The Answer is Jesus! John 1:1-18

John 1:1-18 | New International Version:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. 

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

RAMP: READ / ANALYZE / MEDITATE / PRAY

R: Read the Passage

Read the passage fully from start to finish without taking any notes — just read! And then … read it again. Always read the same passage at least twice (if not more) without taking any notes. Never allow yourself to read a passage just once and them jump into ‘figuring it out.’ Sit in the scriptures for a while, train your brain to read and comprehend the full message.

A: Analyze

Journal your response to these questions:

1. What does this say about God?

Are there characteristics of Him listed? Look for adjectives used about Him. Does He describe Himself? Does the writer describe Him in any way?

I will explain more on this below in Nicole’s Notes, but here’s a spoiler alert ... The Word = Jesus. Read the passage again with the knowledge of The Word being Jesus, and with the knowledge that Jesus is fully God. It’s ok to have your mind blown this early on in the study!

What does this passage say about God (in this case, Jesus, The Word)?

• He was there in the beginning.

• He was with God.

• The Word WAS God = Jesus IS/WAS God.

• He shines in the darkness but is not understood by the darkness.

• His light cannot be overcome by the darkness.

• He is not recognized by the word even though the world was His own.

• To receive salvation is to believe in His name.

• In receiving His salvation, we have the right to become children of God — so in Him and through Him is the way to salvation/redemption/relationship with God.

• He became flesh and made His dwelling among us.

• Through Him all things are made.

• In Him is the life, which is the light of men.

• His glory can be seen and HAS been seen.

• He is full of grace and truth (yes, the two can and should co-exist).

• He was testified about by John.

• God is made known through Jesus Christ, the One and Only.

2. What does this say about you?

Are you in this passage? Does this passage talk about mankind in any way? Again, look for adjectives or statements regarding followers of Jesus.

• I am made in Him and exist through Him.

• My life is in His life and is sustained by His life.

• His light shines in and through me.

• IF I receive Him, I have the right to be called a child of God, which comes with inheritance, family lineage, etc. (Read more on this in Ephesians 2).

• God is dwelling among us. 

• I am a recipient of blessing because of the fullness of His grace.

• I am able to know God because of Jesus, and God is known through knowing Jesus.

3. Is there a command to follow?

Maybe or maybe not, but look closely. Do you see anything that appears to be how God intends for you to live? Ways He expects believers to interact with others? Sometimes this is very clear, and other times it may be implied. Look closely — there's almost always an expectation of God for how we can live, love or serve.

An implied command in this passage is that if we carry the light, others should be able to see Him in us. But here’s a warning — we are NOT the light. HE is the light and He lives in us. We do not hold salvation, but we represent and carry the One (and only One) who does.

As Christ followers, we must be sure our lives do not point to ourselves, but to the One and Only who’s glory is on display in our lives.

If our lives shine a light that only causes our lives to shine more brightly, we must step back, reevaluate, repent and make significant chances. Our lives are to shine His light not our own.

4. Is there a sin to repent of?

Many times, this is where the Holy Spirit begins to convict YOU personally as you are reading Scripture. Once you have made it this far in each study, you have likely read this passage several times and the Holy Spirit has begun working in your heart. Have you ever wondered how you are supposed to hear from God through His word? Well, here it is. Even if the passage does not clearly state a sin to avoid, what is the Spirit convicting you of at this moment?

Do you feel conviction? Conviction is a beautiful thing, it’s a gift out of the kindness of God Himself to show us where we are out of step and can turn back. From this passage, I feel a tinge of conviction concerning the truth of verse 5. My older New International Version uses the word ‘understood’ alongside ‘overcome.’ The darkness cannot understand the light of Christ, however the light is not overcome by the darkness. Here’s a thought — if the darkness (the world) does not understand the light, I can’t expect to always be understood as a carrier of the light. 

At the same time, I cannot make ME and the understanding of ME the goal, the point or the center of how I live. JESUS is the main attraction. I will be misunderstood, but I cannot overcompensate to be understood by man to make me feel better about myself or my relationship with Jesus. Jesus is the main attraction, and I can rest in the truth that while the darkness of the world may not understand, it cannot overcome. The dark world doesn’t win just because it doesn’t understand.

Whew, takes the pressure off of me to be understood. I am not the source of the light. HE is the source of the light. I am simply a carrier of the light.

