The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV
Page 522
1:8 He was not that Light. While John the Baptist was the agent of belief, Jesus Christ is the object of belief. Although John’s person and ministry were vitally important (Matt. 11:11), he was merely the forerunner who announced the coming of the Messiah. Many years after John’s ministry and death, some still failed to understand John’s subordinate role to Jesus (Acts 19:1–3).
1:9 the true Light…coming into the world. The marginal note is the preferred translation. The words “coming into the world” would be better grammatically if attached to “light” rather than “every man” and thus translated “the true Light coming into the world gives light to every man.” This highlights the incarnation of Jesus Christ (v. 14; 3:16). which gives light to every man. Through God’s sovereign power, every man has enough light to be responsible. God has planted His knowledge in man through general revelation in creation and conscience. The result of general revelation, however, does not produce salvation but either leads to the complete light of Jesus Christ or produces condemnation in those who reject such “light” (see notes on Rom. 1:19, 20; 2:12–16). The coming of Jesus Christ was the fulfillment and embodiment of the light that God had placed inside the heart of man. the world. The basic sense of this Gr. word meaning “an ornament” is illustrated by the word “cosmetic” (1 Pet. 3:3). While the NT uses it a total of 185 times, John had a particular fondness for this term, using it 78 times in his gospel, 24 times in 1-3 John and 3 times in Revelation. John gives it several shades of meaning: 1) the physical created universe (v. 9; cf. v. 3; 21:24, 25); 2) humanity in general (3:16; 6:33, 51; 12:19); and 3) the invisible spiritual system of evil dominated by Satan and all that it offers in opposition to God, His Word, and His people (3:19; 4:42; 7:7; 14:17, 22, 27, 30; 15:18, 19; 16:8, 20, 33; 17:6, 9, 14; cf. 1 Cor. 1:21; 2 Pet. 1:4; 1 John 5:19). The latter concept is the significant new use that the term acquires in the NT and that predominates in John. Thus, in the majority of times that John uses the word, it has decidedly negative overtones.
1:11 His own…His own. The first usage of “His own” most likely refers to the world of mankind in general, while the second refers to the Jewish nation. As Creator, the world belongs to the Word as His property but the world did not even recognize Him due to spiritual blindness (cf. also v. 10). John used the second occurrence of “His own” in a narrower sense to refer to Jesus’ own physical lineage, the Jews. Although they possessed the Scriptures that testified of His person and coming, they still did not accept Him (Is. 65:2, 3; Jer. 7:25). This theme of Jewish rejection of their promised Messiah receives special attention in John’s gospel (12:37–41).
1:12, 13 These verses stand in contrast to vv. 10, 11. John softens the sweeping rejection of Messiah by stressing a believing remnant. This previews the book since the first 12 chapters stress the rejection of Christ, while chaps. 13–21 focus on the believing remnant who received Him.
1:12 as many as received Him…to those who believe in His name. The second phrase describes the first. To receive Him who is the Word of God means to acknowledge His claims, place one’s faith in Him, and thereby yield allegiance to Him. gave. The term emphasizes the grace of God involved in the gift of salvation (cf. Eph. 2:8–10). the right. Those who receive Jesus, the Word, receive full authority to claim the exalted title of “God’s children.” His name. Denotes the character of the person himself. See note on 14:13, 14.
1:13 of God. The divine side of salvation: ultimately it is not a man’s will that produces salvation but God’s will (cf. 3:6–8; Titus 3:5; 1 John 2:29).
