How different this gospel is from the others. Matthew told of the Lord’s title as Son of David to the throne of Israel, and as Son of Abraham to all the promises.
Mark brought before us the perfect servant.
Luke kept Him before us as a man, dependent on and obedient to the Father.
In each we see that His Godhead glory is also fully owned, and each owns that all the glories which the others tell of belong to Him. So it is with John, but in entering into this gospel we find, in a special way, infinitude comes before us, and we need with child-like faith to receive what is said, as the only way to enter into what God would communicate.
Verse 1. “In the beginning” takes our minds backward. We think of when the heavens and the earth and all created things began. We can think of who was before all things, and we say, God was. There our finite minds must stop, and there our gospel begins: before angels, or men, or the heavens, or the highest part of the dust of the earth was called by the Creator’s word into being. There we see God, who speaks in Genesis 1:2626And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. (Genesis 1:26), “Let us.” And further on we find God, the Father; the Son and the Holy Spirit. Three persons who have but one mind and object in all they do. In the Word they are declared.
“In the beginning was the Word.” These words speak of His eternal existence. He did not begin to be. He was.
“And the Word was with God.” This shows distinct personalities.
“And the Word was God,” tells emphatically of His absolute deity.
Verse 2. “The same was in the beginning with God.” This tells us that the Word was not an emanation as of something that began later.
Verse 3. “All things were made by Him: and without Him was not anything made that was made.” Everything that had a beginning, or being, received being from Him (Col. 1:1616For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: (Colossians 1:16); Heb. 1:22Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; (Hebrews 1:2)). The Word is the Creator. Colossians 1:1515Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: (Colossians 1:15) refers to His coming into this world. He must necessarily be “the firstborn” (the highest part) of all creation. Colossians 1:1818And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. (Colossians 1:18) and Revelation 3:1414And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; (Revelation 3:14) refer to His new place as a man risen from among the dead—the Head of God’s new creation, Verses 4, 5. “In Him was life; and the life was the light of men; and the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” This life that was in Him is not the created life that man has as born into this world. It is that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested here on earth. So it is the light of men. But alas! man was in sin and distance from God—darkness—so it comprehended Him not. The darkness was not dispelled by His shining. Man’s lost estate is here fully declared.
Verses 6-9. God in mercy sent a man, fitted and prepared by Him, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through Him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth (or shineth upon) every man that cometh into the world. It is not a testimony to Jews only; it is for every man. Thus He shows that all men are sinners, and that God sends His Word of Grace to all.
Verses 10-13. “He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not.” He was a stranger in the world His hands had made. “He came unto His own (kingdom and people), and His own (people) received Him not.” But there was a class that received Him. Who were they to whom He gave a right to be called the children of God? They were those who believed on His name, “who had been born” (again) “not of blood”—as of earthly descent like the Jews—“nor of the will of the flesh”—no religious efforts could accomplish this—“nor of the will of man,” for man’s will led him away from God, but did not lead him back. No, these were born “of God.” In Chapter 20 we see this place as children conferred upon the disciples; Mary Magdalene carried the message.
Verses 14-16. Jesus’ history begins here on earth. “The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.” In a parenthesis the evangelist says “And we beheld His glory, a glory as of the only begotten with a Father,” and it was indeed the Son in the Father’s bosom who was come into this dark world. Only begotten is His name as the eternal Son with the Father. John bore witness and cried, saying, “This was He of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for He was before me.” It was God come down in flesh full of grace and truth. In Him was seen all the love of the Father. The Light showed man’s distance from God. Truth showed what man was. Grace meets man’s need. In the Father’s name, His words were spoken and His works were done. “And of His fullness have all we received, and grace upon grace.” That is, the favor of God abundantly, divine blessings (the fruit of His love) heaped one upon another upon us.
Verse 17. “The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” The law demands righteousness; truth witnesses that man had none. Grace coming in supplies it.
Verse 18. Now, we have God revealed in the only begotten Son in the bosom of the Father. Up till He came and declared Him, no man ever saw God’s full character. God hath in these last days spoken unto us in His Son (Heb. 1:1,21God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; (Hebrews 1:1‑2)). The only one who could reveal God was Himself, God manifest in flesh; He hath declared Him.
Verses 19-28. John gives account of himself. He is not the Christ; he is not Elias; he is not that prophet of whom Moses told was to come. Who art thou? He said: “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness. Make straight the way of the Lord,” as said the prophet Esaias (40:3). He is only a voice for them to hear. They ask him, “Why baptizest thou then?” “I baptize with water: but there standeth One among you, whom ye know not; He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe latchet I am not worthy to unloose.” John was truly a voice that bore testimony that Jesus was Jehovah, as seen in Isaiah 40. John was the messenger to prepare the way of the Lord.
Verses 29-34. Now, John gives straight testimony to Him as the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. It is not here as Messiah, but as the One to accomplish that great work, by which sin was to be taken away. This is the One he spoke of that was preferred before him, for He was before John. The Lamb of God, provided and sent by God, to meet the need of a lost world, and to glorify God about sin, so that lost men might be restored according to divine righteousness.
