NLT Study Bible - Gospel of John - Flipbook - Page 8
John 1:26
1769
1:17
Exod 31:18; 34:28
fchristos (5547)
John 1:41
1:18
Col 1:15
gmonogenes (3439)
John 3:16
1:19-28
Matt 3:1-12
Mark 1:2-8
Luke 3:1-16
1:20
Luke 3:15
John 3:28
1:21
Deut 18:15
Mal 4:5
Matt 11:14
1:23
*Isa 40:3
Mal 3:1
1:26
Matt 3:11
Mark 1:8
Luke 3:16
17For
21“Well then, who are you?” they asked.
the law was given through Moses, but
God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came “Are you Elijah?”
“No,” he replied.
through Jesus fChrist. 18No one has ever
seen God. But the gunique One, who is him “Are you the Prophet we are expecting?”
“No.”
self God, is near to the Father’s heart. He
22“Then who are you? We need an answer
has revealed God to us.
for those who sent us. What do you have to
say about yourself?”
2. The Book of Signs: The Word
23John replied in the words of the prophet
Displays His Glory (1:19–12:50)
Isaiah:
Jesus and John the Baptist (1:19-51)
The Testimony of John the Baptist
“I am a voice shouting in the wilderness,
John 1:23 // Matt 3:1-3 // Mark 1:2-3 // Luke 3:2b-6
‘Clear the way for the Lord’s coming!’ ”
John 1:24-28 // Matt 3:11-12 // Mark 1:7-8 //
Luke 3:15-18
24Then the Pharisees who had been sent
was John’s testimony when the 25asked him, “If you aren’t the Messiah or
Jewish leaders sent priests and Temple as Elijah or the Prophet, what right do you
sistants from Jerusalem to ask John, “Who have to baptize?”
26John told them, “I bapt ize with water,
are you?” 20He came right out and said, “I
but right here in the crowd is someone you
am not the Messiah.”
19This
The Word (1:1-18)
Gen 1:3-28
Ps 33:6, 9
Prov 8:22-31
Isa 40:8
1 Jn 1:1
Rev 19:13
John raises the curtain on his Gospel with a stunning description of Jesus Christ as “the Word”
(Greek logos, 1:1). Both Greek and Jewish listeners in the first century would immediately recognize the profound meaning of this title. Greeks would have thought of the seminal forces
that sustain the universe. Jewish minds would have thought back to God creating the world
with his word (Gen 1:3-28). In Jesus’ day, the word of God took on creative personal attributes
(Ps 33:6, 9). Jews viewed God’s word as personifying divine wisdom. Through Wisdom, God
extended himself into the cosmos, creating the world (Prov 8:22-31).
In John’s drama, Jesus shares the same essence as God; the Son existed before time, and
he was the agent of all creation. John anchors the divinity of Jesus in this ancient Jewish
concept of Wisdom. The divine Wisdom that has existed from before time with God can now
be known in Jesus Christ. In perhaps the most outrageous verse penned by an apostle, John
writes that this Logos, this Wisdom, became flesh and lived among us as a human (1:14).
What God is, the Logos is. The Logos is Jesus Christ.
1:17 the law: That is, the Torah, the
first five books of the Bible (Genesis
through Deuteronomy). Although
God’s unfailing love and faithfulness (or
grace and truth) are in the Torah, these
qualities are fully revealed in Christ
(3:16; 13:1).
1:18 Moses was denied his desire to
see God directly (Exod 33:18-20). Only
Jesus has seen the Father, so he alone
completely knows him and can tell us
about him (3:32-35; 14:9-10). But the
unique One, who is himself God (some
manuscripts read But the one and only
Son): The Son, who sees the Father, is
himself God—not simply a messenger
who knows something about God. John
explicitly affirms Christ’s deity. Jesus
shares the substance of God’s being.
1:19–12:50 Jesus reveals himself to
the world through his miraculous signs
and sermons. Audiences were divided:
Some wanted to believe in him; others
opposed him. This division intensifies
as the book unfolds. Jesus ended his
public ministry with a final appeal for
people to believe in him (12:44-50).
1:19-51 John’s Gospel gives limited attention to John the Baptist compared to
the synoptic Gospels (Matt 3:1-6; Mark
1:2-6; Luke 1:1-24, 57-80; 3:1-13). Yet
the apostle John wants us to see that
John the Baptist correctly identified
and exalted Jesus. John the Baptist’s
disciples leave him and follow Jesus;
Jesus took over the ministry John began,
increasing as John decreased (3:30).
1:19 Jewish leaders: See “The Jewish
Leaders” at 5:9-18, p. 1779. and
Temple assistants: Literally and Levites.
1:20 The Jews expected the Messiah
(the Hebrew form of the Greek word
Christ) to bring spiritual leadership and
political redemption to Israel (see Deut
18:15; see also the Jewish intertestamental book Psalms of Solomon).
1:21 Elijah was to be the Messiah’s
forerunner (Mal 4:5). John the Baptist
fulfilled the forerunner’s role, though
he denied being the prophet Elijah (see
Matt 11:14; Luke 1:17). Are you the
Prophet we are expecting? Literally Are
you the Prophet? See Deut 18:15, 18;
Mal 4:5-6; see also John 6:14; 7:40-41.
1:22-23 Then who are you? John the
Baptist simply wanted to be known as
a voice shouting in the wilderness (see
Isa 40:3).
1:24 The Pharisees were deeply devoted
to the Scriptures and earnestly desired
a righteous life (see “Pharisees” at Matt
3:7, p. 1581). They also believed in the
coming Messiah, which explains their
inquiries here. Some Pharisees became
believers in Jesus (Acts 15:5), including
the apostle Paul (Acts 26:5; Phil 3:5).
1:25-26 Jewish baptisms were ritual
washings for becoming ceremonially
pure following contact with impurity
(Lev 8:6; Num 19:7). John’s announcement of the Messiah’s arrival required
that participants confess their sins and
be baptized (Matt 3:6). Baptism later
became the symbol of membership in
Jesus’ kingdom (Acts 2:38; see also John
4:1-2). with: Or in; also in 1:31, 33.