5. Is there a promise to claim?

All throughout scripture, God gives us promises — promises of Himself, His perfect plans for us, His love for us, His eternal grip on us and so much more. Like the conviction, this is not always black-and-white. On the heels of any conviction, is there a promise? 

Oh yes! So many promises from this passage, including

• v. 4: HE is the light of man (not me, thank goodness).

• v. 4: In HIM is life (not this world or it’s opportunities).

• v. 14: We HAVE seen His glory.

• v. 14: He came from the Father full of grace and truth.

• v. 18: Although we cannot have have not seen God, we HAVE seen Jesus and His glory. Jesus makes God known to us, therefore, to know Jesus is to know God.

Nicole’s Notes:

One of my goals for 2020 is to continue falling in love with Jesus — the Person, my Savior, the fully God/fully man Son of God, the Way Maker and Miracle Worker. Jesus. I want to know Him more. I want to love Him more deeply. I want to follow Him more faithfully. I want to desire Him above all things. I want to desire HIM (not just His gifts to me, not even the blessings which come from knowing Him) I just want HIM. Nothing more, nothing less, nothing else. 

Because this is what I know — JESUS is supreme. JESUS is the answer to all I’m seeking and questioning. JESUS is the peace my soul longs for. JESUS is the fulfillment of all my hopes and dreams. And ultimately, at the end of my life, I want the mark of my days to be that I knew, I loved and I made much of JESUS.

If John 1 has been confusing to you before, let me give you the answer to what may seem like a riddle — it’s Jesus.

The point is — it’s Jesus! All the pronouns are Jesus. The Word IS Jesus. Let’s break it down. Hold on tight.

It’s easy to think that Jesus didn’t come onto the scene until He was born in a Bethlehem manger. Our calendar tells us the beginning of Jesus is celebrated on Dec. 25 with the Christmas story — but that’s not the beginning of Jesus — that’s the beginning of the fulfillment of God’s rescue love mission to redeem His people back to Himself. The beginning of Jesus is the beginning of God. The triune God — God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit — has been God from before the beginning. Take a look back at the Creation story in Genesis and notice the plural pronouns — we, us, our. Jesus, the Son, has been around as long as God, the Father.

God’s plan to redeem His people through Jesus Christ and give Himself as the Holy Spirit was in motion even before Adam and Eve were created (much less before they sinned). Whoa. I know. 

Jesus wasn’t a plan B or plan C after man failed at plan A. 

Oh no.

Jesus has always been God’s only and perfect plan.

In the first 5 verses of John, we read one of the most beautiful descriptions of Jesus from the guy who’s entire life’s purpose was to tell us about Jesus — John. We will get to John in a bit, because he is a vital piece of this entire study. But for now, let’s keep getting to know Jesus. Who is He?

Since I already solved the riddle for you, look back to my list above of what this passage says about God to learn more about Jesus.

• He was there at the beginning.

• He was with God.

• He WAS God.

• All things are made through Him and by Him.

• He holds LIFE.

• His life is the light that penetrates darkness. 

• He is not understood by the darkness. Misunderstood, but not defeated (that’s a word for somebody!)

WOW.

As we continue in this study of Jesus, we will grow to know Him on so many new levels through studying His own self descriptions in statements of “I Am…” As Jesus teaches, He will tell them (and now, us) who He is through saying “I Am…”

Remember back when Moses asked God how he was going to explain to Pharaoh and the people of Israel why he was leading them out of Egypt and into the Promised Land — what was God’s response? Tell them I Am sent you. (Exodus 3:1-15)

Ok, God. I see what you’re doing here.

Throughout the study of Jesus as recorded in John, we hear Jesus tell us who He is through seven different I AM statements:

• I Am the Bread of Life

• I Am the Light of the World

• I Am the Gate

• I Am the Good Shepherd

• I Am the Resurrection and Life

• I Am the Way, the Truth, the Life

• I Am the Vine

As we continue looking at Jesus in this passage of John 1, look to verses 10-14 to see more about who Jesus is:

• Creator of the world (remember Genesis 1).

• Unrecognized by His own creation.

• Rejected by His own creation.

• Received by those who believe in His Name.

• Giver of the right to become children of God — because of Jesus (His life, death and resurrection) we CAN become children of God, but only through Jesus. He is THE Way, THE Truth, THE Life. He is the One and Only way to the Father.

• He became flesh (Merry Christmas).

