#1460 John 1 Part 6 Only Begotten

 

14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John *bore witness about Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has been ahead of me, for He existed before me.’” 16 For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. 17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him. John 1: 14-18 LSB

John 1: 14-18

And the Word became flesh - He preexisted His earthly incarnation. We already know that He was with the Father in the beginning and preexisted Creation, because every created being, matter, the heavens, were all created through Him. He is the eternal Word of God. So a question that will arise is, what does that look like, what is God? The Scriptures do not describe to us any idol thing, no dimensions, for He is eternal and Spirit. When it says man was made in His image or that man is the glory of God, this does not mean that God preexisted as a human being. Man bears the glory of God much as the moon  reflects the light of the sun. Humanity is something added to the Word's deity, His preexistent condition, which is beyond comprehension, so much of what is related to us is in language, the communication of those given eyes, ears, a body and a mind. He makes Himself known to us by ordinary means, but He is above those things, just look at the Bible's definition and pattern in these verses below:

14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 15The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him.… Colossians 1: 14-16

28And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose. 29For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified.… Romans 8: 28-30

…17Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into His image with intensifying glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3: 17-18

…3And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5For we do not proclaim ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.… 2 Corinthians 4: 3-5

…14Keep this commandment without stain or reproach until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15which the blessed and only Sovereign One— the King of kings and Lord of lords— will bring about in His own time. 16He alone is immortal and dwells in unapproachable light. No one has ever seen Him, nor can anyone see Him. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.… 1 Timothy 6: 14-16

…23But a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such as these to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” 25The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When He comes, He will explain everything to us.”… John 4: 23-25

V. 14c Glory as of the only begotten from the Father - We were made, He was begotten. He comes from God and in verse 18 it clarifies it again as the only begotten God, they share the same unique essence, "in the bosom of the Father". As to eternity, the eternally begotten Son of God, not made in His image, but the perfect image of God. His being born into this world, born of a woman, gives us light and an image of God, and we are made in His image, and those who are saved are being conformed to His image, born again. 

Spurgeon explains that we as believers in Christ have something (Someone) far better than the Shekinah Glory that Israel had in the Old Testament and then explains how we are able "see" His glory today...

In and around the tent (The OT Tabernacle) wherein the Lord dwelt in the center of the camp there was a manifestation of the presence of God. This was the glory of that house: but how scanty was the revelation! A bright light....the Shekinah is said to have shone over the Mercy-Seat; but the high priest only could see it, and he only saw it once in the year when he entered with blood within the veil. Outside, above the holy place, there was the manifest glory of the pillar of cloud by day, and of fire by night. This sufficed to bear witness that God was there; but still, cloud and fire are but physical appearances, and cannot convey a true appearance of God, Who is a spirit (Jn 4:24). God cannot be perceived by the senses; and yet the fiery, cloudy pillar could appeal to the eyes only. The excellence of the indwelling of God in Christ is this — that there is in Him a glory as of the only begotten of the Father, the moral and spiritual glory of Godhead.

This is to be seen, but not with the eyes — this is to be perceived, but not by the carnal senses: this is seen, and heard, and known, by spiritual men, whose mental perceptions are keener than those of sight and hearing.

In the Person of the Lord there is a glory which is seen by our faith (2Cor 5:7, 2Cor 4:18), which is discerned of our renewed spirits, and is made to operate upon our hearts. The glory of God in the sanctuary was seen only by the priest of the house of Aaron; the glory of God in the face of Christ is seen by all believers, who are all priests unto God (1Pe 2:9). That glory the priest beheld but once in the year (Lev 16:2, Heb 9:7); but we steadily behold that glory at all times (Ed: In His Living Word), and are transformed by the sight (2Cor 3:18). The glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2Cor 4:6) is not a thing of outward appearance, to be beheld with the eyes, like the pillar of cloud and fire; but there is an abiding, steady luster of holy, gracious, truthful character about our Lord Jesus Christ, which is best seen by those who by reason of sanctification are made fit to discern it (cf Col 3:10).

