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INTRODUCTION

The Gospels

 

      The four Gospels reveal to us the most wonderful life that has ever been seen on the face of the earth, that of the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

  

      Each of the Gospels give us something of the ministry of Jesus and then his death and resurrection. The first three Gospels are very similar, obviously drawing on similar sources for their information. As the main accounts of the life of Jesus, the Gospels are without doubt the most important documents in all of human history and therefore deserve our careful study.

  

 

John's Gospel

 

      The fourth Gospel is quite different from the first three. Yes, it does recount something of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus but it does it from a very different viewpoint.

  

      The writer John wrote very much later than the other three writers and he includes incidents involving people who were then probably dead when he wrote. If the story of Lazarus, for example, (Chapter 11) had been written while he was still alive, his life would have been made a misery by the sight-seers who would have come to look at this man, back from the dead.

 

      Because so many years have passed before John wrote, he had had time to far more fully appreciate the wonder of the One he was now writing about. We find in this Gospel, therefore, a far clearer picture of the divine wonder of the person of Jesus than in any of the other Gospels. In that sense it is probably the most important and certainly the most profound of the four Gospels. For that reason, and because of its length, these studies will, by necessity, stretch out over quite a long period of study.

     In old age, John looks back with a sharp memory of what happened all those years ago, (as tends to happen in old age), and seeing some of those things from the perspectvie of many years of maturity and understanding, he now realises there were things they had missed or simply not understood in those earlier days when the first three Gospels were compiled, so he determines to write and include those key things he now realises were so important, without reiterating all those things covered by the first three.

 

 

PART 1 : " Jesus Revealed "

  

      As you start reading this first chapter, whether it be for the first time or for the tenth time, note the mystical beginning which gradually opens up into a very human account. Take this first chapter carefully, it is worth it! 

Study No.1 : The Word : John 1:1-5,14

A. Find Out:    

     

1. How long has the Word existed? v.1

2. Where was the Word? v.1,2

3. How like God was the Word? v.1

4. How was the Word involved in Creation? v.3

5. The life of the Word brought what to men? v.4,5

6. What did the Word do? v.14

   

B. Think :

  

1. What is a "word"?

2. How was Jesus a "word"? See Hebrews 1:2

3. How do these verses show Jesus to be far more than mere man?

    

C. Comment :

  

      The Greeks used "the Word" (Logos) to mean reason or thought or wisdom. In Proverbs 8:22-31 Wisdom speaks as with personality in a most beautiful way, and John now takes this concept to reveal something of who Jesus is. He is THE Word (v.1).

       He takes the rather intangible thought of wisdom and shows how it (he) became personal to us. A word is simply an expression. God is One but the Son, Jesus, is God's expression of Himself to us. Whenever Jesus is revealed He is shown as a distinct personality and yet totally one with God (the Father). When we speak our words are us; you cannot separate them from us. Similarly you cannot separate Jesus from God, He is one with God in the same way. He qwas with God from the beginning (v.2)

      Through Him, we see next (v.3), the world was made (see also Proverbs 8 and Hebrews 1 again). In ways that are beyond our grasp Jesus, the expression of God, was the means of making all that is this universe. With his Father he had a very real part to play in Creation.

      More than that He was life (v.4), the very life of God expressed, and when that life came to men it came bringing light to men, their lives were revealed for what they were. The world was dark by comparison as it lacked this life, and it didn't understand the wonder of who and what had come into it (v.5).

   

D. Application?

  

1. God is a mystery. Let's not try to be too clever!

2. God doesn't demand that we understand Him, just that we worship Him.

    Let's do that.

   

          

Study No.2 : Light of the World : John 1:6-13

A. Find Out:

         

1. As what did John come? v.7a

2. What was God's purpose? v.7b

3. How is Jesus again and again referred to here? v.9

4. What response did Jesus get? v.10,11

5. What right did he give believers? v.12

6. How would they be born? v.13

   

B. Think :

  

1. What was John's function?

2. What does light do? How was Jesus light?

3. What seems surprising in verses 10-12?

    

C. Comment :

  

      John the Baptist (v.6) came to act as a witness (just like a Court witness) to testify to Jesus (v.7), to tell what the Spirit within him knew about Jesus. John's function was to get people ready to receive Jesus and he did this by pointing out people's need for a saviour, and then by pointing to Jesus as the one who had come to save them (see later).

