John Chapter One Commentary

Contents

I. Introduction

A commentary on the Gospel of John chapter one. We will follow this format:

Verse of Scripture utilizing the YLT text followed by an NASB mouse-over of that verse. Key words in the YLT text will be footnoted with a link to a word study based on the Greek text, and/or a general discussion relative to the given word (we are not Greek scholars, please consider our grammatical constructions with a critical eye).
Commentary We shall be commenting on this passage keeping before us at all times the crucial fact that every jot and every tittle comprising these verses came forth under the inspiration of the blessed Holy Spirit. We pray that He, by His grace, helps us to see clearly.

II John Chapter One Commentary Verses

Begin the Prologue to the Gospel of John

1:1-2—EN ARCH HN hO LOGOS-The Eternal Word

YLT TEXT: In the beginning [1] was [2] the Word [3], and the Word [3] was [2] with [4] God [5], and the Word [3] was [2] God [5]; this [6] one was [2] in the beginning [1] with [4] God [5]; Jhn 1:1-2

COMMENTARY: Notice the consistent use and prevalence of especially [2]; see also Fig. 2, which shows the footnoted keywords of these verses as they relate to the key verb “was”/footnote [2]—it is noteworthy that the three main paths of this diagram go through the Word (=3 or 6) and end on God (=5 or 45)—all paths that lead to God must go through the Word; this would be consistent with the message of Scripture in that regard.

In these verses we see that John is concerned to begin his gospel with an unambiguous identification. We shall see as the further verses unfold that the Logos, the Word of whom John writes [7], is Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit through John tells us that it is He, Jesus, who was in the beginning; it is He, Jesus, who was with God in the beginning; it is He, Jesus, who is expressly God (HN-He always was God, He is God, He always will be God). The Holy Spirit is here thoroughly portraying exactly who Jesus is. He informs us that Jesus is eternal, that He is distinct and yet intimately a member of the Godhead (“…the Word was with…” bespeaks both of distinction and accompaniment), and that He is in fact God. These verses are specific, unambiguous identifications declaring the deity of Jesus Christ. Notice the redundancy: “This one was in the beginning with God”—a resounding double amen if you will as to the eternality of Jesus Christ, and His intimate fellowship with and place in the Godhead. With this unambiguous identification we the readers are put in an informed mental posture that helps us to better appreciate the focal point of John’s gospel—Jesus, the eternal Word; indeed, Jesus, our God.

1:3-The Intelligence and Power behind Creation

YLT TEXT: all things [8] through him did happen [9], and without him happened not even one thing that hath happened. Jhn 1:3

COMMENTARY: The thread of identification continues here. Now we are informed that the Word (we shall use “Jesus” in place of “Word” for the most part henceforth) was the Agent of creation (Psa 33:6, 90:2, Pro 8:23-31, Col 1:16, Hbr 1:2). Notice that John is forced to switch to the verb EGENETO. This is because things, things created, indeed all things (PANTA), have a beginning—they “come into being” in space and time; thus things have dimensionality. By contrast Jesus, the Creator of all things, is unbounded; is dimensionless [10]. And again put slightly different, Jesus, as the unconstrained Creator of all things, is of necessity outside the created order that itself bounds all things created; this is self-evident.

Moreover, this verse informs us further about Jesus’ identity—He is the Prime Mover responsible for all things, be they tangible or intangible. He set into motion the great causal network of the universe, the inter-connective complexity of which is incomprehensible. This tells us that the universe is moving toward a clear, definite, and purposed end; surely an end that pleased Him when even only in its conceptual stages in eternity past.

1:4-Life and Light | Salvation and Holiness

YLT TEXT: In him was [2] life [11], and the life was [2] the light [12] of men, Jhn 1:4

COMMENTARY: John switches back to HN (was) as in the previous verses, such that life and light must now be understood to be eternal qualities. This makes sense; nay, more, it is grounds for great rejoicing. The message is that God never intended it any other way—death is an anomaly in the eternal Design of God. Similarly, light—which we here understand as the holiness of our Father God—is the norm in the eternal Design; darkness (Sin; unholiness) is the intruder which brings death.

In Jesus was (continuous action) life. Notice—Salvation is life; is life in the presence of Jehovah God; this specifically is the same life that was (continuous action) in Jesus (Jhn 16:28). Quintessential life, of the type here inferred by John, is life in the presence of our Father God, and thus it is the Life of perfect holiness. This Life was in Jesus, and that is precisely why this Life, and only this Life, is the light (holiness) of humankind. And Life in the presence of God is made lucid by the Word of God (Psa 119:105, “Be Holy”). Jesus, at great pains, “exegeted” this Life (Exd 33:20—but note: Mat 11:27, Jhn 1:18); He communicated what it is, what it entails, how one is to attain to it (Jhn 3:2-8) [13]. Jesus spent most of His ministry communicating to us the essence of this Life, and at Calvary He made it attainable for anyone. In this crucial verse John (the Holy Spirit) gives us a summary-statement of the whole of Scripture.

1:5-The Concrete Sponge

YLT TEXT: and the light [12] in the darkness [14] did shine [15], and the darkness [14] did not perceive [16] it. Jhn 1:5

COMMENTARY: The Light, the holiness of God, it shines incessantly into the heart of humankind through the Word (the exact representation of that holiness [Col 1:19, Hbr 1:3]), for the heart of humankind is where the darkness is most profound (Gen 6:5, 8:21, Job 15:14-16, Psa 51:5, Jer 17:9, Mat 15:18, Rom 5:12). But what we see here is that the human heart is largely non-transmissive of that light; indeed, it is outright opaque in many cases (Job 33:14, Jhn 3:19-21, Rom 1:21). Thus Scripture here relates that the holiness of God is hardly the standard that motivates the human heart.

1:6-The Messenger of the Covenant

YLT TEXT: There came a man—having been sent [17] from God—whose name [is] John, Jhn 1:6

COMMENTARY: Here is the messenger (AGGELOS) of the Covenant (Mal 3:1), John (=”gracious”), the Baptist. Jesus is the Covenant. John is only a messenger—an “angel” (not in the strict sense) if you will; Jesus is his Message.

