Chapter Text
The Word Became Flesh
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2The same was in the beginning with God.
3All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
5And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
The Witness of John the Baptist
6There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
8He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
9That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
10He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
11He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
The Incarnation
14And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
15John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.
16And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
17For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
18No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
John the Baptist's Testimony
19And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?
20And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.
21And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.
22Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?
23He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.
24And they which were sent were of the Pharisees.
25And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?
26John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;
27He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.
28These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.
29The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
30This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.
31And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.
32And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.
33And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.
34And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.
The First Disciples
35Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;
36And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!
37And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.
38Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou?
39He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour.
40One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.
41He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.
42And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.
Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael
43The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me.
44Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.
45Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.
46And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.
47Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!
48Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.
49Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.
50Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these.
51And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.
Summary
John's Gospel opens with a profound declaration: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word, identified as the agent of all creation and the source of life and light, became flesh and dwelt among men. John the Baptist bears witness to the Light.
John the Baptist directs his disciples to Jesus as the Lamb of God. Andrew and another disciple follow Jesus. Andrew brings his brother Simon Peter. Jesus calls Philip, who brings Nathanael. Jesus promises Nathanael he will see greater things, including heaven opened and angels ascending and descending upon the Son of man.
Meaning
The prologue of John is the most theologically concentrated passage in all of Scripture. It declares that Jesus is eternally God, personally distinct from the Father yet sharing the same divine nature. The Word became flesh means that the infinite, eternal God entered fully into human existence without ceasing to be God.
The calling of the first disciples illustrates how faith spreads through personal witness. Andrew found Peter. Philip found Nathanael. Each encounter leads to another, creating a chain of testimony that continues to this day. Jesus' knowledge of Nathanael under the fig tree revealed His divine omniscience.
Background
John's use of the term Logos, or Word, connected with both Jewish and Greek thought. In Jewish theology, God's Word was the agent of creation. In Greek philosophy, the Logos was the rational principle ordering the universe. John claims that this Logos is a person: Jesus Christ.
The reference to angels ascending and descending upon the Son of man recalls Jacob's ladder in Genesis 28. Jesus is declaring that He Himself is the connection between heaven and earth.
Chapter Outline
- vv. 1-5The Eternal Word and Creation
- vv. 6-13John's Witness and the World's Response
- vv. 14-18The Word Made Flesh
- vv. 19-28John the Baptist's Testimony to the Priests
- vv. 29-34Behold the Lamb of God
- vv. 35-42The First Disciples: Andrew and Peter
- vv. 43-51The Calling of Philip and Nathanael
Key Verses
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”— 1:1
One of the most theologically weighty verses in the New Testament, asserting the eternal preexistence and full deity of Christ. It deliberately echoes Genesis 1:1, framing Jesus as the divine Logos through whom creation came to be.
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”— 1:14
The cornerstone verse of the doctrine of the Incarnation, declaring that the eternal Word took on human nature. The word 'dwelt' evokes the tabernacle, presenting Jesus as God tabernacling among His people.
“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:”— 1:12
A foundational verse on spiritual adoption and the new birth, showing that sonship comes through receiving Christ by faith rather than by lineage or human effort.
“The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”— 1:29
John the Baptist's declaration identifies Jesus with the Passover lamb and the suffering servant of Isaiah 53, framing the entire Gospel around substitutionary atonement.
People & Places
People
- The Word (Jesus Christ) — The eternal Son of God made flesh, the central figure of the chapter and the Gospel.
- John the Baptist — The forerunner sent from God to bear witness of the Light and identify the Messiah.
- Moses — Referenced as the giver of the law, contrasted with the grace and truth that came through Christ.
- Isaiah (Esaias) — The prophet whose words John the Baptist applies to himself as 'the voice of one crying in the wilderness.'
- Elias (Elijah) — The prophet whom the priests ask whether John the Baptist might be.
- Andrew — A disciple of John the Baptist who follows Jesus and brings his brother Simon to Him.
- Simon Peter (Cephas) — Andrew's brother, given the new name Cephas ('a stone') by Jesus at their first meeting.
- Philip — Called directly by Jesus to 'Follow me'; he in turn brings Nathanael.
- Nathanael — An Israelite 'in whom is no guile' who confesses Jesus as the Son of God and King of Israel.
- Joseph — Named as the earthly father of Jesus of Nazareth.
Places
- Jerusalem — The religious center from which priests and Levites are sent to question John the Baptist.
- Bethabara beyond Jordan — The site east of the Jordan River where John was baptizing when he identified Jesus.
- Galilee — The northern region of Israel where Jesus determines to go and call His first disciples.
- Bethsaida — A fishing town on the Sea of Galilee, the home city of Andrew, Peter, and Philip.
- Nazareth — The obscure Galilean town from which Jesus came, prompting Nathanael's skeptical question.
Prophecy & Fulfillment
John 1 explicitly draws on Isaiah 40:3, with John the Baptist identifying himself in verse 23 as 'the voice of one crying in the wilderness,' fulfilling the prophesied forerunner of the Lord. Verse 29's title 'Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world' weaves together the Passover lamb of Exodus 12 and the suffering servant of Isaiah 53, presenting Jesus as the long-awaited atoning sacrifice. Philip's confession in verse 45 that Jesus is the one 'of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write' frames Him as the fulfillment of the entire Old Testament. Finally, Jesus' promise in verse 51 of angels ascending and descending upon the Son of man echoes Jacob's ladder in Genesis 28, identifying Christ Himself as the true meeting place between heaven and earth.
Devotional
John 1 invites us to behold Christ before we are asked to follow Him. The chapter moves from cosmic glory — the eternal Word who made all things — to the startling intimacy of God dwelling among us, full of grace and truth. That same Jesus still asks the question He asked Andrew: 'What seek ye?'
Notice how belief spreads here: John points to Jesus, Andrew finds Peter, Philip finds Nathanael. Faith is rarely solitary. When Nathanael's cynicism meets Christ's knowing gaze, doubt gives way to confession. Wherever you are today — skeptical, weary, or simply curious — the invitation remains the same: 'Come and see.'
Literary Style
The chapter opens with a majestic theological prologue (vv. 1–18) written in elevated, hymn-like prose with step-parallelism and inclusio, then shifts into narrative testimony and dialogue. It blends poetry, witness formulae, and call narratives, weaving Old Testament allusion throughout.