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God (Mt 5:8); yea, they do see Him in Christ Jesus. “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.” (John 1:18) Many of us besides the apostles can say, “We beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14) We have not seen Jesus raise the dead; we have not seen Him cast out devils; we have not seen Him hush the winds and calm the waves; but we do see, with our mind’s eye, His spotless holiness, His boundless love, His superlative truth, His wondrous heavenliness; in a word, we have seen, and do see, His fullness of grace and truth; and we rejoice in the fact that the tabernacling of God among men in Christ Jesus is attended with a more real glory than the mere brilliance of light and the glow of flame.

The condescension of Christ’s love is to us more glorious than the pillar of cloud, and the zeal of our Lord’s self-sacrifice is more excellent than the pillar of fire. As we think of the divine mysteries which meet in the person of our Lord, we do not envy Israel the gracious manifestations vouchsafed her when “a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the Lord covered the tabernacle” (Ex 40:34); for we have all this and more in our incarnate God, Who is with us always (Ed: Immanuel, God - Precept Austin

V. 15 He Who comes after me - John the Baptist's testimony as the elder of the two in the womb, yet Christ preexisted that. John is humbly stating his place as the slave of Christ, pronouncing His coming. He is not just before him as a question of time, because Jesus invented that, but also He is preeminent, the King.

…6Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross.… Philippians 2: 6-8

1Now, O daughter of troops, mobilize your troops; for a siege is laid against us! With a rod they will strike the cheek of the judge of Israel. 2But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come forth for Me One to be ruler over Israel— One whose origins are of old, from the days of eternity. 3Therefore Israel will be abandoned until she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of His brothers will return to the children of Israel.… Micah 5: 1-3

V. 16 Of His fulness...grace upon grace

…9For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity dwells in bodily form. 10And you have been made complete in Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority. 11In Him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of your sinful nature, with the circumcision performed by Christ and not by human hands.… Colossians 2: 9-11

1Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To the elect who are exiles of the Dispersion throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, chosen 2according to the foreknowledge of God the Father and sanctified by the Spirit for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by His blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance. 3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,… 1 peter 1: 1-3

…16Again, the gift is not like the result of the one man’s sin: The judgment that followed one sin brought condemnation, but the gift that followed many trespasses brought justification. 17For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive an abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ! 18So then, just as one trespass brought condemnation for all men, so also one act of righteousness brought justification and life for all men.… Romans 5: 16-18

V. 17 For the law was given through Moses - The law caused the realization of sin to increase, it defined sin, was given so that men could see themselves rightly, as trespassers. The law was good, but it was powerless to make good, it could only bring revelation. The law says, do this and you shall live, yet we and they were already in breach. 

10All who rely on works of the law are under a curse. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” 11Now it is clear that no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.” 12The law, however, is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The man who does these things will live by them.”…

…13Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” 14He redeemed us in order that the blessing promised to Abraham would come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. 15Brothers, let me put this in human terms. Even a human covenant, once it is ratified, cannot be canceled or amended.…

…16The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say, “and to seeds,” meaning many, but “and to your seed,” meaning One, who is Christ. 17 What I mean is this: The law that came 430 years later does not revoke the covenant previously established by God, so as to nullify the promise. 18For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God freely granted it to Abraham through a promise.… Galatians 3: 10-18

D L Moody - The Law begins with commands and ends with blessings; but the blessings are fruit upon lofty branches, which fallen man can never reach: he cannot and will not climb the tree. The Gospel, on the contrary, begins with promises, and promises give birth to precepts. The Law demands justice; the Gospel delights in mercy through satisfied justice. Moses blesses the law-doer; Jesus pardons the guilty and saves the lost.

Grace (5485)(charis from from chairo = to rejoice. English = charity. Beggars need "charity" even as sinners need grace, for we are all spiritual paupers outside of Christ, but "God gives where He finds empty hands"-Augustine [cp Mt 5:3-note]) is a word which defies a simple definition but at its core conveys the sense of favor while the specific nuances of charis depend on the context in which it is used. Someone has written that the word grace is probably the greatest word in the Scriptures, even greater even than “love,” because grace is love in action, and therefore includes it. It is hardly too much to say that God has in no word uttered Himself and all that was in His heart more distinctly than in this word grace (charis)!

