Johnchapter 1

The Word Made Flesh — Gustave Doré (engraving), public domain

A.In the Beginning Was the Wordvv. 1-5

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, and without Him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

B.The Light Comes to His Ownvv. 6-13

6 There came a man who was sent from God. His name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify about the Light, so that through him everyone might believe. 8 He himself was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light. 9 The true Light who gives light to every man 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 His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But 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 blood, nor of the desire or will of man, but born of God.

C.The Word Became Flesh and Dwelt Among Usvv. 14-18

14 The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John testified concerning Him. He cried out, saying, “This is He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because He was before me.’” 16 From His fullness we have all received grace upon grace. 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 at the Father’s side, has made Him known.

D.John the Baptist: A Voice in the Wildernessvv. 19-28

19 And this was John’s testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He did not refuse to confess, but openly declared, “I am not the Christ.” 21 “Then who are you?” they inquired. “Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.” 22 So they said to him, “Who are you? We need an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet: “I am a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’” 24 Then the Pharisees who had been sent 25 asked him, “Why then do you baptize, if you are not the Christ, 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 All this happened at Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

E.Behold, the Lamb of Godvv. 29-34

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 He of whom 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 testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove and resting on Him. 33 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 descend and rest is He who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”

F.The First Disciples: Come and Seevv. 35-51

35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus walking by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” 37 And when the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned and saw them following. “What do you want?” He asked. They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are You staying?” 39 “Come and see,” He replied. So they went and saw where He was staying, and spent that day with Him. It was about the tenth hour. 40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard John’s testimony and followed Jesus. 41 He first found his brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated as Christ). 42 Andrew brought him to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which is translated as Peter). 43 The next day Jesus decided to set out for Galilee. Finding Philip, He told him, “Follow Me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the same town as Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the One Moses wrote about in the Law, the One the prophets foretold—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46 “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip. 47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, He said of him, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is no deceit.” 48 “How do You know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus replied, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.” 49 “Rabbi,” Nathanael answered, “You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50 Jesus said to him, “Do you believe just because I told you I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.” 51 Then He declared, “Truly, truly, I tell you, you will all see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

Commentary on this chapter: read the Exposition

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Chapter summary

Prologue: 'in the beginning was the Word.' Incarnation; 'we beheld his glory.' John the Baptist's witness; 'behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.' Calling of Andrew, Peter, Philip, Nathanael: 'thou shalt see greater things than these … the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.'

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Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary, John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the New Testament and John Calvin, Commentaries.

Context

Gospel · John — John overview

A. 1–5 In the Beginning Was the Word
B. 6–13 The Light Comes to His Own
C. 14–18 The Word Became Flesh and Dwelt Among Us
D. 19–28 John the Baptist: A Voice in the Wilderness
E. 29–34 Behold, the Lamb of God
F. 35–51 The First Disciples: Come and See

Top cross-references8 chapters ▾

John 110 verses
- John 1:4In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.
- John 1:10He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him.
- John 1:12But to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God—
- John 1:15John testified concerning Him. He cried out, saying, “This is He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because He was before me.’”
- John 1:20He did not refuse to confess, but openly declared, “I am not the Christ.”
- John 1:27He is the One who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”
- Read John 1: 4 more there →
Matthew 33 verses
- Matthew 3:3This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.’”
- Matthew 3:11I baptize you with water for repentance, but after me will come One more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
- Matthew 3:16As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. Suddenly the heavens were opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and resting on Him.
- Read Matthew 3 →
John 33 verses
- John 3:19And this is the verdict: The Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness rather than the Light because their deeds were evil.
- John 3:28You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but am sent ahead of Him.’
- John 3:32He testifies to what He has seen and heard, yet no one accepts His testimony.
- Read John 3 →
1 John 33 verses
- 1 John 3:1Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.
- 1 John 3:5But you know that Christ appeared to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin.
- 1 John 3:9Anyone born of God refuses to practice sin, because God’s seed abides in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.
- Read 1 John 3 →

4 more chapters this one speaks with

Colossians 13 verses
- Colossians 1:15The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
- Colossians 1:16For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him.
- Colossians 1:19For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him,
- Read Colossians 1 →
Matthew 113 verses
- Matthew 11:14And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come.
- Matthew 11:27All things have been entrusted to Me by My Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.
- Matthew 11:28Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
- Read Matthew 11 →
Mark 13 verses
- Mark 1:3“A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.’”
- Mark 1:10As soon as Jesus came up out of the water, He saw the heavens breaking open and the Spirit descending on Him like a dove.
- Mark 1:16As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.
- Read Mark 1 →
Deuteronomy 182 verses
- Deuteronomy 18:15The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to him.
- Deuteronomy 18:18I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. I will put My words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him.
- Read Deuteronomy 18 →

Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.