“His work shall be the eternal basis of these relations in the new heavens and the new earth, sin being entirely put aside as such. We know this by faith before the public result in the world.” (J. N. D.)
The Lamb to be slain was the Lord Himself become a man that He might, die.. John knew Him, and yet came to prepare His ways and now he bears testimony as to how he was to know Him. John bore record, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon Him, and I knew Him not, but He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, the same is He which baptizeth with the Holy Spirit. And I saw, and bore record that this is the Son of God.” Here we find a man sealed with the Holy Spirit for the first time, witnessing, that a man without sin was now in this world. A Lamb without blemish and without spot. Every other person sealed by the Holy Spirit witnesses that he is redeemed by the precious blood of Christ. Another thing John says about Him prophetically is, “The same is He that baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.” This was done after Christ had ascended and sent the Holy Spirit down, according to the promise of the Father (Acts 2:3333Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. (Acts 2:33)). And John proclaims Him “Son of God.”
Verses 35-37. Again we find John with two of his disciples, looking upon Jesus as He walked, and as he contemplates, his heart overflows with the words, “Behold the Lamb of God!”
It is not His work that is before John here, but Himself, His beauty and excellence are shining into John’s soul and, rapt in admiration, he bears his witness. It was not preaching, yet it was ministry of the highest kind. It was worship, and such ministry as won two disciples for the Lord. John’s ministry here gathered to Jesus, and it awoke no discord in his soul that they had left him. His meditation on the Lamb of God caused his heart to overflow. What a lesson to us. Occupation with Jesus fits us for both worship and ministry. And these two disciples had their eyes opened. It is not likely that at this time they saw Him as the great sacrifice, the great antitype of all the sacrifices, but they saw the One who was that, though they only knew Him as the Messiah. The voice had introduced them, and they entered a new day. The voice is passed, and they have come to the person of the Son of God. And they followed Jesus.
Verse 38. But will Jesus accept them? Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and said unto them, “What seek ye?” They replied, “Teacher, where dwellest Thou?” He said unto them, “Come and see.” Yes, He wants them more than they want Him. These represent the godly Jews attaching themselves to Christ as the Messiah.
John does not give us church truth, but this finely illustrates that gathering also. For, as in Matthew 18:2020For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (Matthew 18:20), Christ is the center, and He is the only attraction. He draws them away out of sight, where they spend the time in His presence. So it is ours now to follow Him within the vail, as well as outside the camp, and there offer up the sacrifices of praise to God continually; that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name (Heb. 10:19,20;13:13,1519Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; (Hebrews 10:19‑20)
13Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. (Hebrews 13:13)
15By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. (Hebrews 13:15)). Able to delight in Him, for our sins are gone, no terror now, we are children of God, members of the body of Christ, sealed with the Holy Spirit—such are all true Christians.
Verses 39-42. They came and saw where He dwelt, and abode with Him that day.” O, happy day! a day their souls could never forget, a day spent in Jesus’ company! But all was over too soon, for it was only time, yet from the tenth hour. (John seems to follow Roman time). Now, they go to tell others of Him, and the first they find is Andrew’s own brother, Simon. They tell the good news: “We have found the Messiah,” which is, being interpreted, “the Christ.” And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him, and called him by a new name, “Cephas” (or “Peter”), which means “a stone.” He is now Simon Peter. The old name reminding him, and us, of what we are in the flesh; and the new of what we are by grace. The Lord calling them thus shows that authority belongs to Him.
Verses 43-46. We have now the Lord’s own testimony with His followers. Philip is called, then Philip found Nathaniel, and told him of Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of Joseph, the one Moses and the prophets wrote about. But Nathaniel answered, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Philip does not discuss about it, but says, “Come and see.”
Verses 47-51. Jesus knew all about it, and as He sees Nathaniel coming to Him, He saith of him, “Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile.” Nathaniel was surprised and said, “Whence knowest Thou me?” Jesus answered, “Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.” Nathaniel’s unbelief is gone; no one but Jehovah could see him and read his heart under the fig tree. And he answered, “Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God; Thou art the King of Israel” (Psa. 2). The fig tree, Israel in the flesh, can never bear fruit, though it will bud again, but the remnant under the fig tree, the Lord did and will own.
And the Lord now makes a further revelation to Nathaniel, and this is the glory of the Son of Man, who is not only King of Israel, but Lord of heaven and earth (Psa. 8).
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, Henceforth ye shall see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”
Here the rejected Son of Man is seen in full glory of His Kingdom, the object of heaven’s highest ministry—the ministry, of the angels of God, What wondrous glories belong to our Saviour God! Well may we sing:
“Fairer than all the earth-born race,
Perfect in comeliness Thou art;
Replenished are Thy lips with grace,
And full of love Thy tender heart.
God, ever blest! we bow the knee,
And own all fullness dwells in Thee.”