Truth (225)(aletheia from a = indicates following word has the opposite meaning ~ without + lanthano= to be hidden or concealed, to escape notice, cp our English "latent" from Latin = to lie hidden) has the literal sense of that which contains nothing hidden. Aletheia is that which is not concealed. Aletheia is that which that is seen or expressed as it really is. The basic understanding of aletheia is that it is the manifestation of a hidden reality (eg, click discussion of Jesus as "the Truth"). Truth then is the correspondence between a reality and a declaration which professes to set forth or describe the reality.

Jesus (2424)(Iesous is transliteration of the Greek Iesous, which in turn is the transliteration of the Hebrew name Jehoshua (Yehoshua) or Jeshua (Yeshua) which mean Jehovah is help or Jehovah is salvation. Stated another way the Greek Iesous corresponds to the OT Jehoshua (Yehoshua) which is contracted as Jeshua (Yeshua)

NET Note on Jesus - The Greek form of the name Iēsous, which was translated into Latin as Jesus, is the same as the Hebrew Yeshua (Joshua), which means “Yahweh saves” (Yahweh is typically rendered as “LORD” in the OT). - Precept Austin

V. 18 No one has seen God at any time - He is after all the invisible God. He has to make Himself known to us, as He gave the Shekinah to announce His presence on the mount, in the tabernacle or when he gave Moses a reflective glimpse of His glory. He is omnipresent as well, aware of every atom of His creation. He is holy, meaning otherly, different than us, above His creation, more grand than it. Christ is God in human flesh, not just as a covering but intermingled, and the best way to convey God to us, Immanuel, meaning God with Us. In Christ the eternal, preexisting nature of God meets with human nature. This is also the answer to another, let's say mathematical problem. If Jesus is not God, He is not eternal, but the One Who is offended, the One Whose law and Original intent has been transgressed, is the eternal God. If God is anything regarding His nature then He is that eternally, infinitely. My transgressions are against an infinite being, Who is eternally Holy, that attribute which crowns all others, so He is eternally Holy, Holy, Holy, as Isaiah informs us, so Holy in His eternal love, but also Holy in His eternally just nature, Holy in His mercy and Holy in His wrath. The only way for a man, who is made in the image of God with eternity placed inside his heart, to pay for his own sin which is against an infinite Being, is to be eternally removed from the mercy of God and placed under His eternal wrath. This is hell, and a doctrine mostly skirted around in our day, but a topic that Jesus spoke about. In order to satisfy the infinite God, it would require an infinitely pure and holy Being. In order to be the mediator between God and man, to take God's infinitely just and holy wrath against sin, in order to do this upon a cross in time and space, One would have to be of an infinite nature. It is man who sinned, and so it requires a sinless man, One to take my place, fulfill all righteousness, keep the law of God perfectly which I did not and cannot, but it is the law of an infinite/eternal Being, the very source of light and life Whose law I have broken. He is unchanging in His nature, so God is ever opposed and infinitely opposed to sin. The only true mediator between God and man is Jesus Christ, the God Man. 

…19“I will cause all My goodness to pass before you,” the LORD replied, “and I will proclaim My name—the LORD—in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 20But He added, “You cannot see My face, for no one can see Me and live.” 21The LORD continued, “There is a place near Me where you are to stand upon a rock,… Exodus 33: 19-21

…11You came near and stood at the base of the mountain, a mountain blazing with fire to the heavens, with black clouds and deep darkness. 12And the LORD spoke to you out of the fire. You heard the sound of the words, but saw no form; there was only a voice. 13He declared to you His covenant, which He commanded you to follow—the Ten Commandments that He wrote on two tablets of stone.… Deuteronomy 4: 11-13

25At that time Jesus declared, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 26Yes, Father, for this was well-pleasing in Your sight. 27All things have been entrusted to Me by My Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.… Matthew 11: 25-27

14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 15The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him.… Colossians 1: 14-16

…16But for this very reason I was shown mercy, so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display His perfect patience as an example to those who would believe in Him for eternal life. 17Now to the King eternal, immortal, and invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. 1 Timothy 1: 16-17