Notice the divine plan unfolding, and the work of the Godhead, in solidarity —God sent John; raised him up and ordained him for his office; commissioned him, and thus empowered him. From his mother’s womb John knew his commission; knew his Message (Luk 1:41), a clear indication that God the Holy Spirit enlightened John as to his task, consistent with one whom God “sent” (APOSTALMENOS-“apostled” if we may stretch the vernacular a bit…). That is to say, when finally John came to the mission fields, God had him ready to do His work.

1:7-A Material Testimony unto Belief

YLT TEXT: this one came for testimony [18], that he might testify [19] about the Light [12], that all might believe [20] through him; Jhn 1:7

COMMENTARY: John the Baptist was sent by God (Jhn 1:6), thus he had in his heart and mind the words of God, in accord with his commission. His testimony concerned those very words. In this sense John was commissioned to be a prophet, like the prophets of old. More specifically, his message from on high, like the former prophets, concerned Jesus Christ, but the Baptist’s cries were different in that the former prophets predicted Jesus’ coming and aspects of His ministry, while the Baptist cried:

FULFILLMENT!

The Baptist necessarily testified to the Light of the world to the end that humankind might be sobered as to who Jesus is, and thus ultimately believe the surpassing (new covenantal) message that Jesus would soon unfold. John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus by materially introducing Jesus to humankind (not prophetically alone, as before):

‘This is He of whom my prophet-colleagues spoke; the Sun of Righteousness has dawned…repent and turn to God!’

The Baptist was the first in a line of prophets who explicated Jesus (consider the gospel writers, Paul, sundry theologians, et al.). In the cry of the Baptist, the former prophetic cries concerning Messiah Jesus melded together with his into one:

HE IS HERE!!

We shall all one blessed day rejoicingly shout again the same…

1:8-A Lesser Light

YLT TEXT: that one was not the Light [12], but — that he might testify [19] about the Light [12]. Jhn 1:8

COMMENTARY:The Baptist was certainly a light in that he began to dispel the identity-ignorance that would naturally surround Jesus when He appeared (Isa 40:3, Mat 3:1-3, Jhn 1:23).

1:9 The greater Light-Maximum Fidelity

YLT TEXT: He was the true [21] Light [12], which doth enlighten [22] every man, coming to the world; Jhn 1:9

COMMENTARY: If one understands true as genuine, real, and light as holiness (of the Father), then the message is that Jesus genuinely and completely shines forth the holiness of our Father God. The implication is that there are those who would pretend to be thus holy, but they are not genuinely so (probably many Pharisees, Scribes; pious frauds of one sort or another down through the ages; the latter would be false teachers and guides “Matthew Chapter Twenty-Three Commentary”).

Notice—the holiness of our Father God visited humankind in Jesus; it came into this unholy world through Him (Jhn 16:28). It almost goes without saying that God wishes for humankind to appreciate and “grab hold of” this holiness (for humankind’s sake, not so much for God’s sake). Jesus precisely shines forth the holiness of God unto humankind, and faith in Jesus is tantamount to appropriation of said holiness—here is two-sided enlightenment.

1:10-11 The Great Tragedy

YLT TEXT: He was in the world, and the world had [its] being [9] through him [1:3], and the world knew [23] him not. He came unto his own, and they that were his own received [24] him not. Jhn 1:10-11

COMMENTARY: What a tragedy; yea, to this day. This is a fair assessment, because He came to a people to which He had revealed Himself for centuries (one would think that of all people, they would have “known” Him when they saw Him, and if His “mean” appearance confused them, one would think that they would have “known” Him when they heard Him speak, or witnessed His miraculous power); but they had their own ideas about the Messiah, and rejected Him. Yet again, today the Gospel is passionately preached to the ends of the earth, such that all can witness the hard facts about Him, and come to Him for Life eternal, but He is still more or less universally rejected in lieu of other ideas about God and eternity. And so the tragedy hidden in this verse is that so many will needlessly be lost for eternity. God’s heart will be “broken” over this, because He is a loving, tender God (witness the Cross; Jhn 3:16), but He is not the loser in this scenario, obviously; the (Gospel-informed) lost unbelievers are the (eternal) losers. Friend, the stakes are too high here to take this lightly (“A Letter of Invitation” for more background if you wish).

1:12-13 The Children of God Born Again

YLT TEXT: but as many as received [24] him, to them gave he [the] right [25] to be children of God, to those that believe [20] on his name [26]; who—not of blood nor of a will of flesh, nor of a will of man but—of God were begotten [27]. Jhn 1:12-13

COMMENTARY: Here the tragedy of the previous verse Jhn 1:11 is magnified: The unbeliever is eternally separated from Jehovah God and forfeits the filial privileges of sonship; forfeits the privileges of one belonging to the Lord God most high (there is great loss: Isa 64:4, 1Cr 2:9; “Children of the Resurrection”). Who could bear such a heavy double blow even for an instant, let alone for eternity?

Children of God—those who believe on Jesus’ (the Son) name—experience a supernatural rebirth (Jhn 3:3-8); this is the tremendous statement of these verses. This rebirth is a gift from our Father God, expressly for faith in His Son Jesus (see note 26); it is not achievable by any human effort or means whatsoever; heartfelt faith in Jesus Christ alone brings it about. This inexplicable rebirth is uniquely personal, and fully understandable by anyone who has experienced it. There is a peculiar holiness “sweep” that overcomes such a one; a cleansing translation unto Christ-likeness, that leaves in its wake one’s taste for the ungodly things of this world, and that embraces the blessed spiritual things that are peculiar to our holy Father God. The blessed Helper brings this about. This rebirth is nothing short of new life with new (God-centered) perspectives and aspirations (“John Chapter Three Commentary”). Here is rebirth into the holy family of God. O the joys of belonging to that blessed family. Father God be praised for it.

