(last edited 3/21/11, v.14-17)Jan's Bible Notes
John
The four Gospels are written to four different groups of people; Matthew to the Jews, Mark to the Romans, Luke to the Greeks, and John to believers. Jesus is presented in these four Gospels as king (Matthew), servant (Mark), perfect man (Luke), and God (John). John makes it very clear that Jesus is God.
Notice these key words that John uses frequently that are not as common in the other Gospels: believe, receive, truth, light, love, saved, eternal life. John deals more with theology and less with the story of Jesus' life.
This Gospel was written quite late, probably about 90 AD, to later believers, not to the ones who had been eyewitnesses. So, if written to later believers, in a sense you can say this Gospel is written to the church. And we will find much said to and for the church rather than to the Jews. Particularly we see this in Jesus' last words, John 14-16, which are not about the fulfillment of prophecy in the endtimes, as the other Gospels stress, but are about preparing the disciples for the coming of the Holy Spirit and their relationship to Him, rather than with Jesus.
Perhaps the key verse is 20:31. Here is why John wrote this book and why he recorded the information he did. Which John wrote this book? We don't want to confuse him with John the Baptist. What else did John write?
John 1
The Bible uses many names and terms for Jesus. Let's see how many we can find in this chapter, in 1, 5, 9, 14, 17, 18, 20, 23, 29, 33, 34, 36, 41, 45, 49(2). The Jews understood the terms "Son of God" and "Son of Man" to both refer to deity.
1-5 How is this beginning different than Gen. 1:1? Which of these two beginnings takes us further back in time? The other three Gospels place Jesus in a historical and geographical setting; how does this book introduce Jesus in connection with history? How does it teach the Trinity? Compare Gen. 1:26. What is the Trinity? Three persons--Father, Son, Holy Spirit--all of which are identified in Scripture as God, equal with each other, yet we are told God is One. We never find the precise words "I am God" coming from Jesus, but in many ways, He, and the Bible, claim that He is God. This chapter tells us in many ways.
We talk about God's Word; here the Word is what? Compare Rev. 1:16, Heb. 4:12, Heb. 1:1-2. Jesus IS what God has to say. He IS God's message to us. No wonder we experience fellowship with God when we spend time in His Word. What role did Jesus play in creation? Col. 1:15-20 also tells of His role in creation and in everything that goes on.
The Jehovah Witnesses' New World Translation says "and the Word was a god." They do not believe Jesus is God but rather is a created being. There is no scholarly evidence for their translation, but this is their way of getting around the obvious statement here that Jesus is God. Most cults say that Jesus was a created being, not the Creator.
The Mormons also deny the Trinity. They claim they do, but use the term to mean something else. They believe that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are three separate individuals, three gods. They are polytheistic, not monotheistic, as Christians are. Cults often use biblical terms to mean something not biblical. It's a good idea to ask questions and find out what someone means by the terms they use.
6-8 Who is being talked about here? What was his purpose? Testify/witness: to report, give evidence. Is this similar to what we are to do? John 15:27, Acts 1:8, 1:22, 20:22-23, I Pet. 5:1, I John 1:2, Rev. 20:4. Most of these seem to speak of the role of the apostles as eyewitnesses, but obviously Rev. 20:4 is not. What evidence do we give as witnesses of Christ? Did John try to argue people into belief in Christ, or did he just present his experience and what the Bible said about Him?
9-10 So is this saying that all men have the true light, that all are saved? (KJV, enlightens = lighteth) Strongs: shines, illuminates, gives light, brings light. So every man has heard? Perhaps because of His role in creation, like Rom. 1:20, or perhaps referring to every man that heard about Jesus? The context makes it clear that this is not some inner light; He is seen and heard by men, and so illuminates the world.
11-12 Who were His own? Mt. 15:24. This refers specifically to the Jews, God's chosen people, but also refers more generally to the entire world, God's creation. What two verbs tell what people need to do? What does "believe" mean? Does it mean that if the words "I believe" come out of your mouth, you are saved? If you do not believe in your heart, is God fooled by words? Some people think James 2:14-26, which stresses the importance of works, contradicts other parts of the Bible that say believing is all that is necessary for salvation. Actually, James clarifies for us just what is meant by "believe." James says that faith without works (obedience) is dead. So we see that the Bible tells us that faith, or believing, means a life-changing belief, one that results in actions--in obedience to God.