…8Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.” 9 Jesus replied, “Philip, I have been with you all this time, and still you do not know Me? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me? The words I say to you, I do not speak on My own. Instead, it is the Father dwelling in Me, performing His works.… John 14: 8-10

Now this is a real head trip here, I believe to be a preincarnate mention of Christ, as the Messenger appears throughout the OT in various places, but here to Moses:

…7But this is not so with My servant Moses; he is faithful in all My house. 8I speak with him face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the LORD. Why then were you unafraid to speak against My servant Moses?” 9So the anger of the LORD burned against them, and He departed.… Numbers 12: 7-9

No one has seen God at any time - No one is absolute negation = "absolutely no one." The point is that no one has ever seen God, in His full and complete way (cf. Jn 6:46), but some people did see partial revelations of God in the OT. However, most commentators feel that the One Who was seen in the OT was Christ, presenting Himself in a so-called pre-incarnate Theophany (or "Christophany") (See study of Angel of the LORD, almost certainly a Christophany). Later, John records under the inspiration of the Holy Sprit that the prophet Isaiah "saw His (Jesus') glory, and he spoke of Him." (Jn 12:41, cp Isa 6:1-5 = Isaiah declared "my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.") - Precept Austin

Paul writes that the essence of God is invisible = "Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen." (1Tim 1:17), "Who Alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, Whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen." (1Ti 6:16) What Paul is saying is that no man has ever seen the very essence of God, or God in His essential nature. John is saying that the only way to see the inner nature of God is to see Jesus. Jesus Himself was asked by Philip “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” (John 14:8) Jesus responded "Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?" (John 14:9) Let us fix our eyes on Jesus (Heb 12:2)!

Utley - Some say that this (No one has seen God at any time) contradicts Ex. 33:20–23. However, the Hebrew term in the Exodus passage refers to “afterglow,” not physical sight of God Himself. The thrust of this passage is that only Jesus fully reveals God (cf. Jn 14:8ff). This verse emphasizes the unique revelation of God in Jesus of Nazareth. He is the full and only divine self-disclosure. To know Jesus is to know God. Jesus is the Father’s ultimate revelation of Himself. There is no clear understanding of deity apart from Him (cf. Col. 1:15–19; Heb. 1:2–3). (John 1 Commentary)

Boice - No one in the ancient world would have disagreed with the first part of that statement—“No one has ever seen God”—for, as William Barclay notes in his commentary, “In the ancient world men were fascinated and depressed and frustrated by what they regarded as the infinite distance and the utter unknowability of God. … Xenophanes had said, ‘Guesswork is over all.’ Plato had said, ‘Never man and God can meet.’ Celsus had laughed at the way that the Christians called God ‘Father,’ because ‘God is away beyond everything.’ At the best, Apuleius said, men could catch a glimpse of God as a lightning flash lights up a dark night—one split second of illumination, and then the dark.” Even the Jews would have thought this way, for they knew that God had spoken to Moses in the Old Testament, saying, “You cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live” (Exod. 33:20). There would have been no disagreement at all when John the Baptist declared that no one could see God. (The Gospel of John : An expositional commentary) - Precept Austin

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#1459 John 1 Part 5 There Was A Man

 

6 There was a man having been sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the Light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the Light, but he came to bear witness about the Light.

9 There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens everyone. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to what was His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.  John 1: 6-13 LSB

John 1: 6-13

V. 6 There was a man having been sent from God - John the Apostle is referring to John, the herald of Jesus Christ, the one also known as John the Baptist. His position and ministry were prophesied in the OT. John the disciple is recognizing the Baptist as a true prophet of God. 

1“Comfort, comfort My people,” says your God. 2“Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her forced labor has been completed; her iniquity has been pardoned. For she has received from the hand of the LORD double for all her sins.” 3A voice of one calling: “Prepare the way for the LORD in the wilderness; make a straight highway for our God in the desert.…

…4Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill made low; the uneven ground will become smooth, and the rugged land a plain. 5And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all humanity together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” Isaiah 40: 1-5

V. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the Light - Jesus is the light, and like the heralds of old, John was the man who went before the King. He preached repentance, this would be the making of the way straight, removing the obstacles to the procession. Sin is in the way of our relationship with God and it keeps us in the dark. John is preaching repentance, which first acknowledges sin, acknowledges it's need, he is calling to reform, for the way of salvation, the way to be right with God is approaching. John's baptism was an acknowledgment of the need and desire to be made clean.

