John 1:1-14 — John Stubbs

Let us pray, our blessed God and our Father, in the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we desire thy help and the gracious leading of the Holy Spirit as we read and consider thy word. We thank thee for the greatness of our Saviour, the person of Christ, and we pray as we consider the great truths concerning his person that we might have a greater appreciation of himself, his majesty, his glory, his greatness, whether in relation, O God, to thyself eternally or creation or man.

We pray that we might really enjoy afresh this morning the uniqueness of the person of thy well-beloved Son. Shed light on the sacred page, help us, we pray, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Eternal Word in John’s Gospel

Now let us turn to the Gospel of John, please, chapter 1, considering the first paragraph of this opening wonderful chapter, the first 14 verses, in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.

The same was in the beginning with God, all things were made by him and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life and the life was the light of men and the light shined in darkness and the darkness comprehended it not.

There was a man sent from God whose name was John, the same came for a witness to bear witness of the light that all men through him might believe. He was not that light but was sent to bear witness of that light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

He was in the world and the world was made by him and the world knew him not. He came unto his own and his own received him not, but as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believed on his name, which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

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. May God indeed bless this precious portion of his Word.

John 1 as a Dispensational Panorama

Now there's a number of ways that we could very profitably and interestingly outline this first paragraph of John's Gospel or indeed the whole chapter itself, but it's rather wonderful to see in the chapter what we may call a dispensational panorama from eternity right on to the millennium.

In verse 1 we have eternity. In verse 3 we have time in relation to creation. In verse 5 we move forward to that which presupposes the fall of man. I take it that the term darkness is really a description of man and his fallen condition in spiritual darkness.

So we have that which contemplates the fall. And then further down we have the ministry of John the Baptist. So we leap forward to another period, but just before that of course I should mention in verse 17 we have the period of the law.

The law was given by Moses, and then from verse 19 onwards we have the ministry of John the Baptist. And then from verse 35, Rabbi where dwellest thou? Come and see, they dwelt with him that day. We have a delightful picture of the church period, gathering in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.

But before that, not forgetting verse 29, and the death of Christ. And then I take it the last verse, the angels ascending and descending upon the son of man would be a millennial picture. So John's gospel begins in chapter 1 with eternity, then moves forward to time and creation, then the fall of man in verse 5, and then the law of Moses in verse 17, then the ministry of John the Baptist further down the passage, and then the death of Christ, behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world in verse 29, from verse 35 to 43, a picture of the assembly gathered in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ, and then going beyond the picture of the church age to the millennial time, the millennial reign of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Rather wonderful to notice, isn't it, that Matthew's gospel has a beginning, the book of the generation of Jesus Christ, and it hasn't ended. Mark's gospel has a beginning, the beginning of the gospel of the son of God, it hasn't ended, the Lord received up into heaven.

Luke's gospel has a beginning, from the beginning he says, he uses that term in Luke 1, and it hasn't ended, the Lord carried up into heaven. John's gospel has a beginning like the three gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke, but it doesn't have an ending, no, because the last verse tells us, such is the fullness of our Lord Jesus Christ, for the whole world to be filled with books, could not really fully set forth the greatness of our Lord Jesus.

The Threefold Structure of John 1:1–14

Now I wanted to notice in verses 1 to 6, we have, verses 1 to 5, we have the word, the word in relation to God, verses 1 and 2, the word in relation to creation, verse 3, and the word in relation to man, in verses 4 and 5, then from verse 6 to 9, we have a reference to the witness, John the Baptist, we have the origin of his ministry, he came from God, we have the outlook of his ministry, that all men through him might believe.

We have the object of his ministry, to bear witness to the light. Then from verse 10 to verse 14, we have the third section, all I will say and sit down is in verse 10 we have Christ in relation to the world, in verse 11 we have Christ in relation to the nation, in verse 12 we have Christ in relation to the believer.