But we see here that if you DO truly believe, that IS all that is required--to simply believe in Jesus, that He is God, as He claims to be, and that He is your Savior, as He claims to be. And of course this implies that the person understands that they are a sinner in need of forgiveness, or else there would be no need for a Savior. Some teach that if the "magic words" come out of your mouth, you are saved, no matter what. This is false, and many people have been deceived into thinking they are saved when they are not.
Some believe that anything WE DO is works, even believing. They say that believing does not save us--only election does. So how can they know if they are saved, if they are the elect? They say you must continually inspect your life to see if your life exhibits marks of a Christian. This would take away from any assurance of salvation. You would always be hoping you are one of the elect, but never absolutely sure. Can you know for sure that you are saved? Read I John 5:13. What does it say is the criterion for eternal life?
On the other hand, some say we must DO things to be saved--keep the Law, be baptized, belong to a certain group or church, or just do more good things than you do bad things. But the Bible clearly teaches we MUST receive/believe, and that is ALL that is required for salvation. Believing is the work of faith, not works to gain righteousness on our own merit. John 6:29 says that our believing is whose doing? But WE must do it. Here is the balance of God's sovereignty and our free will, which will be talked about in greater detail in John 6. Who alone can give the right to become children of God? So indirectly, Jesus is here said to be God. Christians are described here as those who have received Him, who have believed Him, who are born of God, who are children of God. In John 3:3, what similar term does Jesus use? These are all ways of saying that we must have a personal relationship with Christ, not just an intellectual assent.
14-16 The Word has already been identified as the eternal God; now God becomes what? Flesh = man. This is called in theology the incarnation, "carn" referring to flesh. (Have you ever bought "chile con carne"? That means beans with meat--flesh). The New Testament talks about the carnal Christian, the one relying on the flesh rather than the spirit. His name "Jesus Christ" refers to the fact that He is both the Christ and the man Jesus. Christ = Messiah, the Anointed One. In the prophecy in Is. 9:6, who is this child/son actually? What does Micah 5:2 tell about the ruler of Israel who will be born in Bethlehem? Mal. 3:1 refers to the one who will come to His temple as who? So the promised Messiah was to be not just a man, but God Himself.
So who or what was Jesus before He was born as a man? What does this verse tell us about Jesus as a man? Only begotten: unique, only one of His kind. What does "full of" tell us? Does "full" mean "partly"? Was Jesus partly God and partly man? He was completely God and completely man; compare Col. 1:15, 19. What is grace? God's favor. Is any man full of grace? Nowhere in the Bible is anyone else said to be "full of grace." (The NASB translates Acts 6:8 as Stephen being "full of grace," but the KJV translates it as "full of faith.") Grace is found in Jesus Christ alone. As we read through the New Testament, we will find that we are now living in the Age of Grace (also called the Church Age); we are no longer in the Age of Law. We are living under grace, not under law, Rom. 6:14.
The Rosary begins, "Hail, Mary, full of grace," but can this be found anywhere in the Bible? The Bible does not teach that Mary was sinless--without original sin. Mary herself realized that she needed a Savior (Luke 1:47); only sinners need a Savior. Also, the angel's statement, "Blessed art thou among women" (Luke 1:28, KJV) does not mean she was sinless or more than human. "Blessed" simply means favored, happy. Many in the Bible are said to be blessed, such as those mentioned in the Beatitudes (Mt. 5:3-9), those who follow the teachings of Jesus (John 13:17), or those who find wisdom (Prov. 3:13). Our beliefs should be based on the Bible, not on any tradition, church teaching, later book or supposed revelation, on this matter or any other.
Is any man full of truth? Why not? Who alone is full of truth? What did John the Baptist know about Jesus? All through this chapter, we are continually reminded that Jesus is God, using many different terminologies, so that the point cannot be missed.
In 14, the author, who is unnamed although we know it is John, says "we" saw His glory, claiming to be an eyewitness of the transfiguration, which we know was witnessed by which three disciples, Mt. 17:1? Peter also refers to this incident in II Pet. 1:16-18.
In 16, does "we all" refer to all mankind? Is everyone saved--universal salvation? Keep in mind who John is speaking to--believers, the church. As in Paul's Epistles, "we/us" generally refers to the church, which he is addressing, and "they/them" generally refers to unbelievers, those outside the church ("the church" in the Bible means all believers, not a specific group of believers). Can you see how those who take one verse out of context, to fit their pre-conceived ideas, could come up with all kinds of wrong teachings? Unbelievers reading this could take "we" to mean themselves, wrongly concluding, as many cults and New Agers do, that God is in all people. But remembering that Bible authors are talking to a specific audience, "we/you/us/our" refers to the believers they are addressing. Unbelievers are often referred to as "they/them." A good example of this is found in I Thes. 4:13-5:11.