1:14 the Word became flesh. While Christ as God was uncreated and eternal (see notes on v. 1), the word “became” emphasizes Christ’s taking on humanity (cf. Heb. 1:1–3; 2:14–18). This reality is surely the most profound ever because it indicates that the Infinite became finite; the Eternal was conformed to time; the Invisible became visible; the supernatural One reduced Himself to the natural. In the incarnation, however, the Word did not cease to be God but became God in human flesh, i.e., undiminished deity in human form as a man (1 Tim. 3:16). dwelt. Meaning “to pitch a tabernacle,” or “live in a tent.” The term recalls to mind the OT tabernacle where God met with Israel before the temple was constructed (Ex. 25:8). It was called the “tabernacle of meeting” (Ex. 33:7; “tabernacle of witness”—LXX) where “the LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend” (Ex. 33:11). In the NT, God chose to dwell among His people in a far more personal way through becoming a man. In the OT, when the tabernacle was completed, God’s Shekinah presence filled the entire structure (Ex. 40:34; cf. 1 Kin. 8:10). When the Word became flesh, the glorious presence of deity was embodied in Him (cf. Col. 2:9). we beheld His glory. Although His deity may have been veiled in human flesh, glimpses exist in the gospels of His divine majesty. The disciples saw glimpses of His glory on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matt. 17:1–8). The reference to Christ’s glory, however, was not only visible but also spiritual. They saw Him display the attributes or characteristics of God (grace, goodness, mercy, wisdom, truth, etc.; cf. Ex. 33:18–23). the glory as of…Father. Jesus as God displayed the same essential glory as the Father. They are one in essential nature (cf. 5:17–30; 8:19; 10:30). only begotten. The term “only begotten” is a mistranslation of the Gr. word. The word does not come from the term meaning “beget” but instead has the idea of “the only beloved one.” It, therefore, has the idea of singular uniqueness, of being beloved like no other. By this word, John emphasized the exclusive character of the relationship between the Father and the Son in the Godhead (cf. 3:16, 18; 1 John 4:9). It does not connote origin but rather unique prominence; e.g., it was used of Isaac (Heb. 11:17) who was Abraham’s second son (Ishmael being the first; cf. Gen. 16:15 with Gen. 21:2, 3). full of grace and truth. John probably had Ex. 33, 34 in mind. On that occasion, Moses requested that God display His glory to him. The Lord replied to Moses that He would make all His “goodness” pass before him, and then as He passed by God declared “The LORD…merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth” (Ex. 33:18, 19; 34:5–7). These attributes of God’s glory emphasize the goodness of God’s character, especially in relationship to salvation. Jesus as Yahweh of the OT (8:58; “I AM”) displayed the same divine attributes when He tabernacled among men in the NT era (Col. 2:9).
1:15 John the Baptist’s testimony corroborates John the apostle’s statement regarding the eternality of the Incarnate Word (cf. v. 14).
1:16 grace for grace. This phrase emphasizes the superabundance of grace that has been displayed by God toward mankind, especially believers (Eph. 1:5–8; 2:7).
1:17, 18 Corroborating the truth of v. 14, these verses draw a closing contrast to the prologue. The law, given by Moses, was not a display of God’s grace but God’s demand for holiness. God designed the law as a means to demonstrate the unrighteousness of man in order to show the need for a Savior, Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:19, 20; Gal. 3:10–14, 21–26). Furthermore, the law revealed only a part of truth and was preparatory in nature. The reality or full truth toward which the law pointed came through the person of Jesus Christ.
1:18 who is in the bosom of the Father. This term denotes the mutual intimacy, love and knowledge existing in the Godhead (see 13:23; Luke 16:22, 23). declared. Theologians derived the term “exegesis” or “to interpret” from this word. John meant that all that Jesus is and does interprets and explains who God is and what He does (14:8–10).
1:19–37 In these verses, John presented the first of many witnesses to prove that Jesus is the Messiah and Son of God, thus reinforcing his main theme (20:30, 31). The testimony of John the Baptist was given on 3 different days to 3 different groups (cf. vv. 29, 35, 36). Each time, he spoke of Christ in a different way and emphasized distinct aspects regarding Him. The events in these verses took place in A.D. 26/27, just a few months after John’s baptism of Jesus (cf. Matt. 3:13–17; Luke 3:21, 22).
1:19 John. John, born into a priestly family, belonged to the tribe of Levi (Luke 1:5). He
began his ministry in the Jordan Valley when he was approximately 29 or 30 years old and boldly proclaimed the need for spiritual repentance and preparation for the coming of the Messiah. He was the cousin of Jesus Christ and served as His prophetic forerunner (Matt. 3:3; Luke 1:5–25, 36). the Jews…from Jerusalem. This may refer to the Sanhedrin, the main governing body of the Jewish nation. The Sanhedrin was controlled by the family of the High-Priest, and thus the envoys would naturally be priests and Levites who would be interested in John’s ministry, both his message and his baptism.
1:20 “I am not the Christ.” Some thought that John was the Messiah (Luke 3:15–17). Christ. The term “Christ” is the Gr. equivalent of the Heb. term for “Messiah.”