      Jesus, as we saw above, came as light to "shine" into people's lives, to show them themselves and their need, and then bring His own light into their very lives, His very own goodness (v.9).

      The Creator of the world was coming into His world and the incredible thing was that people couldn't recognise Him (v.10) for who He was (such is the effect of sin). "Yet" or despite this (v.12), it was possible for people to become children of God. Despite the fact that most rejected Him, some did receive Him.

      When people do receive Jesus, John tells us, they become children of God (v.12b). The first requirement is that we BELIEVE in Jesus, in who He is and what He has done. The second requirement for us to become children of God, is that GOD makes us anew by placing His own Holy Spirit within us (v.13). These are ESSENTIAL and without them a person is NOT a Christian.

    

D. Application?

   

1. Salvation is not by "trying to be good" but simply by believing.

2. This Gospel is written that we might believe in Jesus (see 20:31). Let's

     read with that in mind.

   

    

Study No.3 : From Heaven to Earth : John 1:14-18

   

A. Find Out:

           

1. Of whose glory had they seen? v.14b

2. Of what was Jesus full? v.14c

3. Why was Jesus greater than John? v.15

4. From what have we received blessings? v.16

5. What came through Jesus? v.17

6. Why was Jesus able to make God known? v.18

    

B. Think :

  

1. What are the indications here that Jesus existed and lived in heaven

     before coming to earth?

2. What do you think "grace" means that is mentioned three times?

3. What is "truth" mentioned here twice?

    

C. Comment :

 

       The Word, that expression of God, came to us in human form (v.14), and as the expression of God He revealed something of God's glory (not all by any means, but sufficient to help us understand something of Him). He came "from the Father", from heaven (v.14) and because he knew God His Father, He could make Him known (v.18) to us.

      This is the wonder of Jesus that differentiates Him from any other "religious leader"; He was the expression of God who lived with God in heaven BEFORE He came to earth. We will see this same idea come out again and again in this Gospel.

      But then comes the description of Him: full of grace and truth. Grace here probably means all of God's goodness towards men. In Jesus there was just utter goodness, not a detached sort of goodness but goodness that was constantly directed to blessing mankind.

      Truth is what is.  There is nothing false or unreal about it.  In us there is pretence, guile or deception. In Jesus there is none of this. He is totally real, without pretence, without anything false. This is the One with whom we deal and His goodness and reality shows us up for what we so often are.

       John testifed in his preaching that Jesus had existed long before him (v.15). John, the writer, realises that all good things from God, come to us through Jesus' grace (v.16). Moes had brought the Law, but Jesus brought grace (v.17). Yes, we've never seen God but Jesus has made Him known to us (v.18).

    

D. Application?

   

1. Jesus is unique and has no one to compare with Him.

2. All that God desires for us is good; He purposes our blessing constantly.

    Jesus proves it.

 

Study No.4 : John Speaks Out  : John 1:19-28

A. Find Out:

         

1. Who did John say he was NOT? v.20,21

2. Who DID John say he was? v.23a

3. What did he say he was doing? v.23b

4. How did he describe the coming one? v.26

5. When did he say he would come? v.27a

6. What sort of person would he be? v.27b

   

B. Think :

  

1. How did John the Baptist seek to take the eyes of the religious leaders

     off himself?

2. How did he obviously feel about Jesus?

3. How can you "prepare the way" for someone?

    

C. Comment :

    

      The writer John now focuses on John the Baptist as the forerunner to Jesus. He was clearly baptising many people and so, because the religious people in 'the capital' (Jerusalem) saw this as a religious exercise, they sent their religious leaders to see what he was up to (v.19).