17 John contrasts two dispensations. What dispensation began in Moses' day? Another way to say it is, the Jews in the Old Testament were under what? What dispensation began with the resurrection of Jesus? Or, the church is under what? Rom. 6:14. Some Christians don't believe in or like the term "dispensations." A dispensation is merely a period of time during which God is dealing with man in a particular way, testing him under a particular set of circumstances. In every dispensation, man fails the test. God is proving to all that we are completely unable on our own to meet His standard of righteousness.
What other key word in this book is found in 17? Today many people do not believe that truth exists; they believe that everyone has their own truth (which really just means, their opinion), and all truths are valid (because everyone IS entitled to their own opinion). This view is known as Post-Modernism. What does the Bible say about truth in John 14:6 and 18:37? Did Moses give the Law, or write it? Compare Ex. 19:9-20:1. When you talk to people about the truths in the Bible, don't say "I think" or "I believe." Many people will say, "that's fine for you, but I believe this other thing…" Say instead, "the Bible says…" Let people know that there IS truth; whether they believe it or not is their choice.
18 Compare this verse to Gen. 18:22, Ex. 33:11, Judges 6:14-15, I Tim. 6:16, and I John 4:12. Is the Bible contradicting itself? Remember that God is a Trinity: John 4:24 tells us what about the Father? The Holy Spirit is obviously spirit also. According to this verse, when God appeared on earth as a man, He appeared as the Son, the Christ. His human name was Jesus. In the Old Testament, He also appeared, not as Jesus but as the pre-incarnate Christ. (Incarnate = in the flesh.) He appeared as the Angel of the Lord, who can be identified as God in many passages. See Gen. 22:11-18 and Judges 6:22. Is it true, as some say, that we cannot really know God or know anything about Him for sure, according to this verse? Compare John 6:46, Col. 1:15.
19-23 Which John is spoken of here, the disciple/apostle or John the Baptist? Does "confess" mean to admit to a crime? Strongs: profess, acknowledge. What does "Christ" mean? Is "Jesus Christ" merely the name Jesus had on earth, like a first name and last name? No; "Christ" means "anointed", "the Messiah," and is only used in the New Testament. The Old Testament speaks of the Messiah in Dan. 9:25-26, and the Lord's anointed in Ps. 2:2. "Jesus" was the name given to the baby born in the manger; "Christ" was His title. He is Jesus, the Christ.
So what were the Jews asking in 20? Was John the Baptist the Messiah promised in the Old Testament prophecies? Why would they ask if he was Elijah? See Mal. 4:5. "The Prophet" was a reference to Deut. 18:15 (a prophecy of Christ). John answers them by quoting Is. 40:3. Read about the circumstances of John's birth in Luke 1:13-17, in which the angel refers to Mal. 3:1 and 4:5-6, and Luke 1:76. John and Jesus were cousins, born 6 months apart. Do you think John already knew at this point that Jesus was the Messiah?
24-28 Baptizing was not an uncommon practice; many groups baptized their followers. It was a way of publicly identifying one's self with a particular group or leader. How did John compare himself to Jesus? What did servants do that John did not even feel qualified to do? Have you noticed that baptisms were done publicly, never in private? We are not to be "closet Christians."
29 What is Jesus called here? Why is He called that? This term takes us back to the Old Testament sacrificial system that God gave to Israel, Lev. 17:11, and which originated in the Garden of Eden. When Adam and Eve sinned, what did God do, Gen. 3:21? They had made themselves garments, 3:7, but their own efforts were not acceptable. The shedding of blood was required. Likewise Cain's offering was unacceptable because it was a bloodless offering, Gen. 4:3-5. What event in Ex. 12:1-14 pictured how the shed blood of the Lamb delivered those who obeyed from death? How does Gen. 22:7-13 prophesy of the coming Lamb that God would provide? Did God provide a lamb that day, 22:13? This verse in John fulfills that prophecy.
Why did Jesus come to earth? To show us how to love each other, to give us an example to follow? This verse tells why--He came to die in our place, to take the punishment (death) that we deserve because we are all sinners and our sin makes us unacceptable to God. "Sin" not "sins;" this is not talking about our specific acts, but our original sin. Compare Is. 53:5-6 (note 53:7, again pointing to the Lamb of God), 11-12, Rom. 5:9, 6:23, Heb. 9:20, 10:4, 12.
