Chapter 1 - Gospel of John
Chapter 1 of the Gospel of John reveals John the Baptist as a major player in the greatest story in history. But his cousin, Jesus Christ is the real star and John the Baptist knows it.
Enjoy and reflect on these first 18 verses of Chapter 1 of the Gospel of John. They are said to be the most beautiful verses of scripture ever written.
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Chapter 1 of the Gospel of John (New International Version)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
6 There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9 The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.
10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.
11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God- 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.'" 16 From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.
17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known.
19 Now this was John's testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, "I am not the Christ."
21 They asked him, "Then who are you? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" He answered, "No." 22 Finally they said, "Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"
23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, "I am the voice of one calling in the desert, 'Make straight the way for the Lord.'" 24 Now some Pharisees who had been sent 25 questioned him, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?" 26 "I baptize with water," John replied, "but among you stands one you do not know. 27 He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie."
28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing. 29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I meant when I said, 'A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel."
32 Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33 I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' 34 I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God."
35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!" 37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.
38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, "What do you want?" They said, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?" 39 "Come," he replied, "and you will see." So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was about the tenth hour.
40 Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas" (which, when translated, is Peter).
43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, "Follow me." 44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote-Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."
46 "Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked. "Come and see," said Philip. 47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false." 48 "How do you know me?" Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you." 49 Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."
50 Jesus said, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that." 51 He then added, "I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."
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DAY ONE
1. What do you learn about God from reading Chapter 1 verses 1 and 2 of this introduction to the Gospel of John?
2. Jesus Christ is referred to as the Word. List 5 aspects of Jesus Christ we learn from studying Chapter 1, verses 1-4 of the Gospel of John.
3. Jesus is referred to as the Light. List 5 truths you learn about the Light from reading the Gospel of John Chapter 1, verses 4 though 9.
DAY TWO
1. Compare the 2 basic reactions man has to Jesus as the Light in reading the Gospel of John, Chapter 3, verses 19-21.
2. What truths can you see by studying the Epistle of I John Chapter 3 verse 1 and then studying Chapter 1, verses 10-11 of the Gospel of John?
3. Give some examples of how the world did not recognize and did not receive Jesus Christ.
DAY THREE
1. In reading Chapter 1, verse 16 of the Gospel of John it says we have received blessing after blessing from Jesus Christ. What blessings have you received?
2. Why would the message John preached as shown in the Gospel of John, Chapter 1 verse 15 seem strange to the Jews?
3. List 5 things you learn about John the Baptist from reading Luke Chapter 1, verses 14-17 as given by the angel Gabriel.
DAY FOUR
1. What do you learn about John the Baptist from studying what Jesus said in Matthew Chapter 11, verses 7 through 14?
2. From the readings of Matthew Chapter 3, verses 5 and 6 and Mark Chapter 1 verse 5, why did the Jewish leaders send messengers to inquire of John the Baptist who he was?
3. From the nature of the question the Pharisees asked in the Gospel of John, Chapter 1 verse 24, what was their view of John’s authority to baptize?
DAY FIVE
1. What reason does John the Baptist give for performing water baptisms and what life lesson do we gather from this concept today?
2. From studying Chapter 1 verses 32 through 34 of the Gospel of John explain:
- What John the Baptist saw
- Who told him it would happen
- What it signified
- Who John the Baptist stated Jesus was
- What John the Baptist saw
3. From studying Chapter 1 verses 35 through 40 of the Gospel of John explain:
- Who was John the Baptist with when he said "Look, the Lamb of God!"
- What their reaction was when John made the statement
- What Jesus asked them
- What we can discern of their intentions from their reply
- What was Jesus’ reply
- What you think they did for the rest of that day
DAY SIX
1. What can we surmise of the character and life of Andrew from studying the following verses?
- Matt 4:18
- Matt 4:20
- Luke 6:13-16
- John 1:37
- John 1:44
- John 6:8-9
2. What do we know about Peter from a study of the following verses?
- Matt 16:21-23
- Matt 19:27
- Mark 8:29
- John 13:6-8
- Acts 3:1-26
- Acts 4:13
- Gal 2:7-9
3. Compare Nathanael’s initial impression of Jesus when he first was told of him to the greeting Jesus gave Nathanael and his impression of Nathanael.
Compare Your Answers for Gospel of John Chapter 1

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