John - Chapter 1

Father, in the Sweet Name of Jesus, open our spiritual eyes and hearts that we may receive Your Word and give us understanding through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. May we grow in maturity and may You receive great Glory and Honor from our efforts. Amen.

Before we begin may I suggest that you make yourself some sort of summary outline for each chapter. You can make it anyway you like, for your own personal study and reference. I will list a sample I got from one of the great Bible Scholars.

1. Theme

2. Most important verse

3. Most prominent word

4. Teaching about Christ

5. Command to obey

6. Promise to claim

7. New truth learned

Add, to or modify that outline to suit yourself.


Chapter 1 of this Gospel deal with identification. It tell us who Jesus is. Verses 1 thru 3 tells us that Jesus is God: He is the Creator God. Verses 4 & 5 tell us that He is the Life and the Light, and that He shines in the darkness and the darkness does not comprehend Him. The darkness is the darkness of the sinful world and and that world can not extinguish that Light. The root of that word in the original language suggests that the world cannot possess or control, or stop Him

Then John draws a clear distinction between Christ and John the Baptist.

1. Jesus always existed and came from Eternity
John waas born

2. Jesus is God
John is man

3. Jesus is of Himself, God
John was sent by God

4. Jesus IS the Light
John testified of the Light

5. Jesus is the Messiah in whom we trust
John was here to point men to Him.

This chapter goes on to tell us that even though He made the world, and though He became flesh and entered the world, the world did not know Him. But to those who did receive Him and believe on His Name, He gave the power to become the sons of God. I love the way Phillips translates verse 14: "So the word of God became a human being and lived among us. We saw his splendour (the splendour as of a father's only son), full of grace and truth."

Beginning in verse 19 is a parade of parade of witnesses identifying Jesus as The Revealer, Redeemer, Messiah, the fullfillment of the OT, the Son of God, and King of Israel, by John the Baptist, Andrew, Phillip, and Nathanael.

I think we come out of chapter 1 with a clear picture of Who Jesus is and Why He came.

Originally posted by Blade
Me too, Amen Gerry. Also Dt 18:15-18.

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Deu 18:15 The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;
Deu 18:16 According to all that thou desiredst of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.
Deu 18:17 And the LORD said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken.
Deu 18:18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.


I have posted the Scripture for you. Do you have the e-sword?

Originally posted by BigEd
This first chapter is so important. while the other gospels touch on Christ being both man and God. In this first chapter It is made crystal clear that Jesus is both God and Man. It also helps to establish Christ relationship in the Godhead ( as God and equal to other members of the God head.) It also give another look at creation, as well as God's plan for redemption. There is so much, knowledge and truth packed into these words.

I often think how much trouble would we be in if we just had the synaptic gospels. John fills in so many questions.

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Quite right Ed! In fact, the overall Theme of John's Gospel is the Deity of Christ! This Gospel deals with the Hypostatic Union in a way that no other Book of the Bible does.

Jesus was as much God as though He had never been man, and was as much man as though He had never been God. He possessed the full nature of God, while retaining the full nature of man.

John described Him as the Mighty God, and the Word of God!

An interesting thing happens I think in Verses 40 through 42. Andrew, who was one of the two first disciples of Jesus, became the first disciple soul winner. He went to his brother Peter and told Him, "We have found the Messiah. "And he brought him to Jesus"!!!


Andrew and John were followers of John the Baptist, and after Jesus' baptism, they left him and followed Jesus.

Each time I read the Word, I see something I did not notice before or I see it in a different light. There are many jewels in His Word that we need to have knowledge of. I have suggested a chapter by chapter outline that works well for personal private study. I hope many will take advantage of that opportunity to learn. Continue in your studies, and God will bless you for it.

When this forum opened and we began to get underway, certain ones began to scream and protest that no mention should be made of denominations, and I was even falsely accused of attacking Catholics, though I never attacked anyone nor ever mentioned any denomination. I even said that this would be a generic Bible study, and done with no slant at all. Yet those who have requested this study are not participating. And other discussions have opened teach a definite interpretation of the scriptures rather than presenting them and simply pointing out the various views on that doctrine.

I find that sad, and in no way conducive to a deeper fellowship, but rather conducive to spliting and dividing, and arguments, if any one cares to participate in that sort of activity. I do not. So I will not participate in those activities. My only interest is in knowing my Saviour and my God in a deeper way and those of my brothers and sisters who are of a like mind.
The denominational slants, the dogma, and the debates are not edifying to me and I leave those to the rest!

Awesome Auswig! Thanks for that addition. I wish this Bible study had worked. There is so much even the most mature of Christians can yet learn from this incredible Book. As for those new to His Word it is alive with Joy and excitement. Perhaps if someone else would lead the study.....
Got any ideas Auswig?

Indeed you are correct and it was with this in mind that I had earlier decided to do a Bible study, after receiving requests to do so. Keeping in mind that few have any formal training or any intensive Word study of any kind, it seems necessary to keep everything as simple and over simple as possible.

I started this realizing the challenges of doing a comprehensive study on line, but the possibility of doing something simple and yet beneficial to any seeking to graduate from sandbox to the next grade.

I do feel there is a need to do this offering because there are a few who travel the forums, contradicting any and everything good, right, and proper, sewing discord and disunity among the brethren, making false accusations and twisting every statement made.

The "little ones" deserve something better. That is why I thought that perhaps if you were to lead such a study, keeping in mind the ones to whom it is presented, it might be better received.

It matters not if one is credited or glorified, but only that the uncompromising and undiluted Word of God is presented truthfully and simply.