Some believe that all people on earth are now forgiven and will go to heaven because Jesus died on the cross for the sins of the world--again, universal salvation. This removes the requirement that we repent and believe in order to be forgiven. Taking a verse here and there out of context can lead to such wrong theology. Reading elsewhere in this chapter, 1:12, clarifies that not everyone is forgiven, only those who believe and receive. All of john 3 also makes this very clear, emphasizing the necessity of believing and being born again.
31 Even though he must have known the stories of his and Jesus' conception and birth, what was John not sure about? Why was Jesus to be manifested specifically to Israel? Who were they looking for, 41? They were looking for the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies.
32-34 The apostle John does not describe Jesus' baptism by John the Baptist as do the other Gospels, but he has John the Baptist referring to that incident here. The other three Gospels state that immediately following the baptism of Jesus, He was tempted in the wilderness by Satan for 40 days. Then He began His public ministry. The time frame here--the events of 19-28, followed by the comment "the next day" in 29--must be immediately following the wilderness temptation. At what point did John know for sure that Jesus was the Messiah, the Christ, the Eternal One? Apparently God told him this in advance. Not until this point in Jesus' life does He begin to act on His true identity. This is when His ministry as the Messiah begins. Note the two terms for God used here.
In what form did the Holy Spirit appear at Jesus' baptism? In what way do we see the Trinity at Jesus' baptism, Mt. 3:16-17? Who alone has the power to baptize anyone with/in/by the Holy Spirit? So again we see Jesus identified as God.
35-37 Who does John the Baptist direct this statement to? Was he concerned about keeping his own power or position, his own disciples? What was his role, 23? We see John's obedience and humility. What other kind of animal is Jesus likened to, Rev. 5:5, Gen. 49:9? In this book, we will see Him use many terms to refer to Himself, besides the Light and the Word.
38-40 Why did Jesus ask this? Doesn't He, as God, know everything? Are there other reasons to ask questions besides just getting information? Why do we sometimes do this with our children? We see Jesus often using this tactic; we saw it first in Gen. 3:9, 11, 13. What does "Rabbi" mean? What does "disciple" mean? A learner.
41-42 What was Andrew's first action after following Jesus? We aren't told a lot about the disciple Andrew, but what similar things do we see him doing in John 6:4-9 and 12:20-22? Who does he believe Jesus is? The word "believe" is not used here but obviously Andrew has believed in Jesus. Christ = Messiah. So these disciples knew that this was no ordinary man. Andrew's brother is known by what three names? Interestingly, the name "Cephas" (rock) is not used in the stories of Peter and Jesus; the only other places we find it are in accounts of his life following the resurrection. The name is prophetic; it has future significance.
43-51 How did Philip become a follower of Jesus? Comparing him to Andrew and Peter, do we see God working the same way in everyone's life? Does Philip think, as do many today, that Jesus was merely a good teacher? Many think Christians need only read the New Testament; does the Old Testament teach about Jesus Christ, 45? 46, what did Philip tell Nathanael? This is what each person needs to do. Does Nathanael believe instantly, as the others seemed to? Do all come to Christ in the same way? How does Jesus deal with his doubts? Will He deal with our doubts? If you are seeking truth, God will make sure that you find it, Mt. 7:7. Don't individuals sometimes experience, like Nathanael did, little private "miracles" in which God shows them He is truly God? "Under the fig tree" may have a literal meaning, or may have been used figuratively, as the Bible often does, to signify living in safety, comfort, leisure.
The men Jesus called were obviously godly Jews. They knew the Scriptures and were looking for the promised Messiah.
What Old Testament incident does 51 refer to, Gen. 28:12? So what light does this statement shed on Jacob's experience? What/who did Jacob actually see? Who alone can bridge the gap between earth and heaven?
In 51, what does Jesus claim about Himself? We see in this chapter that not only does Jesus claim to be God, but many others testify that He is God. "Truly, truly" (or "verily, verily") is a way of drawing attention to an important statement.
If you have not been clear in your mind that Jesus is God, this chapter should help you. It also makes it clear that salvation is through believing in Jesus Christ. It is a good chapter to use in talking to someone who is not yet a believer. Some Christians think it is not important to read the Old Testament, but we see from just this one chapter how many references there are to the Old Testament, and how understanding it gives a much better understanding of the New Testament. God gave us the whole Bible because it is all important, I Tim. 3:16.
Copyright 2004 Jan Young