Who Is Jesus According to John Chapter One
I have a friend that doesn’t accept the trinity. I ask him a simple question: Who created everything that exist according to John chapter one? His response was God – Not Jesus. So, we didn’t even get into a deeper discussion really. I asked him if he would perform an exercise; after every pronoun in John 1, (“he”, “him” and “it”), name the object to which the pronoun refers. He didn’t really want to do that. This article is a result of me doing that for him.
Pretty simple actually …
Color Legend:
- Bible in Black
- Pronoun Labels in {Orange}: according to English Rules
- Comments in Green: To make sense of what has been said so far.
John 1:1-18
[1] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [2] He {the Word} was in the beginning with God. [3] All things were made through him {the Word}, and without him {the Word} was not any thing made that was made. [4] In him {the Word} was life, and the life was the light of men. [5] The light {the Word} shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it {the Word}.
What is the point of this paragraph? It seems that John wants us to understand something very important – something called, “The Word.” John tells us that the Word existed in the beginning – that it was with God in a very unique way – that it was a special revelation of God – that it was the life of man and it was the light of man. And So, John starts here … and as we progress, we will learn that this, WORD, is really the person that the whole book of John is about – Jesus Christ. John is starting his account by getting us to think correctly about who Jesus is. He’s not just some man that was born on earth … He existed in the beginning with God is such a unified way with God – that John says: “he was with God, and he was God”.
[6] There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. [7] He {John the Baptist} came as a witness, to bear witness about the light {the Word}, that all might believe through him {the Word}. [8] He {John the Baptist} was not the light {the Word}, but came to bear witness about the light {the Word}.
John is still using “he” to refer to ‘the Word’ that was with God from the beginning. At times, he has revealed that the Word is life and light of men. But, now that the discussion starts to include John the Baptist, and that John starts to point people to the Word, we are starting to understand who ‘the Word’ refers to: Jesus Christ. Jesus is the life of men. Jesus is the light of men. Jesus is revealing the Father to man, this revelation is called light … and it’s life-giving in a spiritual sense. Jesus is the “true light” which enlightens us towards God.
[9] The true light {the Word … or … Jesus} , which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. [10] He {Jesus – still talking about the Word} was in the world, and the world was made through him{Jesus}, yet the world did not know him {Jesus}. [11] He {Jesus} came to his own people {the Jewish people} , and his own people did not receive him {Jesus}. [12] But to all who did receive him {Jesus}, who believed in his {Jesus’} name, he {Jesus} gave the right to become children of God, [13] who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
[14] And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us {clearly this is Jesus who dwelt with man} , and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. [15] (John bore witness about him {Jesus} , and cried out, “This was he {Jesus} of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) [16] And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. [17] For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. [18] No one has ever seen God; the only God {Jesus}, who is at the Father’s side, he {Jesus} has made him {God} known.
(John 1:1-18 ESV)