1The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners, 2to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of our God’s vengeance, to comfort all who mourn, 3to console the mourners in Zion—to give them a crown of beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and a garment of praise for a spirit of despair. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.… Isaiah 61: 1-3

V. 8 He was not the Light - He was not the Messiah, the Christ, not God, but the one who pointed to Him.

1“Behold, I will send My messenger, who will prepare the way before Me. Then the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple—the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight—see, He is coming,” says the LORD of Hosts. 2But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He will be like a refiner’s fire, like a launderer’s soap. 3And He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver. Then they will present offerings to the LORD in righteousness.… Malachi 3: 1-3

…26“I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands One you do not know. 27He is the One who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.” 28All this happened at Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.… John 1: 26-28

V. 9 There was the true Light - The One Who John pointed to was none other than the Creator, God the Son. 

4We write these things so that our joy may be complete. 5And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you: God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. 6If we say we have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.… 1 John 1: 4-6

V. 10 The World did not know Him - We have seen already in the prior verses and posts, that nothing was made that was not made through Jesus. He is now in the world that He made, has taken on human flesh, will perform miracles the likes of which could not be confused with slight of hand, but point directly to His sovereignty over that which He has called into being. The response of the world to the Light is that it is blind, cannot see the light, though it shines so bright before us. Everyone is right in their own eyes, thinks things must be their fault if all goes well, but if things go wrong there is neither a God, or there is a God which we want nothing to do with. There's no participation trophy, God provides one way, everyone is owed His just wrath against sin, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, but Jesus is the way provided to escape the eternal wrath of the offended Infinite Being, and He is the way that no one naturally wants. They can't even see Who He is. Evidence is not a problem, read everything the OT says about Him. Read what His enemies said about Him, the accounts of His miracles from eye witnesses, people even got mad at Him for healing on the Sabbath. It's not skepticism, there is an answer for that, the problem is we want something else. The prosperity teachers know this and offer you the enticement of riches in this life. The cults pose as moral citizens but offer men the way that their lust leads them. 

He came to what was His own - He came to the Jewish people, born under the laws given to them by Moses. He followed the law as God intended and corrected them as they had blundered the interpretations. He came as a baby to fulfill all righteousness. Jesus is the promised Son of David, the rightful heir to the throne, and we know from Isaiah that He will come to rule, but He must first purchase back the elect by way of the cross, by His stripes we are healed. 

. He came to His own: “We might translate the opening words, ‘he came home’. It is the exact expression used of the beloved disciple when, in response to Jesus’ word from the cross, he took Mary ‘unto his own home’ (John 19:27; cf. 16:32). When the Word came to this world He did not come as an alien. He came home.” (Morris)

ii. “It is said of ‘His own’ that they did not ‘know’ Him, but that they did not receive Him. And in the parable of the Wicked Husbandman our Lord represents them as killing the heir not in ignorance but because they knew him.” (Dods)

iii. “This little world knew not Christ, for God had hid him under the carpenter’s son; his glory was inward, his kingdom came not by observation.” (Trapp)

But Yahweh was pleased

To crush Him, putting Him to grief;

If You would place His soul as a guilt offering,

He will see His seed,

He will prolong His days,

And the good pleasure of Yahweh will succeed in His hand.

11 As a result of the anguish of His soul,

He will see it and be satisfied;

By His knowledge the Righteous One,

My Servant, will justify the many,

As He will bear their iniquities.

12 Therefore, I will divide for Him a portion with the many,

And He will divide the spoil with the strong;

Because He poured out His soul to death,

And was numbered with the transgressors;

Yet He Himself bore the sin of many,

And interceded for the transgressors. Isaiah 53: 10-12

V. 12 But as many as received Him - Not everyone rejected Him. God retains a remnant in every age, and it is not a thing of family name, ethnicity or merit. It is a work of the Spirit inside of a man's heart, opening the eyes of the soul to see the desperateness of their situation, and the Savior who is the only solution.