Now we could stay profitably for half an hour I'm sure on each verse, but I have a bit of a record in conducting bible readings, and that is I've always reached the last verse. I hope you'll help me to keep up that record, not that we want to hurry through the portion of the word of God, and we're very thankful for our preaching brethren here, and they will help us, but I want to make clear, any non-labouring brethren who feel like asking a question, or a contribution, please feel free to take part, not just for preachers, we want to make this reading as profitable, and as enjoyable as possible.

The Deity and Eternality of the Word

Let us begin with verse number 1 then, in the beginning was the word, and the word of God, and the word was God. I think we have three things concerning the Lord Jesus here, his eternal deity, in the beginning, then his distinct personality, the word was with God, and then of course we see something of the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We can put it very simply, his eternal duration, his eternal distinction, and then we have his eternal deity, notice it doesn't say God was the word, it doesn't say that, nor does it say the word was a God, that is absolutely false doctrine, very simply, yet very profoundly it says the word was God.

Now there's much in this text, but I want to just ask a question if the one who's trying to lead the reading is allowed a question, and that is this, what do my brethren think the most important word in this opening verse is?

This should open it up to us, what's the most important word? I would suggest brother, it's the word for, John's gospel is the only one that speaks of the word, he says the same in the revelation, so he's the one who reminds himself this one was God.

Here the Lord Jesus is the word, this stresses and emphasises his deity, I'm using words now, the Lord Jesus is the revealer and interpreter of God. Now what it says in John 1 verse 1, in the beginning was the word, the word is just used, the word, it's not a title, it's not an attribute, it's not a personification, it's the person of Christ, so he's the word in eternity, before time, in 1st John chapter 1, he's the word of life, that suggests not only that he's incarnation, but his ministry, communicating life, he's the word of life, and then in Revelation chapter 19, he's the word of God, when the Lord Jesus was here, he revealed the grace of God, but in the future, he'll come in judgement, and he'll reveal the judgment of God, so that's why he's the word of God.

But, pardon me brother Eric, it is a very important word, but may I say, the most important word to me in the passage in verse 1, and I want to get this off for the young believer, the word, word is important, yes, but it's the little word was, yes, it's used 3 times, it's different from the word in verse 6, where it says, there was a man called John, sent from God, that word was, there began to be, there came into existence, so the word was in verse 6 is different to verse 1, the little word was is in the imperfect tense, we'll not go too much on the techniques of the word, the preposition used, but it suggests and emphasises what it was continually, in other words, when it says in the beginning was the word, eternally was the word, that's the force of it, and the word was with God, eternally he was with God, and the word was God, that is eternally was God, that's the force of the little word.

The Eternal Sonship of Christ

John, would you say something about the eternal sonship of Christ, as you know some have taught that he existed as the word, and not as the son? Well I think it's very clear in the New Testament, Bill, that the Lord Jesus is the eternal son, even a simple look at John 3 verse 16 would support that, but Galatians 4, it says he sent forth his spirit, does that mean the spirit never existed before, the spirit came on the day of Pentecost?

I agree with you, but I'm just saying, I know that, I appreciate that, it says in Galatians 4, God sent forth his son, alright, and two verses on it says he sent forth his spirit, now when it says that we know he was the spirit before he came, and the same interpretation we must give, that God sent forth his son, it implies that he was in that relationship with God before the incarnation.

He was appointed for all things before he made the world, so he was the son. Absolutely, thank you very much, yes Eric? I want to substantiate what you were suggesting, in verse 14 he says the same thing, the word was made flesh, so this isn't a new beginning, not something new, but it's a new form of existence.

Yes, thank you for that, it illustrates the point, John 1 verse 14, the word made is the same use of making the stones bread and the temptation, the stones becoming what they weren't before, bread, and then made wine in John chapter 2, the water becoming what it wasn't before, wine, so that is what he became what he never was before, that's the thought of John 1 verse 14, he commenced a new mode of existence, he came into a new experience, and he came into a new environment.

Now stand your course, beginning, what does that mean? As far as the human mind can go back into the remote past, it's eternity, before time began. Would you accept what Mr. Gideon used to teach us, in the unbeginning of the beginning, would that be alright?

