John 1:1 is actually predates Genesis 1:1! John 1:1 explains who God really is that we read about in Genesis. We learn here that Jesus is the WORD or spokesman of the Godhead (Elohim) and that He and the Father make up the Godhead. We learn many things in the Gospel (Good News) about Jesus from the pen of John. We learn that Jesus was the “I AM” of Exodus who spoke to Moses from the burning bush. We learn that the only God that mankind has ever seen is Jesus, and that nobody but he has ever seen the Father God. Without the knowledge of the Good News of John, we can never fully comprehend the Old Testament scripture.. This is why I suggest that the book of John be read BEFORE reading Genesis for the first time. Jamieson writes that John “was the younger of the two sons of Zebedee, a fisherman on the Sea of Galilee, who resided at Bethsaida, where were born Peter and Andrew his brother, and Philip also. His mother's name was Salome, who, though not without her imperfections ( Matthew 20:20-28 the Lord on one of His preaching circuits through Galilee, ministering to His bodily wants; who followed Him to the cross, and bought sweet spices to anoint Him after His burial, but, on bringing them to the grave, on the morning of the First Day of the week, found their loving services gloriously superseded by His resurrection ere they arrived. His father, Zebedee, appears to have been in good circumstances, owning a vessel of his own and having hired servants ( Mark 1:20 Evangelist, whose occupation was that of a fisherman with his father, was beyond doubt a disciple of the Baptist, and one of the two who had the first interview with Jesus. He was called while engaged at his secular occupation ( Matthew 4:21 Matthew 4:22 ( Luke 5:1-11 ( Matthew 10:2 DA COSTA calls him--and he and James his brother were named in the native tongue by Him who knew the heart, "Boanerges," which the Evangelist Mark ( Mark 3:17 doubt from their natural vehemence of character. They and Peter constituted that select triumvirate of whom But the highest honor bestowed on this disciple was his being admitted to the bosom place with his Lord at the table, as "the disciple whom Jesus loved" ( John 13:23 ; 20:2 ; John 21:7 John 20:24 him by the dying Redeemer the care of His mother ( John 19:26 John 19:27 There can be no reasonable doubt that this distinction was due to a sympathy with His own spirit and mind on the part of John which the all-penetrating Eye of their common Master beheld in none of the rest; and although this was probably never seen either in his life or in his ministry by his fellow apostles, it is brought out wonderfully in his writings, which, in Christ-like spirituality, heavenliness, and love, surpass, we may freely say, all the other inspired writings.”
As to the date of this Gospel, the arguments for its having been composed before the destruction of Jerusalem (though relied on by some superior critics) are of the slenderest nature; such as the expression in John 5:2 &c.; there being no allusion to Peter's martyrdom as having occurred according to the prediction in John 21:18 to require mention. That it was composed long after the destruction of Jerusalem, and after the decease of all the other apostles, is next to certain, though the precise time cannot be determined. Probably it was before his banishment, however; and if we date it between the years 90 and 94, we shall probably be close to the truth.
John is the oldest surviving member of the twelve and his message is about the Divinity of Christ, his preexistence as THE LORD and the message that the LAW can only be understood with its greatest cornerstone--- LOVE. Love covers sins, and the Law of God is LOVE.
John 1
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God (The Father), and the Word was God (Elohim-The God Family).
WORD- from Greek Logos. Jesus or Yahweh, or THE LORD IS GOD, along with the Father! There is not a hint of a trinity here!
2 He was with God (The Father) in the beginning.
3 All things were made by Him (Jesus- the Word), and Nothing exists that He did not make.
4 In Him (Jesus) is life, and the life was the light of mankind.
5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not suppressed it.
6 There was a man sent from God (Elohim-The Family of God) whose name was John (The baptist).
7 He came to tell everyone about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony.
8 He himself was not that light; no, he came to bear witness concerning the light.
9 This was the true light, which gives light to everyone entering the world
10 He (Jesus- Yahweh the LORD) was in the world -- the world came to be by Him -- yet the world did not acknowledge Him {as God}.
11 He came to His own homeland, yet His own people did not receive him.
12 But to as many as did receive Him (Jesus), to those who put their trust in His person and power, He gave the right to become children of God (the Godhead (Theos - or Elohim)),
Theos is the Greek version of Elohim in Hebrew, meaning God or Godhead. Sometimes it pertains in the Gospels to The Father, often it means both Jesus and the Father, as it does here.
13 who were born, not of blood, or by physical means, but because of God (Theos).
14 The Word became a fleshly human being and dwelt (tabernacled or pitched his tent) among us, and we saw His glory, the glory of the Father's only Son, full of grace and truth.
This is why we observe the Feast of Tabernacles!
15 John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He existed before me.' "
16 We have all received one blessing after another. God's grace is not limited.
17 For the Law (Torah) was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus (Yeshua) the Messiah.
18 No one has ever seen God (The Father); but the only and this unique Son, who is identical with God and is at the Father's side -- He has made Him known.