1:14 Wonder of Wonders: God Became Human

YLT TEXT: And the Word [3] became [9] flesh [28], and did tabernacle [29] among us, and we beheld his glory [30], glory [30] as [31] of an only begotten [32] of [33] a father [34], full [35] of grace [36] and truth [37]. Jhn 1:14

COMMENTARY: Here is why the golden thread of Scripture is the greatest love story ever told—the Word condescended to become flesh in order that He might, just imagine, die on a cross for humankind, so as to secure loving, eternal fellowship with such as would be willing to embrace Him (Jhn 3:16). This great and awesome One, He came as one of us, and dwelt among us, in the muddle of our plight, and the sorrows of our tragic condition, identifying with the same (Jhn 4:5-6, 11:35, Hbr 4:15). Praised and loved be our great savior God.

The apostles beheld His glory (Psa 79:9, Mat 17:1-2, Mat 14:19-21 [consider that the Jewish religious leaders, who hated Jesus thoroughly, and who ultimately found a way to murder Him, could not refute this miracle owing to the great multitude of witnesses to it—an objective reasoner would reckon that they would have refuted it if they could have…], Mat 14:25-27, Mar 5:35-42, Jhn 11:1-4, Rom 5:2, 15:7), the glory one would expect of the Only Begotten who proceeded forth from our Father God (Mat 3:16-17, Jhn 16:28, 2Pe 1:17).

1:15 Preeminent Jesus outside of Time Slips into Time (as humankind understands “time”)

YLT TEXT: John doth testify [19] concerning him [cf. 1:7], and hath cried, saying, `This was he of whom I said, He who after [38] me is coming [39], hath come [39] before [40] me, for he was [2] before [40] me;’ Jhn 1:15.

COMMENTARY: John (the Holy Spirit through this inspired apostle) returns to the motif of identification, for though his Subject defies human description, He (Jesus) must yet by divine guidance be portrayed to humankind because of who He is, and to help explain why He (Jesus, Omniscience) deemed it necessary to come to earth in the flesh, thus John plumbs this identification well piecemeal, giving us a portrait by which we might, by and by, begin to “grasp” his Subject. Notice how the apostle relieves the tension inherent in his Subject’s in the flesh (cf. 1:14) visitation—he does it by force of testimony: ‘The Baptist has declared it,’ saying, ‘Yea, He was manifest in the flesh, and He appeared in time, indeed, He was my contemporary (even I, can you imagine, baptized Him), and He walked amongst us, but He transcends time’ (which by default gives Jesus the place of preeminence, for only God transcends time—this is the salient communique here). John the apostle understood (perceived by God) that the Baptist was a prophet of the Lord God most high—thus the surpassing force and weight of the Baptist’s testimony, upon which the apostle now leans to further explicate the exceedingly great One, Jesus. And the picture of Him here is redundantly (consistently) clear—Jesus, the awesome (as in to be feared) eternal God, even He, has manifestly come into our midst.

1:16 Unto Humankind Comes the Grace and Truth of God

YLT TEXT: and out of his fulness [35] did we all receive [24], and grace [36] over-against [41] grace [36]; Jhn 1:16 (cf. Col 1:19)

COMMENTARY: Before, in verse 14, John told us that Jesus was (is) full of grace and truth. And over and over again up to here, John has pointed out that Jesus is God. It only follows that grace and truth are characteristic of the nature of God (Jhn 10:30, 14:7-9, 14:16-17, 15:26, 16:13, 16:28, Hbr 10:29, et al.). And so it is God’s fidelity to His nature, then, that explains the Grace (merciful kindness) of God through Jesus, which Grace is manifestly nothing less than Redemption (Sin ransom=Calvary) unto Salvation (life eternal in the presence of Jehovah God). Redemption unto Salvation—here is (manifold) grace over against grace. And no less is His bestowed Truth similarly motivated by His nature. This Truth we understand to be quintessential reality, or, the reality God qualifies, which surely finds its underpinnings in holiness (Jhn 17:17). And so Truth communicates the holiness of God through Jesus (“Be Holy”, “Ti Estin Alhqeia?”). Thus the good news here is that we may all freely receive eternal grace over against eternal grace, and sanctifying truth, through the One who expressly embodies Grace and Truth—Jesus, the very fullness of God (Col 1:19, Hbr 1:1-3).

1:17 Two Sides of a Blessed Page

YLT TEXT: for the law [42] through Moses was given, the grace [36] and the truth [37] through Jesus Christ did come [9]; Jhn 1:17

COMMENTARY: This verse is rich in contrarian-Type: Law-Grace, Moses-Jesus… Through the Law comes condemnation, for no one can attain to perfect Law-keeping (Rom 3:23), but inherent in Grace is forgiveness for Law-breaking (Rom 8:1-4)—that is why Grace is by definition merciful kindness (or, “unmerited favor,” as many would put it).

The Law came through the mediator Moses, who talked directly (“face to face”) to our Father God (Exd 33:9-11)—this is good, but Grace came through another mediator, Jesus Christ, who is in the bosom of God (Jhn 1:18)—this is better, for while the former ably made limited intercession for his people, the latter much more ably made (makes) unlimited intercession for His people, to the point of His personal sacrifice of self, even as an acceptable Ransom in the eyes of Father God (here is Grace), something Moses (or any mere human intercessor) could never do. And through Jesus came Truth, which we understand to be once-removed connected to the holiness of God, as just said in 1:16. Moses could only ever hope to appropriate the Truth of God, to some degree, but in no way could he fundamentally and manifestly impart and stand in place of it, as could the great Mediator, Jesus.

In this verse one can hear the rustling of a page turning, as an old Standard (Law), turns over to Grace, not to be blotted out of the book, but just turned over, still very much a vital companion to the other pages of the book. Yes, the page has turned, to reveal its other side, Grace, fraught with the poetry and prose and beautiful scenery of God’s love, and mercy, and tenderhearted kindness in the Beloved One, whom we adore, and love so very, very much. Both sides of this blessed page are written in the ink of God’s Truth (reality), His holiness, which gives expression to, and is the incomprehensible dynamic behind, both Law and Grace.

1:18 MONOGENHS QEOS

YLT TEXT: God [5] no one hath ever seen [43]; the only begotten [32] Son [44], who is on [45] the bosom [46] of the Father [34] — he did declare [47]. Jhn 1:18 (cf. Jhn 10:30, 14:9, 16:28—with respect to [44], we admire the NASB for sticking with the difficult translation).

