John 1:1-18 Bible Study Guide
John 1:1-18
1:1-5
The Greek word logos (translated = "Word") in this passage is a reference to Jesus.1-2: God did not create Jesus. He has always existed with God, which also means that Jesus' birth was not his beginning. Rather it was simply Jesus taking on human form.3: Not only has Jesus always existed, but everything that was made was made through him. Therefore he is the creator of the world. The use of the Greek word logos (translated = "Word" in this passage) is significant. One reason is because of the illusion to the creation story in Genesis, where God spoke everything into existence.4-5: Because Jesus is life and light, his followers can experience the same thing. It is also an encouragement today that darkness cannot overcome him.Question: Knowing everything was made through Jesus, how does the affect how you view him?Question: If Jesus is the light of the world, what does that mean for those who follow him?
1:6-13
6-8: Is referring to John the Baptist. A prophet who proclaimed the coming of the messiah (Jesus) before Jesus began his public ministry. John claimed that he himself was not the light, but had come to bear witness about the light (Jesus).9-11: The world that Jesus created he was now entering, yet he was not received.12-13: But to those who did receive him, they became children of God. It is significant here that John points out that it is not of blood (ethnicity), nor of the will of the flesh or of man (our good works) that make someone a child of God. It is only "of God" that this happens.Meaning that the Jewish people, though God's chosen people, could only enter into this relationship with God though Jesus. Likewise, no amount of effort or good deeds can give us this relationship, only Jesus can.Question: For Christians, it is easy to forget the radical idea that nothing; not your works, ethnicity, socio-economic status, etc., can save you. Only Jesus can. How did this make you feel the first time you really understood that?Question: If it is God that saves people, not ourselves, how does this impact you're efforts in thinking about and wanting to reach other people with the message of Jesus?
1:14-18
14: Jesus came down and dwelt among us. The literal translation from the Greek for this phrase is "pitched his tent" or "pitched his tabernacle." This is also an illusion to the tabernacle Old Testament, where God's glory dwelled among the Israelites as through traveled through the wilderness. Now his glory has come and been revealed through Jesus.18: This verse shows us an intimate relationship between Jesus and God. As Jesus is the only one who has ever seen God, except Jesus who is God himself.Question: What does it say about God that he would enter into a broken world to love and redeem it, only to be rejected by the very people he came to save?Question: What is the most striking verse or passage in this entire section (verses 1-18)?