• He dwelled among us (His creation) on Earth (also His creation).

• He is full of glory — which we have seen!

• He is full of grace and truth — which has been given by Jesus to fulfill the Law of Moses (I’m continuing in v. 16-18)

• From His fullness of grace, we receive blessings. But those blessings are from Him, a gift from the Giver. 

• Jesus is the One we have seen. We have never seen God, but in seeing, knowing, loving and following Jesus, we know God.

• Jesus is the way, the One and Only way, to know God.

And we are just getting started!

Now let’s talk about John.

John never wants it to be about John, and it’s not. The entire purpose of John is Jesus — and isn’t that what we want to be said about us? I do. At the end of my life, I want it to be said “it was never about Nicole, it was always about Jesus.” 

John plays a special role in the life and ministry of Jesus because he had more than a front row seat. Again, His entire purpose was to make a way for the coming Messiah and to make much of that Messiah throughout his life.

John was born to Zechariah and Elizabeth shortly before Jesus was born to Mary and Joseph. Elizabeth and Mary were cousins and Elizabeth had been unable to conceive. Zechariah had a very important and holy job as a priest at the temple and when working one day, an angel showed up and told him that he and Elizabeth would make a baby. A very special baby with a great purpose — to “make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” Zechariah couldn’t believe it (literally) and the angel made him unable to speak through the entire pregnancy. 

While Elizabeth was pregnant with John, Mary conceived Jesus through the Holy Spirit and took a trip to visit Elizabeth. At the moment Mary and Elizabeth saw each other, baby John (still in Elizabeth’s womb) started cutting flips in the presence of the Savior — baby Jesus (still in Mary’s womb). Johns ENTIRE purpose for existing was to make much of Jesus, even before He ever breathed His first breath.

Here’s a word for you — if you wonder if your life has purpose, it does. And it has since before you came into this world.

When John was born, his father Zechariah was finally able to speak and spoke holy words about John’s life. You should read it all in Luke 1, particularly verses 57-80.

I am excited to study the life of Jesus with you through the book of John. It is going to be a powerful study!

M: Meditate

This is where you can just sit back and think. Wow, what all did God say to you? Is your mind going in a million different directions, connecting dots and seeing how big and good God is? Great! Sit here for a second, journal about where your mind is going. And be thankful you just had an encounter with a holy God through His holy word.

Meditate on these things:

• The master plan of God to bring redemption and salvation for His people through Jesus.

• WHO Jesus is.

• What have you learned about Jesus through this passage that you didn’t know before?

• How can your life make much of Jesus?

P: Pray

Take the notes you've made and pray them. Yep, pray your notes back to God. Start with what you saw about Him — tell Him who He revealed Himself to be in that passage. Ask Him to forgive you of any sin revealed through conviction. Thank Him for the promises you found.

• Pray TO God what you learned about Him.

• Praise God for His master plan.

• Thank God for Jesus and the salvation made possible through Him.

• Ask God to forgive you for making life about you.

• Ask Him to show you how and help you make life about Him. And then ask for the courage to be obedient with He answers that prayer.

John 1:1-18 | The Message:

The Word was first, the Word present to God, God present to the Word. The Word was God, in readiness for God from day one. Everything was created through him; nothing—not one thing!— came into being without him. What came into existence was Life, and the Life was Light to live by. The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness; the darkness couldn’t put it out.

There once was a man, his name John, sent by God to point out the way to the Life-Light. He came to show everyone where to look, who to believe in. John was not himself the Light; he was there to show the way to the Light.

The Life-Light was the real thing: Every person entering Life he brings into Light. He was in the world, the world was there through him, and yet the world didn’t even notice. He came to his own people, but they didn’t want him. But whoever did want him, who believed he was who he claimed and would do what he said, He made to be their true selves, their child-of-God selves. These are the God-begotten, not blood-begotten, not flesh-begotten, not sex-begotten.

The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, generous inside and out, true from start to finish.

John pointed him out and called, “This is the One! The One I told you was coming after me but in fact was ahead of me. He has always been ahead of me, has always had the first word.”

We all live off his generous bounty, gift after gift after gift. We got the basics from Moses, and then this exuberant giving and receiving, this endless knowing and understanding— all this came through Jesus, the Messiah. No one has ever seen God, not so much as a glimpse. This one-of-a-kind God-Expression, who exists at the very heart of the Father, has made him plain as day.