1:21 “…Are you Elijah?” Malachi 4:5 (see note there) promises that the prophet Elijah will return before Messiah establishes His earthly kingdom. If John was the forerunner of Messiah was he Elijah, they asked? The angel announcing John’s birth said that John would go before Jesus “in the spirit and power of Elijah” (Luke 1:17), thus indicating that someone other than literal Elijah could fulfill the prophecy. God sent John who was like Elijah, i.e., one who had the same type of ministry, the same power and similar personality (2 Kin. 1:8; cf. Matt. 3:4). If they had received Jesus as Messiah, John would have fulfilled that prophecy (see notes on Matt. 11:14; Mark 9:13; Luke 1:17; Rev. 11:5, 6). “Are you the Prophet?” This is a reference to Deut. 18:15–18 which predicted God would raise up a great prophet like Moses who would function as His voice. While some in John’s time interpreted this prophecy as referring to another forerunner of Messiah, the NT (Acts 3:22, 23; 7:37) applies the passage to Jesus.
1:23 John quoted and applied Is. 40:3 to himself (cf. Matt. 3:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4). In the original context of Is. 40:3, the prophet heard a voice calling for the leveling of a path. This call was a prophetic picture that foreshadowed the final and greatest return of Israel to their God from spiritual darkness and alienation through the spiritual redemption accomplished by the Messiah (cf. Rom. 11:25–27). In humility, John compared himself to a voice rather than a person, thus focusing the attention exclusively upon Christ (cf. Luke 17:10).
1:25 baptize. Since John had identified himself as a mere voice (v. 23), the question arose as to his authority for baptizing. The OT associated the coming of Messiah, with repentance and spiritual cleansing (Ezek. 36, 37; Zech. 13:1). John focused attention on his position as forerunner of Messiah, who used traditional proselyte baptism as a symbol of the need to recognize those Jews who were outside God’s saving covenant like Gentiles. They too needed spiritual cleansing and preparation (repentance—Matt. 3:11; Mark 1:4; Luke 3:7, 8) for Messiah’s advent. See notes on Matt. 3:6, 11, 16, 17 for an explanation of the significance of John’s baptism.
1:27 John the Baptist’s words here continue a theme of the pre-eminence of Messiah in the prologue (vv. 6–8, 15) and demonstrate extraordinary humility. Each time John had opportunity to focus on himself in these encounters, he instead shifted the focus onto Messiah. John went so far as to state that he, unlike a slave that was required to remove his master’s shoes, was not even worthy of performing this action in relationship to Messiah.
1:28 Bethabara. This word has been substituted for “Bethany” which is in the original text because some feel that John incorrectly identified Bethany as the place of these events. The solution is that two Bethanys existed, i.e., one near Jerusalem where Mary, Martha, and Lazarus lived (11:1) and one “beyond the Jordan” near the region of Galilee. Since John took great pains to identify the other Bethany’s close proximity to Jerusalem, he most likely was referring here to that other town with the same name.
1:29–34 This portion deals with John’s witness to a second group of Jews on the second day (see vv. 19–28 for the first group and day) regarding Jesus. This section forms something of a bridge. It continues the theme of John the Baptist’s witness but also introduces a lengthy list of titles applied to Jesus: Lamb of God (vv. 29, 36), Rabbi (vv. 38, 49), Messiah/Christ (v. 41), Son of God (vv. 34, 49), King of Israel (v. 49), Son of Man (v. 51), and “Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote” (v. 45).
1:29 The next day. This phrase probably refers to the day after John’s response to the Jerusalem delegation. It also initiates a sequence of days (v. 43; 2:1) that culminated in the miracle at Cana (2:1–11). The Lamb of God. The use of a lamb for sacrifice was very familiar to Jews. A lamb was used as a sacrifice during Passover (Ex. 12:1–36); a lamb was led to the slaughter in the prophecies of Isaiah (Is. 53:7); a lamb was offered in the daily sacrifices of Israel (Lev. 14:12–21; cf. Heb. 10:5–7). John the Baptist used this expression as a reference to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus on the cross to atone for the sins of the world, a theme which John the apostle carries throughout his writings (19:36; cf. Rev. 5:1–6; 7:17; 17:14) and that appears in other NT writings (e.g., 1 Pet. 1:19). sin of the world. See note on v. 9; cf. 3:16; 6:33, 51. In this context “world” has the connotation of humanity in general, not specifically every person. The use of the singular “sin” in conjunction with “of the world” indicates that Jesus’ sacrifice for sin potentially reaches all human beings without distinction (cf. 1 John 2:2). John makes clear, however, that its efficacious effect is only for those who receive Christ (vv. 11, 12). For discussion of the relation of Christ’s death to the world, see note on 2 Cor. 5:19.