COMMENTARY: How exactly is Jesus the only begotten God? These words would seem to be under great tension. We suppose that Jesus is the only begotten God because of His incarnation. He was begotten in the sense that He translated out of a dimensionless existence that was normative for Him as pre-incarnate God, and was born, in space and time, like you and I were thus born as a consequence of the will of God (Psa 139:13-16), through the love of our mother and father. And like you and I are a begotten daughter or son of our natural parents, and have, to some degree, the nature of our parents, and the nature that they inherited, and so on, Jesus too was similarly begotten by the power and will of God, with an attendant nature. But very much unlike you and I, Jesus was begotten by the blessed Holy Spirit God, as a consequence of the Spirit’s incomprehensible (humanly unsearchable) overshadowing of a virgin, Mary (Luk 1:30-35, 2:21). Thus it is reasonable to say that Jesus has the nature of both God and humankind [48]. But that overshadowing alone is not why He is the God-man, for the further mystery that simply cannot be functionally addressed here is that Jesus never stopped being God throughout His conception and birth (and life), for though deity might be veiled as we know from Jesus, it must necessarily persist. So Jesus is the God-man both because He was conceived by the Holy Spirit to consummate His incarnation for the cause of Redemption and ultimately blessed Salvation (Jesus necessarily had to become human in order to die as a [perfect, sinless] Ransom for the sins of the world), and because His existence knows no rupture in its deity. And since He is the God-man, it is not a misnomer, in any way, to refer to Him as the only begotten God, as in our verse here; in fact, it is obvious that He could not be the God-man if He were not begotten (that Jesus is the God-man is the basis of our argument for His being the MONOGENHS QEOS). It should be clear that He is unique in that regard—Jesus is the only begotten God (MONOGENHS QEOS). Moreover, this crucial identifying title, MONOGENHS QEOS, qualifies, and makes intelligible, Jesus’ title as (God the) Son—Jesus is the Son of God precisely because He is the only begotten God (note that the Son of Psa 2:7 is deity; cf. Jhn 3:16). Similarly, when the incarnate Jesus addresses the preeminent position (in the Godhead is surely implied) of God the Father (Jhn 14:28), He recognizes His own Sonship, and therefore a literal heavenly Father, who, it follows, begot Him (who begot the incarnate Jesus). Thus both terms “God the Son” (second person of the Godhead), and “Father God” (first person of the Godhead), are made intelligible by Jesus being the MONOGENHS QEOS. Although it is out of our realm of responsibility as concerns the exegesis of this verse, one cannot help but consider the third member of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit, in this context. It should be clear that the Holy Spirit (whom we oftentimes refer to as the “timeless Worker”), incarnated Jesus (God incarnated God; it could be no other way). That is, He, the Holy Spirit, was the agent of Jesus’ incarnation (Luk 1:30-35, 2:21). Thus one can appreciate the solidarity of purpose as concerns humankind’s Redemption unto Salvation (Grace over against Grace) when one prayerfully considers the individual roles of the Godhead in this momentous Work: Our great Father God willed it to be so (it is He, then, the Father, as purposeful Prime Mover, who begot), our great Savior God shouldered it so that it would be as our great Father God willed it to be, and our great Worker God breathed, and it unfolded, in space, and time, precisely as it was willed to unfold.

One might wonder: How is Jesus in the bosom of our Father God, when in fact He, Jesus, is God; What is meant here? We suppose that this bespeaks of intimacy. It was said just above that one perceives great solidarity of purpose as concerns humankind’s Redemption unto Salvation with respect to the individual roles of the Godhead in this great Work, but what one perceives here is surpassing, in that our God is united in love; God is One in love (Deu 6:4, Jhn 17:11, 21-24). None other than God Himself could, down to the most intimate level, precisely declare (exegete) God, and that is what we are told here that Jesus (that is, God—MONOGENHS QEOS) did. The incarnate second person of the Godhead exegeted God. We now understand who God is because God revealed God (that is to say, God revealed Himself—the perfect revelation; there can be no truer). Jesus revealed God by way of His (Jesus’) person, by parable, by sundry teachings, examples, requirements and commandments, and so on, and especially…by the Cross. And the revelation of Jesus Christ reveals Jehovah, the only true God (Jhn 17:1-3), to be HOLY (“Be Holy”) [49].

End the Prologue to the Gospel of John

1:19-25 Who Art Thou…Why Baptizeth Thou?

YLT TEXT: And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent out of Jerusalem priests and Levites, that they might question him, `Who art thou?’ and he confessed and did not deny, and confessed — `I am not the Christ.’ And they questioned him, `What then? Elijah art thou?’ and he saith, `I am not.’ –` `The prophet art thou?’ and he answered, `No.’ They said then to him, `Who art thou, that we may give an answer to those sending us? what dost thou say concerning thyself?’ He said, `I [am] a voice of one crying in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord, as said Isaiah the prophet.’ And those sent were of the Pharisees, and they questioned him and said to him, `Why, then, dost thou baptize, if thou art not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?’ Jhn 1:19-25

COMMENTARY: We are now moving rapidly toward the climactic Event of history (“Holy Week”), and have moved an immeasurable distance as well: From God’s eternal Truth…to Pharisaic Judaism; enter…the Pharisees.

