John 1 The Word Became Flesh
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God; 3 all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light.
9 The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not. 11 He came to his own home, and his own people received him not. 12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God; 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father. 15 (John bore witness to him, and cried, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, for he was before me.’”) 16 And from his fulness have we all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.
The Testimony of John the Baptist
19 And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He confessed, he did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Eli′jah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22 They said to him then, “Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”
24 Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. 25 They asked him, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Eli′jah, nor the prophet?” 26 John answered them, “I baptize with water; but among you stands one whom you do not know, 27 even he who comes after me, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” 28 This took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
The Lamb of God
29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, for he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him; but for this I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 And John bore witness, “I saw the Spirit descend as a dove from heaven, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him; but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”
The First Disciples of Jesus
35 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples; 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned, and saw them following, and said to them, “What do you seek?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying; and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. 40 One of the two who heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first found his brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him, and said, “So you are Simon the son of John? You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).
Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael
43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. And he found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Beth-sa′ida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathan′a-el, and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46 Nathan′a-el said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47 Jesus saw Nathan′a-el coming to him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!” 48 Nathan′a-el said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Nathan′a-el answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50 Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You shall see greater things than these.” 51 And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.”
Commentary of John 1
The prologue of the Gospel according to John prepares the reader for an unusual depth of understanding regarding the person and significance of Jesus Christ. Chapter 1 of John reveals the incarnated Word to be very God of very God, unrolling a tapestry of theological themes. Rising in poetic language and theological depth, this chapter lures one into knowledge of the eternality of Christ and His work at creation and redemption. Thus, let's see through what John 1 holds in importance and what eternal truths it unveils to us.
The Word Made Flesh: The book of John 1 commences with a powerful assertion: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Here in the first verse is expressed the eternal existence and divinity.
Creation and Incarnation: The Gospel thus presents Jesus Christ not only as the eternal Word but also as the one through whom all things were created. It states, "All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made." This verse declared in affirmation of the fact of Christ's preexistence and His work in the creation of the universe declared with the creating power of the Word which formed the universe now being incarnated into Jesus in the form of a human to be among humanity.
That Light that Conquers Darkness: This is also evident in John 1, where light and darkness are themes running through; the divine illumination brought in by Christ is contrasted with the widespread darkness of the world. As put down, "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." This metaphor captures the power of transformation that naturally comes with the presence of Christ—the darkness of ignorance, sin, and spiritual darkness is chased away. His light speaks hope, truth, and salvation in a broken and sinful world.
Testimony of John the Baptist: Chapter 1 stresses the witness of John the Baptist sent prior to the coming of Christ to prepare the way of the Lord. He testifies that Jesus ranks before him, saying, "He who comes after me ranks before me because he was before me." John acknowledges Jesus' eternal existence; therefore, he proclaims the divine superiority of Jesus. He is the real witness from whom people believe in the true light and Savior.
Receiving and believing the Word: John 1 teaches that God offers the world the need to receive and believe in the Word, Jesus Christ: "But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God." This single verse captures the entire crux of the overall message in the Gospel according to John: that through believing in Christ, one is transformed and becomes part and parcel of God's family. John 1 is a stirring prologue to the Gospel according to John, in which the person and importance of Jesus Christ are revealed as the eternal Word become flesh.
This chapter discloses deep theological truths, unfolds the divine nature of Jesus, His position in the order of creation, and His power to bring light and redemption to this world shadowed in darkness. The depth and theology of John 1 are delightfully poetically covered, which energizes readers—both to draw new vigor from the considered transforming power of the Word, accept and believe in Christ, and be children of God through faith.
Passage in the Catechism
John 1 However, there are abundant references to John 1 in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, some of which include:
The subject of the Christological Doctrine entails the Incarnation of Jesus Christ, and in discussing this, paragraph 65 of the Catechism makes use of John 1:14, the words that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
Paragraph 526 cites in its argument a quote from John 1:14 in the context of writing about the mystery of Christmas and the Incarnation of the Son of God.
The glory of God and the revelation of God's love in the person of Jesus Christ are the references made with regard to John 1:14, in Paragraph 2919.
Paragraph 359 refers John 1:4 back to the creation of the world and the light that would shine into the darkness—that is, Jesus Christ, source of all light and life.
By and large, John 1 is a very valuable passage in the Bible. Many passages from it are found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. It throws light on the manner of speaking on the Incarnation of Jesus Christ: that the mystery of Christmas reveals that love of God is shown toward us in the person of Jesus Christ.
Applying John Chapter 1 in Your Life
John 1 is a chapter that reveals in the Bible the divine and humble nature of Jesus, and through John the Baptist, a testimony was possible concerning Him. Here is how you can relate the teachings of this chapter with your own life:
Personal relationship with Jesus: John 1:12-13 says those who receive Jesus and believe in His name become children of God. You can aim at building a personal relationship with Jesus, where you shall rely on Him and be blessed as a child of God.
Recognize the importance of the sacrifice of Jesus: John the Baptist testified that this Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world in John 1:29. In your personal life you might have realized the importance of Jesus sacrificing Himself on the cross, and think that it is right that you should also live that way to be worthy of that sacrifice, demonstrating thankfulness for it.
Share the good news about Jesus: The opening of John's gospel (1:35-42) tells of John the Baptist pointing his followers to Jesus and of Andrew's bringing his brother Simon (Peter) to the Lord. You too must be able to share the good news about Jesus and point others to Him as the answer to salvation and hope.
Accept Jesus as light and truth: John 1:4-5 and 9 give the description of Jesus being the light and the true light, enlightening every man. You may accept Jesus to be a source not just of light, but truth, in your very own life. Come to Him with all your questions, asking for His wisdom and guidance, and you shall even become light and truth to your surrounding environment.