John 1:1-51
The Word is Divine and Becomes 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.
John the Baptist Denies Being the Messiah
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.
John Testifies About Jesus
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.”
John’s Disciples Follow Jesus
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)
Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael
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.”
The Prologue of John is about a Divine Revelation...It is the beginning of Jesus' ministry...St. John was one of the original Disciples who was with Jesus for three years...John is an eyewitness to His Majesty...St. John's prologue is from an eyewitness who presents a profound theological statement about the True Nature of Jesus Christ...It establishes His Divine pre-existence, His role in creation, and His ultimate purpose in coming to earth...The Word of God, or principle of The Divine Reason for the creative order of the universe...This is identified by St. John in his Gospel...He identifies the second person of the Trinity, the incarnate in Jesus Christ...
We learn about the Divine Nature of Jesus...The "Word" is identified with God, emphasizing Jesus' Divinity and eternal existence...Jesus is the Logos, the Purpose of Life...Creation came through Jesus...All things came into existence through Him, highlighting His cosmic significance...Jesus was Incarnated...Jesus, the Divine Word, became flesh, bridging the gap between God and humanity...God sent us a Redeemer, a Mediator to us to give us Divine Testimony and to get close to our Father...The testimony of John the Baptist and the voice that is later heard from heaven affirm Jesus' identity as the Son of God...John tells us about belief and salvation...Faith in Jesus as the Son of God is presented as the path to salvation and Spiritual Life...
John the Baptist identifies Jesus as the "Lamb of God" who takes away the sin of the world...He acknowledges Jesus' superiority and his own subordinate role...The Descent of the Spirit would come and they would see the impact of the Holy Spirit...John would witness the Holy Spirit descending on Jesus, confirming His identity as the Messiah...Jesus; Discipleship has started...Two of John's the Baptist's disciples follow Jesus after hearing His testimony...And then we are introduced to Peter...Andrew, one of the disciples, brings his brother Simon Peter to meet Jesus...Jesus' renames Simon Peter to Peter...Jesus gives Simon the name Peter, signifying his role as a foundation for the church...
Jesus then calls Philip...Jesus initiates the process by calling Philip to follow Him...Philip's gives his testimony...Philip shares his belief in Jesus as the Messiah with Nathanael...Nathanael has doubt and and yet faith...Nathanael is initially skeptical but is convinced of Jesus' Divinity upon hearing His knowledge of Him...Jesus' has Divine Knowledge...Jesus demonstrates His Divine Nature by revealing intimate details about Nathanael's life...Nathanael's gives a confession...Overwhelmed by Jesus' insight, Nathanael declares Him to be the Son of God and the King of Israel...Jesus promises Nathanael a future revelation of His Glory, hinting at His eventual ascension and the coming of the Holy Spirit...
John's writings hint at the doctrine of the Trinity, suggesting the unity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit...The concept of God becoming human is central to Christian theology...The passage points to Jesus as the Savior and source of eternal life, who brings us Salvation...
In essence, John 1:1-51 provides a foundational understanding of the Person and Work and the Teachings of Jesus Christ...It is a rich passage that has been interpreted and debated by theologians for centuries...
And so we read: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...So He has been with God from the beginning...And so God made the Word to became flesh and He would have Him dwell among us, so we could see His Glory, the Glory as of the Only Son from the Father, who is Full of Grace and Truth...
From the Heavens there was a message: behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I AM well-pleased.”...And while he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My Beloved Son, with whom I AM well-pleased; listen to Him!”...I AM He who testifies about Myself, and the Father who sent Me testifies about Me...If we receive the testimony of men, we know that the testimony of God is Greater; for the testimony of God is this, that He has testified concerning His Son...And the Father who sent Me, He has testified of Me...You have neither heard His voice at any time nor seen His form...So there is another One who testifies of Me, and I know that the testimony which He gives about Me is true...He who sees Jesus sees the One who sent Me...Jesus and the Father are One...If Jesus did not do the works of His Father, do not believe Me that He is the Messiah...But if I does do the works of His Father, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father...