Proselyte baptism was the preeminent rite of conversion within the Judaism of New Testament times (Daube 106). It purported to cleanse the proposed convert from the uncleanness of their pagan connections. It should be said that Jewish baptism of the day was not entirely levitical, having some spiritual significance, like rebirth, for example; moreover, the form of John’s baptism was probably closely the same as the prevailing Jewish baptism (Daube 106-38). Notwithstanding, to a Jew of the day, baptism was largely connected with proselytizing. That is why the baptism of John the Baptist aroused the (squint-eyed) curiosity of certain Pharisees (San Hedrin climbers we reckon), both for reason of competitive suspicion, and maybe more so because John’s rite was manifestly different (against their legal norms) in that it sought primarily to cleanse the inward man by way of repentance, in preparation for the visitation of Messiah, for the good cause of making all things new, a cause that was integral to His blessed visit. Repentance would be a major causal dynamic in that newness (submission to Messiah by way of faith in Him being another—Repentance↔Faith—Gospel doctrine cornerstones—the Baptist introduced the former). Notice these San Hedrists’ primary question: Who art thou? It would seem that the Baptist had made quite a stir amongst the people. One can almost hear the wheels turning in these San Hedrists’ heads: ‘Who could cause such a stir? And by way of such a strange baptism? Does he pretend (blaspheme) to be the fountain-Christ of Zechariah 13:1 (cf. Eze 36:25)?’ They must have insinuated something to that effect fairly strongly, for the Baptist is on record as replying ‘Nay, I am not the Christ,’ straightaway, without much delineation of the question on their part it would seem from the text [50]. So they pressed on: ‘If not the Christ, then Elijah?’ Elijah was understood to come before the great and terrible Day of the Lord (Mal 4:5-6). It is interesting that they sought next to connect the Baptist with Elijah—his cry for repentance like unto Mal 4:6, together with the expectation of Elijah coming baptizing must have evinced this consideration in them. Again the Baptist negates: ‘I am not.’ Note that the Baptist was in fact the “Elijah” that God intended to send to them (Mat 17:12, Luk 1:13-17), so they were in a manner of speaking somewhat on track with this question; it is their peculiar vision of “Elijah” that caused them to miss seeing (God’s) “Elijah” in the Baptist. So they continued: ‘And the Prophet then, are you that Prophet?’ Perhaps this is a reference to Deu 18:15, 18 on their part. ‘Nay’ again is the reply. This could only have left these religious scholars rather befuddled, because now just how were they going to harmonize this strange baptism and this man’s popularity with their theology, seeing that he did not fit into their “sure” conclusions regarding God’s prophetic outworkings? One senses their tense (suspicious?) frustration: ‘Well tell us, who art thou …why dost thou baptize? Tell us, that we might make a goodly report to our peers in Jerusalem…What sayest thou about thyself?’ Notice that the Baptist reverts straightaway to Scripture (that is, to the highest Authority), quoting his prophet-colleague Isaiah (Isa 40:3). This is a tremendous quote, for in it we see the omniscience that attends the eternality of Jehovah our great God. When God gave Isaiah these words roughly eight centuries earlier, He surely had in mind the present-day (=Savior’s visit day) Jewish religious leaders that were perverting His Way; that were making crooked the paths He established that were supposed to lead people to Himself; that were leading people down paths that led them to all manner of pain, and manifest sorrow, and spiritual confusion, and the spiritual vulnerability inherent in the Godlessness that emerges from spiritual confusion. Of course God knew that they were not going to make clear a way in the wilderness of their hearts, nor prepare a smooth (oft-traveled) highway in the desert of their hearts, paths that would lead them to the Truth; indeed, just the opposite, they (God’s representatives and those whom they confused) were going to remain in the wilderness of their ways, traveling down rough byways that led people ever deeper into the desert and further away from God. The Baptist gives them his answer face-up: ‘I am a voice (yea, not so still, not so small) crying (bellowing for God) and announcing to you literally, so you do not miss it, the time is at hand, make ready your hearts, REPENT, for the true Way has come and stands in your midst’.

1:26-28 I Baptize [but] with Water

YLT TEXT: and John answered them saying, I baptise with water. In the midst of you stands, whom ye do not know, He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me [cf. 1:15], whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose. These things came to pass in Bethabara [51], beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing, Jhn 1:26-28

COMMENTARY: Water; two parts hydrogen, one part oxygen; it has an order, a design, a vital purpose in Creation, but, it is just, more or less, inanimate “stuff;” powerless in and of itself. The Baptist is trying to tell these, well, hypocrites we know to be apt, that the kind of repentant change that he is preaching is not connected in any way to this “stuff,” for he knew well that they could not see beyond the ritual (that is why John’s baptism seemed “strange” to them; they were like mules that appreciate only their way, and ritual cleanness and water were a major part of their Way). He is preparing them to look beyond the ritual to One, whom seeing, they will not recognize, even though He had been in their midst revealing Himself for centuries on end (He literally spoke to these people over and over again before He manifestly visited them). Yea, He had been like a mother hen to them from the beginning; He established them, and labored to preserve them down the centuries. The Baptist predicts this misidentification a priori, under inspiration. And in the process, he praises his Lord, and abases himself: ‘This great, preeminent One is from the bowels of eternity past; He is long before me, the Ancient of Days, and much preferred before me, in whom heaven delights; I am not worthy even His shoe’s latchet to unloose (he makes himself less than servile here, for unloosing shoe latchets was servants work in that day)…’ Such due majestic praise does the Baptist bestow upon our great savior God. Let us all with a humble spirit ever praise this great One thus.

1:29-34 Lo, the Lamb of God! Who Taketh Away the Sin of the World

YLT TEXT: on the morrow John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, `Lo, the Lamb of God, who is taking away the sin of the world; this is he concerning whom I said, After me doth come a man, who hath come before me, because he was before me [1:15, 1:26]: and I knew him not, but, that he might be manifested to Israel, because of this I came with the water baptizing. And John testified, saying — `I have seen the Spirit coming down, as a dove, out of heaven, and it remained on him; and I did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water, He said to me, On whomsoever thou mayst see the Spirit coming down, and remaining on him, this is he who is baptizing with the Holy Spirit; and I have seen, and have testified, that this is the Son of God.’ Jhn 1:29-34 (cf. Luk 3:22)

