John 1:1-51
The Word Became Flesh
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe.8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
14 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.
15 (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.’”) 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 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.
19 Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.”
21 They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?”
He said, “I am not.”
“Are you the Prophet?”
He answered, “No.”
22 Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”
23 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.’”
24 Now the Pharisees who had been sent 25 questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
26 “I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. 27 He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”
28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”
32 Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33 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.’ 34 I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”
35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”
37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”
They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”
39 “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.
40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ).42 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).
43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.”
44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 45 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.”
46 “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked.
“Come and see,” said Philip.
47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”
48 “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.
Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”
49 Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”
50 Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” 51 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.”
John 10:32-42
Unbelief of the Jews
22 Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade. 24 The Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”
25 Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all;no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
31 Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him, 32 but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?”
33 “We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”
34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are “gods”’? 35 If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be set aside— 36 what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? 37 Do not believe me unless I do the works of my Father. 38 But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.” 39 Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp.
40 Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing in the early days. There he stayed, 41 and many people came to him. They said, “Though John never performed a sign, all that John said about this man was true.” 42 And in that place many believed in Jesus.
I think it is interesting when St. John writes that Jesus came and He was not recognized by the world...The One whom the world was made through was unrecognizable to so many...The most important Man ever to dwell on earth was not easily recognized...Jesus was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him...He came to those in Israel, His own people, but His own people did not receive Him...Yet, to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave them the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision, but children born of God...The Word became flesh and He 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...
So the world in general did not recognize Jesus as the Messiah and One who was Divine...But there was a fisherman, who quickly recognized Him...And some ordinary men, who became His disciples who did know who He was...It was Andrew, Peter's brother, and also Philip recognized Him...Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John the Baptist had said about Jesus and who then followed Jesus...The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon Peter and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ)...And he brought Peter to Jesus...Jesus looked at Peter and said, “You are Simon son of John...You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter)...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...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.”...“Nazareth!...Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked...“Come and see,” said Philip...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.”...Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel.”...And thus Nathanael recognizes that Jesus as being the Son of God...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.”...
So St. John writes that three common men, Andrew, Philip, and Nathanael all recognized Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God very, very quickly...But many other Jews did not recognize Him...The Jewish religious leaders and other Jewish people seem to have a problem recognizing Him...When Jesus came to the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem...It was winter, and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade...The Jews who were there gathered around Him, were saying, “How long will You keep us in suspense?...If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”...Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe...The works I do in My Father’s name testify about Me, but you do not believe because you are not My sheep...My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me...I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of My hand...My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand...I and the Father are One.”...Again His Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone Him, but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father...For which of these do you stone Me?”...“We are not stoning You for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because You, a mere Man, claim to be God.”...Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are “gods”’?...If He called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be set aside— what about the One whom the Father set apart as His very own and sent into the world?...Why then do you accuse Me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I AM God’s Son’?...Do not believe Me unless I do the works of My Father...But if I do them, even though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.”...Again they tried to seize Him, but He escaped their grasp...
It is important we recognize Jesus...The early and handpicked Disciples seemed to recognize Him while others could not...And because they recognized Him, they believed in Him and believed that He was sent by God for them and to them...We do need to recognize Him and who He is, to believe in Him...It is important we see Jesus for who He is, and that He came for us...