Do you see what is being said here by John? This just isn't understand by Christians that not only is Jesus the LORD of the OT, but that he was identical and EQUAL to the Father!
John the Baptist Is Not the Christ
19 So this is John's testimony: when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask John who he was. John gave witness to them.
20 He did not try to hide the truth. He spoke to them openly. He said, "I am not the Christ."
21 "Then who are you?" they asked him. "Are you Elijah?" "No, I am not," he said. "Are you `The Prophet,' the one we're expecting?" "No," he replied.
The Prophet: that prophet--announced in Deuteronomy 18:15 , &c., about whom they seem not to have been agreed whether he were the same with the Messiah or no.
22 So they said to him, "Who are you? -- so that we can give an answer to the people who sent us to ask. What do you have to say about yourself?"
23 He answered using the words of Isaiah the prophet. John said, "I'm the messenger who is calling out in the desert, 'Make the way for the LORD (kyrios-Yahweh) straight.' "(Isaiah 40:3)
kyrios- Greek for Yahweh or LORD or JESUS' Prior self!
24 Some Pharisees who had been sent
25 asked him, "If you are neither the Messiah nor Elijah nor `the prophet,' then why are you immersing people in water?"
26 To them John replied, "I am baptizing people in water, but among you is standing one whom you don't know.
27 He is the one coming after me -- I'm not good enough even to untie his sandal!"
28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan River. That was where John was baptizing.
Jesus Is the Lamb of God
29 The next day John saw Jesus (Yeshua-or Joshua) coming toward him. John said, "Look! The Lamb of God! Who takes away the sin of the world!
the Lamb of God
--the one God-ordained, God-gifted sacrificial offering. that taketh away--taketh up and taketh away. The word signifies both, as does the corresponding Hebrew word. Applied to sin, it means to be chargeable with the guilt of it ( Exodus 28:38 , Leviticus 5:1 , Ezekiel 18:20 ), and to bear it away (as often). In the Levitical victims both ideas met, as they do in Christ, the people's guilt being viewed as transferred to them, avenged in their death, and so borne away by them ( Leviticus 4:15 , Leviticus 16:15 Leviticus 16:21 Leviticus 16:22 ; and compare Isaiah 53:6-12 , 2 Corinthians 5:21 ). (Jamieson)
30 This is the One I was talking about. I said, 'A Man who comes after me is more important than I am. That's because He existed before I was born.'
31 I myself did not recognize Him. But God wants to make it clear to Israel who this person is. That's the reason I came baptizing with water."
32 Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit (pnuema) coming down from heaven like a dove, and remaining on Him.
Spirit:
In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit (Ruwach) it is feminine in form, but is an essence of God and not a God. In the NT, the Spirit has a masculine form, but again is an essence-not a person. God (Jesus and the Father) are made up of Spirit, as man is made up of flesh and blood. The Holy Spirit is WHAT God is made of and not part of a TRINITY! As of now, until we are resurrected from the dead, there are only two beings in the Godhead!
33 I would not have known Him. But the One who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'You will see the Spirit come down and remain on someone. He is the One who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.'
Spirit is the “flesh and blood of the Divine ones (angels and the Godhead) but HOLY SPIRIT exclusively is the essence that makes up God- not angels.
34 And I have seen and borne witness that this is the Son of God."
Jesus begins choosing HIS disciples:
35 The next day, John was again standing with two of his disciples.
36 On seeing Jesus walking by, he said, "Look! God's lamb!"
37 The two disciples heard him say this. So they followed Jesus.
38 Then Jesus turned around and saw them following. He asked, "What do you want?" They said, "Rabbi, where are you staying?" "Rabbi" means Teacher.
39 He said to them, "Come and see." So they went and saw where he was staying, and remained with him the rest of the day -- it was about four o'clock in the afternoon.
40 One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.
41 He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated, the Christ or “one who has been anointed.")
42 And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, "You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas" (which is translated, A pebble).
43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me."
44 Philip was from the town of Bethsaida. So were Andrew and Peter.
45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the One that Moses wrote about in the Law (Torah). The prophets also wrote about him. He is Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."
46 "Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked. "Come and see," said Philip.
47 Jesus saw Nathanael approaching. Here is what Jesus said about him. "He is a true Israelite. There is nothing false in him."
48 "How do you know me?" Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree. I saw you there before Philip called you."
49 Nathanael said, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!"
50 Jesus answered him, "you believe all this just because I told you I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than that!"
51 Then he said to the disciples, "What I'm about to tell you is true. You will see heaven open. You will see the angels of God going up and coming down on the Son of Man."
The key to this great saying is Jacob's vision ( Genesis 28:12-22 ), to which the allusion plainly is. To show the patriarch that though alone and friendless on earth his interests were busying all heaven, he was made to see "heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon a" mystic "ladder reaching from heaven to earth." "By and by," says Jesus here, "ye shall see this communication between heaven and earth thrown wide open, and the Son of man the real Ladder of this intercourse."
