John 1:1-18; 1 John 1:1-3
"In him was life..."
(JOHN 1:4)
The opening of the Gospel of John is a prologue. Giving the context for the rest of the book, verses 1-18 are some of the most profound statements in or out of the Bible. Yet John expresses them in the simplest, everyday language.
John spent three years with Jesus in His earthly ministry and saw Him after His resurrection. He was an eyewitness of Jesus; this is his written testimony about Him (John 21:24).
One of John's themes throughout his account is life. What - or rather, Who is it? How do we get it? Is it just this life or eternal life? This month we will look at what John writes about life because every one of us has wrestled with and wondered what life is about.
John has already declared that Jesus is the eternal God who created everything (v. 1-3). We can almost imagine John putting his pen to his lips to find the right words for what he wants to say next about his Lord. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, he quickly dips his pen to capture his thought: In Him was life... Yes, indeed!
About the writer:
After 20 years as a computer support professional, Anthony Russo left his career in 2010 to prepare for pastoral ministry. He and Amy, his wife of five years, live in Louisville, Kentucky where he is a full-time graduate student at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Anthony is also a freelance writer and blogger, encouraging believers at his website, www.ThrowAwayEverything.com.
INSIGHT
JESUS IS LIFE, AND LIFE IS AVAILABLE FOR ALL OF US IN HIM. HAVE YOU COME TO HIM FOR LIFE?
READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Job 41-42
Psalm 62
John 1
John 1:1-18
New Living Translation (NLT)
Prologue: Christ, the Eternal Word
1 In the beginning the Word already existed.
The Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
2 He existed in the beginning with God.
3 God created everything through him,
and nothing was created except through him.
4 The Word gave life to everything that was created,[a]
and his life brought light to everyone.
5 The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness can never extinguish it.[b]
6 God sent a man, John the Baptist,[c] 7 to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. 8 John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. 9 The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
10 He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. 11 He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. 12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. 13 They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.
14 So the Word became human[d] and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness.[e] And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.
15 John testified about him when he shouted to the crowds, “This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘Someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’”
16 From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another.[f] 17 For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God,[g] is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.
Footnotes:
a. John 1:4 Or and nothing that was created was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything.
b. John 1:5 Or and the darkness has not understood it.
c. John 1:6 Greek a man named John.
d. John 1:14 Greek became flesh.
e. John 1:14 Or grace and truth; also in 1:17.
f. John 1:16 Or received the grace of Christ rather than the grace of the law; Greek reads received grace upon grace.
g. John 1:18 Some manuscripts read But the one and only Son.
1 John 1:1-3
New Living Translation (NLT)
Introduction
1 We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning,[a] whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. 2 This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
Footnotes:
a. 1 John 1:1 Greek What was from the beginning.
HOME
Does this world feel like home to you? The more you grow in Christ, the more you long for your eternal home. For the Australian Christian recording artist of the year, this as become truer than ever.
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