A. The preincarnate Word 1:1-5John began his Gospel by locating Jesus before the beginning of His ministry, before His virgin birth, and even before Creation. He identified Jesus as co-existent with God the Father and the Father’s agent in providing creation and salvation. read more
I. PROLOGUE 1:1-18Each of the four Gospels begins with an introduction to Jesus that places Him in the historical setting of His earthly ministry. Matthew connected Him with David and Abraham. Mark associated Him directly with John the Baptist. Luke recorded the predictions of His birth. John, however, declared Him to be the eternal Son of God. Many writers have referred to John’s prologue as a theological prologue because this evangelist stressed Jesus’ connection with the eternal God.As with... read more
The Word was in the beginning with God. This statement clarifies further that Jesus was with God before the creation of the universe. It is a further assertion of Jesus’ deity. He did not come into existence. He always existed. Moreover Jesus did not become deity. He always was deity. John 1:2 clarifies the revelation of John 1:1 that is so concise and profound (cf. Genesis 1:1-2). [Note: See David J. MacLeod, "The Eternality and Deity of the Word: John 1:1-2," Bibliotheca Sacra 160:637... read more
John next explicitly declared what was implicit in the Old Testament use of the word "word." Jesus was God’s agent in creating everything that has come into existence (cf. 1 Corinthians 8:6; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:2; Revelation 3:14). It was the second person of the Trinity who created the universe and all it contains. However, John described the Word as God’s agent. The Word did not act independently from the Father. Thus John presented Jesus as under God the Father’s authority but over... read more
". . . we move on from creation in general to the creation of life, the most significant element in creation. Life is one of John’s characteristic concepts: he uses the word 36 times, whereas no other New Testament writing has it more than 17 times (Revelation; next come Romans with 14 times and 1 John with 13 times). Thus more than a quarter of all the New Testament references to life occur in this one writing." [Note: Morris, p. 73.] Jesus was the source of life. Therefore He could impart... read more
As light shines (present tense for the first time) in the darkness, so Jesus brought the revelation and salvation of God to humanity in its fallen and lost condition. He did this in the Incarnation. As the word of God brought light to the chaos before Creation, so Jesus brought light to fallen humankind when He became a man.Furthermore the light that Jesus brought was superior to the darkness that existed both physically and spiritually. The darkness did not overcome (Gr. katelaben, "lay hold... read more
In introducing John the Baptist the writer stressed that God had sent him. The name "John" means "God is gracious." John was a prophet in the tradition of the Old Testament prophets who bore witness to the light (Exodus 3:10-15; Isaiah 6:8; Jeremiah 1:4; cf. John 3:17). He was a man, in contrast to the Word, who was God. The other Gospel writers described John with the words "the Baptist," but John the Evangelist did not. He probably called him simply John because this is the only John that the... read more
B. The witness of John the Baptist 1:6-8John the Apostle introduced John the Baptist because John the Baptist bore witness to the light, namely, Jesus. John the Baptist was both a model evangelist pointing those in darkness to the light and a model witness providing an excellent example for believers who would follow him. [Note: See David J. MacLeod, "The Witness of John the Baptist to the Word: John 1:6-9," Bibliotheca Sacra 160:639 (July-September 2003):305-20.] John the Baptist introduced... read more
1:2 He (c-1) In John, the personal pronoun, generally emphatic in Greek where inserted, is used so constantly that it can hardly be considered such in many cases, but certain instances which are considered to be more definitely emphatic are given in italics. The same spirit of emphasis causes the very frequent use of ekeinos for the third person ('he,' 'they,' c.). Its sense is 'that,' contrasted with 'this,' and hence is emphatic as 'that man' in English, sometimes having the sense of 'such... read more
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Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - John 1:1
The Bible identifies many beginnings. The beginning that John spoke of was not really the beginning of something new at a particular time. It was rather the time before anything that has come into existence began. The Bible does not teach a timeless state either before Creation or after the consummation of all things. This was a pagan Greek philosophical concept. Origen and Plato held it, as do some modern eastern religions and some uninformed Christians, but it is not a biblical teaching. Time... read more