JOHN 1:1-14, 20:30-31

Scripture Taken from New International Version,
© Biblica, 2011

The first passage (John 1:1-14) is an example of how this gospel account emphasizes the deity of Jesus. The author says that “the Word was God.” Later, Jesus dramatically reveals His deity by saying, “before Abraham was born, I am” ( John 8:58). Thomas later confesses Him as “my Lord and my God” (John 20:28).

In the second passage (John 20:30-31), we see one of the clearest purpose statements in the Bible. The author clearly sets out to encourage faith in Jesus among his readers. To that end, he records seven miracles or “signs” that Jesus performed. To believe in Jesus means not only to recognize His ability to perform miracles, but also to receive what those miracles as “signs” disclose about His person and work.

The author of this passage is John, the son of Zebedee, often referred to as “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 13:23). As someone who knew Jesus personally and closely, he was an eyewitness to the life of Jesus. His gospel account was probably the last of the gospel accounts to be written, likely between 80-90 A.D.

His account complements the other gospel accounts. John omits many things that are present in the other gospels (e.g., the transfiguration) but also includes content of which the others make no mention (e.g., the resurrection of Lazarus). By telling the same story from another perspective, the total picture is immensely fuller than what would otherwise have been accomplished. His main purpose is to encourage his reader toward an active faith in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God; and his selection of stories and teachings are designed to that end.

BREAKING DOWN THE TEXT

VERSES 1 – 4: Before one could possibly understand the meaning of God loving us, His power and might first need to become tangible. John states clearly that we may know the Son of God, in His fullness. He starts by introducing God as the only Giver of Life, the One who knows no beginning and no end, the One through whom we exist. Without Him, we would not have been able to breathe. And He could take it away from us at any time. Think about that. God is sovereign and just. He is all in all. He loves us. He could have left us in darkness, but John paints God’s character as the light of the world. These verses set the stage for the reader to seek and understand the light and, ultimately, to believe in Jesus.

VERSES 6 – 8: John makes the distinction between John the Baptist and Jesus to reinforce that the Epic Love Story has always pointed to Jesus’ coming. John merely prepared the way for Jesus to enter history. This is one of many references to Jesus as Light, Truth and Life. This Jesus has come to save us all from the darkness and separation from God.

VERSES 9 – 11: Even when Jesus comes to Earth as the Light, God’s people do not recognize Him as such. John even says the people did not receive Him as their own. Even though Jesus, as part of the Holy Trinity, created the heavens and earth, the people rejected Him.

VERSES 12 – 14: The Word has become flesh already. The way to a loving relationship with God is open already. John introduces readers to the idea that simply by faith, by believing in Jesus, we can become children of God. It is important to acknowledge that this is 100% the work of God. We are not born of natural descent or human decision, but of God. He is the One who opened our eyes and therefore we can say together with John: “We have seen His glory, … full of grace and truth.”

VERSES 30 – 31: These verses lay the groundwork for the rest of the book of John and the New Testament. Eternal life with God has not changed from God’s Epic Love Story. God wants a loving relationship with His people. That relationship is extended to us by our believing Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. As we believe in God, we live as His children – what John introduces as having life in His name.

HISTORICAL CULTURAL BACKGROUND

The Epic Love Backstory

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For John, there is no doubt about the why of writing his gospel. So that you – to whoever reads – may believe. John uses different ways of helping his readers believe: showing the miracles Jesus performed while He was on earth, documenting Jesus’ teachings, and most of all, connecting Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection to the bigger picture of what God is doing in redemptive history. John refers to many known Scriptures and prophecies that were being fulfilled in Jesus Christ. By starting his gospel with painting the bigger picture, John shows his readers that Jesus has been present from the very beginning. In describing Jesus as “the Word,” he connects the story with the Old Testament in which the Word meant the infallible, almighty, powerful appearance of God. Using this same word to start the story about Jesus draws attention to Jesus. It tells the reader, “Pay attention; this is God speaking.” By naming Jesus “the Word,” John states that Jesus is God incarnate.

The Greeks, Romans and other people of the world would not have understood why it was important for Jesus to fulfill God’s prophecy. But they could and would identify with how Jesus loved others. They would see His claims to being equal with God. They would learn why it was necessary for Him to suffer, die, and rise again. In order to believe, readers had to hear this story from an eyewitness, from one of Jesus’ own followers, allowing them to make their own conclusions about whether Jesus was God incarnate. This is why John wrote his gospel – not only as a logical extension of Jewish tradition and prophecy, but as the story of how God so loved the whole world!

