John Lesson 2
We will begin this lesson in John 1:6
V-6, "There was a man sent from God, whose name was John."
We see here a man not like the Logos in the last lesson but a
real man. This is a man with a mission from birth. John the Baptist,
we know, is no ordinary man. Jesus, Himself, would say of John that
there had never been a man born of woman who was greater,
Matthew 11:11. We also know that John's birth was a miracle. His
parents were old when they had him, and his father was a high priest
in the temple. Zacharias and Elisabeth were from priestly families. We
also know that the Holy Ghost entered John while he was yet in his
mother's womb, Luke chapter 1. John the Baptist would be spoken of as
the promised Elijah spoken of in Malachi, Matthew 11:14. We read very
little of John the Baptist's youth. He was sent to the earth for one
purpose by God and that was to proclaim the coming of Messiah. His
only purpose was to make the way clear for Jesus Christ the
Messiah. His message was repent
V-7, "The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light,
that all men through him might believe."
From Isaiah until Malachi the prophets had been prophesying the
coming of the Light (Jesus Christ). John the Baptist was to warn that
the Light was here. Be ready to receive it. John's one job was to make
ready for the Light. John was the climax to all the Old Testament
prophets telling of this glorious Light, but we will see that not all
believed. The world and the so called pleasures thereof had too much
of a hold on the people.
V-8, "He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that
Light."
John knew from the beginning that he was not the Light. He was
just a messenger running ahead telling people to prepare to receive
the Light. We would see that many esteemed the messenger of the Light
above the Light. Even when Jesus was questioned by those of the
church, they were careful not to say anything bad about John the
Baptist.
V-9, "That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that
cometh into the world."
This is the Light which was applied first in Genesis which gave
all matter the power to be. This Light determines whether you have
life or not. If you do not have this Light within you, then you have
death and not Life.
V-10, "He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and
the world knew him not."
Here again, just as in our last lesson in verse 3, we see that
this Light (Jesus Christ) (Word) made everything. He was Creator
God. The Creator of all the world came to this earth to save His
creation, and His creation had no idea who He was.
V-11, "He came unto his own, and his own received him not."
The chosen people (Israelites) whom God had made covenant with,
were the very ones who would not receive Him. They had the Scriptures
which spoke of His coming, and yet when He came, they rejected Him.
V-12, "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to
become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:"
Notice, even here, He did not do it for them. They had their own
free will. He made it available to them and gave them power to receive
it; but they had to, of their own free will, accept it. The secret to
becoming sons of God is in believing in His name. In Romans 10:9,
"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt
believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou
shalt be saved." It is so simple and yet so many miss out. The
confession is that He is our Lord and Saviour. Jesus means Jehovah
Saviour. The belief cannot be surface either. It must truly be in our
heart.
V-13, "Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the
flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."
Jesus told them later, "Marvel not that I say ye must be born
again". This is a spiritual birth not a birth of the flesh. I Peter 3
:18, "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the
unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the
flesh, but quickened by the Spirit." We also read in John 3:5-6,
"Jesus answered, Verily, Verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born
of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of
God." V-6, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which
is born of the Spirit is spirit." You see, then to be sons of God we
must be born of His Spirit, The Holy Spirit of God. If we are never
reborn of the Spirit, then we remain flesh; and flesh cannnot inherit
the kingdom of God. I Corinthians 6:9, "Know ye not that the
unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?"
V-14, "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."
The Word (Jesus Christ) took on the form of flesh and dwelt here
on this earth with us. He is called Emmanuel (God with us) in
Matthew. His flesh was man (inherited through Mary), His Spirit was
God. God is a Spirit. The Holy Spirit of God hovered over Mary and
she conceived of the Holy Spirit of God. Jesus took on the flesh of
Mary, but was in fact, God within that flesh. The spirit and the body
are part of every person. The flesh is made in the image of man, but
the spirit within each of us is the image of God (our life). God is a
Spirit; and to be His image (likeness), we would have to be
spirit. The spirit within is our being that will live eternally in
heaven or hell. We will shed this body we dwell in now and will have
a new body. This body you live in here on this earth will return to
dust from which it came, but the real you will have vacated that body
and taken on a new heavenly body. Everyone who has been clinically
dead and revived will tell you that they left their old body in the
hospital. This is exactly what the Scripture teaches. Even Jesus'
resurrected body was different than the one that went into the
tomb. It was a body because He ate and because the nail prints were
there; but in His new body, it was not necessary to open doors. He
just appeared. Our spirit dwells in a body while we are here on the
earth. Our spirit or our body will control our will. This determines
whether we are controlled by God or the lust of the flesh. All grace
and truth comes from Jesus.
V-15, "John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he
of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for
he was before me."
John here is speaking of the eternity of Jesus. Jesus is six
months younger than John in the flesh. John is aware that Jesus
created John. What confuses people are the different names of Jesus.
He did not use the name Jesus, until He came to the earth. Jesus
means Saviour. He took on that name while He was here on the earth
because that was what He was here for. Jesus is called by whatever
name describes what He is doing at that time. Word was His name in
heaven. John keeps reminding the people that he is not Messiah. He
tells them Jesus is their Messiah
V-16, "And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for
grace."
We must remember here that Jesus is the Word. The Old Testament
teaches Jesus just the same as the New Testament. John here is
saying, "He has been filling us with His Word since Genesis". Now John
is saying Jesus' message of this hour is grace.
V-17, "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came
by Jesus Christ."
Even the law came from God, through Moses. Grace and truth are
not only from Jesus but through Jesus, as well. We will read further
in this book of John that Jesus not only brought the truth but is, in
fact, the Truth.
Notes
JOHN 2 QUESTIONS
1. Who was the man sent from God?
2. What high praise did Jesus give John the Baptist?
3. Who were John the Baptist's parents?
4. Who would Jesus say John was?
5. What was John the Baptist's mission?
6. When did the Holy Ghost enter John the Baptist?
7. What was John to bear witness of?
8. How long had Messiah been prophesied by prophets?
9. Was John ever deceived into believing he was the Light?
10. What is said about the Light in verse 10?
11. Who was this Light, this Word, this Jesus Christ?
12. Why did He come to this earth?
13. Who were the chosen people of God?
14. They had the Scriptures that spoke of His coming and yet they
_______________Him.
15. As many as received Him, He gave 12. Why to be what?
16. What was the requirement?
17. What are we told in Romans 10:9?
18. Jesus really means what?
19. In verse 13, we learn these are born of what?
20. In I Peter 3:18, we find that we must put to death the ___________
___________ but be quickened by theł _________________.
21. In I Corinthians, it tells us who will not inherit the kingdom of
God?
22. Verse 14 says, "And the Word was made ________________, and dwelt
________________ _________,"
23. Who does verse 14 say this Word is?
24. What two things was He full of in verse 14?
25. What does Emmanuel mean?
26. Who did Jesus come to first and they would not receive Him?
27. In John 3:6-7, we find the difference between what?
28. God is a Spirit and to be in His likeness we must be ___________
_______________.
29. In the flesh, who was the oldest, John or Jesus?
30. John said, "He that cometh after me is ___________before me."
31. What fulnessus had they all already received in verse 16?
32. Who was the law given by?
33. Where did the law come from?
34. Who brought grace and truth?
Notes
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