1:31 I did not know Him. Although John was Jesus’ cousin, he did not know Jesus as the “Coming One” or “Messiah” (v. 30).
1:32 the Spirit descending. God had previously communicated to John that this sign was to indicate the promised Messiah (v. 33), so when John witnessed this act, he was able to identify the Messiah as Jesus (cf. Matt. 3:16; Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22).
1:34 the Son of God. Although, in a limited sense, believers can be called “sons of God” (e.g., v. 12; Matt. 5:9; Rom. 8:14), John uses this phrase with the full force as a title that points to the unique oneness and intimacy that Jesus sustains to the Father as “Son.” The term carries the idea of the deity of Jesus as Messiah (v. 49; 5:16–30; cf. 2 Sam. 7:14; Ps. 2:7; see notes on Heb. 1:1–9).
1:35–51 This portion deals with John’s witness to a third group, i.e., some of John’s disciples, on the third day (see vv. 19–28, 29–34 for the first and second groups) regarding Jesus. Consistent with John’s humility (v. 27), he focuses the attention of his own disciples onto Jesus (v. 37).
1:37 they followed Jesus. Although the verb “follow” usually means “to follow as a disciple” in the writing of the apostle (v. 43; 8:12; 12:26; 21:19, 20, 22), it may also have a neutral sense (11:31). The “following” here does not necessarily mean that they became permanent disciples at this time. The implication may be that they went after Jesus to examine Him more closely because of John’s testimony. This event constituted a preliminary exposure of John the Baptist’s disciples to Jesus (e.g., Andrew; 1:40). They eventually dedicated their lives to Him as true disciples and apostles when Jesus called them to permanent service after these events (Matt. 4:18–22; 9:9; Mark 1:16–20). At this point in the narrative, John the Baptist fades from the scene and the attention focuses upon the ministry of Christ.
1:39 the tenth hour. John is reckoning time by the Roman method of the day beginning at midnight. See note on Mark 15:25. This would make the time about 10:00 a.m. John mentions the precise time most likely to emphasize that he was the other disciple of John the Baptist who was with Andrew (v. 40). As an eyewitness to these events occurring on 3 successive days, John’s first meeting with Jesus was so life-changing that he remembered the exact hour when he first met the Lord.
1:41 Messiah. The term “Messiah” is a transliteration of a Heb. or Aram. verbal adjective that means “Anointed One.” It comes from a verb that means “to anoint” someone as an action involved in consecrating that person to a particular office or function. While the term at first applied to the king of Israel (“the Lord’s anointed”—1 Sam. 16:6), the High-Priest (“the anointed priest,
” Lev. 4:3) and, in one passage, the patriarchs (“my anointed ones,” Ps. 105:15), the term eventually came to point above all to the prophesied “Coming One” or “Messiah” in His role as prophet, priest, and king. The term “Christ,” a Gr. word (verbal adjective) that comes from a verb meaning “to anoint,” is used in translating the Heb. term, so that the terms “Messiah” or “Christ” are titles and not personal names of Jesus.
1:42 when Jesus looked at him. Jesus knows hearts thoroughly (vv. 43–51) and not only sees into them (vv. 47, 48) but also transforms a person into what He wants him to become. You shall be called Cephas. Up to this time, Peter had been known as “Simon son of Jonah” (the name “Jonah” in Aram. means “John”; cf. 21:15–17; Matt. 16:17). The term “Cephas” means “rock” in Aram. which is translated “Peter” in Greek. Jesus’ assignment of the name “Cephas” or “Peter” to Simon occurred at the outset of his ministry (cf. Matt. 16:18; Mark 3:16). The statement not only is predictive of what Peter would be called but also declarative of how Jesus would transform his character and use him in relationship to the foundation of the church (cf. 21:18, 19; Matt. 16:16–18; Acts 2:14—4:32).
1:43–51 This section introduces the fourth day since the beginning of John the Baptist’s witness (cf. vv. 19, 29, 35).
1:44 Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. While Mark 1:21, 29 locates Peter’s house in Capernaum, John relates that he was from Bethsaida. Resolution centers in the fact that Peter (and Andrew) most likely grew up in Bethsaida and later relocated to Capernaum in the same way that Jesus was consistently identified with His hometown of Nazareth, though He lived elsewhere later (Matt. 2:23; 4:13; Mark 1:9; Luke 1:26).