When the beginning began he was there, I think it's different to 1 John chapter 1, from the beginning. So he's defending his deity in John's gospel, and he's defending his perfect manhood in John's epistle, is that right?

John knew him from experience, from the beginning as it were, of the Lord's ministry, he could see him, he heard him, he handled him. And let me say something please about the four beginnings, you know, what's in view very quickly, Genesis 1, and right here, John's gospel 1, 1 John 1, and Colossians 1 .18 that was read yesterday, is it a different beginning each time?

Yes sir, there's a lot in these things, Genesis chapter 1 is creation, beginning of time, John chapter 1 is eternity, before time, before creation, 1 John, from the beginning, that's the beginning, I take it, of the Lord's ministry, because he comes into the experience of John, he saw him, heard him, handled him, and so on.

The beginning in Colossians chapter 1 is in verse 8, in regard to the church and the new creation. It's the same word in Revelation 3 verse 15, that he said to the church at Laodicea, that he was the beginning of the creation of God.

Not that he's the first to be created, the Lord Jesus is not a creator, John 1 verses 1 to 3 teaches very very clearly, we need to hold on to this tenaciously, it's fundamental proof, the Lord is distinct from creation, and creation is dependent upon him.

Distinction of Persons Within the Trinity

So is it right to say that there's identity in the Godhead, that's very important, the word is one person, and God is another. Some of our dear friends are teaching us that there's only one God, and that's right, but they don't see the three persons.

Distinct personalities in the Trinity, this is what the passage is teaching. Verse 2 you see, emphasizes that Stanley, doesn't it? The same was in the beginning with God. Why does he repeat what you have in verse 1?

The same was in the beginning with God. The word with God, by the way, is beautiful, it's face to face, in communion with God. We say brother that verse 1 is asserting three things about the word, his eternity, his co-equality, and his unity in nature, he was God.

But verse 2 is asserting his personality, he was in the beginning with God. Yes, that's what I believe, thank you very, very much brother. Can we just learn a practical lesson? Touching the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, the truth is so precious, it's worth emphasizing and worth repeating.

There's some teaching, truths in the word of God, that today is worth emphasizing and repeating, so that we might appreciate it all the more. Allow me to suggest brother, that John is teaching here that his deity had no beginning, as you intimated, before the beginning was, began, he was.

So that this is timeless, as the beginning was. And then the tense, the word was God, it's imperfect, indicating it's something that always was, continuous. Yes, that's why right at the beginning I ask, what's the most important word in John 1 verse 1, just that little word, three times was, was, was.

Christ as Creator

It's so simple, and yet it is so profound. Now we need to come to verse number 3, we could stay on these very precious things. Now we have, we've seen the Lord in relation to God as the word, now we have the Lord Jesus in verse 3, in relation to creation.

All things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made. Now at least, I can see in the New Testament, at least, approximately anyway, eight times, eight times in the New Testament, the Lord Jesus is referred to as the creator.

And in this, he is equal with God. Science, and men today, would eliminate the person of Christ from creation. We live in the days when the theory of evolution is gaining great ground, but as far as I'm concerned evolution is like a blind man in a dark room trying to find a black cat.

It's almost impossible. Now, the same was in verse 3, all things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made. Now this wouldn't include sin of course. Now coming on this verse, verse 3, it's a very important verse, the Lord Jesus in relation to creation.

Doesn't the gospel of John continue to show and demonstrate that the Lord is the creator, the making of wine from water in John chapter 2 is one sample. And I do think you know the Lord made the eyes for the blind man from the clay in John chapter 9.

And then the fish, where did he get the fish from? In John chapter 21. So there are some of the miracles later in the gospel of John prove to us, the words of verse 3, that the Lord is the creator, so verse 3 is bringing before us his creatorial ability.

Now for the young people, just quickly, a young man, a young boy not long ago, this was in Australia, and the professor at the science class, to get a bit of a flick at the young fellow because he was a Christian and he was only about 14, and he said to all the big class, you know he says, the moon is made of cheese.