      When they start questioning him, his answers get shorter and shorter (v.20,21). He is not concerned to justify his own position; he knows his own calling and he simply wants to fulfil it. Out of exasperation they finally demand, "Well who are you?" or "Who do you think you are to be doing this then?" (v.22)

      John's answer is truly prophetic; he quotes Isaiah 40:3 to indicate he is part of the fulfilment of God's purposes for the present time (v.23). The religious 'seekers' still question his authority to baptise (v.24,25). John simply replies with the inference that baptising by water is no great thing but there is one there who will do far more (v.26,27, see also v.33).

      When he speaks of Jesus he declares His greatness (v.27). He is very clearly aware of who Jesus is. It seems John is almost reticent to say anything about Jesus to these 'religious' people. Perhaps he understood that they really would not be interested in Jesus, they already had their 'religion'.

   

D. Application?

  

1. We do not have to justify our calling, we simply proclaim Jesus.

2. Don't cast pearls before swine (Matthew 7:6)

   

     

Study No.5 : God's Sacrifice   : John 1:29-34

A. Find Out:

           

1. How does John refer to Jesus? v.29a

2. What was Jesus coming to do? v.29b

3. Why had John been baptising? v.31

4. What had John seen happen? v.32

5. What was this to show John? v.33

6. So how does John describe Jesus? v.34

    

B. Think :

   

1. What had been John's twofold function?

2. What two things in this passage tell us what Jesus is going to do?

3. How was John sure about all this?

    

C. Comment :

  

      This passage is full of prophetic imagery. First John describes Jesus as the "Lamb of God" (v.29).   In Old Testament times a lamb without blemish was sacrificed to save God's people from the destroying angel at the Exodus (see studies on the Exodus). Jesus is obviously going to become God's sacrifice to save present day people from God's judgement for their sins.

      John reiterates that Jesus is the one he had been referring to previously (v.30). Now John confesses that he hadn't known about Jesus (v.31a) but he had coming baptising (as instructed by God - implied) so that Jesus might be revealed (v.31b). How that came about is next made clear.

      Jesus, according to John, is to baptise people in the Holy Spirit (v.33). Now the Greek word for baptise means "to immerse in" so Jesus was to immerse people in the Holy Spirit. What does that mean? Well when you immerse something in water it either fills it (e.g. a cup) or saturates it right through (e.g. cloth). When we are baptised by Jesus in His Spirit it means we are also filled with His Spirit in the same way.

      The reason that John knew all this was that God had obviously told him (v.33). He knew that someone was coming after him, greater than him, and he knew he would only know Him by the sign of the Spirit coming down in the form of a dove (v.32). When this happened, John knew that this was the One (v.34). Interestingly, Jesus' name hasn't been mentioned yet, but we'll see tomorrow how all this does very clearly apply to him.

    

D. Application?

  

1. Thank God that He sent Jesus to die in your place.

2. Thank Him that He provides His Holy Spirit to be the life power within

     us  as His children.

   

Study No.6 : First Disciples  : John 1:35-42

A. Find Out:

          

1. Who were with John? v.35

2. How did John again describe Jesus? v.36

3. How did the 2 come to go with Jesus? v.37-39

4. Who was one of these two? v.40

5. What did he do? v.41,42a

6. What did Jesus do with Peter? v.42

    

B. Think :

  

1. How were these first two disciples clearly 'prepared men'?

2. How are these first two an example to us?

3. How is Andrew a further example?

    

C. Comment :

  

      We are now introduced to two of John's disciples or followers (v.35), one of whom is Andrew (v.40).  Having been followers of John they are clearly men with whom God has been dealing (you couldn't remain with John without that happening!) and as soon as Jesus is pointed out to them (v.36) they are off after him (v.37). This is a sign of real godly desire, when people seek to be in Jesus' company.

      There follows a simple but significant interchange between them and Jesus. As they follow him, Jesus turns round and asks them what they want (v.38a). it is as if he challenges their motives and makes them face what they really want. The simply ask where he is staying (v.38), as if to imply they want to experience more of him. Well come and see, is his reply (v.39), so they do. Encountering Jesus is not to be a quick fragmentary thing; it is to be an ongoing encounter.

