The Word of Life

John 1:1-14

Good News Translation (GNT)

*************************

  1  In the beginning the Word already existed;
   the Word was with God, and the Word was
   God.
  2  From the very beginning the Word was with
   God.
  3  Through him God made all things; not one
   thing in all creation was made without him.
  4  The Word was the source of life, (a) and this
   life brought light to people.
  5  The light shines in the darkness, and the
   darkness has never put it out.
  6  God sent his messenger, a man named John,
  7  who came to tell people about the light,
   so that all should hear the message and
   believe.
  8  He himself was not the light; he came to tell
   about the light.
  9  This was the real light - the light that comes
   into the world and shines on all people.
10   The Word was in the world, and though God
   made the world through him, yet the world did
   not recognize him.
11   He came to his own country,but his own
   people did not receive him.
12   Some, however, did receive him and believed
   in him; so he gave them the right to become
   God's children.
13   They did not become God's children by
   natural means, that is, by being born as the
   children of a human father; God himself was
   their Father.
14   The Word became a human being and, full of
   grace and truth, lived among us.
   We saw his glory, the glory which he received
   as the Father's only Son.

   Footnotes
   John 1:4 The Word was the source of life;
   or
   What was made had life in union with the
   Word.

*************************

Commentary taken from
'The Applied New Testament Commentary'
(Kingsway)

The Word Became Flesh

   JOHN 1

The Word is Jesus.
He was the "Word" of God, who had been with God from before the creation of the world.

God has no beginning; He has always existed. And God has always had His Word with Him. Jesus was not only with God; He was God.

Through him all things were made. He created not only physical life, but also spiritual, eternal fife.

With life there is always light. In fact, life is dependent on light.

When we receive life through Jesus, we also receive the light of conscience and reason that is in every human being. It is also spiritual light.

In the darkness, we can see nothing. Through the light of the Christ, we can see and understand God.

Just as a tiny candle overcomes the darkness of a room, so the Christ's light overcomes the darkness of the world. Darkness can never overcome light.

Men whose minds are darkened and blinded by sin and unbelief cannot see God's light. They refuse to see it, because they prefer to live in darkness.

The Testimony of John the Baptist (1:6-18)
John the Baptist was sent from God. His birth was miraculous. (see Luke 1:5-25,57-66). John came to prepare men's hearts to receive the light.

He witnessed to Jesus so that through him (John) all men might believe (in Jesus).

"All men" means both Jews and Gentiles. The true light, Jesus, gives light to every man.

We must understand John's meaning here. God causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

Those who do not believe remain in spiritual darkness. Whoever rejects Jesus will not see life.

The Apostle John wrote this Gospel, that you may believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.

Whether we believe or not is up to us.

The men of the world did not recognise Him, did not believe Jesus was the Messiah.

Instead, they considered Him to be a criminal, a blasphemer, and they killed Him.

Jesus came to the world that He Himself had created. He was a Jew coming to Jews. The people of His own village tried to throw Him off a cliff.

Finally, the Jewish leaders caused Him to be put to death.

Yet a few did put their faith in Jesus and to these believers, he gave the right to become children of God.

When we receive Jesus into our hearts through faith, God receives us, and we become members of God's family.

The children of God are born spiritually.

In order to receive an inheritance, we first must be born. We become children by spiritual birth.

One of the men with whom Jesus lived was the Apostle John, who was very close to Jesus and knew Him well.

John writes here: We have seen his glory. John isn't writing someone else's opinion. He is writing about what he himself has seen.

Jesus was full of grace and truth. Grace is God's great mercy and love toward men.

In Jesus He has also revealed His truth. God's judgments are true. He separates good from evil, righteousness from unrighteousness.

Jesus said, "I am the... truth"
Therefore, when we see the Christ, full of grace and truth, we see God.

God was perfectly revealed in Christ.

However, those who do not believe in Christ cannot fully know God. They remain in spiritual darkness.

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