given one blessing after another. And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
17 Moses brought us God's law, but Jesus Christ brought us grace and truth. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
18 Nobody has ever seen God face to face. But God's only begotten Son, who is closer to the Father than anyone else, has shown us exactly what God is like. No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
The Testimony of John the Baptist
Study note
When priests and Levites from Jerusalem question John the Baptist about his identity, he humbly deflects attention from himself, declaring he is merely 'the voice of one crying in the wilderness.' John identifies Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world and testifies to seeing the Spirit descend on Jesus like a dove, confirming him as the Son of God who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.
19 This is what John told the priests and Levites when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent them to find out who he was. They asked him, "Who are you?" And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?
20 John did not try to dodge the question. He came right out and said clearly, "I am not the Christ." And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.
21 So they pressed him further: "Well then, are you Elias?" He replied, "No, I am not." They tried again: "Are you that prophet we have been waiting for?" He answered, "No." And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.
22 Finally they said, "Tell us who you are! The people who sent us need an answer. What do you have to say about yourself?" Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?
23 John replied, "I am the one shouting out in the wilderness, 'Clear the road and make it straight for the Lord!' That is exactly what the prophet Esaias predicted." He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.
24 The men asking these questions had been sent by the Pharisees. And they which were sent were of the Pharisees.
25 They challenged him, "If you are not the Christ, not Elias, and not that prophet, then what gives you the right to baptize people?" And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?
26 John told them, "I use water for baptizing. But right now, standing somewhere in this crowd, there is someone you do not even recognize." John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;
27 "He is the one coming after me. He is so much greater than me. I am not even good enough to bend down and untie his sandal strap." He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.
28 All of this happened in Bethabara, on the other side of the Jordan River, the spot where John was baptizing people. These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.
29 The very next day, John spotted Jesus walking toward him. He said, "Everyone, look! There is the Lamb of God -- the one who takes away the sin of the whole world!" The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
30 "He is the one I was talking about when I said, 'Someone is coming after me who is greater than me. He already existed long before I did.'" This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.
31 "I did not know who he was at first. But the whole reason I came baptizing with water was so that he could be shown to the people of Israel." And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.
32 Then John shared what he had seen: "I watched the Spirit float down from heaven, looking like a dove, and it landed on him and stayed there." And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.
33 "I would not have known who he was, except the one who sent me to baptize with water gave me a sign. He told me, 'When you see the Spirit come down and stay on someone, that is the one who will baptize people with the Holy Spirit.'" 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.
34 "I have seen this happen with my own eyes, and I am telling you plainly -- this man is the Son of God." And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.
The First Disciples Follow Jesus
Study note
The calling of Jesus' first disciples unfolds through a chain of personal invitations. Andrew and another disciple follow Jesus after John's testimony, and Andrew brings his brother Simon Peter. Jesus then calls Philip, who brings Nathanael despite his skepticism about Nazareth. Jesus' supernatural knowledge of Nathanael under the fig tree prompts Nathanael's confession that Jesus is the Son of God and King of Israel.
35 The following day, John was standing there again with two of his followers. Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;
36 When he noticed Jesus walking past, he said, "Look there! That is the Lamb of God!" And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!
37 His two followers heard him say this. They started walking after Jesus right away. And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.
38 Jesus turned around and noticed them following him. He asked, "What are you looking for?" They answered, "Rabbi" (that means Teacher), "where are you staying?" Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou?
39 "Come along and find out," he told them. So they went with him and saw where he lived, and they spent the rest of that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon. He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour.
40 Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of those two men who heard John and followed Jesus. One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.
41 The first thing Andrew did was track down his brother Simon. He told him, "We have found the Messias!" (Messias is another word for the Christ.) He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.
42 Andrew brought Simon to meet Jesus. Jesus looked right at him and said, "You are Simon, son of Jona. But from now on, your name will be Cephas" (which means A stone). And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.
43 The next day, Jesus made up his mind to travel to Galilee. He found Philip and said simply, "Follow me." The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me.
44 Philip was from Bethsaida, the same town where Andrew and Peter lived. Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.
45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the very person Moses wrote about in the law! He is the one all the prophets talked about. It is Jesus of Nazareth, Joseph's son!" Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.
46 Nathanael was not impressed. "Nazareth?" he said. "Can anything worthwhile come from there?" Philip just said, "Come and see for yourself." And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.
47 When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said, "Here is a true Israelite. He is an honest man through and through!" Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!
48 Nathanael was startled. "How do you know anything about me?" he asked. Jesus said, "I saw you sitting under the fig tree before Philip ever called you." Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.
49 Nathanael blurted out, "Rabbi, you truly are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.
50 Jesus smiled and said, "You believe because I told you I saw you under a fig tree? That is nothing -- you are going to see things far more amazing than that." Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these.
51 Then Jesus added, "I am telling you the truth. You will see heaven split wide open. God's angels will go up and come down on the Son of man." And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.
Key Themes
Themes in John 1
The deity and pre-existence of ChristThe Word made fleshTestimony and witnessLight versus darknessBecoming children of GodDiscipleship and calling
Prophetic Connections
How this chapter points to Christ
John 1:23 Isaiah 40:3
John the Baptist identifies himself as the voice crying in the wilderness, fulfilling Isaiah's prophecy of one who would prepare the way for the Lord.
John 1:29 Isaiah 53:7
John's declaration of Jesus as 'the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world' echoes Isaiah's suffering servant who was led like a lamb to the slaughter as a substitutionary sacrifice.
John 1:51 Genesis 28:12
Jesus' promise that Nathanael will see angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man alludes to Jacob's ladder at Bethel, revealing Jesus as the true bridge between heaven and earth.
Apply This Today
Living John 1
Just as the first disciples responded to personal invitations to 'come and see' Jesus, we too are invited into a relationship with the living Word. John's prologue reminds us that Jesus is not merely a teacher or prophet but the eternal God who took on human flesh to reveal the Father. Receiving him by faith gives us the extraordinary right to become children of God.
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Study John in Covenant Path
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