      We next see the response of Andrew (v.40) who, as soon as he gets the chance, brings his brother, Peter, to Jesus (v.41,42). We speak about "bringing people to the Lord" and that is just what it is, bringing people to come to know Jesus. If John was the first evangelist, then Andrew must be the second!

      Then we see what happens to Peter (v.42); Jesus gives him a new name! What does that mean? Well, Simon means "small pebble" and Peter means "big rock", so Jesus is doing two things: first he is starting him off in a new life and second he is declaring his potential. When we come to the Lord we come as a nobody and Jesus makes us a somebody, and that 'somebody' has great potential as a child of God!

    

D. Application?

 

1. When we come to Jesus, He shares Himself with us and gives us a new

     life.

2. Once we are made anew we can just rest in the future, knowing that He

    sees what He can do with us, and HE will bring it about as we allow Him

    to lead us on, day by day.

   

Study No.7 : More Disciples   : John 1:43-51

   

A. Find Out:

          

1. What was Jesus' call to Philip? v.43

2. What did Philip go and do? v.45a

3. How did he describe Jesus? v.45b

4. How did he answer Nathaniel's query? v.46

5. In what 2 ways did Jesus indicate he knew Nathaniel? v.47,48

6. What reply did this evoke from Nathaniel? v.49

7. What more did Jesus promise him? v.50,51

    

B. Think :

   

1. What seemed to be the natural response of these disciples when they

     met Jesus?

2. How did they deal with questions about Jesus?

3. Why is Nathaniel so surprised?

   

C. Comment :

  

      Jesus found Philip (v.43). We so often think we "found" Jesus but in fact it is always the other way round.   Philip's first reaction was to tell someone else about Jesus (v.45), just like Andrew had done. When Nathaniel shows his prejudice about Nazareth (v.46a), Philip gives the classic answer, "Come and see (for yourself)". (v.46b)

      If we are sharing with the right people they will be seekers and the best answer to them is, "Come and meet Jesus yourself".  When Nathaniel comes to Jesus, Jesus speaks to him with clear knowledge of him(v.47). As if to confirm this knowledge about Nathaniel, Jesus tells him something private about himself (v.48). Nathaniel had obviously been in some private place, possibly praying. Perhaps there he had been pouring out to God his feelings of his own unworthiness. Jesus reveals insight and knowledge of Nathaniel that clearly touches him deeply and he acclaims Jesus as teacher, Son of God and King of Israel.

   

D. Application?

  

1. Sometimes the best way to deal with people asking questions is to say

     "Come and see" and lead them to God through them praying.

2. Jesus knows us through and through and meets us at our point of need.

     When we come to Him he shares more and more revelation with us.

  

RECAP No.1  "Jesus Revealed"  John 1

    

SUMMARY :  

      

In these first 7 studies we have seen:

  - Jesus as the   

- expression of God

- Lamb of God

- caller of disciples

  - John as the  

- witness to Jesus

- voice in the wilderness

- baptiser

   

  

COMMENT :

 

      In this opening chapter of John's Gospel the writer presents Jesus to us as the very expression of God who has come in the flesh.  As the link between the mystical expression of God and His activity in a human body, we are shown John the Baptist proclaiming Jesus and first disciples following Him.

  

      The writer, John, takes us from the chapter's mystical beginning to the earthly end of the chapter in gradual easy-to-follow stages. The divine expression of God is revealed to us as the very personal One who interacts with men.

    

   

LESSONS :

   

1. Salvation requires simple belief in Jesus, the unique Son of God

2. Jesus is the Lamb of God who was sacrificed to take our sins

3. When we come to Jesus He gives us a new life

4. Jesus knows all there is to know about us

    

PRAY :

    

1. Thank the Lord that He sent Jesus to die for you.

2. He came and comes to share His life with us. Thank Him for this.

   

  

PART 2 : “Revelation and Revelation!”

  

    In these next two chapters watch as the glory of this wonderful being, Jesus, God's unique Son, is gradually revealed. Then watch and see how the teaching shows that men's hearts are also revealed in the way they respond as Jesus is revealed to them. Rejection or Acceptance reveals the state of a person's heart!