The boy put up his hand, what is it this time? He says, please sir, the moon was made in the third day, and the cattle were made on the sixth day, so where did God get the cheese from? It was a pretty good answer.

I think it's noteworthy as well that John changes the verb here, doesn't he, in verse 3. Yes. Verse 1 and 2 is the verb to be, and that's related specifically to the person of Christ and the word. Yes, good.

Creation cannot do without the Lord Jesus. He is indispensable to creation. Colossians 1, that our brother Stanley referred to at the beginning, stresses he's the origin, he's the order, and he's the object of creation.

By him, all things are held together. Now a little touch now. The Lord says in John 15, without me you can do nothing. If creation, John 1 verse 3, can't do without the Lord Jesus, we can't do without him.

He's absolutely indispensable to us. John, this may, I hope it's not a foolish question, but why does John begin his gospel in a swing? Why would he begin with, was this truth being assailed? I think so, yes.

I'll tell you what I appreciate. Good. I appreciate that he shows us the greatness of the Lord before he points him out as a lamb of God. Yes. And if we appreciate his greatness then we'll really appreciate the fact that he's a lamb, that he washed the sins of the world in his Son's feet.

This wonderful person would draw near to us and help us. Yes, I think he's combating error as to the person of Christ in those days. It doesn't say, for example, God was the word because this would deny distinctions of persons in the Godhead.

And it doesn't say that the word was a God because this would drop Christ of his supremacy as the word. And at the same time it would confute the view that those who teach very wrongly the Lord Jesus as a being inferior to God.

You see, so that's why he's bringing these things up to meet that attack. Relative to Bill's question, John is the gospel that's distinctive as presenting God the Son or the Son of God. So that would be appropriate right at the beginning that he is presented to us in that character.

Yes, he's also the gospel that gives you seven references to the manhood of the Lord Jesus. Take a concordance and have a look every time the word man occurs. Come see a man, you know, who told me all things in every way.

A man called Jesus anointed mine eyes. Pilate, behold the man. Seven times he hasn't overlooked the manhood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Just come to verse four. In him was life and the life was the light of men.

Life, Light, and Spiritual Darkness

Now, what life is this? Certainly verse four would teach the self-existence of Christ. In him life was not derived. Life is originated in him. This is very important essential truth. I think we can see that in it.

The self-existence of Christ. But what is the life here? That's a question that would be helpful I think. Is it saying to us the Lord Jesus is the source of life? The origin of the fountain of life? Is this life in the sense of preserving all created things by his providence?

Some think that. I don't. Is this all sorts of life? Both, well, vegetable and animal and human? I don't think so. I think this is spiritual life. Now would my brother agree on that? Yes. Chapter five and verse twenty-six help in relationship to this.

There is a father of life and himself so are they given the son of life and himself. That's a very helpful verse brother Tommy. Thank you for coming with that. Because a branch of exclusives taught what our brother has mentioned earlier.

They denied the eternal sonship of Christ. Brother Stubbs, verse three is emphasizing the Lord's work in creation. Would it be possible that verse four is emphasizing that all things that he has created manifesting the life of Christ in that sense are given by God to shed light upon his own person?

Creation is the expression of light to man. Yes, well I can see that yes. May I just, I want to just expand just a little what our brother has referred to in John five verse twenty-six. At a very large exclusive Bible reading, I had a record of it.

Mr. Taylor, the man who propagated this terrible view that Christ was not the eternal son. It was asked on John five verse twenty-six, as the son has life in himself, even so, as the father has life in himself, even so the son has life in himself.

Mr. Taylor said to somebody, when did this life begin? As the father has life in himself. No beginning. So hath the son life in himself, when did this life begin? Silence. Were you going to say, he is speaking here about life that is eternal, that is what he is in himself, and that is not extinguished by the darkness.

Yes. Then when he comes down to verse six through thirteen, he is talking about life that is eternal, and then the latter part of the chapter or the latter part of our section is eternal love. So there is eternal life and eternal light and eternal love.