…8But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: 9that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved.… Romans 10: 8-10

V. 13 Who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God - John introduces an old doctrine here, not a new one, but that of God's eternal decree, the quickening of the Spirit, and it will continue to be brought more and more into light as we approach John 3. This was no invention of John Calvin, no, the writing of this book is by the Apostle John's in the first century A.D., Calvin pointed backwards to these great truths, they were not his invention. As Spurgeon once stated, "a Calvinist is the man who says that 'salvation is of the Lord.' " People refer to me as a Calvinist, and where the reformers went back to sola Scriptura, where they found doctrines that were already held by the Scripture, taught by the Apostles, like the 5 points of Calvinism, there I agree with them. But, none of the Reformers is God, none of what they wrote is equal to Holy Scripture. You may say that I sit at the same table as them in accordance with the Doctrines of Grace, but I don't agree with them in all things, for example, their eschatology, in my novice mind theirs is a departure from Sola Scriptura, from rightly dividing the Word of Truth in these matters. As far as election, they are spot on, Jesus even had to correct His own disciples as to the reason they did receive Him when others did not. It is humbling to say the least.

…15For He says to Moses: “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16So then, it does not depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. 17For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”… Romans 9: 15-17

…15No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because everything I have learned from My Father I have made known to you. 16You did not choose Me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit— fruit that will remain— so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you. 17This is My command to you: Love one another.… John 15: 15-17

…43“Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus replied. 44“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. 45It is written in the Prophets: ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from Him comes to Me—… John 6: 43-45

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#1458 John 1 Part 4 Light and Life

 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. 5 And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it. John 1: 1-5 LSB

John 1: 1-5

V. 2 He was in the beginning with God - We know that the Word is Christ, and that He was always with God, facing God, part of God, there at the invention of time and space, the Creation.

…9You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You above Your companions with the oil of joy.” 10And: “In the beginning, O Lord, You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. 11They will perish, but You remain; they will all wear out like a garment.… Hebrews 1: 9-11

V. 3 All things came into being through Him - We covered this, the impossible scenario of His being what Jehovah's witnesses reference as the first created thing, but like the rest of the verse makes even clearer yet again, apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. R.C. Sproul has an interesting observation about this, that God does not exist, because things that exist do so because they come into being, God does not come into being, He is being, has always been, this is something beyond human language. Another way of saying the second part of verse 3 would be that nothing was made that wasn't by Him, through Him. Again, His being is eternal, before everything that was made, everything, so He was not made. He preexists His physical incarnation, the addition of humanity to His deity. 

…4because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 5Therefore, when Christ came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You prepared for Me. 6In burnt offerings and sin offerings You took no delight.… Hebrews 10: 4-6

…5The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of His loving devotion. 6By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and all the stars by the breath of His mouth. 7He piles up the waters of the sea; He puts the depths into storehouses.… Psalm 33: 5-7

…17But Israel will be saved by the LORD with an everlasting salvation; you will not be put to shame or humiliated, to ages everlasting. 18For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens— He is God; He formed the earth and fashioned it; He established it; He did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited: “I am the LORD, and there is no other. 19I have not spoken in secret, from a place in a land of darkness. I did not say to the descendants of Jacob, ‘Seek Me in a wasteland.’ I, the LORD, speak the truth; I say what is right.… Isaiah 45: 17-19

…2But in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe. 3The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature, upholding all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. 4So He became as far superior to the angels as the name He has inherited is excellent beyond theirs.… Hebrews 1: 2-4

…10the twenty-four elders fall down before the One seated on the throne, and they worship Him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying: 11“Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things; by Your will they exist and came to be.” Revelation 4: 10-11

V. 4 In Him was life - He has always lived, and the life we know, the Creation proceeds forth from Him and all things are held together by Him. Eternal life is with the Father, and comes to us through the Son. 

