Hey, it’s been a while. We are revamping the Scattered Abroad blog and trying to make it better than ever. As we begin, each Monday, we will be taking a look at a different chapter of the book of John. Hopefully, when we conclude the book, you will have a mini study guide on the book of belief (John 20:30-31). We’ll start with an outline of the chapter, and discuss what each section means in just a few words. We begin, of course, with Chapter 1.
JESUS IN HIS PRE-EARTH STATE (V. 1-18).
The book of John begins with insight into the life of Jesus before He was known as Jesus, and gives us an overview of His work. John, by inspiration, describes the role of the Second Member of the Godhead before His redemptive role was enacted. The Christ is eternal, not a created being (v. 1-2). He had an active role in creation (v. 3). He came to bring light and life (v. 4-5). He had one prepare the way for Him (v. 6-8). He was rejected by most (v. 9-11). He greatly blessed and blesses those who do not reject him (v. 12-14). He was the One who would bring about the fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan (v. 15-18). This is a much different beginning than any of the other Gospel accounts, mainly because of the intent of the book of John. These eighteen verses help set the stage for the rest of the chapter, and ultimately, the rest of the book.
JOHN AS THE FORERUNNER (V. 19-28).
Isaiah 40:3-5 points to the forerunner of the Messiah. One would go before Him to prepare the way for Him. Much like the farmer who tills the ground before planting the seed, John would till the hearts of men to prepare them for the seed which Jesus would bring, the word of God (Luke 8:11). He took on the Pharisees head-on, as Jesus would do so often during His earthly ministry.
JESUS PROCLAIMED AS THE LAMB OF GOD (V. 29-34).
When John recognized Jesus as the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world, the entirety of the Bible should’ve been woven together in the minds of the hearers. From Genesis 3:15 when the seed of woman was introduced, to Revelation 1:5 which tells us that our sins are washed away by the blood of Christ, the entirety of the Bible is centralized on Jesus being the Lamb of God, the One who would give up His life on the cross for the sins of mankind (John 10:17-18). John and many others would confirm that Jesus truly is the Son of God.
JESUS CALLS HIS DISCIPLES (V. 35-51).
Jesus then invites many to “come and see” (v. 39). Think about how important the disciples would be to the earthly ministry of Jesus. These are the twelve men who would accompany Jesus on so many journeys to teach, preach, heal, and help. These are the twelve men who would be with Jesus when He endured so much ridicule and rejection. These are the men who would turn their backs on Jesus when He was arrested. Most of these are the men who would do so much good spreading the Gospel as the church was in its earthly infancy, though it had eternally existed in the mind of God.
