Lesson for February 2, 2025

The Book of John

Lesson 1

The author of this book is the Apostle John, the brother of James. John is often called “the disciple whom Jesus loved” because he was part of “the inner circle” of Jesus. This simply means John was at the last supper reclining next to Jesus, the only disciple named as being present at the Crucifixion, he was entrusted with the care of Jesus’ mother Mary, John was at the Transfiguration, and John was given a vision of the Tribulation – the Book of Revelation. The book of John was written in Ephesus in about 90 AD. (John 13:23, 19:26-27, 20:2, 21:7, 20; Luke 9:28-36; Revelation 1:4)

Verses 1-2

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.”

John begins his Gospel with the Greek phrase “en arche,” which means in the beginning, which was not a beginning. Therefore, this phrase refers to the eternal existence of Christ as a member of the Godhead. This is confirmed by John when he said, “and the Word was God.”

The first few verses of the Gospel of John are about the deity of Christ. The Greek word for the Word is “logos,” a reference to Christ’s deity. Jesus affirmed John’s statement in John 8:58 when He said, “Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.” The Jews to whom Jesus said this, picked up stones to throw at Him, signifying that they understood exactly what Jesus was asserting, that He was God in the flesh! There are some very important, basic doctrinal truths found in these first five verses regarding the Word (Logos).

The first doctrinal truth is that the Word is eternal. Therefore, the Word, Jesus Christ, has no beginning and no end. As the second Person of the Trinity, the Word was with God the Father and the Holy Spirit in eternity past. And the Word is coequal and coeternal with the Father and the Holy Spirit.

Verse 3

“All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being.”

The second doctrinal truth is that the Word, Jesus Christ, is the Creator of all things.

When John declared that Christ was the Creator of all things, he gave further confirmation of the deity of Christ. Only a totally rational being, like God, could design, plan, and execute the complex world in which we live. This includes the angels, the earth, all the creatures of the earth, and the human race.

Paul clearly stated that Jesus Christ is the Creator of all things in Colossians 1:15-17, ^“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation: for by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or rulers, or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”

The deity of Christ is the image of the invisible God. There are two different Greek words for image and it is very important as to which one is used here. There is the Greek word “omoioma,” which means a representation. But this word is not used here. Instead, we have the Greek word “eikon,” which means an exact image. So, there is no question that Jesus Christ is God, a member of the Trinity. Jesus Christ does not merely have the “spark” of God, Jesus Christ is God. Jesus Christ is the exact image of the invisible God.

The Greek word for firstborn is “prototokos,” meaning chief or head. Firstborn means that Christ is over all creation as its Creator. He is the sovereign over all of creation. The word firstborn is a reference to Christ’s preeminence over creation. We have a similar use of firstborn other times in the Bible. Christ is called “the firstborn” in Colossians 1:18, Romans 8:29, Hebrews 1:6, and Revelation 1:5. In Colossians 1:18, Romans 8:29, and Revelation 1:5. He is the “firstborn” from the dead, a reference to His resurrection. He was the first to rise from the dead. In Hebrews 1:6, He is the firstborn in His humanity in that He is the God-man, the unique Person of all humanity. 

All things refers to the heavens and the earth, the universe, angels, mankind. And these “all things” were created by Jesus Christ. God the Son “snapped His fingers,” as it were, and the universe came into existence. The truth is that it did not take six days to create the universe. Its creation was instantaneous and occurred sometime in eternity past before man was created. Therefore, we cannot put a date on the age of planet earth. 

What we find upon examination of the Bible is that after the creation of the universe, and before the creation of mankind, the earth became chaotic. This chaos was most likely the result of a battle among the angels and God’s judgment of them, called the Angelic Conflict. (Isaiah 14; Ezekiel 28:15-16)Hebrews 1:10 is quoted from Psalm 102:25, “And, You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of Your hands.”

Verses 4-5

“In Him was life, and the life was the Light of mankind. And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not grasp it.”

The third doctrinal truth is that the Word is life. Jesus Christ has eternal life and God the Father found a way to give mankind that eternal life. This eternal life is given as a free gift to all those who believe in Jesus Christ as Savior. When we believe in Christ, we enter into union with Him and His life becomes our life.

Eternal life is God’s life (one of His attributes) imputed (credited) to the human spirit at the moment of salvation. This imputation of eternal life occurs simultaneously with the imputation of the human spirit the moment a person believes in Christ as Savior. The life of God that a believer possesses, creates the capacity to receive and appreciate eternal rewards. Since it is God Who imputes eternal life to the believer, it is a matter of grace. Therefore, eternal life is not deserved, nor can it be earned. This means that anyone who has believed in Christ for salvation (whether they are living their spiritual life or not) possesses eternal life. It also means that believers are secure in Christ, forever. (John 5:25-26; 11:25-26; 14:6; I John 5:11-13)

Eternal life means living in a state of eternal peace and happiness for every believer, regardless of your eternal rewards. Some believers will reign over cities, and some will not, but we all will live in magnificent mansions. Although our primary motivation for the execution of the Christian Way of Life should always be our personal love for God, knowing that there are degrees of reward should also motivate our advance to spiritual maturity. In God’s system of rewards and blessings, believers must never forget that proper motivation and proper protocol are the keys to successfully appropriating them. A right thing must always be done in a right way in order to be right.

The fourth doctrinal truth is that the Word is the Light. The world system in which we live is in spiritual darkness because it is the devil’s world; he is the ruler of this world system. Spiritual darkness is a result of Adam’s original sin when Satan deceived Eve and she ate of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and she gave the fruit to Adam, and he ate from the tree. This single act of disobedience by Adam plunged the human race into spiritual darkness. (Romans 5:12)

Jesus is the Light that shines into the spiritual darkness of this world. It is only through Him that a person can become enlightened to the truth of salvation. Jesus Himself made this very clear. John 8:12, “Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the Light of the world; the one who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.’”

Once enlightened by faith in Christ, a believer can continue to be enlightened by the truth regarding Jesus found in the Word of God. I John 1:5-7, “This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.” This verse says that in Christ there is no darkness. The word darkness in Greek is “scotia,” and metaphorically means a condition of spiritual or moral depravity. Therefore, there is no spiritual or moral depravity in God. God’s character is the exact opposite of darkness. Darkness is a term often used to describe Satan, his world system, and man’s sinful nature. (Ephesians 6:12; I Peter 2:9; I John 2:11)

The analogy of light versus darkness seems obvious. However, without knowing the biblical meaning of each, an accurate interpretation cannot be reached. Light in the Bible is used for the glory of God’s dwelling place in I Timothy 6:16, for the nature of God in I John 1:5, for the impartiality of God in James 1:17, for the favor of God in Psalms 4:6, for the illuminating power of God’s Word in Psalms 119:105, for God’s guidance in Psalms 112:4, for salvation in I Peter 2:9, and for Jesus Christ as the Illuminator of mankind in John 1:4-5, 9.

The word light in Greek is “phos,” and metaphorically means to make evident or to make to appear. Jesus Christ is the Light of the World, Who reveals God. With this definition of light and its usage in Scripture, we can see that when “light” is used in reference to God, it encompasses His entire character, His essence and His attributes, and His work in the life of believers (His grace, His illumination, and His guidance). It is God’s light that is being reproduced in the life of advancing believers as the character of Jesus Christ. (Matthew 5:14-16; Galatians 5:22-23)

A believer who chooses to reside in God’s power system under the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit, can avoid spiritual and moral darkness and be “the light of the world.” A believer can also avoid the evil darkness of Satan’s world system, by residing in God’s power system. (John 12:35-36; II Corinthians 4:1-6)