…20The Father loves the Son and shows Him all He does. And to your amazement, He will show Him even greater works than these. 21For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom He wishes. 22Furthermore, the Father judges no one, but has assigned all judgment to the Son,… John 5: 20-22

5“Lord,” said Thomas, “we do not know where You are going, so how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. 7If you had known Me, you would know My Father as well. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him.”… John 14: 5-7

James Montgomery Boice sees a double meaning for the term life in Him in John 1:4 - (1) Physical life - But what does it mean to say that Jesus is the source of life or that he is the life? The first answer to that question is one that takes us back to the opening pages of the Book of Genesis and therefore to the role of the Lord Jesus Christ in giving life to all living things in the world. We have already seen in our previous studies that the writer intends a reference to the first chapters of Genesis in his introductory verses; this is also the case here....“Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life” (John 1:3, 4), every Bible student should think instantly of the life that went forth out of God to bring life to inanimate matter at the beginning of the creation of the world. In other words, John is saying that our physical life comes from God through the Lord Jesus.....(2) Spiritual Life - However, this is only the beginning of our understanding of what John intends by the use of the word “life” in the Gospel. He is speaking of Christ’s role in creation, in one sense. But this is only the groundwork for the spiritual interpretation of the word that he unfolds in the pages of the Gospel. It is true that John speaks of physical life here, but as the book goes on he speaks increasingly of spiritual life. And the point is that just as Jesus is the source of physical life, so is he the source of the spiritual life that we receive when we believe on Him....(and) the life that God gives through Jesus Christ is not merely an earthly life or a life of such quality that it can be lost, but eternal life. It can never be lost....(and) he has also given us a life that is meant to be abundant even in our present circumstances...It is unfortunate that many Christians, though they have eternal life, nevertheless do not have life abundantly. This was not meant to be. Instead of living a miserable life and always complaining, Christians are meant to live lives of such joy and exuberance that their lives will be a blessing to others....Oh, the joys of living out the abundant life of Christ! They are the joys of increasingly finding him to be the bread of life that satisfies all our hunger and the water of life that quenches our deepest thirst. (Gospel of John) - Precept Austin

v. 4b And the Life was the Light of men - 

John MacArthur on the life was the light of all men - While it is appropriate to make some distinction between life and light, the statement the life was the Light halts any disconnect between the two. In reality, John is writing that life and light cannot be separated. They are essentially the same, with the idea of light emphasizing the manifestation of the divine life. The life was the Light is the same construction as “the Word was God” (Jn 1:1). As God is not separate from the Word, but the same in essence, so life and light share the same essential properties. The light combines with life in a metaphor for the purpose of clarity and contrast. God’s life is true and holy. Light is that truth and holiness manifest against the darkness of lies and sin. Light and life are linked in this same way in John 8:12, in which Jesus says: “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” The connection between light and life is also clearly made in the Old Testament. Psalm 36:9 says: “For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light.” “The light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2Cor 4:4) is nothing more than the radiating, manifest life of God shining in His Son. Paul specifically says: “God … is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” (Jn 1:6). So light is God’s life manifest in Christ. (John 1-11 MacArthur New Testament Commentary) - Precept Austin

V. 5 Light shines in the darkness - In our falleness we hate light because it exposes us for what we really are, not how we like to imagine ourselves. I hated the light of Christ because He was pleasing to the Father, as He said, He didn't come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it. I loved sin, so I loved to remain in darkness about it, and in darkness to be seemingly hidden. The only thing I didn't like about my sin was it's consequences, and since I didn't love God or want to believe in Him, I did not fear His disappointment or His judgment. I was a rebel without a flashlight.

…29For they hated knowledge and chose not to fear the LORD. 30They accepted none of my counsel; they despised all my reproof. 31So they will eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.… Proverbs 1: 29-31

…27Likewise, the men abandoned natural relations with women and burned with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error. 28Furthermore, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, He gave them up to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice. They are gossips,… Romans 1: 27-29

…18Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19And this is the verdict: The Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness rather than the Light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come into the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.… John 3: 18-20

John Calvin said that "The blindness of unbelievers in no way detracts from the clarity of the gospel; the sun is no less bright because blind men do not perceive its light."

A. W. Tozer - The human intellect, even in its fallen state, is an awesome work of God, but it lies in darkness until it has been illuminated by the Holy Spirit. - Precept Austin

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