The book of John was written specifically to help readers come to faith in Jesus Christ (John 20:31) and this first chapter serves as a manifesto of the God who came to earth to live among His creation. “The Word Became Flesh” is the heading of the first chapter of the gospel according to the apostle John. Verses 1-18 read like a parable—personifying and describing ‘The Word’. This ‘Word’ transforms into light and then into a man who came to earth with a specific purpose. All that to say, it can be confusing to read. So, we’ve broken down this first section into small, bite-sized devotionals that can take about 15 minutes a day to give you great insight into who Jesus is and why He came. This can also serve as a template for breaking down and dissecting other scripture passages and applying them to your life. We hope you enjoy!
John 1:1-2
Three phrases that change the game! ‘In the beginning’ reminds me of Genesis 1:1 and the first phrase of the entire Bible. So much happened in that first chapter, like the creation of the world as God spoke it into existence and this “Word” was present for all of that. He was with God as all of it went down, but He also is God Himself. This book is all about the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, so we can safely surmise that The Word described is Jesus, who is also God Himself.
- Did you know that Jesus is God? If not, how did it feel to hear that?
- Jot down some thoughts about how you expect Jesus to act in this book as God in the flesh.
- How close of a relationship do you think Jesus and God the Father have if they have been together since the beginning of time?
- For reference, go to ‘the beginning’ and read the first chapter of Genesis. What kind of power do you think ‘The Word’ has in your life?
John 1:3
Everything in existence is because He is. There is no room for us as humans to boast about anything. Inventors, authors, songwriters—all have been given an ability by the One who made them. Nature has no dependence on mankind to exist or cease existing.
- What is something that you may have taken credit for and not given glory to God about? Perhaps how you did on a speech, or how well you did in an interview to attain a certain job..? We all do this in some way.
- Make a list of 10 things in your life that you can give credit to Jesus for.
John 1:4-5
The Word is God who made everything; life resides in Him who gives light to all mankind; life = light! Jesus as the light is greater than any darkness. Think of the stars, the moon, or even a lit match. How about even a secret—we call them deep and dark for a reason—they are not meant to be seen by others.
Light stands out and affects its surroundings. Our darkness is not too great for Jesus. Darkness does not understand light—it cannot overcome it; but light overcomes and makes sense of our darkness. The purpose of light is not hindered by the existence of darkness.
- What darkness do you think resides in your life? What don’t you want others in your life to know about you?
- Considering the light of God exposes all, what do you need to be more transparent about to walk more closely with Him?
John 1:6-8
Enter: John the Baptist. His purpose: come to testify about the light so all might believe. There is no forced relationship or forced belief in God; merely an invitation of faith. This shows us that the one who brings the message of faith should not be esteemed as the one the message is about. This can be categorized as idolatry–extreme admiration, love, or reverence for something or someone other than God
- Where might you see misplaced esteem or idolatry in your faith journey?
- How has the admiration or reverence of other things/people not met your expectations?
John 1:9-10
If the Bible speaks of a ‘true light’, there must be a ‘false light’ that claims to do what only Jesus can.
Jesus was ‘coming into the world’—from where? Paradise. He came solely for the benefit of others, specifically those He had made. Even people who did not know or recognize Him for who He truly was.
Imagine going from the comfort of home to a third-world country and the discomfort that would allow into your life. We hardly welcome discomfort into our lives unless it guarantees a personal benefit (new school, new job, new relationships, etc).
- Consider an area of your life that you cultivate solely for your own personal benefit and how this could be changed to benefit others around you.
John 1:10-11
This makes me think of comfort again—let’s dive in a little deeper. Jesus had no social comfort in coming to Earth. He was leaving the physical presence of His Father, and was even being sent to be raised by imperfect human beings who He created.
Jesus possessed a deep humility and submission to God’s will. He lacked the luxury that so many of us stress in picking social groups or outings based on how we will feel around other people. “Who’s going to be there?” is not a question He could ask and expect an answer to. How selfless is our Savior to undergo emotional suffering years before He faced the Cross for our sake. How humbling that He wasn’t even well received by those He came to die for. Even more convicting is that His mindset was completely outward-focused to dismiss the desire for any valid recognition from those who went on to persecute and hate Him without reason.
- What invisible discomfort do you seek to avoid in your life?
- How do you see that stunting your growth or progress in your relationship with God?
John 1:12-13
In spite of all the chances for perceived discomfort, Jesus came to bestow blessings. Our faith brings the opportunity to be blessed by God as our relationships with Him open the door for us to take on a new identity. Receiving Jesus positively and in truth sets us apart from the world, gives us a new family, and a Father who has never sinned—only perks!
- What perception or preconceived notions do you have of Jesus?
- How has that served your perspective in life?
- Does your life show that you believe in Him and the good He came to accomplish?
John 1:14
Jesus came to Earth as God in bodily form with full intention to live among His creation. ‘Glory’ here is defined as the “weightiness and honor of God’s presence” (Greek Lexicon—https://biblehub.com/greek/1391.htm). John is giving his solemn testimony of what he and the other disciples witnessed for over 3 years of walking with Jesus. This also defines who Jesus is—the Son of God, who came from God, who was full of grace and truth. Jesus was God in the flesh.
He gave people the experience of eating and even laughing with God! His personality encompassed all things graceful and considerate, yet truthful and unyielding.
- What do you think you would be described as being full of? Pomp and circumstance? Humility and gentleness? Truth and harshness? Consider your interactions and the responses you’ve received this week.
John 1:15
John the Baptist was given the special task of literally pointing Jesus out to those standing around waiting for the Messiah. In humility and truth, He understood His assignment to make his ministry about Jesus and to deflect it from himself (the literal definition of a Christ-centered ministry).
- In your day-to-day life, what might you be calling people’s attention to? Your greatness, abilities, shortcomings, even? Or God and His glory? Ask a friend what they see in your habits for an objective perspective.
John 1:16-17
Jesus’s very existence was to bring us grace in place of the law that had been in place since the Exodus from Egypt. The coming of Jesus ended a covenant of animal sacrifice for atonement and began a personal and restored relationship between God and His creation once more with Jesus as the final sacrifice.
These verses stick out to show us God’s intentionality. He used Moses for a time and brought Jesus to finish out His plan that was formulated before the beginning of time.
- Look up the definition of grace and of truth and consider how each has been displayed in your faith.
John 1:18
The scriptures reveal that Jesus is the only Son, He is Himself God, and no one is closer to God than Him. No one can take such credit and that should bring us great comfort. Jesus is the Way to a relationship with God. If we are to know and be close to God, that starts with getting to know Jesus—a good start is by reading the rest of this incredible gospel. Jesus came to make God known to us—to you.
Action Item
Reflect: Write five things you wonder about God and revisit this list after completing John and see if Jesus has given you any insight in His life and ministry.
By: Stephania Brooks – Our Writers.