The Gospels were written to a Jewish audience in order to show them that Jesus was their Messiah, each gospel with its own unique purpose. Jesus fulfilled all of God’s commands and all of God’s promises exactly as God had declared since the beginning. And, throughout history, every time God’s people strayed from God’s commands and dismissed His promises, God reminded them that He still loved them. He still longed to be with them. But, their unbelief created a separation between Him and them. Yet, God continually proclaimed He had a commitment to love His people. He had a plan to save His people with His very Word.

This Word was Jesus, who was with the Father when the earth was formed and when the foundations were laid. He claimed to be God’s Son, sent from Heaven to restore with their Creator the relationship that had been perfect once. The times were dark for the Jewish people. They suffered under the Roman empire and longed for deliverance. The Jewish people were searching for a political power to overcome the Romans and deliver them. They were hoping for an earthly king to force himself into power over all people. Jesus, instead, revealed Himself as the Humble Servant-King Who lays His life down for those He loves, as stated in Jewish history such as in the Book of Isaiah. This demonstrated the amazing grace, love and mercy God had for His people.

The gospels and the book of Acts tell the story of how Jesus wanted all who believed to become children of God and to share the message of faith to all the world. This included offering anyone the good news of Christ’s saving love. The Book of John was written to show that Jesus is who He says He is, the Son of the one and only true God.  Jesus paid the price for all our sins, past, present and future, by living perfectly according to each of God’s commands and then being sacrificed instead of us, washing us as white as snow. Now, as Abraham’s faith was counted to him as righteousness (Genesis 15:6), we must also believe that Jesus’ work on the cross has saved us from our eternal separation from God. By believing in Jesus, we can now approach God as blameless and holy. We can receive Jesus – God’s solution to love us epically.

Time has not run out yet. Come, remember, and believe that the blood of Jesus Christ was given as a perfect atonement for all your sins. God has never left you or forsaken you. God has never stopped loving His people, nor has He stopped loving you. To summarize it very briefly, the Bible tells the story of the one and only true God loving broken, sinful, and proud people, undeserving of His love. This passage tells us that the only solution to this distance is for God to come down and dwell among us. It takes the guidance of His Holy Spirit to understand this miracle. And that makes it even bigger. That is His amazing love for you.

PERSONAL APPLICATION

Living on board a ship in a multicultural community, I have the opportunity to engage in discussions on religious topics from time to time. With many different backgrounds and denominations, almost everyone has a different opinion. Passages like these bring me back to the core of the Christian faith and show me that the focus should always remain on the Word, the Light, Jesus, Who came to seek and save the lost and not on how people behave according to their personal understanding and interpretation – sometimes called “religion.” Once when I was looking around while having a Bible study, the words of verse 12 in particular touched me: “Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.” God wants me to believe in Jesus, to have faith in His eternal promise that He loves me and that He is the only one who can save me. It is He and He alone whom I worship.

So, through His love and His gift of faith, we can say again we are a family. And God, the Good Shepherd, Who loves His sheep epically, is saying, “No one will ever snatch them out of My hand.” (John 10:28) It truly fills my heart with joy to see His glory shine on the faces of all those who call themselves children of God.

QUESTIONS TO PONDER

Connections to myself, others, and god

Connecting to myself

1. Reading verse 8, why do you think it is important for us today, but also for the readers throughout history, to know this?
2. Read verse 10-11 again. How do you feel when reading this? What effect do you think this had on Jesus?
3.  Look again at John 20:31. What does it mean for you to have life in Jesus’ name?
4.  Listen to the song. What emotions is it trying to communicate? What emotions does it evoke in you? Why?

Connecting to others

1. How can you practically show the Light to all humankind?
2. After reading these passages, can you think of one thing you want to change in relation to other people? Are you interested in finding a local church or meeting an individual that could help you appreciate how you are becoming or could become a part of God’s Epic Love Story, adopted into God’s family? Why or why not?
3. If your faith has given you the right to become a child of God, how does that affect the way you treat others? How does it inform what you say to others?

Connecting to God

1.  What is something new you learned about God’s love from the verses?
2. How can you use the Bible, God’s Epic Love Story, as a tool to connect with God?
3. How does this passage reflect the Trinity: The Father, Son and Holy Spirit?
4. God revealed Himself in Jesus’ human body. How do you see God revealed today?
5. What does it mean to you that “the Word was with God and the Word was God”?