That is good. Well, would my brother be happy with the view in verse five, the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not. The idea of this word and its use elsewhere means, the darkness, I take this for man and his fallen condition, I hope the brother agrees with that, the moral state of man or the spiritual condition of man away from God, darkness, but the darkness cannot overcome is the word, or overpower the light.

I think that is good. Would that not brother I suggested the fact that the light in verse four is created by a light, it is what God has made, in relation to the fall, isn't there not the suggestion then that even though man is fallen, that light still is continuing to shed some measure of knowledge of God himself.

John the Baptist as Witness to the Light

Psalm 19 for example, and even Romans chapter one would indicate that I believe. Yes. That is good. Now let us come to John the Baptist in verse six. Why does John say suddenly after such a wonderful opening about the Lord Jesus as the word, there was or there came a man sent from God whose name was John.

Why does he say that? It is interesting in Matthew's gospel that John the Baptist is introduced as the herald of the king. John the Baptist Matthew presents the king. May I suggest whatever way each gospel brings in and mentions John the Baptist, it is always in relation to the particular theme of that gospel.

So if the Lord is the king in Matthew, then the Baptist is the herald of the king. Now if the Lord is the servant, then in that sense John the Baptist is the servant. And so you don't get the details of his birth like you do in Luke.

Luke is the manhood of the Lord and there is details of the Lord's birth. And similarly with John the Baptist we have details of the Lord's birth. And I take the same in John 1. The theme of John is the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ.

So fittingly alongside that theme there was a man, this is the emphasis who came from God. The emphasis I would put is from God. He must have been with God before he came out and we often overlook the fact that John the Baptist was a priest.

He was a priest. He didn't function in the temple but he functioned in the wilderness but yet he spent time in the sanctuary. And that is he spent time with God and came out of faith with God. Yes, it says the same doesn't it in chapter 3 about the Lord Jesus.

Rabbi, thou art a man come from God. Yes, that's right. Simple question Brother John. How would a young believer know that this was John the Baptist? All they would need to do is go down to verse 19 onwards.

It's just the same as John 1. How do we know, it's a simple question, that the word in John 1 verses 1 and 2 is the Lord Jesus? Go down to verse 14 and 15 the word became flesh. So you need the whole chapter.

So verse 19 onwards clearly sets forth this is John the Baptist, the forerunner of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now we are told in verse 7 the same came for a witness to bear witness of the light that all men through him might believe.

Now any comments on that or verse 8 related to the same theme? It would be right to suggest that at least that light is available for every man because the Lord came into humanity. That doesn't mean that everybody will be saved.

That's good, yes. Anything else before we leave verse 7 and 8? Would you say Brother that the Lord Jesus was the light but when he is speaking about John for instance what he says in chapter 5 verse 34 and 35.

He was the lamp, the true light, but he is the lamp. Here in verse 7 he also says he is only a voice. When John says the voice of one, he is drawing attention to the son of God. He is just a voice. That's good because it reminds me of what I wanted to say about the Lord Jesus is the word.

Isn't there a contrast? The Lord is the word, John is the voice. Now there is a sense in which I don't want to carry the metaphors too far but before the voice, even my voice now, words are formed in my mind.

A word exists in the mind before the voice is the vehicle of that word. So it is very suggestive. The Lord Jesus is the word eternally, the interpreter, the revealer of God, John the Baptist is the voice.

So John said he was before me, didn't he? When it says the Lord Jesus is the true light it's not, we want to make this very clear in the passage, it's not that the Lord Jesus was the true light in the sense of opposite to that which was false.

He is the true light in opposition to that which is inferior, lacking completeness, lacking fullness. I mean he is the true bread from heaven. That doesn't deny that the manna was true food, it was. But he is the fullness.

We are looking very thoughtful there brother. Would John the Baptist have to have been sent had it not been for the unbelief of the nation? Yes. Had they not rejected light down through the centuries of time so that God sent a messenger to bear witness to the light?

Yes. Because of the unbelief of man's heart. Yes. They had to point him out as a distinct person when he came into the world because they had lost sight of all that God had brought him forward to reveal to them.

