Introduction: If you are reading this study, likely you
believe in Jesus. What does that mean to you? How much of
Jesus’ background do you know and understand? How do you
understand His role in the universe? Let’s dive into our
study of the Bible and see how John introduces us to Jesus.
How does John’s introduction inform us about the larger,
grander view of Jesus? Let’s go!
I. The Word
A. Read John 1:1. Right away we run into a problem.
How can the “Word,” whatever that is, be both
“with” God and “was” God?
B. Before we try to sort out this “with/was”
business, let’s read John 1:14 to determine who is
the Word. Who is He? (Jesus. When John writes of
the Word becoming flesh and dwelling with us, he
can only be describing Jesus.)
1. Notice that Jesus is referred to “as of the
only Son” who is “from the Father.” Now we
have added “from” to our “with/was” mystery!
C. Read John 1:2. How long has the Word been with
God? (Since the beginning.)
1. In John 1:14 and John 1:18, among many other
places in the Bible, Jesus is described as the
“Son” and God is described as the “Father.”
That suggests that God the Father somehow
created Jesus the Son. Is that true? (It could
not be true if Jesus was literally present at
the beginning with God.)
a. Does being present at the beginning
explain the “with” God of John 1:1? (I
think it does. Jesus was with God the
Father from the beginning.)
D. Look again at John 1:1. We now have a better
understanding of the “with” God statement. How do
you understand the way in which Jesus being “God”
is consistent with Jesus being “with” God?
(American law has a statutory construction rule
that logically applies here. Two statutes are not
in conflict if they can both be fully applied.
Jesus is clearly stated to be “God” and to be
“with God.” That points to a joint identity.)
1. Now that is resolved, how should we understand
the “from” part of the description? (Jesus
came to us from heaven, that explains the
“from” statement.)
II. The Creator of All
A. Read John 1:3. What has Jesus done? (He is the
Creator of “all things.” “All things were made
through Him.”)
B. Let’s read the first of two related texts. Read
Genesis 1:1-3. How did Jesus create? (By speaking
things into existence.)
1. How does this give fuller meaning to the
reason for calling Jesus the “Word?” (Jesus’
word created all things.)
C. The second text is Romans 1:18-20. How is
believing in Jesus defined here? (Looking at the
Creation and believing that Jesus exists and that
He created it.)
1. Romans 1:18 refers to the unrighteous who are
truth suppressors. Do you know anyone who
suppresses this truth? (Everyone who promotes
evolution in place of creation is a truth
suppressor.)
a. How does that help us to better define
what it means to “believe in Jesus?”
(This is not simply a matter of believing
in His existence, rather we must accept
as truth what He says about Himself.)
b. Imagine if I wrote to your employer that
your work could be accomplished just as
well if you were fired and your work left
to chance and natural selection. Would
you be offended? (Of course. Plus, unless
you are a politician, it would not be
true!)
III. The Light
A. Read John 1:4-5. What conflict do we find here?
(There is light and there is darkness in the
world. Jesus is the light, and the opposition has
not overcome Him.)
B. Read John 1:9-12. What divide do we see among
people? (There are those who do not receive Jesus,
and do not believe He made the world, and there
are those who do receive Him and believe in His
power and His character. Those who believe have
the right to claim they are children of God.)
1. I hear people in the United States say that we
“have never been so divided.” Is that true?
(There has always been a divide between the
children of God and darkness. Darkness is
defined as those who do not believe in the
power of God.)
C. Read John 1:17. How does “grace and truth” differ
from the law? (The full light of God is that Jesus
came to show us the truth of God’s nature. Central
to that truth is that we are saved by grace and
not works of the law. See Galatians 3:10-14.)
D. Re-read John 1:10-11. John is obviously looking
back over his time with Jesus. Who do you think
John has in mind when he describes “His own
people” who “did not receive Him?” (The Jewish
leaders who conspired to kill Jesus. And Judas,
who was one of the disciples.)
1. Judas and the Jewish leaders obviously
believed in Jesus. What was their error?
(Judas is a prime example of what we are
talking about. He thought he was smarter than
Jesus. He thought he would force Jesus to
become king of the Jewish nation. A Christian
can believe in the existence of Jesus, but if
you do not believe and trust in what Jesus
says, you are following darkness and not
light.)
2. Did the Jewish leaders and Judas think they
were religious? Did they spend time promoting
their religious views? (Yes. From this we
learn that thinking we are religious, even
having a job promoting religion, might be at
best useless. The key is whether you believe
what Jesus and the Bible say, or whether you
create your own moral compass.)
IV. The Glory
A. Read John 17:1-2. What “hour” is Jesus speaking
about? (Read John 16:32. Jesus is referring back
to His statement about the disciples deserting
Him. That is a reference to His arrest which
resulted in His crucifixion.)
1. With that background, what is the “glory” for
Jesus and the Father? (They are locked in a
battle against Satan. That fight involved
whether the law was just, whether Satan was
the lord of the earth, and whether Jesus would
fulfil the obligation of humans to keep the
law, and bear our sins by His death. Jesus won
the battle on all these points.)
B. Read John 17:3. How does Jesus describe the path
to eternal life? (To know God the Father and
Jesus.)
1. What does this suggest about how we can know
the Father? (We know the Father through
Jesus.)
C. Let’s skip ahead and read John 17:7-8. How,
exactly, does Jesus help us to know God the
Father? (Through the words and acts of Jesus.)
1. Would you expect that God the Father is more
stern than Jesus, the Son? (This shows that He
is not.)
D. Read John 17:4-6. Who, exactly, do you think Jesus
is talking about when He refers to the “people
whom You gave Me,” who “have kept your word?”
(This must include the disciples.)
1. If you were with me in the last series of
studies on Mark, you know that the disciples
had some serious problems in understanding and
following Jesus. How would you explain what
Jesus just said? (This is a comfort to us.
Jesus gives a very positive spin to what it
means to keep the word of God.)
E. Look again at John 17:7-8. What is the central
issue for humans who wish to give glory to God?
(To believe that God sent Jesus. To believe that
what Jesus said and did reflect what He was given
from His Father in Heaven.)
F. Friend, do you believe that Jesus created
everything? That He is one with God the Father?
That what Jesus said and did on earth reflects the
nature of God? If so, then you are part of the
glory of Jesus! You are part of those who truly
believe in Jesus. If you don’t believe, what will
it take for you to believe?
V. Next week: Witnesses of Christ as the Messiah.
Copr. 2024, Bruce N. Cameron, J.D. Scripture quotations are
from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard
Version ), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing
ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All
rights reserved. Suggested answers are found within
parentheses. If you normally receive this lesson by e-mail,
but it is lost one week, you can find it by clicking on this
link: http://www.GoBible.org. Pray for the guidance of the
Holy Spirit as you study.