COMMENTARY: On the morrow; that is, after the Baptist’s Pharisaic-sanctioned visit by certain priests and Levites over near where he was baptizing, the Baptist sees the great One, our blessed Savior, returning to the place of His baptism from the wilderness where He was tempted by Satan [52]. And, as when in his mother’s womb he jumped for joy at His coming nearby (Luk 1:39-42), so here he must by that same irresistible inclination declare: ‘Look, cast your eyes yonder, it is He, the Lamb of God! The acceptable and true and perfect and lasting sacrifice for the sins of the world’ (Isa 53:7, Hbr 9:26, 1Jo 2:2, “Jesus Our Jubilee.III.B”). The Baptist knew Him not beforehand (he means for us to know with certainty that his identification of Jesus is authentic, based entirely upon the authority of God’s revelation and doings), but was told by God that the One upon whom the Holy Spirit descends and remains, that is the true Baptizer, for He will baptize with the Holy Spirit. It is at Jesus’ baptism, then, that the Baptist first came to know who Jesus was, and, we may take it therefore, that Jesus’ public introduction was at hand. The Baptist tells us as much: ‘I came baptizing with water so that He might be manifested to Israel’ [53]. And this introduction lacked no authentication—it was attested by the highest Witness (Mat 3:16-17). The Baptist bore witness to these things, and testified, based upon what God had prepared him to watch for and understand concerning Jesus’ appearance that day (Jhn 1:33, cf. Isa 11:2), that precisely this One is the Son of God (MONOGENHS QEOS) [54].

1:35-42 What Seek ye?

YLT TEXT: On the morrow, again, John was standing, and two of his disciples, and having looked [55] on Jesus walking, he saith, `Lo, the Lamb of God;’ and the two disciples heard him speaking, and they followed [56] Jesus. And Jesus having turned, and having beheld them following, saith to them, `What seek [57] ye?’ and they said to them, `Rabbi [58], (which is, being interpreted, Teacher [59],) where remainest thou?’ He saith to them, `Come and see;’ they came, and saw where he doth remain, and with him they remained that day and the hour was about the tenth [60]. Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard from John, and followed him; this one doth first find his own brother Simon, and saith to him, `We have found [61] the Messiah,’ [62] (which is, being interpreted, The Anointed [63]) and he brought him unto Jesus: and having looked upon him [64], Jesus saith, `Thou art Simon, the son of Jonas, thou shalt be called Cephas,’ (which is interpreted, A rock.) Jhn 1:35-42

COMMENTARY: Just the day before the Baptist had singled Jesus out as the Lamb of God (Jhn 1:29-34), in the hearing no doubt of his, John’s, disciples, disciples who surely had more than occasionally been taught by the Baptist (the Holy Spirit) of things concerning Messiah, who would come as a lamb (no messianic pomp to be found here for sure…); a lamb to be slain [65]. After all, the Baptist had spent most of his ministry “preparing the way” for the great One; it only follows that his disciples had received lessons aplenty concerning the great Messiah. And just recently he had pointed directly at the very Subject of all those lessons. What was the Holy Spirit doing here? He was through the Baptist preparing a close start-up following for Messiah Jesus. So when the Baptist pointed to Jesus that first time, he was in effect saying to his hearers, especially his disciples, ‘there He is, that is the One I have been speaking to you about…’ And, in so many (needless to be spoken) words to these Messiah-adept disciples his clear delineation and identification of Jesus said to them…’Follow Him.’ The Baptist had prepared the way indeed, just as it was prophesied that he would (Isa 40:3, Mal 3:1). And here now comes Jesus back to gather His first-fruits. Notice the Baptist’s redundancy when he eyes Jesus the second time (lest any had missed it before!): ‘Look yonder, there He is; yea, it is He of whom I have been speaking to you all those days and nights past…that is He, the Lamb of God, the perfect and final Sacrifice for Sin!’ Small wonder that those two disciples immediately began to follow Jesus. They must have been delighted beyond description, and yet at the same time felt a bit awkward and maybe even intimidated when the reality of just who they were following sobered them. Notice here the concerned lovingkindness and penetrating interest of our great savior God shining forth ever so engagingly, as He wheels Himself about to introduce Himself to them with a question, like unto a Teacher par excellence; yea a penetrating question, a timeless question, one we all must answer the great Rabbi Jesus some day: ‘What seek ye…’

‘Teacher, where stayest thou?’ is the response [66]. This is a great response, for it resonates with a keen desire by these disciples to get personal with Jesus. Let us all with an insatiable hunger seek our great savior God thus. And our Lord knew their heart, and embraced their desire/s, and straightaway replied ‘…Come on, come on along with me and see…’ Immediately the tension of the scene is dissipated as our great savior God presents Himself so engagingly personable and available. It is always difficult to appreciate aright how engagingly personable and lovingly available the great God, the awesome Sovereign of the universe, makes Himself to any who seek Him: Thankfully praised be God for this. Notice the humility of our great Savior—He had no place of His own to lay His head oftentimes (Mat 8:20); notwithstanding, whatever mean surroundings He had about Him presently were not a stumblingblock to Him—His fellowship and work with these disciples concerned Him more. Pride had no place in Jesus.

O to have been one of those disciples here! Can you imagine what that day must have been like for them in the presence of our Lord? One wonders, did they chit-chat back and forth at first? They probably had something to eat and drink and had a bit of chit chat, “getting to know” each other along the way. It must have been an enjoyable time they had all one with another (even though their surroundings were probably quite meager), for Scripture relates that they spent quite some time together that afternoon/evening (going by a 4:00 P.M. First-meeting). The ministry was soon to start, and lots of very serious spiritual work was at hand, but this day was probably an enjoyable one as they befriended one another. We can be sure that if Jesus had been focused entirely on matters spiritual here some conveyance of the same would have been given us for our spiritual edification.