Christ as the True Light Entering the World

Yes. Now I want to raise a point, thank you brother very much, verse 9. How do we understand verse 9? That was the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. Now, that cometh into the world.

Does that relate to every man or to the Lord Jesus? Yes. Because some have used this that cometh into the world, man is born with a little spark of divine light in him. That's absolute nonsense. That's Quakerism.

George Fox, the founder of Quakerism, that's what he taught. There's a little, you know you need to just fan it a little bit and encourage it a little bit, you've got a bit of divine light in there. That's not doctrine.

It denies the total depravity of man. Would it have anything to do, this verse, in connection with God giving all man a conscience? Yes. That's helpful brother, yes. What I'm really trying to say and I want to make this clear, I take cometh into the world to do with the Lord Jesus, not every man cometh into the world.

The structure of the sentence, you need to be just careful how you read it, you see. Yes, brother? I agree with that. Good. Thank you. That's a relief. The light cometh into the world. Was the Lord Jesus the light before he came into the world?

I think he was. He was the light that came into the world. Certainly the Lord Jesus said, as long as I'm in the world, I'm the light of the world. But he was the light before he came. So light is entering human history here.

Christ’s Preexistence and Rejection by the World

That's a good way to put it, brother, yes. Now here's a verse in verse 10. I'll tell you what I used to think. I heard a man, and I've repeated it a few times, say about verse 10, he was in the world.

That's history. The world was made by him. That's theology. He knew him not. That's tragedy. I thought that was good, but you know, studying carefully verse 10, what does it mean? He was in the world.

May I suggest that the usual idea of it is not quite correct. I'll say this very gently. I don't think this is referring to the Lord's being on earth, that he was manifest in flesh, that he came to this world.

He was at large in the world before he came. I think this suggests his eternal pre-existence. He was in the world in Noah's day. Didn't he preach through him? First Peter chapter 3. He was in the world.

It's the pre-existence of Christ, yes? Isn't that supported by the verb to be again? Sure. As in verse 1 and 2? Yeah. I haven't thought of that brother. Please give us a little help on that then. So what about the order?

So you take the first phrase of verse 10, eternity, pre-existence. He was in the world at large before he came. Yes. But it wasn't created. No, that is true, but I take the term he was in the world to refer to what he was before he came.

He was in the world at large. I'll have to think about that brother. Yes, good thanks. And the world was made by him. The world came into being, brother John. Sorry? The world came into being. Yes. The world was made by him.

By him, yes. He has taken up his soul. This world that he made, he was in it before he came. Yes, that's right. Brother John, are you going to help us there? He was in the world and the world though it owed its existence to him.

Yes. Failed to recognize him. Yes. That's why I'm looking at the previous verses as the light in Old Testament time. Because it ties in with this verse. I appreciate your knowledge of scripture, brother.

Do you agree with this interpretation or not? Are you going to be like my dear friend here? I didn't say I disagreed brother. No, no, no. I know you know this. I know. What do you think? I believe what you're saying is correct.

He was in the world from the time he made it. Amen. All the time in Old Testament history he was manifesting God. Yes. Every manifestation of God has been him, the Lord Jesus, the Son. Yes. And even though the world owed its very existence to him, failed to recognize him.

In every period of time. Yes. Thank you. Is it the same word in the original cosmos, the three of them in that verse 10? I think so, yes. Yes. Now just to point out for the young believer, just to get the setting of these verses, it's important.

In verse 10 we have Christ in relation to the world. Then in verse 11 we have Christ in relation to the nation, I take it, Israel. And then in verse 12 and 13 we have Christ in relation to the believer.

So we have Christ in relation to the world, Christ in relation to the nation, and Christ in relation to the believer. We emphasize the word tragedy as well sums up the latter part of verse 10, doesn't it brother?

Yes. And the world knew him not. The tragedy of the unbelief of the world. And then he moves a little closer, more limited sphere. He came unto his own. Now some render that his own things. Slightly different word from the latter part.

Later on in verse 11. He came unto his own things and his own received him not. That would be his own people. I think in the first, his own, it would suggest the land. In the second, it would suggest the people.