The apostolic following (“The Twelve Apostles”) begins to come together in these verses with an outright mention of Andrew (but let us not lose sight of the Baptist, for in many ways He was an apostle, and certainly a prophet; as we all know however, the Baptist’s ministry is soon to fade into glory, yea, with a ‘well done good and faithful servant’ [Mat 11:11, 25:21]). Note that Jesus’ ministry is still in the south at this point, somewhere near where the Baptist was ministering. Now Andrew, no doubt under compulsion of the Holy Spirit, is concerned to find his brother Simon and bring him to Jesus. Here is the spirit of a blue-blooded disciple: ‘…I just have to find my brother and bring him to Jesus…’ he says in his heart. And upon finding Simon, Andrew’s words betray his convictions about Jesus (the Baptist [Holy Spirit] had taught his disciples well!): ‘Simon, we have found Him, the Messiah!’ What a great testimony by Andrew—notice his words—we have FOUND Him; yea, the One we have been looking for (seeking…). These brothers had a life in this world, and mundane things that concerned them, but “down deep” it would seem they were seeking God. What a tremendous testimony of their character and spiritual disposition. Small wonder that our Lord sought these men (in Galilee, then, equipped with this introduction to Jesus, they forsook all and followed Mat 4:18-20). God knew their frailties of course, and their general unfitness for the task before them, but there was in them a seed of faith in Jehovah God, and that is all that God ever needs by which to do mighty things according to His good pleasure and purpose in any life; an excellent pleasure and purpose that always redounds to God’s glory and a believer’s good.

When Jesus met Simon that day and looked upon him, He changed his name to Cephas (Peter/”rock” cf. Gen 17:5, 32:28). That name bespeaks of solid things; things dependable. Why would Jesus give Simon this new name, seeing that he was hardly a “rock” in his denial of Jesus? There is here an all-important connection to the surname Jonas, or Jonah; he was Simon bar Jonas (Simon son of Jonas) before Jesus changed his name. And just as that reluctant prophet Jonah would not do God’s will initially owing to Jonah’s own (bullheaded) notions of Salvation, so Simon would be the reluctant apostle in his denial of Jesus, and (bullheadedly) otherwise at times. But in the end, Jonah preached repentance to Nineveh, and that city was redeemed and saved by God’s grace, owing to Nineveh’s manifest repentance in response to the Gospel that Jonah preached (Nineveh’s Salvation was purchased by Jesus Christ, for His blood covers all repentant sinners that turn to Jehovah God). Likewise Simon bar Jonas would fail God, as Jonah did, but what Jesus here prophesied was that there would emerge out of that failure a Cephas who would in the end be a stalwart rock of a minister for God, testifying to the world that Jesus is the Christ, the very Son of God who brings Salvation to as many as would repent of their Sin and turn to this Jesus to be redeemed and saved, in the spirit of his minister-colleague Jonah. We suppose that Matthew 16:16 in the context of Mathew 16:13-19 gives us a preview of the testimony that Jesus knew Peter would ultimately preach even unto his martyrdom. That Jesus is the Christ, the very Son of God [67], is a foundational truth that the Christian Church is built upon. And why? Because Christian Salvation, itself admittance into the eternal Kingdom of God, which is a Christian Kingdom (=the Old Testament “Church” + the New Testament Church), is since His first advent based upon faith in the very fact that Jesus is who He says He is; namely, that He is precisely the Christ, the very Son of God most high. One’s eternal destiny turns on one’s stance regarding that fact. Given such extremely high spiritual stakes as this, it is not hard to appreciate that Peter’s response to Jesus’ question at Caesarea Philippi concerning who He is evoked a response from Jesus that espoused Peter’s testimony as foundational to the building of the Church, for the New Testament Christian Church is built up by believers who think like Peter did when he proclaimed Jesus as the Christ, the very Son of God.

1:43-44 He Purposed to Go into Galilee

YLT TEXT: On the morrow, he willed to go forth to Galilee [68], and he findeth Philip, and saith to him, `Be following [56—but here it is not the indicative mood as in note 56, but rather the imperative mood is utilized] me.’ And Philip was from Bethsaida [69], of the city of Andrew and Peter; Jhn 1:43-44

COMMENTARY: The Jewish conquest (“Judaizing”) of Galilee happened under Aristobulus I (104-103 BC). By the time of Jesus, Galilee was the seedbed of the Zealot movement (Reicke 69). There was in this district a fair mix of Jews and Gentiles, all alike dead from spiritual starvation—the former owing to willful misappropriation of God’s Truth, the latter owing to willful ignorance of God’s Truth. It is here, in this mix of the (spiritual) living dead, that the eternal Truth, the Word, purposed to materially set into motion the great Salvation Struggle, a struggle designed in eternity past to secure abundant, eternal Life for as many living dead souls that might wish to abundantly live by embracing the Word of Life, Jesus [70].

God conveys His interests and purposes to humankind in easy to understand pictures oftentimes (witness the parables of Jesus). Jesus was interested in fishermen, just like He was interested in shepherds. The respective purposes and operational procedures of these two occupations relate well to Christian ministry of the type Jesus embraces. At this point in His ministry there was largely no Flock yet to shepherd, but there were plenty of fish to catch for the good and loving purposes of God, so His focus up front here is in communicating that picture. No surprise that we find our Captain in fishermen’s territory—He is looking for fishers of men; yea, fishers of living dead men. Fishermen that “have a feel for” the big (and little) catch.

‘Follow me Philip’ Jesus says, probably in no uncertain terms. Jesus here hands Philip a fish net, and Philip must cherish it, inquire of Jesus about it as to what to do with it, how to understand it, how to make more nets so that others might be handed such a net to do more of the same, and so forth.

T TEXT: Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith to him, `Him of whom Moses wrote in the Law [42], and the prophets [71], we have found [61], Jesus the son of Joseph, who [is] from Nazareth [72];’ and Nathanael said to him, `Out of Nazareth is any good [73] thing able to be?’ Philip said to him, `Come and see.’Jhn 1:45-46

COMMENTARY: Here Philip hands Nathanael a fish net. From Jesus, to Andrew, to Peter, to Philip, to Nathanael, to the rest of the twelve, the disciples, to you and to me…and so it is meant to pass along, to the glory of God, and the consummate good of humankind (Barclay 107 and reference to F.L. Godet : “One lighted torch serves to light another.”).

O how Nathanael is contemptuous, no doubt suckered by the prevailing hype concerning Nazareth. Our Lord will very shortly demonstrate to him that a surpassing Excellence did in fact grace that little village. Perhaps Philip’s response to Nathanael’s contempt anticipates the same: ‘See for yourself Nathanael…’ This astute response shows Philip’s faith in Jesus’ claims (notice his confident words before Nathanael’s contempt: ‘We have found Him of whom Moses wrote in the Law, and the prophets’). Philip knew that Jesus could confute that contempt because he believed that Jesus was Jehovah God’s Anointed King (Messiah). Philip sets before us all a tremendous example of faith in Jesus. Rather than engaging the contemptuous with bickering, which bickering always hurts the cause of Christ greatly, let us follow the faith-example of Philip, and then confidently and prayerfully wait for Jesus to take care of business.

1:45-46 Can Any Good Thing Come out of Nazareth? (Amen!)

YLT TEXT: Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith to him, `Him of whom Moses wrote in the Law [42], and the prophets [71], we have found [61], Jesus the son of Joseph, who [is] from Nazareth [72];’ and Nathanael said to him, `Out of Nazareth is any good [73] thing able to be?’ Philip said to him, `Come and see.’Jhn 1:45-46

1:47-51 Jacob’s Ladder

YLT TEXT: Jesus saw Nathanael coming unto him, and he saith concerning him, `Lo, truly [37] an Israelite [74], in whom guile [75] is not;’ Nathanael saith to him, `Whence me dost thou know [23]?’ Jesus answered and said to him, `Before Philip’s calling thee — thou being under the fig-tree [76] — I saw thee.’ Nathanael answered and saith to him, `Rabbi [58], thou art thell Son of God (1:18), thou art the king of Israel.’ [77] Jesus answered and said to him, `Because I said to thee, I saw thee under the fig-tree, thou dost believe [20, 26]; greater things than these thou shalt see;’ and he saith to him, `Verily, verily, I say to you, henceforth ye shall see the heaven [78] opened, and the messengers [79] of God [5] going up and coming down upon [80] the Son of Man [81].’ Jhn 1:47-51 (cf. Gen 28:10-15)

COMMENTARY: In Israel there was no deceit, as there was aplenty in his lesser self Jacob (=”deceiver”). Israel strove with God (and man, Gen 32:28, Hsa 12:4), but not in deceit. When one strives with God, one does so by default in a given attitude of prayer, whether or not one is conscious of, or realizes that one is actually praying (“Nehemiah Chapter One Commentary” for a somewhat different look at prayer). Israel strove with God in prayer, and he did so with a clean heart—the “heart,” it is the attitudinal definitive that qualifies prayer in the ear of the Hearer of our prayers. And that is probably what said Hearer is commending Nathanael for here—his place under the fig tree bespeaks manifestly of prayer to Jehovah God (Henry). From the context it follows that Jesus was absolutely pleased with his prayer(s). Nathanael, somewhat stunned, says to Jesus after Jesus’ familiar, commending greeting: ‘…How possibly are you familiar with me…?’ And Jesus: ‘…Before Philip called you to come hither, I saw you under the fig tree.’ That is to say, ‘you were under the fig tree praying and I heard your prayer(s);’ and further, from the context, ‘I am pleased with the disposition of your heart before me…’ (=a true Israelite [not Jacobite]). Sure, Nathanael’s contempt just before was odious, but it was overt; no deceit in that, but another manner of sin lurks there that he through Jesus must purge [82, 83]. Allow us to reason together for a moment—Who but the very God of prayer is familiar with our most intimate, inward prayers? When Jesus explained to Nathanael that He saw him while he was yet under the fig tree, Nathanael would have recognized that this One who saw him from a distance while yet none other saw him, also must have heard his prayer(s) from that distance, and thus is intimately familiar with him. And having been told earlier by Philip that they had found Messiah in the person of Jesus (1:45-46), together with this stunning display of omniscience by Jesus, is understandably why Nathanael immediately proclaims Jesus’ deity and Messiahship: ‘Rabbi, thou art the Son of God, the King of Israel.’ Nathanael is “beside himself” in awe, and understandably so.

Jesus knew that Nathanael needed His help to believe. He more or less points this out to Nathanael: ‘You believe because I said I saw you under the fig tree? Yea, indeed.’ With Nathanael contemplating this, having gotten his attention concerning it, Jesus confronts him straightaway with deeper matters of faith, indeed matters of profound, more far-reaching concern: ‘But behold, you shall see greater things than that; you shall see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.’ What did Jesus mean by this? This is a reference to a dream that Jehovah God gave to His servant Jacob millennia earlier, in which Jacob saw a ladder set up between heaven (God’s manifest presence) and earth (humankind), and the angels of Jehovah God (Salvation-ministering spirits) were ascending and descending back and forth between God’s manifest presence and humankind upon the ladder (Gen 28:10-15). God made promises to Jacob in that dream, and He is here in Messiah Jesus about to bring them partly to fruition. Specifically, all the families of humankind are presently to be eternally blessed in Jacob’s greatest descendant Jesus (Gen 28:14). In Jacob’s dream, the ladder to us connects with the rent veil of the temple (Mar 15:34-38). The veil of the temple separated the holy place from the most holy place where God’s presence was manifest. Continuing with New Covenant thinking for a moment, the torn veil represents both the broken body of our great savior God, and of course humankind’s open access to Jehovah God (Hbr 10:19-22). Thus the Son of Man, Jesus, is the rent veil through which conduct into God’s manifest presence is realized by humankind. Elegant in its consistency is God’s Old Covenant picture of the same: Jesus is Jacob’s ladder upon which, again, conduct into God’s manifest presence is realized by humankind—this point Jesus drives home in no uncertain terms here in our verses. The angels are both in Jacob’s dream and in our verses necessarily ministers of the Jehovah-access (Salvation) Jesus wrought—recount, for example, all the Salvation-related work that Gabriel has done. In our approach there is a spiritual equivalence between the rent veil and Jacob’s ladder, an equivalence centered squarely on our blessed Savior Jesus. Importantly, both pictures bespeak of Salvation through Jesus Christ. Ahhh, Salvation, eternal life in the manifest presence of Jehovah God, just try to imagine the eternal blessings attending such a home; this is tremendous. And Jesus is here telling Nathanael just that—’Nathanael, you are stunned by my omniscience, and believe, but beloved friend, I do far greater than even that—believe in me to taste the sweet Salvation you shall presently see me consummate. It is upon me that you shall find sure conduct home…’